I woke up the next morning after waking up in-game to log out, as usual. With the semblance of a grin, I wondered to myself how it was that I had not yet been caught doing this night after night for the past few months or so. Let sleeping dragons lie, I then reflected as I got out of bed to start getting ready for school.

“You sure you're okay?” Ari had asked me right before we logged out.

“Yeah; just a bit worn out from all of our orb-hunting,” I replied with a faint smile.

“I guess I am too,” she returned with a grin of her own, giving me a hug. “See you soon!”

“See you soon,” I said with a better smile, holding her tight before we logged out.

Thirty real minutes after that, I was at my computer after getting breakfast and a shower, idly browsing the game's forums. There were the usual rage posts about players or groups who had thwarted other players and groups in the course of the guild competition. Some were more docile in nature; a lot of these had to do with fishing, farming, cooking, or some other craft skill that was less antagonistic in nature. We should capitalize on our Bethelia Homestead, huh? I mused to myself as I read some of these.

Then I found a certain sub-forum that was apparently an on-going discussion; its start date was right around the time of the Grand Tournament. Blinking in befuddlement, I wondered how it was that this one, of all the posts, had only just now come to my attention. Its name was our guild's name. Well, half of it was.

The Silvernight Queens: Antics and Shenanigans Report.

There were screen-grabs of the tournament; there were older screen-grabs from the live-feed that Ellie-Lizzy had posted during the conclusion of our Xuanpu quest; there were more from the holiday events and after-parties from the tournament; there were others of Dracuoatlax carrying the treasure-ship through the air to Queen's Haven... you get the idea. If we had done it, or if it was somehow related to us, it was there. And that was just the pictures, a sub-section of the whole thing. At least thirty articles had been posted about our activities in the last month or so.

“P-people really are getting into it over us, h-huh?” I remarked with a bemused look as I scanned the highlights. There was even a sub-section of the forum dedicated to taking bets as to how high or low we would rank when the competition ended.

The wager is in rare items or cold currency, huh? Hmm... I pondered for a moment, and then shrugged. If I made any more bets related to the game, Ellie would probably hang me ten times over, to say nothing of what Rachel might do. Or the others. A sigh escaped my lips. I looked over at the clock; it was time to get going. I got my shoes on, took up my bag, and headed downstairs to make my way to the bus-stop.

***

We had landed at Queen's Haven after a swift but long flight; Dracuoatlax decided to take his rest here, and we had obliged him. After he had headed down to the beach to sleep, Ariana dashed inside with the orb to see if it would give any hints of where to go or what to do next, leaving Maryn and myself in the yard between the beach and the manor. I felt my cheeks burning a bit, recalling Clara's words and how Maryn's expression had been during the green-haired girl's ranting.

“Ahh... M-Mary, I mean... Maryn...” I nervously said, and she looked over at me with a smile.

“If you're about to try and console me because of what that girl said earlier... it's fine, really it is,” she told me.

“I don't feel like it is--” I started, but then she wrapped me up in a hug, pressing me tightly against her. I didn't say a word, and neither did she; slowly I reached around to hug her back. We stood there for a few moments like that, and then she finally broke the silence.

“You're something special, you know? Part of me does feel like that girl, every now and again. But in the end, my happiness is your happiness; that is, seeing you be so happy, even if it's not with me at your side. That's what love is, Lana. It's not getting what you want: it's giving what you have, and accepting what you receive.” she told me, patting my head as she let go. “I'm gonna go work on some crafting before our pre-morning catnap. I'll see you at school.” she said, kissing my cheek as she left.

“You're something special too, you know. You've done a lot for us over the past few months; don't single me out as the only special person here,” I remarked as she headed off, and she looked back at me with an almost sad smile as she disappeared into the house.

An update from Angelfire then stole my attention, and the rest of my Panarena time was spent coordinating future efforts with the other guild leaders in our alliance. All in all, we were about to turn the tables on the King-Priests, so things were mostly good -- but there was still the pirate alliance, to say nothing of the Guardians of the Eternal Citadel.

***

“Hahh... none of that is on my mind at all,” I remarked under my breath as I saw the bus coming my way.

