[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/zLmcB5Q.png[/img][/center]

[color=fff200]"What is going on here? Hrrr, it's freezing!"[/color] Lily held her arms around her shoulders, shocked by the wintery realm she used to know as Penrose; she returned back to the rooftop she were on. But then, she blinked, and spread her arms to her sides.
[color=fff200]"Well, I don't have to breathe in cold air, that helps a bit. And it's beautiful...Aah!"[/color]
She was startled by the sudden intrusion of a sound in her head; it was Ixion.
"Lily? You are safe!" The equine spirit spoke, his neighs rippled with static.
[color=fff200]"Ixion, what happened here? Why is it winter?"[/color]
"That is because you have been gone from this world for two moons. Our bond was somehow severed, something I thought impossible. But now that you're here, we can-"
Lily poked the sides of her head with her index fingers.
[color=fff200]"Before that, let me just process all this with Alex-Wait!"[/color] But it was no use, as Alex had already bounded far into the distance, causing Lily to lean forward with her hands balled into fists. 
[color=fff200]"Man, Alex can sometimes be a big goof. I know he loves his pets, but still, he shouldn't leav his girlfriend in the blizzard!"[/color]
With a huff, Lily nonetheless summoned Ixion in his motorcycle form, and rode off after him.

Lily was faster than Alex, and could have reached him at their home, but decided to take it slower as she listened to Ixion's exposition. 
[color=fff200]"So undead have been roaming rampant, and a new force of magical girls arrived to hunt them."[/color]
"Not just the lifeless vessels, Lily; the entire city is their hunting grounds."
[color=fff200]"What does that mean?"[/color] She asked, though she received nothing but a crackling whinny from Ixion. But Lily was not deterred.
[color=fff200]"Well then, I guess I need to find out."[/color]
Upon arriving at the apartment, she carefully stepped inside, having transformed back to human form. 
[color=fff200]"Alex? Are you there? Where did he go this time?"[/color] Fortunately, Bob was vigilant, and immediately came over to greet the green-haired girl with a nuzzle. 
[color=fff200]"Oh Bob, everyone! I'm glad you're alright! We didn't mean to leave you here for so long, I swear!"[/color] Bob didn't seem to care, and moved back to the kitchen. As Lily followed, she saw the note Alex left her. 
[color=fff200]"Grabbing magic swag...Be back later? Wait, wasn't there an ad on Glimmr?"[/color] Lily mumbled, and sat down on the couch, turning on the TV as she handled her phone. She gasped at what she saw. 
[color=fff200]"Oh, Brittany's opened her shop here! So that's why he ran off."[/color] She saw as the news mentioned report about the evacuation of Penrose, and frowned.
[color=fff200]"It's that bad, huh?"[/color] She heard Ixion bray a bit, and nodded with a pump of her fist.
[color=fff200]"Okay, as soon as Alex is back we'll go and help. Lily Lightning is back in town!"[/color]

[hr]
Deni found herself in the middle of a vast field, patterned like a checkerboard. Forests of green could be seen from which jolly music could be distantly heard. Up above was a sky with countless shooting stars, as if it was raining starlight. Planets and star systems were visible with the naked eye and fantastic views could be seen all around, from floating islands to crystalline spires. Though she herself was not aware, this was a place her twin sister and former mistress had once seen. 

In fact, it was the very shore of the lake where Eli had defeated Caroline.

[hider=Landscape][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/76/1d/18/761d183dea7cc21fbc0ee5f4418e36f0.jpg[/img][/hider]

The lake's water was still, reflecting Deni's changed countenance to her. She could see how she was no longer an amorphous monster that mimicked human shape, but instead a real girl. Next to her, she saw what looked like a set of stairs that descended down into a dark tunnel, facing towards the island on top of the lake. A great mound of rubble crowned the island; stone chunks scattered and broken, leaving only ruins of what once must have been a great castle of some kind. Deni then [url=https://i.imgur.com/aOwUAUH.png]a magical girl resembling a valkyrie[/url] on the island, carrying a sign of some kind under her shoulder. The magical girl used a small hammer, and planted the sign before what once were the castle gates.

