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Sailor Perseus had been rather near when she'd seen and felt the apparition once more. It felt familiar and strange at the same time when she dropped to her knees before the woman and looked up at her with piercing blue eyes. Somehow, even though she did not know the woman, some part of her recognized the significance, and her heart felt light.

There were no wrathful words spoken at children who'd failed, no threat or promise of pain that the Negaverse might have had to endure. It was compassion that lifted the blow of defeat. Perseus had felt defeat before, of course, but never quite to this extent. When the woman slipped out of reality, the sailor stood. She was still all the things she was before, and covered with cake, but she felt better all at the same time. Hope had been restored to her heart!

All the same, the senshi slipped out through a distinctly Merope-sized hole in the wall of the venue, and out into the night. Compared to the heat, snow, ice, fire, and rage of the ballroom, the chill night air felt good on her skin. Around the corner, Perseus dehenshined, blinking back into her golden finery with a blue-green flash. She walked for a small ways before calling out "Perseus Power, Make Up!" and transforming back into a (thankfully) clean uniform.

She needed to take a walk, and the simplest way to go about that was powered up. The Lady's words echoed through her head as her footsteps echoed off of the street. Find the lights that wait for you, find them, find hope.

Tallulah nodded to Lilly and looked sympathetically to Xavier - "Do you think you can walk?" she asked. She hoped so - it was his arm that looked broken, not his leg, and she knew that if you could drive to the emergency room and avoid the hefty price of an ambulance, you'd better do it. But Xavier didn't reply, because he was passed out.

The words of Queen Serenity echoed in her head, though. "Find the lights that wait for us?" she asked quietly over Xavier's head as she hoisted him beneath his armpits. So much had happened tonight - she had so much to try and put back together, so many events to piece together - And how had the cake become a Youma?

"This was a trap," she said quietly, as they limped en masse to the door, Xavier's limp form slung between the three of them. For all she knew it hadn't been, but conviction could serve you well when you were Tallulah Cowden, gold medalist in jumping to conclusions and coming up short on evidence. "Where are you parked, Lilly?"

"And when's a good time for us to have our next meeting, do you think?"

All the energy that flooded the room disappeared in an instant, the void’s presence ripping through the senshi that sent her jolting forward. Sinon quickly pressed down on her hands so that she wouldn’t plop her face into the frosting goop. With all the high tension vacant from her body, she blankly hunched over a piece of cake. Looking like a lost child she stared up at Azzo and the suspicious man next to him. “It’s gone,” she stated obviously before looking back down at her knees.

With a disappointed heart she managed to heave herself back onto her feet while brushing off as much cake bits as she could. Although it was incredibly delicious, it didn’t taste so good anymore. Not when her mouth felt dry and she felt like she had let someone down.

But before she could speak another word there was a glowing figure that appeared in the center of the room. Curiously Sinon took a step towards her, leaning forward to take a closer look at the beautiful woman. Awed, she subconsciously took another step forward as her reassuring words spurred the senshi on. That was true. Totally, and utterly true. What you lived through made you stronger, after all, right?

Mustering a grin she turned towards Azzo and then glanced at Laocoon, innocently staring at him from top to bottom. “You don’t look like a senshi, but you’re not negaverse either. That’s funny.” She chuckled. “Anyways! Azzo, sir, would you prefer the company of a senshi to make sure a youma doesn’t eat you on the way home?” Her words were pure jest, but there was a hint of seriousness in her eyes.

Maia looked at Tallulah concern written all over her face. The situation did not seem like it had been a trap, saying it was a trap was saying their princess might be plotting with negaverse. She the moment wasn't right to voice this however.

When asked where she parked she started off toward the door. "Just out front, three rows back."
Maia powered down as she walked and pulled her key out of the feather crown around her head.

The question about the meeting wrang in het bloodied ear. She wasn't certain when to have it, but asap did come to mind. "Definitely by next weekend. I can even be in the middle of the week, but it definitely cannot wait."

She took a few more steps then it dawned on her Aurra had been there, but she wasn't with them now.

She turned and looked to the others. "Someone should find Polaris."

Denebola found herself on her butt on the floor grasping the now non-existent legs of the spider youma she had been fighting when all of the Negaversers up and left. She had missed out on all the cake eating(thank god, so many empty calories there!) due to grappling with that over-sized spider. While she had been disappointed she didn't really have the chance to even try and find the crystal she appreciated the battle experience.

Maybe next time, if there was a next time, then she'd get it.

She was picking up her sore body off the floor when Queen Serenity's image shimmered before them. She stood in awe, her mouth even hung open slightly, as the image of her queen spoke. Find them, find hope. Those words echoed in her mind as she rubbed her bruised knuckles and slowly made her way out of the convention center.

"Better bounce before we get blamed," she muttered with a shake of her head. With that the sailor scout quickly retreated into the darkness hoping to find a place that she would be able to power down without being seen.

That certainly wouldn't be good.

-She was eating the cake with every ounce of aggression she had. Eating it like it was the one that had beaten her or like it was the one that had vomited on her earlier, not the lovely senshi of wealth. And she'd eaten it to the point that she now was feeling like she might vomit on it. An icing covered arm dropped to her stomach, fighting the queasy feeling that gurgled from the sudden and plentiful sugar intake. Maybe the cake COULD still fight back?

