Okay, so it took me long enough, but hopefully you checked out my homepage (link is on my profile) for updates on what the hold-up was. If not you should read it – I post my grand schemes and progress there for all to read.
And now, just as I promised, I give you Chapter 7.
I really hope it was worth the wait…
Chapter 7: Enter Finale
More real to her than the sound of their footsteps, the echoes of previous struggles crowded Aya's mind the moment they crossed the massive threshold. The resonance of Capell shouting orders to their fellows; the deafening raucous of magic crashing against magic and metal against metal; the thunder of a god's voice as he berated and attacked those she held dearest. It drowned out everything, surrounding her only in the terrifying memory of what it had been to fight a god.
True, they had won that battle. After such a long struggle they had defeated a god and come out alive and well – it should have buoyed her. But now, for the first time in years, she remember how exceedingly difficult that fight had been. It had dragged on for an eternity, longer than any battle they had ever entered into. There were times she had doubted if they had the strength and reserves to defeat Veros. There were moments she had wondered if escape would save them even if they tried – if Veros would allow them to get away safely. The members of the Liberation Force had each fallen to the false god at one point or another, only to be brought back by a healing Lunaglyph.
Now there were no Lunaglyphs to revive them as before, or to aid them in their offensive. And although they were stronger than the last great battle, their new opponent was also more powerful. The queen of the gods; one who had been able to dominate Veros and force him to take on the responsibility of an entire world.
Now Capell was coming into the battle already bearing brutal injuries that would normally pull him from combat for months. The healers had agreed, Capell could not fight as he normally would, and yet that was his intent. Years ago she had attempted the same thing, and had only survived because Capell had sought the help of a Claridian.
Saruleus was not here this time.
Aya's fingers found her lover's without thought. She held tight to him and yet, though he was returning the pressure of her hand with equal intensity, she could already feel him slipping away.
XXXX
For his part, Capell couldn't help but pause again once they entered the palace, and of course none tried to speed him along. He was pretty sure that if he suggested turning around and going back there would be a few who would happily pull him out of the palace and back to the teleporter. But Capell stood fast and resisted the urge. There was no point. He could go home and watch countless people die when the queen came for his friends, or he could stay and…
He chased the thought away. What was the point in thinking about it? It wasn't like he was going to change his mind.
Kiriya slipped in beside the Liberator and Capell was handed a vial containing the last of the concoction they had used to stave off the pain of his injuries.
Kiriya had saved the last dose for this moment; to ensure that when Capell fought it would be at full capability. Without hesitating Capell downed the last of the mixture. He had not begun to feel even the hint of discomfort, but he couldn't take any chances. He decided he hated the elixir. It also dulled the feeling of Aya's hand in his, the ability to feel pain and to protect himself from death, the feeling of heat and cold against his face – very normal sensations that reminded him that he was alive. Yet he couldn't fault Kiriya; the man had saved his life once already.
"Thank you," he murmured. It was heartfelt, and the healer lost some of his abrasiveness. Kiriya, for all of his callousness and unforgiving commentaries, had never once tried to force Capell into anything that went against his nature. It had always been Capell's choice – with Kiriya supplying the truth for him as he needed it, unedited and straight forward, if slightly brutal in its accuracy. Though the man could be heartless thought and word, he also respected Capell enough to abide by his choices, whatever choices those might be.
With a slight bob of his head, Kiriya accepted the gratitude of a king before slipping back into the crowd.
Capell found there was more he wanted to say – and not just to Kiriya. He wanted to thank Edward for understanding him when he couldn't even understand himself; Aya for loving him despite his faults; Michelle for always giving him an open ear and a warm embrace; the twins for making him laugh when he really wanted to cry. He wanted to say so much. He hadn't had the chance last time.
"I… uh…" he rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully, turning to his friends – his family. If he was going to say anything it would have to be now. "Look you guys. I know I've been pretty moody lately, and that I've been really hard to be around, and… I'm sorry."
"Again with the apologies?" Dominica crossed her arms beneath her breasts and looked at him from down her nose. "You have lousy timing, kid."
"I know, I know," Capell waved her off, "but… but this is the last quiet moment we'll have before the fighting. So I just want to-"
"No Capell," Michelle said softly, "don't do that. Don't say goodbye." Rucha and Rico each looked at him with wide eyes.
