"Now then Ambrose," the Queen touched his shoulder, "shall we get your brain back?"

"Oh yes please," Glitch grinned and followed her down the hall, "you know there is so much I don't remember from my life, all those wonderful inventions, all those fantastic things I did, oh I cannot wait to find them all again," he was so thrilled he did not see the Queen's face fall ever so slightly before she smiled at him when his eyes went to hers.

"I'm sure everything will be just fine," she said leading him into the medical wing and closing the door behind him.

Clasping her hands she turned away from the door and hurried down the corridor, trying to still her racing heart. The truth was that not all the memories in Ambroses's fantastic mind were quite as fantastic as he thought they would be. Some of them were quite terrifying, better left to not being remembered at all. But that was not her burden to bear and it was not as if Ambrose would even entertain the suggestion that he keep half of his brain from him. So all she could really do was wait until he had been joined and hope that his brilliant mind would work in favor of himself.

Far far down the hall, DG paced in front of the double doors, biting on her thumb. What the hell was she supposed to do now? Just walk in there and apologize? Say 'oh hi, sorry for running away and letting you be possessed by that wicked old witch but hey, on the bright side I got you out of it and since you killed me can we go back to being friends?'. It sounded terrible even in her own mind. Turning on her heel she walked away from the door and down the hallway as fast as she could without flat out running.

"Going somewhere?"

"Mr. Cain!" DG spun around.

He was coming out of the infirmary without his hat, coat and vest, wearing simply his long sleeved shirt which still had a bloodstain on it thanks to the bullet he had took. Without his outer cloths he seemed a lot more human, as if his armor had been stripped off. His blue grey eyes were also much clearer and happier than she had seen them in a while. Or maybe it was because he did not have his wide had over his eyes like he usually did.

"Mr. Cain?" he repeated, "since when did you get all formal?"

"Sorry," she said pressing a hand to her forehead, "I don't know what to--" she stopped, ashamed at the feeling in her throat.

"Cain's fine," he said walking over to her, "are you okay?"

She shook her head, afraid to talk. He walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. She looked away, not wanting him to see her cry or appear weak. He was so strong and she was about to break down at the smallest thing. He reached down with one hand and touched her chin, lifting it up to his face. She closed her eyes tightly and looked down but he was persistent. When she opened her eyes, his face was barely visible through her tears. He looked around for an empty room and pulled her into the nearest one, wrapping his arms around her frame. She buried her face in his good shoulder and sobbed, her tears soaking through the shoulder of his shirt.

She didn't say anything as her tears turned his shirt into a tissue but he didn't mind. He just held her tightly, running his hands down her back in what he hoped was a soothing motion like he used to do with his wife when she would break down after he had been hurt, letting her know that he was there. DG seemed to need to know that she wasn't alone. She needed a lot more than that but right now it was all that he had to give and it was enough for her. Finally though, her sobs quieted and she looked up at him with her brilliant blue eyes.

"Sorry I turned your shirt into a kleenex," she muttered looking down.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he said, "now what's got you crying like that?"

"I don't know how to talk to my sister," she said. He shot her a disbelieving look, "I don't, she's, well, she's my sister but all of this is my fault. And what am I supposed to do? Just go in there and apologize? I mean I've been pacing in front of her door for a while and I just can't bring myself to knock. She probably wants to be alone, right? She must be--" she stopped, "I can't do this Cain."

"Yes you can," he said firmly, "look at me, you can do anything you set your mind to, you've proven that a lot. As for your sister, I think knocking sounds like as fine a place to start as any. She's probably a lot more scared than you are about this," he looked away and then back at her, "just knock and take it from there."

"Walk me?" she asked, her eyes looking up at him in a way that he knew he couldn't refuse, even if he should. He nodded, "we should get you some new cloths," she said looking at the bloodstain on his shirt.

"I've worn these for a while Princess," he said.

"That sound so odd," she said. He shot her a puzzling look, "Princess, it sounds odd when you call me that. Not that I want you to call me kiddo, I'm not a kid," she added, realizing how childish that sounded, "though I wish i was right now," she said looking up at the door. He gave her a nod and walked just out of sight. DG squared her shoulders and raised her fist, giving a timid knock.

