@Walls saved us.

But he couldn't completely save Blackie.

After all the sludge fell, I rushed out as soon as I could to Blackie's side. The metal on his rim was melting slightly. It hurt to hear him whimper and sob so much. I took him in my arms... and cried. I looked up at everyone.

Attie, Walls, Nobody, Slug Master, Eralonia, Claude-- they all kind of had their heads down, looking at me. I squinted, and tears fell down my face. I heard Blackie howl a bit. Some of the melting metal fell onto my hand. It wasn't hot. In fact, it was cold. So cold.

~We can save him.~ Eralonia said. ~Don't worry, Scilph. He isn't in that much pain.~

I wanted to scream at her, but I didn't have the energy to fight back. I just nodded a bit. Blackie could stand, but his legs were shaky. I opened to door... and saw thousands of EBIBs on fire, slowly burning out.

Then... I heard someone. A voice from behind me.

{Scilph.}

I didn't need to look to know who it was. I ran straight to him, trying my best to embrace Morris. He turned solid to return the hug. Happy tears were streaming down my cheeks. Blackie limped over, his energy returning.

"WE WON! WE WON!" I heard Attie yell. She jumped on top of Paci, who didn't fall over as I expected. Paci started off with a small giggle... and then laughed. She pulled the others into the hug, but Mattie stopped her when she tried to pull me in.

"No no," She said. "Let them have their moment."

I could hear Attie whispering under her breath, "Kiss him already," when Paci elbowed her with a steel arm. "ow!" I just grinned widely...

And in a room fill with smoke and with seven other people, two cats, and a sentient black box watching us, I kissed Morris.

I won't ever forget that moment. We were all squeezed into a booth in the cheesy 50's diner called Forever, trying to comfort Morris. Gretel, Mattie, myself, and Morris. Then Fortuna ran over. "SO CLOSE!" She screamed. We all stared at her, but she didn't seem to see us. Her eyes were fixated on something the rest of us couldn't see. "I was so close that time! Oh... it'll take another five decades to grow a Queen as good as she was!" Gretel was sitting next to me, and I heard her tiny sweet voice whisper, "They did it. They really did it."

Fortuna heard her. The woman snapped her head toward us, no longer stuck in thought. "Oh, yes. They did it alright. But do you know what they did?" She stalked over to our booth and slammed her hands on the cheap plastic table. "They just made a very powerful enemy. And so did all of you." Her eyes swept over us all, and she closed her eyes for a moment. Under her breath I heard her mutter, "Betrayed... betrayed by my own blood...." A shiver went down my back, and I saw my friends stiffen too. Mattie put on an obnoxious expression and was about to say something idiotic for sure when Fortuna turned away from our booth again. "Psyhigh destroyed me. I never forgot that. Don't think I won't have my revenge another day. Don't ever think that you actually won." She turned her head slightly and hissed, "Get out of my sight."

Then we were all in a smokey boiler room. It was completely destroyed. Dead EBIB bodies lay mangled and burning everywhere. I feared that there is nothing left but us and smoke. But then from the smoke, my sister ran straight at us and hugged us and squealed and cheered. "WE WON! WE WON!" I could see Scilph, and Nobody, and both old and new allies. I saw Morris smile again.

I'll never forget any of that.

...Have I done the right thing ? I'm not sure if what I did was the right thing. The-the generator, the EBIBs... I fell when it exploded. I saw the dog get hit by the black sludge stuff, I saw the black sludge stuff and the screeching, metallic noises overwhelmed me. I covered my head, knocking my hat to the floor. I was protected though. I'm protected by @Walls.

Why do I never know what's going on.

I snap back into a projection, I've finally managed to escape the Queen's grasp, but as I pluck the last tendrils of my mind from hers, I can hear her... Screaming... Her hive mind connects, I realize, to every EBIB in the school, and they are burning...

I hear a terrifying roar form @Scilph. I can feel the pain. The walls shake. Blackie is turned over on his back, a corner of his box melted, fusing to the floor...

Hot globules of black sludge are raining down on us. The Queen boiled from the inside.

I throw up a projection, over our heads, hoping that I can maintain it against this barrage of molten black ooze, hoping I can-- - --- I need to-- --

Walls gasps.

"She's here."

The giant bug bursts from the floor, screeching and screaming and making all sorts of noise. Horror and fear envelops me. I don't think I will escape this with my life. Nobody and the two cats run in, just in time for the insect to come forth from the earth below us.

The plan is for me to set off one final bout of anger so the pest is set aflame, falls into the salt, and dies an excruciating death.

But I can't. I am too scared.

The bug stares me straight in the eyes with its' many. It screeches, black sludge flying. Some narrowly hits Blackie, and I hear him cry out in pain. A corner of the box is melted off. He falls to the ground, writing in pain.

No.

She can't do this. Quinn can't hurt the last one I have left.

My fear is punctuated by a flush of anger, and I feel the fury enveloping me. Something bubbles up in my throat, a final push of pure, unbridled rage.

I scream.

The generator, the boilers, and all the pipes burst open.

The bug lights on fire, screeching and shrieking and finally...

It falls to the ground.

