Notes, Dedications, and Nightbreak's Assorted Ramblings  [4]

     These next two chapters are gonna hurt and hurt bad.  But, in both of
them, the glory has to go to my God and Saviour, Jesus of Nazareth.  Yes, call
me whatever you want, be it right-winged bigot (though I'm not) or fanatic
(though I certainly don't feel like one), but it's high time I give some credit
where credit is due.  And since I think that my writing talent came from Him,
something's got to go back.  I've stayed silent too long.

     Thanks go to all the folks at Shinji's Vault of Anime MSTings, of which I
am a proud member.  To Jamie Jeans who borrowed this little idea to use as his
MSTing format.  I'll MST with him, soon.  And to Greenbeans, the author of
the "College Life" series, starring Haruka and Michiru of "Sailor Moon".  I'm 
borrowing her idea of Haruka from her fanfic "Distant" here because, hey, even
the coolest of the Senshi needs to lean on someone now and then.
     Enjoy, anime lovers.  Enjoy, fanboys.  And enjoy, my friends.

     Oh, yeah.  Every character mentioned herein belongs to their creator. 
Samantha Jones belongs to Jamie Jeans, Tuxedo Chris belongs to Chris
Caldwell (hope I spelled that right), Selina belongs to my friend Sandy,
yadayadayada.  Any other self-insertion characters belong to their authors. 
"It's three in the morning, do you know where your writing characters are?"
     The name Anipike belongs to the owners of the Anime Turnpike.  I use it
without their permission, but I figure it's common domain.
     Comments, suggestions, criticisms and plot hole notifications can be sent to
cadz0001@algonquinc.on.ca
     Flames will be responded to with genuine concern and tact.  So watch out.


                         CLUB ANIPIKE

- - - - -
Part 7
- - - - -

     David "Foxfire" Kintobor placed one foot on his stool, the other foot on the
bar, and clambered up.  Once he was on the bar top, he raised his Author
Avatar Championship belt over his head proudly.  "To quote an acquaintance
of yours: "I'm the god!  I'm the god!  BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" "
     Nav, sitting at a table concealed from Kintobor's view, raised his sniping
rifle in a mock threat, but Mihoshi smartly kicked his chair out from under him.
     Amidst the ensuing applause and good-natured razzing that followed of
both the Avatars, there was one person who kept their eyes turned down.
     To her, the Author Avatar Association meant nothing.
     Except pain and loss.
     Lifting a hand, she gently caressed the edges of the violin sitting on the
table.  She knew that it missed its original owner.  And she longed to return it
to those skilled hands once again.  Assuming, of course, those hands would
function as they once did.
     Long after the doctors had chased everyone else out of the hospital, long
after the other Senshi had fallen asleep on vigil, she would sneak back in and
hold the pale hands in her own.  And she would repeat her promise over and
over, both silently and aloud, hoping that it would be heard.
     Vengeance on Pippkin was impossible: Marissa had seen to that.
     Vengeance on anyone else was also impossible.  There was no one else to
blame.
     But she _should_ have seen it coming, tried to stop it!  Now all she could
do was sit and hope.  And pray for Michiru to return.
     Across the room, two figures were watching her.
     "What have the doctors said?"
     "That she should have died earlier.  Thankfully, she's only in a coma.  But
she's not out of danger, either."
     "For how long?"
     "They don't know.  They're still trying to figure out how much damage that
shock did."
     "Couldn't Ami help?"
     "She's trying, but even she doesn't have all the answers."  She sighed.
"Damn."
     "Anything _we_ can do here?"
     "She knows us too well.  It has to be someone else.  Someone removed
from the fight.  Someone like. . .  Selina!"
     The self-insertion character looked up from her menu.  "Somebody call?"
     Lita and Sasami waved her over to their table.
     The redhead from one of the countless Sailor Moon fanfics picked up her
glass and switched seats.  "Thanks, guys.  This is a *really* nice place you
have here." she grinned.
     Lita nodded quickly, then decided to dispense with the small talk.  She liked 
Selina, but their friend needed help.  "Sel, you never met the original Outer
Senshi, did you?"
     "Nope.  My author hadn't heard of them when she created me.  She was
planning to make her own, but never got around to it.  She's really busy."
     "Good.  That means that you don't have any personal involvement in this. 
Listen to what happened here this weekend. . . ."
     She and Sasami filled Selina in on Pippkin's appearance at the Club, his
possession of Samantha Jones, and his attack on Michiru.  The last had left the
Senshi of Neptune clinging to life by a thin thread.
     "Haruka forgave Samantha as soon as Pippkin was destroyed," Sasami said,
"But it doesn't look like Samantha's forgiven herself yet.  You're a
self-insertion character; you know everything.  Do you think you can help?"
     Selina nodded.  "You want me to talk to her, right?"
     "Try and get her to shed some of that guilt, yeah."
     She glanced over, picked up her drink again, and got to her feet.  "Well,
here goes. . . ."

