Chapter 48: The Mastermind
This is the chapter where I really reveal Mr. Crook's genius. However, if he has any flaw, it's his aggrandized ego and overconfidence, which leads to much carelessness. This is the main reason he didn't kill any of the eight Beacons—since everyone who can stop him is trapped in a cell from which they cannot escape, he feels no need to kill them. Rather, he wants to display them as a trophy for everyone to see, possibly even make them his chief lieutenants, if he can generate enough power to overcome their will (If a Beacon has even a single thing worth fighting for, no amount of darkness can make him/her a Shadow-Beacon. This is because a Beacon must consent to becoming a Shadow-Beacon. Mr. Crook plans to remove all purpose from the Beacons' lives). Note: none of this paragraph was planned to be discussed in the chapter. It is just relevant information which applies, and would most probably have been revealed elsewhere in the story, before or after.
Anyways, in the chapter, Mr. Crook visits the imprisoned Beacons, to gaze upon his collection and gloat. Once calm, reserved, and taciturn, the villain has finally shed that disguise to reveal his true nature: manipulative, clever, evil, unstoppable genius. Irving, once lacking all the information to properly deduce this, now has updated his brain with all the accurate info, and does most of the talking in this chapter, explaining to Mr. Crook everything that he did.
When Crook told Ray that Scott could not withstand the evil energy in Eden, he was lying. The truth is, Scott was the perfect subject for Mr. Crook to plant a seed in. Mr. Crook knew the prophecy well (except he had never seen the second part), and he knew that if he tried to conquer Eden, seven Beacons would rise up and stop him. So he waited, patiently, pretending to be good. Then Ray came along, and insisted that Scott—a mortal, incapable of accessing Eden and surviving—go with him. Mr. Crook pulled Scott aside, offered to try an experimental procedure which would transfer some of his power to Scott, hopefully allowing him to withstand Eden. You see, for Mr. Crook to plant the seed, he needed the soil's permission. Scott agreed, and from that day on, Mr. Crook's essence lay hidden inside of him, waiting to be released. Mr. Crook remained patient, waiting plenty of time so that any connection between him and Scott would have faded from everyone's mind. Then, a year and a half ago, he activated the seed, creating the Dragon.
The plan seemed foolproof. Either the seven Beacons would rise up and stop the Dragon, after which Mr. Crook could just waltz in behind, reclaim his rightful power, and gain complete control over Eden, and eventually Earth. Or the Dragon would win, in which case Mr. Crook could just claim his power and throne directly.
But Mr. Crook hadn't counted on the second prophecy alerting the seven. He was lucky: they suspected Ray at the time. But he still had to scramble to prepare a prison, and a weak one at that. He knew they would break out, but the prison delayed them, prevented them from focusing. By the time Mr. Crook and his henchmen constructed a permanent, more secure prison, not a single one of the Beacons had gone to Zion to warn the population. And Mr. Crook still had the army of Shadows left behind by the Dragon with which to invade the city.
Mr. Crook admits to all this, and asks rhetorically how they plan to stop it when they can't even break out of this cell? Oh, yes, he is keeping his collection, and when the time comes, he is going to show them off to the world. He closes the door and leaves. The Beacons feel hopeless.
Then, in the seventh of the nine major twists, the cell wall breaks open.
Chapter 49: Brothers Again
No, it wasn't any of the Beacons who found a way to break out of the prison. Somebody on the outside found a way to break them out; something Mr. Crook had never even considered possible. The truth is, there is yet another Beacon to throw into the mix. This one is 'Born of Animal' and has the power to morph into just about any other living creature. His name is Scott.
Nobody knew Scott was a Beacon. His DNA, on account of being able to rearrange itself into the genome sequence of any living creature, bore none of the signature HNA or PNA structures which marked him as a Beacon. Thus, when Mr. Crook reclaimed his power from Scott in the lab at the end of chapter 37 (or the start of 38), he expected Scott to die, unable to withstand Eden. So the overconfident villain left Scott alone in the laboratory, only for Scott to escape undetected. Then Scott ran off in search of Ray.
