Everyone arrived at his or her own time. Mina arrived first. She came alone and surveyed the park. It was very well decorated for an outside spot. She smiled as a tingle went through her. She knew what that tingle meant and that excited her even more. This was not going to be any ordinary party; big things were going tonight she was sure of it.

Lita came in next. She too was alone. Just as Mina did, she smiled as she looked around at all the decorations. 'This is so great,' she said to herself. A few people had arrived before her and a stab of panic went through her. She couldn't tell if any of her friends were there yet. Everyone there so far looked great but she didn't see Serena's trademark buns or Mina's traditional red bow. She didn't see Ami's obvious blue mane or Rei's well maintained raven one.

People started showing up a few at a time and the girls still hadn't connected yet. Serena, Ami and Greg and came in around the same time. Everyone had on make-up, elaborate costumes and wigs. As Serena looked around she realized she'd never be able to notice any of her friends. It was almost enough to upset her until she looked by the street. Standing on the corner, she saw what she thought was the craziest thing she ever saw, two Tuxedo Masks entering at the same time. Behind them she saw what appeared to be a vampire and somebody wearing a costume that was the counterpart to hers. She was dressed as Rogue, from the X-Men cartoon. She loved to watch cartoons and had immediately identified with the southern belle. She walked toward the direction of the door. She wanted to say hello to the only person in this party with a mind frame similar to hers.

"Hi," she said to the person dressed as Gambit.

"Hi."

"So you watch X-Men too?" she asked a little shyly. This was very new to her.

"It's okay. It's one of the few American comics I like. A friend turned me on to them. Now I'm kind of addicted."

Serena laughed. Whoever he was, he was funny.

"I have a friend like that. We watch and read together when he isn't being bugged or annoyed for hanging around." She thought about how Rei would always shoo Chad away when they would hang out. Chad was fun but he wasn't her type. Then again she wasn't really sure what her type was. She just knew that Chad reminded her of her brother. He could be annoying sometimes but he could also be fun. That was how she thought of Chad like a brother.

"So do I but she would never be caught dead in that outfit or without her usual hairstyle."

Serena started to laugh and her company looked at her strangely.

"Did I say something funny?"

"Chad, it's me Serena."

"Wow. I mean...well you know...wow. Serena you look..."

"Nice?"

"I think so but more like awesome. I never... well not like I..." She laughed at him again.

"It's okay. My dad was kind of nervous with me walking over hear dressed like this alone."

"I don't blame him," Chad said agreeing. "I guess great minds think alike."

"I guess so," she agreed. "So where is Rei?"

"She's not here yet. Don't tell anybody but she's dressed as Storm," he admitted.

"From X-Men?"

"Yeah, ironic isn't it?" he said to her.

"Considering every form of juvenile and adolescent that she's called us, I'd say so," Serena agreed.

"I thought you'd be dressed like Sailor Moon or one of the Scouts. I know how much you like them," Chad said goading her. He knew their secret and he would never tell but it would be nice to see them on their toes a little.

"Naw," Serena said not picking up his hint, "They're cool but Rogue is way cooler. She flies and she's got that cool accent. I need to get away from reality for a while."

"So you know how hard it is being a Sailor Scout," Chad continued goading.

"No Chad. We both know I'm way too clumsy and too much of a crybaby to be as strong and brave as they are. I just mean that they're real. They really save the real world. I just want to enjoy being a teenager." She meant every word of what she said. She wasn't a leader even though destiny seemed to have played that cruel joke on her. She agreed with Rei on one thing, her being leader was ridiculous. She probably couldn't lead a horse to water. She suddenly had a flashback of horses and a girl. A girl she used to know.

"Serena?"

"What was that Chad?"

"I was asking if you were okay. You got this look on your face for a minute."

"I'm fine," she said with a laugh. "Let's mingle and have some fun."

"Promise me a dance later?" Chad asked.

"One dance for you," she said smiling at him. They walked away, going separate ways.

Rei stood on the corner looking at all the people who had already arrived. She didn't know where any of her friends were or what they were dressed as. She got a little depressed as she thought of spending most of the evening alone when she spotted Molly and her date walking up to the podium.

'That's not Melvin,' she said to herself as she stared at Molly's date. He looked very familiar to her and then all of a sudden, it hit her, Nephlyte. But he was dead. Rei looked around. This was no longer about her loneliness, the NegaVerse was here and they needed to stop him before he hurt anybody, especially Molly. They weren't particularly close but she knew that as one of Serena's closest friends, they couldn't let anything happen to her, especially not today on her sixteenth birthday. Rei continued looking around the park and couldn't see Serena's trademark buns anywhere. Just her luck, this once the girl would leave her trademark hairstyle at home.