~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~

     Haruka yawned, rubbed her eyes, and glanced at the plain, white-faced
clock on the wall.  It was past ten at night and the hospital had removed all
visitors a long time ago.  Only the Senshi were allowed to stay.  Her in the
private room, the others taking turns to sit with her and the still-unconscious
Michiru.
     Still no change.  Nearly five days and no change in Michiru's condition. 
Haruka restrained herself from rolling her eyes.  Normally she would be
snapping at the doctors, demanding answers and treatments.  But now, she
knew that they had done everything they could and it was only a matter of
time, one way or the other.
     "Haruka?"
     "Mmmm?"
     "Why don't you get some sleep?  I'll sit with her for a while.  You stretch
out somewhere and rest."  A black-haired girl in red pants and a purple jacket
stepped up behind the chair.
     Haruka grinned, feeling more tired than she cared to admit.  "Thanks,
Setsuna.  But I'm staying here.  When this is over, I'll sleep for days.  The
fanfic authors can go and. . . well. . ."
     Setsuna leaned on her staff and squinted at Michiru's vital signs.  "Have
you. . . you know. . . spoken with that Western God of yours?"
     "Yeah.  I don't know what his answer is, yet.  Not everything we ask is
answered immediately."
     "Really?  You mean that there's something more important than the life of
your friend and partner?"
     "Drop the attitude, Sets..  It won't impress Him.  Mine never did.  I had to
learn it the hard way."  Haruka leaned over and patted Michiru's hand.  "Come
on, kid.  Don't give up yet."

~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~~~~~^~~

     Samantha glared up as someone sat across from her.  She thought she had
made herself clear that she didn't want company.  But, as she looked into a pair
of piercing green eyes, she felt the power of an Avatar prickle her skin. 
Surprising.  There weren't many female Avatars.
     "Listen, uh . . . ."  She gestured helplessly.
     "Selina," the girl supplied.
     "Selina.  I'm sorry, but I'm really not in a chatting mood."
     "Okay. *You* talk.  I'll just listen."
     Startled, and a little bit annoyed, Samantha felt her inner energy begin to
build.  "I'd rather not."
     "One question, then I'll leave you alone.  How much good is this
cross-country guilt trip doing you?  Or anyone else, for that matter?"
     Stung, Samantha started to stand up.  Halfway up, she caught herself and
slowly sat back down.  "Good question," she sighed, "And I guess you want an
answer."
     "Not just me," Selina told her, "Your friends, too."
     Samantha took a deep breath and let it out.  "Okay."
     She signalled Misato for another drink.  "Okay."
     She closed her eyes.   "Okay," she repeated, opening them.  "I guess it's not
doing me *any* good.  Are you satisfied?"
     "A bit."  Selina smiled a little.  "But you know that what happened wasn't
your fault.  Why do you keep kicking yourself over it?"
     "Because I should have been stronger!" she hissed back, "I should have
been able to resist that bag of fur a lot better than I did!  And look what's
happened!"
     "No one's blaming you."
     Samantha snorted and took a gulp of her new drink.  "I wish people would
stop saying that.  Sometimes it's more helpful to wallow through a bit of guilt
and get it over with."
     Selina sipped her own, looking thoughtful.  "That doesn't sound too bad,
true.  But were you really getting it over with?  It looked more like you were
drowning in it, not just wallowing, if you don't mind me saying."
     "Direct, aren't you?" Samantha grimaced.
     "It's what I do best."
     "No doubt.  Listen, I feel responsible for Michiru being in hospital right
now, even if I was under Pippkin's control.  He used my body to injure one of
my friends.  And dammit, that hurts!"
     "And?" Selina prodded.
     Thus encouraged, Samantha Jones settled back in her chair and began to
talk, starting her own healing process.

