Author's Notes: Not much to say here other than this chapter is dedicated to a friend of mine who had his birthday recently and I probably would have published it on the exact date if the flu didn't up and knock me out for a week. Anyways, I'll be seeing you at the end of this chapter~ Cheerio!


Chapter XIV
Three-Commander Monte

Shamrock Training Field
25th of April
5:09 PM

"Ah, we're almost there!"

The fancy car Annalee was riding in pulled out of the main road. She didn't let it slip but it was her first time in this limousine as well and she was making the most out of it. The Wraithy was the property of the Museum of Irish Heritage onboard and just like their tank, it could be leased by various clubs. As such, she seated herself further into the plump cushions and caressed the smooth wooden finish that reminded her of her very own instrument.

The ride was a whole lot bumpier than she had expected, with Laune having difficulty controlling the pedals, especially with her fake leg, causing the car to jerk and jolt along the already rough gravel road. Pinned between the stick shift and Callan's big box of medical surprises, Annalee snuck herself free in preparation for tonight's big show.

A small but sizable crowd, more modest than the one waiting for the match earlier that morning, was now only composed of the members of the team. As such, the gathering was more organised, at least what passed for organised in their team, with three uneven rows of five, standing shoulder to shoulder in front of the two warehouses they called home; all clothed in their identical green uniforms.

Laune slowed the car to a crawl and, as if on cue, which incidentally it was, the darkening sky exploded into a sea of green as balls of fireworks blanketed the horizon, illuminating the astonished faces of her established guests as they gawked at the spectacle unfolding right above their very heads.

"Well, there goes our whole budget for this year..." she heard Callan murmur, all the while enjoying the pyrotechnics alongside the rest of the group.

From yesterday's briefing, Annalee knew that it was Clare and a motley crew of volunteers who were sending up multiple rockets from their launch site just behind the shed, creating the dazzling light show that radiated the heavens up high. Knowing her own role to play, she hastily pulled her fiddle out of its casing, along with its bow. With much adrenaline in her veins, she stood up from her cramped seat and positioned her instrument in the most comfortable way she knew how, by lightly pressing its butt end against her neck and holding it in place with her jaw; while her left hand held the neck of the violin.

Time to face the music.

With a deep breath, Annalee began playing out the opening notes to Lilliburlero, a tune near and dear to her heart (and coincidentally the school's official theme), giving her guests a front-row seat to the serenade. Never had she played in such tight conditions before and she had played inside the tanks multiple times. Still, she didn't let it hinder her now, as she slid the bow across the strings, producing the sweet-sounding notes that she was known for.

Not wanting to be outdone, Callan played second fiddle by taking the lead and clapping along to the song's beat, followed shortly thereafter by the crowd singing the silly lyrics of the song.

Overlooking her teammates, she saw two ethereal figures step out of the group. The girls, which she recognized as Avoca and Dalua, whose leg was still wrapped in bandage, both dressed in pristine white dresses, a crown of shamrock sat loftily on their heads as they started throwing clovers out of wicker baskets like flower girls on a wedding day.

As the Silver Wraith approached the crowd, Annalee saw Ballintra produce a short length of red carpet and lay it in front of the troop, just as Callan hopped out of the car and opened the rear passenger door. Annalee carried on playing even as she herself stepped out of the car, leaving the case for her instrument in the car. However, she paid no mind to it as the clapping and singing were music to her ears, just like how her notes were music to theirs.

With a flourish, she finished the song, with the backdrop of much applause and ongoing explosions going on in the background. Making a small bow, she made way for Shannon who, with much ceremony, placed crowns of clover leaf atop their guests' heads; requiring assistance from Inny, who had to carry her to place the crown on the tallest of the five.

With her role in the event done for now, Annalee took one good look at the collection of girls in front of her to confirm what she already knew. Just as the two sides began to exchange their formal greetings, she on the other hand slipped in between her teammates' ranks and made her way to the rear.

Walking past the newly constructed stage, behind which stood the now unwrapped armoured vehicles, (that stood out as they were painted in dead leaf brown as opposed to the healthy green colour of their own tanks) she darted into the space between the two hangars. There, Annalee found her sister, bouncing a sliotar, the ball used for playing hurling, on the opposite brick wall of the alleyway. Changed out of her ragtag mess of a uniform after her disastrous duel earlier, her older sister was now as clean as a whistle.

