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REVERSAL
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"A monarchy conducted with infinite wisdom and infinite benevolence is the most perfect of all possible governments." Ezra Stiles.

2
NOBLISSE OBLIGE

"So..."

The serpentine "furry", King placed his hands together, rubbing them as he smiled gently at the blind Irken before him, the "Hierophant" of the Major Arcana bowing his head in shame. "That is the big secret you're disgusted with?"

"...I feel dirty simply admitting it." Darth spoke in his soft, slightly dark voice, shaking his head slowly back and forth. "I feel dirty, for I cannot...I cannot hold nobility in my heart the way others so easily can. Even when I do what is right, it feels as though it's for the wrong reasons, for self."

"Darithil...listen." King said gently. "I understand what the issue of the "self" is. You're quite right, putting "self" before anything else is remarkably selfish. But you aren't putting it before anything else. You're putting it EQUAL to the ideals you admire. This doesn't make you an evil being."

Darth's unseeing eyes slowly reopened as he looked up at the kind-hearted serpent anthro's eyes, King nodding sagely at the white-robed Irken.

"It simply makes you "human", same as the rest of us. Please...stop trying to punish yourself."

Heartwing, "World" of the Major Arcana had slipped into that giant looking glass in a desperate attempt to save his friends. He had been absolutely, positively sure he would end up in some dark oblivion that would have given the "Deep One" known as Cthulu nightmares. Then again, the powerful group known as the Major Arcana would have probably been used to horrors such as that. They dealt with nightmarish and evil beings all the time.

So what would our hero from a world filled with aliens, magical creatures and strange elemental forces face? A burning inferno of living lava? Would he perhaps awaken in a prison made of bloodied steel? A home made from the flesh of children with a witch waiting inside to cook him into a stew?

Nope. Instead, he found himself lying on top of crisp green grass that smelled like it had a refreshing mint flavor. Letting out a long, deep yawn, he rose to his feet, looking to the side to see Junior was lying on his side, groaning slightly as he lay in a field of dandelions.

"Junior, wake up." Heartwing insisted, carefully shaking his friend back into the world of the living. "We need to find the others." He told Junior, who rubbed his red and blue eyes as he rose to his feet.

"...I think...you need to look to your right." Junior murmured out, eyes widening as he raised a paw digit to point at a glorious sight before them.

Heartwing turned his head, gazing in awe at a positively stunning castle that glistened like it was made of the finest pearls. It was a structure made entirely of varying shades of white, some pieces of the castle a milky color, some as dazzling as a star in the night sky, others pearly as Heaven's gates, and some vaguely transparent like a cloud. The center of the castle was an enormous tower rising into the heavens with an enormous, glittering silver bell atop it, ringing in a light, gay tone that gladdened their hearts with each chime.

And the courtyard they stood in...

Oh, the courtyard! They'd never seen such a beautiful array of white flowers! It didn't seem possible for such breeds to exists, but there were lilies, lilacs, sunflowers, tulips, even the dandelions Junior had been laying in were a fine shade of white. It was all so bright and dazzling it actually hurt their eyes somewhat to gaze upon it.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." Junior whispered to Heartwing as he and the draconic experiment slowly approached the enormous set of double doors that led into the castle. Noticing a large knocker on one of the doors, Junior gripped it firmly and banged out "Shave and a hair cut".

Or rather, he tried to. But no matter how hard he rapped the knocker against the door, no sound came out. How odd.

"Two bits!" A voice called out cheerily, poking it's head THROUGH the door as easily as one passes a hand through water. What greeted them was a cheery, blue-furred face with brilliant yellow eyes that seemed to glow like lanterns, a red, vaguely pirate-like cap atop the head they belonged to.

"Duuuuuude! My dad-in-law and my absolute favorite pacifistic dragon in the whole world! 'Course, I think you're, like, the only pacifistic dragon in the whole world, but still..."