~~^~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~^~~

     "Samantha isn't here tonight?" Setsuna asked quietly, shifting Haruka's
thoughts in a new direction.
     "No.  I talked her into going home.  Or wherever she stays when she's on
the fanfic and MSTing circuit.  Do you realize that she was spending more time
here than me?  Always talking about how she's never letting something like this
happen again."
     "Which is good. . . ."
     "I won't argue with that, but the guilt was killing her.  I could see it in her
face."
     Setsuna nodded.  "You aren't mad at her."  It wasn't a question.
     "Of course not.  It's not her fault.  I'd be mad at Pippkin right now, but the
sucker's dead.  So I've had to let it all go.  Anger won't bring Michiru back to
me."
     Then Haruka's head snapped up as the door opened and one of the doctors
came in.  "Miss Ten'oh?"
     Setsuna gave her friend's shoulder an encouraging squeeze.
     Haruka got to her feet, wincing as she felt "pins and needles" work their
way down her legs from sitting so long.  "It's good to see you again, Doctor
Agaki. Tell me you have good news."
     "Well, we finally managed to learn the extent of the damage done to Miss
Kaioh."  He paused, looking grave.  "I'm afraid that I would have to place her
chances of recovery at less than 20%."
     "WHAT?!" Haruka snapped.
     "It's fairly straightforward," he explained patiently, "It doesn't matter how
powerful a person is, whether they're a Sailor Senshi, Sayai-jin, or whatever. 
Electricity and water do not mix.  Period."  He paused again, looking at
Haruka's high colour.  Then his tone softened from professional to personal.  "I
know of her background, but even so, she is still vulnerable to disease and
accidents.  And this one, to use a technical term, was a doozy.  The shock did
irreparable damage.  It's a tribute to her strength that she didn't die where she
fell."
     Haruka leaned on the metal railing of Michiru's bed as if her legs might give
out.  "So, what are our options, Doc?"
     He picked up Michiru's chart and wrote something down.  "You really have
two.  And both involve some degree of waiting.  We can keep her on life
support for a few more days and hope that, somehow, she could wake up on
her own.  However, the chances of that are less than. . ."
     "Slim.  Yes, you've said."  Haruka closed her eyes and tried to slow her
breathing.  "And our second option?"
     "Truly, if she was going to wake up on her own, there would have been
some indication of that by now.  Since that hasn't happened, I'm afraid that
we're merely keeping her alive artificially.  It might be best if we. . . "
     "Let her go?" Setsuna asked.
     Dr. Agaki grimaced.  "It's not the prettiest option, granted.  But there isn't
anything more we can do for her.  Her heart beats, but only because we force it
to.  Her brainwaves have shown no signs of her recovering."  He put the chart
down and gazed at Haruka.  "Do you understand?"
     Tightly, Haruka nodded.  "I think so."
     "Good.  There's no rush for you to make the decision.  I can be paged
anytime day or night.  If I'm not involved in an emergency, I'll come running
for you."  Clicking his pen shut, he left the room.
     Haruka loosened her grip on the railing.  "Get the others in here.  We
*have* to talk,"

~~~~~~^~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~^~~~

     Samantha was beginning to enjoy her talk with Selina.  Most self-insertion
characters had an overabundance of ego, but Selina had been created for pure
fun by her author.  Plus she had the added bonus of being Canadian.
     The familiar names and places helped calm the vigilante down.  Her guilt
began to ease as she came out of her self-imposed shell.
     Then Selina glanced over her shoulder.  "Um, Sam?  Isn't that your creator
duking it out with that cloud of dust over there?"
     Samantha turned to see Jamie Jeans jump back into the swirling mist,
waving his arms in the air.  "Oh, yeah.  It's nothing to worry about.  He and
Nightbreak are just discussing their next work."
     "Strange."
     It was Samantha's turn to chuckle.  "This is your first time at the Club, isn't
it?"
     Selina looked sheepish.  "Is it that obvious?"
     "Hang on to whatever ego you've got.  Things should get weirder before
the night's over."
     Her prediction came true moments later when two young guys pushed open
