And when somebody knows you well

Well, there's no comfort like that

And when somebody needs you

Well, there's no drug like that

And where l'm home, curled in your arms

And I'm safe again

I'll close my eyes and sleep

To the sound of London Rain

--"London Rain" by Heather Nova

Akane turned back to her food as Shinosuke continued with a story he had been trying to communicate for the last ten minutes, having severe trouble remembering the end.

"And then the guy said . . . wait –the girl- yeah, it was a girl . . . that ate? No, that's not right," Shinosuke frowned, "what was I talking about?"

Akane nodded enthusiastically, not quite knowing what she was agreeing with.

Her mind was on other, Ranma-ish things.

She stared back to his table; noticing Ukyo and Ryoga talking and shaking their hands, faces animated. Ranma had his back to her, but she guessed he was having just as wild a conversation.

She turned back to Shinosuke and smirked to herself, 'Two can play at that game,' she thought, 'and I'll do him one better!'

Akane noticed Ranma was having a conversation with an insatiably old woman and, feeling rather bad for ruining the conversation, immediately started to howl. She stared at her table partner and nodded, brazenly laughing at the hilarious 'joke' he had told her, hoping to catch Ranma's attention.

The woman said something to him and he turned in her direction. Akane peered over at him for a moment, to see if he noticed, and quickly turned back to her meal before Ranma would lock eyes with her; that would give it all away.

The woman put a hand to her chest and kept the conversation with him going. Akane just had to know what they were saying. She started to look closely, craning her neck to get a better view. She decided that if she wanted it enough, she could teach her self immediately how to read lips. She squinted, as Shinosuke droned on, and tried to decipher the words.

Ranma's head swiveled too fast and Akane was staring right at him when he did it.

'Oh no,' Akane thought, 'how the hell am I gonna get out of this? If I suddenly move it'll be too obvious I was staring,' she noticed his eyes were still on her and decided not to think about any other options, 'Who cares, I can't keep this up.'

She managed to turn, as the French would say, "rouge", before she buried her face under the table.

She was under the table.

What in the hell was she doing under the table?!

'When, in my head,' she asked herself, 'was this a good idea?'

She stared around her. The radius of the restaurant had decreased quite a bit and she stared at the ring of white, flowing fabric around her. It was like she was in an upside-down cupcake wrapper.

'Okay Akane,' she told herself, breathing slowly and clearing her mind, 'just get up. Say you thought you dropped a chopstick, or a napkin, or an elephant, anything!'

She started to move towards the exit of her cupcake wrapper, when something struck her; not an object, a thought.

Shinosuke had stopped talking; he probably thought she had left to go to the bathroom. Well, why didn't she? She could easily just sneak out from under the tablecloth, and go to the bathroom for a breather. Ranma showing up had been . . . odd, to say the least.

She half-smiled to herself, 'Well, at least I can check that my face doesn't look clown ugly. I haven't been near a mirror for a while now, and last night I just fell asleep, forgetting the damn things existed.'

Akane poked her head out from under the cloth, a big black-blue hole in the cream, angelic material. She got on her hands and knees, properly now, and started to sneak out from underneath it, staring at Shinosuke to make sure he didn't notice her. She crept backward; still studying Shinosuke's every move to make sure he didn't notice.

She kept going and was almost out of sight; she made a system of feeling the ground and objects behind her, rich carpet dowsing her fingers; like a good, furry pillow. She felt something behind her. So far she had encountered three things: wall, plant, and server. This felt an awful lot like the latter of the three, and she decided she could properly apologize, turn around and everything, instead of just making a lame hand gesture like last time. She felt the fabric of the pant of the person; it surely could not be another server; the fabric was completely different from the rough texture of the last.

'Wow,' she mused, smiling secretly, 'I'm slowly becoming a connoisseur of all that is pant-leg.'

She tugged a bit, to test the durability, and felt the fabric swiftly fall out of her grasp. Unfortunately, she had balanced quite a bit on that small tug and, subsequently, she fell towards the fabric.

'Great.'

She cringed, reading for impact with the ground; an impact that oddly enough, never came. She blinked a few times, and felt herself being carried and propped behind the fence-like side of two adjoining booths. Now completely out of Shinboy's sight, Akane relaxed a bit, letting the tension of her situation fall a bit.

