Some important newses:

I may be taking an extended vacation from Sacrificial—just until Christmas, on account of so many things, and so many things of each thing.

Aside from the typical school stuff that I always whine about, well… Let's face it, Christmas is coming, and there is A LOT of stuff I have to do. Heck, Thanksgiving isn't even here yet, and we still have to get ready for that! My church choir is recording a CD. My brother and I are hosting an outrageously nerdy Hobbit party the night of the premiere next month. There is baking, and building, and crafting, and then a good deal of traveling to be done.

What's worse, there's also fic-work I have to do. I am going to gift you all with a little backstory oneshot that goes with this chapter—1 does not get to explain things here like I wanted him to; there will also be epic foreshadowing in it. There will also be another back-story fic that a young and precocious Dixie will spur to action. Both these blurbs will probably end up taking the place of an actual update during December. This chapter ends on a nice, bright note instead of a cliffhanger, for a change; and I've been looking for a good place to end for a bit so I could explain some things that are important. I promise you, a lot of stuff 1 has said all throughout this story will make SO much more sense once you read what I'm giving you this holiday season. So… Happy Advent and Merry Christmas, in advance.

In keeping with our favorite tradition, my mentor, mythweaver1 has posted some Final Fantasy Christmas fic prompts for our FFIV circle, and I've already picked two… Three. They're all good prompts, but she KNOWS how to punch my buttons. It has a bit of a deadline, so it has to take priority. No big deal. I can crank out genius relatively quickly. XD FFIV has NOTHING to do with 9; but if you'd like to see what I come up with anyway, feel free.

However, Christmas for me does entail a lot of time sitting in the back of a car, and this year I get a solid 20 HOURS total. You shall have your Sacrificial, my friends.

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Atonement

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Pi related her story as quickly as she could, before she started crying too hard again. 7 had even dragged her rocking chair into the globe for her to sit in; the young mother said that the simple device had an almost magical ability to calm the heart and mind of whoever sat in it. Pi had found at once that this was very true. The gentle rocking soothed her mixed-up emotions, and allowed her to gather her thoughts.

She was glad that 7 understood. Of all the fifth clan, or even all the clans, of course 7 would understand.

"So," she concluded with a sigh, not daring to look up at the clan, "that's how it all started. A few months later, mother tried to free me… But that ended with me killing her, too. And that's the way it's been, these last few years. Then last winter, the third clan figured out what I was doing and tried to kill me… And that's when you found and rescued me. And… you know the rest, really."

She slowly lifted her head to see their faces, imagining most of them would be horrified. They were, in fact, as well as remorseful. Though they had kept their distance, holding their weapons at the ready just in case, even 1 and 2 had listened patiently to her long, sad tale. Now that it was done, the two brothers exchanged a sorrowful look and let their weapons drop to the floor with a pair of melancholy clangs.

For some reason, the sound of those heavy tools hitting the floor filled her with fear. She jumped up out of the chair and insisted, "I know it sounds crazy, and it's completely unbelievable, but it's the truth! I swear it!"

She was going to say more, but a pair of pale arms suddenly flung themselves around her and held her close. Once again, even if no one else in the world could believe what she had been through, 7 would. She knew exactly what that mental prison was like.

"How could anyone do something so evil to a little girl?" she wondered in a low, threatening voice. She sounded like a mother lion. As she rocked the trembling girl, it occurred to Pi that all the fifth clan were like lions—a whole pride of them. They lived their lives so peacefully, naturally, until they were provoked. Then their claws came out, and their teeth barred, and their roar changed everything that had been assumed about them. She had been on the wrong side of that roar once. Today, she was relieved to be sheltered by it.

Thankfully, the rest of the clan seemed to agree with their matriarch. Pi couldn't believe her ridiculously good fortune. She had fooled them so perfectly the first time. How did they dare to believe her this time? She imagined she must have changed more drastically than she had thought. And she imagined there might be more evidence to point to, but…

I should be dead. They've had countless chances to destroy me all day, alone; and they didn't take a single one of them. I can't decide still if they're extremely merciful, or completely insane…

A flickering and flashing of light interrupted her thoughts, and she glanced up to see that 4 was speaking, mostly to her dad.

"There are other clans?" she was asking.