"Fancy seeing you here."

"Evening…" Erne replied, gripping the ball hard in her hand, swinging into view a briefcase on the other.

"You got the good stuff?" she asked, starting one of their frequent code exchanges.

"I sure, do." Her sister pocketed the ball and opened the carryall, revealing a dazzling green dress, adorned by golden laces and braids. The dress, just like many of her joys in this world, came from her sister and the latest in the slew of gifts she had received from Erne.

"We happy now?" Erne asked.

"Yea, we happy." she giggled, setting the violin and its bow down on a crate.

"I still don't understand why we need to do that same skit over and over," her sister replied, another scowl on her face.

"Because I like it," she simply stated, multitasking as she unbuttoned her skirt and let it drop to the ground.

"'ey!" Erne roared in displeasure, picking up after her as she grabbed her skirt from the ground. "It's fine if you're the one to wash these but, no," she prattled on, vigorously dusting the piece of clothing off.

"Awwwww, cheer up!" Annalee carried on, starting on her Senshadou jacket as she spun around like a ballerina, all the while only wearing her matching set of impeccable white undies.

"I'd only cheer up if you didn't make my life any more difficult," her sister snarled back as she snatched the jacket off of her hand.

"Awww, still salty about your defeat?" she humorously responded back, knowing best how to playfully push Erne's buttons.

"Just 'urry up and get changed," Erne replied, obviously skirting around the question. Her eyes were averted towards the sky, perhaps to avoid looking at her little sister's bare body or more so to hide the pained look on her face.

"They seem quite alright to me," Annalee began, taking the dress out of its case and putting it on. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found that the dress was still just the right size for her.

"It's all an act, a ruse for us to lower our guard, and when we least expect it, they will strike true," her older sibling retorted, as she felt mania once again seize control of her sister, reminding Annalee all too much of her obsession with Clare-sama.

"Why do you hate them so much?" Annalee asked, genuine confusion in her voice, not understanding her sister's logic this time around. At least with Clare, she could somewhat understand not wanting to follow someone much younger than you, but this new rage was unfounded. "They didn't do anything to you."

"Didn't they?" Erne spat back, sudden vehemence in her voice. They were the ones who dashed my dreams of taking Senshadou, when they first came and promised us greatness. All of it, to cut us loose in the end."

"You never told me about all of this…"

"It doesn't matter now," Erne scoffed, now not bothering to hide the distaste painted on her face, with her eyebrows furrowed together.

"But it wasn't them!" Annalee tried to reason with her, but having lived with Erne for most of her life, she knew it would be a fruitless venture.

"They're all part of the same pack. Let's just drop this, you 'ear?" Erne finished, placing her figurative foot down. Annalee knew full well that any argument beyond this point would only just infuriate her sister.

"So that's why you're not joining in the festivities," she said, switching tunes so as to not strike a chord. "It takes two to tango, you know?" she further asked, using a tried and tested cheery voice that she learned by heart to be infectious to her sister.

"You'd 'ave a better chance of counting all the freckles on my face than to convince me to get out there and celebrate," Erne said, crossing her arm in defiance, sadly having none of her jazz.

"If you don't want to go out then, just help me put my dress on," Annalee conceded, now putting on an accusatory tone her sister associated with her getting grumpier.

"'ey, I'm still your sister, you know," Erne replied, just as predicted as she walked up behind her and closed the zipper on the back, all while being the grouchy potato she often was to others.

"So you don't love me anymore?" she turned around, a mock frown on her face as she looked straight into her sister's surly face, all the while changing out of her Senshadou boots and into a pair of borrowed low green high-heels, once again courtesy of her sister.

"I do, just… take care of yourself." Erne took a deep sigh and gave her a tight bear hug, emanating the beaming glow Annalee always liked about her. She knew that her sister cared deeply for her. With both of their parents hard at work to provide for their needs, her older sibling was the only one she could rely upon all these years.

Behind her, she heard the crowd clapping, in response to Shannon finishing her somewhat brief welcome speech and thus, moving the event forward. It was time for her to return back before the audience, but not before she was finished with family business first.

"I will, I always do!" she reassured her, picking up her instrument before walking to the entrance of the alley. Looking back one last time, it brought her great joy to finally see a smile on her sister's face.

