"On your right!"

Ali briefly glanced over her shoulder before she started firing shots in the general direction of the monsters. Some beams hit the monsters head on, and other's were way off. She sighed in annoyance but didn't let it get to her. She was flying at about thirty miles an hour through downtown Magix, after all, and she had to be sure not to hit Alec, who was following her on a motorcycle he'd…borrowed.

Most of the civilians had fled as soon as the creatures started to show up, but she'd seen a few who weren't so lucky. A knot in her stomach twisted, and she prayed that the Army of Decay was only in Magix. If they'd gone to Earth, if they'd found her family…she could almost picture her little brother scared out of his mind as they busted though the windows in the game room, the stunned look on Melissa's face as they came into her dorm at the college, ready to strike. What would her parents think, if they knew their own daughter was responsible for the death of so many lives across the universe?

"Alison!"

She was shaken out of her memories by the feeling of something heavy latching onto her leg. Her skin starting crawling as she whipped her hair around to look at whatever it was, her worst fears confirmed when she saw a Shadow Monster. She fired a blast at it, but the dark energy seemed to make it grow even larger.

"Get off me, you little creep!"

It make a clicking sound in response, and almost seemed to smirk as the face of the creature melted away, leaving what looked like a dark brown blob on her leg.

Alec lowered the speed of his bike, and Ali flew down so she was next to him. "We need a plan!" she yelled over the loud wind that seemed to come with the monsters.

"There's a branch of old catacombs running under the city. If I remember correctly there's one from the hidden Red Fountain base to the courthouse. Assuming Icy doesn't know about it, we could use it to get in there."

Ali nodded. "I like it. So where do we go from here –"

She stopped short as a jarring pain swept through her leg. It felt like someone was pouring acid on it, the flesh slowly melting off. Her wings stopped working, and she crashed to the ground, skidding on the concrete. The girl barely managed to lift her head and glance down at her leg. The dark mass of what she thought was a dead Shadow monster was bubbling, a sizzling sound coming from it. After a moment the sound increased, and the pain was suddenly much more intense.

She screamed, the woozy feeling of magic draining from her system coming over her like a wave. Her fairy form flickered before it dissipated, leaving the creature to start eating through her clothes.

"Hold still!" before she could protest, Alec had a bright white sword in his hand, and was holding her leg still. He quickly and accurately ran the blade parallel to her leg, slicing the creature. There was an inhuman scream from it, and it faded into dust.

Ali took a few uneven breaths, too fearful to look at her leg. "What…what was that?"

"A Phantom Blade made from the light of Solaria and blessed by Arcadia. It's poisonous to them."

"Great," she gulped, feeling her stomach churning. "How bad is my leg?"

"…It could be worse. How do you feel?"

"Like I'm going to be sick." She tried to will herself back into her fairy form, but it wasn't working. "I think that thing drained my powers."

Alec nodded. "These guys are a lot more advanced than when Icy summoned them seventeen years ago."

"How so?"

"Probes were sent into their realm, and Red Fountain has been studying them closely. That's how I knew that sword would hurt them." He carefully manipulated Alison into his arms and stood, as though she didn't weigh anything. "It used to be the only way to kill these guys was by defeating the person who had control over it."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "So…they've adapted a weakness?"

"Partially. It's the idea of them latching on to a person and draining their powers that worries me." Alison continued to give him a confused look, and with a sigh he continued. "Theoretically, if they can drain magical energy, they can drain other forms of it too. Life forces."

Her eyes widened. "So…those things can kill us?"

"They won't kill you. But they will replace your life force with theirs. That includes DNA, brain patterns…they'll convert you into a creature like them."

"So all those people we saw –" she stopped midsentence, feeling bile rise in the back of her throat.

Alec smiled sadly. "Don't get sick on me now."

"I'm fine," she shot back, though her voice sounded like she was anything but.

"Sure you are." If Alec wanted to make a snide comment, he held off on it, helping get Alison onto the motorcycle. He climbed on in front of her. "Hang on tight. It'll take us about ten minutes to get there."

Weakly, she wrapped her arms around him. "And when we do get there?"

"Hopefully you'll feel well enough to start mixing that potion. Tori should radio me the final ingredient soon."

"And if she doesn't?"

Alec sighed and patted her hand. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"You'll need to take a right up here," Baltor said, his eyes focused on the blueprints in his hands. The old hallways they were in were dim and covered with cobwebs from the decades of disuse. "According to the files March took from the front desk, Lia's in room 403."

