hey fans! I really want to tell you how much I appreciate you. This chapter is for the people who read this story loyally! This one's for all my fans!

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Melody is sitting in front of the doors, pondering her vision. Could it have been her? could the demoness have been her? But Melody hasn't been to Mist Haunt before! Or has she? But suddenly Melody gets the strangest feeling. 'It's almost time. Be prepared to open the door,' says something in Melody's head. Melody isn't sure what to think. "Alright," she says out loud. "Tell me when it's time."

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Lettuce and Pai are walking down another stone hall. It is getting darker and darker. "We've almost reached the temple," says Candy, sounding rather morbid. Actually, sound VERY morbid. Lettuce can't help but wonder exactly what she is getting herself into. Lettuce and Pai both.

'Why do I have a nagging feeling that this is a bad idea?' He asks himself mentally. Of course, a crazed church of homicidal maniacs and rogue demons from the bad place itself and a few bleeding corpses can do that to a person. But still, maybe they should just send Candy ahead. With any luck, she'll either come back with Melody or be eaten by a giant spider. Pai opts for Candy to come back with Melody, but the second option is pretty tempting, what with the fact Candy is incessantly mumbling as she leads them to a place of ultimate death.

The hallway seems to be getting warmer the closer they get to their destination. Lettuce can't help but wonder why. Candy is muttering in a rather deranged way. "Then there is fire, but water because of the lake, and then there is the earth because of the dead, and is there air?" she asks herself. Lettuce can't help but scoot closer to Pai, since Candy has obviously flipped her lid. Pai and Lettuce's arms are now touching. Pai has to restrain himself from blushing.

The darkness is only getting stronger...

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Melody looks up. Are those footstep's she hears? She isn't sure.

'It's time,' says the voice in her head morbidly. 'Open the doors.' Melody looks towards the footsteps, and back at the door. Maybe she should wait... But Melody reaches up a trembling hand to the metal doorknob. She pulls, and the door swings slightly open.

Melody looks in the room. It is made of stone, and vaguely resembles and arena. There are seats, carved out of the walls. The room itself is dark. But in the center of the room is a giant stone. It appears to be balanced on air, because the floor has been carved away. 'It's time,' the voice speaks again. Melody begins to walk towards the stone. She stares across the pit. It isn't hollowed out; underneath the massive rock is a steady stream of lava. "How will I cross?" asks Melody. Suddenly the answer hits her.

She has to move the stones in the room, to form a bridge. It seems risky, but somehow Melody knows this is what she has to do.

She raises her left hand above her head, and breathes in and out. "COME!" she cries mentally. The stones near her rise and form pieces of the path. Melody wills all the loose stone in the room to join the first rocks. They all rise above her head. Melody wills them into their place. Then, she lowers her hand. The path stays.

Melody begins to walk across the stones. She has to reach the rock...

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This is it. Lettuce grabs Pai's hand. They have reached the temple, and Candy has reached her limit. She is sitting there, muttering. "The 1st to earth, the second to fire, the third to earth, the fourth to fire," she mutters.

Pai and Lettuce exchange a look. It's official. Candy has left the building.

"Pai?" asks Lettuce softly. "Yes?" he asks, equally softly. "Thank you for all your help," Lettuce says. "It couldn't have been easy for you to leave your wife, and I know sometimes your job is frustrating, and coming here was my idea, and I just thank you for everything." "Lettuce," says Pai, touched. "It was an arranged marriage. I slept on the couch. And as for my job, it wasn't bad. My boss was kind, the pay was decent, and it was fairly quiet. and as for coming here, that was both of our idea, remember?"

"Mostly mine," says Lettuce. She is strangely relieved that Pai slept on the couch. "No, mine too," says Pai. "Well, anyways, I just wanted to say, thank you," says Lettuce. Then, she stands on her tiptoes, and gathering all her courage, kisses Pai on the cheek. (A/N: It is official. Candy is having a breakdown, Pai and Lettuce are a couple, and Melody is not normal.)

Pai stands there in shock. 'Could it be? Could she still love me?' he asks himself. But he know one thing for sure. He will not let this moment get away. He leans down and kisses Lettuce, full on the lips. ( A/N: Kyaa! So cute!)

Candy awakens from her stupor just in time. She turns away and smiles to herself. How sweet.

When Lettuce and Pai break apart, both of their faces are flushed. "I thought you didn't love me anymore!" Lettuce exclaims. Candy makes herself busy analyzing the bricks beneath her feet. "I always loved you!" Pai exclaims. "I thought you didn't love me!" "I always Loved you!" says Lettuce. "Um, guys, look," says Candy suddenly. "This is so sweet (I thought Pai might be Melody's father despite what you said!) But, um, we need to go through the doors, remember?"

Lettuce nods, and grabs Pai's arm. Pai, in turn, pecks her on the cheek. Then, Lettuce reaches up to the door handle and pulls the door open...

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Melody is standing to the south end of the rock. She knows something is going on. The lava seems to be flowing faster. "It's time," says a voice, this time out loud.

from the shadows at the north end of the rock, steps a woman. Her hair is gray, her smile cruel and sadistic. "Hello, Azanthra," the woman says. Her voice isn't the one that was in Melody's head. Hers is different. Bitter.

