A/N: I wanna thank everyone for their reviews so far! Calhoun's journey is almost over with, but I still have three more POVs to go, with possibly a bonus chapter!

Cybugs didn't dream, that's how she knew her transformation was still incomplete. Queen Tamora, as she had come to be called, fidgeted in her sleep as she dreamt. Her reveries were feverish and fleeting. Brad, Felix, Ralph…everyone she had ever loved and lost. She dreamed of King Candy last, the cybug monarch reaching out for her hand, a small smile on his face.

Her mind flashed to her former game and the first time she'd stepped inside of it. She looked around. Everything was normal, she was a regular human. Her second-in-command, Jacob Kohut, was reaching out for her hand much as King Candy had, but this time she was grateful for it. Elation was the only thing on her mind as she looked at her old body and her old friend, and she buried herself into his armored chest. "Oh Jake," she said quietly, her voice racked with sobs. "I'm so glad we're back to normal."

"TJ," he said. "This is just a dream…"

"I know," she whispered. "I don't care."

"This can't last."

"I. Don't. Care," she repeated.

"TJ…" He said softly.

"Jake," she breathed, her lips close to his. There was no Felix, there was no King Candy – just her and Jake…so much like Brad it almost hurt.

She felt the mesh of his gloves as he lifted her chin so their eyes met. "TJ," he began. "I love you…and always will…no matter what it comes to. You are loved."

Then she woke.

The thoughts of Kohut were enough to remind her what she had to do: go to war.


She roused Vanellope from her troubled sleep, the child sleeping at an awkward angle to accommodate her chains. Calhoun jerked the lead. "Listen to me," she said roughly. "I'm letting you leave Sugar Rush for one hour. You are to find the leader of Hero's Duty, his name is Kohut, and bring him to me."

"Y-yes, my queen," Vanellope said with a shudder.

Cahoun watched as the child left.

Now there was time to kill. Time to gather her army. She rushed to the code room, where she found a clutch of cybug eggs. She released them, each cybug larva lovingly rubbing up against their queen as she opened their shells. She used her mind to instruct them that they were to assemble before her throne.

After all, she had to appear threatening, didn't she? It was one of the most important things she could do.


She watched, drumming her elongated fingers on her carapace as Kohut entered. "Q-Queen Tamora," he said, his tone sounding sincere. "You're looking well."

"Forget the platitudes, Kohut," she hissed.

"Er…why is it, then, that I was brought here?"

"A declaration of war."

"War?"

"Between our games, yes."

"Sarge-"

A momentary slip of the tongue, she supposed, but one that would not be forgiven.

"We'll be mounting our first attack on your remaining men here," the queen said. "War has begun."