the doors of Club Anipike.  They looked to be in their late teens.  One was
blond, wearing slacks and a white sweater, while the other, dark-haired, wore
jeans and a yellow T-shirt.
     Swaggering more than a little, the two of them walked through the crowd,
heading for the table beside Samantha and Selina.  Ryoko and Shampoo sat
there, sheets of paper spread out in front of them. The two women were
engaged in a heated debate over the contents.
     Samantha sat back and chuckled.  "You'll enjoy this, I think."
     Selina turned around in her chair.  "Why?  Who are those guys?"
     "You don't recognize them?  They're Ken and Ryu, from the Street Fighter
II "V" anime.  And they're about as annoying in real life as they are on-screen. 
I guess it takes talent to be that irritating."
     Ken, the blond, leaned on the table, putting himself between the light and
the girls.  "Ladies, if you really want something to entertain you, look no
further.  My buddy Ryu and I have just what you need!"
     Shampoo and Ryoko looked up at them, then at each other.  They nodded
once.
     The sounds of ki energy exploding and bones cracking soon ensued. 
Followed immediately by the forcibly assisted exit of Ken and Ryu from the
Club.  They sprawled gracelessly in the parking lot, dazed and bloodied.
     "Was it something I said?" groaned Ken.

~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~^~~~

     The nine Sailor Senshi sat in a circle on the floor.
     Ami scrubbed her face with her hands tiredly.  "I've gone over all the
information that Dr. Agaki could give us.  And my solutions match his:  Keep
her alive like this for as long as you like, or turn the system off."
     "You didn't find anything they might have missed?" Minako asked.
     Ami chuckled dryly.  "No fanfic authors and their plot contrivances this
time."  Her soft laughter ceased and her look suddenly hardened.  "Sorry,
Haruka."
     The elder Senshi shrugged.  "I was thinking the same thing, honestly.  I've
almost come to expect them.  And just when it seems we could actually use
one of those fanboys and their cheap plot devices . . . we find ourselves in the
real world."  She looked around.  "All right.  I'm willing to listen to any of you,
to any arguments you have for me.  One option or the other.  If you think of a
third one, bless you."
     No miracle operations that can save her life?" Makoto asked.
     Haruka looked to Ami.
     "Dr. Agaki thought of that," the blue-haired girl said, "But he said nothing
could ever restore the Michiru we know.  Too much was damaged in the
accident."
     "Isn't part of her better than losing her altogether?"
     "Usagi-chan, consider this from Michiru's point of view," Haruka said
quietly, "Her violin music, useless.  Her painting, useless.  If she couldn't use
the talents she's been given. . .  I don't know that her reaction would be."
     Chibi-Usa toyed with her pink wig.  "Is there any chance of her waking up
if we *do* take her off?"
     "Less than her waking up if we leave her hooked up," Setsuna answered.
     Haruka sighed.  "It was a good thought, though.  Rei, Hotaru, you two
haven't said anything.  Do you have an idea?"
     Hotaru glanced at Rei, then cleared her throat.  "I do.  Can't we give
Michiru some of our power?  With Usagi as Eternal Sailor Moon, she could
heal her."
     Usagi shifted uneasily.  "I've done that once already for both Haruka and
Michiru, back when we found the Talismans.  I'm afraid. . . that's it."  At the
look on everyone's faces, she coloured.  "It was meant to keep the Senshi from
becoming reckless in their defence of the Moon Kingdom," she explained.
     Rei finally lifted her hand.  "Can't one of us forfeit our turn and give it to
Michiru?"
     Usagi bent her head.  "Unfortunately, no.  Your bodies are tuned to the
crystal's healing power.  Haruka-san, I'm sorry.  If Naoko had written us any
differently. . . ."
     Haruka waved her off.  "I know.  But I'm surprised that you even have that
power outside of our anime."
     Usagi shrugged.  "What can I say?  It's written."
     Despite herself, Haruka chuckled.  "I've heard that somewhere before."
     For the next few minutes, everyone was quiet as they wracked their brains
for more ideas.
     Haruka broke the silence.  "Let's be honest with ourselves, ladies.  There
isn't anything else, is there?"
     Headshakes greeted her.
     She got to her feet slowly and pulled a folded piece of paper from her back