Valen glanced around the area, chills racing down his spine. "What were these old hallways used for?"

"The staff of the hospital mostly. This place was reserved for royalty and members of the Eraklyon court only. Besides doctors, the nurses and workers were just middle class. They weren't allowed around the royals."

"That sounds stupid."

"Hmm," his father agreed. "Most Eraklyon laws are."

"I wonder who we can blame for that."

Baltor sighed as they took the appropriate turn. "It's not completely Sky's fault. Most of these laws were in place before his parents were even born, and Eraklyon loves to flaunt their old rules in the face of the dimension."

"Can't they be changed?"

"Not without approval from the court." March said. "And that would never happen in a million years."

"Yes. But we have other matters to worry about." Baltor had come to a stop in front of what looked like a door. There was a number above it, but it was too faded to make anything out. "This should be the door."

Valen took a deep breath. "No use hiding out here like cowards."

With that, he pushed on it, and it opened it with a small creak.

The room they'd been dropped off in looked like a typical hospital room on Earth. There were dull colored walls, a small TV, a few chairs, and in the center of the room, a bed with a person resting in, eyes fixed dully on the closed window. Monitors of all shapes and sizes were around her, making various beeping noises and showing lines jumping up and down.

Lia's gaze slowly came to rest on Baltor, her face devoid of both makeup and emotion. "Well what a surprise." Unlike Icy's voice, Lia's was still strong, with a trace of sarcasm.

Tori raised an eyebrow. "Your records say you're on life support."

Her gaze shifted to the young girl, and she held up a trembling arm, which was covered in skintight black fabric. "Welcome to the modern world, love. These are the newest forms of 'life support' from Zenith. Metal plates in the chest contract and relax so you breathe, it's hooked up to the machines wirelessly, and will restart your heart if necessary."

Valen huffed. "Pretty nice digs for a prisoner."

"Hmm. Well if you've heard anything from Sky, you know he doesn't plan to keep me alive for long. Now," with some difficulty, she sat up in the bed. "As sweet as it would be if you came to give your final goodbyes…I'm assuming there's another reason."

Baltor nodded. "And you know what it is. The final ingredient of the reversal for the hypnosis."

"It also wouldn't hurt if you told us where Icy's planning to launch this spell in Magix, either." March added.

"And just so you know, we aren't in the mood for games."

"Hmm, yes; your precarious little situation is far less than amusing," Lia agreed dully, examining her nails. Tori watched as a slow smirk spread across her face, guile seeping out of her and taking over the space around them. She still wasn't to be trusted; that much was obvious. "However, I doubt I can be of much service."

"Are you deaf? We need the final ingredient in the potion to tell Alison."

With that comment, Lia's eyes widened. "Alison? She's –" as abruptly as she started talking, she stopped, her face returning to its neutral expression. "What makes you think Alison can get the potion to Bloom in time."

"She's on our side now," Valen said, his voice hard. "She's not your little servant anymore."

A familiar smirk spread across her face, her eyes turning to Baltor. "What is it with your bloodline falling in love with women who'll never love them back?"

"What is it with you and not giving straight answers?"

Lia laughed. "Please. You taught me that when I was a child. You of all people should know that, Baltor. You were over at the house every day talking to my father. My mother thought you were charming; I idolized you. And we always thought you cared in returned. Look how well that turned out."

The childrens' gaze fell to Baltor, who for once looked a bit pained. "I care about you Lia – I always have. But I can't help but think that part of you is dead, killed off by the very thing that killed Archimedes. And if I can stop it from taking over what might be left of you, I'll damn well try."

She huffed. "Please. You don't know anything about me anymore."

"Just give it up Lia!" Tori finally snapped. "We know your plan, you're going to die, and Alison's on our side. The game's over. You tell us what we need to know, and everyone goes home."

Tori wasn't surprised she was completely ignored. Instead, the woman remained focused on Baltor. "You know," she said softly, staring at Baltor. "A little bird told me an odd thing a few days ago." A small, cold smirk crossed her face. "'The noble will die for what is right.'"

March's eyes widened, and a moment later his face darkened. Tori placed a hand on his shoulder, silently asking for an explanation. He sighed. "The macaw in my house – the bird that you said conned you? That's his favorite phrase."

