"From the Edge, you say? On land?"

"Yes, your excellency," said the cabbage white. "Led by a fritillary. We're receiving reports from the Roly Poly network."

"Our friends in the underground. Excellent. Well, I think we can guess what they're after. We can let them come to us. Swallowtails?!"

"Yes, your excellency," said Black.

"Yes, your excellency," said Zebra.

"Yes, your excellency," said Tiger.

"Prepare for their arrival."

I feel terrible, roping our Psyhigh friends into this gambit. But I know the denizens of the Butterfly Gym could never fill this role... True butterflies are far too savage for this level of subterfuge, and yet my Psyhigh friends are too naive to play any other role.

"FREEZE! DOWN ON THE GROUND!"

It was a troop of Mourning Cloaks, puddling. We walked right into them. Just as I had planned.

"Everyone -- do what they say. We're outnumbered here."

Silently I sent the UV signals.

"Aw.. wut?" Jacob said.

"Do what she says," said Maia. Good old Maia, I knew she was down with the cause.

"I'm sorry, everybody," I said. "But your safety needs to some first."

I could tell @Darby Funtz was frazzled. "Wha???" he said.

"Keep it cool..." said Talia. I knew she was down for it too.

As we were led, forelegs shackled, along the paths to the enemy camp, I realized something didn't add up.

"Tisa," I asked.

"Yes Darby?" Tisa panted. Walking was much harder on her.

"If the re-anthropomorphizer has been in enemy hands..."

"Yes?" I felt she could already tell where I was going.

"Then how were you able to return to the outside and find us?"

@Tisa Fritillary looked down at the ground, feelers drooping.

"I know where the re-anthropomorphizer is," she said. "Because I was one of the enemy. When I arrived, they were very welcoming. I was made a vizier of sorts, based on my knowledge of the outside world, which made me seem quite wizardly."

Talia, Jacob, and Maia walked closer to hear her story.

"At first, I supported the sort of 'back to nature' primitivism of it all. Living off the land like we had in times of old. I indulged them in their fantasy, and their forgetfulness. It wasn't till I realized the brutality of their regime--their nationalism, their violence--that I turned against them, and used the re-anthropomorphizer on myself. To find help, and here you are."

"Yeah. In shackles," Jacob said.

"But only you can help me. Only we can retake the re-anthropomorphizer. And," Tisa looked around at our Mourning Cloak guards furtively, "they're taking us right to it."

"Ah, @Tisa Fritillary, traitorous pest! Have you returned to plead guilty and throw yourself on the mercy of the High Court of the Butterfly Imperium?"

"I have, my lord."

"Your wings are tattered and torn. Perhaps some time in the Healing Baths of Nectar? And we should prepare your raiments as you become Grand Vizier once more?"

"I would be honored, my lord."

"Ha! Fat chance! Laugh, my Swallowtail Guard!"

"Ha!" laughed Black.

"Ha!" laughed Zebra.

"Ha!" laughed Tiger.

"Laugh, my Royal Court!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Throw them all in my Butterfly Dungeon! Prepare the pins!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"These butterfly restraints are uncomfortable," Jacob said.

"Looks like they're a lot more uncomfortable for @Tisa Fritillary," said Talia.

Tisa moaned.

"Oh my god! Poor thing! Look how the collar pokes into her neck like that," said Maia.

"Doesn't hurt me like that," Jacob said.

"That's because our bodies are different," Talia said. "And the butterfly suits are padded."

That's when I gave my bonds a tug. And a twist. And another tug and a twist and....

"And these butterfly restraints don't work on us!" I said. "Quick, let's get ourselves free and get Tisa out of that thing!"

Tisa was coming around, her wings draped over our shoulders.

"Down this hall," she gasped. "There's big doors on the right."

The stone halls were like a dungeon. How did the butterflies move such stones to build this fortress?

The doors were huge but opened easily to a brightly lit laboratory.

"There!" Tisa pointed an antenna towards the corner of the room. We stumbled towards it and discovered a twin to the machine back at Psyhigh.

"Ah, @Tisa Fritillary, my limp and predictable ex-Vizer!"

It was @Buckeye Swallowtail, butterfly emperor, and his Swallowtail Guard, blocking the door behind us.

"So! Returning once again to your Land of Giants, @Tisa Fritillary? Your mutant friends don't seem to have made a difference in your efforts to destroy your own civilization!"

"You're the one who's destroying it! With your arrogance! Your mad lust for power!"

"Still, we can't allow you to return again, and bring even more ugly creatures with you back to our realm. Swallowtails?!"

"Yes, your excellency," said Black.

"Yes, your excellency," said Zebra.

"Yes, your excellency," said Tiger.

"I'd like them all added to our... permanent collection. Collect them!!!!!"

I made a mad dash for the re-anthropomorphizer.

"Ugh!"

"Ow!"

"Ummmph!"

"Hey! Cut that out!"

My Psyhigh friends were taking the brunt of it. Darby, Talia, Jacob, and my little Maia, being pummeled by the Swallowtails; @Buckeye Swallowtail screeching in the background, pointing its forelegs at me.

But they were too slow. I had the time I needed.

I hit the power, turned up all the knobs, and flipped the heavy-duty safety switch.

The re-anthropomorphizer started to whine. And shake.

I didn't remember the re-anthropomorphizer being so violent. It felt worse than being beat up by butterflies. I mean, giant ones.

"We sure smashed up the Butterfly Gym," Talia said.

It was true. We were laying in the wreckage of the Butterfly Gym, back at Psyhigh. We'd been blown right through the walls and into the little waiting room, smashing the coffee table and knocking over the waiting room chairs and scattering the magazines.

"But hey! We made it back in one piece!" said Jacob.

"Where's @Tisa Fritillary?" asked Maia, suddenly frantic. "She could have been crushed!"

Maia leapt up out of the dust and splinters, then stopped herself.

"Nobody move!" Maia said. "She could be under anything."

We all froze.

"I'm all right!" It was Tisa's voice, coming from the back, near the re-anthropomorphizer machine, and the lockers. "But I feel... woozy..."

We all climbed over the wreckage and into the back room. There was Tisa, with some office tiles and pieces of drywall on her.

But she was over five feet tall. A five foot tall butterfly.

"Tisa..." Maia began, but was cut off by a hacking cough across the room, by the lockers.

Standing up slowly, shaking the dust and debris off their wings, it was @Buckeye Swallowtail and his Swallowtail Guard. Each over six feet tall.