Ty was unusually awake for a change, giving me a nod as I sat down next to him as usual. I gave him a nod back, settling into my seat as the bus wound its way through town to school on its usual route.

“Wild was sayin' something about an altar or temple down in Memphani somewhere before I got off last night. I guess that's where y'all are heading next.” he said.

“Ahh? He knows more than I do, then; I guess Ari was too tired to mention it last night before we logged out.” I shrugged.

“Soon as that demon-thing is out of the way we can get back to the Queens' being the only psychos in the Wildlands.” he quipped with a faint grin.

“I don't think they'd appreciate that coming from the guild who's quickly becoming just as bonkers.” I grinned back.

“Ain't that about it?” he beamed. “What sort of craziness happened last night, anyway?”

“Ehh, we almost got eaten by some giant tiger; Shiar Ghan, I think...”

“Hrrn! I've heard of that cat. Wildeye wants to see if he's got a quest like your buddy Fyu.”

“I can't imagine him having a quest as non-aggressive as Fyu's,” I remarked wryly.

“That bad, huh?” Ty noted.

“Those claws had to be at least twenty CM long...”

“Niiice. 'Got to see the claws, huh?” he said with surprise.

“About this close to my face.” I said, indicating the minimally short distance with my finger and thumb.

“Dayum, squirrel. You don't have evasion and good luck for nothing.” he quipped.

“You're telling me,” I agreed.

“Oh, right, that dragon pal of yours was off like a rocket last night, too. I guess he caught up to you somehow or another?”

“Just in time, too. That Clara had us right where she wanted us.”

“Huh. I guess that's about fair, all things considered.”

“Ah-heh... we did get her nicely at the Torching Mount...” I said with a wry grin.

“And then she pinned you later, huh?” he remarked.

“Looots of poison traps.”

“Hrrn, she's bonkers with them, huh? Never mind ol' Djaziim, I wish we had an orb to make Venomheart go poof for a few days...” he griped.

“Was there more trouble last night?”

“Their assassin was going nuts in the Wildlands last night; something about a werewolf, a pixie, and some short girl with a staff. Didn't take us long to figure out who he ran into,” Ty said with a knowing smirk.

“Pfft! Niiice.” I laughed, quietly thanking the three in question.

“But he managed to wipe out about twenty players on his own before Mad Dog and his gang showed up; then he bolted like a damn rabbit.”

“Got away, huh?” I said with a faint sigh.

“Heh. We'll get him next time.” Ty shrugged.

“Hope so,” I returned.

The conversation drifted off with that. I slipped back into my own train of thought, nearly dozing off before the bus stopped to let us out at our destination. As soon as we got off, Ty gave me his usual flick, and picked up his pace to get to his locker. What's *your* hurry, pal? I wondered with an amused grin as I made my way to my own.

When I got to my own locker, Rachel was there waiting with a smile, books in hand. I smiled back, and quickly got myself ready for morning classes. A small groan escaped my lips as I paused to give the math book a dirty look; Rachel stifled a laugh as I did so, and when I had gotten all the books sorted we headed in for homeroom.

“Oh, I think Chrissy and Mandy said they won't be on tonight--or at least not until late,” she told me as we sat down.

“Hm? Oh,” I returned. “Ehh... I guess at this point we should be fine with the quest...”

“Oh they'll make it in time for that.” Rachel softly smiled.

“True,” I had to agree.

“Were you still fidgety about that one problem?” she then prodded, tapping my math book.

“Like you weren't?” I sighed back, a weary grin on my face.

“True!” she said with a laugh. “That one was evil. Even Andi gave it three looks before she wrapped her head around it.

“Gyeck.”

“Right?”

“Hahh... just a few more weeks of torture, huh?” I reflected, looking up at the calendar.

“Kind of scary how fast it went,” my girlfriend said as she did the same.

“The old man always tells me that once it speeds up it never slows down.” I said, a wistful sigh escaping me.

“Yeah... that's what grandma used to say, too,” Rachel softly said, a sad smile on her face. She took my hand, and I clasped hers back. “Let's make every second count, 'kay?” she said to me with a serious look.

