Do not ask me why, because I seriously don't understand it. This fic has been giving me grief for so long. It begs me to write it, but then all my ideas POOF disappear as I try and, you know, actually write it. One day, I might go back over this and edit it more and combine some chapters. One day. (I plan on doing that to my Percy Jackson fanfics too.) But for now, I will leave it be. I want to apologize for such the long weight, but I hope you all find this a better ending than Animal Accident. Enjoy.

Also, I lied. It's not the last chapter. The epilogue will be up tomorrow! (I promise! I really do!)

Vanessa POV

I don't know how I did it. It must've been the ninja suit because I've never done moves like that in my life. Maybe whenever I'm having an acrobatic/gymnastic/dancer dream –and if you tell anyone about those dreams I will kill you in your sleep– but in the waking world? Yeah, it's never happened.

Best I can figure, I did one of those flip-kick things. All I really remember is pushing off the ceiling beam (there are a ton of beams on these ceilings; what it with that?) and then suddenly I was on the ground in a crouch with my right leg straight and to the side of me. I even had one of my arms in the air! I felt like a true ninja.

Unfortunately, Zane's electronic fishbowl is nearly indestructible or something. The only damage I manages to do was spill some water – oh wait, now his computer systems are steaming. That counts as damage, right?

"What?!" The mechanical fishbowl righted itself up (still steaming) while Zane himself was swimming in frantic circles. "What was- Who's there? Answer me!"

"I'd rather not," I replied. As soon as Zane faced the direction I was in, the suit quickly hid me again.

"Where are you?" the fish demanded.

I suppressed a giggle. "I'm everywhere."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Phineas reach Perry's cage. I knew what I had to do. Operation: Distraction.

"Impossible! I demand you show yourself."

"What's the fun in that? Come and find me!" I moved so I was right behind him. "Or are you just a scared little fishy?"

"EXCUSE ME?" he bellowed. Of course, by the time he turned around, I was long gone. I freaking love this suit.

"You heard me. Scared little fishy. That's what you are."

"How dare you-"

"You're afraid of everything. You're afraid of being weak and alone. You're afraid of everyone." I danced around the room, both surprising myself (at knowing the information and realizingit was the actual truth) and enjoying myself (because, honestly, everyone likes dancing around a room, and if you deny it then you're a huge liar).

"I'm not afraid! Show yourself and you'll know what real fear is!" Zane's fishbowl machine angrily zoomed around the room, trying to find me. Joke's on him though, because Phineas was almost done with Perry's cage.

Rolling my eyes, even though I knew he couldn't see me, I said, "Tempting. But I'd rather not, thank you." I stayed quiet for a few minutes, watching as Zane nearly ruptured a blood vessel –do fish have blood vessels?– trying to locate the strange voice.

"Trying to take over the world won't make you any more powerful or anymore loved," I told him quietly. "All you'll gain is people's fear and hatred."

"And that's enough!"

"No it's not!" I shouted back. "You need love. People who love and care for you. People who would willingly follow you. What you're planning on doing will lead you down a path that will be your destruction."

"Liar!"

Phineas broke the cage; Perry was free!

"I'm not lying, and you know it," I snapped. "You want to be the ruler of all because you're afraid; you're afraid because you think you're weak; and you're weak because you believe a fish can't measure up to anything. But you're wrong. Just because you're small, doesn't mean you can't make a difference. One tiny little fish, one tiny little action, one tiny little word, can make a huge difference."

My words were strong. The silence after them wasn't deafening or uncomfortable; it was as if the wait itself was digesting what I had just said. I took a deep breath. "But it's too late for you now, Zane. It's too late. You could've been amazing with that brilliant mind, but you choose revenge and violence; you choose to punish people who did nothing wrong to you. For that, you must be stopped."

Zane was breathing heavily. "And I suppose you're the one who's going to stop me?" he sneered.

"No," I answered quietly, standing behind him. "Someone else."

The fish turned abruptly, but I was already gone and Perry was already kicking.