"Shine bright like a Daimon!" Annalee heard Erne call out after her one last time, a sweet show of support from her serious sour-faced sister.


From the corner of the crowd, Liffey was watching the proceedings up front, gripping her clipboard hard with anxiety. Shannon stepped down from the stage two minutes and twelve seconds ago, accompanied by another barrage of fireworks, whose permit they secured from the Student Council a day before, all arranged by Liffey personally.

Clare-san had given her the all-important task of coordinating the entire event, a massive step up from her voluntary accounting work at the Museum. What was she if not scrupulous, and it was imperative that the event went as smoothly as possible.

Dee, who was the event's assigned emcee, started speaking six seconds too early, taking cues from her pre-arranged script, which Liffey had to revise multiple times herself to remove the expletives added by the mischievous mechanic.

"Thank you so much Shannon-san for that wonderful speech," she said aloud into her microphone, with her cheery voice being crisply conveyed by the rented sound system. "Now, it's time for us to be serenaded by Shamrock's Stradivaria, let's give it up for Annalee!"

As the team's violinist mounted the hastily constructed stage, made out of shell crates, plywood and a great length of cloth, Liffey let her mind wander as she remembered how it all came to this. Her foray with the Senshadou team first started when its founding members, Shannon and Clare, came besieging their museum's doors, begging for permission to borrow the Vickers Mk D.

The curator flat out rejected their request but Liffey took pity on them; a pair of haggard first-years fueled only by hope, determination burning in their eyes, and so helped them out with arranging the proper paperwork. In doing so, she made herself the first member of the team and was graced by being allowed to be the loader in Vicky.

It was made all the more ironic since her father had sent her to Shamrock in the first place because of his great dislike of Senshadou. When he found out that his only daughter was now also practising the sport, he was so cross that he threatened to close the school. In the end, she managed to reason with him and got his permission, even becoming the biggest benefactor in their fundraiser for the Vally.

Annalee walked her way across the platform at 5:30 on the dot, accompanied by a wild cacophony of clapping (Liffey's included). The ginger girl was twirling around like a tornado of green and gold, brightly illuminated by repurposed floodlights, as she came to a stop at the middle of the stage, about two inches off the X she had taped on the floor for her.

What followed suit was another outstanding performance, a tuneful rendition of the British Grenadier, a song often played with a fife and drum (she would know, as she was the one to acquire the musical sheets for Annalee to practice on), perfectly adapted onto strings.

Liffey looked over to the entourage, who were specially seated at the very front as guests of honour, as they stood to attention as their theme started to play, looking quite regal in doing so. The rest of the crowd followed along, with a handful of exceptions remaining seated. Pretending to look over something on her clipboard, she did her best to hide her displeasure at such a petty display of disapproval.

As the song reached its crescendo, Annalee didn't just play the violin, she made it sing; its tune having such a profound effect on everyone that Liffey would have picked up a rifle and joined the redcoats' side without a moment's hesitation.

Only the tranquillity of the evening was to be had after the last note ended. There was no clapping, no cheering, only silent admiration as Annalee let her instrument drop, performing a short courteous bow.

However, there was one more song to play and again, the violinist got into position and started belting out the notes of Shamrock's theme, Lillibulero, once again accompanied by the lyrics with Liffey singing along.

"Lero Lero Lilliburlero

Lilliburlero bullen a la

Lero Lero Lero Lero

Lilliburlero bullen a la"

The song finished before she knew it, marked by a generous round of applause from the invigorated crowd. Annalee, holding her instrument in one hand and the hem of her skirt with the other, courteously bowed before their guests, promptly exiting the stage a second too late and disappearing behind the green curtain.

"Wow! What an excellent performance by Annalee-san, don't you think?" Dee asked the crowd as she took to the stage once again.

A sea of "Ayes!' came forth and Liffey watched as the emcee waited for a predetermined time for things to calm down before continuing, "Now let's move on to the main event of the evening!"

Liffey gripped the clipboard harder, crumpling up some of the papers tacked on it. What came next was what she was the most worried about; the part of the night where all her efforts could come crumbling down.

"It's time…. For the blessing of the tanks!" Dee proclaimed, hyping up the crowd as the green curtains split open, revealing the three magnificent-looking cavalry tanks behind them.

Another round of clapping came forth, with her anxiously following suit, but not before readjusting her thick-lensed glasses first as beads of sweat threatened to slide off her face entirely.