“Definitely.” I agreed, and then the bell brought us to attention.

Morning classes passed as they always did, leaving us with a mild amount of homework for next time and a few assignments to be turned in at a later date. Thankfully, there was no math homework. I about Riverdanced my way to the club room in victory at that realization when we broke for lunch.

“Somebody's happy,” Ellie remarked as I practically skipped in the door.

“No math homework.” Rachel said with a goofy grin.

“Pffft!” the other girl nearly did a spit-take, then cackled for a few moments.

“No wonder he is so happy; do not worry though! My mother will make up for it this afternoon!” Anhe said with a smile.

“But I can understand foreign languages...” I quipped back, and she giggled.

“You really do, don't you? Maybe that can be a career path for you,” Mary suggested as she came in. I felt my voice stick for a moment on hearing hers, and then sat back, giving the idea a more serious consideration.

Not like you're good at anything else, academically speaking, the thought came to mind.

“Hmm...” I wondered, pulling out my lunch as the thought ran through my head. Rachel looked over at me in surprise.

“My Gawd, you actually made him think about it,” she said to Mary.

That statement was too much for Ellie. She actually did have a spit-take this time, and then she doubled over in laughter, falling back into her chair a moment later sounding like a seal as she clapped her hands.

“You don't have to laugh that hard...” I sighed as I looked over at her, only to see Andrea hiding her own laughter behind Thomas as the other guy in the room sat there with an amused smile on his face.

“Y-you do have to admit, it was a bit on the nose,” he told me, his voice desperately trying to hold back his own laughter. Rachel patted me on the head as I sighed, smiling at me.

“Sowwy.” she said sheepishly, and I gave her a wry smile in reply.

“N-no problem,” I returned.

“Ahhhh, that was gooood.” Ellie said, coughing to clear her throat and settle down, “But seriously, there are uni' scholarships for things for people who have more than two languages under their belt, and you basically fit the bill.” she said to me.

“Eh? But don't you have to like, write an essay in those languages for them?”

“Ho-ho, so you do know about them.” she grinned mischievously. “Well, shouldn't be a problem for you when you get to the end of your high school life.”

“Don't kill it off yet...” I softly retorted.

“Yeah, yeah... tell me about it...” Ellie said with a sigh, gazing out the window fondly.

We all turned to do the same, a long moment of silence overtaking us as we ate our lunches. There was nothing terribly important to be said, after all; even I could tell that the unspoken consensus was that we just wanted to be together for a bit longer in this place, quietly enjoying each other's company. Wordlessly, some of us began trading some of our food with one another or slyly snitching it from the person nearest. Rachel and I each picked up a cookie from our own lunches, then stuck the item in question into the mouth of the other, earning us one of those “oh-how-cute” stares from Andrea, Anhe, and Mary while Ellie rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah--you're cute, we get it...” she said to break the silence, and the others laughed.

Afternoon classes brought a surprise. Both Miss Andrews and Holly, her aide, were out sick, so for Theater class we quietly ran over our lines. On the board, there was a notice of practices and rehearsals that evening being cancelled -- though the stage crew and costume makers were to carry on as normal. Tough luck for Thomas, huh? I thought with a bemused look as I made sure of what I was reading.

“Come to think of it, I wonder when the orchestra is gonna join us in rehearsals,” I softly remarked.

“Hmm? Probably in the last couple weeks, like always,” Matt said to me.

“Yeah, that's how it usually goes.” Maggie nodded. “They rehearse their music over and over just as we go over our lines again and again, and then we synch everything up in the last two or three weeks of rehearsals.”

“Dude! Remember that senior violinist last time who could not get his cues right?” Herby said with a groan.

“Oh, God, why did you remind me?” Maggie sighed, as Matt snickered.

“He-he-hee! He kept Marcus and Mike totally off their rhythm!” the other boy laughed.

“Why didn't he get replaced, anyway?” Herby wondered.

“Bleh. His dad was one of the donors for the costuming and stuff. Like, a really huge donor.” Matt said as he straightened himself up.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Ugh, that's right; what a lo-ser.” Maggie snorted.

