"I do not know what happened, Ceres. I touched her, and she turned into her older self. As for my lateness, I had to deal with an abnormality in the timestream and it took longer than I expected." Setsuna remarked as she was greeted by her princess' guard and a Haruka who was back to her normal size.

I just have to refrain from touching anyone here, and then I won't trap anyone else. 


"Is there any way to reverse this and get her back to her ordinary form?" she asked, as a gust of flower petals unexpectedly blew into the room and a bird landed on her shoulder. 

How exactly did that occur? Is time not the only concept being affected, but the very fabric of reality as well? 

"Oh my gosh, thanks. What's your name? My name is Rei Hino, I'm Sailor Mars." Rei was very relieved and happy be at the party, she had made it in time! Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Haruka, who was looking sad.

"My friend Haurka is over there and she looks sad,. Would you care to join me?"



"Hello Haruka, what's happening?"

Haruka's affected by this mysterious condition as well? Are we all cursed by some malevolent force? 


"Rei, are you affected by any sort of oddity? Who are you walking with?" Setsuna asked, as she knelt besides Chibiusa and attempted to take her pulse. In an instant, she'd transformed back into her current self and wasn't an old lady anymore....


So, I just need to touch people twice to make sure that no one grows old again. 

In the very least, let's hope I don't start seeing things that aren't there as well. 

Rei! Surely she'd be able to use her abilities that were honed and strengthened by being a shinto priestess to try to find the cause! She was acting a bit odd, but hey, wasn't everybody here? Haruka cleared her throat and began to explain:

"A devil is rising...shadows from the past. Feeding the flames with fire on the edge of fury."

Haruka couldn't help but laugh sadly at how dumb that came out. Rei would just brush her off like everyone else once she heard her strange speech anyways.

Until Pluto touched the woman who had introduced herself as Stephanie and she vanished. She ran over to pluto, looking at chibiusa and then to Pluto. She was effected also? And did she just kill a person?

"Any way to reverse it?" Cere repeated, putting a hand to her chin in thought. She already had an idea, but she wasn't sure if it was going to work. She imagined the twittering birds calming down slightly, which they did. Briefly she wondered what Ves would think of her suddenly becoming a bird whisperer.

As if on cue, a puff of smoke appeared, then cleared to reveal a manifestation of VesVes, staring at her in awe. "Whoa, you can communicate with birds? That's so cool! Or, should I say, you peli-CAN--"

"Ugh, go away!" Cere snapped, imagining her away, and the manifestation disappeared within an instant. Sighing, she turned to Setsuna.

"Well, Chibiusa-chan turned me into a toddler by touching me...then by touching me again she turned me normal. Maybe the same will work with your...spell thing? Oh, wait, you just did that. Hello, Rei-san! And hello...OH MY GOD, WHERE'D SHE GO?!"

"Haruka, have you seen an old woman that looks like Stephanie anywhere? I think in the chaos, someone accidentally moved her body away from us...." Setsuna asked as a very-confused looking Haruka began to walk towards her.

I didn't murder her, if that's what you're thinking. She touched my hand, and turned old... 


Rei was uttering a rather cryptic speech, and Setsuna didn't have any idea if she was telling them the truth behind who did this or she was cursed into giving them. 

"Are you alright? I'm sorry for turning you into an old woman, Small Lady..." she said as Ceres and her princess walked towards her, along with what appeared to be Helios. 

When did he get here? I don't recall seeing him...


Suddenly, he vanished into thin air, and Stephanie showed up in front of her. She tapped her on the shoulder, only for nothing to happen and for her to accidentally tap the floor. 

Is someone here generating illusions? Do they also have to power to make people disappear as well? 

Somebody must have put this root here knowing that I would trip over it! Somebody must be here for me, but who?

"Can I help you splash?"

Kyan's shoulders arched forward as Stephanie advanced toward her. It was her! She did it! Stephanie's polite offer to help Kyan up was met by a low growl.