[hr]
Once Alicia reached the ice rink, they saw Sylvia and Sally waving at them in greeting. However, the smiles they had were weak, and quickly faded as Sylvia spoke.
"Alicia, are you okay? Were you followed?" She looked past their shoulder, and smiled again upon seeing Serenity, who also managed to reach the meeting spot. "Did you see Aurelio on your way here?" Sally asked, shivering from the cold, her bunny ear-shaped bow folded into themselves. "I'm worried he might have gone straight to HQ..."
The girls moved from the entrance further into the ice rink, with Sally skating across the ice and nearly falling down. Sylvia however simply slid gracefully towards one of the walls of the rink. "We have a real situation going on here." She looked towards Serenity. "The Ascendancy came in here after we disappeared; they obviously reacted to the monster attacks that we were unable to repel, and came in to establish order. However, they won't stop until the whole city's purged." Sally frowned. "They're the big girls you call in when local girls aren't enough, you see." Sylvia nodded, and continued. "Even worse, they have been known to excommunicate entire branches of Beacon if they are judged heretics and traitors to Beacon as a whole. And...I think they may know-"

At that moment, the sound of a heel clacking against the ice caught everyone's attention. As they turned, they saw a [url=https://i.imgur.com/Joj2NZg.jpg]petite girl in provocative military clothing[/url] slowly walk towards them, a cocky smile on her lips.
[color=662d91]"Target located,"[/color] she spoke, and a Beckoner appeared; it resembled a small doll-like humanoid, with two yellow dots for eyes, and also wearing a military uniform. Alicia could immediately tell it was not a Beckoner that presided over the local girls of Penrose, as it exhuded a different air form the more merciful, plushie-like spirits. It nodded, disappearing once again. Then, more members of the Ascendancy appeared, surrounding the ice rink. One of them was a [url=https://i.imgur.com/PVpEG3v.png] busty amazoness[/url], wielding an oversized lance as effortlessly as any tool. Another was a [url=https://i.imgur.com/OnOr9HY.jpg]smaller girl with a blue-themed outfit[/url], her movements unnaturally graceful as she slid on the ice without moving her legs. The last one was a [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/fd/70/44/fd704450c68e85fa921a6232a0d002f6.jpg]girl resembling a priestess[/url], with flowing robes that hovered just above the snow behind her. Alicia could tell from their disciplined stances and fiery looks that these were members of the Ascendancy.

The first girl stopped once she reached halfway across the rink.
[color=662d91]"Well, if it isn't Sylvia Starshine, having returned at last. Did you really think we wouldn't notice what you've been up to?"[/color] As she reached halfway across the rink, she stopped, and put her hands on her hips.
[color=662d91]"You are hereby under arrest for the crimes of heresy, collaboration with monsters, witchcraft, neglecting one's duties, and abandonment of one's area of jurisdiction for an extended time."[/color]
Sylvia bit her lip, looking panicked. "That's not...Exactly..." But she couldn't find the words to refute her.
The girl slowly shook her head, smiling from ear to ear.
[color=662d91]"What a weak excuse. Now, assume your human form. We can do this the easy way...Or the hard way."[/color] As she said that, Alicia could hear the eager tone in the Ascendancy officer's voice.

[hr]
Rachel looked at Hudie, who nodded at her, before she turned back to look at Dawn. "We must be ever vigilant, even with those we may call our sisters of battle. However, you need not concern yourself with such matters. Leena is one of our most skilled and dedicated of soldiers despite her impulsiveness. But, I advise you to keep your distance to her; her specialty does not discriminate from friend or foe."

Once Aurelio walked into the scene, sounds of surprise could be heard as the entire room turned tense, especially the local members who stood in the sidelines; some had shaky feet, some fanned their faces, and one even put her hands to her mouth to avoid unnecessary sounds. However, the members of the Ascendancy did not seem agitated; on the contrary, they only stared at the magical boy with cold glares. Even Rachel, who had a fiery blade drawn right next to her, did not react to the move. Instead, she simply stood up.