He saw the scene on the mountain—Isabella versus Mr. Crook had some noticeable earth-shattering movements, and in disguise as a fly, Scott followed them back to the prison. Then he waited, and when the time was right, and Mr. Crook's back was turned, he smashed through the wall.
Now with everyone safe—for the moment, at least—Scott shares his own story. He saw what was happening to Ray, and sympathized with him. After all, he had his own secrets, too. People saw Ray burning meadows and destroying playgrounds, and so nobody noticed Scott when he grew wings, horns, or a tail. As it turns out, there were other signs of Scott being a Beacon, as well. For example, when Django fought the Dragon, and turned into a turtle, he used Scott's powers.
But there is no time to lose. Mr. Crook is attacking Zion, and although Scott was able to warn the people of Zion (he was the enigma in that ominous scene at the end of chapter 40), he doubts they will be able to hold off a full-scale invasion from Mr. Crook. Which leads to this conversation.
[Proof]
"So what do we do?" Phineas asked.
Ray looked at Scott, and for the first time in a while, flashed his brother a smile.
Scott returned the smile. "Tuveri akher," he told Phineas.
"Brighten the dark," Irving translated.
"Close," corrected Ray. "It actually means to make the right choice. It's an idiom."
"Well," Phineas summarized. "We are Beacons. It's in our nature to make things bright."
[End proof]
Chapter 50: Tuveri Akher
I thought this would be a good time to point out that the closer we get to the end of the story, the shorter the chapter summaries will be. In fact, these next few chapters will be perhaps the shortest of the story. Especially because there are many fight scenes, and all I have written for those scenes is the presence of a fight, notable occurrences in the fight, and the eventual outcome of the fight.
So, the nine Beacons rush to Zion, and discover that Mr. Crook is already attacking it. The city is defending desperately, but they seem unable to mount an adequate defense. This leads the nine Beacons to charge into battle together, and their combined strength does give the people of Zion hope. However, the opposition was ultimately too strong for our heroes, and after a showdown with a team of Shadow-Beacons, it is all the nine Beacons can do to escape with their lives. They run to the forest.
Chapter 51: In Hiding
In the forest, Isabella creates a hole in the ground, in which she and the eight other Beacons decide to hide. The hole quickly expands into an elaborate tunnel system connecting most of Eden from underground. Since Zion is protected by the Gate, Isabella is unable to breach the city limits without alerting Mr. Crook to their presence. However, the tunnel network proves to be extremely useful in finding other people who escaped Zion before the Shadows do. And thus, using these underground tunnels, the nine Beacons are able to rescue many escapees. This chapter is comprised of many disjointed scenes of Embers (the term for people who can access Eden, but are not Beacons) being rescued by some of the nine Beacons.
Chapter 52: The Phoenix
In the underground tunnels, the nine Beacons have managed to gather enough refugees to create a small army. Deciding that they need a name, the group decides to call themselves the Phoenix, because they will rise out of the ashes of their fallen city. It follows, then, that their goal is to retake the city, and ideally, defeat Mr. Crook entirely in doing so. Thus, a strategy must be devised.
Obviously, the Shadows vastly outnumber the Phoenix, and the Shadows also have the advantage of controlling Zion. Clearly, a frontal assault will be ineffective. Therefore, the Phoenix must resort to guerrilla tactics. Somebody offers the idea of digging underground it the center of Zion, but they are quickly reminded that doing so alerts Mr. Crook that they are invading. Every moment the Gate is breached, Mr. Crook will know. So attacking and retreating continually will not work, either. Finally, a plan is devised. If everyone attacks Zion through the front gates at the same time, then maybe the nine Beacons will be able to sneak through underneath. There will be so many alerts of the Gate being breached that the important one may be overlooked. Many of the Beacons actively protest this plan, because it essentially sacrifices every Ember in the Phoenix. However, one person speaks up, noting that if not for the Beacons, he would be a Shadow already, as would everyone else. As such, he is willing to sacrifice himself for the cause, just so that the Beacons might get a chance at winning the war. Another Ember echoes his agreement, and before long, every member of the Phoenix has proven willing to sacrifice his or her life for the cause. And so regretfully, the Beacons allow them to go forth with this plan.
