*Duh. Duh. Duh.*

Here's to us, here's to love. here's to us.

Amber started after them in a moment of sheer silence as the classroom regarded her exit before bolting forward, shoving all of her books into her bag. "We have to go now, Alfie." She insisted, grabbing his arm and half cantering down the hallway after them as Joy stood stunned.

Joy grabbed her books and turned to leave the room without a second thought when Josh grabbed her arm, frowning. "Where are you going?" He insisted, eyes scrunching together as he watched her closely.

"I'm…I've gotta go, Josh." She insisted, eyes darting to the door where Amber, Alfie, Eddie and Nina were no where to be found.

Josh frowned down at her. "What's going on, Joy?" He persisted, eyes intense. He'd learned to be probing and easily appeared just worried. Girls melted oh so easily when a guy really cared.

Joy's eyes turned to the window and she saw the retreating figures of Sibuna running across the lawn toward the house. "I don't really know but I have to go back." She answered, pushing past him.

"Then I'll come with you." He answered seriously.

Joy shook her head. "You can't." Her voice shook as she dodged through the people in the crowd.

"Joy, I'm not going to let you go like this." He called, following her with quick strides. "Something is wrong. You aren't thinking clearly."

Joy burst through the front doors and glared at the ground. "Fine!" She almost yelled, hitting the grass at a run and speeding toward the house.

Josh jogged behind her, being tall enough that he really didn't need to run. His hair blew back in the wood and when Joy shuddered to a jog he raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?" He asked, veering around the corner of the house.

"Sibuna isn't only Anubis backwards." She began, flinging the front door open.

"I kind of figured that." Josh hedged, following her up the stairs.

"Amber, Alfie, Nina, Eddie and I are currently fighting to save Nina, Fabian and Patricia's lives." Joy answered in the simplest way possible as they burst through Nina's closed door.

"Aren't Patricia and Fabian dead?" Josh asked, eyes turning to look around the room in confusion.

"No time for a recap, dude." Amber answered him with a little glare before turning back to Nina who was shaking on her bed.

"We have to go now. We have to go." Nina whispered, arms wrapped around her legs as if she was rooted to the spot. She looked cold.

Eddie was sitting beside her, eyes wide. "Where, Nina?" He asked under his breath, heartbeat quickening. The room was spinning as time grew closer. They had less than twelve hours to find the last piece or everything was over. He almost thought it would be easier if they didn't find it. Maybe they'd all die. Then it'd be over. Everything. All he knew was that it wasn't going to stop otherwise.

"It's in the attic." She answered, letting out a shuddering breath.

Amber and Alfie stood up suddenly, smiling. "Where in the attic, Nina? We'll go get it." They answered with lighthearted smiles.

She shook her head. "I have to go." She answered, sighing as she stood up. She then opened her eyes with a look of utter determination. This was it. She'd known it all along but now all of the pieces have come together. It was time. Her feet led her to the attic door and she turned the lock all to easily before walking up the stairs into the eerily quiet attic along with the others.

Josh stood utterly shocked beside Joy and Eddie was two steps behind Nina the whole time. Amber and Alfie on the other hand stood in the middle of the room, hands intertwined and eyes hopeful for the end. This quest had worn on everyone's emotions and pushed everyone's limits.

Nina let out a long breath as she reached into her shirt, pulling out her necklace. She then took slow steps toward the wall.

"Nina, you're going to walk into the wall." Alfie mumbled with a frown. The Chosen One's lost her mind.

Nina growled under her breath. "I know what I'm doing." She answered, walking forward to the wall and running her fingers down the flat surface, biting her lip. The necklace wasn't turning red. Where was the imprint on the wall? This had to be it. This was it.

"Nina, nothing is there." Amber whispered, eyes wide with worry.

"It's here!" Nina argued, angry tears running down her face. It's here. "I know it is. I saw it." She turned to Eddie. "Come here, Osirian." She yelled, idea popping into her head. Sometimes he had to touch her for it to work. The Osirian and the Chosen One need to be linked in some way for it to work. It was only logical for the last clue to be of the same caliber.