“B-bad timing on him, huh?” I remarked.

“Even when he got his cues right it still threw us off.” Herby shook his head, and Rachel broke out in the giggles.

“That's so bad!” she managed to say in-between laughs.

“Right?!” Matt grinned back.

“Ahh?” Billy Smith, who was playing one of the town guards, chimed in. “Ohh, Danny Boy, Daniel Woodsworth. Hahh...” he then said with a sigh.

“O-M-G, that was his name.” Maggie returned with a look of vehement recognition.

“Hmm?” I suddenly remarked, then snapped my fingers. “Oh, snap, that was the goof from last summer's Olympics, wasn't it?”

“Exactly!” Maggie nodded back.

“Ehh? He went to this school, huh?” I said with the ghost of a grin. Heh, I kind of thought the name was familiar... just didn't remember how familiar. Way to make me watch part of the Olympics for once in my life, pal, I thought to myself.

“Pfft!” Matt snorted.

“Can't say I blame you for forgetting; he was definitely a master-level social ghost,” Herby said with a shrug.

“Heh!” Billy nodded in agreement. “If excuses came to hang out with people he'd be friends with everyone in town.” he quipped, and we all laughed.

“Still... no rehearsals tonight, huh? That's a bummer...” Matt suddenly said, looking at the board with a bored expression.

“What are you complaining about?” Herby quipped. “I'm sure you'll drag me off to the arcades again after school just to make up for it.”

“But of course!” the other boy said with a grin.

“Sheesh, you and those arcade games,” Maggie sighed. “Don't you ever wanna just, you know, spend actual time with someone?”

“Hmm? Like what?” Matt blinked at her.

“You know... like a walk in the park... or a stargazing party... or something...” she replied, her cheeks reddening. Rachel and I looked at each other.

You think...?

Maybe!

Who knew??

Not me, for sure!

I'm gonna prod her! -- or so the telepathic conversation between us might have gone, should it have been audible. Rachel turned to Maggie with a grin, nudging her.

“That sounds like fun! We should do that some time when it's definitely more warm out!” Rachel said to her, and the other girl shyly grinned back.

“Hmm... I don't have anything against it, particularly...” Matt suddenly remarked, and I saw Maggie's cheeks reddening further. Though she tried to hide it a bit more this time.

“So maybe after the play's over?” she softly suggested.

“For sure!”

“Or, maybe... just...” she trailed off into a mumble.

“Hmm?” Matt wondered.

“We'll hold that thought!” Rachel smiled.

“Eh? Sure!” he said in reply. “Ahh!! Look at that, class is over!” Matt then remarked, jumping to his feet and sprinting for the door.

“Yipes!!” Herby yelped, scrambling to get out the door just behind him. “Wait up, jerk!”

“Too slooow, Herbs!” Matt's voice called back. Most of the others headed out at a normal pace, and we headed out with Maggie, who was trying to collect herself.

“You like him, huh?” Rachel said softly as we got to the door.

“He's such a doofus,” the other girl said, “But that's why I like him.” she added with a smile.

“I totally get it.” Rachel nodded.

“Huh? But Sean--” Maggie began.

“Has his goofy moments, believe me.” my girlfriend threw me under the bus with no hesitation.

Heh. Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-hehh... hahhh... I inwardly sighed.

“Sure,” Maggie said with a laugh. “Th-thanks, by the way... maybe, maybe this year...”

“I'm sure!” Rachel nodded, giving her a hug before we parted ways. “Not gonna try for a comeback?” my girlfriend asked me a moment later as we headed for class.

“And lose points? No thanks,” I grinned back.

“Good answer! Plus ten for that one!” she winked in reply.

Phew.

“S-so, speaking of walks... do you want to try and take the long way home after school?” I then asked her. She stopped, and looked over at me with a smile.

“Absolutely!” Rachel beamed back happily.

That smile. It never gets old. It really never does.

