"The Crown lies where the community of tomorrow meets the world of today."

It took five seconds for the quartet of Cast Members to figure out the clue.

"Epcot, duh." Isaac shrugged. "So, we're heading there next?"

"Yeah,"mumbled Liberty, looking over the storefronts of Main Street, U. S. A. "First, though, we should stock up on provisions. Maybe get something to eat. I can't be the only one who needs a potty break."

Frankie raised her hand and did a knees-together dance. "I could go for that."

Jake patted his stomach. "Food would be great. Maybe coffee, too, I'm feeling punch drunk." He sighed and scratched the top of his head. "I'm sure all the restaurants are locked up, though."

A furry form stepped up between him and Liberty, her silken coat brushing against their legs. "I know somewhere you can eat."

They looked down to see a golden colored cocker spaniel, the sweet-natured Lady of Lady and the Tramp. She wagged her stubby tail and opened her short muzzle in a grin. "Sorry," Lady chuckled. "We couldn't help overhearing you."

Tramp walked up beside her. "We got the perfect place for you kids. C'mon!" He jerked his scruffy gray head over his shoulder. "I'll lead you in the back entrance. Ain't no place better on Main Street."

The Cast Members followed the dogs behind Tony's Town Square Restaurant. Even at night, the red and gold stained glass windows caught the light of lampposts and glimmered. The square, white building was joined on the right by the Exposition Hall. In between the two was a store with Lady and Tramp plush toys, disposable Kodak cameras, and the usual souvenir trinkets. They bypassed the white steps, going by the familiar paw prints surrounded by a heart imprinted in the concrete, and slipped into the back of the eatery. Liberty had to sidestep an all too familiar short table with a white and red lined tablecloth.

The kitchen lights were on and singing could be heard within. Metallic clanging of pots and skillets echoed in the silent seating area, mingling with the scents of garlic and herbs. The quartet's stomachs growled.

Tramp winked at them before scratching on the kitchen door. He let out a whine and barked.

"I'm a-comin', I'm a-comin'…" Joe the chef grumbled low in Italian. The door slammed open. The thin man's expression changed from one of mild annoyance to joy. "Well, ciao, doggy! I see you got your little cocker-a-Spanish-a-girl with you." He reached down to scratch each dog behind the ears. "Spaghetti especial, eh?"

Tramp barked and danced back, leading the cook to the group of friends.

"Uh…" Liberty scratched her left arm, feeling like a begger. "Sorry to bug you. We were hoping to get—"

Tony bellowed from the kitchen, "Hey, Joe, where you at?"

"Tony!" He turned. "You're never gonna believe who we got here tonight!"

"Who?" The head chef leaned out. His scowl morphed into a broad grin. "Oh! Are these our heroes?"

Isaac's eyebrows shot up. "Word travels fast around here."

"Joe, four spaghetti especiales and some hot bread for our guests, eh? And get cookin', we haven't got all night!"

"Mama mia…" Joe went back behind the swinging wooden doors, grumbling all the way.

Frankie got down on her knees and gave the dogs lengthy scratches behind their ears. "Thanks, guys."

Tramp's tongue lolled out with a grin. "Anytime, kids."

"Be good, and be safe." Lady gave the girl a quick lick on the cheek before following Tramp back outside. "We've got a family counting on you."

At that, the four Cast Members thought of not only Lady and Tramp's puppies, but all of the children connected to Walt Disney World, like Pinocchio and the Darlings. They realized it wasn't just about cartoon characters or robots or even the rides. Families were depending on them for their lives. Messing up wouldn't just mean the end of a theme park, but the end of its inhabitants.

Liberty wrapped her arms around herself. "We have really stepped into something big, haven't we?"

Jake gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Yeah, but I couldn't think of someone better to have at my side."

She felt herself blush again and cleared her throat. "Hey, Frankie, want to make that bathroom run before the food gets here?"

"Sure." Together, the two young women headed off.

Jake gave a weak chuckle and jerked his thumb in their direction. "Girls, huh? Always have to hit the restroom in packs."

Isaac's reply was a slow blink.

He cleared his throat. "We should, uh, get a table. Your choice." He and Isaac slid onto a booth bench. "Never thought I'd be so happy to sit down."

Isaac smoothed over the tablecloth at his corner. When he spoke, his words were soft and tight. "This is getting too real for me, man."