He flew into the wall. Perry chattered and I knew he was saying: She's right.

I would say they fought, but that would imply that Zane managed a few blows himself. He didn't. Perry wasn't trying to kill him; I could see him being gentle in his punches – which is a strange paradox; gentleness and punches. Right when he was almost subdued, everything changed.

Zane broke free.

"HA!" he shouted. "Puny, filthy, humans. You think you can contain me?!"

If that was his worst insult, it was quite terrible; personally, I was rather enlightened by being reminded of my humanity.

"You got that right!" I shouted right back. "We're humans and we're proud!"

I tackled him. Then things got confusing. Really confusing.

From somewhere around me, someone made a distressed sound. It could only have been Perry because it didn't exactly sound like it came from human vocal chords. The next thing I knew, something barreled into me and I was on my back.

"Vanessa!" Phineas cried. He was at my side in an instant.

I sat up quickly, but I didn't feel vertigo or sore or anything. I felt fine. So what happened? I asked just that.

"I…" Phineas dropped him gaze before quickly meeting my eyes again. "I'm not sure. You tackled Zane and you were going so fast that you both slammed backwards, but then Perry- He just- He-"

"What? What did he do?"

Instead of replying, Phineas looked to his side. I followed his gaze and become even more confused. On the ground, looking thoroughly unconscious, were Perry and Zane…and two human boys.

And they were completely naked.

One of them was flat on his face and the other one was laying on his side; both their faces were slack. I gasped as I recognized Perry's human form.

"Wh-what?" I stammered. "How?"

"I…" It seemed Phineas was at a loss for words. He recovered quicker than I did, but that was still several long minutes later. "The invention," he finally said.

Being unable to form any words, I just made a questioning noise.

"Zane. He said. Said that," Phineas was struggling to get the words out, but I didn't try to rush him. Speaking seemed a bit like a foreign concept to me at the moment. I was still staring at Perry was Phineas found his confidence again. "He pointed to that machine and said something like it would turn Perry human. Remember? He-"

"Declined," I croaked out. I cleared my throat. "Perry refused to go through it." My voice sounded only slightly better.

"Yeah…"

It still hadn't hit me yet. Perry was right in front of me. TwoPerrys were right in front of me; one as a platypus and one as a human.

The first human form started to move. Phineas quickly left my side and tossed a blanket over his nakedness. (Where had he found that so quickly?)

The figure groaned as he sat up. He sat up slowly, as if he it was the first time he experienced the texture of the blanket on his shoulders or the floor beneath his body. Before I knew it, I was by his side too.

"Perry?" I whispered. "Are you okay?" I forced myself not to look at the platypus not a few feet away from me. I didn't need to be distracted.

Just one strange thing at a time; take this really weird situation slowly, step by step.

At the sound of my voice, Perry looked up. We stared into each other's eyes, but something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Who are you?"

My body froze as I inhaled a sharp breath.

"Perry," Phineas said gently, causing the older boy to jump and turn to stare at him. "That's Vanessa, remember? And I'm Phineas." There was concern in the young genius' voice and I was afraid to know why. I was afraid I also already knew why, too.

"W-Who?" Perry stammered. "Who are you?"

"Phineas," Phineas said slowly, not impatiently. He was staring intently at Perry, watching him like he was some strange new creature. In a way, maybe Perry was. "And that's Vanessa," Phineas nodded toward me.

There was silence as Perry looked from me to Phineas to me and then back to Phineas. "And…my name…is Perry?"

My heart sank. "Yes, yes it is." I reached for his hand. He jumped, but didn't pull away. "Don't you remember anything?"

"I… I…"

And he looked petrified. I could tell Perry was searching his mind for something, for his memories, but it was obvious he couldn't find anything.

"I don't- What- Why-" Then Perry caught sight of the three other bodies. His eyes widen so much it would've been funny if it hadn't been for the situation. "What's going on?" he whispered, looking at me.

"Um," I looked over to Phineas, but he had no idea either. "We're not entirely sure," I admitted.