I have taken too long already. The ritual must go completely undisturbed in order to achieve perfect results. If I am to avoid any intrusions, haste must be made. Much haste, much haste…

Mrs. Pepper paced back and forth, back and forth, unsure of her own shaky steps beneath her. The floorboards of the upper level of the Pepper Paradiso restaurant creaked beneath her rapid footsteps. She always did this when she was upset. She couldn't stand to stay still, especially in times of stress, so she used this as a way to keep herself preoccupied.

She doubted that this time it would do very much good. She already knew the answer she dreaded, despite having tried to convince herself otherwise. She knew it even before the doctor left her daughter's room, before he even started speaking the barbed words to wound her soul.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I have no idea what's wrong. Your daughter is stable, but this burn, it…it's unlike anything I've ever seen before. It spreads like some kind of disease…And you're sure that it was a burn? That she couldn't have contracted something from a classmate?"

Mrs. Pepper numbly shook her head. "She's been on break for a week and a half now."

The doctor nodded his head. "I understand. Sometimes, these diseases do take some time to incubate, though. I'm going to prescribe her some antibiotics, just to see if that reduces the spreading at all. I'll speak with some colleagues and see if we can't refer you to someone who can help. If her condition worsens, I do strongly suggest that you take her to the hospital. I still don't fully understand why you don't want her to go there now…"

"She's had some…unfortunate encounters with rather poor doctors when she was a young girl. It gives her anxiety just to be near a hospital, let alone inside one. Unless it becomes direly important, I don't want to upset her any more than she already is, doctor. I appreciate the concern, but for now, I should like to keep her at home." Mrs. Pepper answered in a clipped tone, even more than her usual voice. The doctor nodded again, obviously not pleased with her answer, but turned to walk down the stairs and out the front door. Mrs. Pepper watched him go, then stepped into the dimly lit room, trying to be as quiet as possible.

The room, having originally belonged to Candy, the oldest daughter, had been in need of a new paint job for some time now. The walls, once depicting a bright bubblegum pink sunset, were now fading. The bright zoo animals painted near the sunset were decaying as well. The room felt…heavier, darker than it usually did, and not just because the lights were off. And it got worse as Mrs. Pepper turned to look at the patient in the bed.

Her youngest daughter, Cayenne.

And she was very, very sick.

It had happened all overnight. Cayenne had been burned by…something in the alleyway, as she was taking out the trash. She had wanted to prove that she could do a chore on her own, like her sisters. The burn mark had looked like a handprint, across one of her cheeks. Mrs. Pepper had seen red when she first saw what had happened. She could have sworn that she saw a glimmer of pink in the alleyway right as she had left to investigate. It had taken her husband half an hour to calm her down enough to get her to stop looking for whoever had done this. And then, that night, it had gotten worse. The mark had spread down her face, her neck, and down to part of her right arm. It had changed colors from red to an angry pink, to the point where it almost glowed.

Mrs. Pepper turned to look at the other corner of the room. Mr. Pepper sat in a chair there, hands folded in front of his mouth, anxiously watching for some miraculous change that wouldn't come. "Those antibiotics won't help, Gigi. We both know they won't." His voice quavered as he spoke, eyes never leaving their daughter. "What…What are we going to do?"

Mrs. Pepper glanced between her daughter and Mr. Pepper. Her jaw set, she said to her husband, "I'm going to cure her."

"With what?" he asked, in a defeated tone.

"You know with what."

Mr. Pepper paused, before he replied, "You said you were done with that line of work."

"I didn't think I'd have a daughter get cursed, Gerald."

Mr. Pepper eyed her warily. "Remember what happened all those years ago. There might be no coming back from this."

"So, we're supposed to do nothing, then?" Mrs. Pepper snapped at her husband. Without waiting for an answer, she stormed downstairs. Passing by the family coat closet, she replaced her chef's apron and shirt with a rugged outdoors coat, worn slightly by years of use, but still durable and warm. Slipping into the coat, she then opened the door to the Pepper Paradiso's storage basement, flicking on the light. She strode past the rows of spare supplies, spices and frozen foods, and walked up to the far wall, which was covered in cured meats. She reached behind and pressed a button, and a hidden door slid open.

Mrs. Pepper walked into the room and surveyed its contents. The shelves in this storage room were filled with items ranging from old guns and blasters to swords and charms of every variety. Mrs. Pepper took a bag from one of the shelves and filled it with various items from the shelves, before taking an old, worn iron sword and scabbard. She started strapping them to a swordbelt just as her husband walked into the room, as unsurprised as she was by the hidden chamber.

"I haven't seen you use that sword for a long time." Mrs. Pepper heard him as he came in and gave him a heated glare.

Unfazed by years of marriage, Mr. Pepper's eyes were stern, but calm as he said, "I never said that we should do nothing. I just want to make sure that you know what we're getting into here. I don't want the girls to lose their mother, too."

Mrs. Pepper's expression softened, before she managed to say, "I…I know. I just wish that it hadn't come to this."

"So do I." Mr. Pepper stood, and took his wife's hand before he said, "I wish I could go with you…"

Mrs. Pepper smiled, before she said, "I know you do, but you remember the old days. You never were a fighter, Gerald. Besides, someone has to watch the girls. I know you'll be fine while I'm gone."

"Do you know where to look?"

Mrs. Pepper replied immediately, "Not yet, but I know where to start searching for a trail."

Mr. Pepper nodded, and gave his wife a quick peck on the lips, before saying, "Go save our little girl. And come home safe."

Mrs. Pepper, resolute as always, said simply, "You know I will." Pack slung on her shoulder, she walked back upstairs and out the door, into the cold darkness of the night.