"FREQUENCY?!" Junior exclaimed, blinking in surprise. What in the heck was the bounty hunter doing here?

"Can'tcha read the sign, man?" The surfer boy asked.

"...what sign?" Junior inquired, scratching his head.

The light-blue-haired assassin blinked stupidly for a moment, then seemed to realize his folly, quickly ducking his head back through the door before popping back in place, slapping a sign onto the set of double doors and promptly vanishing again.

"Knocker Out of Order, Please Ring." Heartwing read out loud. The dragon scratched his head before turning to look around for a cord or rope to pull-

There! To the far right there was a big button. Heartwing pushed it, and a doorbell rang out a lovely rendition of "Close to You". The door slowly opened inward, revealing an enormous main hall with a fine crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling that was so immensely huge, it's dangling crystals so large, that just one of them looked as big as Heartwing's head. There were two stairways leading up to a deck, behind which was a set of double doors leading to a second floor hallway, with various first floor hallways stretched out all around.

And there was a smell...no, a scent. A heavenly aroma of freshly-baked cookies and milk was lingering in the air, a smell of innocence and nostalgia which gave them a feeling of peace. This place felt as natural to them as if they were in their own bathrooms, and as such, they weren't the least bit surprised when a familiar-sounding voice greeted them, making them look up at the deck of the second floor.

She was daintily dressed in a bright white dress with a fluffy bodice, necklace and ear-rings of pearl, white fur lined gloves and a pair of slippers decorated in patterns of diamond studs. On top of her head she wore a quaint silver crown decorated with a single blue sapphire. She had faintly peach-toned skin, and eyes as brilliant a shade of sapphire as the one upon her crown, her hair falling down to the back of her neck, ending in a vaguely fiery red.

"Hello." She said sweetly, noticing Junior and looking upon him with great interest. "My, my, my! What a FINE shade of white you have." She complimented. "And..." She looked at Heartwing's chest, seeing the white heart insignia upon his silver chest. "Such a brilliant shade of white that heart is!"

"Oh, it's crystallized light energy." Heartwing said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, blushing visibly. Hearing the words come from his lips made the woman gasp as several men dressed in bright white armor rushed forth to her side.

"Milady, we heard someone enter the castle, is everything-oh! A dragon!?" The apparent captain of the guard growled, stepping forward, clenching his clawed fists tightly, his blue-tinted eyes a-blazing.

"It-it is nothing to worry over, All is well, Kualil'i." The woman insisted. "These are just some new guests, most likely seeking shelter from the crisis. I must say, I've never encountered a civilized dragon before." She admitted, looking Heartwing over. "I thought they were all extinct...are you the only survivor?"

"Actually, ma'am, we aren't even-" Heartwing began.

"She is the White Queen." The brown-haired, white-furred Kualil'i said, slamming his fist onto his hair chest, long ears pressed against his head as he ever-so-slightly bore his teeth in a light threat. "Address her as nothing else."

"Very well, uh...White Queen..." Junior began. "My friend and I are not even from his dimension. My daughter, Israel von Hamsterviel, had created an invention she had been sure was a window into other realms. We found out by accident it was really something of a door." He said, shrugging slightly.

"Oh my, so lost from home?" The White Queen said gently. Her face, Heartwing thought. She looked almost exactly like their friend White's wife, Ms. Nightshade. And that Kualil'i, he looked so much like their friend, Grey, the "Strength" of the Major Arcana-

In thinking about Grey, Heartwing suddenly remembered there had been somebody very close to him when Daveigh and Ashton had fallen into the looking glass, somebody who had been to his left...Green.

"Wait...Junior, where's Green?" Heartwing realized out loud, turning to face him, eyes filled with fear.

"Gre-oh no." Junior whispered, holding his head. "She was holding onto Ashton and Daveigh too when we all slipped...do you think she's with them now?"