"I thought we were alone, just the nine or ten or however many there were of us," 3 added.

"Indeed," 9 agreed vaguely, turning to 1, of all people, for insight. The old man fidgeted under the younger man's gaze. His brother looked at him with suspicion and mild surprise.

"1, what are you not telling us? What do you know about these other clans?"

"Er… You didn't know?" 1 countered in a nervous, slightly squeaky voice. Wow, this was making him really uncomfortable. Why? As it was, he rest of the clan gasped in shock.

"There have been others all this time, and you never told us?" 7 snapped angrily.

"It was a different time, and I was a different man when it mattered," 1 insisted, waving his arms to diffuse the situation. "Of course I knew about the other four clans! And of course I didn't tell any of you people about them. Think, woman. Would I have ever just handed out information like that, all that time ago? It was me."

"You didn't think we'd like to know now?"

"We'd just come back from the dead! They were the last matter on my mind. And frankly, we've been better off without our number wandering off looking for them. Which is precisely why I never told you of them to begin with."

7 was not impressed or satisfied, and turned to her husband to do something. 9 had nothing to give her but a fuddled shrug.

"It's a simple misunderstanding, honey. It happens in any family, and he does have a good point. Besides, it's not the end of the world. Now that we know, we can go find them, if we want to. Who knows? Maybe they've been looking for us all along."

Pi smiled to herself. She'd always had a feeling that 1 knew… things. Lots of things. But she wasn't sure what to make of 9. Even without the spell that bound her to witchcraft, she was a sharp-sensed girl. And to her sharp senses, it seemed like the fearless leader was putting on a show of being clueless. He also knew… things.

As he had already done a few times today, 5 swooped in and saved her from the impending long, awkward discussion. He gently pried her from his sister's arms and gathered her into his own.

"She's had a hard day already, and it's not even midday yet," he pointed out in a calm, gentle voice. "Let her lie down and rest for a bit."

"That's probably best," 7 agreed, though somewhat reluctant to let go of her. Instead, she left the smaller girl with a sympathetic squeeze on her shoulder. "Rest well, Pi. And remember, you're safe here. He can't hurt you now."

Pi appreciated that, and hoped that her very gracious hostess would turn out to be right about that. She was free, all of Alpha's bonds completely broken. He couldn't see through her eyes any longer, either. But a chill ran down her spine, anyway. He still knew where she was, who she was with, and most certainly that his spell had been broken. And her sisters—Delta, especially. What might he be doing to them, right now, while she wasn't there to defend them? And—

"5, where are you taking me?" she asked when she realized he was leading her away from the infirmary.

"After all you've been through, I think you deserve to sleep in a real bed. You can have mine; I'll sleep in one of the infirmary cots, or on the sofa or something. I'll figure something out."

"No, no, I can't do that. It's your bed," she insisted, feeling silly, like she was imposing tremendously.

"Pi, it's okay. I want you to have it."

"You'll stay with me, right?"

She was too late to stop her thoughts from flying out of her mouth. It was sudden and sounded inappropriate, but she didn't mean for it to. He made her feel so safe, so protected, so cared for. And he was so warm and snuggly. She didn't want him to leave. Even if he just sat by her side as she slept, she wanted him beside her. The very thought of him walking away made her shiver again. When she did, he held her closer and smiled.

"Of course I will."

Pi had never been in any of the actual bedrooms before; she had guessed they must vary in shape and size, and that the trappings within reflected directly on the person who lived in it. And she found this to be absolutely true of 5's room. The space was well-lit by a lamp with a light bulb and a battery, instead of primitive firelight. There wasn't much furniture or things on the floor; most of his possessions hung from pegs on the wall. Meticulously tidy, organized, functional and ingenious, just like him. Aside from the lamp, she spotted his pack by the door, ready to go at any moment, and a wooden trunk that could also be used as a chair stood against the wall.

And of course there was the bed. He steered her directly to it and pulled the blanket down for her.

"I feel like I've spent the whole day sleeping already," she fretted as she climbed in. "But suddenly, I feel exhausted."

"A lot's happened to you just now," he pointed out as he helped her get settled. "You know, when we're hurt, we make such a big deal about it—we know that if we're ever going to heal, we have to rest. We have to take some time to let our bodies heal, right?"