"I suppose I should thank you," Akane greeted two lean pair of legs. Well, Akane deduced they were lean, but could not really tell due to the slacks hiding them from the world, "nice chinos."

As her gaze rose, her mouth fell.

You know when you're reading a really good book, and the character is put in a situation where you sort of know what's coming next, but hope to whatever you hope to that it doesn't? Well, that was exactly what Akane was thinking as a hand thrust itself out to help her up.

'Akane," the voce asked, in a tone laced with a sarcastic humor only one person could do so eloquently, "what the heck are ya doin'?"

'Okay,' she demanded herself to think positively, 'you have two choices: one, tell the truth, or two, lie until your brain hurts.'

"I lost a contact," Akane blurt out.

Ranma raised a soulless brow carelessly, "You don't wear contacts."

Akane took the silence that followed as an signal that that was, somehow, a question.

She took the hand, and pulled herself up, fall a tiny bit only when he stumbled, but quickly they both regained their composure. She smoothed down her hair, turned to him, and smiled politely, "Just in case."

Then, with more dignity than she thought she could muster, she walked swiftly passed him into the bathroom, the expression on her ace far from the calm, cool one she had faced him with.

Once the door was closed she turned and consequently rest upon the wall nearest to her, 'Damn, I am such a dolt.'

Meanwhile, Ranma stood silently, confused beyond reason. Being the martial artist that he was though, he took this opportunity to talk with an old, yet not well known, friend. He descended upon Shinosuke's table like a vulture to it's prey.

"Hiya Shinosuke, funny seein' you here," Ranma grinned, tight lipped as ever.

He dropped his fork and turned to scan the entire restaurant, not really knowing what he was looking for and giving up, "What are you doing here? Leave Akane alone, you-you," Shinosuke had nothing to call him, never getting to know what really pushed the boy's buttons, "scoundrel!"

Ranma grinned, "I'm only here to help," he sneered, taking Akane's seat across from the other male at the table. Ranma picked up her fork and started to poke her food boredly, "the sooner we find you're old man's old man, the sooner . . ."

Ranma trailed off, not really knowing the answer to what came next, but he had a goal and that was all that mattered.

Shinboy smirked, "What Ranma, forget?"

Ranma put a hand to his mouth in overzealous surprise, "Oh my goodness, ya didn't forget my name. Why, I think I might be important to ya! That's so kind of you," he gleamed sarcastically, fork still in hand, "Why is it, that you can remember my name?"

Now it was Shinosuke's turn to sneer, "I only remember because Akane says it all the time!"

Now it Ranma's turn to drop a utensil, "Wh-what d'ya mean?"

Shinosuke looked resigned now, staring at his food, "Her sleep is riddled with your name, and I can't help but hate the man that hurts my love's heart so."

Ranma gulped; he hadn't put anything in his mouth to gulp on, "I didn't hurt Akane. If it wasn't for you and you're stupid quest," Ranma's voice began to rise, "then we'd still be home!"

Shinosuke stared back, unaffected by Ranma's emotion, "Oh yes, stuck in the hamlet still, that's what she wants."

Ranma rose, "How in the heck d'ya know what she wants? You don't know a thing about 'er!"

Shinosuke rose to match him, "I know that when she cries it is not because of me; who else at this table can say that?"

Ranma leaned in, just as Shinosuke did, their auras blazing.

At that moment, Akane stepped between them, "Ranma thank you for before, but don't screw it up already," he turned to her with confusion and betrayal apparent. She explained quietly, "It's just that you're so seldom in my good books."

Ranma's mouth was slightly agape, but he conceded, turning back only once more to stare down his opponent, "Wouldn't wanna be the reason for more tears," he stared steely-eyed at Shinosuke, "I've already cause enough of those."

Akane sucked in her breath. Her dream, her dream had him saying almost exactly that! She turned to see any recognition on his face as well, but he was too busy throwing a deriding expression at Shinosuke.

She sighed, "I suppose we'll be seeing you."

Shinosuke stared back, just as evilly, "Take care."

Ranma kept staring at Shinosuke as he slowly retreated, "Catch ya later."

And then, he was gone, out of her sight almost, receding back into the background, sitting with Ryoga and Ukyo, who welcomed his return earnestly. After a few moments, they turned to face Akane. Ryoga chocked on a bone, Ukyo waved half heartedly, and Ranma's faced moved peculiarly.

'Wait,' Akane halted earnestly, 'was that a twitch, or a wink?'

