The Council of the Infinite City was distressed. The Council of Elders was seeking guidance, and the Triumvirate was at a loss. The Oracle, Endarno, and Yan Lin walked through the Infinite City together, as was their wont, considering the problem, discussing the problem, and disagreeing about the problem. The Alchemist was absent to their sight. What could she be doing, even now, without their knowledge? The Oracle was certain that if the Alchemist had initiated her grand scheme, she would not be able to keep it secret from the walls of Kandrakar.

For Endarno, the problem raised another issue. "Why is that girl, Will not perceived as a threat? Look at what the Alchemist has done."

Yan Lin said, "But the Alchemist is not Will, not really. She has suffered a whole world of experience unique and quite distant from the Will who still commands the Guardians."

Endarno nodded. "True, but you cannot deny that this demonstrates that the potential exists for Will to become what her original is."

The Oracle shook his head. "The potential exists in all living things. Even the kindest soul can descend into the deepest forms of depravity when his life is turned inside out and his nightmares become more real than his dreams. What we see here are possibilities made real. Two possible scenarios have become the future. One scenario is a Will Vandom whose life was destroyed by Phobos and who was forced to abandon everything she knew and loved. The other is a Will Vandom whose life was shattered, and then blessedly, it was given back to her. We could act and take Will's power away from her, but what would be the point? She continues be virtuous and valiant and to such a degree that everyone around her is empowered by her displays of virtue and valor. Endarno, you speak of what might be. Even the most primitive philosophies know that the wisest of us must not be swayed by fear of what might be."

"But what the Alchemist has become is not what might be. It is. That means it could happen to the Guardian Will."

Yan Lin said, "But it has not, and may never. So, yes, you are speaking of what might be. The Alchemist's decision has come to pass and cannot be undone, so what use is there in dismissing a warrior that still remains ever faithful and true to our cause?"

Endarno bowed his head and said, "I cannot doubt your reasoning. I suppose that all we can do is observe and see what path Will might follow in the future."

The Oracle said, "That is all anyone can do, my friend."

In Fadden Hills…

"Is that all you can do?" Cornelia and Kadma were getting along rather well, all things considered.

"How dare you, young one? Do you treat all of your elders with such flagrant disrespect?" They were so frighteningly alike Will was hoping they wouldn't notice her.

"Only the fossils that have it coming!" Cornelia was well past getting them kicked out. That ship had sailed.

"What is it you think I owe a servant of Kandrakar?"

"Gee, I don't know. I didn't think you'd be too cheap to hand out a piece of paper with an address on credit!"

Will finally said, "It's not for Kandrakar! It's for Earth!"

Kadma looked at Will and said, "What is that to me?"

"She's going to start on Earth! She's convinced she can erase pain and suffering."

Kadma looked at her strangely. "Suffering is nature. It cannot be erased, but I don't understand what the danger is if someone tries."

"She has the Seventh Heart."

With this Kadma's eyes widened. "Then she is a fool and we will all suffer for her foolishness. Why does this make it important that you find your father?"

"Because he's her father, too."

"You are an only child."

Will nodded. "Do you still want us to leave or would you like an explanation?"

Kadma nodded to the two chairs on the other side of her desk. Will always liked this office. It wasn't actually an office so much as a desk and a chair in the middle of a huge botanical garden. Kadma sat down and said, "Start with who she is."

So Will and Cornelia explained everything, starting with Will's disappearance and ending with the Oracle's explanation of the Seventh Heart. They explained about the Alchemist's statement that Will was a type of doppelganger called an altamere.

Kadma listened patiently, only asking a question when she didn't understand something. Finally, when they were finished, Kadma said, "I have read of this, but in my entire life I have never heard of anything like this actually happening. That it was done with only the Heart of Kandrakar tells me one thing for certain; you are the most powerful Guardians to have ever walked the realms. You are so powerful, you may even be able to defy Kandrakar and prevail. I think perhaps that the Alchemist sensed that."

Will said, "The Oracle said that I am as real as he has ever known me to be, but I'm still just a copy of her."

Kadma shook her head. "No. The Oracle is correct. Altamere is a very rare word. Its sound suggests the concept of an alternate image. You're still thinking of your astral drops. In science, there is something called cloning. That is all the astral drops ever are, but in the case of an altamere, it is as if the two of you were alternate versions of the same person. There is no 'original' Will, or 'duplicate' Will. You are simply in the unique, impossible, magical position of both being the same person. The fact that you walked away with the Heart of Kandrakar while she kept the Star of Cassidy demonstrates that. For the first time in history, the Heart of Kandrakar has two rightful Keepers."