"What do you mean by splash, dear?" Kyan dared ask, drawing both of her arms protectively against her chest. The tone of Stephanie's voice did not seem malicious, but Kyan couldn't help but feel suspicious.

I don't understand. Why am I getting such bad vibes from this girl? She does not seem harmful at all--UNLESS! She isn't human! But then she wouldn't sound like a human--UNLESS! She found a way to imitate a human. Kyan's eyes nervously darted about, watching Stephanie's every movement.

Stephanie looked at the girl and tried to tell her, "I didn't mean splash, friend...i wanted to help you up.." 'whew that came out right at least' Stephanie then watched the girl get possibly upset at her... "Why do you act like a Tsunami? I am only here to help you up."

Michiru was taken pleasantly by surprise when Haruka returned to her former self. "Thank goodness you're back! I was afraid I would have to change your diaper or something. Sorry, but I was not about to go there," she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Haruka left to see Setsuna and Chibiusa, who looked like...an old woman?

Shaking her head, Michiru decided not to concern herself with anything odd happening at this ball. She was probably just dreaming. This was Elysion, after all.

Tsunami? Friend? They were now friends? This girl sure had a strange way with her words.

She is definitely not human. A true human would never speak like this! She is waiting for me to lower my guard!

Kyan looked up at Stephanie. “Help me up? How cute, but I am perfectly capable of standing on my own, dear!” As she said this, she attempted to push herself to her feet...or not. The woman ended up falling backwards onto her rear this time. Damn gravity.

Sitting there motionlessly for a moment seemed to calm Kyan down a bit. The other girl still hadn't displayed any physical signs of aggression toward her, so maybe her premonitions of an attack were incorrect. Maybe it was all in her head. What was she doing waiting around anyway? What if this human was the ideal target and she was blowing off the perfect chance to befriend her due to some silly paranoid thought? "...I-I'm sorry, dear," she finally apologized to Stephanie in a less harsh tone. "Something is unusual about this forest."

"don't cry, lady... what Devil things to come ? I can finish him, I think I can ... currently I 'm freezing all around me and I'm afraid of losing my priestess powers ... strange things are happening to me"

Rei Looks around and sees Stephanie, you new friend and says...

"Stephanie,could you get some water for Haruka"

"Hello, Ceres you seem strange/odd, are you ok"

Rei ran to realize that something was strange and also because she frozen the floor and she didn't want to hurt anyone...

She wondered not what is really happening , because everyone acted strange, only hers had started a little earlier, was it a warning? this is elysium, but everyone are sad or strangers/oddies... Here is dreamland, right?

Hotaru glanced at the palace's clock as she was putting on her purple gown for tonight. Why does time always seem to move faster when you want it to stop? One day she would need to ask her Setsuna-mama about it.

"Aaaaaah I'm going to be so late! Chibiusa-chan is going to be so mad at me, I promised her I'll be at the ball early!" She hastily completed the finishing touches on her appearance and was all set to go to Elysion.

The world of dreams was certainly worthy of its name; the Crystal Forest appeared as if it had literally jumped out of someone's beautiful dream. "It's so lovely...", she thought, as she slowly examined the area.

"Hotaru-chan! You're L-A-T-E!"

A voice in her head caused her to exit her trance-like state. Chibiusa. "Ah! That's right, I must hurry!"

Hotaru wasn't sure what to expect from the ball. Ladies and gentlemen in their fanciest attire, formal discussions and endless dancing until the break of dawn? She wasn't so sure if she would actually like it, but if Chibiusa and her guardians were here, it should be okay. Tolerable at worst.

Finally she made it to the ball area... and it was certainly nothing like she imagined. Things seemed to be kind of... frantic. There were kids, old ladies, animals, and as she observed the crowd, she could see the confusion written all over their faces. "Well this seems interesting," she thought to herself, as she finally spotted her best friend. "Ah, there she is!" she thought and began walking towards her.

"Chibiusa-chaaaa--"

And then she froze in place. She felt a cold shiver down her spine. Something was wrong.

She closed her eyes.

