Well, Chapter nine, here we go!

It took about fifteen minutes to loose the car, thanks to some suggestions by the computer.

That done, we pulled in to get some petrol. Gasoline. Whatever you want to call it. I got a few bottles of water (I was semi-surprised to find Evian) and a tube of Wine Gums and a block of Green & Blacks white chocolate. Hey, I may be serious a lot of the time, but even I have a few childish streaks.

As we were walking back, Destiny asked me something, which startled me. "How 'bout I drive?"

"You have your license?"

"Well, duh. I'm sixteen." She pulled out her wallet and flashed the card. "What sixteen-year-old doesn't have a license? Besides you, of course."

I was about to tell her that were I'm from you can only take the practical driving test at eighteen or above, but decided to stick with a slight glare. The theory test should have waited another year, but never the less, the examiners (or whatever they're called) seemed impressed.

Destiny giggled lightly and climbed in, while I took the passenger seat. "Is this safe?"

"Oh, come on. I rode with you and you don't have a license! Trust me." We locked eyes briefly, then I leaned back in my seat, quickly adjusting my blindfold so I didn't have to experience the driving. Frankly, there are better people for the passenger seat than me. "On we go." She murmured and started the engine.

And we were off.

We were driving along the road, Destiny calm while I sat back, somehow seeing through my blindfold as if it wasn't there.

Suddenly, there was a screech of tires, and I looked ahead to see a large truck (the warning sign on the back reading 'Danger! Italian cheeses!') starting to skid, various cheeses falling as it fell. I started yelling out the names of them.

"Grana Padano! Marscapone! Taleggio! Gorgonzola! Caciocavallo! Asiago! Burrini! Ricotta!"

The last of these splattered across the windshield, and the wipers automatically turned on, wiping the plexiglass clear.

"GRUVIERA!"

This last cheese hit us, causing the car to stop outside some mansion. My eyes widened and I ran out, running for the front doors. I threw them open and shouted...

An explosion woke me. "Colonel Mustard in the Dining Room with a Swiss-cheese knife!" I looked to see Destiny looking at me, giving me one of her numerous Looks. I calmed down at the sight of it."What was that?"

"Just one of these. My friend made them for me." She pulled something out of her string bag and passed me it. "The contents are like goo. It sticks to whatever you throw it at, and then explodes. You start the timer by twisting it. Don't do it right now, though."

"What were you throwing at?"

"Look behind you." I did.

"Do you have anything else in there?"

"Um…" She tossed me her bag. "You dig around. Don't press any buttons." After a few seconds of 'digging around', I grabbed something that felt like a handle. "What did you press?"

"It was an accident! It looked like a handhold!" She glaced at what I'd pulled out, grinning. "Throw it at them." After a few seconds, there was nothing but smoke behind us.

"A smoke bomb?"

"A giant smoke bomb. And yeah. The 'handhold' is how you set it off."

"Did you friend make that too?" She nodded. "He sounds talented."

"She. And indeed she is." She wouldn't stop smiling. "And you can see the town now." I looked ahead and was silent as I studied. It was beautiful.

Inspiration Point looked to be a moderately-sized town. It seemed peaceful, with no traffic or screeching, or even sirens wailing. As soon as we drove in, I saw the artwork. On all the old buildings and alleyways was graffiti. But it wasn't the typical, ugly sort. It was beautiful works of art, like Banksy and Van Gogh mixed together.

Old buildings, typically abandoned, were covered floor to roof in art. Amazing landscape designs made the nature of the town a masterpiece. And it was filled with bookshops and libraries.

I noticed several old bookshops I would definitely be visiting if we got any free time. Suddenly, I felt glad I always take too much money on trips.

"What do you think?"

"…This is where you grew up?"

"Yep."

"Wow."

Eventually, we arrived at a small house, dark green and wooden. Destiny parked the car and got out. "We're here."

"This is your friend's house?"

"Uh-huh."

"Should we go in?"

Destiny walked up and rang the bell. I waited a little behind. After a couple of minutes, a woman in her mid-twenties appeared.

"Destiny?" She had long, glossy raven hair and ocean blue eyes and a a face which you made you believe a bad thought never crossed her mind.

"This is your friend?" The woman turned to me, Destiny looking slightly annoyed as she followed suit.

"No, Hawk. This is her older sister, Gaia. Gaia, this is Hawk. My friend."