"I'm assuming you didn't buy him in a pet store," Baltor remarked dully, his eyes on Lia. Tori could tell he was deep in thought over something, but she didn't know what.

March shook his head. "He just showed up on our windowsill one day. It's a common occurrence on Limphea, and there are certain species of birds that learn how to talk without human training; we assumed he was one of those cases. But now I'm assuming," he continued, his eyes narrowing at Lia. "It was a present from you."

"That's how you knew we were going to Magix that first night, wasn't it?" Tori asked.

Lia's smirk widened. "How else? The Brotherhood had tabs on all of you for a very long time. We had the bird, we had Alison, media references on Eraklyon, and the knowledge Baltor was Earth. All fantastic deals; even the bird. Got him from a old fortune teller lady; swore the little creature could see the future."

Baltor shook his head. "I'm not surprised."

She smirked. "Were you ever with me?"

He gave her a deathly look. "If you hurt her – if you hurt any of them –"

"You'll have me head? A fate worse than death? Throw me into Shadowhaunt? You must realize how little a threat like that can mean to a girl with dark energy in her veins." she scoffed. "Please. You must have better threats than that."

March practically growled. "Fine. What about this one; we have someone on call on Zenith, just waiting to make this thing public to the entire magical universe. Solaria and Eraklyon send reinforcements to Magix, and we squash your little army like the bug it is. Eraklyon keeps you alive, and you get tried under acts of terrorism and affiliation with the Trix. You're found guilty, get your powers stripped, and go to jail for the rest of your life."

"Do you really think the media will stop us? Or the supposedly great 'royal court'?" Lia chuckled darkly. "You all place such high hopes in velvet ropes, when the people who're in there need the most help. When they're out of the way, they'll make room for a new order. A better one."

"Better?" Baltor scoffed. "Oh please; the entire universe is in danger, Lia. Think about this; you swore your loyalty to the Trix and the Brotherhood of Redemption, and this is how they repay you? They're leaving you here to rot. Now is that really fair?" she didn't say anything, so Baltor pushed on. "This is a chance to help fix what you've done; to make things right."

Tori though her father was on a roll, but after a glance at the blonde woman on the hospital bed she saw he went too far. Lia's eyes were narrowed to a deathly glare. "You dare think this is my fault, when you're equally to blame?" she spat.

"I didn't kidnap Bloom or try to murder my own children in a pathetic attempt to avenge your father. That was your own doing. I had nothing to do with it."

"You had everything to do with it! If you'd just left well enough alone, none of this would be happening! If you hadn't insisted my mother leave, my father's drive to unlock the dark Dragon Flame would've blown over with time. He wouldn't have become Lord Darkar, the Trix would've stayed in Light Rock, you wouldn't have broken out of the Omega Dimension, and Bloom would've never had to worry about things like this!"

Baltor fell silent, obviously seething with anger. Lia didn't seem to notice, or if she did chose to ignore it. "When I look at you Baltor, do you know what I see? I see the treacherous seducer of young women. I can mark the rankings of jealously and unrequited love attempted to be hid because of what you've done. I see the workings of battle, pestilence, and tyranny. I see the world falling apart outside this room, and I know that you are responsible for it because you don't know how to stop wanting. And look what it's caused."

Tori squeezed her eyes shut tightly and bit her lip, mentally cringing at the explosion that was sure to come from her father. But she only heard silence. After a moment she opened one eye and glanced at him.

Her father's jaw was still clenched, his hands balled into fists at his sides. In fact, the only real difference in him were his eyes. They looked so… pained. Tori could suddenly see so many different emotions swimming in those gold eyes; anger, denial, sadness, guilt. She couldn't imagine holding that in for so long.

It seemed like hours before Baltor spoke again, and when he did, his voice was cold and painful. "You think I don't know that? You think I haven't realized that if I'd let Bloom go all those years ago she'd have been happy? And I don't blame myself?" He gave a low chuckle. "Well, perhaps I've finally met someone who has a lower opinion of me than I do."

Tori and Valen exchanged a look.

"But it's too late to wallow in self pity and 'what ifs' now," he continued. Something in the voice seemed to be getting stronger. "Because right now the whole universe is in danger because you don't know how to control your anger. And you involved people I care about, and I'm not okay with it. So let me ask you this; are you going to allow yourself to die nameless and let the world fall to hell, or are you going to suck it up and finally take responsibility for what you've done?"

