Leo O'Ryan, the mindball jock and brother of Ashlan O'Ryan lay motionless in the Lollypop Medical Ward. He was greeted by Mena and especially May in a mournful way.

"Oh my lusterous Leo," May said, her chubby face resting on his chest. "You may look like a lion, but you lay like a lamb."

The short Lollypop MD waddled up to Mena and May. "Did he move at all?" the young witch asked.

The doctor shook his head. "Not since the reaperfire touched his soul."

"Is he…" May said, pulling her long pigtails over her mouth. "Dead?"

The Lollypop MD shook his head again. "No. Worry not. His soul didn't come in full contact with the reaperfire, so he remains in a sort of stasis."

Mena and May frowned. "That's not much better!" the large girl bemoaned and she blew her nose.

"Fortunately," the MD said, strangely optimistic for a doctor. "We will continue to search for a cure. After all, he was the mindball player I bet all my jems on. I need a new vacation house in Dula, after all, and…"

But he did not finish his sentence when he saw he was earning the wrath of two very concerned girls.

"Erm…" he said, clearing his throat, but he was interrupted by Stellaris' sweet voice, magically broadcasted over the school.

"Attention all students, I would like you all to report to the Cloud Hall for a special announcement. It concerns our next destination-- a very important location for the rest of the semester."

"She already wants us to go somewhere?" Mena asked. "We barely had any time to be sad."

"Goodbye my sheep in lion's clothing," May gushed as she offered a wet kiss on Leo's cheek.

As they rushed out, Mena could have sworn she heard the doctor say, "Phew, dodged a spell there. Thank the dream goddess for that announcement or I would have ended up in the hospital myself."

"May," Mena said as they stomped down the corridors. "I can't believe it's only been one week since we went to the Mind Jungles. My head is still reeling from everything that happened."

"Tell me about it," May said, looking like a grumpy, puffed up cat. "Leo's still unconscious and Tal's…"

There was a look of pain in Mena's eyes and she hid her face. May placed a comforting arm around Mena's bony back, but it wasn't the same. Tal or even Ashlan's arm felt much different. Mena forced a smile. "Just gotta turn that smile upside down, I guess."

"I think you mean turn hat metaphor upside," May said, but she was equally forcing her levity. When they reached the Cloud Hall, they couldn't force it anymore. Among the students floating in the cumulus skies of the great Cloud Hall, Janus was already at their cloud table.

They pumped themselves their clouds from the silver machine and reluctantly zoomed up to the table. "Howdy roomies," Janus said,trying desperately to lighten the mood.

"Hi...erm...Janus…" Mena said with a forced smile, but May absolutely refused to humor her. She crossed her arms and then asked mockingly in her deep voice, "Oh Mena? Did I hear a ghost? The ghost of our friendship perhaps?"

Janus's eyes betrayed a look of hurt. Unfortunately for them, rocky relationships were the least of their problems. Panic gripped the entire Cloud Hall when the arched window indicated they were heading straight for the surface of a vast ocean….and they weren't stopping.

"Sacre Bleu," Laetitia of the Tessellation twins cried with her hand to her mouth. "Vee cannot swim! I much prefer the shallow end of zee pool!"

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"Considering her personality," Janus said with a wry smile. "That seems about right!"

But other students, including Mena were panicking. "May!" Mena cried. "Remember that inflatable Fabias the Famed we bought in Wormwood?"

May nodded frantically yes.

"If the school capsizes, we can still float away on that!"

Mena visualized the handsome inflatable in her mind with his luscious, pouty lips. "Presto-apprearo, bring forth our favorite inflatable hero!"

Suddenly, the inflatable popped out of thin air, its full sized length clocking Mena in the head. "Oof," she cried. "I forgot how much air he could hold."

"No need for that questionable artifact, Mena," a familiar, aquatic voice called out.

Standing front and center in the room was Scalia Trident along with Stellaris and the other teachers.

Mena hid behind the inflatable as everyone gasped at her.

