The Powers That Be: You realize I AM The Powers That Be. I can insert terrible things into the storyline!!

"Okay, yeah, sure. Bring it on! I can do ANYTHING!" Lana cried, waving her fist and accidentally smacking Char in the face.

The Powers That Be: Fine, you asked for it! I hope you like Royalty that drools.

"What, besides Char?" Lana asked, looking blank. (Char was grumbling in the background and was not noticed by any.) The presence of The Powers That Be faded and suddenly Lana felt that all too familiar sense of impending doom. That sense like when you just KNOW relatives are coming and you KNOW there will be hugging and contact of the bodies... That kind of sense.

"My Lord Char! Thank the gods, finally someone I know!" The noise came from a beautiful [note: Rose is choking on her words] woman who Lana knew well. Curtsying low, she regarded the woman, Queen Thayet, from beneath her lashes. Lana had heard the Queen was lovely, but up close it was made more evident. Even if she was old, she still possessed an unearthly beauty.

"Would you please do me a favor, Lord Char? The children have begun to scream and I must attend a Riders meeting and I can't seem to find a single maid or anyone to watch them!" The queen babbled, apparently unaware of Lana's presence.

Char, looking uncomfortable, nodded and bowed. "I am at your service, My lady Queen." he mumbled.

"Great! Now here are some instructions to follow while taking care of the babies..." Queen Thayet said and, in her haste, forgetting her manners, grabbed Char's hand and ran with him down the corridor. The Queen stopped speaking just long enough to usher them into a room that was eerily silent.

"...and absolutely NO sweets, NOTHING that has sugar in it, if they get even a little sugar in them, well, you'll be lucky if you come out alive!" Thayet smiled sweetly at them and promptly turned and ran down the corridor.

Lana shuffled her feet, "Hey Char?" she said, turning to look inside the room,

"Yes, Lana?" Char replied, sounding numb,

"I have the feeling that we've gotten ourselves into a horrifyingly inescapable situation!" Lana whispered. Char nodded and kept on staring in shock at the room. Inside there were ten cribs, each holding a sleeping baby.

"Mithros, Minos, and Shakith! Is the Queen some kind of animal?" Lana exclaimed, and then clapped a hand over her mouth.

Char smiled nervously, "If anything she'd be a rabbit. This must mean she and the King are - " He was cut short by Lana's murderous glare. Char smiled sheepishly, and then turned to walk towards the babies. However, his foot collided with a table that had previously been invisible,

"OUCH! HOLY $@%#! [IRW: Let's keep this PG-13, now!]" He screamed.

Lana looked horrified, and the feeling of doom settled upon them again. The room was silent for a moment, and then they heard it - fitful rustling coming from the babies' cribs. Lana looked on in fear as each and every baby opened his/her mouth and let out an ear-shattering wail.

Somewhere in Taiwan The Powers That Be smile and start to laugh hysterically.

Lana glared hard at Char, who looked bewildered.

"You know when we get out of this I will have my revenge." She said.

Char grimaced. "That's what I was afraid of."

A/N: Wow! You've made it this far! Congratulations!