Jake crinkled his brow. "What do you mean?" He grinned and gave Isaac's arm a playful nudge. "Weren't you the one all excited about our mysterious adventure?"

Isaac jerked his head up. "I could have died back there! Frankie could have died back there. I thought, y'know, with Disney this'd be all safe and giggles, but there are bigger baddies out here, worse than that alien or the Headless Horseman. What if we come across Maleficent or Jafar? Or God forbid, the Leviathan? We'd die, Jake! We're not cartoon characters. We don't get to come back in the next frame. Once we're done, we're out. Finished. Kaput. I thought this would be like one of my games, but here, I can't just fold up the board and start over when I get stuck." He hung his head. "I'm scared, man. I'm terrified."

Jake let Isaac's speech sink in for a minute. It was like a completely different person had spoken to him. However, it wasn't like Isaac hadn't said something Jake was sure they'd all been thinking since their escapes.

The Skipper reached out and patted his friend's shoulder. "You're a lot more fun when you're spazzed out on soda."

Isaac squirmed away from Jake's palm. "I'm serious!"

"So am I. Look, we're in this together now, right? We got your back."

He squirmed in his seat, as if wishing he could just sink into the wall and disappear. "You guys barely know me. Why stick up for me like that? If you knew the real me, you probably wouldn't be so keen on being my friend."

"The real you?" Jake laughed. "Isaac, the real you is a hyper little geek who probably wears a Jedi robe every time he watches Star Wars. And you know what? I'm cool with that." He gave him another pat on the shoulder. "And don't worry; we'll make it through."

Isaac arched an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

"Because," Jake grinned, "this is Disney. The heroes never lose."

Isaac returned the smile somewhat. "I guess you're right." He fiddled with the napkin-wrapped utensils. "So… you and Liberty… You guys've been dating for a while, or…What's up with that?"

"Umm…" Jake looked at the wall to his right. When he saw a picture of Lady and Tramp sharing pasta, he frowned and locked his eyes on the table. "We're not, you know, together, really. I'd like to be, but I don't think she's into me. Too much of a dumb goof for her." His chuckle trailed off into a pathetic cough. Turning the conversation, he smiled mischievously and twirled his fork between his fingers. "How about you and Frankie?" Prongs pointed at him, he added, "She seems pretty sweet on you."

"Uh…" Isaac glanced down, surprised at himself for wringing his napkin. "She's not exactly my type." His next words came out in a rush. "Not that there's anything wrong with her! I don't… I'm not…" He swallowed. "What's taking them so long?"

"Long line?"

"You need to quit teasing Jake."

Liberty shook water off her hands and made a last attempt at drying them on her shirt. "What?"

"Jake. You need to stop toying with him." Frankie ran her fingers through her hair and stuck her tongue out at her reflection. "Why can't I be like a real Disney princess and save the world while having perfect hair? Ariel always had awesome bangs."

"You make it sound like I'm leading him on or something." Liberty tried to perk up her own bangs. It was a lost cause. "We're just friends."

"Yep, and that's breaking his heart." Frankie huffed and rolled her eyes. "I might not be able to read your mind, but he wears his emotions like his hat. Every time I'm around you guys, he's complimenting you, getting in an extra touch here and there, giving you that adoring gaze, trying to make you laugh…"

She looked away, her palm resting on the bathroom door. "He tries to make everyone laugh, it's his job."

Frankie frowned. "You're too smart to play dumb. Quit stringing him along and be honest with him. Give him an answer and cut out this 'friend zone' crap."

Liberty's eyes widened. "Frankie!"

Shocked by her own outburst, she blinked a few times and crossed and uncrossed her arms. Finally, her hands landed on her hips. "Well, someone had to say it! What if we all die or something and you never told him how you felt? You'd leave the poor boy in limbo."

"He could, you know, ask me out or something if it was that important to him."

"Boys are weird like that sometimes. You know how he feels. If he were anymore obvious, he'd be wearing a sign. So, it's your turn to do something. That's how these things work." She pushed the door open and headed into the dining room.

Liberty shook her head. When Frankie's the pushy one, the world's gone topsy-turvy.

Jose screamed and flapped his wings as hard as he could. He twisted his body, he kicked his legs, he prayed. Nothing would dislodge the claws from his back. Deeper the black talons dove, piercing past layers of feathers. He managed to crane his neck back to see his attacker.

Shan-Yu's falcon screeched and plunged his beak towards Jose's eye, missing it only when the parrot snapped his head back at the last second.