Kadma rubbed her temples and continued. "This is part of Nerissa's legacy. This never would have happened had her thirst for power not led her to steal the Heart, and had her malice not led her to fracture it. The legend of the Seventh Heart is a very old one, as old as the legend of the Dragons and the Nymph. Still, I had always just dismissed it as a creation myth. If it is true, if the Alchemist now possesses this power, then you can ill afford to underestimate its potential to devastate the Infinite Realms."

"How far could it go?" asked Cornelia.

Kadma glanced at her with narrowed eyes. She was clearly still sore from the shouting match. "The universe is much more fragile than it appears. Every piece holds another piece in place. It is like a house of cards: you can't take one away without the entire structure collapsing. She will think she can change nature, and she can be removing pieces of the universe and putting new pieces in. What will happen is that the universe will begin to unravel, and the more changes she makes, the faster the process will be, and by the time she realizes what she has done, it will be too late. She'll be desperately trying to hold the universe together, but all of her efforts will only make the problem worse. Instead of being the goddess of the next great religion, she'll rule as the devil. You do know that this is how devils are born? They are gods that failed."

Will said, "If the universe starts to unravel, how do we stop it?"

Kadma laughed. "You're asking me? I have certainly never attempted to be a goddess though I may have occasionally enjoyed the title in my youth when male suitors came to call. You are asking for information that does not exist. If the Alchemist begins to unravel the universe, the only advice I can give you is, stop her as quickly as you can. The less she manages to unravel, the less damage will be done, the sooner the universe will recover."

Will nodded. "Please, may I know where my father is?"

"Why do you want that information so badly? After how he has treated you and your mother, you shouldn't even be bothered with him."

"Because even though he is the biggest disappointment in my life, I still love him and I don't want anything bad to happen to him."

Kadma interlaced her fingers and held them in front of her, her eyes closed. "Of course, because whatever else he is, he is still your father. So what makes you think the Alchemist may harm him?"

"I don't know if she will. I just don't want to take the chance."

Kadma smiled humorlessly. She reached over to her desk and pulled a piece of paper out. She scrawled something on it and handed it to Will. "This is his contact information." She looked at Cornelia. "Since I am too cheap to give a piece of paper on credit, at 15.00 dollars a ream, I believe that comes to .03 cents." Cornelia stuck out her tongue and dug into her purse. "I am teasing, of course."

Will said, "I have one more question. It's about my mother." Kadma beckoned her to continue. "Was she one of the Rising Star's children?"

Kadma closed her again, returning to that meditative state. "Yes. Your mother knew hardship early in life and she was one of our first cases."

"I…umm…you…I guess…I mean…thank you, for looking after her. Growing up with just her to look after me, it was easy to see she never got any breaks. I thought a lot about how unfair things were for her and how hard she tried to make sure I was happy."

"You do her great credit, Will. I can imagine what this is like for her, knowing your secret, and especially knowing who the Alchemist is. I can promise you she is worried and scared."

Will and Cornelia bid Kadma farewell and rather than transposition back to Heatherfield, they began to search for the address on Kadma's paper. For Cornelia, their departure couldn't have come fast enough. She didn't seem to like Kadma, and they had gotten along so well.

Back in Heatherfield…

Two figures prowled the old carnival. It had been just last year that one of them came here with the man she hoped would be her boyfriend. Cedric had used some kind of glamor spell to make the park seem active, then trapped them at the top of the Ferris wheel. That had been when Matt learned her secret. All of that was a long time ago, and now Matt was the sweetheart of another Will. It stung. It stung deeply. The memory of Matt had kept her sane for those two months, and now she had given it all up, used arcane magic she didn't even know she possessed. She had given up all of her hope and given it to another Will.

She could simply drop all pretenses and take Matt back, but she knew that wouldn't be the right decision. It would only confuse him. As far as he knew, he had her back. She couldn't do that to him. She couldn't make him suffer, and if she went to him now, he would suffer, with love-sickness and with confusion. The time was coming when she would put an end to all of that. The Infinite Realms would live in perfect harmony, free of war, torture, and strife. The Alchemist now understood why people made certain choices, why they became thieves, murderers, despots, or why they became soldiers, police, defenders, or why they choose a normal, quiet life.