[Proof]
Don't like this life of endless strife and living in the shade
We're tired of hiding, now we're riding one final parade
For on this night, we show our might and start our last crusade
The fight begins to see who wins and which side will soon fade
[End proof]
Chapter 53: Overwhelmed
At first, the plan seems to work surprisingly well. The nine Beacons tunnel into Zion, and when they breach the surface, it appears that their crossing over the Gate went undetected by Mr. Crook. Stealthily, they patrol the city in search of Mr. Crook. They hear sounds of the slaughter going on at the front gates, and many are tempted to help. However, they are firmly reminded that their only objective is to find and terminate Mr. Crook, and manage to stay on task.
Unfortunately, it is once again Mr. Crook who gets the better of them. He finds them first, and the Beacons barely manage to avoid capture. The much-anticipated battle ensues, but much like the last one, Mr. Crook emerges the clear victor, and pushed to the edge of the city, Irving activates the Gate, which takes them back to Earth. So ends part six of nine: The Guide.
Chapter 54-56: The Return Home (54), Hopeless (55), Doomsday's Eve (56)
The nine Beacons arrive back on Earth, and reflect upon recent events. They lost. They failed to save Eden. The prophecy was never about them... none of it made sense. Mr. Crook won, and he now controls Eden entirely. So the kids try to return to their normal life. Django returns to California, Ray and Scott to rural Kansas, and Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Buford, Baljeet, and Irving to Danville. At first, they try to feign happiness, retain the same self which left for Eden all those days ago, but they soon realize that the people they were has long since left them. Worse, it slowly dawns on the failed heroes that Mr. Crook will not settle for Eden. With the entire world unaware of his existence and total power, Mr. Crook has all the time he needs to build an army large enough and skilled enough to conquer Earth, especially with the world in the state it is in. The six Beacons in Danville talk about it, and determine that Mr. Crook will attack no later than one month after the day he took Eden. Said another way, they have less than thirty days to live.
However, nobody else knows this, and the Beacons decide not to share. So life continues as normal. And for people aged fifteen and sixteen, that means high school. Irving complains that compared to what he has faced and what is to come, high school seems, well, trivial. Pointless. Everyone else, equally dejected, agrees.
But the truth is that all this hopelessness does not go unnoticed by the others in the Beacons' lives. Everyone notices, and wonders what happened to them. Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Baljeet, Buford, and Irving all agree that they cannot tell anyone, for a multitude of reasons, and continue making poor excuses and dodging questions about their well-being.
Then, with ten days left on the countdown clock, a light goes off beside Phineas's bed.
Chapter 57: Supernova
The light is a signal from a contraption Phineas and Ferb built deep underground beneath their house, a few years ago. It is a neutrino detector, and it sensed, you guessed it, neutrinos. (Science note: to those who don't know, neutrinos are extraordinarily small subatomic particles. They are so small that if an atom were the size of the solar system, a neutrino would be the size of a golf ball. Shortly before a star explodes, all the neutrinos in a star are propelled from the reactor at close to light speed. Also, given their size, they are next to impossible to stop or even slow down. Scientists use neutrino detectors to predict when and where supernovas will occur, since neutrinos will usually reach Earth before the light from the actual supernova does). Phineas runs some quick calculations, and determines that the upcoming supernova will be visible from Danville, in a few hours. Acting on impulse, he runs out the door to Isabella's house, opting not to wake Ferb.