Elysion was dark. A dreadful, ominous darkness.
A bell could be heard chiming in the background. Twelve times.
The crowd started yelling as a shadowy figure was slowing raising the glaive she was carrying.
"Isn't this..."
Hotaru was watching from afar, unable to move herself. "Me...? Why is this..."
Sailor Saturn was now visible. Her expression cold and emotionless, she lowered the glaive to the ground.
"Wait, don't! Stop it!" Hotaru yelled. But it was too late.
There was a large explosion. And then silence. Nothing but silence.

Hotaru gasped. Was this... a dream? No, a premonition? Something is going to happen!

"Chibiusa-chan! What is going on? Did you feel something too?" she asked as she started literally running towards the pink-haired girl.

What just happened?! 


Setsuna felt like she'd just emerged from a massive fog, like she was seeing things and rambling on about things that weren't there.... and Hotaru was running towards her, Small Lady, Ceres, and Haruka like she was being chased by monsters. 

Is she alright?! I'm not going to let myself fall again, I'll remain grounded in reality....


"Is everything alright, Hotaru? Did you see who did this to us?" she asked, running towards her and hoping that Small Lady and the others wouldn't get hurt while she was gone. 

Who turned the floor to ice? That's strange... 

Stephanie nodded to Rei and said, "Sure I can get the water but back in a splash..I mean flash." She then started to go off for the water when she started to slip but kept her balance. She looked down seeing the floor covered with ice... She looked to Rei, "Rei...did you notice the ice floor? Please be careful walking...you and everyone over here." She then left to go to the food table to get some water for Haruka..

Haruka was done. SHe was just done. She was done with everyone dismissing her attempts to explain or help, done with all this transforming, done with this ball. And sadily, it hurt to admit, but she was done with Michiru for the evening. The one person she'd expect to be by her side and help her, she did everything but. Perhaps she would step outside, collect her barings-find extra information about the ball-then come back in with better insight as to the ultimate cause. She huffed, and walked past Michiru-not wanting to hear her attitidue.

Everyone really was under a spell of some sort-that much was evident. But if it effected their mannerisms or thoughts and they were aware of it, you'd think they'd try their best to apologize.

She cleared her throat and attempted one last time to explain to those that were unaware that they were under a spell. "One day, we'll reveal to truth...that one will die before he gets there."

Haruka leaned against the wall, and slid to the ground, head in her hands. She sounded crazy, mad, insane. Of course nobody was going to die! Why can't she talk! She looked to Pluto in desperation
"So I bet my life-I bet my life on you." Please! Please Pluto! She shrieked in her mind. Tell them I'm not crazy and under a spell like everyone else!

And in that moment-everything changed. One second, she was looking to Pluto, the next, the entire floor was ice. She slipped and fell, and saw Hotaru running to her.

What was happening?

"Setsuna-mama! What do you mean who did that? What happened?", Hotaru asked as she stopped running once she noticed one of her guardians, evidently also confused.

Well, or at least she attempted to stop.

"Wh- what is this? Ice? Where did it come from?!"

"OUT OF THE WAAAAAAAY" she cried out, but it was too late as she crashed straight into Chibiusa and fell to the ground.

Small Lady and Hotaru were lying in a heap on the ground, and Setsuna had to make sure they were alright. 

"Everyone here's... acting weirdly, like someone's cursed us...." she answered, as she ran towards them, attempting to will herself not to trip.... only to accidentally slam into Haruka. 

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, as Haruka began to grow old....

Haruka winced. That had to hurt. She would have went over to check to see if they were okay, but she was having a bit of difficulty standing up at the moment. Every time she thought her one leg had balance, the other would do the exact opposite, she placed her hands on the ice, but found that her odd crab-walk stance provided no further help. She landed flat on her back, and slid a few inches from the wall that she was previously leaning on.

And Haruka screamed as her slight movement caused her to slam into pluto. Her skin began to shrivel, and she could feel her musle tone shrink. The strength was getting sapped out of her-and she's seen what Pluto had done to others at this ball. She looked at her reflection in the ice. Well, great. Bet Michiru would have something very nice to say about this.