"Pleasure to meet you." Gaia said in her voice soft. "And as for you, what are you doing here? It's been over a year since—"

"Yes, I know. We need to see Pandora. Is she out back?"

"As always. Come on through."

We walked through the house briefly. I glanced around the house, noting little details. Frankly it was a sort of house I would like to live in.

And then we went out to the backyard. Out there was a makeshift workshop. And bent over a small table was a girl.

She was about our age, with slightly darker skin than Destiny's and raven hair, similar to Gaia's, held out of her face by an oil-stained white bandanna. Destiny walked up to her and tapped her shoulder. She jumped and turned. And then pushed the dark goggles over her eyes onto her head.

"Destiny?" She had a slight accent, and her eyes were bright blue. She had black work gloves on her hands, and was a bit messy.

"Pandora. It's so great to see you."

"What are you doing here? You don't come thirteen and a half hours just to chat. Did you break your sword?"

"No. No, not at all. But you can check it again if you'd like."

She pulled out its case as Pandora pulled her goggles back down and took the sword. "Hm. There's a crack over here. It wasn't there before."

Must have been Savixan, or maybe Xager... "Yeah. Can you patch that?"

"It's simple enough." She set the light-sword back on the table, and turned back. "Who's your friend?"

"Pandora, this is Hawk, one of my author friends. Hawk, this is Pandora, an artist, and weapon-maker." I shook her hand, and Pandora glanced over me shoulder.

"That's quite the sword you have."

"You can see it?" I was surprised

She tapped her goggles. "These let us see through enchantments that would otherwise obscure the weapon, such as the invisibility spell on yours, and the light on Destiny's. Can I see it?" I reached back over my shoulder and pulled out my sword. I call it Wingblade. The sword itself is really just an intricate frame, practically covered with small, black, metallic feathers which could be plucked and thrown. The handle is off center, which helped me wield it backhanded, and had a bar curving from the base of the handle to the top, where the small guard rested. Where the framework met the handle, out of sight, were many tiny shards of jet and shadow crystal. The entire thing was coloured black.

While Destiny jumped at its appearance, Pandora looked like a kid in the candy store. "Amazing!" She looked over it.

I felt somewhat uneasy. I rarely even took out the sword, save for fighting and maintenance. Thankfully, the frame had a small enchantment, growing back new feathers when they were lost, but other than that, it did nothing.

She handed it back. "Whoever made it is a master!" It went straight into the scabbard as I felt a pang of sadness.

Destiny suddenly butted in. "Pandora, we came to talk to you about the book you wrote."

"The one about swapping?" Destiny nodded. "Technically, I just organized it. It's all your sister's notes." Pandora had started to work on Destiny's sword.

"Sister?" Destiny and I asked. I didn't know Destiny even had a sister.

"Envy Greene. You know, world-famous psychologist and author, had a few billion dollars stored up and left her entire estate to you when she died?"

I looked at her, slightly shocked. "Yes. I know. I just didn't know she had written anything about the subject."

"You read it, didn't you? It was in the first paragraph."

"Pandora. Our characters got swapped." By this point, I felt like I was at Wimbledon.

"And…"

"And we didn't do it, so we need to get them back. Do you know anything?"

Pandora wiped the sword clean and returned it to its case. "The pair that's swapped has to have something important that's alike."

"So something about the two is similar?" I asked. Pandora nodded.

"Pandora! Behind you!" She turned and ducked as the annoyances appeared.

"Great. These guys again." I groaned.

"Hello." Coerixan said.

"Didja miss us?" Savtixan asked.

Destiny looked like she was about to respond, when a giant beam of light hit them. "Get out of here." Pandora was holding a bazooka cannon. "Right now!" She shot again, but they vanished.

"That was easy." I commented.

"Light Bazooka. The first one I got to work." Pandora hefted it onto her shoulder. "It worked nicely."

"Shoot! They're probably gonna get to our characters next!" Destiny hissed, suddenly. "We gotta go back. Thanks for everything, Pandora."

"Do you want to use the portal to the Corridors?"

"Portal?"

"Yeah. Under my staircase. It's been there since… forever." I glared at her. "But it's one-way." Pandora continued.

"I think we should." Destiny said. "C'mon, Hawk. We gotta hurry!"

"Dest!" Said girl turned. "Will you ever come to stay?"

"Maybe." She murmured, grabbing my hand. "Let's go!" And we ran into the house, to the closet under the stairs, and through the portal back to the Corridors.

Then I realised something.

"We forgot my car..."

And... done.