She just stared at him.

Baltor rolled his eyes, and turned away from her, heading back to the entrance of the passageway. "She obviously won't help us."

Valen raised an eyebrow. "Then what to we do?"

"Radio Alison. Tell her to make a scientifically wild-ass guess. We've got bigger issues to worry about now. If we can –"

"Wait."

Lia's voice surprised them. Baltor raised an eyebrow and glanced back at her. "What?"

She grit her teeth, and reached out to open the drawer on the nightstand next to the bed. She rummaged around for a moment, and pulled out a clear glass vial. There was a purplish gas in it that swirled into numerous shapes. "Here."

With purposely slow steps, Baltor walked back to Lia's bedside, taking the container from her hands. "What is it?"

"Popularis Pop."

Baltor had been holding the vial close to his face, examining the contents. When Lia identified it, he jerked back as though he'd been stung. "Are you out of your mind, carrying this stuff around like that? Never mind putting it in a spell?"

"Like what?" Tori asked. "What's Popularis Pop?"

A familiar smirk crossed Lia's face. "There's a form of it on Earth…ecstasy might be the name of it. It was brought to the dimension on years ago, and people starting experimenting on it with some…interesting results."

Valen raised an eyebrow. "Is it still a hallucinogenic?"

"Oh you hallucinate all right. But on a much more…personal level."

"We aren't here for a history lesson," Tori said. "What does it do?"

Lia rolled her eyes. "You want me to be blunt? Fine; that is pretty much uncontrollable sex in a bottle. You inhale a little bit of the fumes and you're ancient history. Completely inner pleasure."

Tori's eyes widened. "So...it's like a pheromone or something?"

"But about a thousand times stronger," Baltor said. His thumb was pressed against the cork of the vial, as though hoping to keep the gases there. "Even a faint whiff of this stuff can put you in a haze for hours. And it's very easy to overdose on. A bottle this size, for example, could probably kill us all, plus a few."

March was nodding. "They use it as more of a date rape drug. As well as a good suicide option."

The blond woman merely shrugged. "Who wants to die in pain?"

"But why use it in a hypnosis spell?"

"Because it's strong magic. Having that introduced into a person's body jumpstarts a lot of different nerves and functions very quickly. The brain suddenly has to focus completely on getting your libido under control. And; pop! The hypnosis spell flips off like a switch."

Baltor glared at her. "That's suicide."

"Precisely why it's there. Don't worry, it isn't needed in the initial mixture for the cure. It can be given at any time after and it will undo the spell. But I would hurry," Lia continued, glancing at the clock on the wall. "You only have three hours until Icy launches the spell from the top of the Magix City Center."

Everyone glanced at each other. "What about you?" Valen asked after a moment, eyeing the monitors next to her. "What's going to happen to you when Icy finds out you sold her out?"

For what may have been the first time, Lia smiled. "It's a bit late for me Valentine. Whether it be Icy or my own body, I'm fairly sure something will send me to grave tonight."

The sound of footsteps echoed from down the hall. Tori could hear the voices of the two guards, along with an unfamiliar one talking about orders he'd received from the palace. Lia's face darkened, and she quickly fell back against the pillows. "Go," she hissed, casting a look in the direction of the noise.

"But we –"

"You have what you came for! Now go!"

"They're coming to kill you, aren't they?" Tori asked, her voice a lot stronger than how she felt. "Orders from the palace; that's Sky?"

For a moment, the calm composure on her face fell, and Tori saw a terrified young woman where Lia once stood. She cast a long look at Baltor, as though communicating something to him. "Get out while you've got a chance."

Whatever it was, he understood. "You heard her," Baltor said. His voice was oddly calm as he approached Lia's bedside. "We've got to get to Magix as soon as possible. Start heading back through the tunnels."

Valen raised an eyebrow. "What about…"

"I'll join you shortly."

Tori glanced from her father to her brother. "Dad, are you sure?"

"Positive darling." He replied, taking Lia's hand. Whatever he was planning, he didn't want her to know.

She turned to March, who merely shrugged. "It'll take some energy to get a portal working. Care to help me out, guys?"

Nobody objected.

They went back into the tunnels, leaving the door open just a crack so Baltor could get back. Just as they were about to round the corner, March placed a hand on Tori's shoulder, stopping them both. "I'm sure Valen and I can handle it," he said, giving her a wink. "Find out what's up."