Phineas throws pebbles at Isabella's window, waking her up. It's late at night but he asks her to come down to him. Isabella obliges, and Phineas explains to her what's happening. Then he asks her to walk with him to a nearby hill, where they can watch the event together. A song ties it all up nicely.
[Final—unpublished]
Have you ever seen the sky?
When a star decides to die?
It's a brilliant, wonderful view...
Have you seen a star explode?
Watched its colors as they glowed?
It's a moment I want to show you...
Have you seen a star ablaze?
Seen the beauty of its rays?
If you've not then it's time that you do...
Have you looked up in the night?
Seen it colorful and bright?
Come with me and you'll see that it's true...
...
Yes, it's a supernova... (supernova)
That's what I want to show ya... (want to show ya)
See the radiant flames dance in the night...
Yes, it's a supernova... (supernova)
Look up, it's right above ya... (right above ya)
Leaves you staring awestruck at the sight...
...
Have you seen a star depart?
Is it still there in your heart?
Did it leave you in hypnotic trance?
Have you seen a star at death?
Seen its epic final breath?
Watched it make the most of its last chance?
Have you seen the colors fly?
All across the moonlit sky?
Watched them twisting and twirling in dance?
Would you like to come with me?
Sit beneath the cherry tree?
Take the beautiful night for romance?
...
'Cause it's a supernova... (supernova)
That's what I want to show ya... (want to show ya)
You can marvel at the view so grand...
Yes, it's a supernova... (supernova)
Look up, it's right above ya... (right above ya)
Leaves you in a heav'nly wonderland...
...
Oh, let's go watch the fireworks tonight
And see them shining brilliantly bright
For even in the darkness, there's a light
And just this once, all of the wrongs are right
'Cause in the silence, everything's at peace
Don't need to worry; sit and rest at ease
Reminisce over childhood stories
Tonight's a night for dancing under trees
...
Ooo-ooo-ooh, ooh (ooh, ooo)
Ooo-ooo-ooh, ooh (ooh, ooo)
Ooo, ooo, ooh
Have you looked beyond the moon?
When a star sings its last tune?
Did you hear the perfect melody?
Have you noticed way out far?
There are big exploding stars?
Made for us to witness their beauty?
Have you heard the ancient lore?
Of which now you stand before?
Of this symbol of serenity?
Does it feel like time stands still?
Watching from atop this hill?
Come here and sit down, right next to me
...
Yes, it's a supernova... (supernova)
That's what I want to show ya... (want to show ya)
It shall make the world stand and stare...
Yes, it's a supernova... (supernova)
Look up, it's right above ya... (right above ya)
In its presence, no one has to care...
...
We were forced to grow up too fast
Did you really think it could last?
For tonight, let's be kids again
Remember then?
It was way back when...
Imagine that there is no war
No reason to fear anymore
Right now, recall when we were young
And our dreams hung
On the highest rung...
...
Ooo-ooo-ooh, ooh (ooh, ooo)
Ooo-ooo-ooh, ooh (ooh, ooo)
Ooo, ooo, ooh
...
Yes, it's a supernova... (supernova)
That's what I want to show ya... (want to show ya)
See the radiant flames dance in the night...
Yes, it's a supernova... (supernova)
Look up, it's right above ya... (right above ya)
Leaves you staring awestruck at the sight...
...
Yes, it's a supernova...
[End final—unpublished]
Oh, yeah. You gotta love the song. In my opinion it's my best-ever on Fanfiction.
So the rest of this chapter is basically Phineas and Isabella watching the supernova and enjoying each other's company. Pretty much the climax of that romance subplot. Nine days to doomsday.
Chapter 58: The Road Home
So late at night now it's technically the next morning, Phineas and Isabella walk home from the supernova together. Then there's this scene.
[Proof]
Phineas and Isabella turned right at the corner and continued down the road. Suddenly, a muffled cry caught Phineas's attention. He quickly whirled around to face Isabella, but she was not there.
"Isabella?" Phineas called, worried.