"Come in," Azkadellia's voice came through the door. DG gently opened the door.

Azkadellia was sitting at the vanity table in her bedroom, her eyes on the reflection in the mirror as if puzzled by it. Her ebony hair was free of the elaborate styles DG was used to seeing it in and fell down her back in a smooth curtain of black satin. DG remembered envying her sister's hair, wondering why it was so perfect while hers always had a mind of its own. Finally Az had shown her a few spells to help her out but her sister's hair had always been perfect like the girl herself. Currently Azkadellia looked anything but perfect, she looked broken like a doll that had been cast aside by a child. She was wearing a pale dressing gown that hung around her body. She looked exposed, as if the slightest touch would break her.

"DG," she said, a statement with no warmth or attachment in it.

"I just--I wanted to check on you," DG said closing the door behind her and shifting her weight like a guilty child, "I can't imagine what you're feeling--"

"You can't," Azkadellia said, her voice still hallow, "I feel as though there is a part of me thats missing--" she looked in the mirror, "I'm like a puppet with its strings cut, I hardly know who I am anymore," she reached up with one hand, nails painted with black varnish and ran a hand across her chest, "no tattoos, no ornaments, I am not the legend was," she touched her face, "its been so long since I've been myself."

"I know," DG looked down, "I'm sorry Az."

"Az," Azkadellia said, repeating the nickname slowly as if it was something she was tasting for the first time, "that's my nickname, Az. I always hated Azkadellia."

"You said it was too long, too formal and if--" DG prodded.

"If you had a two letter name then I got to too," she finished, "and you were too young to pronounce Azkadellia, Az was easier for both of us."

"You do remember," DG said coming closer, "don't you?"

"I remember," Azkadellia said, "its what I remember thats the problem."

"I know," DG said looking down, "I'm so sorry Az, this is all my fault."

"No," Azkadellia said, "this is not you're fault, its no-one's fault except that old witch," she sighed, "but it doesn't change what she did with my body, with my power," she looked down, "I should have fought harder."

"You couldn't have," DG said crossing the space and falling to her knees in front of her sister, taking both her hands in her own, "we've had hard times Az but we can make them better, together," she said tightening her grip, "we can do this together," she lifted their glowing hands, "as long as we're together nothing can hurt us," she looked at her sister, "you said the prophecy was what we made of it," she tightened her hands, "we can make this prophecy for the both of us, light and dark, we can balance it out, bring peace to the Outer Zone."

Azkadellia looked down at the glowing hands and for a moment DG had a horrible feeling she would say no. Then she looked up at DG with her eyes over bright in the light. Slowly one tear ran down her face, followed by another and the once possessed sorceress sunk to her knees. DG threw her arms around her sister and buried her face in her sister's shoulder as the two women cried for all that had been lost. Finally they broke apart and smiled at each other through their tears.

"That's the second time I've broke down today," she said, her eyes bright.

"Me too," Azkadellia admitted, "I'd like to do that, bring peace to the Outer Zone, together," she said with a brighter smile.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," DG grinned hugging her again.

A horrible, gut wrenching scream broke the sister's apart. DG gasped, she recognized that scream. It was Glitch. DG grabbed Azkadellia's hand and pulled her sister to her feet, running down the hallway. Azkadellia pulled her dressing down tighter around her body and ran after her sister. The Queen was already at the infirmary and stopped them.

"Mom!" DG cried, "we need to go in there."

"Not right now," the Queen said looking between her daughters, "he needs help right now."

"Let me--no! Let me go!" they heard him scream.

"I can help him," DG pleaded, "Let me just talk to him, he's my friend--"

"I'll go in with her," Cain offered.

"You are injured Mr. Cain," the Queen objected, "I do not think--"

"I'm going in there mom," she said pushing past the Queen and into the room with Cain behind her.

There was Glitch, zipper gone, wearing just a pair of long pants. His brain was obvious back in place and he had ripped whatever wires had been on him off, leaving horrible red marks across his chest and arms. The people working on him were crowded in the corner, looking absolutely terrified. DG took a step forward, raising one hand to keep Cain back. Glitch turned to her, his eyes wide and almost wild, though she saw a flicker of recognition in their depths.