Akane stepped from the threshold of Shinosuke's room as he finished rummaging through a pile of papers.

She laughed, "Shinosuke, I can pay today, alright? Please, can we just take a day off; I'm still a little shook up from the caves, y'know?"

He turned instantly, sorrow in his eyes, mind set on making her feel better, "Please Akane, what would make you feel better."

At his overzealous reaction, she stammered back , out of his room and back to the edge of the side walk outside. Her face molded hopelessly into a grimace, after making him feel sorry for her again. He didn't deserve this; sure, she had been shaken by the mountains, but that was not why she was checking over her shoulder every five minutes.

"Please," Akane stammered, trying to calm him, and finally putting a hand on his shoulder, silencing everything, "I just need some time in this village. It's so," she searched for the right word, "quaint."

He nodded and just as he was going to ask for forgiveness for being such a burden, Akane spoke, "Also, I was thinking you could maybe talk to the town folk, ask if they've seen anything odd. I think I might go shopping," she scanned the outside centre of the Inn, "maybe there are a couple of finds in this town."

He nodded, as she knew he would, and she turned, briskly walking towards the exit. As she walked through the circle the rooms of the inn were kept around, she noticed the fountain in the middle. Two people were immortalized in it, emblazoned with the words, "Love is today, never tomorrow" and Akane bit back at something she could not quite admit yet. She kept walking and noted the small flowers everywhere; pink, purple, and blue, among many colors.

Finally, she reached the exit and walked out of the inn's gates and onto the long strip that most of the town consisted of. She stepped down the street, a few shops here and there, everything you would expect. She saw a dress in the window of what she deduced was a tailor's store, and admired it genuinely.

It was emerald green and silky, the color rippled, as did the dress, down the sides where her hips would be. The top was strapless with tiny pearls edging down the side from the top under her arms to down to her sides. The fabric was layered around the torso elegantly and Akane knew it was a work of art, something someone had dreamed about, not planned over time.

She stepped in, knowing she couldn't afford such a woven masterpiece. A man appeared from no where in particular and stretched his arms wide, eye just as protruding, "Darling, have you come here to serenade me?"

Akane took a step back and studied him for a second. A tape measure draped over his shoulders like a scarf, she noticed he was very skinny, with a thin, wispy face, and tight pants.

She smiled at his kind face, "I don't know what you're talking about."

He laughed, "You, you're from my dream," he spat enthusiastically. He ran to the window and scooped the emerald dress fro the window haphazardly, too caught up in her to care. He threw it on the table that lay at the back of the room. She followed, interested in what he meant. He suddenly stopped, turned to her and stared, amazed, "I never knew I could tell the future, amazing," he murmured to himself, undoing the dress, prepping it, "simply amazing."

Akane rolled her eyes, finally coming to her sense, "If this is some stupid sales pitch," at this he look hurt, "I am terribly sorry for wasting your time, but I haven't got the money to pay for this."

He smiled, "Smart too, eh? Well, you won't have to worry; you came in for a reason, and this was it. I was supposed to give you this; it's for tonight right?"

Akane smiled graciously as he handed her the dress delicately, "I can't accept this; you've worked too hard for nothing from me."

He turned serious, sinister even, "If you do not accept this dress I'll be so unhappy and sad that I'll . . . well, I'll simply burst!"

She laughed, "Quite the drama queen, huh?"

He smirked, "You have no idea; obviously, you haven't been in town long."

She nodded, pulling the fabric towards her chest, "Yeah, so?"

"Well," he went on, taking her shoulders and pushing her towards a dressing room, "we're gonna make you the talk of the town."

Akane stopped him and turned blushing, "Really, where would I even wear a gown like this?"

His face fell a bit in disbelief, "Why for tonight; everyone will be there!"

Akane gave in and secretly enjoyed not having to trek out tonight. As she changed behind the curtain, into the beautiful dress, she kept talking, "So what's this celebration tonight for?"

She heard his voice clearly through the curtain, "For Yukio and Kimi of course. Why, without them, I don't know what this town would do. They grew up here you know; never had a single fight."

Akae sat on the chair, staring mournfully in the mirror with her in the stall. She stared into her own eyes, and read them reverently, knowing exactly what they said. It was like reading a book. She thought in her head of what he had said to her, all he had done for her. He had told her he needed her, but he could have just said that to keep out o trouble. She needed to look him in the eyes, she needed to tell. And she would, tonight.