Davira had helped her understand. Davira was no sage. She was an idiot, raised in a royal family who thought being queen meant taking what she wanted. She had all that she could ever want and was convinced that she was entitled to more. She was like a vicious animal, attacking over the big portions of a kill and snarling at anything that came near. To say that she was evil would be a stretch. It would be more accurate to say that Davira was simply a wild animal that had never learned to socialize. The result was that Davira had cultivated a life philosophy that many would regard as evil. Phobos was an evil sociopath. Davira was something too base to be evil. To think that she came from a family that would call itself noble.

"This is…quaint," said Davira. She looked around at the distressed and decaying structures of the old carnival with a wrinkle in her nose.

"It's abandoned," said the Alchemist, "which makes it perfect."

"Couldn't we find an abandoned palace?"

"Complete with abandoned servants? Any place we find is going to have to be a place that's been vacated. Any such place is going to be a fixer-upper."

"'Fixer-upper': I love your vernacular. Well, this place certainly fits that description. I suppose we won't be entertaining any time soon?"

The Alchemist looked around at the structures. "Oh, I don't know. It seems like this place could just use a bit of a magic touch." She pulled her wand and pointed at the main complex, a structure that housed a fun house, an indoor roller coaster, and a gift shop. The spell was far more powerful than what Cedric had cast. This wasn't an illusion. The roof, walls and foundation were repaired. The fun house was reduced in size, the first corridor only being covered in mirrors, with the rest of it gutted out, and new rooms magically constructed. When she was finished, the structure gleamed as though new. They went inside to see the results. The Alchemist put her hands on her hips, thoroughly satisfied.

Davira said, "What is hanging on the wall?"

The Alchemist said, "That would be a Sony, 60 inch, HD flat screen, with a Playstation 3, complete with Blu-Ray, and surround sound."

"I don't what that is, but it sounds impressive."

Davira continued her tour of their new dwelling. "So many strange and interesting things…what in the world is this?" She had ventured into the kitchen and was scrutinizing a large white box.

"That's a refrigerator: Kenmore side-by-side, the biggest one I could find. It stores food."

"You created all of this with your magic?"

"Of course I didn't. For that, I'd have to know how they worked. There's a shopping mall near here. I transpositioned all of this stuff." She didn't tell Davira that out of guilt, she had reprogrammed the merchant's credit card machines to draw money from an illusory account. Even now, with what she planned, she didn't like the idea of stealing from people.

"How does it work?"

The Alchemist opened the freezer and a blast of cold air hit them.

"It's empty."

"We have to put food in it." She snapped her fingers. "That's what I was forgetting."

"What magic runs these contraptions?"

"Electricity. I tapped into the city power grid. Free energy."

"You mean, these people have harnessed lightning?"

The Alchemist nodded, pleased she was making such an impression on Davira.

Davira looked at their home in wonder. "My opinion of this world hasn't improved, but I must admit that it has a certain appeal."

The Alchemist went into her bedroom and looked in the drawer of the Kermit green nightstand. A new cellphone was there, exactly where she would keep it. She opened the flip face and made a call. Davira had followed her. She observed the frogs around the room of many absurd varieties; a peculiar interest. She turned her attention to the Alchemist.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"There's no food in the fridge. I figured I'd order a pizza."

Davira briefly pondered what pizza might be. "You have explained some of this world to me. Do you not have to pay, or do we simply dispose of the delivery man?"

The Alchemist pulled a credit card from the folds of her robe, a card that was connected to an imaginary account that would produce an infinite supply of real money. "I've got it covered."

As the evening wore on, Davira was too busy marveling at the wonders of Earth to concern herself with the Alchemist's plan. Davira was enraptured by the television and was completely lost in a Star Trek marathon.

"You know this isn't real, right?" said the Alchemist.

Davira looked up, startled. "Of course, the images are obviously contrived and there is no reality to anything that happens but the stories are so marvelous! If I had had a general like James Kirk, I would still be the sovereign of Ulnra."

"I'm partial to Spock, myself." Great, thought the Alchemist, I've created an alien Trekkie. She looked at the screen and saw a scene with Kirk pointing a makeshift cannon at a guy in a lizard costume.

"Are all of the images so obviously fake?"

"Most of them are. Remember that the actors and creators of these shows are trying to show us something that doesn't exist. The expensive TV shows and movies though can sometimes be so realistic it's like you're actually there. Plus, this show is old. The technology has improved since this was made."

Davira spun towards the Alchemist. "And pizza: I've never tasted anything so wonderful!"

The Alchemist thought that that pizza had been a somewhat inferior recipe, but she was sure that to someone who had never had the many varieties of pizza, it was divine.