Tori grinned and hugged him. "You're the best, March." She whispered before turning back around.

When she got back to the end of the route, she peered through the small slit between the door and the wall, focusing and refocusing her eyes until they came to rest on the bed. The sound of footsteps was still far off, and seemed even further when she saw what was happing in front of her.

Lia was clutching Baltor's hand, her face twisted in an odd look of pain and pleasure. She was gasping, but obviously trying to make as little noise as possible. Next to her, Tori's father looked oddly calm, using his free hand to stroke her hair. "Just breathe," he was saying softly. "It's going to be all right, Lia…you're all right…"

The young girl watched in shock as he brought his hand close to her face, keeping it steady near her mouth. She could just see the vial of Popularis Pop in his hand. Glancing at the small table beside the bed, she saw the cork resting there, the bottom of it stained purple.

Who would want to die in pain?

Tori said a silent prayer and went back down the tunnel. She got halfway around the corner before she heard the monitors start beeping.

"Alec?"

"…Yeah?"

"Do you get the feeling there's something seriously wrong here?"

Alec glanced around the lobby of the courthouse, though it didn't seem to make his vision any better. The entire floor, and the people, were drenched in a purple light. It was as though someone had poured a pitcher of grape juice all over the place. "Yeah…" Alec repeated, blinking rapidly to see if it would help clear his vision.

It didn't.

"It might be part of Icy's hypnosis spell."

"What? It doesn't dig any color that isn't purple?"

Ali hit the side of his head. Despite her leg being in a good amount of pain (Alec had offered her some morphine, but she'd stubbornly denied it; Mom, why did you have to be a drug-hating, hippie-loving pharmacist?), she felt relatively alright. "I mean, she may just have direct control of the building, to make sure Bloom and Sky don't get in her way."

Alec was quiet for a moment. "That makes sense."

"No shit –"

"No shit, Sherlock, I know." Alec rolled his eyes and headed for the stairwell. "What is it with you California girls saying that? What, did you inhale so much marijuana smoke that's the only sarcastic comeback you know?"

"We don't all smoke pot!" Alison called, slightly defensive as she raced to catch up with him. "Just like every royal on Eraklyon isn't a greedy, self-centered douche bag."

He smirked as they started climbing stairs to the next floor. "It's nice to know your opinion of me has improved since the first time we met."

Ali shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. "You aren't bad. Especially since you have to put up with people like your father."

"Hmm…" he agreed. They reached the top of the stairs and entered the second floor, everything in their line of sight still a deep purple. "Why isn't this effecting us?"

"Because we entered the area after the spell was placed. It's specific to the elements in the building right here, right now."

"So what'll happen when we change the 'properties' of Bloom when we give her the anti-potion?"

"Hopefully the building will release her. But as for the kind of shape she'll be in with two different though patterns fighting in her head…that's a mystery."

The device in Alec's ear beeped. "You guys there?"

Alison nodded. "We're here, Valen. What's up?"

"We've got the final ingredients. Some kind of drug called Popularis Pop."

The two exchanged a glance. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. We've got a huge sample."

"How huge?" Alec asked. "That stuff is rare."

"Well, we still have a deadly dose, and considering Baltor just used it to kill Lia, I'm thinking it's the real deal."

Ali stopped dead in her tracks. "Lia's dead?"

"Like a doornail." Tori's voice was the only noise on the line. "I think she sort of asked Dad to do it. They were about to take her off life support anyway. She had major internal problems." There was a pause. "I'm sorry, Ali. I mean, if she meant anything –"

"No, no. I'm just…surprised. She survived a lot."

"I'm sure."

The blonde girl shook her head. "Oh well. It's the past now. How far back are you guys?"

"We took your advice and landed in the Red Fountain base. We're just coming up on the entrance now."

"Fair warning," Alec said, looking around in disgust. "This place is a pretty horrifying sight. Icy's keeping everyone here under lock and key."

"Big surprise," March chuckled humorlessly. "Have you found Bloom yet?"

They rounded a corner, where a hoard of monochromatic paparazzi stood outside the door, obviously waiting for something. Alec smirked. "Just did. Second floor, room…11A."

"Got it. Be there in a few minutes. And remember; go ahead and give the dose; we need to wait for the spell to enter Mom's system before we give her the Popularis Pop."

