AN. Sorry, I haven't been around to write, so I'm really sorry if you were, say, looking forward to chapter 10. I know long waits decrease the excitement, and I really am sorry.

-Previously-

And then, the ceremony began. The people began their chants, and one made Charlie sit up. He noticed how blood-stained his shirt, tie and cape was. He also noticed who was tied to the chair- Olivia Vertigo, with her natural mousy brown hair, and a ripped, yellowed medieval-style dress, fighting for her freedom with a frightened look on her face. Looking down and seeing Charlie covered in blood made her face pale and strewn with horror.

"Charlie! NO! Anyone but Him! No! What have you done to him? Please, Stop! Don't hurt him anymore! OK, I'll do it! Just… Don't hurt him anymore…"

Cheers erupted from the mouths of their see-throughable captors, and then they untied Olivia. An old, wise-looking man came before her.

"You agree to willingly give up your life, your fate, and your dreams of reality to join the dreamer's society, to let the very atoms of your being be distributed across the world itself, and slowly change its fate, saving the ones that ignorantly and blissfully walk across its face?"

Tearfully, Olivia answered with a reluctant, "yes."

"Do you agree to never turn back on you decision, no matter what the consequences hidden from you as you take this oath, to let the bloods spill and make the sacrifice worth-while?"

After a while of think it through, Olivia choked out a "yes" between sobs.

With a hidden, mysterious smile, one meant to keep secrets, the man said, "let the sacrifice begin, then."

And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for…

CHAPTER 10.

A wild roar erupted from the crowd. The man turned around, facing the transparent audience. "Let the Sacrifice…BEGIN!" More wild yelling. Charlie was picked up by the large African man with many piercings and a thin, wiry Chinese woman in a Kimono, and Rowan Walked up, Staring Charlie in the Face, About to cry.

"You knew about this, didn't you?" Charlie screamed. Rowan looked down. "I…We needed her. And, most importantly, we needed the one she cares about most. As…As a sacrifice." She pulled out a thick rope, and tightly tied it around his Wrists, binding them together. "I'm Sorry," She whispered. She looked into his eyes, showing him that she truly was. He gave her no sympathy, glaring back at her, eyes filled with Hatred. "Coward!" He spat. "I Hope You die! I hope you fall in the ocean tied to a Refrigerator, or Catch on fire, or… I hope you die! I thought you were helping me! I thought…" Rowan gave one last look at Charlie, and then turned to the Wiseman. "Start it. Start it- Right In front of our new- and Last- Addition to the Dreamers' society." She said something to the African Man in a different language, and he merely grunted and pulled on Charlie's Cape, urging him to go foreword. Charlie had no choice but to Follow, or be pushed along.

-Meanwhile-

Fidelio.

They all sighed in distress. They thought It would have been someone of the endowed, someone who could help them. But it was Fidelio.

"We probably woke him up." Suggested Gabriel.

Fidelio walked up to them, saying nothing.

"Fidelio, we appreciate you trying to help, but… You can't."

After a long silence, He looked up to the tower, squinting. "How do you know?" he stated, simply. "Where's Charlie? Not In a heap of trouble again, is he? Where's Olivia? Not with him, is she?"

"Fidelio, Go back. There's nothing you can do but get in the way." Tancred said politely.

"That doesn't make much sense." He Stated, visibly flustered. "Billy Can't do anything to Help, unless Charlie and Olivia are being help against their will by easily persuaded Dogs or something."

"I can too help!" Billy Yelled, mad. "Besides, I'm a lot more of a help than you ever will be, Fidelio. At least I'm endowed. All you ever will be is a lousy musician."

At that Statement, Fidelio's eyes lit up. He seemed to be fighting some unwanted, invisible force inside up. He looked like he was about to hit Billy. Trying to stay under control, Fidelio Crossed his arms, slightly hunching over. "I…Am…not…LOUSY!"

Just then, a curious thing happened. Every light at the back of the castle lit- every light bulb brightened, every Computer flashed on, radios Blasted, Curling irons fired on, and suddenly, they Shattered. Windows broke form the force, and glass fell from the sky like snow. Everyone Ducked Except Fidelio, Who seemed to be invulnerable against the falling shards of glass. He stood there, eyes wide, a look of failure and alarm on his face. He fell to his knees, His face in his hands. "Not… Not again…" he said, curling into a ball, softly crying. For a moment, no one did anything, They had never seen Fidelio so pathetic-looking, lying on the floor, crying.