"Glitch?" she said. He shook his head, "Ambrose? Do you remember me? I'm DG and this is Mr. Wyatt Cain, the Tin Man."

"You--I-I-met you in a basket," he said, "my zipper was down," he reached up and touched his head, "but its gone--" he looked at Cain, "you died. First in that suite and then you fell into the ice and then you got shot--or did you get shot and fall into the ice or maybe it was the other way around," he clasped his hands to his head, "there's too much in my head!" he cried suddenly, his voice rather desperate, "I can't think, I can't, all I can do is feel," he looked at his hands, "its not supposed to be like this."

"That seems to happen a lot around here," DG said walking forward, "but you're right, Mr. Cain was in a tin suite and then he was shot before falling into the ice--" his face fell, "and then again after you save him."

"I saved him once didn't I?"

"A couple of times if you want to keep track," Cain said, his eyes never leaving DG's back

"And my machine--I almost killed the Outer Zone! All my machines, they were being used by someone I trusted--"

"Azkadellia was possessed," DG said, "remember? It was my fault, she was possessed when she was a child by the evil old witch in the cave," Ambrose nodded furiously, "does this usually happen when someone gets their brain put whole?" she asked Cain.

"Some confusion is normal, especially if the person has had a traumatizing life," Ambrose recited like he had swallowed a text book, "confusion and pain should go away soon."

"How soon?" DG demanded.

"Soon soon," he said, "can I get some cloths?" he demanded looking over at the people crowded in the corner, "I'm not going to bite you, I'm not an animal here," he grabbed one of the shirts offered and yanked it over his head, "well at least I don't have to worry about my zipper being down," he said matter of factly.

"Oh I'm so glad you're okay," DG said hugging him tightly.

"Ow," he winced, putting a hand to his throbbing head, "sorry, new/old brain," he pointed at his head, "so we did save the wold right?" he added.

"Yes Az's fine," DG said stepping back, "and the OZ can go back to normal."

"Azkadellia," he stopped, "Az? I know that na--" he stopped as Azkadellia pushed the doors open despite her mother's protests. Ambroses's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Her own response was much the same except a bit more dignified and she clutched her dressing down tighter around her frame. Behind her the Queen sighed and turned away covering her face mouth with her hand. DG pushed past the three of them and walked over to her mother.

"What's going on?" she demanded walking around her mother's side and looking at her, "I know Glitch--I mean Ambrose was part of your inner circle but why is he acting like he knows Az and she's acting like she knows him. And i'm not talking about the friendship kind of way."

"Your sister and Ambrose were together," the Queen said finally, "she was using him for his inventions but they were," she stopped as if the word tasted bad, "betrothed for a time before she went through the actual coup," she sighed, "most of the inventions she got from him willingly. She's the one who came up with the nickname Glitch."

"He said people called him that."

"Well they did but it was started by her because she said she said he must have a glitch to be so smart when it came to his inventions but such a fool when it came to the real world," she touched her hand to her mouth, "sometimes memories can be lost, I had hoped that one would be but it seems that we were not so lucky."

"Lucky? What if they really loved each other?" DG protested.

"Love had nothing to do with it. Your sister was possessed from a very young age," the Queen tried to explain, "she and Ambrose were very young when they met as children. What happened next was a sick and twisted and had nothing to do with love."

"You don't know that," DG said.

They heard Cain swear at the same time there was a rustle of fabric and a thud. DG and the Queen raced around the corner and froze. Azkadellia had fainted into Cain's arms while Ambrose had hit the ground instead. Cain looked up at them. For one heart stopping second DG thought that there was something seriously wrong with them. Then Cain glared rather angrily at Ambrose and she knew that they were fine. If something was really wrong, he would not look quite so angry.

"Would you people give us a hand?" he demanded at the people cowering in the corner, "they fainted, one right after the other" Cain hissed hefting Azkadellia's weight, "He's got about as much rhythm as me."