"Goodbye? You're not thinking of fighting the queen alone, are you?" Rucha asked.
"No," Aya shook her head, "no that's not it. You're not going to die, we won't let that happen. We made you a promise, Capell."
"I know you did," Capell said carefully, "but protecting me can't be your first priority. You have to focus on beating the queen – okay? We came here to put a stop to her, she poses a danger to the entire world, not just us. If we don't go in here with that in our minds then we came here for nothing."
"I hate to admit it, but… he's right." Eugene pushed his glasses up with a slender finger. "The best thing we can do to protect Capell is to defeat the queen quickly. Otherwise Capell will be fighting her until the emergency supplies are gone and we've all thrown ourselves on her blade to save him."
"Exactly," Capell said. "Even if I can't kill her myself, if I can wear her down enough for you guys to finish her off then it'll be worth it."
"How can you say that?!" Aya's face flushed in anger and she latched onto his arm. "How can you say that your life is worth throwing away?"
"To save innocent lives? Thousands?! More? It is worth it! You taught me that Aya!" Capell pulled from her grip to stare at her incredulously. "When we first met you were willing to die to protect Sigmund and the cause. And not only you. Each member of this group would have given their lives in a heartbeat for the greater good. Well now it's my turn, even if I don't want it to be. I'm not going to back down."
Aya's face screwed up and she balled her fists obstinately. She was in full tirade stance and not even a false god could pull her from her rage now. "No! It's not fair! I've only just gotten you back! After two years you're here with me again! I can't lose you again, Capell! Not again! You asked me to marry you! We have a future together!" Capell's excitement cooled, he understood exactly what she was saying. He found himself unable to find the response that would comfort her.
"I'm sorry." Old habits…
"Don't say you're sorry!" Aya shoved his chest. "Don't you say that! Say you'll live! Say you'll still be here when this is over. Say it! Say it Capell!" Each command was accompanied with a shove to his chest and Edward was quickly behind her, holding her arms down in a tight embrace, pulling her back.
"Enough, Aya! Enough! You're not going to change his mind like this!" The fury drained out of her, replaced by an emotional vulnerability she rarely displayed. Capell would have preferred the anger.
"Why?" She whispered, "why can't we just be together? What did we do to deserve this?"
Capell turned from her. What had they done? They had killed a god. True, Veros had intended mankind's annihilation, but it changed nothing. They had destroyed a god – had they really been naïve enough to believe it would all end there? Happily ever after, like in the stories?
Nothing he could say could make things better. Nothing he could do could guarantee that he'd come out of this alive. Any promise he made to her would be a lie. To save her life he had to break her trust.
Aya was right, it wasn't fair.
But it was reality.
"I'm sorry," he whispered so softly it was barely heard.
The Emblazoned Sword's song pierced the silence and Capell was hurrying down the corridor into the palace.
Win or lose, he was going to give Aya the absolution she needed. Only the footfalls behind him told him that he was not alone.
XXXX
It was so quiet.
Amber eyes opened slowly, greeted by dim light and stillness. It was peaceful, tranquil and smelled pleasantly of mixed flowers and bathing oils. The sheets covering his bare arms were warm and soft, his skin clean, his face freshly shaven and tingling with the tonic used to stave off the razor's burn. A fire crackled cheerfully across the room in the large fireplace, warming the chamber pleasantly. Gentle breathing from beyond screened partitions at either side of his bed told him others slept nearby.
And yet in a room that had been arranged to nurture serenity and rest, he could not escape the feeling that something was gravely wrong. It plagued him; an insight just out of reach. He needed to tell someone… anyone. It was too important to ignore, this knowing he could not explain.
Fatigue was still dominant above all other thoughts or troubles, however. Lids too heavy to support any longer slid closed and, for the first time in years, Touma dreamt.
Dreams of dark shapes and dangers he could not place, and yet knew too well to dismiss as fantasy.
XXXX
Capell seemed unperturbed by the figure blocking their path; almost as if he had expected this all along. Despite his usual calm demeanor, his rational that could carry him through any scenario, Sigmund felt his blood boiling within his veins.
"Leonid," he hissed, unaware he had spoken the name aloud.
Never in his life, not even when he fought with Leonid prior to the events at Vesplume Tower, had Sigmund ever hated someone. He had simply understood the danger Leonid and his Order posed, and had volunteered to neutralize the threat personally. It had not been about vengeance, or the awkward relationship the two had shared in their youth. It had been solely about preserving the safety of humanity.
