Thanks to Backuppixiedust for helping me brainstorm out of a major logistics hangup for this chapter. Thanks to "Meekro" for holding me tight these last few weeks. Thanks to admin of Rise and Fall of Nickelodian FB page for letting me rail about how I couldn't write and all those frustrations. Thanks to my followers for tracking with me through the current roller coaster, tagging me in fun/uplifting/writer things and dropping by my inbox. Not sure it's over yet, but trying to keep moving. You guys are the best.

….

Vivi stood back as Mystery and Lance dragged Arthur in, calling the door shut with the crook of a finger. Lewis snagged Dulcie by a pigtail in passing, gently dragging her away from Arthur who was barely covered by the remains of his clothing. Lance must have tried to get him semi-dressed. Vivi signaled Deadbeat to go for the travel bag Arthur had packed for their venture. He would be needing another set.

"First room up the stairs to the right," Vivi instructed. "There's a bedroom."

"On our way," Lance grunted. "If ye get the urge t'move us off, don't forget the van. Artie will be needin' it."

Numbly, Vivi nodded, dispatching a Deadbeat to bring the van aboard.

Dulcie's fingers wound tightly through hers. "Lewis."

"Yes?" he answered.

"They said Kay's dead."

Vivi screwed her eyes shut, trying to breathe through the sudden splitting in her chest. "We don't know that."

Dulcie said nothing.

"We don't know," he insisted. "Mystery is just guessing. We don't have any proof."

"Arthur said," Vivi murmured.

"We don't know!" Lewis roared, hunching forward. "Nobody saw anything yet! There's no body!"

Drops hit the ground below her face, and Vivi couldn't tell whose tears they were. Little arms wrapped around her waist, and Lewis held his sister fiercely.

"Dulcie," Vivi whispered, "I think when Mystery and Lance get Arthur up to his room, he's going to need someone to watch him. Can you do that for us? Let us know when he wakes up."

Like hell she sits there alone with him, Vee. He had the Shiker in him. You know what the Shiker did to kids.

"You and Lance can watch him together," she amended. "I'm sure Lance could use the company since he won't be leaving Squire's side."

Dulcie's arms tightened. "Where you going?"

Vee, please. Don't ask me to leave her. Not right now. She needs me.

Vivi set her jaw, trying to keep her voice steady. "Arthur's safe right now, so are you, Dulcie. Nobody can hurt you here. I've got a friend I've been trying to find for a long time, and I don't know she's safe yet, but I think she's here. We need to go looking for her. We'll be right back."

"Promise you'll be back. Kay didn't come back. Aji's gone. Promise me."

Vivi's hand scrabbled at the locket. Was it breaking further? "Promise," Lewis managed.

Unwinding herself, Dulcie slipped her hand into a Deadbeat's nub, following it toward the stairs. Lance and Mystery had already vanished with Arthur.

Vivi stood there for a moment. She was itching to round up the last thread to this chase, but her feet weighed like lead. She followed Lewis' thoughts as they cycled.

"Vee," he said, and her throat tightened at the grief in his voice. "Aji was attacking Arthur. That was his text."

"Yeah, Lew."

"Kay wouldn't let Arthur get hurt. She was trying to hard to keep him safe before. When I was…"

"Yeah."

"Arthur was chasing someone when we got here. He shouted someone was a murderer. He wasn't talking about me."

Vivi said nothing.

"Vee. Aji…"

She lifted her arms, clasping them around herself.

"All I've done since I came back was destroy my family more. I was so bent on hurting Arthur, I didn't bother stopping to help the people that took me in."

"Knock it off." Vivi pushed past him. "You didn't cast this curse. You're all wound up in it. Sure, you've been a grade A fish faced bonehead and you gotta sort all that out. But this family has had everything going against it before it ever started. I promise we're gonna find out why, but please. I need to find Chloe. I can't wait any longer, Lewis. She's out there, scared and hurting."

Her body tensed as Lewis considered leaving his fortress. "How do we know where the Shiker is? Is he in Arthur, or out there waiting?"

As the words left her lips, there was a grunt and a solid kick at the splintered door. The palms of her hands warmed as she crouched, peering through the twisted wood. Someone was our front. Someone holding an awful lot of green.

Concealing herself behind a suit of armor, she crooked a finger. The door swung open in response.