"Right."

He sat down beside her and held her hand in both of his. "Well, we don't like to think of it this way, but our hearts and our minds are the same way. It doesn't matter that they're locked away inside our bodies and can't be physically wounded if something is thrown at them. They get hurt, all the same. And when they do, it's still exhausting. We still need to rest and let those hurts heal. It doesn't make you weak. It doesn't make your foolish. Maybe it just makes you wise. Maybe, in the end, you'll be all the stronger for it."

That was comforting and touching and at least a thousand other things that raised her spirits. "Thank you."

"It's my dearest pleasure," he answered, and brought her delicate brass fingers to his lips. "You rest now, let your wounds heal. Take all the time you need. I'll take care of you."

Feeling like she could sleep peacefully now, with her 5 to watch over her, she let her eyes slide shut. Half asleep already, she couldn't stop the words from tumbling out.

"I love you."

She felt his hand on her cheek, and his forehead against hers.

"And I love you."

For the first time in four long years, she fell asleep with a real smile on her face.

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It could have been several days later, though it felt like no time had passed at all. Pi opened her eyes and looked around the room. The light was still on, and 5 sat nearby on the wooden trunk, sketching something on a scrap of paper. She sat up and swung her legs out of bed, but he was concentrating too hard to notice at first.

"Hi," she said brightly, and he looked up from his drawing.

"Up already?" he asked.

"And feeling much better," she agreed, stretching her arms wide. "What are you up to?"

"Come here and take a look," he said, beckoning her over. She came and looked over his shoulder to see blueprints for a bed, much like his own. Its dimensions were clearly marked, and a list of materials was piling up in the margin. Notes and ideas were neatly scattered in the other empty spaces.

"It's for you," he said. "I've been at it for about an hour now. What do you think?"

"I love it! I haven't had my own bed in years. 5, how long have I been out?"

"About three hours. Think you need a little longer?"

"Nah. Actually, I wouldn't mind walking around for a bit. And maybe some company. I while back, Alpha did free me momentarily; and in that one moment, I realized that I really missed you all. I came to know every member of this clan so well… But you never actually got to know me, did you?"

"I like to think that I did, in a way. You're not much different from what you were pretending to be, are you?"

"That was who I really am, in the end. I hate it that it became nothing more than a mask. All of a sudden, I'm even sure who I am anymore. It's been a long time since I was myself."

"Then we'll figure it out together. Hey, I think my brother and sister are outside, with the baby. Want to go look?"

"Oh, I'd love to."

The last time she had seen the outside of the library, it had been winter. Snow had covered the courtyard, and there hadn't been much to see. But it was a very green summer, and now there was plenty to see. The bright June sun was warm and pleasant, and the air was thick with humidity. Living creatures were already returning, though they were only as big as bees and other small, vaguely annoying insects.

To find what they were looking for, all they had to do was follow the sound of babyish squeals and charmed parental laughter. It led them to a patch of earth that looked like it had been cultivated, where different flowers and plants had been carefully planted in rows, and were now springing up in the summer sun. There they found 9 and 7, diligently trying to teach their daughter to walk.

Dixie hadn't grown on the outside. But it was clear that on the inside, she had grown by leaps and bounds at a time.

"Ah, you're awake," 9 noticed at once. "Feeling better?"

"Much, thank you," Pi agreed with a bright smile. "How is she?" she asked nodding down at the baby.

"Oh, she's a recalcitrant little monster," 7 answered, gathering the child into her arms and kissing the top of her head. "But I suppose we bought and paid for that. In the right light, I'm actually kind of glad."

"Recalcitrant," Pi repeated as she sat down with them. "I like that."

"It's a good word,"7 agreed, trying to contain her baby as she started to fidget and struggle against her. "We'll be using it a lot for a long time to come."

"Amama," the baby chirped, pointing her little brown fist at Pi. "Amamamama!"

"Yes, sweetie, that's Pi," her mother answered gently. "You remember her, don't you?"

"I guess I'm not as scary as I was before, huh, baby?" Pi added with a sheepish smile. Dixie replied by stuffing her fist into her mouth and cooing adorably, but never taking her large, intelligent eyes off her. Her mother put her down on the grassy ground, and she crawled right up to the stranger to say hello.