pocket.  "Well, I should tell you all now: I lied earlier when I said that I didn't
know how Michiru would react to all this.  On this paper are her express
wishes should something like this ever happen and she can't decide for herself. 
If all other options have been exhausted, one of the people named here is
supposed to take action."  She shrugged.  "I guess all options have been
exhausted."   Drawing a shaky breath, she gave a deep bow.  "Thank you,
everyone.  Setsuna, call Doctor Agaki, please."

~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~^~~~ 

     Jotarou finished polishing the bar top, then peered out from beneath his cap. 
"No way, godboy.  You've had more than enough to drink tonight."
     "Aw, Ryoko drinks way more than I do," grumbled Adam Chris Leigh, the
self-insertion character of the "Full Circle" Tenchi fanfics.
     "True.  But despite that, she doesn't go around betting people she can climb
the walls of the club using only her lips.  Misato's already ordered me not to
serve you for the rest of tonight.  I'll have someone take you home to sleep it
off, kid."
     "But . . . ."  Adam wavered unsteadily, then slid off the stool.  "Ah, forget
it.  Talking to you is just like trying to talk to Mihoshi.  Except you've got
more muscle between your ears.  She's just got air."
     Beside Jotarou, his "Star Platinum" Stand manifested itself and snatched a
bag from beneath the bar.  Quicker than any eye could follow, it let loose with
a barrage of beer nuts, peppering Adam until he stumbled backwards out the
door.  A startled yelp came, then a thud, and the doors silently swung shut
behind him.
     Scattered applause came from the members of the Tenchi cast, Samantha
especially.  Jotarou acknowledged them all with a nod, then tossed a broom in
the air and let his Stand power sweep up in a matter of seconds.
     Selina giggled.  "Hey, I could get to like this place."
     "I already do," Samantha said, "It's like a second home, really.  When I
can't be back in Canada, I live here.  And if Jamie's my father, all the other
characters here are my brothers and sisters.  Although, some days I wish some
of the self-insertion characters were little more than distant cousins."  She
nodded in the direction of the recently departed Adam Chris Leigh.  "You get
the drift."
     The lights in the place suddenly flashed on and off.
     "Last call!" shouted Misato, coming up beside Samantha's chair.  "We close
in half an hour!"  She leaned over.  "Hey, nice to see you back with us, Sam. 
Feeling better?"
     Samantha nodded slightly.  "Well enough.  I'll just be glad when I see
Haruka and Michiru in here again."
     Misato smiled in agreement, then picked up a glass.  "Another drink?"
     "Sure.  If Selina wants another one too, I'll buy."
     At Selina's nod, the owner quickly scribbled down their orders and turned
away.  As soon as her back was to Samantha, Misato let her breath out and
shook her head sadly.  From Haruka's last call, Michiru had still been in a coma
with the doctors unwilling to guarantee her life.  Call it stupid, but she had a
bad feeling in the pit of her stomach tonight.

~~^~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~

     Haruka sat, chin cupped in her hands.  The other Senshi had respected her
request to be left alone with Michiru until Dr. Agaki arrived.
     Heaving a sigh, she reread the instructions left by her partner.  Both of them
had such a list, made after accidents during the filming of their anime.  She had
required an arm cast and stitches after a fight scene, while Michiru had suffered
cuts in their Talisman scene during the S season.  Several fanfic incidents
served only to remind them even more of their own mortality.  In their world,
there were no stunt doubles.
     Haruka snorted humourlessly.  "And you always thought that I'd be the first
one to go," she told the figure in the bed, "Too reckless, you said.  Too quick
to react. Dammit, if only I _had_ moved faster back there!"  Clenching a fist,
she pounded the armrest, then winced as a pain shot up her forearm.
     She cocked an eyebrow and looked up at the ceiling.  "And You!  I really,
really want to ask You "Why?", but I don't even deserve the answer.  But I. . . 
I just want to say that, whatever happens, live or die, I won't give up.  You're
the one who brought Michiru into my life, for whatever reason.  And now I