He had always been the Optimistic one of the group, and it sent a shudder though the group, seeing the only person that kept them on the bright side like this. The group was far enough from the school that the Children and teachers peaking out of the windows to try and locate the cause of the explosions could not see them through the thick blanket of darkness. Sensing that they weren't lifting off for a bit, Emma transformed back into her Human form. "Fidelio…" She said softly, crouching down next to him. She gave him a friendly hug, and pulled him to his knees.

"I'm…" He started, unable to continue. "I'm supposed to be stronger than this… I'm supposed to be able to control it…" He said, talking to himself. "Fidelio," Emma Said, Looking into his eyes. "Fidelio… It's ok. It's ok…" she whispered. "How long have you Known about it?" She asked. "The day I found out about Olivia," He whispered, so softly the others had to lean in to hear him. "I went to Charlie's Uncle…I remember him doing something like that… and he…he was Trying to teach me to keep it under control… I can't…I just want to be normal again…I don't want it..." He sat up, sniffing. "Who else knows?" She asked. After a long silence, he answered. "Just Mr. Yewbeam. Your Aunt might know, too, Emma."

She helped him to his feet, and brushed herself off importantly. "Well, we're all forgetting something. We've still got to save Oliva and Charlie." Turning into a bird once more, she let Zelda climb onto her back once more, preparing for flight.

-x-

Charlie was thrown onto the floor, right in front of Olivia, Who was released from the throne. She ran to Charlie, helping him up. "Charlie…what did they do to you?" she said, holding his hand, trying to stop the blood from pouring out of his wound. He looked up at her, and remembered what Rowan had said, that he was who she cared about most. He never would have guessed it. He was her Friend, yes, but Olivia was fairly popular and had a lot of friends. "Charlie," she started, Tears brimming her eyes, "I'm Afraid I've condemned you to death. They're going to kill you. And…and it's all my fault." She said; her eyeliner running with the tears, her hair falling out of the once-perfect bun she held it in this morning.

"No," Charlie replied. "No. We're gonna get out of here, Liv. If we can't find a way, I'm sure that someone's looking for us. Can't…can't you Imagine something? Scare them all off?" Olivia shook her head. "They won't fall for it, and I can't hurt anyone with them. Charlie… If we don't make it, if… If they really do kill you, I want you to know… that I never meant this… I never knew. Rowan… I met her before this…She was my best friend, and I told her everything… like best friends do… But when she asked me who I liked… I didn't know this would happen…"

Charlie said nothing for a long time, thinking about what she said. So it was true, what Rowan said. She liked him. Over all the boys that had asked her out, over every Famous movie star she knew, she had picked him. He felt a strange burning in his heart, pleasant but uncomfortable, and altogether unfitting in this situation. "We're going to find a way. Its ok, Liv. It's ok." A few people grabbed Olivia by the wrists, hair, anything they could get a hold of, and dragged her back to the large golden throne. Another few dragged Charlie back to the foot of the throne, and there it hit him. I'm going to die, he thought to himself. We're going to die.

-x-

"Ben's just going to see the best way in, and what's going on, then we'll follow." Zelda Explained, seeing Ben off. Ben floated up effortlessly, Becoming unseeable as he did so. After a while, he came back down.

"All the windows are boarded up, but there's a hole in the roof. It will be easier for Emma to land there, anyways." And he flew up past them as the rest prepared for the flight.

It was a curious feeling for Tancred, Floating in the air, his feet dangling and nothing to hold onto. It was also quite frightful, for his life was in the hands of someone he would never have willingly trusted. He kept his discomfort to himself, but he could tell that everyone was feeling the same. He looked at Lysander, whose face didn't give any emotion away to anyone but Tancred, who knew him enough to see past the hard face, and He knew that Lysander knew that Tancred was scared, too.