***

A couple hours after school had let out Rachel and I were in the downtown area, window-browsing the shops or halting to watch or listen to a street-performer. There were a couple of really neat magicians around, and on a stage near a parklet there was an all-girls band. I wondered to myself if they were the ones who had been at the party we had seen the other night. Their genre seemed to waver between pop and folk, all of which was well played and sung. Rachel even bought one of their albums to take home with her.

“Hmm...” she mused as we idly walked through one of the knickknack and curiosities shopping centers. “Oh! That's gotta be the song!” she noted with a smile as she read the list on the back.

“Hmm? Oh; yeah, that could be it,” I agreed.

She really loved that encore, huh?

“It was so happy and trilly! And I'm glad I got you dancing with me,” she smiled, and I had to smile back.

“You started a small dance party back there,” I said with a laugh, and she laughed too.

“True!” she grinned. “Oh! This one!” Rachel then said, taking my hand and leading me into one of the nearby shops as she put the album in her satchel.

“Eh? Ah, sure!” I quickly replied.

Cozy Cat Corner? Oh, wait, I've heard about this... or *these*, I might say, I thought to myself as she opened the door to the place in question.

Sure enough, it was that kind of place. Part bookstore, part café, part study-room -- and one-hundred percent filled with cats. Besides the dozens of cats and-or kittens idling or scurrying or lazing about, everything in the place was feline-themed in some way or another. I could literally hear Rachel lighting up as she squealed with delight; turning to the counter near the door, I walked over with a wry grin to pay the entry fee.

“It's ten, right?” I asked the lady.

“That's correct,” she smiled back. I swiped my card, and the second I did Rachel nearly dove into one of the more cat-filled corners of the room. “Good luck getting out again!” the lady said with a grin.

“Y-yeah,” I nodded, heading over to join my girlfriend, who was already scooping up kittens and gently nuzzling them.

“D'awww, you're just the cutest!” she told the little black and white kitty, who was softly purring as it nuzzled her back. I had to smile.

It's giving what you have... seeing you happy, Mary's words came back to me.

You're right. That's exactly what it is, I silently agreed with her. Three of the littler ones and one of the bigger cats then came to me, and Rachel quietly laughed as she saw still more coming to investigate or to sit on me.

“Somebody's a cat-magnet!” she laughed.

“If they can do science homework, then they're very welcome!” I returned.

“Oh! Come to think of it, we did talk about Schrö--” she started.

“N-n-n-not that kind of science!” I quickly interrupted her.

“Ahh--!! Y-yeah, n-not a nice subject to talk about with kitty-kitties.” Rachel agreed, cuddling the one she had in her arms, along with another that had joined in.

Hahh...

“What do we talk about with the widdle kitty-kitties, then?” she resumed, her cutesy voice dialed up to about ninety-nine. “Why, we'll talk about how vewy cuuute you all are!” she said, kissing the two little furballs now clinging to her.

Ahhh; we're gonna be here a while, huh? I realized with a bemused expression as even more cats came over to us, and to me specifically. It wasn't long before I became a literal cat-tower. This is one of those moments where I will be eternally thankful that none of the others are around.

“Welcome to Cozy Cat Corner!” the lady said to an incoming patron. “Just one? That's five, please -- enjoy your stay!” she said. A few moments later I heard someone joining us.

Hah? I wondered, lifting one of the cats a bit off of my face so I could see who it was. Ehhhhh?!? my brain said at once upon recognizing the young lady. It was Sabrina.

“You, like cats too, I see!” she said as she knelt down with us.

“Sabrina! Hey!” Rachel smiled at once.

“They're adorable, aren't they?” the older girl smiled as a couple of them left me to go to her. “Are you alive, over there?” she said to me with a grin.

“Ahh... oh, I guess you're off today?” I quickly replied.

“I am. There's, a lot of volunteers now, after all. So I called Christy, to see if she wanted to join me here,” she replied.

Gu'hyeck!?

“They're both, on their way!” Sabrina continued with a smug smile.

“Oh fun! We can all have cuddles with the kitty-kitties!” Rachel said delightedly, a squeal of joy bursting forth as yet another kitten joined her.

“Enjoy your stay!” I heard again, and felt a part of my soul leaving my body.

