AN: It all happens now!

Love watched in horror as her father came face to face with a dragon. Its eyes were gleaming at the prospect of food.

She closed her eyes and began to focus, giving all her concentration towards saving her father. She thought of a puppy, like the one Riley bought a few weeks ago.

She thought about its soft, golden fur and its warm personality to match its skin tone.

A remarkable thing happened. She looked at the window now and saw the dragon replaced by a tiny puppy, who was licking Fear all over.

"Stop!" he laughed. "That-that tickles!"

Sadness was relieved. She looked down at Love in astonishment. "You really are stronger than what we thought," she mused quietly.

Depression was enraged. He snatched Love from the floor and glared at her. "No infant can stop me!" he hissed. He was swiftly thrown against the wall by Love.

"Uurgh..." he mumbled, dazed. "What happened?" He suddenly remembered, and his face grew red, his eyes flaming with rage.

"You!" He pointed at Love.

Shyness ran to protect his sister. He stared daggers at Depression. Their eyes were locked onto each other for some time, each wondering whether to make the first move.

"You know," Depression sneered, "I never thought I'd have to hurt a poor, defenseless child... but desperate times call for desperate measures!" He grinned as he advanced towards the twins.

"No!" screamed Sadness. Her maternal instincts soon kicked in, however, as she rushed towards the potential attacker and ran into him.

Riley wasn't sure what to feel. She was starting to feel different emotions seemingly at once.

Her sadness would be replaced by love, then depression, then shyness, then depression yet again.

"Mom! Dad!" she cried.

"I'll teach you not to hurt my kids!" Sadness growled as she slapped him.

A crash sounded as he was flung into another wall by Shyness.

They were usually quite reserved, but if anyone dared hurt the ones they loved... they were going to face their wrath.

"No!" Depression screamed. "Have mercy!"

He was flung into yet another wall.

"No!" said Shyness, mustering up his courage.

He sent a mental message to Depression: Don't hurt Mommy or Daddy, or anyone else.

Depression grabbed his head. No. This was impossible!

You are a bad person, Love communicated as he was flung out the window of Headquarters.

He screamed as he fell what seemed like fifty storeys.

He survived the fall, though not without several injuries.

"This... this is crazy..." he said aloud. He was not seriously being beaten by children.

"What is it, Riley?" Mom and Dad asked as they came into her room.

"I... I think I'm starting to feel better..."

They embraced her. "Sweetie, we were so worried. For a few days we thought you were out of it!"

Riley sobbed into her father's chest, but not before she felt two pairs of arms hold her securely.

"It's okay..." Dad whispered. "You'll be fine."

The battle wasn't over quite yet. Depression was wondering where to get back up to the main building when he saw a familiar, purple-skinned emotion step towards him.

"Heh heh... no hard feelings, right, Fear?" he laughed.

Fear frowned. "Well, not exactly. You tried to kill me."

Depression was calm. "Yes. I did. But sometimes we all act a little... irrationally, shall we say. Here, help me up."

Fear grabbed his hand and began to haul him up, when he felt a swift kick to the stomach, leaving him crumpled on the ground.

"Daddy!" screamed Shyness.

Love knew what she had to do. With her positive energy, she opened all the cages that held the other emotions, and beamed everyone down to where Depression had just winded Fear.

The twins rushed to their dad first, assessing his condition.

He's safe, Love mentally assured her brother. Shyness nodded.

Anger growled at the monster that lay before them all.

"You're gonna pay for this!"

"Oh, you all will." Depression's eyes gleamed again. "Not me. I merely wanted to show you that a person is malleable. You can also break them if you try hard enough. Do you know the sound a puppy makes when it's in pain? Well, that's the response I want from my victims. I'm merciless, Anger. I'm a raging torrent of destruction. I won't rest until..."

It was then he realized where he was standing. The edge of the main facility. The gaping mouth of the memory dump.

He felt his body shift a little.

Sadness grabbed her children. "Look away now," she whispered.

"This isn't over!" Depression yelled. "It will never be over!"

He lost his footing. As he plunged into the dark, gaping chasm that awaited him, he realized that, indeed, it was over. He closed his eyes in anticipation.

The air resounded with a sickening crunch.

After the shock from the adults had subsided, Love and Shyness looked at each other and wondered where Depression had gone. They looked up at their parents with confused expressions on their faces.

"The bad man... he's gone," Fear said. "For good."

Riley suddenly felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She knew that she was free once again.

"Well... how about we go eat, huh?" smiled her dad.

Riley, beaming, went downstairs with her parents.