When they finally met up with Ben on the roof, they saw the large, gaping hole in the roof, and when they crept through, they were surprised to find a large empty room with a door and a rug. "Where is everyone?" Asked Gabriel, looking around. "Wasn't there supposed to be… People?" Emma, who was now fixing her hair and brushing the feathers off her shirt and light blue jeans, walked to the door, and cautiously opened it a crack, looking through. She opened the door wide, revealing a long hallway. "We'll have to look everywhere. Let's start on…" But Tancred stopped her, putting his finger to his lips, the universal symbol for "Shut up". Everyone listened intently, and they heard a soft roar of a crowd. A large crowd. Emma Turned to Gabriel, eyes wide. "There's your People, Gabe."

-x-

The smell of fire. That's all that Charlie could make out as he was blindfolded. Frightfully, he tried everything he could to get it off, but it was tied tightly around his head, and the seam of the black scarf dug sharply into his nose, almost dulling the pain in his left hand. His ears hurt from the noise, his back hurt from the glass on the floor, and his hair hurt from being endlessly pulled to his feet by his hair. He could distantly hear Rowan interrogating Olivia.

"Is he Endowed!" Rowan yelled.

"I'm not telling you! I've done enough." Olivia retorted.

"If you don't tell me, He will die a long, painful death in front of you!"

"I'm not telling you!"

"You think I'm kidding!" Rowan Yelled, and the sound of a knife being sharpened, and Charlie felt the cold blade reach his throat. Gasping, Charlie tried to fight Rowan off, But his hands and feet were held and the knife pressed closer to his skin. He could feel the pressure cutting through the skin, squeezing his throat.

"You said you wouldn't hurt him!" she exclaimed. Rowan Lifted the Blindfold, pressing harder on his neck. He could feel blood. Gasping for air, he tried to stay still, for with every move he made, the knife would slip and reach deeper into the laceration, and closer to his throat.

"OK! Ok…" Olivia Screamed, seeing the blood. "He…he is. He can hear photographs."

Rowan let go of Charlie, releasing the knife, but not before pushing it a bit harder in the wound. His binds were cut, and he was released, grasping his neck. He was beyond fear. He had given up. He was going to die. No one was coming. They were probably sleeping peacefully, with pleasant dreams. He thought of the large recatnglular room in which Fidelio, Tancred, Lysander, Gabriel, Billy, and maybe even Ben was sleeping, of the one empty bed that they'd find when they woke up. Will they ever find my body? He wondered darkly. When would they? A few days from now, when the spilt blood was still fresh, or years from now, when all that was left of him were bones and ripped clothes, when the rest had graduated and moved on, Started families and jobs?

He wondered. Would Fidelio ever get accepted into the City Orchestra? He couldn't see why not. And would Emma Ever get into that world-famous Art School in Dublin? He hoped so, that was the only thing she ever wanted. He hoped that Tancred would be able to conjure up snow; he had been trying for a while now. He hoped- He hoped that Olivia would be Ok, whatever would happen to her after. He hoped she could still show up for that movie audition next week that she had been anxiously anticipating for the longest time.

He closed his eyes. He was going to die. Opening his eyes again, he noticed more transparent figures had entered the room, probably the late ones that had missed the beginning. They seemed to be fighting the ones that had been there for a long time, probably a hallucination. Loud explosions erupted from all sides of the rooms, lighting up for only a second before thousands of sharp pieces went flying in all directions, but that was just him, wishing that Uncle Paton was there. He closed his eyes, hearing the sound of the wild crowd, but it sounded different. More frightful than demanding and cold. Maybe it was his imagination. He wished they would just stop.

And they did. Slowly, the crowd stopped yelling, cheering, until there was only faint mumblings. Maybe he was just dying. He opened one eye, just to see what was going on. What he saw was the last thing that he would have expected; Tancred.

"Hey…" He whispered, coarsely. He understood now, as he saw everyone standing around him, trying to pick him up, and bring him to safety. The additional ghosts were Lysander's ancestors and Ben, saving the day. Emma was helping Olivia, Who wasn't hurt, but badly shaken, and the two girls hugged and cried, glad to see each other again. Curiously enough, there was another person with the group, Fidelio. Noticing he was being watched, Fidelio gave Charlie a small, apathetic smile, Uncharacteristic to Fidelio, Bubbly, optimistic Fidelio.

Charlie returned the smile, but he fell unconscious as the boys picked him up, and carried him toward some unseen exit.