"Green? Who is this "Green" you speak of?" The White Queen asked. "Well, why don't we all sit down for a nice spot of tea with my dear friend the Hatter..." She strode behind Heartwing and Junior, placing her hands on their shoulders, "And we can have a nice chat?"

...

...

...

...Green Jookiba Pelekai awoke with bells ringing in her head, a splitting migraine, and the vague realization that she was lying in an alleyway that had the absolute most foulest smell that had ever invaded her considerably large nostrils. Gagging slightly, she rose to her taloned feet, resting one clawed hand against the wall to get her bearings.

She immediately regretted this, for there, before her eyes, hanging from a fence made out of what appeared to be barbed wire, was what could have only been described as a mutilated corpse.

Green looked at the wounds, taking a few cautionary steps back as if fearing the thing would spring to life. What sort of monster could do this? The face, what was wrong with the face? It appeared to be almost eyeless, with nothing but a vague, sunken in hole of some kind in the center of it's head, a mouth stretched open in agony below. Were it not for the shape of the head, the rib cage and the intestines dangling down from the body like broken chains, it would have been impossible to tell this thing was...had been...human. With torn flesh hanging down like torn tissue paper across its body, Green could only wonder over and over again,

"Who could have done this?" She whispered.

Most cruelest of all, the arms were stretched out. Whomever had done this had not simply mutilated this human, but had crucified them first, as if tearing off anything below their rib cage hadn't been enough, oh no, they had wanted to go the extra mile. This was-

Sounds. Nearby. People talking and laughing. Green turned her head down the alley, noticing a doorway with a faintly-lit sign above it that was so old it was nearly impossible to make out what it said. It vaguely looked like the entrance to some kind of bar...

If the people in that bar had been the least bit responsible for this...there was no way they could have not noticed it. The smell alone would have given it away. Green found herself angrily storming to the door, quickly pushing it open with so much force she almost knocked it clean off it's hinges-

And was greeted by one of the strangest sights she had ever seen. People were sitting around in a karaoke bar, a trio of differently-colored lights casting rays down onto the stage as a woman, microphone in hand, readied herself to sing. Her dark hair had a grayish/blue tint to it to match the enormous cross upon the shirt she wore, and her eyes had something wild within them, like an untamed beast was watching from the inside of a zoo's cage.

The music on the nearby karaoke machine began to play as the woman began to sing. At first, she started out softly, in a faintly echoing voice, yet despite the quietness of her tone and the friendly atmosphere that filled this bar, the song felt oddly haunting to Green's ears.

My name is Mary Magdalene...
I come from Palestine...
Please excuse these rags I'm in,
But I have fallen on hard times...

But long ago...I had my work...
When IIIII was in my prime!
But I gave it up...and all for Love...
It was his career...or miiiine!

Jesus loved me...this I know!
But why on Earth did I ever let him go?
He was always faithful, he was always kind,
But he walked off with this heart of mine!

The girl on the stage suddenly noticed that Green was there and stopped singing, giving a glance at the man who was manning the karaoke machine to turn the music off. She rested one hand against the stage wall, giving Green an amused look, a smile dancing on her lips as the others in the room slowly turned to look at her. "Well, well, what's with the lack of shirt? Goin' for the "natural" look? No, wait, lemme guess. You're one of those feminists who think that bras are "torture devices"."

"Did...did you not SEE that thing outside on that barbed wire?" Green finally brought herself to ask.

"See what thing?" The girl asked calmly as the others looked around at each other as if they honestly hadn't seen anything. "Honey, you sure you haven't been drinking? There's no barbed wire out there."

Green frowned angrily, pushing open the door and pointing outside. "That BODY right there! Don't tell me you don't see it!" She snapped angrily.

The woman on the stage sighed and hopped off, sweeping by Green and going out into the alleyway, Green following after, yet even though the woman was staring right at the barbed wire fence with the body upon it, she didn't even appear to be remotely bothered by anything.