Josh frowned. "Osirian?" He asked Joy but Amber shot him a look over her shoulder as Eddie walked forward to gently brush the tears from Nina's face.

"Nina, nothing is happening." He told her gently, eyes sad.

Nina shook her head. "Just wait. It's here, I know it." She whispered, sobs wracking her body. She'd seen it. She knew it was here. It had to be. This was her last hope. She couldn't give up. Not now. Not when the answer to her problem was right in front of her.

The room turned cold and Josh fell to his knees, covering his ears as the sound of the voice filled their minds and invaded every personal thought they'd been having moments before. " Look to where today meets tomorrow and find the place where the way is hollow."

Josh looked up, eyes red. "Midnight." He choked out. "We have to wait until midnight."

"Then time will be up." Amber replied, eyes horrified.

Eddie started over Nina's shoulder at the wall, heart beating fast. "It doesn't have to be." He whispered, feeling the Osirian in him bubble up.

"What does that mean?" Joy asked, not having made a sound the whole time. She could see something n his eyes that scared her.

Eddie turned to Joy, looking at her with tired eyes. "I think I can manipulate the time to freeze us in that one moment long enough to assemble the mirror and finish the task."

"What?" Jerome's voice echoed through the room and everyone jumped, turning to where he'd popped up beside the door.

"Jerome!" Mara yelled, glaring at him as she too stood from where they'd been hiding.

Jerome groaned. "Oh, come on, Mara. I don't care anymore." He turned to the others. "What is going on here?"

Josh nodded, frowning deeply. "I agree. Will someone please explain this?" He asked, looking up pleadingly at Joy.

Nina dropped to the floor, eyes tired. "Looks like we're all Sibuna now." She whispered, pulling Eddie down with her and leaning her head against his shoulder. "I am the Chosen One." She told them weakly, eyes dropping to the floor. "Eddie is my Osirian, or protector." She mumbled, squeezing his hand gently as his arms wrapped around her gently. "If we don't finish this task on time, I'll be dead before morning."

Eddie frowned. "Patricia and Fabian gave themselves up so the task could be continued, knowing that if we succeeded we could bring them back to life." He added quietly.

Joy sat down, leaning against the back of the bed. "We've been caught between the world of the gods and the mortals for almost a year now. Originally it was thought that I was the Chosen One but then we found out it was Nina."

Jerome looked over at Nina, eyes weary. "During prom last year…?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Nina nodded. "We were fighting back then as we are now." She bit back a sob. "The scary thing is that I have to drag my friends into this." She said, looking at each of them in turn before sighing.

"Oh, Nina." Amber whispered, sitting beside her and hugging her shoulders. "We'd never let you go through this alone."

Mara slipped down onto the edge of Vera's old bed, hands shaking. "What now?" She asked, eyes focusing on the sun that was spilling through the windows.

"Someone needs to go back to school." Amber answered quickly. "Cover for the rest of us till the end of the day. I don't think Nina needs to go back." She added, frowning a bit. She glanced at the way Nina was clinging to Eddie and sighed. "Boys, I think you should go back. Maybe you too, Mara. Less suspicious, yeah?"

Eddie shook his head. "No." He answered. "I'm not leaving Nina."

Joy shook her head. "We need to have some girl bonding time." She answered, shaking her head. "I have a feeling you'll have time for Osirian-Chosen One bonding later."

Eddie frowned deeply, turning to Nina. "Neens?"

Nina nodded. "I'll be fine, Eddie." She sniffled. "Go on… I really need to take some time." She told him, smiling gently. "I'll see you later." She promised, gently pushing him away.

Eddie nodded, standing up. "I'll see you as soon as school's out." He told her before walking out of the room followed by everyone but Amber and Joy.

Amber smiled gently at Nina. "What do you want to do?" She asked Nina, offering her hand.

Nina looked up through teary eyes. "I think I need to cry." She answered weakly, gripping Amber's hand. "Just got out that box of pictures you stole from my side of the room and cry."

Amber nodded, helping her up and pulling her into a tight hug. "And we'll be there to hold you." Joy answered, joining the hug with a little smile.