"May I pick her up?" Pi asked when the baby tried to climb into her lap.

"Of course," 9 said at once. "She's not as fragile as she was before, but please handle her gently."

Happy to abide by that, she carefully scooped Dixie into her lap and sat her upright. Instead of sitting still, the baby pulled herself up and grabbed a fistful of Pi's hair. She gave a hard, painful yank and squealed in delight, while Pi yelped in pain.

"Asis, asis!" the baby cheered, looking over her shoulder to make sure her parents were paying attention. Slightly alarmed, 7 reached over and snatched her away.

"Yes, yes, your sister has hair, too, how observant you are," she agreed, prying their guest's frizzy hair out of her child's iron grip. "I'm sorry about that, Pi. Are you okay?"

"It's fine, really. She probably can't help it, I guess," she insisted, though she gently rubbed her sore scalp. "So, yeah, about the twins, huh? They look… Different than I remember. When did that happen?"

"Less than a month ago," 9 answered proudly. "They decided it was just time for a change, and we were more than able to accommodate that. Dixie will be ready for a big-girl body by her birthday. Maybe sooner."

"We've already started on the designs," 5 added beside her. "They're coming together nicely. This time, we'll have a little extra time to finish. We're all pretty excited."

"It's why we're trying so hard to get her to walk," 7 explained. "She sort of skipped walking, and decided to start climbing things instead. She's a regular little monkey."

"She's our little monkey," 9 remarked, reaching over and tickling his baby's tummy until she laughed. It sounded almost like the ringing of bells. Until she grabbed her father's finger and stuffed it unapologetically into her mouth.

"She's also a daddy's girl," 7 added, "but then, so am I."

Seeing them all together warmed Pi's tender heart through and through. They were back to their natural, peaceful state of being. Their life was a happy and fairly perfect one. The only disruption to that perfection had been when she had fallen into their lives; they would never be the same again because of her, whether for good or for ill. The fifth clan had such a big, bright, wonderful future ahead of them. Their possibilities were boundless.

She hated to disrupt that happiness again, but she couldn't keep them in the dark. A few hours ago, it was just another burden she could barely process—there were so many things that needed to be thought of, and she had been too mentally and emotionally exhausted to do it. But now that 5 had made her rest, she could see to those concerns with clarity.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "9, 7, you've been so gracious to me… But all I have to repay you with is some very bad news, and I have a favor I need to ask of you, if it's alright."

The two exchanged a wary look, but 9 turned back to her and answered, "Well, bad news first, then."

Unable to face him, she looked down at the grass and explained, "The spell's been broken, and Alpha knows it better than we do. And he knows where I am, and the way to get here. He's going to come here, eventually. Maybe tonight, maybe next week, I don't know. But he will come for me. After all you've done for me, I can't sit idly by and watch you all get caught in the crossfire. If anyone is, I don't know what he'll do to you."

"What are you saying, Pi?"

"I don't think I should stay here. I can't—"

"You most certainly can," 7 interrupted, holding up her hand. "I don't think my brother's gone through all of this to free you, just to watch you walk off alone into certain danger."

"She's right," 5 agreed, putting his arm protectively around her. "I'm not letting you go that easily. Don't worry, we'll figure something out. I'm not going to let him get to you without a fight. None of us are."

She hoped they were right about that. She also had no trouble trusting them. She snuggled appreciatively into his embrace, feeling safer already.

"What favor do you need from us?" he asked.

"My sisters," she answered. "They're still alone with him. And he's always planned for Delta to take my place, if anything ever happened to me. I need to go back and get them away from him, before he does anything… permanent to them. But I could use your help."

The three of them nodded slowly in agreement.

"Sounds like a worthy cause to me. And nothing we're not particularly used to," 7 commented to her husband.

"Absolutely. Pi, if you'll show us where they are on a map, maybe we can even make plans to leave in the morning," he decided. Pi felt her heart leap for joy.

"Tomorrow morning? Really?"

"I don't see why not. If they're in trouble now, then we should go now. We can't just leave them to their fate."

Pi couldn't contain herself. All her reservations fell away, and she glommed onto her new leader. She felt another wave of tears well up, but she couldn't care less about them.

