Oh, look who's back. Meh! Now for an evil and somewhat effed up sinister plot courtesy of the Director of the ASYLUM. Some stuff might actually be explained.

Chapter 10

"Awake… are you awake, Faya?"

The dark-skinned fairy fleeted in and out of consciousness, breathing raggedly. Darkened blood trickled down his lips, and the skin around his eyes had swollen so much they encompassed whatever weakened sight they possessed. Not that he really had much to fear. Faya were incredibly hardy creatures.

"Can you hear me, Faya?"

The voice was dissonant, but not at all harsh. A gentle tone; like feathers dropping on a silver lake.

He tried to lift his head, but the pain was blinding. Who was she? Where was he?

"You're the one looking for the girl, right? The godchild of Cosmo and Wanda?"

At the sound of his ex-girlfriend's name, he raised his wings just enough to show he was awake.

"I think I remember you back from the days of Fayotozhia. You had no clan… so you abandoned us at the time of the Ski Resort."

This was somewhat funny to him, and he gave what passed for a chuckle.

"Your name is Issi, isn't it? We used to play as mere changelings."

"It is I, Fenn," he answered at last, opening one puffy eye. He didn't even bother with a Latino accent—many fairies became interested in the cultures of their godchildren and became passionate about human regions—he replaced it with a silky-smooth Souiyang touch. "Issi of Carnalaia. But I go by an alias nowadays. Juandissimo Magnifico."

"What kind of name is that?" said Fenn, loosening the chains from her prisoner's wrists and offering him a sip of water. "It doesn't fit your personality, Issi… don't drink too much."

Juandissimo rubbed his aching joints, lifting up his face. The darkness in the room was nice, at least. "I've many personalities, m'dear. Anyway, where am I?"

Fenn had to admire his toughness—after Fiona tortured him with "Mr. Sparky", she was certain he wouldn't wake up for several hours after that. "The Institute. We took you prisoner because you tried to break in, remember? You didn't have an identification number, so it took me a while to recall that you were my childhood playmate."

"I got out of this pastelly rathole before you could do any of that stuff to me. Although a fairy is a servant to his godchild, he is still one of the freest magical beings of all. I can't have that freedom taken away from me. Although it was hard living away from other Faya, I could still go on because every morning I woke to greet the sun… I could taste freedom"

"Taste it?"

"When the feeling's so strong, it's like you've drunk the purest glass of life-giving water."

Juandissimo gave a little shrug and crawled to the corner.

"What made you return, Issi?"

"You mean Juan? A beautiful woman made me do it. She and her husband started to cry about their godchild who was brought here, and I just had to rescue it. Love is fickle, you know. But I could say the same for you. Why did you choose to undergo the ASALUM operation?"

Fenn sighed. "I didn't choose it. My brother, Nero, did, and somehow I ended up dragged into it."

"What's gotten into the boy, anyway? He used to be a kind child."

Fenn wrung her hands. "I… don't know. Ever since the ASALUM operation, he's been crueler. He gets headaches… he snaps at me… An ASALUM is a fairy whose DNA has been combined with a wolf's. Although we are given great strength, the ability to transform, and added speed, we lose most of our magical abilities in return. I can't defend myself in a fight with wands, Issi.

"Remember Operation Good Day? We didn't care about that guy who protested. We revoked your wands because then we'd easily be able to overthrow the original Supreme Council. Although there is a way that a fairy can tap into his magical system and learn to perform it manually without the aid of a wand, chances are, he won't."

"Wait… so magic isn't compressed into wands?"

"No, it isn't. Us magical researchers don't even know what it is, actually. But that's not important, Issi. There are more important matters at wing."

"Such as?"

"Issi, you've got to help me save them. The Director of Operations… the man who runs this thing now… is planning on killing everybody."

Juandissimo's head snapped up. "WHAT? Killing?"

Fenn nodded, eyes to the ground. "I played along with them for months… years. But in the end, I couldn't stand it anymore. Isn't science interesting? Isn't it great to abandon our ways and play God? Isn't it wonderful to abandon our godchildren, who need us? It's almost impossible to make changelings, Issi!"

"Get a hold of yourself!" he snapped brusquely. "What's going on?"

Fenn clenched her fists. "Many millions of years ago, when this earth was different, our ancestors wove a web of dark magic, its purpose to someday replace all humans with fairies. Although we say it, humans are not bad. All they need is guidance, which is why we become godparents. Well, they called this web the Darkness. It loomed over the earth forever, until the Faya took pity on their human slaves and beat it back into the universe. Ashamed of ourselves, we attempted to split our souls in half, sealing our evil side in what we refer to as vermin called Anti-Fairies."

"Of course I know what those are! Do you take me for a fool?"

"This is where we come in. Years later, we discover genetics. Packleader Indigo, our founding mother, engrafts DNA into our bodies. We take out the King. Ideas are spread. Imagine, if we could enhance our race, we would become the alternate leaders of the universe! What if we could use the Darkness to our leisure? We are Darkness.

However, why murder all the humans? Why not just advance them and make them our slaves again? Why not just take out all the Anti's and other magical phenomena. Since the Darkness's purpose is to kill humans, engrafting fairy genes upon human's is necessary for them to be subservient.

"For years, a woman called Mirai has collected children's teeth. We practiced our engraving with those, and recently, we found the answer. The godchild of Cosmo and Wanda, Kat, is alive, but newly modified. I'll take you to see her. She will be the one, under our command, to release these genes, in the form of a virus, upon mankind. But the plot doesn't stop there. The Director wants to kill the Faya."

"W… Why?"

"Just killing their bodies, not their souls. Clan by clan, their bodies rot. After other magical creatures are destroyed, then the Director will have Fiona, our head scientific engineer, construct new and more powerful bodies, sealing their souls in them. Magic figures in too, you know. We'll be better, faster, stronger… This is the Final Operation."

"That's horrible! Why would you do that?"

"Not the ASALUM. The Director. We know that we won't get much out of it. Believe me, some of us are actually good people. And… the Director says he plans to kill himself after the plan is executed…"

"That's madness…!"

"He IS mad. But we cannot protest. When we swore to follow him, he implanted a chip in our bodies. If our bodily endorphins signal betrayal, then the chip causes our blood pressure to rise until we explode from the inside out."

"Oh my God…"

"So, Issi, that is why I ask of you, and the Greater Band, to stop the Director! Now, can I take you to see the godchild?"

"Fenn."

Ren was standing right in the dorrway, eyes shadowed, body illuminated with a ghostly light. "What the hell did you just tell him?"

"I… um…"

"I heard it all, you stupid bitch! And… thank you." Ren gave a slight grin. "You don't think I want everyone killed, do ya? Ras is in on this, too!"

Fenn smiled in return. "Ah, another ally!"

"As much of a bastard I can be, I don't want my family killed. I just met my kid brother! Why should I murder him? Hey, Senor Muscles… may I ask something else of you?"

Juandissimo gave an ornery grin. "Ask away, dear."

"In return for your release and protection, will you in turn protect Cosmo?"

Juandissimo nodded. "Forever?"

"Please." Ren bowed low; the highest sign of respect.

"Very well then. Now, are you going to take me to see Kat or what?"

Either that explained everything, or confused you even more. If it did, PLEASE tell me what you were confused about! I want to make this story goodi-ful. Anyhoo, next chapter: Enter Anti-Cosmo and the Greater Band!