It was two days later when the boys went back to Shadowshire. Phineas wasn't certain if he would find Moon there, since he knew that she had been a wanderer before she'd arrived in Danville and that even after staying a while she had gone. He stood at the heavy front door, giving it a few pounds with the heel of his hand, and waited for an answer.

After a moment of silence the door swung open, and Moon stood in the frame. Her eyes were carefully blank as she stared at him for a minute before letting him in, but even then she watched them without a word. She glanced to the bare living-room floor to indicate that they sit, and sat with them once they had found a place.

"Moon, we wanted to talk to you for a bit," Phineas began, "It's about Zhalgo-"

"Is it finished?" Moon demanded, her eyes flicking to Phineas.

Phineas nodded. "I thought you'd want to see him again."

"Show me."

The boys led her out of the house and down to the junkyard at the edge of town. "There wasn't enough room to put him together in the backyard," Phineas explained, "and since Mom and Dad came home last night the garage wasn't available either."

Moon didn't say a word as she followed them past several old junked cars to a huge pile of old tires. Phineas turned to it and grinned. "Zhalgo?"

Slowly the machine peeked out, a little uncertain.

"Zhalgo, come out," Phineas smiled, "Moon's here."

When it came out, Moon could see exactly how far the repairs had gone - it had been given a brand-new pair of wings in shining steel; its cage had been rebuilt and then reinforced; its head was no longer dented; its cast-iron grin reformed; its eyes replaced with new brighter bulbs; its spindly arms stronger; its wings fitted with new supple leather; its tail cleaned and then attached with tough steel rivets. It stared down at Moon for a moment, hesitant, for it hadn't been certain if it could be accepted by its mistress again.

Moon stared back at it, her mind racing but her eyes showing nothing. She approached the machine, resting a hand on the side of its tail and keeping its stare.

Resting back on the tips of its wings, Zhalgo reached down and plucked Moon up with one wiry hand, as it used to have done before she had left it, and set her down carefully on top of its cage. It gave an elated squeal, glad that she would accept it again, and settled a little lower so that it could more easily keep its balance.

"Sorry it took so long," Phineas told her, "We had to be really careful with all those gears in his head since there were so many of them. Only thing is that we couldn't find the pieces that would let him talk-?"

"It never could," Moon told him, shaking her head, "It just sings."

Phineas cocked an eyebrow. "Oh."

Moon sat with Zhalgo for a few moments, silent not because she didn't have anything to say but because she couldn't think of what to say. Zhalgo, here! After so long it had come back to her! After a minute she turned to the boys. "Come up," she said, "We'll go flying."

Zhalgo let them up into its cage, and Moon as well, and they took off.

It was nearly dark by the time they returned to Shadowshire. Phineas could tell that Moon had changed; although it wasn't a direct shift, she somehow seemed more amiable and relaxed than she had been before. She jumped down from Zhalgo's cage as it landed, helping the boys down as well, and then took them back into the house.

"Moon, wait a minute," Phineas trotted to catch up to her, taking her wrist and making her turn back to him. "You're not going to leave again, are you?"

Moon paused, and immediately Phineas knew that she would be gone. But after a moment she shook her head. "Probably not. I can afford to stay here for a while."

Coming soon: Fungal Jungle