BLUMIERE P.O.V.

"Count Blumiere just doesn't understand why they can't get along!"

I was pacing in front of the bed that Timpani and I shared. I was feeling very distraught and distracted by the friction between my minions. Timpani was very kindly listening to my ravings.

"I mean, sure he's a crazy psychopathic sadistic jester who's most likely living out of pure spite," I exclaimed, talking about Dimentio. "But that doesn't mean that they cannot at least try to get along!"

"Maybe you're going about this the wrong way," soothed Timpani.

I sighed frustratedly and sat down, running my hand through my hair, dislodging my top hat.

"Maybe," I said finally.

"Come on," smiled Timpani. "I think I know what will cheer you up."

RAVEN P.O.V.

"Yo," I said to Chunks as he passed by. "Where's the lovebirds?"

"Uh, outside," replied O'Chunks shortly. I watched him look around nervously, like a bird that knows he's being hunted. He gulped, and scurried around a corner.

"Gee, do things get weirder 'round here each damn day?"

I looked at the nearby window, and realised an Endontian hawk perched there. He was a greyish black, with a feathery tail and scaly grey legs. His talons were razor-sharp, as was his grey hooked beak. His eyes - at first glance - were white and pupil-free, but if you looked closer you realised the red pupils. There were two extremely thin growths coming out of where his ears would have been. At the end was a tear-shaped feathery ear, with a thin dark-grey inside.

"Hey, X," I greeted my pet hawk, holding out my arm. X fluttered onto my arm, but didn't cling on too tightly with his talons. Makes me glad that I'm distantly related to the goddess of birds.

"So what's up?" asked X, as we made our way down the corridor. "Anything new with the gang?"

"Naw," I replied. "There was some ass-kicking between Dim the Dum-Dum and Mimikins, but who cares 'bout that?"

"Yeah," agreed X. "What I really wanna know about is... what's goin' on between Monocle Man and Butterfly Lady?"

I chuckled. "Don't call 'em that."

"Why? You have nicknames for everyone 'round here."

"I'm glad I haven't told 'em about you. They'd never hear the end of it!"

X gave a screechy laugh that echoed all around the corridor. I snapped his beak shut.

"Shaddup!" I snarled. "D'you want Nasty Nassy to find us?"

"Sorry," whispered the hawk. X straighted as I let go of his beak.

"Well, you're going now, right?" I said as we reached the end of the corridor.

"Predator's gotta hunt," said X.

He flew to the window and looked back at me. "Remember: DON'T TELL ANYONE 'BOUT ME. Right?"

"Gotcha," I replied. X saluted, then took off silently.

I watched him turn into a mere dot in the distance. Then, I turned around and made for the front doors.

But I never made it after what happened next.