Duet staggered into the front hall, sinking to his knees on the ground. He held a large green-wrapped bundle close, bent double over it.

Abandoning the suit of armor, Vivi marched out of hiding, her shoes smacking the hardwood. Duet lifted his head just enough to spot her shoes before dropping his head back down. "Just my luck."

"Drop her now, you whipjacked nutcracker." Her words rang with Lewis' authority. "I'm not alone, and I'll bring this place down around your ears if you try and pull that Deadbeat act again."

"And possessed to boot if that voice is any indication," Duet muttered. "Who else is sharing headspace with you? I hope they got fair warning."

Vivi's hand whipped back, but froze, lowering itself slowly. "She's gone through an awful lot to find Chloe," Lewis crossed their arms to keep Vivi from hitting anyone. "And it would be best if you dropped-"

Chloe tumbled from Duet's hands as he launched up to his feet, grabbing Vivi by her sweater neck. "You survived." Duet stared into her eyes, but Vivi got the feeling he wasn't talking to her. "How did you survive?"

Silence stretched between them for a few minutes.

"I didn't," Lewis finally responded. "If you haven't noticed, I'm long dead. As I am dead, I remember everything about what happened, but you have no place in my memories. As far as I know, you were Vivi's employer." Lewis gripped Duet's hand, bones cracking under his grip as Duet cried out. "Until you attacked her. And-Oh yes. Kicked my sister in the face. Thank you for that addition, Vivi. Somehow you know me, and you are here where I last knew the Shiker to be." Vivi brought up some of the facts they had gathered as Lewis continued. "And you've been harvesting Kitsune souls. Dirty work for the Shiker, Duet? Were you tracking me? Were you the one that told him where to find me?"

Duet swung his free fist, but Vivi caught it, holding it solid. Heat stung her palms. Easy now.

"Don't add to your crimes!" Duet panted. His hands trembled in Vivi's grip. Pain? Exhaustion? Fear? "I could have this region razed to the ground! Once the gods find out, nothing will grow here for a thousand years!"

"You'd better start making sense real fast, Duet," Vivi threatened.

"Solo," Duet spat. "My name is Solo."

"Yeah and I'm sure Chewie's backing you up, but that's not Princess Leia on the ground, that's Chloe. What did you do to her?"

"Hand…"

Vivi released Duet, who slumped back to the floor, his hands held out limp at the end of his wrists. The right one was already swelling. "He was harvesting her."

"The Shiker. Right. The fabulous butcher doctor you've been playing text-tag with. So why'd you bring her here?"

"Please. She's sick. Please get her to a bed. I'll tell you everything."

Vivi paused, but Lewis shook their head. "Nobody's going anywhere. You know what's happening. You know where the Shiker is. Until I know where the Shiker is, nobody moves."

"Dead," Duet rasped. "I killed him, and now there is no Duet. Only Solo." He reached out and pulled back Chloe's hood. Her eyes were screwed shut and her mouth gaped, bringing in short gasps of air. A golf-ball sized circle had been cut into her forehead, and Vivi's stomach clenched as Lewis turned away.

"Only Solo now, as there was only Duet after we changed her." Duet-Solo now-murmured. "Quintet. Duet. Solo."

Lewis stared at the splintered door, away from the gaping hole, away from the jagged bits of bone poking out from it. There was hardly any, but what pieces there were poked forward, as if meant to grow out and away from the forehead.

"Don't go, little boy!" Wailed through Lewis' memories.

"Little boy! No, not again!" The night at the graveyard flashed through Vivi's mind, the memories lining up next to each other.

"How?" Lewis whispered. "How is she the same Chloe?"

"At great cost to us. Please," Solo pleaded. "Do what you will with me, but give her rest. She has not begun to heal herself, and she should have by now. I don't know what is wrong."

Vivi tapped two fingers against one thigh, and two against the other. Two Deadbeats swooped in, gathering Chloe up gently and floating her upstairs. Two more caught Solo as he started after her.

"We will speak with you later. For now, there's a special room for you downstairs. Stay put." The floor opened up under Solo, and he plunged into darkness.

"Vee, do we have everyone?"

"Yes, Lew."

Her hands lifted high over her head. "Then we're leaving this Godforsaken place. And this time we're not coming back."