The reason for her nervousness was that they hadn't been able to acquire any form of clergy necessary for the blessing at the last minute, due in part to the isolated waters Shamrock sailed in, and had to make do with Shannon's cheeky suggestion.

Dressed in a black robe sewed together by Shannon herself, something that perfectly hid her prosthetic leg, and complemented by a starchy white stola punctuated by green shamrocks instead of golden crosses, Laune walked to the front of the crowd, dressed in the thin veneer of a vicar.

Trailing behind this faux priest was a thin layer of smoke, which came from the metallic contraption she held in her hand, balanced only by a length of chain.

Ballalintra had somehow managed to procure a smoke grenade from somewhere. Since they couldn't have Laune walk down the aisle holding a live pyrotechnic device, using Dee's great skill with the welding torch, they made a vessel for it, cobbled together with some chains and a cut metal sphere, resulting in an improvised thurible.

Liffey watched as the crippled clergy gal stood to a halt a few yards from where she had instructed her to be in, irking her out. From here, Ballintra, now dressed in white altar server robes, stepped beside Laune and took the incense vessel, giving her a bucket as a replacement.

This bucket was filled with 'holy' water and a sprinkler that was actually a repurposed ice-cream scoop was to be used by the vicar to bless the tanks. So it came as a surprise to her when Laune started the blessing and what came out was a golden-coloured liquid as opposed to the clear holy water.

Taking off her glasses first, Liffey pinched the bridge of her nose as she realised those goofs had replaced the water with whiskey from the Hare's Head.

Cooler heads prevailed however as she watched Laune liberally 'bless' each tank, being as thorough as she had been instructed, sprinkling some of the 'holy water' down the hatch and even the open engine compartment, all the while noticeably muttering her "prayers".

Once she had done it for all three, the vicar sauntered off, half a minute late, forever ruining Liffey's timetable, Dee made her triumphant return to the stage. "Now that the tanks have been blessed in the name of St. Brigid, Shannon-san will now announce the new commanders for these tanks."

A wide grin was on their commander's face as she skipped across the stage, as bubbly as one can be as she accepted the microphone from the emcee, playfully tapping it first with her hand. Before speaking, the twin-tailed girl retrieved a piece of paper from her jacket pocket, unfolding it, before screaming into the microphone.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE! ARE YOU READY?


Avoca certainly wasn't.

Her nervousness was getting the best of her again. She gripped her rabbit's foot charm hard in her fist, its fluffy texture giving her some semblance of calmness. It was one of the many lucky charms she had acquired throughout the years to combat her bad luck. A hand reached out from her side and gripped her own; instead of jumping up in surprise, she managed to bring her breathing in check.

"Nervous?" the black-haired girl asked her, dressed similarly to hers in an angelic fashion of a white dress and clover crown.

The two of them were assigned, on Shannon's whim, to play the part of clover girls, a plan of lunacy that involved tossing pieces of shamrock at the visitors. All that was needed for them were a pair of wings and they would have already ascended to the heavens to join ranks with angels.

"Yea…" she replied, her eyes transfixed on the happening on the stage, as whoever controlled the floodlights tinkered with it, creating three new spots of light in the middle of the stage.

"You better be!" The lass, whose name was Dalua, blurted out, always the cynic between the two of them, keeping Avoca grounded for her own good because her optimism was known to get the best of her sometimes.

"Wouldn't it be lovely if we could command our very own tank?" Avoca let out, averting her eyes up above, where the twinkling stars dot the night sky. Up there somewhere, she knew there was her own lucky star, her shining diamond that would one day fulfil her wishes.

"This is all an exercise in futility, you know? We both know happy endings aren't for the two of us," her friend lamented.

"Maybe you're right…"

NOW, FOR OUR FIRST COMMANDER…

Shannon announced, her voice booming as the microphone did a much better job at projecting her voice than the cheap plastic cone ever could.

WE HAVE… NIF!

A round of polite but confused clapping came as people looked at each other's faces, not sure who on earth their commander called forth. Avoca, along with everyone else waited if anyone would step forward but none came, not that it seemed to faze their redheaded commander one bit.

UP NEXT, WE HAVE… ELANA!