Nina smiled. "Thank you." She whispered inaudibly, hands burning in the other two's as they towed her downstairs and into Nina and Amber's room. Amber pulled a box from her closet and handed it to Nina after she'd sat down on the edge of the bed.

Joy sat on one side of her and Amber on the other as she slowly lifted the lid. The picture on the top of the pile was of Nina and Fabian at prom as they danced, so happy and free. The next was the whole of Sibuna, grinning in their prom outfits. After all, it was all over. Nina choked back a sob as she ripped the band aid off, knowing that once it was over she could be strong to bring him back. Soon she'd have her Fabian back. She knew that this time they'd win. The price of loosing was too great.


Everything was ready. The mirror was all but complete with a large piece missing from the center. Everyone was in their pajamas and sitting cross legged on Nina and Amber's floor, eyes glued to the clock. It was 11:55.

"Let's go." Nina told them, looking into each of their eyes with a serious expression. She stood up and Eddie did too, picking up the mirror and walking to the door.

"Now, I've not yet tried to manipulate time…" He mumbled with a frown. He looked at Nina nervously. "I just…I felt it. That's what I'm supposed to do." His voice shook with nervousness at the monumental task. He could ruin everything.

Nina looked at him, smiling gently. "Eddie, I believe in you." She promised, opening the door and padding down the hall silently. Her fingers wrapped around the handle of the door, throwing it open and hurrying up the stairs.

Eddie followed her and just as Amber moved to follow up the stairs the temperature dropped. "Just the two!" The voice hissed into Amber's mind and she jumped back, eyes panicked.

Nina turned back, eyes wide before trudging up the stairs and letting out a long breath as they stepped into the attic. "Just put the mirror on the bed." She told him, walking over to the wall. "You need to be ready."

Eddie nodded, setting down the mirror before turning to Nina. He pulled his phone out, checking the time. "We have one minute."

Nina let out a long breath. "Eddie. Thank you for everything. Really, you've been amazing. A truly fantastic Osirian. You did everything you could."

Eddie took in a sharp breath, eyes focusing on the glowing red necklace around her neck. "Go, Nina!" He yelled, mind on fire as he focused all of his energy on that moment. That moment they could live in forever. They could stay focused and never leave. He could hold them there at 12:00.

Nina dashed to the imprint on the wall, pressing the necklace against the wall and watching as the hiding place opened with a tiny click. She spotted the piece in seconds, vaguely noticing the Cup which was still hidden there.

Eddie groaned and she snapped out of it, running the piece over to where he was standing by the bed. She shuddered out a breath as she placed the piece into the mirror, the world turning a bright shade of scarlet for a long moment as Eddie released the moment and time sped forward around them.

Time screamed in frustration at being handled and Eddie covered his ears, head pounding. "Nina!" He screamed, wrapping his arms around her.

There was a pounding on the door and then the others were standing there, staring, eyes amazed as the mirror which had been glowing in deep crimson dissolved into the bedspread, leaving a puddle of blood in it's wake.

"Good night, children." The voice hissed into their ears and Nina cried out, falling to the ground by some sort of cosmic need to sleep, rest, wake up with a miracle before her eyes.

The others fell with her and all of Anubis house ended up asleep on the floor of the attic. Nina was wrapped in Eddie's arms and beside them Joy and Amber were leaning against each other. Josh was leaning against the edge of the bed, head lolled back. Jerome and Alfie were both beside the door, completely knocked out.

Sunlight streamed through the window as the door was jerked open, hitting Jerome in the head and causing him to yelp. "Aw, man!" He groaned, looking up at who had opened the door. His eyes bugged out. "Guys!" He yelled, jumping up and hugging Patricia who was standing there with a huge, giddy smile.

Nina slowly gained consciousness and jumped out of Eddie's arms, jarring him awake as she ran across the room to throw her arms around Fabian's neck. "Never do that again, Fabian Rutter!" She yelled, almost sobbing into his neck.

Amber grinned at them as Eddie hugged Patricia close. "Yay!" She yelled, jumping up to hug them both at the same time. "Anubis house is back." She practically sang with joy.

And it was true. Anubis house was back and Sibuna had doubled. Chosen One, Osirian and their eight best friends? What could go wrong?