"You don't even smell it?" Green asked, looking clearly disturbed...and confused.

The young woman turned around and gave Green a look of understanding. "Oh. I get it." She said sympathetically. "You're one of the "early stages". You've been infected."

"Infected with what?" Green asked, looking angrily from the young woman to the body. "There is a BODY hanging from...how can you not see that?"

"It's alright." A voice said gently, patting her on the shoulders. She turned around, gazing into a kind pair of eyes as a pair of hands reached up, taking her cheeks. "It's a good thing you ended up here. I'll help you."

And with that, a thousand different sensations seemed to run through Green's body as she shook rapidly, her body making spastic twitches as her eyes shot wide open, mouth opening in a wide, silent scream...

Darkness...

Silence.

King the Magician of the Major Arcana, watching from afar, gazed in surprise as Green's unconscious form hit the ground, a moan slowly rising into the air as the white-haired person who had touched her gaped in surprise. "It...it didn't...what in the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks?"

"Then she's NOT infected? She must just be out of her head. We can't very well leave "Au Naturale" here." The dark-haired woman insisted with a faintly kind tone, a sad look on her face. "She needs to be dropped off at a mental institution or-"

"Or, I could just do this." The white-haired young man said, clapping his hands, then spreading his arms wide.

And King's eyes became wide as saucers as the words from the man's mouth drifted through the air, and memory suddenly shot back into his brain with the force of a cannonball. Memory of a dear old friend who might as well have "magically disappeared", memory of a miraculous power that this man shared with this dearest of friend.

"...how could I have forgotten?" King whispered, falling to his knees, holding his head in his hands. "...oh, forgive me..." He murmured, tears slowly coming to his eyes.

...

...

...

... "Great Britain, Scotland, Ireland, Wales...you may consider us the most royal kingdom of all. Our countries practically founded what most people know about monarchies. I admit it's...really something I get excited to think about." The White Queen said to Heartwing and Junior as they raised a glass of tea up to their lips along with her.

"You sure like the color "white". You even named your head knight after a shade of White."

"His name is very PRETTY." The White Queen said with a giggle as Kualil'i nodded in agreement.

"So, oh White Queen, this...country of...Carolina, you reign over, you say it's been mostly unaffected by this "plague"?" Junior inquisitively inquired. "What exactly does this plague do?"

"It's something that seems to drive those afflicted mad. They see things that aren't there. Smell things that aren't there. Feel things that aren't there." She shook her head, sighing deeply. "Our finest doctors can treat the symptoms just barely, but curing it is beyond our power. Not that Yurp hasn't tried hard."

Heartwing leaned back in the enormous, plushy, white-tinted couch he and Junior were sitting in within the "tea room" of the White Queen as Kualil'i sat on a nearby chair, calmly munching on some chocolate chip scones. "Yurp? Another kingdom?"

"Yes. You see, it was a matter of breaking down barriers. Our entire world consists of not so much hundreds of countries so much as a handful of kingdoms nowadays. Makes things much simpler, and most of the rulers do a fine, fine job, like Lewistania's king, Eric." The White Queen held up a sugar cube, dropping it into her tea. "But Yurp, well...that's another story. Their leader is not exactly...nice."

"She's a horrid person." Kualil'i spoke up suddenly, digging his claws into the chair he sat in, brow furrowed. "Her and her daughter."

The captain of the guard, The queen's "White Knight", leaned back in his chair, speaking quietly. "I remember the first time my queen went to a summit meeting. It was two years ago...after she'd taken over control of this country..."

Memory filled Kualil'i's mind as he began to recount the tale, a tale so vivid that it almost seemed to play out before Heartwing and Junior's eyes like a Broadway performance.

The incident revolved around Melanie, the Red Queen, or more to her preference, the Empress of the Yurpean Empire, a tall woman reaching the wrong side of thirty. Everything about Mel seemed to indicate one thing: she was trying harder at appearing to be a queen than at actually being a queen.