"Kyle Tanner," she spoke, and adjusted her glasses, causing them to glint in a menacing fashion.
"Are you aware of the accusations made towards your officer, Sylvia Starshine? She is suspected to have collaborated with monsters and having taken most of the local branch away from Penrose, abandoning her duties."
Hudie also stood up. "Have you come to repent for your sins?" She asked. "Unlike her, you have chosen not to run. As have you." She now addressed Rebecca, who just appeared on the scene.

Rachel lifted an eyebrow. "And this is...?"
"Rebecca Suthers. She was recently purified and recruited by Alicia Hayden as a new member. She underwent the recruitment process just before the disappearance event," Elora spoke up, having clacked away at her keyboard. "Hayden reported that Suthers was infected with corruption during the graveyard incident, and had agreed to join on the condition of conducting purification on her person and locating her missing Twin Soul."
Tsuki put a hand to her chin as she went to look at Elora's laptop screen. "...Wait. She works for the Penrose Independent?"
"Ex-member," Elora immediately answered. "According to Hayden, she was fired from her position as journalist, likely due to the aforementioned reasons." Tsuki squinted at Rebecca. "That sounds a bit suspicious..." She then smirked. "Well, unlike some tabloid that spews out filth and treats its employees like slaves, we welcome the stray sheep who have lost their way into our flock. As long as they have proven themselves devoted to our cause."
She approached Rebecca, and looked her up and down. "Amelie, take Suthers to the training hall. She will take the Test there." At that moment, a [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/69/58/39/6958398adc1a859602ea55b21fd24a5e.jpg]magical girl knight[/url] stood up from her seat, and gestured for Suthers to follow her. "Now come, lost lamb."

Meanwhile, Rachel turned to Aurelio. "Now, tell me...Where did Sylvia take you for two months? What is she planning? Follow me," she then ordered, leading Aurelio out of the room.

Tsuki returned back to Elora, whose eyes jumped open. "Huh? What is it, Elora?" Elora looked grim.
"See for yourself."
Elora clacked away at lightning speed on her keyboard, and swiped her hand up; it was Vi-chan's video.
The normal Beacon girls gasped at the sight, while the Ascendancy members silently observed it and judged the person in the video.
"Can you trace it?" Tsuki asked. Elora clacked away. "Almost...Just a few more cyphers...There." But then, her eyes widened, and she bit her lip. "It was a decoy, and she cut it." She had a menacing smile. "Clever move, I must admit. I'd need to get the dummy PC to check it's routing records, but she will have enough time to dispose of it."
Tsuki turned red in the face. "Delete the video then! Don't let anyone see this blasphemy!"
Elora shook her head. "I can't; she deleted it herself. Besides, it was already seen by millions online."
"ARGH!" Tsuki hit the screen with her staff, causing it to shatter. The screen fizzled out with crackle of electricity. Elora sighed in response. "You shouldn't do that, you know. You'll spread glass across the table."
She then lifted a hand, and the pieces began to form back into the screen, mending it. 

Tsuki meanwhile paced around the room. 
"To think that a deviant like her is out there, tarnishing Beacon's very name...We need to snuff them out like rats. Elora, make sure to ban that account, and prevent her from uploading more slander!"
Elora blinked. "I would advise against that. If we were to try to censor her speech, that would cause monsters to unite even more. I suggest we let her continue making new videos, so I may have more chances of tracing her location."
"Elora is right," Hudie nodded. "We also need to find this party, and send in undercover agents there along with an extermination squad."