Kyan sighed in relief when Stephanie went off to fetch some water for somebody else, as requested by one of the darker haired girls in the vicinity. So that girl was not planning to attack me, but who here is?

Finally managing to stand up from the ground, Kyan decided to take a better look around the area. If she could locate the person intending to attack her, then she could hopefully do something about them before things got too messy. She took a few cautious steps to the left glancing over her shoulder every once and awhile whenever snippets of conversation stood out to her from the rest of the garbled sounds that--although muffled--still managed to seep past her headphones. One will die before... and OUT OF THE WAAAAAAAY! particularly caught her attention. She soon found herself walking briskly forward breathing shallowly out of new paranoia that this attacker was going to materialize from the air and assassinate her. Unfortunately, she had not overheard the warning about the patches of ice and was back on the ground, this time sliding toward Zena who appeared to be alone at the party.

Setsuna quickly bent down and tapped Haruka on the shoulder, reverting her back to normal. 

Why isn't she talking all that much? Did the curse force her to be unable to say anything? 


"Can you talk? Do you want to come with me and see if Small Lady and Hotaru are alright? Where's Michiru? I thought I saw her...." she asked, hoping that the floor would get back to normal soon...

Haruka nodded. "Lifeline-before and after." She replied, taking setsuna's hand. She called out for Michiru. "Where'd you go? I miss you so, it's like you've been forever since you've been gone." Then she groaned and looked at setsuna. Did she see the her problem yet?

"Oh my goodness! Hotaru-chan, are you all right?" Cere fretted as her friend crashed onto the iced floor. How did the floor turn into ice, anyway? Did someone's spell give them ice powers? Cere's knees wobbled as she slowly moved closer to them, beginning to regret her choice of shoes. These heels are not made for walking on ice! she thought, frowning. She needed a change of shoes, and could imagine just the perfect ones. Some stylish ice skates, maybe?


Of course, pink ice skates just as she imagined them appeared in her hands, and when she did she glanced around at everyone. Cere hated to admit it, but she did not want her spell to wear off. She could imagine anything, from diamonds to cute clothes. She really did not want that ability to fade away. Hers was beneficial (mostly), and perhaps the only one to be so (from what she knew).

"Do you need any help?" Cere asked, looking down at Hotaru.

Minako was very confused. Makoto hadn't said hi back to her. What was going on? She looked at Makoto and walked away, maybe her friend was just preoccupied. Instead of worrying about it, Minako walked around the party trying to find her friends. She finally found Rei, some of her friends, and some others she didn't know. "Hi Rei!" Minako said and turned to the other girls and waved, "What's going on over here?" Minako asked. It looked like there were some strange things happening at the party. She thought she saw Small Lady and Ceres, but they didn't look like themselves... 

Hm... Odd. Minako thought, Maybe this has to do with what happened with Makoto earlier. She was still confused about that. Why hadn't she responded to her? Did Minako just not notice something? Did she look weird? She hoped someone  would answer her this time.

"Are you only capable of uttering random strings of words, Haruka?" Setsuna asked, confusion rising on her face at her friend's strange statements. 

What does Lifeline Before and After mean? Why does it sound like she's mourning Michiru? Is she alright? 


Small Lady and Hotaru were still lying in a heap near Ceres, and she didn't want them to be hurt or injured. She wanted to take Haruka with her, but didn't want to risk her turning old again...

"We're going to see Small Lady and Hotaru and check on them...." she said, as they rushed over towards the three girls and thankfully didn't fall on anyone...

"Ceres, are they alright? Where did you get the skates from?" she asked, releasing Haruka's hand. Thankfully, she wasn't getting older...

Things had happened so fast. Everyone was back to "normal" at least the toddlers were there correct age when suddenly her back was hurting and her joints ached! Setsuna had appeared and suddenly she was an old woman, then wasn't?