"Por favor! Stop! Stop! Please!" He was falling, plummeting to the streets of World Showcase, when a plump, red blur knocked the falcon off his balance. As soon as the claws released, Jose half-flapped, half fell to the pavement. Scrambling under a bench, he risked a look. "I don't believe my eyes…"

Iago kicked the raptor in the back. "No respect for your fellow birds, huh?" He grabbed the grey tail feathers in his mouth and gave them a hard yank. The falcon screeched and beat his wings until he tore free; then he took flight, soon disappearing into the dark sky. "And if you try that again, next time I'll really mess you up! Ha ha!" As he cackled, Iago punched at the air like a boxer.

Behind Jose, from out of the bushes snaked slender black tendrils. They slithered in silence, making their way towards the parrot's feet. Just as they reached him, Iago pulled Jose out from under the bench. Rather than risk being seen, the tentacles retracted back into the plants.

"Squawk! Iago, you saved me."

Iago swooped down to the other parrot's side. "Yeah, well…" he shrugged. "It's not the first time."

While he tried to preen some of his broken feathers, Jose felt the fact's sting. A lot of Disney fans had shown their immensedispleasure at the addition of Iago and Zazu into The Enchanted Tiki Room. The entire show had been changed, with Iago hogging the spotlight. However, he was right. Had that change not happened, there wouldn't even be a Tiki Room in Walt Disney World anymore. A few years before the revamp, the theater was always nearly empty. The old show was up on the chopping block. A team of young Imagineers, lead by Jeff Burke, had seen this, and they fixed it the best way they could. Lots of people only started coming back to see what was new. Guests were clapping, laughing, and singing along again. The seats were filled. It'd been years since that had happened.

As if he'd heard Jose's thoughts, Iago held up his wings. "Don't get mushy on me. I was over in Morocco and heard the noise." He brushed off his wings. "Like I'm going to let anything happen to my meal ticket. I'm not going back to having crackers shoved down my beak!"

Jose smiled. He wasn't put off by the bluff. "Sure thing, Iago."

"I mean," Iago continued, walking alongside the host, "I gotta look out for myself."

"Si."

Passing the Nine Dragons Restaurant, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. At the hen of the red tiled roof, a small figure of Prince Min sat, ever watched by a row of animal statues. It served as a traditional warning for would-be tyrants that they would not be tolerated. Behind the fifth creature, a hunched form sat up and held out his thick arm. The frayed edges of his fur coverings flapped in the slight breeze. Silent as the stone forms, the falcon landed on the outstretched wrist. Shan-Yu stroked under his companion's beak before jumping to the ground.

He inspected the bird's wounds, his fingers separating the speckled feathers to look at the bruised skin beneath with the tenderness of a mother examining a lump on her toddler's head. Snarling, he turned his cat-like yellow eyes to a slender figure sitting at a table. An upright menu blocked its face, but not its tall, rounded black turban. "Jafar, your lackey failed."

Jafar held up a skinny finger. "How is the orange chicken? I see it comes with white rice. I'm not a big fan of white rice. Can I replace it with steamed veggies?" He lowered the menu, revealing his maniacal smirk. "Maybe, maybe not. Iago's far cleverer than you give him credit for. " He got up, grabbing his cobra staff before getting close to Shan-Yu's side. He peered down at the falcon. "Your bird's fine. Flap it off, feather-boy."

Shan-Yu's crooked sword grazed the tip of Jafar's beard on its way to his throat. It stopped right at his Adam's apple. "Don't. Insult. My. Bird."

Jafar watched the bits of black hair on their way to the ground. In a curling puff of red smoke, he vanished and reappeared behind the Hun. "And don't think your silly knife can hurt me. Phenomenal cosmic power and all that." He grinned.

"Phenomenal, perhaps," he sheathed his blade, "but not omnipotent." He curled back his lips, showing his sharpened teeth. "If your friend fails, I'll kill him myself. My falcon will have him for lunch. As for you…I've wanted a pair of snake skin boots for a long time." He took hold of the roof's edge and launched himself back up. "I'll rally the troops." He was soon lost among the shadows.

Jafar scoffed. "More knives. Pathetic." With a tap of the staff, he was gone, leaving behind only red smoke.

And the serpent forms in the bushes had seen it all, and took note.

