A minion of the childlike empress runs from the dark knights through the white pearl hall leading to her main room, where the empress lied on her couch with 4 other minions surrounding her. "Empress, they're coming!" She calls to her. "Just as I imagined," she said calmly. "I don't know what to do," the girl said worriedly as she sat on the edge of the empresses couch. "Don't be afraid. My sister loves to make an entrance," The empress said in the same unwavering tone.

The knights then began to circle the room, completely surrounding the empress and her minions from the outside of the room, causing the minions to whimper in fear. "There's nothing to fear, the empress says while gesturing for the 5 of them to leave, all looking back at her for reassurance before they left the room. The dark knights raised their swords, the empress raised her hand. "That's close enough," she said as the tiles from the marble floor start to crumble and fall.

"My Dear sister, I was afraid I'd be too late." Xayide exclaims with her arms open, welcoming herself in before almost stepping in the open area where the tiles had fallen. "Imagine my delight to find you still strong enough to do...what you do." She says sarcastically. "You're looking well Xayide," the empress replies.

"I wish I could return the compliment. I'm sorry to see you so pale, so...defenseless." She says with a tone of fake pity and a gaze of enjoyment seeing her sister in this state. "And yet, still alive," the empress added. "Oh yes, but for how long? Don't worry sister, I will be right here for you in your time of need. And when you're gone, it will be with a heavy heart that I will accept the mantle of leadership," she said in the same underlying ominous tone.

"I appreciate your love and concern Xayide, but you're too late, but you're too late. I've already found a solution," the empress informed. "The human boy?" Xayide questions before chuckling. "At this very moment, he is fulfilling his destiny." Hearing this made Xayide chuckle a little more, turning into almost a laugh. "Oh you are naive if you think a mere child is going to save you...childlike empress." She said the last part full of mockery.

The empress shakes her head. "He might only be a boy but he's stronger than you think, than him or anyone else thins, he can impact Fantasia in many ways imaginable, including saving it." Xayide scoffs. "Well what about your little woodland hero, Atreyu was it? Is he not the big all mighty fighter you thought he was?" She asks again in the same tone. "Atreyu's been doing just fine. He's done what I've asked him to do, but he can only do so much. Only a human can give me a new name."

"And let's say he doesn't. He doesn't know how he doesn't know he has to do it, then what will you do? There would be no hope left for you," Xayide says sinisterly. "I believe in him," the empress said firmly. "I know he will find out. Even if it takes until my last breath for him to know, he'll do it."

Meanwhile, Mr. Coriander has explained to Bastian how to work his job as a bookseller in the shop before he left, leaving Bastian by himself with the neverending story. Mr C. had tilted the full body mirror ahead of the desk towards Bastian. Bastian questioned what he was doing but didn't think much of it. After messing around with a mini sword propped on its stand on the desk, Bastian picks the book up.

Atreyu still is staring at the map, his eyebrows furrowed, trying to make sense of what the map in front of him means, that's when the metal walls started to push out.

Back in the ivory tower, Xayide walks back in with a bouquet of dark red and purple flowers. "I've brought you something to cheer you up," She states before a layer of the tiles form back into place. The dark energy from the flowers was radiating into the empress and causing her power to keep Xayide and the knights away to weaken. The knights stepped closer. "Oh what's this?" Xayide asked sarcastically. "Stop, come no closer," the empress commanded with her hand up to the dark knights. Another layer of tiles formed back. The knights stepped closer.

"You're weakening. Your powers are waning. Where is your hero now dear sister?" She mocks. "Soon, everything will be different," the empress said before the second to last inner layer of tiles formed back. Xayide laughed. "Now that is wishful thinking."

As Bastian read: 'Atreyu frantically tried to answer the riddle. He wondered if he had to fill the blank map of Fantasia, with all the names of all the places he could remember,' Bastian read as Atreyu frantically started naming places, the walls slowly moving closer and closer to crushing Atreyu and the table. After remembering again what morla the ancient turtle had told him about the childlike empress, the table splits in half, causing pieces of wood to fly in the air and almost in Atreyu's face.