"We'll remember. Over and out." Alec took the earpiece from his ear, catching sight of Alison giving him an odd look. He shrugged. "What's wrong with saying 'over and out?'"

She laughed. "Nothing, nothing. Come on; let's go."

It seemed that anyone under the spell was unable to see those unaffected. So when Alec opened the door to the room, not one of the paparazzi looked up at them. They exchanged a glance and shrugged, propping the door open so the others could find them.

The voices in the room were muffled, though Alec could clearly see the outline of his father, Bloom, and a man who he assumed was the priest right in front of them. It was like they were in a different universe looking in on them; a ghost almost.

Ali obviously didn't find it as fascinating as Alec did. "Give me the syringe," she instructed, heading towards Bloom and cautiously placing a hand on her shoulder. The older woman didn't react.

Alec took the shot from his back pocket, uncapped the needle, and handed it to her. "Just for the record," he asked, casting a look to his father, "worst-case scenario in this is…"

"The magic Icy's using and the anti-magic I'm giving her react in a third world war inside her body, tearing her apart from the inside out until Baltor gives her the drug or she dies."

He gulped. "Best case scenario?"

"She wakes up perfectly fine and remembers everything."

"And how likely is that?"

"Hey, it's not like I'm all calm about this either!"

Alec held his hands up in defense. "Sorry, sorry. Go ahead."

Ali rolled her eyes at him and took a deep breath, even though she knew she wasn't the one who'd be needing it. She waited until she saw Bloom take a deep breath, then eased the needle into her arm and depressed the plunger. She held it for a few seconds before she pulled it out, breaking the needle off on a nearby table. She put the syringe down and gripped Alec's hand tightly, her eyes trained on Bloom.

At first, it seemed like nothing happened. Then, ever so slowly, Bloom stopped moving. Ali could see Sky's eyebrows knitting in confusion, and watched as his lips started to form a phrase. Is everything…

Bloom doubled over, her mouth wide and her eyes shut tightly. A muffled little whine turned into an agonizing scream as they layer of purple…whatever it was, melted off her, exposing her face, then her shoulders, her legs, until she was life-like and colored. Her spaghetti strap, white dress stood out in contrast to the dark purple surroundings of the room.

Alison rushed over to her, gripping the woman's shoulders tightly. "Bloom?" she said hurriedly, and was relieved when she shivered at the contact. "Can you hear me?"

She screamed again, the sound just as agonizing as the first. Bloom reached out and gripped Ali's forearm, her face tight. "Get it out," she whispered, her voice small and pained and broken. "Get it out of me."

The young girl bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. "It's alright. It won't be too much longer…"

"Get it out of me now! Before it…" she trailed off and screamed again.

Alec looked like a deer caught in headlights. "What's happening?"

"Worst case scenario. The two element are fighting for control of her body and mind."

"Well how do we make yours win?"

"We need the Popularis Pop!" Alison put a free hand to her ear, trying to block out the ragged screams. "You have to radio them and see how far away they are!"

"It's not necessary."

Two heads jerked toward the doorway. Though Alison knew it wasn't wise to let go of Bloom now – as well as restore false hope to a relationship that would probably never be – she rushed forward in Valen's arms, her composure already faltering. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tori hugging Alec tightly as well. Apparently she wasn't the only one who though they wouldn't make it this far alive. Her eyes fell to the final member of the party, who was, much to her surprise, looking at her as though she was the girl with the plan.

"What do we need to do?" Baltor asked.

Ba-bum-bum!

So…yeah (I always post these things so late, I never have any author's note inspiration)! This chapter defiantly gave me a hard time, especially with that bit at the end. But hopefully, it was well worth it.

First off, hats off to all those who sent me guesses for the little foreshadowing contest last chapter. No one actually got it (one was very close!), which is a bummer, but maybe that means you'll be even more surprised when it happens! …Or want to kill me. Either way.

And lastly…the reviewing. I'll be honest, guys;

When you don't review this chapter, you feel guilty. When you feel guilty, you try to forget about it. When you try to forget about it, you go shopping at overpriced malls. When you go shopping at overpriced malls, you look for sales. When you look for sales, you get discouraged. When you get discouraged, you go to GameStop. When you go to GameStop, you buy Skyrim. When you play Skyrim, you take an arrow to the knee. Don't take an arrow to the knee. Review the chapter, before the story is over.

…I hope someone finds that as clever as I did…

ember