[hr]
Cindy greeted Penny with a nod of her head, smiling with confidence upon seeing the robotic girl. "Penrose has entered grim times, Penny. Time has passed while were gone, and the city has suffered much. A force of Beacon known as the Ascendancy has also arrived, bringing doom to us all; they have hunted down my people, killing them in ways most brutal." She sighed, and looked aside at a gathering of DMGs and monster girls who were watching internet videos using a smart phone hooked into a projector. "These people were on the verge of losing hope. But now that we're here, we can make things right again, Penny. We can stop the massacre." She approached Penny, and put a hand to her shoulder; the metallic girl felt a pleasant tingle of electricity, finding it smooth like the caress of silk against her steel.
"Please, help us finish this shelter. Though they have dug deep into the earth, it requires your help to make it safe."
Then, the two heard some cheering as Vi-chan's video began playing. While the monster boys and dark magical boys were most vocal about their attraction to Vi-chan, even a few of the girls seemed to be infatuated with her. "Do you think she's into boys or girls?" They could be heard talking. "Nah, she ain't that kind of girl. She's a pure!" "She's my wife!" "No, mine!"
Cindy's eyebrow frizzled, but she chuckled in the end. "That party does sound very pleasant, and would be a good place for me to rally support for my cause. Penny, would you like to join me in that when it happens?"

[hr]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/vShHu9T.png[/img][/center]
Helga was full of energy as she held an internet conference with her laptop, while also talking on the phone. "We're rebranding, Tony! Come see Penrose, the wintery disasterland!" Su could hear her scream out before she noticed her. "Whoops, sorry, gotta go." She put the phone down, and turned towards Su. "Hi Su. What's up?" Upon hearing her suggestion, she turned all smiles. "Oh yeah, the new shop by that girl! I saw the post on Glimmr. Sure, let's go." As they prepared to leave, Helga showed her phone to Su. "Yo Su, check this out; as I made a post on Glimmr advertising the hotel to magical girls, I saw this." it was playing Vi-chan's video. "Su, we gotta get in this party. Not only is it a great place to spread the know about Trove, but we'd also get to meet Vi-chan! Oh man, think about getting to sign a sponsorship deal with a celebrity like her! We'd get so many visitors!"

[hr]
As Kaito and Mika shared in each other's warmth, they heard a disturbing laugh. Then they saw it; a bulky lich managed to float at respectable speed between the buildings of Penrose, cackling like a madman as it went.
"Huhehee! Now, where was that entrance...Aha! There it was!" He pointed his golden staff at an allwyway, and conjured a black portal from that spot as he flew past it, continuing on his way towards the museum of natural history. "Come to my, warriors from the dead! Walk the world of the living, and reap its souls for me!" 

Out of the portal stepped out grey-skinned humans resembling zombies, with completely white eyes and rigid motions. They were dressed in ancient armor, with spears and bows clutched in their long-clawed fingers. These were wights, more powerful undead than a mere zombie. About thirty of them emerged, and as a single swarm began to walk the street, attacking the few humans who happened on their path. This swarm was followed by seven large monsters; they resembled ogres, but had tattered, leathery skin and boils scattered all over. They were draped in fur cloaks, and used tree trunks pulled from the earth with roots and all as walking canes, their tips adorned with bear skulls.

However, the piercing sound of a gun could be heard in the air, and one of the ogres fell down, dissolving into earthly matter. The two then saw what looked like a magical girl down in the streets, rushing towards the monsters and hacking into the wights. But, she did not hold any gun, but a bladed staff...

Some fair distance away, Katarina spotted a [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f8/01/fb/f801fbaec612c74f26e675857ad6c024.jpg]magical girl with a rifle[/url].
She was aiming down from atop a water tower, guided by another magical girl working as a spotter. Then, they saw a third girl running away. If one were to see both scenes at once, they would realize that these three girls other than the sniper were [url=https://i.imgur.com/uv70b2u.jpg]triplets[/url].

[hr]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/j9lFybd.png[/img][/center]
[center][color=f03aa1]‘First customers!’[/color][/center]
The bell jingled at Brittany's shop, and Alex stepped into the shop, followed shortly by Su and Helga. Brittany, already excitedly waiting behind the counter, lifted her arms up in a big cheer. [color=f03aa1]‘Welcome! Would you be interested in our selection of Weapons? Or perhaps you'd like to put on a new, warm Outfit for the winter season? Please, have a look around, and see if you'll find something you like!‘[/color]