"Isabella's a little busy right now," an unfamiliar voice replied. "She can't really talk."
But through the gag keeping her mouth shut, Isabella was making as much noise as she possibly could.
"I don't have any money," Phineas told the thugs. There were three of them, two restraining the girl and one holding the gun.
"Well, if pretty little rich boy wants his pretty little rich girl back, then he's gonna have to find some."
"I told you," Phineas repeated. "I don't have any money."
"Have you checked your wallet?"
"I don't have a wallet."
"Oh," said the thug with the gun, a sarcastic frown appearing on his face. "Well, that's too bad. I hate seeing blood taint such a beautiful body."
"You don't want to do that," Phineas warned.
"But if you can't give me any money, then I don't have much of a choice, do I?"
One of the thugs restraining Isabella revealed a knife in his free hand. They forced back the captive's head, and touched the knife to her neck.
"Let her go!" Phineas insisted.
"Only Ben Franklin and his twins can tell me that," the man replied.
By now, Phineas realized the pointlessness of telling the thugs that he had no money. They would never listen. So the boy chose to remain silent.
The leader took Phineas's silence as a command to harm his prisoner.
"How does it feel to know your boyfriend doesn't really love you?" he asked Isabella.
Isabella remained calm. Mr. Crook would destroy the world in ten days at any rate. Her own destruction, then, was only slightly ahead of schedule.
"Give her something she won't forget," the leader commanded his friend with the knife.
The blade moved from Isabella's neck to her arm, near the shoulder. Isabella braced herself for the pain.
The fight ended in a heartbeat. Fueled by that unknown instinct inside of him, that instinct which drove a man to protect those he loved with all his strength, Phineas moved. He felt a tug in his gut and a gust of wind. Then the criminals were on the ground, defeated, and Phineas's arms were wrapped tightly around Isabella, guarding her against all evils.
[End proof]
For the record, that last paragraph was the eighth of the nine major twists.
Isabella is the first to ask a question. She wants to know how Phineas did that. Only after she asks does Phineas see his surroundings. He admits he has no idea what happened, only that he wanted more than anything to keep her safe. Slowly, it dawns on the both of them: Phineas used a power that was not supposed to be usable on Earth.
Chapter 59: Impossible Discoveries
After traveling at light speed once, Isabella wonders if Phineas can replicate the feat. The next morning, Phineas tries, and fails. So Isabella puts herself in harm's way again, and as she suspected, Phineas uses his powers to save her. This time, Phineas did so consciously, and afterwards is able to do so again.
Now that Phineas can use his power from Eden on Earth, it's Isabella's turn to find out if she is the same. After trying and failing, and trying and failing again... and again... Phineas suggests a new way of thinking about it. Instead of commanding the ground, as she had done in Eden, perhaps she should try becoming the ground. Instead of subjecting the earth to her will, try making the earth's will her own. Isabella tries, and gets the ground to budge slightly. Phineas spends many hours helping Isabella unlock her powers, and at the end of the day, she, too, can do the impossible.
Chapter 60: This Is Happening
If the nine Beacons can all unlock their powers on Earth, then when Mr. Crook invades in eight days' time, they might stand a chance against the onslaught. So Phineas and Isabella go to Ferb, Irving, Baljeet, and Buford, showing them their powers. And although school gets in the way, the group of friends work their way around it and eventually become just as powerful. The gang now have something they have not had since before Mr. Crook's evil reign: hope.
Chapter 61-62: Finding Friends (61), Calling All World (62)
Phineas goes to Django in California, and shows him that powers can be used on Earth. Django tells his parents that one of his artworks qualified him for a nationwide competition in Danville, and so he's going on a school-sponsored trip for a few days. Jenny, who is home from college for the weekend, runs into Phineas, and immediately knows that Django is lying. Phineas, judging that Jenny—having already been possessed by a Shadow-Beacon before—might be helpful to the war effort, takes her back to Danville with Django as well. There, Isabella, Ferb, Buford, Baljeet, and Irving help Django remaster his abilities, while Phineas takes one more trip to Kansas.