"Why do you want to change this world? It's incredible!"

The Alchemist picked up the remote and turned on CNN. Davira watched for 15 minutes. There was news coverage of bombings, a school shooting, a murder/suicide, and Korean threats of nuclear attack.

The Alchemist said, "This world isn't incredible; it's a nightmare. All of this," she gestured to the television and the video games, "is just novelty. Look at the screen. Those are women being shot protecting their babies. Don't you feel anything for them?"

Davira looked up, her expression contrite, but her words were defiant. "Am I here to learn compassion for these people?"

"No, you're here to keep the Guardians away from me, but it'd be nice if you learned a little compassion."

"I am exactly what you despise about life, aren't I? I no more wish for these horrors than you do, but more such horrors will be necessary to put an end to this. You need a ruler like me if you intend to change the nature of the world."

"'Can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs', huh? That's your philosophy, isn't it?"

"If eggs are meant as a metaphor for people, then yes, that is my philosophy. Death is the natural order of all things. If you want to put an end these atrocities, you will have to commit some of them. However you go about your business, when you play games with civilization, people will die."

"And people will suffer; the way you and Phobos made me suffer. I won't have it."

Davira considered the Alchemist carefully. "Phobos made a grave error with you. I suspect entire worlds will pay for his error soon enough. Even I know that when you push an animal too hard, you feel its teeth."

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know. When I gave up my world, the thought never crossed my mind that I wouldn't be able to simply take another. I was so used to having my heart's desire and being served that I suppose I thought everything else was mine to take. If you plan to rule worlds, prepare to be heartless. Empathy has no place in the business of government."

Whatever the Alchemist believed about Davira, she wasn't prepared for this. From Davira she felt the one thing that Davira spoke against: empathy. Davira empathized with the Alchemist, and from that realization, a small, tiny intruder crept into the Alchemist's heart. It was such an insignificant thing, but unchecked, it could lay waste to Titans. It was doubt, and that glimmer of doubt, though tiny and insignificant, was a seed that once sown, could never be killed and would grow. It was because of this seed that the Oracle could now see the Alchemist, and he smiled. With the seed of doubt came the hope that salvation could take flight.

Where had that doubt come from? It came from Davira, because if someone like Davira could learn from her mistakes and become a better person for them, then maybe that potential existed in all people. Such magical creatures, humans.

Not that far from the old carnival…

Dean's apartment was about the same size as the Vandom's. It wasn't very clean either, though Dean did pick up after himself. The problem came with the fact that Dean, as a teacher, brought his work home with him. The living room wasn't packed with filing boxes, but it was rather crowded. Files hung out at some points, clearly drawn for quick and easy access. This was what was referred to as an organized mess. When they were married in the next few months and they put a down payment on their own house, Susan made a mental note to make sure that Dean had a room dedicated to this and make sure it didn't spread to any other area of the house. Susan had been to Dean's apartment plenty of times, but now that she was sleeping here, she couldn't help but take note of his habits.

"Dean, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this." Susan had rebuffed Orube's offer to stay in Mrs. Rudolph's house. She had appreciated the gesture, but the situation was just too strange, and staying in that house with the concept that it represented would have kept her awake at night. Orube had been very understanding.

Dean said, "Don't worry about it, Susan. Besides, we'll be husband and wife pretty soon. There's no way I'd leave you and Will in a situation like this."

The landlord had offered to pay for a motel until the apartment could be repaired, but Dean had decided to ride in like a knight in shining armor. "So, how are we going to handle the sleeping arrangements?"

"Well, I was thinking that you and Will could take the bedroom while stayed out here on the sofa sleeper."

"Dean, I don't want to kick you out of your bedroom."

"It's okay. It's only for a few days, and I sure can't make you take the sofa."

"Thank you so much, Dean."

There was a knock on the door. Dean went to answer it and he let Will in. "You got my message!" he said.

Will looked puzzled, but she said, "Yep! I got it right off of my voicemail." She looked around. "Thank you, Professor Collins. It's going to be a little strange staying with my history teacher, but I think it's time we started acting like a family."

Susan and Dean traded looks. Susan was ecstatic to hear Will say something like that. Dean was rather pleased as well. He said, "Susan, there's no doubt: you raised a great kid."

There was another knock at the door, and when Dean answered it, he was surprised to see who was on the other side. "Detective Alvarez, may I help you?"

"Professor Collins, you, Mrs. Vandom, and her daughter were three of the six people that disappeared during the incident three days ago. You tell me; can you help me?"