She pushed away the curtain and the man gasped respectively, "So, you say everyone in town's going to be there tonight?"

Ranma spent most of the day wandering through the village. Strolling down the street he noticed how peaceful and pretty it was. I t was not sharply beautiful, amazingly, but it was peaceful, charming, and made you fill with contentment. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked nonchalantly down the street, stopping to stare at a few stores, but really just taking in the atmosphere. He loved the quiet moments in his life; they were so few and far between, but he had to admit, it would have been nice to have someone here with him. Not to talk to, or anything, just to walk with.

If Ranma would have kept walking in the direction he had been in for the past half hour, he would have bumped into another Nerima native that would surely being them both to silence, but he did not. He slid into a dessert filled store to check out the yummy delicacies. He noticed something huff by the window as he looked at the little cakes behind the glass counter, just waiting to be eaten.

After an hour of this he succumbed to boredom and went back to his and Ryoga's room. Ryoga had been gone most of the day and Ranma began to worry if he had gotten lost and was now in Saskatchewan.

'What the hell do I care?' He thought to him, slightly alarmed at his empathy, 'He's never done anything for me! Well, he did help me when I almost fell, and I guess he said that nice stuff, but he was probably tryin' to get somethin'.'

Suddenly, as if on cue, Ryoga courteously opened the door and led Ukyo in, they were laughing. They turned to him, looking for a second at his unhappy face.

Ukyo rolled her eyes, "Why look, Ranma honey's brooding," she raised an eye brow and gave him a look, sarcastically remarking, "Well, that's not common."

Ranma sneered slightly, more at Ryoga than Ukyo, "So, didn't get lost today, huh?"

Then Ryoga swept two long plastic bag looking things into the room and unzipped one of te down the front, "Ranma," he instructed, "shower and put this on."

Ranma cautiously took the tuxedo and quizzically turned to Ukyo who had returned from bringing her own plastic sheath, "Sorry Ranma honey, but we were invited to this party when we were in town; they said it would be horrible for us not to go."

Ranma stared at the two blankly, "Ya can't possibly think I'm goin' to this thing."

Ukyo walked toward the bathroom with a small case she removed from her bag, "Oh please Ranma, you said you wouldn't leave Nerima, and here you are now," she turned to him right before she closed the door to the other room, "you really mustn't say the first thing that comes to mind."

Ranma heard the door shut then and sighed, "Why is she getting changed in our bathroom, she has a room of her own."

"Stop complaining idiot," Ryoga admonished, "And get into your suit."

"No," Ranma replied like a child, folding his arms and turning to face the wall.

Ryoga restrained himself, stared at Ranma and sighed, loving that he could take pity on his friend/rival. He finished changing quickly and walked over to Ranma, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Ranma, you know I'd love to fight you to the death," Ranma perked at that, "but these suits are rentals."

Ranma smirked, turning slowly, "Fine," he smiled, "but only because I'd have to pay the deposit."

As Akane stepped into the humungous town hall, located right next to their little inn, she turned to Shinosuke; his arm entwined with hers and smiled, 'It's so beautiful!'

And she was right; it was fantastically beautiful. There were hundreds of candles lining the walls and the softest touch of flowers in all the right places. Basically, it was glorious.

"Nice, huh Ranma honey?" Some behind Akane said as she stepped down the stairs.

She turned to see Ukyo, grinning at the decorations, and Ryoga next to her, Ranma on her other side.

His shoulders move slightly and were meant to be taken as a shrug, "Whatever," was muttered from his tight lips. He, of course looked dastardly handsome in his rented tuxedo, and Akane became immediately red faced.

He raised his lids just enough to glide up to her face; his face actually gaped.

'Ha, the element of surprise is finally mine; take that Ranma Saotome!' Akane grinned.

"Hello Ranma," she said, trying to pout in the most seductively nonchalant way she could, "nice decorations, eh?"

He nodded, gulped, and turned his eyes back to Ukyo, "You want somethin' to drink?"

She turned to Akane with a hint of pity in her eyes, and then back to Ranma, enjoying the attention, "Yes please, Hun!"

"And me too, Saotome," Ryoga chimed in, not noticing Akane's disposition yet.

Shinosuke stepped forward, looking equally handsome in his penguin outfit, "Why don't you make that four, right Akane?"