Just then, following the walls did the metal rods, their ominous screeching causing Atreyu to think faster. He thinks more about the conversation he had with Morla. About empress's name being measured in names, not years, that the only place she can get a name is wasn't anywhere he knew. "Not in Fantasia...wait, that's it. The answer to the riddle is nowhere in Fantasia!" Atreyu says quickly, bracing himself to get stabbed with all the rods, but they all come at a halt, before slowly retreating back to their original place, along with the wall.

The empress is about taking her last breathes, appearing to be in a sleepier state with how weak she's gotten. "What's wrong? Could it be that everything is lost?" Xayide taunted, but her taunting didn't affect her sister in the slightest. She still believed in Bastian and Atreyu. "Not as my heart continues to beat," the empress replies. "And how long could that be?" Xayide asked. Right then and there, the last layer of the tiles formed back, letting the knights step closer along with Xayide as she sits on the edge of the couch.

"It's not that I don't love you. But why prolong the inevitable..?" She asks the last part in a huskier voice. The empress's eyes were shut, she was now too weak to move, or open her eyes, but she could still hear her sister's words. Despite wanting her gone, Xayide did still want to spend time with her sister in what she thought was her last moments alive on her death bed, but she wasn't at all sad, not in the slightest. Deep down and up she felt nothing but bitterness in her heart, and sadistic enjoyment and pleasure, being the sadist that she is, even when it's her own sister's slow demise. She wanted nothing more than to take her status as not just the empress but the ruler, for everyone to focus on her instead of her sister for once, to have the self-soled power she's always wanted.

'Atreyu stared in surprise. Instead of his own reflection...he saw the image of a 12-year old boy, sitting in a stool in a store full of old books and curios,' Bastian read. His eyes widened once he realized whom the book was describing, himself. The Auryn symbol attached to the front cover of the book started to glow. Bastian began to look around, his gaze soon meeting the mirror in front of him.

He set down the book and slowly walked up to it. At first he saw himself, before the image of Atreyu suddenly appeared inside. Bastian's eyes widened in shock. "Atreyu?" They both met gazes at each other for a few more seconds before the door to the bookshop opened, causing Bastian to look behind him at the guy, and when he turned back around...the image of Atreyu was gone.

After talking to the customer, Bastian looked at his watch, it was 5:30, his dad would be getting out of work anytime now. He had already told Mr. C he would be out by then. Bastian was paid 15 from the customer, which was enough for him to get his dad a card and a cupcake at least, which would be enough to make a good enough birthday. However Bastian still couldn't get his mind off of the incident. A thousand questions swirled in his head, just like Atreyu's. How could he see him? He thought. He then started to remember the girl he saw in his dream the one night. What did it mean? How and why was he getting visions of people from Fantasia? Wouldn't that be breaking the forth wall?

After Bastian Michael had dinner Michael blue out the candle of the single chocolate cupcake Bastian had brought. Michael then opened the card and cds Conner had brought. As Bastian suspected, he was a little caught off guard. Surprisingly to Bastian, the two ended up bonding over a music conversation and splitting the cupcake. Once Bastian was changed and got ready for bed, he opened the book again from where he had left off, which was the about the mirror.

'The image of the human boy disappeared, and was replaced by Atreyu's own reflection.'

Suddenly the empress quickly sits up from the couch, having had a vision of what was happening to Atreyu through the Auryn and she could see that he's seen Bastian. "Atreyu!" She says suddenly, causing Xayide to jump up from where she was sitting. "Oh, a miraculous recovery. My poor child I was so afraid for you." Xayide says in her fake sympathizing tone with her hand over her heart dramatically. "The child you once knew will soon be no more," empress assures. "You've overstayed your welcome, now go." She commands the dark knights with a wave of her hand, causing them to fall through the floor.

The empress then forms a mystic pink cocoon like structure around her, shielding her from Xayide. "No!" Xayide complained as she pointed her finger at her angrily before walking toward the exit. "I know what you're doing, I've seen all your tricks," she says as the empress's cocoon finishes forming. "I'm talking to you don't you dare hide from me! You think you can save yourself with smoke and mirrors?? Where ever you go I will hunt you down, whatever you become I will destroy you. I'm not finished with you let little sister, I haven't even begun!!" She asserted angrily before storming out of the tower.