"I have come across some information that some of the most powerful sorcerers are having a ball. Now the ball is not merely for entertainment purposes. At the ball, a crystal containing the immense power of the legendary magician, Merlin, will be presented."

Meat, the blond young master of disguise, twiddled his thumbs, obviously not concerned. Marron and Meringue looked interested. No emotion displayed on Steel's face. Sure that he had the team's attention Fry went on.

"This is the fun part. You are going to crash that ball masquerading as sorcerers."

Met raised his hand like an obedient child in school. "Isn't that a little death defying? What if a sorcerer discovers we are not one of them?" Meat moved a finger across his throat and pretended to choke. He pushed himself back on his chair, and then it tipped over, landing with a thunk on the floor. Everyone at the table stared at Meat with blank expressions.

"I suppose your mortality rate will depend on how well you fool the sorcerer." Fry addressed the blond man lying on his back on the hard stone floor. "I never said it would be easy. It will, however, be necessary. I don't have to tell you that if the power falls into the wrong hands it will be disastrous-even though I'm afraid I just did. It's a cliché, but it's true."

Fry turned to the wall and opened a closet door. He turned back to the group holding articles of fine clothing. "You cannot go to the ball dressed the way you are. Sorcerers have class-or so they think. Put these on and meet me outside." Fry tossed the clothing on the table and left the room, leaving the group to stare in confusion about their assignment.

Meringue was put in charge of make up. Considering, as a sorceress, she would know how to paint the symbol on each of their foreheads. Meringue did not like the way Fry presented the assignment. She knew he excluded her as being an evil monster that must be killed, but it didn't make her feel any better when he spoke that way. He was stereotyping all sorcerers as evil, which they all weren't. Meringue carefully painted a triangle symbol on Steel's head just like the one on her own. She was a bit worried about the team's ability to pull off being sorcerers. She knew Meat could do it. He may be goofy most of the time, and act like an idiot, but when it came to something important, Meat could be counted on. He was a master of disguise after all and could play any part. She wasn't too worried about Marron either. Given his beauty and charm, he could easily pull off being a sorcerer as well. She was worried about herself and Steel. Steel refused to even pretend to be sorcerer-like. Meringue was afraid someone there would recognize her as Fritter's daughter.

Steel did not like having to change her appearance and be something she was not. "These clothes do not make a sorcerer who they are. It sickens me to be wearing them. Sorcerers do not have class. They have arrogance they perceive as class. Excepting you, of course, Meringue. You have no class."

"Thank you…I think."

They met Fry outside as Fry had planned. They were ready and dressed just like they should be. "Now remember, you are there to get the crystal and get out. I don't want there to be a scene, so do whatever you have to do."

Meat led the formally dressed phony sorcerers to a rundown shack in the middle of the main street. "Here it is. " Meat pointed out, straightening his jacket.

"This does not look like a sorcerer's mansion." Steel commented.

"That's the point." Meat walked thru the front door, and the others followed. They stepped into an elegant ballroom. The most beautiful ballroom any of them had ever seen. A huge dome covered ceiling was above them with columns holding most of it up. The walls were marble. All the architecture was unlike anything they had ever seen.

"Close your mouths, everybody, or else they will know we arern't sorcerers." Meringue lifted Steel's chin.

Carrot kneeled on one knee to the pretty brunette before him. "Hello, pretty lady. My name is Carrot Glace, but you may call me the Love Machine." Promptly Carrot was struck on the head with a mallet.

"Carrot, I can't believe you are chasing girls."

"Tira, ow." Carrot rubbed his head. The Sorcerer hunters were traveling again despite the death of one of their members. Each had agreed it was best to resume their lives. That included Carrot chasing pretty girls in the villages.

"Sounds like there's a party going on in there." Gateau looked at the front of the worn down shack, not knowing of the extravagant affair that was being held inside.

"Where there's a party, there's girls. Probably drunk ones too." Carrot had hearts coming out of his eyes. Tira hit him with the mallet again.

Gateau commented, "They'd have to be drunk to get with you." Carrot gave Gateau and angry look.

"Come on, guys. Our assignment is not in this town anyway." Chocolate reminded them. "Let's go Darling." She pulled on Carrot's arm, dragging him across the ground.

As they continued by, Gateau looked in the window of the shack. A figure caught his eye. "Marron?" Gateau blinked, but the figure disappeared when he reopened his eyes. Gateau shook his head. "It must've been my imagination." He then rushed to catch up to his group.

Meringue walked thru the giant ballroom. Her presence turned heads, making her feel self-conscious. She wore an elegant white flowing dress with spaghetti straps. She gave the impression of being a well to do sorceress, or at least that's what she hoped. Steel walked around, feeling out of place in her figure fitting black full-length gown. She slouched and Meringue nudged her with an elbow. "Sorcerers don't slouch." She whispered, only to be answered with Steel's deep growl.

Meat stood with a group of sorcerers. A man with black long hair tied back in a ponytail was waving his hands around while telling his anecdote. "I held him over the snake pit and he screamed and wailed. The little dude wet his shorts." The other sorcerers around Meat roared in laughter. Meat was thoroughly disgusted, but laughed also.

Another partygoer looked at Meat suspiciously. "I've never seen you before."

"Ah, well I like to keep a low profile. Just kill one helpless villager at a time." He swallowed his drink quickly.

The sorcerer nodded his head and looked at Meringue. "Now there's a hot piece. Look at that ass. Swish to the left. Swish to the right."

You jerk. She's half your age. "Oh yeah. She's hot." Meat wanted to punch the guy.