"Thank you," she whispered into his shoulder. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much! You don't know what this means to me…"

He hugged her back, patting her good naturedly on the shoulder. "Maybe I do, sort of. Hey, look at me," he said, holding her back a bit. "You're one of us now. All your sisters are too, as far as I'm concerned. I'm not leaving three of our own in danger like this. We are going to save them."

All she could do was sit and stare at him with wide, starry eyes. Her life had just turned on its head and completely changed directions. She simply couldn't believe it.

"We haven't been a family in years," she commented quietly.

"Well, you're ours now. All of you. And we're happy to have you."

"…Are you really?"

"It's already been decided on. Trust me, Pi—we will take care of everything. Together."

The remainder of the afternoon was spent in very pleasant conversation about normal things. The weather, the baby, the goings on of the family, and the sorts of accommodations Pi's sisters might like when they were brought to their new home. She was happy to tell them about her sisters. Delta was a quiet and somewhat superstitious child, but would probably find a very good friend in 6, her fellow prophet; they had so much in common, already. Gamma loved art of all kinds, but was especially fond of making music with any cobbled-together instrument she could design; she had even made a reed pipe and taught herself to play it beautifully. And even though she was the shiest and quietest of the three, Theta had a glorious singing voice and would often sing along when Gamma played one of her instruments. Pi had a feeling they would get along well with the twins, and that 2 would enjoy their curiosity and creativity to no end.

"They'll be very happy here, surrounded by all this knowledge and love," she concluded. "It's so much more than what our creator left us with."

A while later when the sun began to set and they all went inside for the day, they took her into the globe to look at some maps.

"I made some of these myself," 5 commented proudly.

The ones he pointed to sure looked like his work. Each line, point, and minute detail was carefully, perfectly placed. Once again, meticulous—perhaps to the point of obsession. But she could immediately appreciate his attention, because she quickly traced her steps and found where her garage was located.

"It's in this neighborhood," she announced, pointing at a looped line that represented a cul-de-sac. She recognized it at once. "Here, in the middle somewhere. It's one of the only buildings still standing. You can't miss it."

"That isn't a long journey," 9 said thoughtfully. "Only a few hours, if we walked quickly. Is there anything else we should know?"

"There's a magical barrier surrounding it, but it's only meant for protection against harm. Maybe… I think that's why Alpha never leaves. If he goes outside the barrier, maybe he can't get back in. But it won't stop you."

"What happens when we get there? If we took your sisters and ran, would he peruse us, then?"

"…He might. I'm not sure what he would do."

7 nodded her head decidedly. "Weapons, then," she said solidly, and handed her baby over to her husband. "I'll go see what I can put together. We have a substantial arsenal upstairs, so I doubt it will take long. 8 should be on first watch by now; is there anything I should tell him, Pi?"

She hesitated. 8 was very big and strong, and very intimidating, but he wasn't the brightest. She wasn't sure if there was anything the giant could effectively do against her former master, if he did come.

"Tell him to be very careful," she finally advised. "If he does see anything, he shouldn't try to attack, or sound any kind of alarm—Alpha would know he's been seen, and strike harder and faster. If 8 does see something, he should just come down and tell us, himself, as quickly and quietly as he can."

"I'll let him know. Thanks." Then she sprinted out of the globe like a lightning bolt and was gone. With that business taken care of, Pi looked around and noticed a strange picture tacked to the wall. It was a penned ink drawing of a shadow she knew entirely too well.

"That's Alpha," she exclaimed. "Who drew that?"

"6 did, this morning. He draws the things he sees for us, so we can interpret it," 9 explained cautiously. "When he held your hand before, this was what he saw. He had done something like this in January, as well. Do you think you can tell us more?"

"That looks like his spider," she answered. "He killed a mechanical one many years ago, and now he uses it for a throne. He used to brag about it being enchanted, and that he could make it walk around. That he could even ride it. You don't think this is really going to happen, do you?"

The two brothers regarded her, and then the picture warily. She knew they were thinking her same thought in her own mind: if a Prophet had seen this, there was no way to hide from it. The prophecy was coming for them. And probably too soon.

"We need to be on our guard tonight," 9 decided at last. "This is shaping up to be… interesting. And unpleasant."

