Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Yeah, this is the chapter where we finally learn what the point of this stupid story is. Yay!

"Ashley! ASHLEY!" Everything was still dark and it felt as if she was under water. Sound was distorted, all her limbs felt heavier than seemed humanly possible, but everything was calm. This was a nice place. She wanted to stay in this place. Everything was so calm and peaceful...WHACK! And then that peace was broken by a swift slap to the face.

"Ow..." She murmured, much to the relief of those around her.

"Leo, heal her!" Who was that? Ashley didn't know, and she didn't really care, either. All she knew is that it wasn't Matt. Matt...What had happened to him? What had happened to her? What was going on? Why was she in this place of peace and comfort? Where had she been before? Ashley strained her mind, trying desperately to remember what events had just taken place. She-They- were in the car, Matt's car, coming home from where? Oh, that was right, school. They had been on the way back from jazz band practice. She played drums. Matt played bass. Matt...Where was Matt? What had happened to him? Was he in the same black place she was? She'd figure it out. But why was she on the ground? And why wasn't there any pain? The car...That was it! They had been in the car and there had been a crash. What had caused the crash? She thought hard, praying she would remember. Oh yeah, that was it. There had been a bright flash of light, then an explosion of some sort on the road in front of them. That was when everything had gone black. But what had caused the explosion? Where was she? Where was Matt? Why...Ashley sat up suddenly, sending a wave of pain from somewhere in her spinal column into the back of her head. Bright lights twinkled in her field of view like a considerable amount of blood suddenly rushed to her head. A hand out of nowhere pushed her gently back down.

"Now just lie back and try to relax." Ashley complied, more because of the splitting headache the rush of blood to the head had triggered than anything else. She couldn't put her finger on the voice, but she could tell that it definitely sounded familiar, like one she heard every day and responded to. Something clicked in her brain as a pair of hands hovered above her pounding head, a golden light emitting from them. As quickly as the pain had come it was gone in a wave of gentleness and comfort.

"What the hell...?" Ashley was confused. What had just happened? It was like, she didn't know, that she had been...magically healed? Nothing was making any sense, not that it usually did. But this was making even less sense than usual. What was going on here?

"Ashley, are you all right? How do you feel?" Ashley groaned.

"Like hammered shit." Even in a circumstance such as the current one, she could still find the time to rattle off movie quips.

"Well, I suppose that's better than the alternative. Do you have any idea what happened to you?" Ashley shook her head, still trying to put a finger on the speaker.

"Not really. Though, I'm sure you're about to enlighten me...?" The other person laughed.

"Even at a time like this, you still have the ability to be sarcastic. I swear, you will never cease to amaze me." The last sentence set something off in Ashley's head. It was the same sentence that had been uttered just before she and Matt had left the school by one of Ashley's best friends, Raye Halliwell. She had apparently been amazed that her friend could inadvertently blame herself for causing actual bodily harm and claim to her dying day that it wasn't her fault.

"Raye? What the hell are you doing here? And what's going on? And, while I'm at it, what's the meaning of life?"

"To eat cheese.Unfortunately, the answers to the first two questions are slightly more complex. Now-" Raye was cut off before she could finish her sentence.

"Matt!" Ashley had obviously spotted Matt sitting a few meters away from where she lay, rubbing his head in confusion. Another man crouched beside him and Ashley could see that he was performing the same type of healing action that he had used on her. At the sound of her voice, Matt turned to look at her, wincing as his neck cracked. Relief flooded both their beings upon seeing the other was all right. Ashley shakily got to her feet and hurried over to him. Matt remained where he was on the ground, obviously not ready to attempt standing. She plopped down beside him and hugged him tightly, as him he would disappear if she relaxed even for a second. He returned the embrace, pulling her tight against his body. "Matt..."

"I know, baby, I know."

"I was so afraid that I had lost you."

"I know. Shh, it's all right. I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere." Raye, who was standing nearby, looking pretty pissed that she was being ignored, cleared her throat impatiently.

"Actually, uh, I beg to differ. We need to go. Now. All of us." Ashley stared at her as if she had sprouted a pair of wings from her ass and was now hovering over their heads.

"Care to elaborate on that?" she asked, not particularly wanting to move at that moment. Raye ignored her and instead reached out and touched the confused teens. They disappeared in a flurry of blue and white lights.

Ooh, pretty colors! Ahem. If I get some reviews, I might consider actually updating this more than never. Whaddya say, peeps?