He had never known hate until two years ago.
"He is sending for me," The Dread Knight had purred then from atop the false Vesplume Tower, where he and Sigmund had emerged after disappearing from their true world. "My duty to him is not yet fulfilled. You will not be accompanying me." Sigmund had already expected as much. But the words that followed next, while also predictable, struck a chord he had not been prepared for.
"I am afraid your friends will not be permitted to witness the rebirth of the world. Their executions have been ordered." A smile as smooth and repulsive as eel skin had spread over the former prince's charming face. "Your shadow, he is your son, is he?" Sigmund had felt his breath catch in his throat and Leonid's smile had spread like oil. "A glimpse I gained from touching you while wielding the great power. I understand now the value you placed in him. Your son… he had such potential. I understand he can cut chains as you did. Remarkable.
"Regrettably, he is to be the first to fall at my hands. It is a shame his combat skills are so immature. His death will be pathetically easy to carry out at this point, I believe."
Leonid had vanished in a bright flare of light before Sigmund had had a chance to strike, the knowledge that he was no longer present to protect his son prevalent within his thoughts. Capell was in danger, and not just the nameless danger of war. His death had been ordered – the first to fall under the order's blade. Leonid was taking great joy in the idea of destroying his son, Sigmund knew. There would be no mercy in Capell's death if Leonid reached him first.
At that moment, for the first time in his life, hatred had blossomed within Sigmund white hot and all consuming.
And now the treacherous monster stood before him again, jeering as though he still held Capell's life within his grasp.
"A copy," Capell's voice held the composure Sigmund normally maintained. "The real Leonid is dead; I sealed his body in a small room of the real Lunar Sanctuary." Sigmund's sword screamed free, giving a voice to the emotions its master would not proclaim. An instant later Capell was between his father and the sickening grin of their former foe.
Leonid giggled madly, anticipation radiating from him as clearly as the madness he had died with.
"It's not Leonid!"
"Step aside."
"Wait! I made a mistake with Gabriel," Capell did not budge, instead catching and holding his father's icy stare.
"Step aside Capell." It was now more of a warning than a request.
"Listen to me!" Capell's voice rose urgently. They may not have any time – Leonid's doppelganger would not wait for them to engage. "I let my emotions get the best of me. You couldn't answer me when I asked if you could do better. It's time for your answer."
"I will be reborn…" The high-pitch whisper from behind told Capell they were out of time. Sigmund's glare fell upon his quarry with such intensity it could have drawn blood on its own. Capell's jaw tightened.
"I'll fight Leonid if you can't control yourself," he announced, stepping aside and giving Sigmund a clear path to Leonid, "One of us has to survive this place, and… and I'm already…"
Though his mask did not change, there was a hesitation to Sigmund's movements. Something within him had quieted – slightly. His attention fell back onto Capell, the fire in his gaze fizzling. "I swore I would protect you with my life."
"Then make sure you stay in control in this fight." Capell pointedly slid the Emblazoned Sword back into its sheath. "And I won't have to get involved."
Sigmund's raptor glare turned back to their antagonist – still giggling fanatically.
"The power of a god… I was promised…" like a monster pulled from a story he lurched towards the Force.
Chains of crimson and black streaked from Leonid's cloak, unfurling to seemingly endless lengths. Edges as sharp as razors shredded the fabric of the garment, barely raising a hiss as they passed through the air. Shouts erupted from the human combatants and they fanned out, taking up the offensive with perfect synchronization.
Sigmund spun with the regal grace of his station, his sword moving as fluidly as though it had always been a part of him. An arcing upsweep of the blade, and the chains fell at his feet. The former Liberator paused – he had not been able to slice through a chain since…
Of course, the glyphs had been extinguished!
Leonid's mad glee evaporated, the giggles becoming a pathetic whine. His lips trembled pitifully. "The Crimson One promised…" Chains lashed out chaotically, striking brickwork and polished floors more often than human targets. "The power of the divine… immortality…"
"Your Crimson One is dead." Edward announced contemptibly and entered the fray.