Regrettably, her daughter wasn't much better. The Yurpean Princess Coraline was a short and rotund child that appeared to be better fed than any other Yurpean child in the Kingdom. She wore a tin-plated armored jacket with fur padding beneath; a purple gown with a black fur bodice; a thick, purple fur skirt to cover up her mutton legs; a pair of thick white fur lined gauntlets and boots and of course a heavy white cape made from genuine polar bear skin simply for show.

"Show-off." Kualil'i remembered Princess, the head of the United States saying as she passed by Mel, patting him on the back. "Hey there, Mighty-Whitey. How's the Little Princess?"

"Just fi-"

"Well that summit was as un-enjoyable as the rest of them! That dickward Sugazvilli had a lot of nerve to call me out like that!" Mel said loudly. Very loudly.

Kualil'i groaned and turned away as Coraline: saw the young daughter of her mother's rival monarch with the white-furred Experimental American and her a white-furred, rabbit-like being wearing a tight-looking vest were looking at a nearby painting that showed off the various rulers of the world. "Hey…that girl there. She's that Sugazvilli's jerk's daughter." Coraline whispered to her mother with an evil grin.

Their head general adjusted the cap atop his head, his partially-bearded face frowning. "Princess Coraline, whatever you're thinking..."

She wasn't even remotely listening. Coraline advanced slowly holding up her small scepter and in a flash struck the young Princess with it across the head to the ground. Pretending to be shocked, Coraline held her hand over her mouth, grinning inwardly. "Oh no, my scepter must have slipped! My bad! Sorry! Hahahaha!" She laughed, her mother joining in.

"What...ARE...you doing?!" Coraline's cousin, Annamarie, a nice-looking, wheelchair-bound girl snapped furiously, dark blue eyes balefully gazing at her cousin. (she and Mel laugh uproariously)

"My princess! Oh dear, oh, dear..." Kualil'i said in a concerned fashion, kneeling by the black-haired princess, helping the young child up as Mel casually leaned on her own scepter.

"Oh, excuse me! If I'm not mistaken, you're the Princess of Lewistania! I feel sorry for you, kid! I mean, to have such a pathetic father, HA-HA-HA!" Mel laughed, high and cold and cruel.

The rabbit-like being stood up, her red and green eyes furiously glittering as she reached to take off her glasses and crush them in her paws. "Damnit, Krump! What in the HELL you think you're doing?!"

Kualil'i remembered reaching for his lance when suddenly the princess's voice spoke up, soft and pleading. "No, stop, White Rabbit! I'm fine!" She said, nursing the bruise upon her forehead. "The fault's fine." She said, bowing to Coraline. "I was in your way, your highness. I apologize."

Annamarie gaped in amazement. "That's quite a kid. At a world summit like this, tensions run high. The slightest argument can cause all out war. Such a wise child...she truly understands what it means to be a queen."

Coraline and Mel nervously scoffed, storming off with Coraline waving her hand in the air. "What an annoying little punk! Spainco, Annamarie, we're leaving!" She snapped.

Annamarie bowed her head at Kualil'i and the White Rabbit. "Please...forgive us." She said quietly before she headed after her cousin.

Wait. A female white rabbit...with green and red eyes? Junior thought to himself, scratching his head. That sounded almost like-

"Oh! White Rabbit, you've brought scones?" The White Queen asked happily as a new figure entered the rom, wearing a tight orange vest to her body, her tufted tail trailing behind her as Junior and Heartwing turned to gaze in surprise at Junior's daughter, Ember von Hamsterviel.

...

...

...

...the walls of Alchemia Mental Hospital seemed to get better and mercifully, more well-painted as Ashton and Daveigh climbed up the flight of stairs leading towards the one floor which seemed to possess some living beings upon it. That image of the solitary light on was burning in their minds, a single flame of hope they were desperately trying to keep from getting snuffed out.