"What the hay is going on?" she thought to herself starting to get slightly annoyed with the party. But then Hotaru showed up, and she was glad, until she crashed into her and suddenly everything was ice??  

Small Lady wobbled her way up, grabbing on to Hotaru...who promptly turned into a 2 year old...

"Well...that's just GREAT."  Frustrated, Small Lady could only think of one thing to do (and the one thing she had truly wanted to see tonight besides her friends of course...She pulled out a heart shaped belled and shouted "Twinkle Yell!"

There was a pause as she wasn't sure if it would work in Elysion and then she shouted at the top of her lungs "HELIOS YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUTT HERE NOW!!!"

She paused looking around, everyone that was within touch's reach of her...Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru, Cere Cere, Rei, Ami, Makoto, that other girl she thought heard say her name was Eshana...gave her a mischievous idea. One that at this point she didn't mind their fate as once Helios came she was sure they could set everyone straight anyway.

In the distance, she heard the faint sound of a whinnying of a horse. She grinned. This was her chance.  Suddenly yelling, she ran as fast as she could over the ice covered ground and in her dress and touched as many people as she could. Positive she got Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru and Rei...she felt satisfied before slipping on her butt.

And the timing of her fall was perfect, a Pegasus arrived and suddenly transformed into Helios.  He looked even more handsome than usual and wore this suave grin that nearly swept Small Lady off her feet. (Was he enchanted too?)

"I see there are so many lovely maidens here," Helios said glancing around, "and... children, who always have such lovely dreams. But you see ladies, I'm here for my main squeeze.  That foxy lady right over there." He pointed at Small Lady.

She nearly swooned.  Helios winked at her.

"Hey baby, wanna go for a ride?" and in a blink, he was pegasus again.

Small Lady didn't hesitate and ran to jump on top of her beloved Pegasus. He flapped his wings and they went up into the sky, only for a moment before a sudden poof...

Pegasus had turned into a baby Pegasus who managed to still fly, although rather low to the ground and straining to keep them afloat.

"OH DAMNIT!"  

It was the last thing everyone heard before they disappeared into the night.

OOC:

Zena was beginning to grow cold and lonely, it was as though she were invisible. Did her ability freak everyone out that much? Zena was zoning out when she caught glance of someone who appeared to be sliding on ice towards her. She wanted to help the girl stop, but she didn't want to turn anyone else into an animal. 

Zena thought maybe she could control it, or help the girl and then touch her quickly after so her experience as an animal wouldn't last long. She braced herself and grabbed onto the girl's arm as she passed by.

Zena saw a puff of smoke appear and winced as she waited to see what animal would appear this time.

Stephanie got a cup of water for Haruka and then turned around to see not only the girl who turned her into a toddler running on the ice touching people, but then saw a pegasus fly in, turn into a man and then fly off with the pink-haired girl. 'Great...now what do I do...give this water to toddler Haruka?' She then walked slowly across the ice to the others and looked around at all the younger versions of her hopefully new friends. "Can someone drench me some help over here, please? Err..I mean come get me some help I don't want these girls to get hurt...and we should flood out what's going on?"

Haruka stared blankly for what felt like the thousandth time as Chibiusa encountered Helios, who later flew off as a baby pegasus with her-also effected by whatever it was in this ballroom. The floor was still ice. Setusna asked her about her spell. This was becoming too much. She glanced over in Michiru's direction. Was she still angry with her. Trying to brush aside just how dumbstruck she felt-she focused and tried to convey her thoughts into the proper words. Please let it work, she thought, pleaseopleaseoplease:

"This is not the greatest song in the world, oh no, this is just a tribute."

WAIT! SHE ALMOST HAD IT! THE ACTUAL WORD "SONG" POPPED UP! Haruka, determined now more then she had been this entire evening, grabbed the cuff of Setsuna's outfit and put her face so close to hers that their noses were touching.

"This is not the greatest song in the world." She repeated, stressing every possible syllable once she fell on her desired word. "This is just a tribute."