"Lies!" It was more panic than conviction, but the intensity of his next attack told his enemies that he was by no means weakened from fear. Members of the force dodged as a barrage of chains unlike anything Leonid had ever brandished before, and then darted in between the links, unleashing violence of their own. Metal clashed against metal, links shattering on impact with any number of different weapons. Though they were far more fragile than before, Leonid seemed able to summon an insurmountable number of the knife-edged chains, making it difficult to draw close to him for a successful direct attack.
Aya stepped back, lining up her aim at the deranged clone and an armored hand gripped her shoulder tightly.
"Be careful not to take too many injuries," Capell spoke when she flinched and tried to round on him, "it's just like before – we're not going to have a chance to rest after this."
"How do you know?"
"I… just do." Aya didn't argue with his fatalistic opinion. She nodded gravely and moved back into the fighting, leaning into to speak to Michelle as she passed.
Leonid's cry echoed from the din as VIIth Violation jutted forth, catching a few off guard, though thankfully none had managed to draw close enough to have been in mortal danger. Edward and Dominica managed to slice their way through the tangle of chains, giving Sigmund a clear path to Leonid. Capell's teeth ground painfully as he watched his father embroil with his greatest foe once more.
A tendril of chains snapped before him, and Sigmund paused long enough to cut them down, clearing his path once more.
Leonid…
The elder Cassandran twisted his blade and stepped under another fall of razor links, his blade colliding with armor-backed gauntlets. The thing that mimicked Svala's lost son licked its lips in revolting excitement.
Komachi slipped into the brawl easily, finding a chink in Leonid's defenses and exploiting it with rapid strikes of her daggers. Before Leonid reacted to her presence, Komachi had sliced at him repeatedly and then flittered back, dancing through the chains that pursued with ease.
Edward was not so fleet of foot, and when XIIIth Word burst forth violently, the Burguss king suffered a series of long slices to his shoulder; his chest and face saved only by the blade he held before him like a shield. Edward's outcry was met by another hysterical giggle from their tormentor. A few other cries of surprise and pain arose; Rico and Dominica had also failed to escape the lashing and had each earned deep gashes across their backs and arms as they attempted to flee. Rucha was already weeping at her brother's injuries, though the boy remained brave.
Leonid...
Sigmund pushed himself in closer, his shoulders tensing; blade flashing in the dim light as he struck out without mercy. Ebony and crimson links never stopped moving, never stopped coming. Leonid had once relished using Veros's chains to inflict pain, but now he seemed incapable of acting without the tangle of metal. Magic no longer danced at his fingertips, only the chains obeyed him now. His eyes sparkled with insane pleasure, though he often whined and cried out as though tortured.
It was disgusting, to watch what the man had become. Of his own free will he had sacrificed his humanity and his sanity. He had directly and indirectly brought about the deaths of tens of thousands. All for power.
Eugene and Balbagon pinned Leonid in place with offensive swings of their weapons, while from beyond the fray Aya was raining down a storm of arrows, her fingers knocking a fresh arrow before the hum of the previous missile had left the bowstring. Though her full concentration was on their enemy, her intentions were clear if only by per position, for she stood squarely between Leonid and Capell.
She would not forget her promise.
"Dregs," for a moment Leonid seemed lucid and contemptuous as always, had he not been trapped in the past. "You dare defy the Divine One's will? You follow a filthy heretic against Veros the Crimson?"
Leonid… He had vowed to kill Capell, had tried to do so repeatedly… and now, to insult Sigmund's son so…
Hatred bubbled over, erupting in a wordless battle cry.
Grinn Valesti crashed down with a vicious fury, and no sooner had Sigmund struck his enemy did he spin and launch into Alfheim. Yet he had failed to check his surroundings, and a rouge chain caught him square in the chest, denting his armor if not breeching it. Sigmund staggered at the force of the impact before rushing back in with Reginleif obeying his immediate command. Chains crumbled at his blade and Sigmund roared his fury with each new series of attacks.
"Lord Sigmund!" Eugene watched as his friend seemed to embrace once more the self destruction he had once been famous for. "Lord Sigmund, please be careful!"
Sigmund carved away another chain, pushing in with single-minded determination toward Leonid, who was countering the attacks of Rucha's summoned beast. VIIth Violation decimated the winged creature, expanding outward faster than thought. A cry from behind preceded a thin silvery chain that wrapped about Sigmund's waist, ripping him off of his feet. A single heartbeat and a few hundred paces later, the former Liberator found himself face to face with the Nightwhisperer. Honeysuckle had saved him from the devastation that would have claimed him. Yet the Cassandran felt no relief, only ire that he was so far from his target.