As they pushed open the doorway leading onto the second floor, they found, sure enough, that the walls up here were in much better shape. There were no cracks whatsoever, and the paint appeared to be almost totally fresh. Even the smell was much nicer, there was a faint aroma of vanilla lingering in the air, wafting out, perhaps, from vents that weren't half-covered in spiderwebs.

They carefully made their way down the hall, heading towards the corner, a faint light emitting just around it. It wasn't that far now, Ashton thought to himself as Daveigh nervously looked down at her stomach, stopping in place for a moment. She was scared. Normally she was almost never scared, but this was different. For one, she didn't like hospitals.

At all.

And another, if this place was dangerous, it was not merely her life that was on the line, nor that of Ashton. Now she had the child growing inside her to worry over. She knew it wasn't even more than two weeks old, but already she was picturing it's smile...picturing the way it's little hands would grab around her finger as she and Ashton gently lowered her into her crib-

Yes...a girl. A beautiful baby girl. She had to be extra careful for the sake of little Sophia Daveigh Pelekai...

Ashton saw Daveigh stop in front of him and nervously reached out, taking her shoulder. "...you doin' alright?" He quietly asked.

"I'll be fine." She said at last. "I just...I wish we had some weapons or something in case...you know." She trailed off. "This whole thing feels like a horror movie and being in a group of two is never "safety in numbers". I have expect my head to be taken off the moment I cross this corner..." She said.

"We'll go together." Ashton offered, taking her hand and squeezing it slightly. "Count of three?"

"As in on three we turn the corner?"

"No, as in one, two, three, THEN turn."

"Okay. One..."

"Two..."

"Three..."

They turned the corner. There, sitting in an office, was a greenish-skinned insect-like being that was reading a copy of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". He was unmistakably some kind of Irken, a male one with vaguely maroon, almost ruby eyes who was wearing a simple reddish, almost mauve robe with some kind of mysterious blob of food pasted on the front. The Irken looked up from the book, hearing them approach, and smiled.

"Sk-SKOODGE?" Ashton asked.

The Irken blinked in surprise. "You know my name? I've never seen you before."

Ashton's mind raced. This realm they were in was some kind of alternate dimension. Clearly one that shared more in common with their world than they thought. He didn't want this Irken or anybody else asking questions, the more they knew about this world, the more comfortable they'd feel about speaking of their own.

Ashton's eyes fluttered over at Daveigh with an look of "trust me" in his eyes before he quickly turned his eyes back to Skoodge. "We've heard about you from friends in the city. We're lost, Mr. Skoodge sir, and we'd really appreciate somebody telling us where we are and how we can get back home. Our car crashed some miles away and we've just been walking for so long, I don't think-"

Skoodge held up a clawed hand, giving them a gentle smile. "It's alright." He insisted kindly. "I'd be happy to bring you to safety. You're lucky you're here, at one of the entrances to the Holy Irken Empire."

As they headed into the brightly-lit office, Skoodge walked over to a nearby closet, opening up the door...revealing a hidden elevator. Ashton and Daveigh stepped inside with Skoodge as the elevator descended down...down...down. Darkness blinded them, their senses almost drowning in inky blackness as the air seemed to get thicker and thicker, Ashton coughing madly as Daveigh tightly gripped his hand.

And then...they found themselves in some kind of underground world. A settlement was stretched out over huge plains of grass underneath a towering cave ceiling, a crystal-clear lake to their right, a waterfall entering it's contents into it in a steady stream. They stepped out of the elevator, walking past a large group of humans and Irkens who were tending to various animals, brushing their fur coats or, in other cases, shearing them. A smell of milk and honey lingered in the air as several humans walked by them, carrying thick baskets filled with various cheeses, meats and vegetables, preparing for a feast.