Melody is still calm for some reason. "Hello," she greets the woman. a wind seems to come out of nowhere. Melody smiles. On the wind is the scent of fresh flowers. The air is lightly perfumed. "Let us finish what we began thirty years ago," says the woman. Lettuce gasps from where she is standing.

"No thank you," says Melody, still peaceful. This feels... right, to her.

"That wasn't an option!" snaps the woman. She is holding a giant knife. She advances on Melody, wielding the knife high. "Iynous fihuna," she cries. Melody watches as a trail of sparks fly from the knife towards her.

Suddenly the wind flares up, sending the sparks off course. Melody turns. There is a girl in white, walking across thin air towards the rock. The girl's hair is like Melody's, only pure white. Melody feels as if she knows this girl.

Another girl steps from the shadows. A cloak hides her face. She has a black cloak on, and her eyes are crystal blue, like Melody's. She has a belt of knives around her hips.

The two girls stop, each about five feet from Melody. The girl in white extends her left hand, and the girl in black extends her right hand. Their palms begin to glow. Black for the dark girl, white for the light girl. Melody begins to hover on thin air. She looks at the woman, and focuses. And suddenly a massive stream of energy omits from Melody, striking the woman.

"AH!" cries the bitter woman.

"Melody...," says Lettuce. She looks shocked.

"You'll die for that, Azanthra!" screams the woman. "For I am Ona, and I always keep my promises to the goddess!" Ona lunges for Melody, but Melody merely sends another blast of wind, knocking Ona away.

Melody and the two girls begin to levitate. her hands glow black, and Melody sends a blast of darkness at Ona that sends the older woman sprawling across the stone. "Sorry Ona," says Melody. She glows, blue as water itself. Then, Melody's hand glows with a strange symbol. Ona screams, but immediately is pulled into the shadows. long, tentacle-like extensions pull Ona away from the stone and into the darkness. "Sorry, Ona," says Melody. "But you were supposed to be sealed away ages ago." With that, all is silent as the fearsome woman disappears.

Melody smiles again. The dark and light girls fade away. But someone else appears behind Melody. She could be Melody's carbon copy, and she is wearing black. The wings of a raven stretch from her back. "Do you remember?" asks the girl. And Melody does. This girl is her. She is this girl. This is the part of her that sent her away.

A bright light surrounds the girls, and they move till they are shoulder-to-shoulder. As their shoulders brush, the light grows brighter. The orb surrounding them turns black, but the light is golden. Red energy, in the shape of a four-eyed dragon (A/N: Gosh, I sure am original today.) Surrounds the orb. ribbons of fire form intricate designs on the ground, and the orb floats higher. Lettuce and Pai are nearly blinded.

Suddenly, red symbols on the walls stand out. they glow, and suddenly shatter like glass. And the light consumes everything. then, One girl is hovering in the air. as she slowly sinks back to the ground, tendrils of darkness reach out, carrying a deep red orb. It hovers above the girl, and lowers itself into her heart.

The girl sinks to the giant stone.

Lettuce runs over the stonebridge towards the girl. She is in a black cloak, complete with a black dress, in many layers. Lace, calico, and silk, each overlapping. all in black. She doesn't stir as Lettuce lifts her head. It's Melody. It's her.

"What-," Lettuce is cut off by Candy. "Her and Azanthra became one again. She was Azanthra's other half. That's Melody your holding. But it's also Azanthra. they were one to begin with, and now they again are one," says Candy. "Azanthra is the same age as your daughter." "See?" says a calm, cool voice. Artemis. "She is Azanthra. Although she may choose to take the name Melody. Or she may combine the names."

"Wait," says Pai. "Will she come back with us?" Artemis shrugs. "She may feel like she has to stay and fight for us," she says. "But in that case, she is able to leave Mist Haunt, so she may visit. But on the other hand, she may go back. I don't know. Only the Azanthra herself knows."

With that, the girls eyes flutter open. She yawns. "Hi, Mommy!" says the girl. "Did I miss the bus?" which is strange, because Melody and Lettuce always walked. Sometimes Melody and Pai. "No, sweetie," says Lettuce gently. Suddenly, the girl's eyes open wide. "Oh," she says. "I remember."

"Do you know your name?" asks Lettuce. "Of course," says Melody. "Melody Azanthra." Lettuce smiles. "Do you want to go home?" she asks in fear. "Sure, Mommy!" says Melody. She smiles, and fingers the pendant around her neck. Now she knows where the visions came from. Even the vision while she put on the choker. They were memories.

"Mommy?" asks Melody. "What, sweetie?" asks Lettuce. "Is Mr. khipf my Dad?" asks Melody, cocking her head in curiosity. "Yes," Lettuce whispers. Candy and Artemis become fascinated with the wall. Pai heard the comment, though. He almost faints. Him, a FATHER? But he had been wondering...

Melody smiles. She stands. "Come on," she says. "I'll get us home." She took both Pai and Lettuces hand, and immediately glows green, taking them straight back. But not before calling, "Good-bye, friends! Come visit, Candy and Artemis!" She knows they will.