"Lord, are you injured?" Komachi's meek voice was nearly lost beneath the cacophony of battle. Roughly Sigmund pulled the light chain from his person and ignored her, turning to Leonid with clear intent. That Aya and Michelle were currently bombarding the Dread Knight's immediate vicinity with an onslaught of cutting projectiles did not matter, Sigmund began slicing at the chains that blocked his path on his way back to his enemy once more.
The sound of a familiar sword singing from its sheath caught Sigmund's attention. A glance to his rear and Sigmund's rage ebbed. The Emblazoned Sword was free, crimson eyes steeled upon him. Capell had seen enough.
Dancing Rhapsody called out loudly and Capell was driving a path through the chains with an intent all too clear. His movements were slightly awkward, however; he was using the wrong arm to wield his blade. It was an attempt at protecting his injury that would cost him dearly – his abilities were at a severe handicap when he fought with his inexperienced arm. Heads wheeled at the familiar call and, among the voices that cried out in alarm, Aya's was the loudest that called for him to stop. Her aim altered and the Emir began raining arrows down upon anything and everything that came within range of Capell. Try as she might she could not keep the danger completely at bay on her own, however. Chains fell as Marching Boots pushed her lover forward another few paces –
And Sigmund stood like an imposing wall of power between Capell and Leonid.
"Return to a safe distance." Sigmund's tone was commanding. Capell straightened to his full height and met his father's gaze squarely. For one who had once been as meek as a whipped dog, Capell now carried himself like a king.
"I told you once already, if you couldn't control yourself I'd take care of Leonid for you." It was a ridiculous statement – Capell could not honestly believe he could fight Leonid and win with the tactics he currently employed. Yet there was no falsity to his claim, and Sigmund thought better than to doubt his son's words.
"Capell… please…" Sigmund's jaw clenched and slackened once more. The sounds of their friend's embattled behind them faded into forgetfulness. His first thought was to pull aside his son's collar to assess the status of that terrible wound. The wound he had initially inflicted. The hate that had filled him was gone, replaced by something far worse. "Return to your position, please. We cannot lose you." The son's face distorted painfully, as he grabbed hold of his father's armor.
"I'm probably already lost," he whispered through his grief. "Do you really think I'll survive the fight against the queen? Don't you see? They're going to need you when I'm gone. You have to live through this!"
He wanted to deny it. Sigmund found his voice scolding his son firmly, his heart begging to believe what his mind recited. Capell did not know the future. Embracing death was embracing failure. Capell owed it to them all to try to survive. The words poured out in brief but blunt statements.
Yet that logic of his previous life reared up once more, and Sigmund felt the crushing weight of it upon his heart. Sigmund was no healer, but he understood what it meant to damage one's body beyond repair. He had almost done so himself, and now Capell was in his place. Worse yet, they had no Lunaglyph to undo the damage before thrusting their leader into battle once more. The arguments had been made… and lost.
Yet Sigmund refused to admit defeat. Not yet. Not until the end came.
And… if the end did come…
"I will exercise caution," he promised at last with a composure he could not bring himself to feel, "do not place yourself in harm's way." Capell watched his father for a moment and then nodded, sliding his sword home once more.
Quickly Sigmund spun on his toes and returned to the battle. When next he looked upon Leonid's face, hatred failed to rise to the surface.
There was only dread. Capell was…
His heart and his mind battled mightily as he carried out the motions of battle like a puppet. His son's words deafened him to all else.
The death of another cherished one would be on his hands. His queen fell to grief caused by his actions. His blade had caused the wound that now threatened Capell's life.
It choked out his breath as he swung out with mechanical precision at a metal tendril. He couldn't survive Capell's death. He had endured hardships in his life, sacrificed everything. There was much he could bear, but not this. Not again.
He couldn't…
Sigmund completed a successful Reginleif and backed off immediately, giving Balbagon opportunity to maximize the damage of his axe in the clearing Sigmund had provided. Levantine Slash pushed Leonid back into Dominica's waiting blade. Vic and Kiriya bound in for a rapid dual attack before moving aside to grant Eugene a change to pummel the Dread Knight with a few sharp jabs of his staff.