Marron weaved thru the crowd hoping to pick up something from the random chattering. All he heard was meaning less gossip and exaggerated stories. He found Steel in the corner pulling at her dress. She was alone and against a white wall. Marron approached her. "Find anything?" He asked. Steel pulled again at her dress.

"I do not like static cling." Marron smiled. Steel had a sense of humor. It must be the only human trait the warrior princess did not try to vanquish. "Discovering things, I am not very good at. I am no sleuth. I can beat the information out of them if you so wish." Steel suggested.

"I don't think that's necessary." Marron replied. Meat popped his head in between them.

"You know I look damn good in a black tuxedo. I am keeping this when we get home. You should keep yours too, Marron. You look a lot scarier in black."

"Where's Fry? Doesn't he go on his own assignments?" Marron asked.

"Come on, Marron. Did Big Mama ever go on assignment? The general rides safely on horse as the infantry marches ahead of him."

"Where's Meringue?"

"She's walking around aimlessly. She's a show off." Meat explained. Marron turned his head and found Meringue walking around as Meat said. She peered around a corner but a sorcerer came up behind her and tapped her shoulder. Her face was red with embarrassment, but she seemed to talk her way out of explaining what she was doing. The man asked her to dance and pulled her out on the dance floor. Meat saw the scene also. "We should probably get together as a team. Marron, go cut in and get her over here."

Marron nodded and walked to the middle of the dance floor. He ignored the young ladies fawning over him and went up to Meringue and her partner. "May I cut in?" He asked the sorcerer. The sorcerer looked annoyed by the intrusion, but let Marron take Meringue's hand. Meringue's eyes were wide as Marron put his arm around her waist. The spell he had over her died when he said, "We have to get back to the group." She grumbled. She didn't want to stop dancing.

Marron and Meringue moved to the others and they had a conference. "No one has mentioned the crystal at all. I'm beginning to think we've got the wrong party." Meat said.

"They are very secretive, aren't they?" Asked Meringue.

"Look." Marron motioned to a man that just walked into the room. The man was bald, and wore a black robe. "Our luck may have changed."

The robed man stood on a tall platform. Every sorcerer in the room stopped what they were doing to give him their full attention. In turn, the Kabal did the same. The man must be a powerful figure to deserve such respect among sorcerers.

"Tonite is a very special night." The man began. "As you may know, the magician Merlin was the most well known magician in the world. He lived thousands of years and accumulated great power. When Merlin died, His magic was sealed inside a crystal. The crystal I have with me today."

Meringue's mouth dropped open at the sight of the crystal the man now held in his hands. It glowed a bright red. In each prism a rainbow could be seen in the light. She leaned over to Marron and whispered, "It's breathtaking."

"Yes." Marron's expression was also one of awe. "What a tragedy the power of such a just and wise magician should fall into the possession of such evil beings."

"Not for long!" Steel jumped up in the air and gave a "Yeee-ahhh!" Two swords appeared out of nowhere and were brought down on the sorcerer's hands, splitting them from the bone. The severed hands still held the crystal as it toppled to the floor. The sorcerer screamed in pain.

"So much for stealth." Meat leapt into the air and flipped over a group of sorcerers and grabbed a sword that hung on the wall.

Marron grabbed an ofuda and turned to Meringue. "Get the crystal. We'll hold them off."

"Right." Meringue raced to the crystal and picked it up. She "Eeew"ed as she picked the bloody hands off the gem.

The bald sorcerer looked at his stubs and screamed in horror. Blood spurted from the veins and covered the white carpet. The sorcerers were no longer concerned with him. They attacked the imposters.

"Die! Die! Die!" Steel stabbed each sorcerer that came by in the gut. They fell to the floor lifeless. Steel cackled loudly, enjoying the mass destruction.

Marron tossed ofuda after ofuda, but the sorcerers kept coming. Finally he held his hands together and said, "Spirits of fire, lend me your power." A phoenix emerged from all around Marron and engulfed the sorcerers in flames.

"Meat stopped beating a sorcerer in the head long enough to say, "Wow. Pretty good."

Meringue held onto the crystal tightly as sorcerer after sorcerer tried to peel it from her hands. They lifted her up in the air and then threw her back down, hoping to loosen her grip on the jewel. Meringue stood up and looked at the ponytailed sorcerer. "You fear spiders." She declared. She laughed loudly as she cast her spell. Suddenly spiders covered the sorcerer like a blanket.

""Get them off me! Get them off ME! Ahhhh!!"

For a long time they fought and soon every sorcerer who was not dead, fled into the night. With the crystal in their possession, the Kabal returned to their post.

"What do we do with this sucker now that we have it?" Meat tossed the red glowing crystal into the air with his right hand and then caught it with his left.

"Don't drop it!" Meringue stared at the gem nervously.

"Don't worry. It's all good." Meat missed the catch, but was able to grab the gem before it hit the ground. Meringue's face was contorted with anxiety. "Like I said, it's all good."

"I say we destroy it. Then we can be positive it won't fall into the wrong hands again." Steel proclaimed.

"We don't know what will happen if we destroy the crystal." Marron pointed out. "It may destroy the magic inside, but it may also release it."

All of their heads turned as the door of the den creaked open. Fry Stepped forward and following him was a large man in a long black coat. The man's eyes were cold and unfeeling. Fry spoke. "I see you have the crystal. Good. However, I do remember saying I didn't want a big scene. The town is all in an uproar speaking of the bloodbath at the hunter's lodge."

"Sorry, Fry. It was Steel. She started it." Met pointed at his purple haired team member.

"Imbecile." Steel muttered.

"Never mind. What's done is done. Now I have someone for you to meet." Fry waved his hand at the man in the black coat, who was leaning against he wall. "This is Vash. He will be training you for our next assignment."