The chatter of bewilderment became much louder, as all of them collectively scratched their heads, wondering if this was all part of the pre-agreed plan. Before Shannon could get another word in, however, an abashed Clare came rushing onto the stage, wasting no time as she immediately went to their commander's side. The pair wasted no time and went about murmuring with one another, but the powerful microphone was able to pick up parts of the hushed-up whispers between the two, especially that of the thunderous twin tails.

"What do you mean it's reversed?"

"Oh, I see, I see."

As Clare stepped down from the stage, Shannon flashed one of her coy grins, all the while scratching her head.

APOLOGIES EVERYONE! IT WOULD APPEAR I HAD THE NOTE THE WRONG WAY AROUND.

Avoca did her best to not put her face on her palm at this embarrassment as the rest of the team simply laughed off this slip-up.

ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE FINN!

The pair of clover girls shuddered in fear as they heard the name spoken aloud, bringing into mind the nightmare of joining the Dance Club and breaking their ankles in the process; something both of them had decided never to speak of again.

It wasn't much fun to have her leg in a concrete cast for weeks and, in something akin to schadenfreude, Avoca hid a small grin as the girl that put them through so much had one of her own legs in a cast. The grounds were filled with revelry as the ever-popular leader of the Dance Club made her way to the front, gingerly mounting each step, with much-needed help from her blackthorn shillelagh, a spotlight accompanying her every step of the way. Once she had filled in one of the spotlights on the stage, a mix of smugness and surprise on her face, Shannon waited no time to move on to the next one.

THEN WE HAVE… ANNALEE!"

A good deal of clapping was heard from everyone as they all gave their cheer to the team's favourite musician, (none more so than her own proud sister, who appeared out of nowhere). The dashing green bullet mounted the platform, the lights operator could scarcely keep the beam trained on her. Instrument still in hand, Annalee bubbled up and down across the stage, her cheerful energy all but infectious to every single one of them, as a shocked expression was painted on her face.

'Better luck next time, I guess…' Avoca told herself, knowing very well that the chances of her getting called next, or Dalua for that matter, was slim to none.

AND FINALLY…

A tense silence took hold of the crowd as Shannon paused for effect, everybody waiting as one. Their commander toyed with them for a while, repeating her words multiple times, before ultimately uttering the words that utterly shook the world beneath her.

WE HAVE AVOCA!

She sat still as she processed what she just heard, only coming back to earth when Dalua slapped her hard on the leg.

"Ouch! What was that for?!" Avoca roared out, the sting of the slap still fresh in her memory.

"Alright, that hurt me as well, guess I'm not dreaming then," her raven-haired friend told her, obvious from her face that she was still in a state of disbelief.

"You could have slapped yourself you know!" she replied.

"And based on your response, neither are you," Dalua concluded. "Now go out there and meet your destiny!"

Avoca jumped up to a round of applause, feeling the beam of the floodlight and the eyes of everyone present track her as she left the audience and joined her two compatriots in front. She could have sworn tears of joy streaked down her face as she stood in front of all.

Looking to her side, she came to the realisation that all three of them stood dressed uniquely in their own way, with Annalee in the middle glowing magnificently in her green and gold dress while Finn managed to make her injury add up to the all-powerful image she had crafted for herself. Then there was herself, all dressed like a divine being, still clutching at her basket of clovers that she was given earlier, one of which surely was the lucky four-leaved kind.

It was a nice turn of events for her as today had been nothing but a series of unfortunate events. Her following the gut feeling to help out in carrying the shells resulted in one of them crushing her friend's foot, requiring medical attention. Her gut-guided decision to sit as close to this morning's duel wasn't any better as it almost caused her to be flattened beneath the tracks of a rampaging Valentine.

EVERYONE MEET YOUR NEW COMMANDERS

The clapping that ensued was unlike any she had heard before, not only in its intensity, the likes of which weren't heard before, but for the mere fact that they were, in fact, clapping for her. It was simply unbelievable, this was probably her best moment in life and it would be only downhill from here on out.

I wish Tolka was here to see this…

But Avoca knew that, despite not seeing her, she was being watched by the birdwatcher in question. Tolka, unlike the pair, believed in the value of fieldwork, preferring to spend a day in the forest than an hour in a library, where she said she found the silence too deafening, whatever that meant. A realist at heart, she was the much-needed middle ground between her and Dalua.