"I think she can decide for her self if she wants punch or not," Ranma told him resentfully.

Akane could still not get over her soured attempt at being a smoldering temptress; maybe he really didn't want her, or maybe he was just gay.

Her crest fallen expression apparent only to the trained eye, she responded, all too bubbly, "Thanks, that would be great!"

Ranma eyed her for a second, studying her, making Akane horribly uncomfortable, and then seemingly passing on to stare at something else, "Right."

He began to leave and Akane felt her self step forward, "On second thought," she heard her self saying, "I think I'll get my own."

Everyone seemed to nod, thinking this was common behavior for the knowingly-stubborn Akane. She smiled; she was being different.

Ranma didn't wait for her though, and as she weaved through the crowd, she lost him. When she got to the counter she sighed and sat down on one of the many cute, red velvet chairs. With a sigh, she turned to the bartender; a crooked old woman that seemed somewhat familiar.

"Hello Darlin', need somethin' to soothe your troubles?"

Akane stared back at the old woman, "Whatever's free," she whispered, a little frightened of the woman.

The woman stared hard for a second, scanning her through her eyes; a retinal scan of her entire entity. And the next instant, she was done and let out the heartiest laugh Akane had ever heard, "Aye, ya joke well girlie!"

Akane nodded politely, putting up a smile, meekly replying, "I try."

The woman was about to open her mouth again, when she noticed something behind Akane and her grin widened, "Why hello my boy, how's life been treatin' you since we last talked?"

Ranma groaned as he saw the old woman, but turned to Akane, a bit peeved, "Where the hell'd ya go?"

Akane's anger rose a tad, "Me? I was following you and you were obviously trying to lose me for who-knows-what reason!"

Ranma's brow furrowed, "S'not my fault you're slower than a caterpillar."

Akane was about to reply, very nastily indeed, when someone much older and wiser cut in, "Y'know my dear," she addressed Akane, "caterpillars turn into butterflies. Ye should be thanking your fiancé for the compliment."

Akane blushed and stared into her lap, Ranma shut his mouth, and the woman chortled again.

Suddenly, an annoyed scream came from the silk screen at the front of the banquet hall and a beautiful girl, about Akane's height, maybe a bit taller, in a flowing cream-golden gown, stormed through the partition.

Flailing her arms about, she looked ready to explode, "You," she pointed to the screen behind her, not bothering to turn, ignoring the stunned faces around her, "Are a blithering idiot!"

Almost immediately after, a man with dark hair and a tanned, incredibly handsome face followed her, wagging a finger back at her, "Why don't you just go, I don't need this; I can get any girl in this room! Why the hell would I want a tomboy like you?"

She flipped around, and he kept walking until stomping in front of her, both fuming, staring into each other's eyes, "That's it," she yelled, right in his face, wriggling something off her finger, "the re-wedding is off!"

HE grinned eagerly, and snidely, "Why don't we just call off the marriage we've got, just to make you happy?"

She sneered just as strongly, "Sounds great to me!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

They both turned in different directions and the girl stomped into a room at the front of the hall and he slipped back through the screen.

Everyone stood frozen in shock for a moment, and then burst into commotion, many screaming, "What are we to do?"

Everyone was screaming and bustling, frantic expressions on every face.

Ranma and Akane turned to each other, worried expression on each face, and turned to the old woman in front of them, "What," Ranma asked with authority, "the hell," he continued, as he joined Akane on the bar stool next to her, commotion apparent in the back ground, "was that?"

The old woman, for once, did not look entirely composed, "Well," she explained, "that was the reason our community is so well oiled; that was Yukio and Kimi of course! They were celebrating their re-nuptials today! The town is terribly dependant on them; the pride of the city is what they are. I really don't know what we'll be doin' about such a problem, do you?'

Ranma rolled his eyes, forgetting the chaos around them, "Whatever, not my problem, I'm leavin' town."

He got up to leave and Akane grabbed his arm. They both tensed, stared at the arm and hand, and then to each other. Akane took advantage of the moment, "Ranma, please, we can't leave! We have to help them."

Ranma paused for a second, took a deep breath, and relaxed, "Fine," he noticed the woman behind the counter smirk, "but only because I can't leave without ya, and we both know how damn stubborn you can be!"

She coughed loudly to get the attention of the two, "Excuse me," she grinned sneakily, "but I know just how ya could remedy the situation."

