Final chapter, guys! Hope you enjoyed the story while it lasted! Especially you, Forgotten Love.

I'm off to to work on my story entitled "Hidden Love", so drop by and read it if you're interested.

Jade slept restlessly that night. Somewhere in her mind, she had convinced herself that it was excitement over the idea of being free of Valmont and the possibility of a life with Viper. And yet, with the very thought of Viper, a shiver ran down her spine.

Jade had confided in Viper what was going on, and Viper had actually encouraged Jade to let Valmont die. The look in the older woman's eyes was an unfamiliar one, and the very memory of it chilled her to the bone. Yet Jade was able to reason it away; Viper was never very found of Valmont. A tense battle of wits always ensued between them whenever they were together, alone or not. Yet even in this light, it still left her uneasy. What if her shadow self had been lying?

/Don't be foolish, Jade. / She chided herself, /Why would I lie to myself? /

Jackie had not left Valmont's bedside since Valmont had been laid down. Jade watched at the doorway for some time. She had never seen him so concerned about anyone in her life before. Jade knew that if Jackie lost Valmont now, he would be no better off than he was the first time, and would be possibly worse.

The warmth of a body behind her own caught Jade off guard. She turned quickly and saw Viper. Viper placed a finger over her lips and then whispered in Jade's ear.

"Have you made a decision yet?" Jade shook her head solemnly, staring at her worn out uncle in sympathy. "You only have twelve hours left, Jade. You better hurry."

"I know, I know." Jade whispered back. She tried to sound confident, despite her feeling of insecurity. "Don't rush me."

"Jade, even if I didn't, that wouldn't give you anymore time to decide." Viper replied impatiently. Jade merely scowled, before turning on her heel and heading towards her own room. "Jade, where are you going?" Viper called after her.

"You want me to make a decision so bad?" Jade yelled over her shoulder, "Well, guess what? I've made one!" With that, Jade slammed her door in Viper's face, only to hear the sound of glass shattering into pieces on the floor.

/Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…/ Jade panicked, grasping at pieces of mirror desperately, cutting her hands in the process. Tears began to form in her eyes. When she had stated that she had come to a decision, it was purely a bluff. As much as Jade was angry, until now, she could not bring herself to believe that her mirror self would stoop so low.

Now she knew her decision more than ever and there was no hope of reaching the mirror Jade.

/Please, oh please hear me! / Jade begged mentally, tightening her grip on the shards of glass. /No price is worth breaking Jackie's heart again! And I can't let you change Viper! Please let me go back! Please! /

Was it a tempest that swept through Jade's room so violently? She opened her eyes and squinted, dropping the glass to shield her face from various objects that were caught up in the sudden indoor storm.

"How dare you keep him from me?" The mirror image shrieked as the wind died down, and she was finally visible.

"Who are you?" Jade ordered defiantly, standing to her feet. "How dare you think you can mess with /my/ uncle, and /my/ lover?" Mirror Jade laughed contemptuously.

"I'm a spirit. I'm an imp and a pixie. My name is Urchin, and I live off of destruction and malice." Urchin bowed condescendingly. Jade's mystified gaze required more of an answer. "I lived in that mirror, granting wishes for a week at a time, and then offering it for a lifetime, understand?"

"Only it requires a price." Jade noted, and Urchin looked pleased.

"My, you /are/ clever! Yes, that is how it works."

"Then you destroy their entire life!" Jade shouted.

"Destroy is such a harsh word, child. I prefer the word…alter." Urchin yawned.

"That's not what matters. What matters is that I've made my decision." Jade declared. "I want things the way they were." Urchin looked extremely bored.

"Sorry, no can do."

"What? Why not?" Jade insisted.

"You broke my mirror." Urchin replied callously. Jade lounged at Urchin without a second's thought, and began to choke the spirit mercilessly.

"Give them back!" She hissed. "Give back Uncle Valmont and Jackie and Viper! Give them back!"

"How—do you—suggest?" Urchin choked as best as she could, "The mirror—it's my—power…"

"What do you mean?" Jade snarled, letting go of Urchin's neck only enough to let her breath.

"The mirror was my source of magic. I only have a little left, and I'm certainly not going to waste it on making your pathetic Jackie happy." Urchin gasped.

"Do it." Jade threatened.

"Or what?" Urchin smirked. "If you kill me, then Valmont dies and joins me in the spirit realm, Viper's evil spirit will remain, and you will be a child again." Jade tried hard not to let her tears through. Her heart ached and she felt like a child again. Crawling away from the spirit, Jade began to whimper. Her sniveling became repentant sobs.

Though Jade could not see it, Urchin was trembling.

"Don't cry. Stop it! Stop it this instant!" Urchin howled furiously, but Jade couldn't, even if she had wanted to. Jade simple stared at Urchin, weeping bitterly. Urchin yowled in pain and soared out the window. A distinct thud on the pavement below made it obvious that she had not gotten very far.

In terror, Jade ran to the room where Valmont lay. Urchin was dead, and though Jade couldn't bear to think of what had happened to her insufferable uncle, she had to satisfy her morbid curiosity.

Valmont was still laying on the bed. Jackie leaned over him, his shoulders shaking. At first, Jade panicked. Valmont was dead after all. It wasn't until she recognized the sound of laughter that she realized that Valmont was alive.

"What's going on?" The voice was Viper's. The ex-thief stumbled into the room, a hand on her aching head.

"Valmont's all right!" Jackie exclaimed jubiantly.

"And you're all right!" Jade yelled.

"Jade, you're a child again!" Jackie laughed.

"Not so loud, please!" Viper groaned. She burped, and leaned against the wall. "Oh, I don't feel so good..." No one seemed to notice to much about the comment. Jade began to dance about the room, while Jackie watched in embarrassed joy. Viper ran out to the bathroom.

That night, Jade stared up at the stars. She caught herself in mid-wish.

/As much as I love you Viper, / Jade thought sadly, / I know better than to force things to be different than they ought to be. /

Jade snuggled with her favorite doll, and tried not to cry.

THE END