Chapter X
*****
Here, all too soon the day!
Wish the moon to fall and alter our tomorrow.
I should know
heaven has her way
- each one given memories to own.
Angeles, by Enya
*****
Ezno and Morgan were back in their own rooms, resting peacefully. Dot had already visited her little brother. Now she sat at a table, with AndrAIa and Mouse.
Dot closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead with her hand.
"You okay, suga?," asked Mouse.
"Yeah," the Command.com replied. "I'm just so relieved that Enzo's okay."
"Dot, is there something else on your mind?" AndrAIa looked carefully at her friend. "You can't be totally worried about Enzo."
Dot sighed. "Well, Bob told me that Kyle wants to start playing games."
AndrAIa smiled. "Boy, does that sound familiar."
Dot continued. "I'm also beginning to suspect there's something Morgan hasn't told us something."
"Besides tha that she's ah... she's one of them morf people?," Mouse said.
"Semi-morph," AndrAIa corrected.
"Whateva."
"Yes, besides that," Dot said. "I did a little bit more... investigating... on her." Her tone became brooding. "I wish I had done this sooner."
"Did you find something?," asked AndrAIa.
"'Course she found somethin'," said Mouse. "Othawise she wouldn't be so upset."
"*Yes*, I did find something," Dot said, beginning to get frustrated. "There were several more obscure references to Morgan… and some distorted some read-me files that kept saying something about assassins."
*****
Several seconds later...
Arren looked around him, after arriving through his portal, in the common way a member of the Guild of Assassins disembarks. He smiled to himself, an strange expression on his ashen face. Morgan, your redemption is close at hand...
*****
Morgan was careful around Enzo, as his concussion still give him slight headaches and at times he got slightly dizzy. Phong had said these symptoms would dissipate soon enough.
*****
On a bright morning, a couple of seconds after that incident in the Robin Hood game, Morgan woke to two figures standing over her bed.
"Huh? Who's there?," she asked sleepily, reaching for her sword.
Someone with a thick Southern accent spoke. "No need for that, suga."
Morgan squinted. "Mouse? What are you doing here?"
The other figure grinned. AndrAIa. "Get dressed. You're going shopping for clothes!"
Morgan sat up. "Why? What's wrong with my clothing?"
"Nuthin', dearie," said Mouse as she pulled the young woman out of her comfy bed. "Me 'n' Andy just decided you need some more."
"Why did it have to be in the morning?," asked Morgan groggily as she double-tapped her icon, changing from her night clothes to her normal clothing format.
"'Cause we knew you wouldn't let us drag you to the clothing upgrade stores if you were fully awake." AndrAIa smiled as she pushed a cup of Java from Dot's Diner into Morgan's hand. Morgan absently began sipping it.
"Wait, why do I need more clothes?," asked she asked as they hustled her out of the Principal Office.
"Why, suga," said Mouse, "Did ya think ya could wear just this finery if you're gonna stay in Mainframe?" Mouse picked at Morgan's drab outfit.
"Hey!," she said, laughing, as she slapped Mouse's hand away.
"Let's see," said AndrAIa. "We'll need to get you a some new pants, some nice shoes, a swim suit, a dress..."
Morgan's eyes widened. "Oh, no you don't!"
Mouse grinned mischievously. "Ya gettin' them whether ya like it ah not."
Morgan groaned as the two other sprites escorted her into the shopping district.
*****
"Are you sure about this?" Morgan's skeptical voice drifted from inside the dressing room. "Yes, I'm sure," said AndrAIa.
"You're gonna need somethin' nice," Mouse said, "'Cause I *know* Enzo's gonna take ya out some place fancy sooner or later."
"Are you done yet?," asked AndrAIa, walking up to the room's door.
"Umm, I think," Morgan's muffled voice said doubtfully.
Mouse knocked on the door. "Well, come on out and let us see ya!"
"Wait, how am I going to pay for this? I don't have any money!"
AndrAIa growled in frustration. "Look, dont' worry about! Just get out here so we can see you!"
The dressing room door swung open, and Morgan stepped out.
Mouse cackled in delight. "Enzo is just gonna love this!"
*****
Enzo nervously tapped his fingers on the kitchen table as he waited in Bob's apartment. "Maybe Bob's running late," he said to Dot, who sat across from him.
"Enzo, he is not running late," Dot reassured him. "Bob keeps his promises."
Enzo got up and began to pace around the kitchen. "I'm just so nervous, and I don't know why."
Dot smiled as she watched him pace back and forth. "I don't think Bob would appreciate you wearing a hole in his floor. Especially after lending you his car."
Enzo sighed and plopped down on the couch. "But Dot," he said to his sister, "Why am I so damned nervous?"
"I'm not sure, Enzo," Dot said as she got up from the table and sat down on the couch next to her little brother. "Maybe you're worried about getting serious in your relationship."
Enzo nervously ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe..."
Dot leaned over and straightened his collar in a sisterly fashion. "Look, you just need to stop worrying and have fun!"
They both looked up as the door opened and Bob walked in. "Here's the keys." He tossed the them onto Enzo's lap. Bob looked sternly at Enzo. "If that car comes back with one single scratch, I guarantee you'll be sorry." Bob's grim expression brightened with a broad grin. "Now have a good time!"
"Thanks, Bob," Enzo said as he got up and picked up a bouquet of flowers from the coffee table.
*****
Morgan sat at table in the Online Café. She nervously played with the string of glass beads around her neck. I have to tell him... I don't know if I can keep this in much longer...
Enzo stepped up to the door of the Café, and stared in amazement. If he was a cartoon character, his jaw probably would have dropped to the floor. Instead, the flowers dropped from his hand to the floor.
Morgan was the vision of beauty. Her purple hair, normally tightly bound back in a braid, tumbled loose in a waterfall of curls. She was wearing a sleeveless dark blue dress. It showed off her shoulders, yet was high in the back. The folds of her dress were gathered gracefully around her feet. Silver earring and hair clips accented her elegance.
Enzo blinked and remembered why he was here. You're here for a date, not to stare at her! Though the view isn't so bad... He bent to pick up the flowers, and walked over to the table.