Lady Tremaine exited her carriage, thanked the driver, and continued on down a path that led behind a looming, oddly thin, and slightly curved mountain. Behind it were mechanical rigs and pyrotechnic equipment. She ignored the fireworks cannons and a crane-necked dormant dragon head. Most mortals would have been ecstatic to see behind the scenes of Fantasmic, but it was too much like every day business for her.

She crossed to the middle of the mountain façade to a normally not seen door. With her cane handle, she gave it three loud raps. It opened by itself.

Inside the chamber, blazing torches didn't warm the room. Instead, they cast bizarre, deformed shadows. A rug might have made it a bit more cheery, but the bare stone floors would have lost some character in the process. Besides, they matched the stone walls. Sometimes an armored goblin would bustle past holding a tray of food. Lady Tremaine took the opportunity to trip one. It really was impossible not to with those types. Lucifer had heard the cawing of a bird and greedily searched for it.

From the far right end of the room greeted a familiar voice. "Ah, sister, you finally pay me a visit."

Sweeping up her arms in a grand gesture that flared out her black, purple lined cloak, the evil fairy Maleficent stood up from her throne and stepped down to meet her visitor. They exchanged quick, airy kisses on both cheeks before sitting again. All Tremaine had to do was begin to take a seat where there wasn't one, and a goon brought her a cushioned chair and put it in place before she'd even bent her knees. This was followed by a table set between them, black lace doilies, a china teapot meticulously hand painted with little plump dancing demon babies, two cups, and a matching container of sugar.

Maleficent stirred her cup and took a sip. "Good help is so hard to find these days."

Tremaine rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it."

"I'd go crazy without my Diabolo." The raven perched on his mistress' wrist and bent down to take a drink from her cup.

From between his own mistress' feet, Lucifer hissed at the bird. The raven flew onto his perch by the throne and the cat gave chase. Both women ignored the animals, choosing to let them sort out their problems, each expecting their own pet to win.

"So, what brings you here? Is that princess getting too haughty? That's why I had to leave Disneyland, couldn't bear listening to Phillip and Aurora's singing anymore. Every day, I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream!" She curled her lip. "Can't believe a young woman with half a brain would fall for such a stupid pick-up line."

Lady Tremaine chuckled to herself. Although Maleficent wasn't as closely related to her as Madame Leota was—they not only shared voice actress Eleanor Audley, but artist Marc Davis as well—she got along better with the fairy. True, it could be a little strange having a conversation with someone whose voice was almost identical to yours, and Maleficent did have her quirks, (Tremaine had her theory that she'd enjoyed tying up Phillip in chains a little too much), but there was an understanding between them. Both women had gone into quiet retirement.

"Oh, no," Lady Tremaine shook her head. "Actually, Cinderella is…all right." It was a phrase she'd heard guests say. "She's becoming bolder, more passionate about her role. She's turning into a queen, slowly but surely. I daresay I'm somewhat proud."

"And your daughters?"

She sniffed. "They had their chance. A parent can only do so much."

Maleficent bared her teeth in what could be assumed was a grin. "You surprise me sometimes."

There was a crash somewhere behind them, followed by the sound of animals screeching, then the flapping of wings and the padding of running paws.

"Speaking of surprises…" Lady Tremaine set her cup down in its saucer and placed her hands in her lap. "The Heroes are searching."

The fairy leaned back. Her fingers tightened on the ends of the arm rests. "You mean, for the four objects? The Scroll, the Crown, the Sword, and the Hat."

"The very same."

She frowned and tapped a finger. "So he's loose."

Tremaine's lips tightened and her brows arched. "Hmm? He who?"

Diabolo returned, making sure to land near Maleficent's hand so she'd fawn over him for a bit. Lucifer staggered in from a hallway, wearing a green lampshade on his head.

After giving the raven a few loving strokes, Maleficent said, "What did you think the tools were for?"

Lady Tremaine shifted uncomfortably. She didn't like someone else having details she didn't. "I thought they were for defeating whoever got in the way of saving the World."

"Mainly…" Maleficent took hold of her scepter. She waved her hand over it and the orb began to glow bright green. Inside, there was an image of a man. "He doesn't have a name. Sometimes he isn't even a he." The shadow shrank, its torso cinched, and the hair on its head grew to waist length. "At times, he's a she…" The woman morphed again, becoming what looked like a winged scorpion with a dragon's head. "… or a what." The black shape twisted into new forms, never staying the same for more than a second. Then it spiraled into itself, becoming a speck that blipped out of existence.