They blinked, turned to each other, back to the woman's gleaming eyes, and gulped.

Akane had made her way down the barren hallway, one light flickering, no one daring to face Kimi's wrath. After a fight with her not-really-anymore husband she would eat away at anyone that came near her. Their love was very important to the town though, the old woman had explained.

"Some towns live on the economy, maybe they depend on the wheat or corn. We do things a little diff'rently here in Quaint," she explained, hunching over for comfort, "our town had been a spittoon for the rest of the world. Only the grittiest and dirtiest lived here."

Akane found this hard to believe, it had been so wonderful earlier! The woman smiled, used to the reaction somehow. Ranma just nodded, masking the emotions, if he had any, that would dare surface.

"Anyway," she went on hoarsely, sounding like it was painful to talk, but enjoying it so much, she continued, "then we started to notice them. They had this kind of love that was magical. I mean, it was just a few of us at first, but it traveled like a smile," Ranma raised an eyebrow and the old hag rolled her eyes, "Come now boy, like a smile; one person smiles, makes another person; like a chain."

Ranma looked away at the depleting sanity of the crowd, "Whatever."

"So," she crooned, impatiently wanting to finish her story, "when more people noticed they just sort of stopped. They stopped robbing, stopped fighting, sorta started making each other better than they were before. Please, you must help us!"

Akane nodded, "Yes, but why us?"

The old woman smirked, "Well," she smiled, "because I'm hopin' they still have a little humor left in 'em."

Akane and Ranma turned to each other, neither one understanding.

Akane began to regret agreeing to this. The people she had walked by were whispering, watching her and pointing. She felt she was walking to her death, but continued; not one to give in because of a few ill looks.

She finally arrived at the end of the hallway and in front a normal, plain wooden door. Akane was just about to knock when it swung open and a tragically beautiful girl stepped into the door way, mascara running down from her eyes, somehow majestically, "I suppose you're the sacrifice they've offered," she asked dead panned.

Akane became nervous. What if she was a peace offering, a punching bag, who knows what kind of crazy rituals this town might have, "Um."

The girl's face slowly turned into a smile, pointed a finger lightening fast and poked Akane on the nose, sending her back a few steps in shock, "Gotcha."

She turned to stare into the girl's eyes angrily, "Y'know, it's rude to do that."

The girl studied Akane's slightly heated face and stepped away from barricading the door, stepping around the door and inviting Akane in with one swooping arm, "You're absolutely right, come on in."

Akane watched the girl for a second, and then conceded with her peace mission, still a bit miffed.

Ranma pushed through the silk barricade that heldthe makeshift room at the front from the rest of the building. Right as he entered he felt a roundhouse kick to the face coming by his left ear. He easily stepped out of the way and a tuxedoed man fell in shock, picked himself up, dusted said person off, and turned to Ranma proudly, "People don't usually survive those kicks."

Ranma turned to face the man, "Maybe ya should start fightin' conscious people; it'd help train ya."

The man came at him again but stopped, right after Ranma came into fighting stance, "Naw," the man said, "Ya aren't worth tryin'."

Ranma took this extremely badly, "What the heck are ya talkin' about? I just beat ya!"

The man rolled his eyes, "I could beat you with my eyes closed; I was assessing your response."

Ranma was very unimpressed, "Fight me right now, I'll show ya how to close those eyes!"

The man walked up to Ranma, put his arm on his shoulder, and gazed right back at him, "I could never fight a man with other things so obviously on his mind."

Ranma was a little shocked from the close proximity, but managed to not give in to the other man's try at making him uncomfortable, "I ain't thinkin' about anythin' else but beatin' ya to a pulp."

The man didn't move his stare, or his arm. He studied Ranma for more than a few moments. Ranma stayed calm and stared right back, accepting any challenge, even a staring contest.

The man finally turned away for a second and then looked back.

"You," he smirked, "remind me of someone."

A/N: So? Ooh, quick update this time! I made myself the deadline of the seventh of each month having a new chapter, but this one didn't take as long. In fact, I have most of my ideas for the next whole chapter. Hmm, maybe I'll write it tonight and post it in another two weeks. This chapter was going to be longer, but I feel this is an okay cliffhanger and I wanted to put up another chapter because I want to start another chapter for some reason. Yes, I'm horribly odd. Review!