“Whew! This is a fun-looking place!” I heard Mandy's voice remark as the two of them came closer. “Hi, Sabrina! Oh, Rachel!! Oooh, that means...”

“Pffft!” the other person softly guffawed as they knelt down beside me. “Hiii, Seaaan!” Christina poked me through the swarm of cats that had been congregating on me.

“H-hi there,” I stammered back.

So much for that faint hope... I thought to myself as the girls burst into laughter.

Later that afternoon, after the girls had (somehow) exhausted their cuteness-intake for the day, our unexpected meet-up became a quick tutoring session that decisively finished off our homework for the day, followed by a visit to a restaurant for dinner.

“I still think it's a bit mean of them to change your schedule up,” Mandy remarked to her girlfriend as we awaited our drinks in the booth.

“They've been getting more people in, lately, and Teresa was complaining that she and Tess aren't always enough--which is true.” the other shrugged.

“Hmm, Tess really is tiny, though... you wouldn't think she's twenty-three.” Mandy said in reply.

“More like thirteen!” Christina agreed.

“She really is short,” Sabrina nodded. “But feisty.”

“You're telling me,” her half-sister said.

“Hmm?” Rachel wondered.

“Some guy about three times her size tried to get rough in the bar a few nights ago; Tess laid him out flat before he could blink.” Christina reported.

“Wow!” Rachel said in amazement.

Short... early twenties... Tess... Tessa? Nah, couldn't be...

“She's good with that aikido stuff, huh?” Mandy observed.

“Aikido?” I then remarked. “No way... Tessa Carroll?”

“Oh, you know her?” Christina said in surprise.

“She was practically a teacher at the one school I went to when I was a kid,” I told her.

“Hah, yep! That's her,” the other girl nodded.

“What a curious connection,” Sabrina remarked.

“You think it's a huge city, and then suddenly things like this come up, huh?” Mandy smiled.

“This place is weirdly small compared to some of the cities I've been to, though...” Rachel said.

“Ohh, right! You've been to a lot of places, huh?” the older girl remarked.

“I think Tokyo and London took the prizes!” my girlfriend smiled back.

“London... is big,” Sabrina agreed.

“You've been there, too?”

“For my sixteenth.” the other smiled.

“Ahh, gotcha!” Rachel nodded.

“That reminds me; Christy, she--our mother, put aside some money for a summer trip, for you, if you want it.” Sabrina then said.

“Hmm... you're coming with us, though, right?” her twin returned.

“I am now.” the other smiled.

“I'm not sure we quite settled where we were going, though,” Mandy said. “Come to think of it, shouldn't you two be at practice? Or rehearsals, I mean?”

“Ahh... both of our teachers were out sick, so we got off early today,” I said.

“Ah-ha, so that's why you were frolicking with the kitties!” the girl with platinum-hair grinned back.

“Hahh...” I sighed, but there was a smile on my face anyway.

“Don't worry... I promise not to tell Ellie...” Christina said with a wink.

“I've heard that song before.” I quipped back, and the others laughed. The waiter came back with our drinks then, and after getting our meal orders headed off for the kitchen to deliver them.

“Hm? Oh, it's Andi,” Rachel said as she checked her phone. “Hmm... she says that she solved the last few clues and that we should meet them at Fivr'ang when we get online,” she said.

“That's in the Tundralands, isn't it?” I wondered.

“Less chance, of being spied on,” Sabrina noted.

“Oh, true,” I agreed.

“We finally have all nine orbs, huh?” Mandy remarked. “I wonder what sort of crazy quest awaits us tonight! After I get through polishing my essay of course...” she said with a frazzled sort of grin.

“It was a long one, huh?” Christina said with a half-grin.

“It is a thesis-paper, after all,” Mandy nodded.

“Thesis-paper?” I wondered.

“At least sixty pages of original work on a certain topic.” Christina told me, her half-twin nodding in agreement.

“Hah...?” I practically quacked in disbelief.

“There you go scaring the high school gir--I mean, kids, again,” Mandy shook her head.