Lady Tremaine frowned. "A shape shifter? Is that it?"

"I've already told you too much." Maleficent rested the scepter against the side of her throne. "Jafar stopped by earlier this week. He was rambling on about stopping progress and breaking the heart of Disney." She scoffed. "At the time, I wasn't paying attention. Jafar's mad, and I'm too old and impatient to care about world domination." She stopped to glare at her "sister." "Don't tell anyone I said that or I will kill you."

She smirked and gave a polite bow of her head. "You have my word."

"And I know how rigidly you keep it." Placated, she leaned back and got comfortable. "He didn't mention the items. The other villains are a lot quieter around me than they used to be."

Lucifer was smacking his head against the chair, trying to fling off the lampshade.

"Maleficent, how do you know about this shape shifter, and the prophecy?"

"Ah," the fairy smiled and chuckled deep in her throat. "Let's just say someone's noticed I've been a good girl. It's come with some new responsibilities… A test. I'm on parole, as it were."

Lady Tremaine's eyes widened. "Oh? That's why the others don't trust you."

She nodded. "No one knows the truth, but rumors are floating around." She waved her hand in a vague gesture. "Let them think what they want. There was a time when the most important things to me were being seen and feared. We all know where that got me." She sighed. "I learned life goes on, even after getting stabbed with a magical sword."

Lady Tremaine waited in silence for several seconds. She stared at Maleficent. Maleficent stared at her. Lucifer walked into a wall.

The aristocrat groaned and tugged the lampshade off her cat. "You're not going to tell me anything else about him, are you?"

There was that bared-teeth grin again. "No. And don't think you can trick me into it. I'm not as impulsive as I used to be."

Lady Tremaine tilted her long chin up with a haughty smile. "Oh, really?"

Maleficent narrowed her eyes. "Really."

"Then I suppose you wouldn't mind a little game…" At the mention, a goon ran up, holding out a box. Another one was already clearing off the table.

The two women began setting up the chess board.

Maleficent beamed as if she'd already won, her hands trembling with excitement as she placed her pieces in the squares. "I'll finally beat you this time, sis. Tonight is my night."

"Bye, guys! Thank you!" Liberty waved at Tony and Joe. The chefs waved back from the restaurant's porch. Beside them, Lady and Tramp barked their goodbyes.

"Your spaghetti especial is magnifico." Jake brought his fingertips to his lips, loudly kissed them, and then gestured out towards the cooks.

"You just flipped them off."

He shot the redhead a panicked look.

She laughed and ruffled his hair. "Teasing! Sorry."

He grinned and tried to flatten his lumpy locks. Maybe if the two of them had been alone, he would have risked scooting a meatball towards her with his nose. A shared strand of pasta was too much to hope for. Of course, any move like that was pointless because he'd kept his thoughts to himself.

Frankie, hands in her hoodie pocket, made a beeline for Liberty's side. Then she jabbed an elbow into her ribs. "You're doing it again," she hissed.

"Ow." Liberty rubbed the sore spot. "That really hurt. I'll talk to him later, okay?" She glared at her. "When we're not crowded. It's kind of personal, princess."

"I know." She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. It's just, I've known you guys for a few months now, and you've been so sweet to me. I figure the best way to repay you is to force you to get over your shyness."

Liberty slowly blinked at her, her lips in a slack line, her brows high up on her forehead.

"Yeah, you're fine in the 'no shyness' department. I meant to say, 'Get over yourself.'" She grinned.

She stuck out the tip of her tongue. "Grand quests make you mean, Francine Torres."

Frankie continued to smile and spun on the toes of one foot like a ballerina. "Lighten up, Libby. Doesn't being out here like this, being a part of the magic, doesn't it make you feel free?"

"It makes me tired, scared, and question my sanity."

Isaac zipped up his backpack and slung it on. There was the crinkle of tightly wrapped little packages and the crackle of plastic bottles colliding. "Got enough Paninis here to last us a week." When he met the others at the entrance to Main Street, he looked around expectantly. Then he did a complete turnaround, twirling on his heel. There was a few seconds of quiet. "You guys are expecting something like a magical pumpkin carriage, too, right? It's not just me?"

"I know my dogs are still barking," said Jake. "Lib and I walked here, and I'm guessing you guys did, too." Isaac and Frankie nodded. "We've earned a ride, haven't we? We're not really going to walk all the way to Epcot?"