Ray and Scott are immediately on board with Phineas's plan to save the world. However, upon return to Danville, and after countless attempts, neither Ray or Scott unlock the same strength they possessed in Eden.
While Phineas is in California, Isabella speaks to some of her closest friends—the former Fireside Girls. Nine Beacons alone will not be enough to hold off Mr. Crook and his army of faceless Shadows; they will need support. Per Irving's tactical analysis, a base of operations is required—that is, a city that must be defended at all costs, and what better choice than Danville? Thus, a team of capable fighters, such as the former Fireside Girls, seems like a good idea. After all, multiple national governments refused to listen to these sixteen-year old whack-jobs and their cheap parlor tricks.
Luckily for Isabella, her friends believe her. So do Candace, Jeremy, Albert, Stacey, Vanessa, Coltrane, Jenny, and almost every other character from the show. Even OWCA is convinced that the threat is real, and insists that their animal agents prioritize this threat.
One day remains.
Chapter 63: The End Of The Tunnel
The first part of this chapter focuses on training the non-Beacons for the upcoming war. Traps are set in place, a headquarters is set up, and a plan of action is devised. Irving calculates that in order to take over the world fastest, Mr. Crook will open the Gate in as many places as possible. Ferb, however, designs an invention that should attract all portals to it, limiting the Shadows to only one point of entry into Earth. They don't expect it to work forever, but perhaps it will buy the world enough time to mount some sort of defense.
The second part is a reflection on the seven Beacons' (not Scott or Ray) journey. Phineas does most of the talking here, especially in an address to the crowd of the thirty-odd people ready to fend off the coming invasion.
Phineas talks about his own long, arduous journey, and about how finally, he sees a light. They're approaching the end of the tunnel, as it were. One way or another, this is the end. Once it's over, it's over. I have a song describing this, though I'm not sure which chapter it would fit best into.
[Proof]
The odds are stacked against us
But to be fair, they always are
There are many who believe we're lost
But we've already come this far
If we give up now, what have we done?
We've not even tried our best
But if we stand as one, and refuse to run
Maybe God will do the rest
So I'll keep on fighting, though I cannot win
I have to save the world from the wrath of sin
And every time I fall, I know I'll rise again
'Cause if I don't get up, the world will meet its end
So I'll keep on fighting, cause I can't say no
I have to save the world everywhere I go
And if you stand by me, then maybe we'll defend
But if you don't step up, the world will meet its end
Oh, I can't continue, but I can't give up
Guess I'll keep on, keep on fighting 'til I drop
The battle never ends, and the war won't stop
Guess I'll keep on, keep on fighting 'til I drop
I will fight
For all that I love
For all I believe
For all I'm made of
And I can achieve
I will fight
For all of my friends
For all of my pride
For if it's the end
I know that I've tried, whoa-oh!
So I'll keep on fighting, though I cannot win
I have to save the world from the wrath of sin
And every time I fall, I know I'll rise again
Cause if I don't get up, the world will meet its end
So I'll keep on fighting, cause I can't say no
I have to save the world everywhere I go
And if you stand by me, then maybe we'll defend
But if you don't step up, the world will meet its end
If you'll keep on fighting, call yourself my friend
We will keep on fighting all that evil sends
We will keep on fighting 'til the bitter end
So let's keep on fighting, cause we might defend
Oh, I can't continue, but I can't give up
Guess I'll keep on, keep on fighting 'til I drop
The battle never ends, and the war won't stop
Guess I'll keep on, keep on fighting 'til I drop
Every time I fall, I know I'll rise again
Cause if I don't get up, the world will meet its end
[End proof]
The chapter ends with the soldiers waiting for war to begin. Sixty seconds left on Irving's countdown. Five... four... three... two...
This is the end of part seven—The Brotherhood. It is also the end of book two—Unpredictable.