Irma, Taranee, and Hay Lin had warned them about this. Nobody seemed to come up with a good explanation, except for Susan. "I'm sorry, after what Mrs. Davira did, I tried to defend my daughter. I was so angry, I just ran after her. Dean, Will, and Cornelia tried to stop me. When we came back, you had already gone."

Everyone could see that Alvarez didn't believe a word of it. Still, he didn't have any evidence against it. "And it took us two days to catch up with each other. Right."

Alvarez looked down at Will, and concern was etched across his face. This was where his worries were. Will was a child, growing up, dealing with terrible trauma. This was the reason he had become a police officer. Parents could try all they liked but when it came down to it, children needed someone in authority who would speak for them, who would keep them safe. There was one thing he certain of now. Will's entire demeanor had changed. It was only expected given what she had been through. Still, the intensity unnerved him. She wore a look that was difficult to describe. There was calm indifference and cold determination. She didn't look at Alvarez; she looked through him.

Alvarez couldn't help but think that the last time someone looked at him like this, he had gotten shot. She had what soldiers and cops called the 1000 yard stare. He remembered what she had told him about being one of the hardest people he had ever met, and he believed it. "How are you doing, Will?"

Will smiled carelessly, as though the devil may care. "I've had a busy couple of days, how about you?"

Alvarez couldn't get over one inescapable fact: Will Vandom did not act like a kidnap victim. Could a girl this young be the warrior she seemed to be? "Well, I've been kind of freaking out, wondering what happened to you and your mother. You know Cornelia Hale didn't show up at her house until yesterday. She convinced them that she had slept over with her friends. I know she didn't. You know she didn't."

Will stood up and began to pace the room. "You know, this whole thing has been a transformational experience for me."

"Will, do you remember anything?"

Will's eyes narrowed in consternation. "I remember someone telling me that if I gave him what he wanted, it would all end."

"Who, what?"

"I can't remember."

Susan's phone rang and she went into the next room. Will looked back and watched her mother go. She turned partially back to Alvarez, but kept one of her ears directed towards her mother. "What are you here for, Detective Alvarez?"

"Will, I want you to understand something about me. I was born and raised in a ghetto, ran with street gangs, a regular hood in a Latino neighborhood. When I was your age, my girlfriend and I made some mistakes and we had a daughter. It never should have happened but that kid turned my life around. When she was six-years-old, she disappeared from school. Nobody ever found her. That's why I'm a cop today. She'd be your age, now. Will, I just want to make sure you're safe, and until I catch whoever did this to you, I am never going to have that peace of mind."

Will nodded. "I understand."

"There are strange things going on here. How come I'm the only one who remembers what really happened the other day? Will, what are you and your four friends hiding from me? Let me help you."

Will's eyes lit up and a sinister smile crossed her features. "Detective Alvarez, you don't know what you're asking."

"Help me understand."

"What would you believe? What story would you like me to tell?"

"Not what I've been hearing!"

Susan came in and whispered something to Dean, and then she shot a glance at Will, her eyes wide with uncertainty. Dean seemed rather unnerved as well. Alvarez took note of it and looked back at Will. "Your second disappearance has caused a stir at the station. I have to ask all of you to come with me. We need to get to the bottom of this. The last time we talked, quite a few bizarre things happened."

"The last time we talked?" asked Will, still perfectly calm. "I've never met you before in my life."

Two uniformed officers came into the room, including Detective Lair. "I'm sorry, Susan. There's nothing we can do."

Alvarez looked to Susan and saw the look of terror on her face, and it was clear it had everything to do with her daughter. "Especially if Will's going to start playing these games."

Will said, "Detective, are you aware of the concept of duality? Has it occurred to you that there might be two of me?"

Susan said, "Will, listen to me. You don't have to do this. We know how strong you are. You don't have to prove anything."

The Alchemist said, "How many times do I have to tell you people?" She waved a hand, and the two uniformed officers were transpositioned back to the station. They would remember nothing, the Alchemist's memory magic being considerably superior to Irma's. Alvarez was another problem. She couldn't get rid of him, and for some reason, his mind couldn't be altered. He would have to be convinced to remain silent. "I'm not Will anymore."

Alvarez spun around. "What just happened?"

The Alchemist stood and suddenly the world spun around. "Jorge Alvarez, you're about to have a transformational experience, too."

When it was over, only Dean stood in the apartment. Susan, the police, and the Alchemist were gone.