“No no, I'm warning them this time. You'd better have your ducks in a row if you go to uni.” her girlfriend said, Sabrina again nodding her assent.

“It's, not for the fainthearted.” the other girl added.

“Ahh -- not for me, then.” I quickly said.

“The terror of sane people in Harmonia everywhere, put to flight by a stack of books and papers,” Rachel quipped.

“A big, big stack of books and papers, that is.” I softly retorted as the other girls laughed.

“You'll be fine.” Christina told me. “Ohh, right; you can take them home after this, can't you?” she said to her sister.

“That's fine,” Sabrina nodded. “We are, cutting it close!” she said with a smile.

“For sure,” the other smiled back.

“Hm? Do you drive, Sabrina?” Rachel asked her.

“In a manner, of speaking,” the other grinned back.

After dinner, Rachel and I found ourselves as the passengers of Sabrina's... limousine. Her chauffeur had been waiting in the area, and quickly obliged her request to get us home after dinner. My mind went blank the second it had pulled up, and continued to be blank until Rachel poked me back to reality a few minutes later.

“Seeaaaan, we're in a limo! Isn't it neat??” she said to me.

“Ehh? Ah, right... a limousine... Sabrina's limousine... and Mary's fancy house... and Anhe's palace... heh... heh-heh-heh... ah-heh...”

“Here,” Sabrina herself said, handing me a small glass of sarsaparilla. “And I didn't even ask, for it. It's just, what I have, from what mother feels necessary.”

“You mean the vehicle,” I said as my wits started coming back to me.

“I don't mind. And, it is fun,” she smiled at Rachel. “I suppose, it's one of those things that, people with money, don't always think about.”

“We should definitely try getting one for senior prom.” Rachel said to me.

“Y-you're already that far ahead?” I stammered back.

“Oh, I can just take you, in this one!” Sabrina smirked. “So long as I get pictures!”

“Deal!” Rachel immediately grinned back.

Hahh...

“Come to think of it, we can't go until next year, huh...” I recalled.

“Not unless we have a junior or senior as a date.” Rachel nodded. “I wonder if we could do it that way...” she wondered in a quieter tone.

“Hmm?”

“Eh? Ah! I'll figure it out later!” she smiled back at me.

“Hehh...?”

“Sounds like more... what do they call them? Oh, yes; shenanigans!” Sabrina said with a laugh.

“That's my life these days. One shenanigan after another...” I said with a wry smile.

“The house for the young madam,” our driver then announced as we pulled up to Andrea's place. Rachel gave me a kiss before heading out, and we waited until she was inside to continue on.

“Honestly, I can't wait--to see you, in the musical; and, to go on some real adventures, with all of you,” Sabrina told me as we made our way through the streets.

“I don't know how the first will turn out, but the second will definitely--”

“The musical, will turn out wonderfully.” she said to me confidently.

“Ehh... I hope so. Apparently some bigwigs are watching it and the funding for the arts at schools in general is on the line, or something like that...”

“Ahh, them...” Sabrina said with distaste.

“Hm? You know them?” I wondered. A moment of silence passed.

“My mother, hosts some of their parties, sometimes. Not always. But enough. The most vocal of them, his name, is Maximilian Theodore Arnold Saint-James the Third, as he always reminds everyone in earshot, especially if they don't care...”

“Heh... pompous, huh?”

“If he, was just pompous, he wouldn't be the worst. But, he's been known, to take some aggressive actions, to get his way.” Sabrina remarked, and then blinked as the both of us realized what she had said. “Aggressive...” she repeated softly.

“Don't tell me that's why...” I murmured, thinking back to my “ninja” attacker.

“The house for the young master,” the driver then announced. I said my thanks to Sabrina as I got myself unbuckled to get my bag, and then she softly took my arm.

“Sean; please, be careful, the next few days.” she implored me.

“Of course,” I said, and then she kissed my cheek before letting go. I stepped out of the limousine then, and when I had gotten inside my door I heard it rolling off to its final destination for the night.

My parents were already asleep, it seemed. I got myself ready for bed, and slipped on the Dream Machine a few minutes later to join the others in Panarena.