A shrill cry startled Sailor Juno, her eyes lifting at the most opportune moment. There she was. There she was! The power source she'd been following and searching for all night.. the very soul in which she'd shaken up her whole life for. She'd abandoned her homeland, come to a place that she couldn't even really say she even liked that much, she'd done all of it and more for her princess. And here she finally was, her image unmistakable even without ever having met in this lifetime.

The split moment of absolute joy and success and elation splintered as quickly as it had appeared. She hadn't seen the hit land but it was clear what was happening. Something had hit her, something BAD and now Chibimoon, Juno's very own princess of the moon, was crumpling to the ground limply. Where were her fellow amazons? They could not have lost before they'd ever begun!-

"NOOOOOOOO!" -The scream was gutteral and yet somehow still shrill as it escaped her.- "No no no noooo" -The simple word continuing to pour out again and again each time her mouth opened. Her heart had stopped, her body moving out of instinct and reflex. Her feet propelled her across the room, her arms swinging wildly, maniacly not caring who she hit and who hit her. When was the last time Aitana had cried...? Juno had tears in her eyes. Tears of rage and tears of fear. It was almost frightening how strongly she could feel for someone who's name she did not even know.

Had the quartet come this far for this? Only to have their princess stripped away in slow motion torture before one of them. Sailor Juno didn't have the time to pray that things might not be as bad as they seemed. Didn't seem to care or even see any of the MANY other figures already gathering around her princess and attempting to tend to her.

Juno wasn't as young as the pink princess was, but she was still far too young to handle her world crumbling to pieces around her.

By the time she'd struggled her way over an adult man had her in his arms, seemingly intent on taking her someplace. She pushed herself through, hovering around the group on tiptoes.- "Perdao! Perdao pequeno senhorita... Small Lady.... please.." -Broken english and Portuguese spilled from the green haired girl, most of it inaudible.

She didn't notice the disappearance of the crystal, the peals of triumph from the negaverse, she barely noticed the queen's reappearance and reassurance. The faded image could not and did not do anything for little princess, and Juno was left staring at Chibimoon. Was she breathing? Would she wake up?

People were leaving now. Chibimoon was handed off to a tall and tan senshi while others seemed to be discussing what to do with her. Juno couldn't really hear, not over the pounding in her head. She managed to get close finally, her hand reaching out to grasp Chibimoon's limp one, latching on like a bear trap. She finally had her and somehow she felt an inkling of comfort amid all the terror.

The group was likely surprised by the sudden intrusion, and if they attempted to shake her they'd have found it impossible. Though her grip was tight it appeared she was willing to be led. She just didn't want to and wouldn't let go. Not now. And if it turned out that her princess was okay, she just HAD to be okay, then Juno didn't intend to let go ever. Who cared where she was going as long as her princess was finally going to be there with her and the quartet.-

The cavalier made a small noise of acknowledgement, reaching up an idle hand to pet Zirconia as he scanned the room. Finding people in here was going to be a disaster. The ballroom had been all but trashed, bits of plaster and chunks of floor scattered around the room. Boy were the newspapers going to love this. Terrorists attack Halloween Ball, purpose unknown. Laocoon sighed inwardly. Well, no use standing here lamenting. It was time to get to work.

Azzo's voice made him turn and he couldn't help but grin at the civilian. The boy seemed to have the devil's own luck at times, and yet at others the worst luck in the universe. At least this time he made it out generally unscathed. The mention of their missing Queen made him cringe, not particularly wanting to be reminded of Nehelenia or The Tartaros Incident at a time like this. It was like being kicked when he was already down, but he couldn't blame Azzo. The boy could hardly be expected to know the truth about neither Destiny City's impromptu sleep nor the price that had to be paid to save it. Laocoon chose to avoid the subject entirely, focusing in his final comments. "Patience, young grasshopper. You civilians are more useful than you think!"

The arrival of Queen Serenity herself made nearly everyone pause, the cavalier included. Though he knew relatively little about her it was obvious that she was important to the White Moon Senshi. A part of him was glad that Ares wasn't here to witness her words. It would have been a very painful reminder of the absence of their own queen. Thankfully, Sinon spoke up before he could follow that train of thought down into despair. He tilted his head at her, Cheshire grin returning. "I suppose you'll just have to guess what I am, then. I will leave our dear civilian friend in your most capable hands." Laocoon inclined his head to Azzo before setting off into the debris.

Over to his left a group of girls appeared to be tending to a fallen comrade, so he let them be. Others moved to help those on their team or perhaps in their faction and the cavalier didn't interfere. It was only when he spotted Kathryn lying prone on the ground did he pick up his pace, making his way towards her. Leaning down, he put one hand on Zirconia to steady her and used the other to check for a pulse on the girl. In the chaos it was unlikely that her star seed had been stolen – both sides far too focused on the crystal – but he wanted to check just to make sure. If she was just unconscious they could bring her to the hospital without a fuss. Without her starseed, well… she was best left here.

"You've come at a bit of a rough time," Laocoon murmured to Zirconia as he held his fingers against the vein on Kathryn's wrist. "Can't say I envy you."