guess You've decided that. . . you know. . . it's time.  It stinks, you know that? 
Well, for me it does!  I mean, what do you want me to do!  No, wait, don't
answer that.  I won't like _that_ answer, I'll bet.  Sometimes I don't know what
I want me to do, either."
     She sighed again, got up, and went to Michiru's side.  The hiss of the life
support machinery filled her ears as she gently brushed her fingers through the
aquamarine hair.  Another glance at the ceiling.  "If this goes the way the
doctors think it will, I'm going to need a _lot_ of help soon, Father.  So will the
others.  Have mercy on all of us, please.  But on Michiru the most, if you will." 
She squeezed her eyelids shut to try and block out the tears.
     Just then, there came a knock on the door and Dr. Agaki stuck his head in. 
"Miss Ten'oh?"
     "Haruka, Doctor, call me Haruka," she chided, "Please.  We've known each
other for only a few months, but you've done a marvellous job of taking care of
us Outer Senshi."
     Dr. Agaki shrugged.  "Very well, Haruka.  Miss Meiou informed me that
you'd come to a decision.  Are you sure?"
     "Doc, it's not really my decision.  It's Michiru's."  She flipped the paper up
with her fingers.  "I was hoping that there was something to stop me from
having to use this, but it just didn't happen."
     He nodded soberly.  "I've heard that from a lot of people over the years. 
Families who see their loved ones' wishes for the first time like this often resist
taking action.  They don't want to be the ones to take responsibility for it."
     "To be honest, neither do I.  But I _have_ to, for Michiru's sake."
     "All right, then.  What do you want me to do?"
     Haruka managed to keep her hands from trembling as she read Michiru's
requests one more time.  "Shut it down," she whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~^~~

     Jotarou shut down the stage lights and watched the giant television screen
recede into the ceiling.  "And so ends another fun-filled evening."
     Priss smiled as she kicked a chair deeper beneath its table.  "Not to mention
a remarkably damage-free evening, too.  Even with that wretched excuse for
writing Washu drug up earlier tonight."
     "Force fields are a wonderful invention!" Misato called from across the
room, "B-ko, my thanks once again!"
     "No problem, Misato-san," the purple-haired girl replied, inclining her head
in a slight bow, "But you should also thank the Ranma cast for scrounging up
the raw materials to make those generators.  With all their Hammerspace
access, they can find anything!"
     "True enough.  Hold on, I'll get it!" *It* was the telephone, which had rung
suddenly, startling a few people.  "Hello?  Yes.  Ami-chan, what . . . ."  Misato
listened for a few seconds, then went ashen and groped for a handhold to
support herself.  "I. . . I'll. . . make sure. . . "  She swallowed hard.  "All right.
[Sayonara]"  It took her two or three tries to hang up.
     "Misato-san, what is it?!" snapped Mina.
     Turning around, Misato gazed at all of them hollowly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~

     Back in a dimly lit hospital room, Haruka clenched her fists once more to
her chest as she wept.  This time she didn't care about the tears or who saw
them.  Suddenly, she put an arm out to stop the doctor as he moved towards
the bed.
     Haruka leaned over and removed the oxygen mask from the still figure. 
Bending down, she planted a last kiss on the forehead of the companion she
had sworn to stand by.
     Only then did she step aside and allow him to finish pulling the sheet up and
over her friend.

_______________________________________________________ * 

- - -

     Whew!  The longest chapter in the Anipike series.  Yes, I know it's more of
a "Haruka & Michiru" story, but the events of part 6 had to be dealt with.  If
you didn't like it, let me know.  I won't apologize, but I will work with your
problem and see what we can do.
     All this medical and legal stuff in here has not been thoroughly verified.  If
I'm really wrong about some stuff, write me and let me know.  Mistakes can be
corrected.
     This took a lot of paper to set straight and the job of trying to make this
even better will probably go on for eternity.  Part 8 will also be serious to this
degree, then we'll probably be back to being slightly goofy again.  Unless. . . . 

Nah.

          Nightbreak