The battle progressed slowly, fighting chains rather than Leonid consumed much of their time. Only by alternating attackers for Leonid and a defensive squad for the chains did the force begin to make noticeable headway against their former enemy.
Leonid's whimpers became pitiful moans. VIIth Violation was easier to predict and sent the force scattering clear of its reach, while XIIIth Word required only that the warriors step to either the aggressor's extreme sides or rear flank. After their battle with Gabriel, Leonid was trying and possessed far greater endurance, but he did not pose as large of a threat.
He was a shield for the Liberation Force to dull their swords upon.
The realization drowned out the last of the resentment Sigmund held against his former nemesis. For all of his desires, for all of his faithful service, Leonid had never been more than a tool used by the gods.
His life had been a pathetic waste. Pity for Svala filled Sigmund, followed quickly by envy. Pity that she would never experience the pride in her son Sigmund felt for Capell.
Envy that she had not been forced to witness the death of her son, where as Sigmund might…
Alfheim thankfully cleared his mind as the former king had to concentrate to maintain his footing.
"I must fulfill…" Leonid's fretting became louder and more frantic "fulfill my purpose… Divinity is within my grasp…"
Balbagon's massive axe hacked away at the chains before him, creating a void above once more.
Sigmund dove in, Grinn Valesti finding its mark.
Leonid's head collided with the smooth flooring without outcry or complaint. The chains that had protruded from every empty space beneath his cloak dissipated like smoke in the wind.
And as he stood over the freshly fallen corpse, Sigmund felt nothing at the demise of the clone.
It had been as Capell had said; Leonid had died up on the moon. He had died there a tool of the gods, not a man. This had been nothing but a monster wearing Leonid's features like a cloak.
"Is it over?" The little thief grimaced and gingerly touched a shoulder already turning a sickly purple. Sigmund nodded silently. Capell joined his father at his side, his sword drawn once more, his eyes alert.
They didn't have much time. It would be any moment.
Something of the room changed, began to shift and darken. The walls started to fade away. It was just as before.
"Oh… Oh Capell." Aya's voice was a soft moan. When Capell found her among their friends, her eyes were liquid, fixed on a point beyond his back. The others seemed to be equally distressed.
The pinprick sensation on the back of his neck told Capell he had been right. They would move immediately into the next battle.
The final battle.
He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready! Capell's stomach lurched and his knees quaked. For the first time in years, he felt the full force of old instincts assault him once more. He resisted the urge to cry out or run for the door that he could no longer see. When he met Sigmund's gaze, he knew by his father's expression that his panic was clear in his features. He didn't want to die! He changed his mind! He –
A voice from beyond the grave spoke softly to him, sending shockwaves down his spine and piercing his heart with raw emotion. All thought of escape was abandoned.
He knew before he even turned around…
The sweet voice drifted to him in a sing-song tone that closed his throat.
"At last."
XXXX
A/N
Dum-dum-DUUUMMMMM!!! Come on already – you all know who it is. The question is: what happens next? I wasn't too keen on leaving off at this point because it is clearly so predictable until I realized that truthfully, where else would I cut into the next chapter? Logic, woman – logic! Besides, the next chapter is the END! You get your answers there. And you have no F-ing clue what's going to happen in the next fight, because NONE OF THAT WAS OUTLINED IN THE GAME! (Evil Laugh) There was no "After the Seraphic Gate" movie sequence. I can kill them all off if I want – you just don't know!
Okay, enough of the mini-god complex. I'm just so glad I got through this chapter. It felt a little rushed to me, but in truth the whole thing was meant to be the lead-up to the end chapter. You know – show the myriad of emotions the main characters are experiencing before the end fight.
Plus I never really saw the point in fighting Leonid after you already fought, Gabriel, who was a god. True, it makes sense when placed against the story's original plot and the whole premise of the Seraphic Gate mimicking their past, but as far as dramatics for the escalating importance of the enemies, it always seemed kind of anti-climactic to me.
FYI, the last is not going to rush along – it's almost 8,000 words and it's not completely ready yet. You might want to take a potty break before sitting down to read the final chapter once it's ready. I'm not going to slice that one up – it's coming out in one piece even if it's 12,000 words!
I admit – I tweaked the crap out of this chapter so you guys would have something to read already. I just couldn't make you guys wait anymore – it wasn't fair.
Let me know if this was worth it, okay?