"Check the spectacles, Larry."

A hologram appeared in front of Rippen and Larry, who were dressed in long, purple robes and squishy wizards' caps. Larry had a long beard that was longer than he was tall, and he kept petting it, as if it were a pet.

"Our mission is to protect this magic rock so we can save all the magic in the world…" His voice trails off as he takes off the spectacles and polishes them vigorously.

"Save?" Rippen repeated, scratching his head. "Why are we the ones saving the world?"

Larry shrugged. "I don't know," He murmered. "Maybe, maybe we're the secret magic police – "

"No."

"The magic bandits – "

"No."

"The dark magicians – "

"No. Wait, that one's not bad."

"You know, when I was drinking milk the other day, there was a little black speck in it, and I tried as hard as I could, but I couldn't get it out," Larry continued, "Maybe that speck was dust. Don't you just love dust bunnies? I have a room full of dust bunnies back home. Tony just loves rolling in it. Did I ever tell you about his little hat? I – "

"Argh! Larry! What's the point?" Rippen yelled, pulling his hair. "What have I said about stories?"

"Well, you said don't tell them, but that wasn't really a story, but a recount, and I really like math, and -"

"LARRY!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Sashi, you need to get to Zero parents and use rope," Phyllis's voice floated over the earpiece. Sashi nodded resolutely, even though she knew mission control couldn't see her.

"So, Burning Mountain or Plains of Death. Which one would they be?" She thought out loud. She looked towards her paths. One path led to black, putrid-smelling marsh littered with bones and skulls. The other led to a hunk of rock that sprouted streams of fire instead of water.

"Fire, Death, Fire, Death – "

"Just make decision and move," Phyllis snapped. Sashi rolled her eyes and started walking towards the marsh.

"I saw that," Phyllis said. "No one rolls eyes at Phyllis unless they want to be stuck in dimension."

"Is that what Penn's parents did?" She retorted, picking up and skull and snapping of the jaw bone. Hmm. Decent shank.

Phyllis finally went quiet, leaving Sashi alone to ponder her thoughts. She supposed she should've told Penn more over the MUHU, but she didn't want him to worry. Besides, as soon as she's done here, she can zap into his mission, finish it, and make it out in time for a nice family reunion. Boone's parents were already watching her progress from the Odyssey, probably munching on popcorn and laughing at Rippen's costume.

If only my parents knew, she pondered. Then they could be proud of something besides my grades for once.

A shrieking above her drew her attention away. She looked up at a nice view of the underside of a giant bird's talons, and soon she was airborne.

"Let go of me, you bird! The food chain is reversed!" she screamed, punching at the bird. It flew her up to a nest and dropped her among its eggs. To her horror, even the eggs towered over her.

"Sashi?" An incredulous voice greeted her. She whirled around to see Vonnie and Brock Zero, holding the broken shell of a dead chick.