Not that it looked like they needed one, Ashton thought as several dozen Irken babies, smeets, raced after the people with the baskets. Most of the humans here all appeared to be very well-fed. Or, in layman's terms, their guts were so big they probably hadn't seen their own feet in a year, long enough to declare them legally dead.

To the right were other Irkens who were all kneeling in a circle, talking with each other as one of them held up a book in the air, a cheery expression on his face. The circle itself was arranged within a circle of flowers, each a different shade that was carefully arranged, meant to give off the impression that a rainbow was enveloping those within. The Irken who held the book in the air was not really sitting in the circle so much as above it...atop a purple and blue-spotted mushroom, an odd-looking kind of pipe to his side.

He was a white-robed Irken with what appeared to be two monocles on both his eyes...no, they WERE his eyes. Little golden chains dangling slightly off from pale white, almost silver orbs as a pair of balled antennae bowed down over his vaguely sap-green skin, clutching a copy of "Story of B". "So, who'd like to talk about this memoir for today's reading discussion?"

One very small Irken held his hand up and began to speak. "...Mr. Quinn's book has..." The tiny, ting thing hesitated. "...h-has ruined my life." He finally got out, looking at the copy of "The Story of B" in his hands. "That's it! This...this is the worst thing I have EVER read!"

"Zim, please, calm down." The Irken sitting atop the mushroom insisted.

"NOTHING in my life is the same anymore!" Zim went on, speaking like he was a young child and had learned there was no Santa Claus. "Music doesn't sound the same! FOOD! Food doesn't taste like anything anymore!"

"Oh great. He's going to commit suicide again." A female, purple-eyed Irken remarked, a faint British accent lingering in her voice as Zim promptly ran for the lake, intent on drowning himself. She sighed, calmly getting up and walking over to pull his head out of the lake.

"Well!" The Irken atop the mushroom called out, noticing Skoodge. "Who are these two new faces?"

"I'm Daveigh. This is Ashton." Daveigh said, bowing respectfully. "And you are?..." She wanted to know.

The Irken smiled, rising up into the air, suddenly STRETCHING like a rubber band, spreading his arms wide as he smiled lovingly at the two humans, gesturing at the beautiful settlement around them. "Welcome to Settlement A113 of the Holy Irken Empire! And you may call me...Caterpillar." He said in his soft, gentle voice. "Come!" He told the other Irkens. "Bring us meat and wine! We've guests to make comfortable!" He informed them, his long, serpentine body towering over them all like a giant, white pillar.

"Oh, you...don't need to do all that for us." Daveigh said nervously as she and Ashton were led towards a series of homes, the Caterpillar snaking his body down to gently pat them on the head.

"Ah, we always make sure humans feel welcome in the Holy Irken Empire. We've fallen utterly in love with your species. You're as welcome to stay as long as you like!" He said, bowing deeply, jumping off the mushroom and returning to his "normal" size. "I must say, you seem...familiar." He added, looking upon Daveigh. "...why, if not for the fact you're considerably older...and those eyes, they...yes, yes, you could be her twin!"

"...who's twin?" Daveigh wanted to know.

"I'd be happy to let you join us on a trip to see just who I'm talking about. Since I rule over all of East Asia, I'll be present at the summit at Shepherd's Glen that occurs the day after tomorrow." The Caterpillar explained. "We've got to discuss how to deal with a terrorist that's been wreaking havoc...and we need to worry about combating a terrible disease."

"There's...something else about the disease that all of us fear." The White Queen added as Ember winked knowingly at Junior and Heartwing, sitting by the White Knight. "It does not merely make you see strange things on the walls or hear odd noises. Once infected, you begin to see innocent people as monsters, and when the disease finally runs it's course, then you, yourself...become a monster."

"Isn't there a cure?" Junior asked, looking clearly concerned.

"There's only one person who's been able to cure this disease." The Caterpillar said solemnly.

"Who's that?" Ashton wanted to know.

"...we'll be talking about how to destroy him tomorrow."