"Nice inflatable!" Scalia said. "I've got one of Fishysauz Prince Phil Le back home and I"--she shook her head--"Sorry ocasional memory lapse! Everyone, no need to fear!"

"W-W-We have plenty of reason to fear," May shivered as she looked at the ocean looming ever closer.

"You don't need to fear," Scalia answered with a casual smile. "Because we've simply returning to my home, the Brain Sea!"

"And?" May asked, remaining skeptical.

"There's where the second temple lies!" Stellaris added proudly.

There was a look of exasperation on some of the girl's faces, especially the Tessellations'. "Why must vee be part of zis wild liccan chase?" Marie Tessellation moaned. "We only came here to get a 'igher education...and the ocasional Sunbeam boy to relish us...which we're not getting at all currently."

"Go home then," Stellaris snapped. "You ladies can go back to your cozy home in Dula, but these Groundborns currently have no home with the Nightmare Void annexing where they live."

There were a bunch of head nods from the other girls in the room. That was enough to shut the Tessellations up.

"Anyway," Stellaris said, glaring with catlike hostility. "Before we were so rudely interrupted, I'd like to proudly announce that we're already allowed in the Fishdom thanks to Scalia's father's connections with their royalty."

There were sighs of relief. Janus cleverly quipped, "Having to put on another Grasspeare play would be another tragedy."

That earned her some hostile glares, especially from Mena and May.

Scalia nodded. "My father served as court lawyer for both Prince Phil Le and the Kingfish themselves. And so, they graciously welcome you...and…" she suddenly turned pale like she was hypoventilating and dunked her head into the bucket she was holding.

When she emerged, her cheeks were bright pink. "Me! Even with my father's ties, I've never met the royals before, but you can bet your tail fins that I follow them...even from out here. Now, Where was I?"

Mena smiled. Even with her memory aid, Scalia was as ditzy as ever.

Stellaris picked up where the flabbergasted Scalia left off. "We are graciously allowed in the Fishdom, but we have one obvious problem...None of us can breath underwater."

Mena nodded in agreement. That was very true. Not even in her wildest dreams...well maybe her wildest dreams where she was a mermaid princess.

"Fortunately," Stellaris said, "In an odd combination of teamwork, Scalia and Professor App Carrie have devised a plan involving Dreamfish elixirs."

Everyone including Mena looked at each other. Dreamfish, the young witch thought, what are Dreamfish?

Stellaris looked to the pale-faced, coconut-bobbed Professor Caligari and said, "I'll let Cere take it from here."

Caligari spoke in her low pitched ghostly tone, "Dreamfish are benevolent nightcreepers who only exist in this realm. When their scales are brewed into a potion, they allow the drinker to become whatever fish they desire."

"Wowie zowie!" Mena exclaimed, "Even a mermaid princess?!"

Everyone gazed at Mena, and Caligari seethed with rage over being interrupted. "Yes...even a mermaid princess, Willow. Though with your luck, you're most likely to end up a sea slug."

Caligari shuffled her banged bob to look away from Mena, though hatred was still in her eyes. "Dreamfish are special in that they only exist in the murkiest waters of your dreams in this domain. You see, the Brain Sea creates special dreams where everything is an island paradise except for the darkest waters at the bottom of your mind's ocean. That's where you'll meet nightcreepers manifesting as your greatest fears and insecurities...all ready to eat you!"

There was a commotion from the girls, but they quickly fell silent over Caligari's severe visage.

"Obviously," Caligari said with a roll of her eyes. "There won't be many takers to find the Dreamfish. Which is fine, because"--Caligari's glowing eyes cast themselves in Mena's direction--"I've already chosen our number one candidate, Phenomena Willow."

Mena gulped so loudly it sounded like she was choking on air. Caligari smirked and spoke aloud her innermost thoughts, "As of late, I won't even need to venture into my darkest dreams, dealing with the likes of Willow alone is my greatest nightmare come true."

Mena buried her face in her inflatable, knowing full well that even Inflatabias and his blow up abdominals couldn't protect her from the inevitable torment at the hands of Caligari.