My projection flickers a little. The Queen... Her mind is pulling me in, I can feel--- - --

--- --- --Queen Quin-- - - --- --

It's time for me to move... My sharp needles clack on the stone, I slick up the ground with a black ooze as I walk... I've only got one thing to do, my sole purpose, consume Psyhigh and everyone inside... I yearn for it so badly, me, my bugs, they're been waiting so long for the call from their mother... Their Queen... They're in every crevice, under every chair, hiding, waiting in every room, and when I signal, they will begin to eat...

But now I'm being summoned... To the surface, a place with black smoke... Only one person has the power to summon me, I know this... I feel her presence, strange, not how I remember, but nevertheless... Fortuna... I must answer her call

Then my bugs will answer mine

--- - ---- -- ---- - - --- - - -- - --

Ah! AH! I know what to do! I need to bring this EBIB to everyone I can find her this is my time to shine *cracks knuckles* Bugs are my thing... I know these are desperate time but I can't help but grin that I am doing something useful. I need to get the big EBIB to them!! I can surely do this...
The EBIBs listened to me before. They'll listen to me now. They have to. I-I can't tell where it, no, she is...The Queen. I can sense all these goddamn insects and when I finally need to find one I can't! Useless! Useless!
NO. I know what to do. I know I can do this I can help. Those EBIBs in my room. They're always talking to each other about their EBIB lives and I'm sure I've heard them talk about their queen...I need their help. I need to ask them and... I'm here. I'm asking them where I can find their queen. And... they all scuttle out. They don't even reply (oh the nerve of them!) they scuttle, very quickly, away from me. I follow them of course.

I've followed them and I just, I hope it hasn't been too long. I hope everyone's okay, they were all so sad. I want to make things better. And now maybe I can because I'm here! I think (THINK) that I've found her, the queen. The EBIBs are surprisingly nonchalant and when I talk to them, politely using my best manners, they just seem to follow me. They follow through the walls though...It's a little unsettling not being able to see them but I can feel them there and I know they're following. Not blowing me over. I'm worried about them being in the wall though...I'm almost back!
@Scilph , @*Atlantica* and maybe (maybe?) the projection of @Walls are still there. The dog as well. Um, Boxie ? I'm here! Making my introductions! I've brought the uh, Queen EBIB with me!!

"Nice to meet you, Walls." I try and avoid eye contact with him. Not out of rudeness... I just miss Morris so much. It doesn't help that his projections look painstakingly similar, with their tousled hair and crooked grin and slightly wispy tail instead of legs.

I cough. The smoke is filling up the room, more and more. My eyes are watering. I truly hope that the cats get back soon... Blackie is beginning to panic.

~~Eralonia~~

We've done it. We've found her.

She is surrounded by a veil, and her eyes are squeezed shut. I wish I had some salt with me... these bugs are disgusting. Nobody is trying to get them away and save herself. Claude, upon seeing her, rips and tears through the silk like it was paper. He jumps in, and Nobody opens her eyes, gasping. He takes the jar of sprinkles off his back. She is ecstatic.

I take her hand in my mouth, her other one shoving sprinkles down her throat, and lead her out. Claude follows, relief spreading across his face. ~W' ned ter dep'rt qu'ckly!~ I say, my voice muffled by her hand. The EBIBs follow after us, enveloping the bones and ground in the parasites.

Suddenly, there is a tremor. I don't dare to look back, for fear of seeing Queen Quin.

'I'm Walls' I tell @Scilph. I don't feel like explaining further, not until we've found @Nobody. I want to get to know her more, but... Whenever she notices my projections her eyes light up for a second, then she just gives me a sad smile... I think I should wait until we get Morris and the others back. We all stand in awe at the generator. Dense smoke is filling up the room, and I can't help but feel a bit homesick, it's just like that time the villagers tried to burn me and my formers room-mates house down... Good times.

I can feel Eralonia in the walls. She's getting very, very close to Nobody. I can see inside...

++ Nobody is sat tightly in a corner. The EBIB's have made a kind of veil around her. She's trying to bat them away but them keep reforming... This is the Queens doing, that evil physical form-stealing piece of... sorry, Eralonia is getting close. I hope she can see through that veil, and I'm projecting as much salt as I can to try to disperse them. I hope she knows what she's doing, we don't have much time to get to the safe zone... ++

I think @slug master will be able to lure the Queen here. As soon as we get Nobody back, we can get this thing started! Oops, sorry if you're in the library right now, I got excited and the walls shook a little. Nothing you're not used to around here, I suppose.

Attie seems to be a few slices short of a loaf. But her antics do make me feel better, really. She refers to me as, "Scilph Zip Zap Power Girl". It is embarrassing, but honestly kind of cute. It makes me blush. But I did become infuriated when she tried to EAT THE SALT. That truly did help with my anger. I need to become as angry as possible to make the generator explode. I do hope Eralonia gets back soon... I am getting worried. *sparks fly, landing close to Blackie.* *Loud yips and whimpering* Oh, Blackie... he is so scared of the smoke and fire. Poor thing.

"BUTTERFLY! WHEEEEEEEE--"

ATLANTICA, CUT THAT OUT! WE NEED TO STAY FOCUSED! *more sparks fly*

*sigh*

I miss Morris. I heard him forgive me before he disappeared. That made me cry with joy.

I forgive him too. And we need to do our best so he can survive.

Wish us luck.

*click*