'I'll always be watching' Tolka would always say to her, in doing so, she became her guardian angel of sorts. Dalua, being a pessimist as ever, said she was a stalker, much to her dismay.

Turning around, she came face to face with the beast she was supposed to tame. The tank was much more massive upfront than it had seemed when she saw it from her audience seat, now fully appreciating all of its riveted glory. It was nothing like the boxy exterior of the Mark D nor was it the lumbering beast that was the Independent. It was sleek and clearly made for speed. She knew it would take more than her guts to be able to make the best use of this vehicle she was given.

Facing the crowd once more, she noticed that from the seat of the guests, one of the redcoats stood up and Avoca recognized it to be the fellow blonde who talked to her last night and went on to win the duel earlier that morning. As she neared the stage, she saw three shiny pieces of metal each suspended by a cord, in the Glorian girl's hand. The blonde in the red jacket approached each one of them and gave them what turned out to be brass keys, slinging them around their necks.

Avoca knew almost immediately that this was a symbolic transfer of ownership and the cold feeling of the key on her finger vanquished the last fleeting feeling of this all being just a sick dream.

NOW IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO CHRISTEN THEIR RESPECTIVE TANKS

Shannon's booming voice brought her out of her reverie and from behind her, she heard a series of ropes and pulleys being pulled, just in time to see three bottles each fall in front of them, barely missing her head as it seemed to have dropped from the sky.

Avoca got a good look at the bottle and found it was the local brand of ginger beer, Amber Brew, served at the Hare's Head, something she had tried before but rarely did afterwards due to the gassy feeling it imparted. Their slogan wasn't much help either as it didn't exactly resonate with her: Ginger beer for ginger girls.

From the side of the stage, she saw Liffey, the event coordinator, come up at a pace, still gripping her clipboard filled with timetables and scripts, and began to talk to each one of them. First Finn, then Annalee, all briefly then before she realised it, it was now her turn.

"You just need to swing the bottle into the hull of the tank directly behind you, should be enough to smash it," her fellow bespectacled girl stated, not a word wasted and was about to walk away when Avoca gestured for her to stop.

Something felt wrong, like a premonition of sorts before all hell broke loose and she now felt butterflies fluttering inside her gut and she knew that she needed to get rid of them before she caused a scene.

"W-what if it doesn't break?" Avoca asked, less concerned about what to do in such a case and more to steady her nerves.

Like her and Dalua, Liffey was a frequent sight in the library, but instead of words, the girl crunched numbers and so was in different sections of the library. This caused them to rarely talk with one another as a result, with most of their exchanges happening only if it was her turn to use the Vicker's gun and Liffey was her loader.

"Don't worry, I had Dee nick the bottle with a screwdriver, it should burst open when it comes into contact," the tall girl reassured her.

Avoca nodded and grabbed the bottle in question, feeling its cold glass exterior against her sweating palm. In an unspoken agreement by the trio of new commanders, a silent count of three was counted out between them and this newfound coordination even went as far as all three of them simultaneously releasing their bottles, sending them flying like doves at a wedding.

The bottles of both Annalee and Finn flew out swiftly and smashed into the tank's armour, exploding into a cloud of foam and glass, accompanied by elation from the crowd. On the other hand, hers seemed to fly in slow motion and either due to her not having put enough force into the swing or Dee not nicking it deep enough, the bottle hit the hull with a deep thud and bounced right off, clearly unbroken.

A state of astonishment permeated throughout the field, as gasps of shock made their way across the crowd. As a school obsessed with the clover, Shamrock students believed in the value of luck and so this bad omen was a sign of bad things to come. This was none too apparent on Avoca, who had grown as pale as her dress.

Oh, St. Brigid Almighty…


Author Note: Wake up when September ends...

Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did, it was a bit short for my tastes but the fact that it only took three months instead of the six of last is an astounding achievement on my part if I'm being honest. It didn't help at all when my trust in this website was challenged with news of its abandonment as I contemplate either turning this update into a signal beacon or not publishing it at all.

However, things worked out in the end and here we are. This chapter's finally done and it's all thanks to every single one of you, without whom I wouldn't have made it to the finish line.

Special thanks as always to Sharky and Rihno for the proofreading help and to Zobers, who this chapter is dedicated to.

Well, the third anniversary of this story will be in a week's time, so let's see what I'll cook up then.

Until then, cheerio!