By the time Moon returned, it was almost night. The sun had turned the sky a sharp red-pink, and from the window there was little else to be seen except the trees that had overrun the yard.

The boys had fallen asleep, but Isabella hadn't been able to; she hadn't been able to get rid of the knot in her stomach since she'd found out about Marissa's curse, and it had only gotten worse since then. She was certain she could be sick at any moment, but it was never quite there, just a nauseated feeling that had settled in her gut and wouldn't let go.

She sighed.

The door opened with a quiet squeak, and she looked up to see that Moon had returned. Khan stood at her side, and next to her stood that little creature that had led Isabella to Moon in the first place. Khan quickly waddled off, uneasy about the creature since it was about her size and was definitely higher on the food chain than she was.

Isabella glanced down at the creature. Since it had been so dark before, she hadn't been able to get a good look at it, but in the late afternoon sun its form was clear; its fur was thin and puffy, making it seem slightly kitten-like, and its six wiry tails all stuck up in different directions. Its crocodile-mouth hung slightly open, showing its tiny pointed teeth, and its huge amber eyes stared blankly at Isabella. After a moment it hiccuped.

"Um," Isabella squeaked, "Why is this such a big deal? I mean Marissa's dying here - don't you think that's more important than some stupid little animal we found in the woods?"

Moon gave Isabella a dark glare. "You don't understand. How can you? You don't know better."

"Moon, there's nothing better to know!" Isabella exclaimed, "Don't you get it? Marissa's going to die and all you're worried about is some stupid animal!"

Moon shook her head. "Just wait and see."

Isabella could feel her face beginning to turn a flushed red, and her hands clenched into tight fists. She wanted to scream, to get it into Moon's head that Marissa would be dead soon, to somehow make her understand what was happening. But Moon refused to care. She was just a rotten little-

Phineas suddenly woke, giving a small startled yelp as he did so, and then settled back against Marissa's body, hoping for some small piece of comfort that he could salvage from her. Having found none, he sighed.

Moon gave him little more than a short glance before turning back to Isabella. "Just sit and watch."

"But-" Isabella protested, but was silenced by one of Moon's fingers put up in front of her face.

"Just sit and watch," she repeated, and then turned her flat eyes back to Phineas. When she spoke again her voice was quiet. "You ready?"

Phineas hesitated. He clung to Marissa's side for a moment, but then nodded. "Okay," he whispered, "Okay."

"But Phineas-" Isabella began, but then fell silent. Instead she just threw her arms around him and cried.

Phineas cried too.

Moon just sat, infinitely patient, waiting for them to finish their little moment. She didn't care for such things as fragile feelings - and on the rare occasion she did, she certainly wouldn't admit it to anybody - but she wouldn't interrupt. She only sat, silent, until they were done.

After a long moment, Phineas finally let Isabella go, and turned instead to Ferb. "Tell Mom and Dad I love them, okay? And take care of Perry for me..."

Ferb was silent for a moment, but then as he nodded a single tear ran down the side of his face. "Okay, bro."

Phineas gave him a grateful half-smile, keeping his eyes low, and then turned back to Moon. "Okay," he said, shaking a little.

Moon didn't make a sound as she picked him up from his place on the bed next to his sister. She held him by the back of his t-shirt, her eyes flat, her face even. She could feel his heart racing, she could feel him shaking, and she could feel the fear emanating from him. But he'd told her before that he wanted to do this. So she wouldn't argue with him. It wasn't a problem for her.

He'd thank her later.

Her eyes were locked on him, and his her, and for a moment the two of them just stared at each other, neither of them saying a word. After a minute she turned to Isabella, her voice stiff and demanding. "Go down to the kitchen. Find a big bowl and bring it up."

Isabella just sat, frozen, for a moment, but then ran off, quickly disappearing down the hall toward the stairs.

Moon watched her go, and then gave a small satisfied nod. With one foot, she nudged out from under the bed a clear glass bowl with a huge chip out of one edge. It slid easily across the old wooden floor with hardly a sound, coming to a rest under Phineas' kicking feet.

Phineas could do little but shake in Moon's grip, afraid to die for his sister but more afraid not to. Finally he just closed his eyes, bracing himself the best he could for the pain of death.

Moon made not a sound as she drew her knife in her free hand, held it for a moment, and then set Phineas carefully down on the floor. He could feel her hot breath in his ear as she whispered, "You'll make out just fine, boy."

"What-?" but he didn't have time to finish; in one swift movement Moon had slit his throat. He dropped, coughing and crying, as his blood ran freely from him, flowing in an impossibly neat stream down into the glass bowl on the floor. As he coughed, the stream first wavered and then split into a hundred droplets, its tiny moment of perfection replaced by dark chaos. Regardless, the bowl was filled within seconds, and Moon quickly pulled it away so that Phineas wouldn't spill any. She watched him, her eyes even, as he kicked and struggled and coughed and cried and clawed at his throat to make the blood stop. After a minute she turned back to Marissa, holding the bowl up to her open mouth so that she must drink.

No sooner had it touched her than her eyes snapped open. All she saw: Moon, with a sturdy hand on her shoulder, with blood spattered across her face and more in her mouth, more that she was made to swallow. Her only thought was panic, and she tried to squirm away from Moon's strong hands but was unable to evade her, and she was made to take the rest of Phineas' blood. The stark salt-copper taste in her mouth made her choke, and from there she went into a steep coughing fit. Even when she was done the taste still lingered in her mouth, and she was certain it would make her sick. Angrily she turned to Moon, her eyes harsh and demanding. "What the hell, Moon? Why would you-?"

Moon just pointed one finger to Phineas, who lay on the floor, gasping for air but unable to cough up anything except blood. His skin had turned a stark paper-white, and his eyes had glazed over, no longer able to focus.

"His idea," was all Moon said.

Marissa scrambled to him, kicking away the blankets that had been thrown over her, and carefully took his head up in her lap. "Phineas, no, please, Phineas, stay with me-"

Phineas' eyes suddenly focused on her, and he gave a weak tiny smile. Reaching up with one shaky hand, he set it carefully on the side of Marissa's cheek. It stayed there for a moment, and then slid back down, without so much as a sound.

Marissa burst into tears. "No, Phineas, stay with me, please-"

But he was gone.