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"I don't think anyone is taking this seriously enough."

Pi was worried, in spite of all the precautions they were taking. And 5 supposed that he shouldn't blame her. Perhaps he should be as worried as she was, and he was trying to be instead of resting on his laurels. But there wasn't much more he could do. He wasn't a wizard, like the monster who was coming for her; and he wasn't much of a warrior to combat him in any way. All he could now was be himself. It wasn't much, but it was the best he could give. Besides, just being with her like this made his heart soar and his spirit sing. How could he be worried, when he was so impossibly happy?

"We're doing the best we can," he insisted, sitting on his bed beside her. "This is unlike anything we've ever faced before."

"I wish they would take this a little more seriously," she repeated, hugging her knees to her chest. "It's not as easy as stabbing a mechanical monster in its weak point. This is a living, thinking thing with a soul, and hopes and dreams… They aren't the kind of hopes and dreams we have, but he does have them. Alpha isn't a mindless animal that any warrior could just destroy. I really don't know if they understand that. Do you?"

"…I'm trying very hard. It's been a long time since we've faced a threat this great."

"And it has been a pretty long day, already."

"A lot of stuff happened today," he agreed, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. "Don't worry, honey, the day's almost done. When the morning comes, we'll start our first adventure together."

She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling in the light. "Hey, you just called me honey."

"Oh… did I?"

"Yes, you did!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"I like that."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do."

A moment of brief, pleasant silence passed, and he found himself staring right into her eyes without feeling awkward at all. And she let him. In fact, he realized she was staring right into his one sharp eye, the single, straight and narrow path to his very soul. He took her hands in his, and let his forehead rest against hers.

"Pi, I had thought about what you said earlier. That you almost don't know who you are anymore."

"You said we could find out together."

"I haven't been myself, either. I've lost track of who I really am, as well."

"Then we'll find out who you are, too."

"No, not just me. Not just you. This isn't about either one of us alone anymore. Now it's about…"

"…Us."

"That's right. Together, we'll find out who we are."

Her eyes were so wide and wondrous. For a long moment, she sat in silence, at a loss for words, still staring into his soul. Maybe that was where she found her voice again.

"5… What was it like when you kissed me?"

In a slow, gentle motion he found he had no control over, he brought his hand up to caress her sweet face. He couldn't believe this was really happening.

"I'll show you."

He had thought that the first kiss—the one that had freed her—had been the most pure and perfect thing in the world. But this one managed to surpass it immeasurably. This time, they were truly sharing something amazing. It felt like they fit together perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle. As if, by some cosmic miracle, they had been tailor-made for one another.

He found her warm body pressed against his chest, and felt her heart pounding against his until his metal veins began to boil—so intense, almost painful, but overwhelmingly pleasant. He found her slender, rosy arms around his waist, her hands running smoothly over his numbered back, holding him all the closer. He found his fingers buried in her yellow hair, so tangled he wondered if he'd ever be able to get out. They were so close. It was too perfect for words.

She suddenly pulled away, and grabbed his hands with a mischievous smile.

"Now let me show you something," she teased, and hauled him into bed with her. He instantly got the idea of where this was going, but had no idea how to get there; she sure seemed to, though, so he let her take over. She pulled him down against her, trapped him between her willowy legs and in her inescapable embrace. It was an odd place to be, but it felt natural, somehow. There was no place in the world he could think of he would rather be.

She brought her hand to the first of his buttons, her delicate fingers feeling for the button hole beneath. This time, the feeling was so intense it was a little frightening. A moment of clarity suddenly smacked him in the face. By the powers, this was actually happening! He jerked back a bit, breathing hard, suddenly very unsure of himself.

"I've never done this before," he gasped, feeling like a dunce and klutz.

"It's alright," she insisted, pulling him back. "It's easy."

"What if I'm not good enough?"

"You will be," she answered. "You'll be amazing. Trust me."

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Author's Notes…

For you, Thom, this is as M-rated as it's going to get. Sorry, everyone, but the guy's got a point or two. And I do try to write to appeal to all the fans. ;D

Of course, the story does NOT end here. But we will leave it here on this rather happy note for now. I'll get back to you with updates… Eventually.

LOVE YOU ALL! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 8D