(Sorry for taking so, so long for this and thank you for your patience. Finally I'll give you the continuation of the Music for the Lost and Dark Past II.)

Chapter

Phantalmina lifted her gaze, tears were coming down on her face and her coming words were trembling with sadness but still loud and clear to understand.

"We can't leave them here! They will kill them here. We have to take all of them with us." she cried.

Justin looked at her with concern in his eyes. He would have guessed that she would react like this when she learned the cruelty the humans could do. But still she would choose saving others life instead going blindly away.

"Arthur. I'm going to need your help with this. We have to release all the animals in here."

She was a little relieved to hear that but not slowing down on the action.

"Ready Arthur?" she said to him.

"Let's just do it so we are done here." he agreed and in a matter of seconds Phantalmina did the same to him as she did to Justin.

In a couple sounds of melodies Arthur transformed into his large form. His clothes were different from Justin. They were from the same era, but the sleeves were short and the shirt was light green with a darker green vest. The trousers were dark brown.

"Hurry. Go get the rats and the other creatures out from those lockers. We'll assist once the portal is open." Justin told him. Arthur didn't say anything, just went quickly to open the doors.

Justin turned to the mirror and lifted it up. The plan was that Phantalmina leaves the mirror-portal open so all the animals get through from it to safety.

"Dusk. Tell the other bats to be ready to fly. Your turn will be next." Justin informed him.

"Got it."

Once the mirror was placed well against the wall, Phantalmina opened the portal that led straight to their theater.

"Alright then. Now we can… Huh? Mina, what are you doing?" Justin was surprised to see that Phantalmina went to the cabin locker next to the mirror instead of helping Arthur. She opened the locker with the computer inside and opened it.

"I'm finishing my mission. I search all the places to get to this computer. And now I'll take the list while erasing this program." she said to him.

"Are you insane?! There is no time for that. And besides, humans will suspect and will look for us."

"Excuse me, but I'll be needing help here. There are so many doors to open and release the animals. I won't make it in time." Arthur told them from his spot.

Justin looked again at her. And the look on her eyes clearly said she wasn't going to leave the machine once she gets her work done.

"Damn it!" he cursed and went to help Arthur.

Phantalmina watched him leave before she continued tapping the computer.

"Don't tell me she is on the computer instead helping to get these poor souls out of here." Arthur asked quickly.

"She wants to erase the program like it didn't exist."

There were dozens of locker cages to open. Without her help Justin and Arthur tried to hurry to open them and convinced the others.

Arthur just got one of them open and said to the rats in there.. "Hurry. We are leaving this place. Now!"

"Should we trust them?" one of the rats in the locker asked his companions.

"I think we should. If what we just heard is true, this is the only way to get out and survive."

It didn't take long till they came out, one by one and followed the instructions they were given.

"Yes, hurry now! We don't have much time." Arthur said to them as they jumped to his hand, then to the floor and moved to the mirror.

"Urgh And I thought N.I.M.H. was the worst." Arthur mentioned to Justin.

"Don't mention that right now. Things are already as hard right now."

Justin opened another locker and it had mice in there.

"Come. You have to leave this place. It's not safe for you here." he told them.

"Do what they say. It's all for our safety." One of the old mice said to others and they quickly jumped out one by one to the floor.

"Go to the mirror. Don't ask why but it will lead you out from here." Justin instructed them.

But before he was about to move to the next locker something got his eyes. Amongst the mice who ran to the mirror he thought he saw someone familiar, someone he thought he would never see again.

"Hey, Justin! Hurry up. There are still lockers left." Arthur said to him as it seemed he was quite a while still like a statue.

"R- right." he replied and went back to open the lockers.

While picking the lock Justin persuaded himself that what he saw couldn't have been the same as her after so many years ago.

"Um.. Mina? Should you get us out too?" Dusk asked Phantalmina who was still on the computer and didn't seem to

"After this is done. Just hold on for a little longer."

"If your friends are trying to get all of us out of here,..." One of the bats inside the cage asked Dusk."...then what about the big one? Are you trying to get him too?"

"The big one?"

"Yeah. He's bigger than us, eats different things like us and I don't think he is from North. Humans put him in another cage because he kept biting them and tried to fly out from here."

That description made bells ring inside Phantalmina's head. Big? Eats differently? Not from North?! She turned quickly to face the cage.

"Where is he? Is he in this room?" she asked the bat next to Dusk.

"Yes. We can hear him bawl every night. He must be close to the corner behind our cage."

Once hearing this she finished tapping and hit the "Delete"- button and ran quickly to the other side of the cage to the corner. She tried to look at another cage, a shelf or something that held this big bat.

In her mind she thought about this,.. Could it be that this bat could be like Ashley? Or maybe one of her family members. Either way she wanted to get him out too.

It didn't take long when she heard that bawl the bat mentioned. It came very close. She noticed that there was an opening in the wall, like some kind of special shelves. In there, a single cage was shaking and the noises were coming from it.

Phantalmina brought the cage closer to have a better look on who was in there. The lock wasn't that complicated to open. Whoever was inside made a number on the door that it had bent enough that the mechanism could be seen and opened only from the outside. But when she opened the door the creature inside was a little surprise to her.

Inside the cage was a different kind of bat. It was big as Ashley, maybe even bigger. It had grey fur, purple leather wings and a dark red mane. This bat's green eyes were watching her menacingly. As if he was ready to attack.

"Mina." she heard Justin calling her name. " What are you doing? We are done with the lockers."

"There is a separated cage here. I'm trying to..."

She was interrupted when they heard faint noises coming from the hallway door. Someone might be coming.

"Hurried it up! I'll get Dusk and the bats. And then we are leaving. Quickly." Justin said and went to get the bats.

Phantalmina turned back to the big bat and tried to grab him.

"It's okay. I'm taking you out of here." she said to him. But for some reason this big bat growled and tried to bite her.

"Hey?" she let out and tried to catch him again. But the bat tried to bite her again.

"I'm trying to help you." she said to him. But the more she tried the more ferocious his snarls and bites became.

"Mina. Now!" Justin hurried her.

There was a light coming in the hallway. It made her worried. They were running out of time.

And at that moment Phantalmina didn't hesitate to grab the bat with her both hands and ran quickly to Justin. It wasn't easy since the bat was constantly biting her hands. Once she reached Justin all the bats and other animals had already gone though the mirror with Dusk and Arthur. Justin went through first since after Phantalmina went through the mirror-portal could close down. But to her it was a little difficult since she had to hold the bat who was still biting her both hands.

She gathered all her strength and jumped her back first through the portal. The laboratory was empty when the personnel stepped in.