Frankie pointed at the glowing form of Cinderella's Castle. "Maybe we could ask the Representatives… But they've got to be dealing with a lot already. I don't want to bug them."

Liberty looked over at the signs for the ferry boat and the monorails. Her pinched lips twitched up, and then she shook her head at a mental query. "Travel's probably going to be one of those, 'figure it out yourselves,' things. The ferry could get us to the Transportation and Ticket Center, but we'd have to take the monorail from there. It goes too close to the roads, though. We might be seen. Plus, any of you guys know how to drive one?"

Jake thumbed his shirt collar. "Can't be much different from a boat, right?" He was answered with looks of unease from the others. "Yeah, maybe that is a bad idea. Let's improvise." He turned around and gazed down the street, hands on his hips.

"There are an awful lot of ride vehicles," Liberty suggested. "We just need something quiet and fast."

Frankie clapped. "I know what mine's going to be!"

Giving the rocket's joystick a nudge, Isaac zipped past Jake and to the head of the group. "This is so much better than going in circles!" The Astro Orbiter's glow in the dark paint made stealthy zooming through the trees tricky, but he managed to get away with a few high leaps and drops. So far, no vehicles had gone past, and they'd found heavily wooded areas to travel through.

Liberty, astride Dumbo's back, was higher than the rocket, needing more space for the elephant's ear span. "Far be it for me to mention the elephant in the room—"

"Ha!"

"But how did you manage to separate one of those from its arm?"

"Stitch helped."

"Yeah, I was afraid of that."

The magic Carpet swooped over both of them, its golden tassels flapping. Frankie gripped the front and leaned over. "Hey, look at me!" She sat up on her knees and spread out her arms. "A whole new world!" She giggled at her own joke. "I've always wanted to do that."

The only earthbound member of the group was Jake. He was riding Tony, the Jungle Cruise's Bengal tiger who'd saved them when they got into the Magic Kingdom. He leaned down towards Tony's ear. "They think they're so great just because they can fly. C'mon, let's show 'em what this big cat can do. Hyah!" The tiger roared and picked up his speed, running with the power and agility of any beast made of flesh and bone.

Dumbo let out a squeaky trumpet. "Easy, buddy." Liberty rubbed his head. "That tiger's not going to get you." A white sphere came into view and right away she knew it was Spaceship Earth. It wasn't a hard guess, though. Geodesic domes that towered 180 feet tall weren't exactly common in Central Florida. They were coming up on the east side of Epcot, if she judged the identities of the closer buildings correctly. "Heads-up," Liberty called out. "God's golf ball straight ahead."

Liberty, Frankie, and Isaac easily landed inside the park. Jake had to leave Tony a short distance behind and catch a quick ride on Carpet, but he was sure to give the old cat a big hug before doing so. The Cast Members waved good-bye to their transport before the animals, rug, and rocket, headed back for The Magic Kingdom.

They all turned and stared up at Spaceship Earth, watching it gleam in the moonlight. Future World Central, Future World East, Future World West, and World Showcase were all potential hiding spots, not only for the Crown of the Princess, but for new enemies as well.

The Magic Kingdom was just the beginning.

A/N: Already, this fic is outdated with the update of Hall of Presidents. I'm wondering if I should overhaul Liberty's intro, but that means making a lot of changes elsewhere. Poopie.

Thanks to everyone for their patience and understanding. You people are the reason I keep plugging away at this. Through your comments and reviews, you guys let me know I'm doing something that is entertaining people. What a big, happy rush for me! I really love the con crit style comments I've been getting, too, either through reviews or private message. That lets me know that my story is attracting intelligent, thoughtful readers. To me, that's the biggest compliment I can get. Plus, one can never overlook editorial comments that can help the story. When you tell me, "This is good…This is good…But this sucks here…" I know what I need to focus on, and it is immensely appreciated. If, for some dumb reason it slips my mind to reply to a note or a review, please know I do appreciate it. I'm sometimes a scatterbrain and I don't mean to brush your remark aside intentionally.

Thank you.

P. S. Not to sound egotistical or needy, but is anyone out there interested in doing any sketches or illustrations for this? I can't draw, but I would love to see how others imagine the characters and situations! You don't even need to ask my permission; just draw anything from the story you'd like and let me know so I can see it. I've got a Deviant Art account, so feel free to share on there. Okay, I'm done attention whoring…Carry on.