Rei began walking around and looking at the costumes. She could probably pick Serena out if she paid attention. She looked at everything, vampires, geishas, devils, witches, princesses- that was it. Serena would come dressed as a princess. She looked at the entire princess costumes that surrounded her. They were all similar except for the hair. Brown blonde, black, red...was her hair purple? Rei shook her head in disbelief. Some people always had to go that extra step. Serena was proud of her blonde locks so she was sure that one of the blonde ones was Serena. She went around stopping all the blondes and asking their names.

"Hi everybody," came the voice from the podium. All attention was riveted to the raised area.

"Every body looks fab. Thanks for coming. I hope everyone has a good time. I just wanted to say thanks for coming and remind you that we unmask at 11 so if you can't find someone to love, love the one your with. Now remember everybody, you have to kiss the person you unmask with, no exceptions." With those words Molly walked down the raised stage being escorted by Nephlyte.

"So do I get the first dance?" he asked eying the area that was being set aside for dancing.

"Of course."

Rei looked into familiar eyes with blonde hair and an awesome princess gown.

"Serena, finally. I've been looking for you everywhere."

"I'm not Serena," the princess said back to her.

"This is not the time. Did you see Molly's date? It's Nephlyte, he's back. Nice costume by the way but we have to find the girls and help her."

"I'm not Serena," the princess repeated.

"Look Serena, I know you want a normal life but this is not the time. Molly is with Nephlyte. I thought she was your friend?"

"It's not Serena, Rei it's me, Lita," she said slightly lifting her wig to reveal her brown hair tucked underneath the wig.

"Lita, am I glad it's you. You look awesome but why a wig?"

"For some anonymity, Rei. If it's any help, you would have had some until you started berating me like a child."

"This isn't the time Lita, Molly could be in some real trouble."

"I doubt it."

"Its Nephlyte remember. NegaVerse remember."

"It's Molly and Nephlyte remember," Lita countered. "When he died he all but admitted that he loved her."

"It was a trick."

"Well she believed him and she mourned him. Leave her alone Rei."

"And are you going to explain this to Serena when something happens to her?"

Lita reluctantly gave in and followed Rei as they tried to round up the rest of the Sailor Scouts.

Darien searched for Andrew. He knew that chump would come dressed as Tuxedo Mask because he knew, like they all knew, Serena had a crush on Tuxedo Mask. He was using the situation to his advantage as was Darien. He knew he was the only other Tuxedo Mask in the Park, he'd checked, twice. Now he was trying to keep track of Andrew and find Serena. He had been all over the park twice and he had not seen her meatballs anywhere. He reiterated Rei's thoughts on why she would pick this time to change her hairstyle. He spotted Andrew following a blonde. He followed him. As he was following him, someone bumped into him and he lost Andrew in the crowd.

"Sorry," the person apologized.

"No big deal," he said with a wave of his hand. He turned around to face his assailant. He half expected to see Serena.

"Ken?"

"Yeah. Who is that?"

"It's me Darien."

"Dude really?"

"Yeah." The two old friends gave each other a hug and started talking at the same time.

"Man after you left, I never thought I'd see you again."

"As you can see I went pretty far. What you're doing here is the real question."

"An old friend of mine lives here and I decided to visit. Two weeks became three months and so forth. I moved out of her place and..."

"Her place?" Darien said lifting an eyebrow.

"Man you remember Lita."

"How do you know Lita?" Darien asked curiously.

"How could you forget Lita?" Ken asked Darien. "Don't you remember when we used to live at that one orphanage she used to kick your ass like almost every day."

"Holy shit," he said realization dawning on him. "How could I forget? She used to call me a frickin' crybaby."

"Yeah."

"Dude, get this. I've known her a few months now and I never made the connection."

"You always were kind of slow."

"Thanks a lot. So anyway, you were staying with her."

"Not like you think man. She's my best friend next to you. She's like my sister. Dude, that's nasty."

"Now that I think about it yeah," Darien agreed. He looked around trying to spot Andrew again and then he thought of something.

"Is Lita here?" he asked his friend.

"Yeah, she's dressed like a princess with this white gown on. It's a pretty dress but you know Lita."

"Please tell me she has on shoes?" Darien asked remembering what a tomboy she was. She used to hate to wear shoes. She instead used to like using them as darts. She threw them at people, especially him. He shook his head wondering how he could ever have forgotten her.

"Yeah she has on shoes but really low ones. She's also got on this blonde wig. She insisted on the wig."

"Interesting," Darien said spotting Andrew talking to a girl just as Ken had described. "Is that her?" he said pointing in their direction.

"Yeah. Let me call her..."

"No. Just keep an eye on her and the guy she's talking to. Don't let them out of your sight," Darien said formulating a plan. He was able to get one princess of his list. There was only one more that he thought could possibly be her but she wasn't a princess at all. She looked more like a vision with her blonde flowing hair and this toga looking thing on. That had to be Serena. And since Andrew was on a dead man's mission, she was all his.