Peter jogged to Phoenix, coughing into his sleeve. Ash surrounded him these days, fat specks of grey swirling about as the final of the fires burnt themselves out. He longed for clean air, that wasn't full of ash or the smell of burnt everything. Arriving at the doorstep, Peter knocked.

"Peter! How nice to see you!" Achilles cooed. "I didn't think you'd be visiting, given how much cleaning Salamander still needs done. But that's okay. You're always welcome in my books!" Achilles slung his arm around his shoulders and led him inside. Phoenix had not been harmed in the flames. In fact, it looked better than usual, bunkies mopping floors and shining the metal cages that hung from the ceiling. He was ushered into the dining room, which was more a bunch of pillows and nesting martials around a table. Another Bunkie rushed out, serving them tea and fudge stripes. "So, what brings you over?"

"I'd like to ask just a few questions. I enjoy knowing things beforehand, making schedules, the like." Achilles' eyes narrowed, but he waved for Peter to speak anyway. "Will regular classes be resuming?"

"Oh, those kind of questions. Of course, but I will be making a few adjustments. Classes on ghostly subjects will have to go."

"Absolutely. Any other general changes?"

"Hm, mostly I've been thinking about getting rid of Rat and just shoving them into the welcome center. I mean, it has the room to fit them all." Peter nodded, trying to hide his feelings of disgust. "And a sun ceremony at dawn and sunset. Ya know, the old saying, early to bed and early to rise,"

"Makes a man stupid and blind in the eyes. Go back to sleep." Mazer grumbled. Dink just groaned and stomped out. He wandered back out to the living room, curling up in a blanket they had left last night. Rose had agreed to go out looking for Petra when he got up but when Dink woke up and Rose was nowhere to be seen, he knew it'd be hours before Rose would be ready to go. Petra did everything with her wings. With one out of commission, Dink didn't know how she would even function, much less make it through the under realm. He really should just go back to sleep. Dink rolled the fabric of the blanket over in his hands and leaned back. Something dug into his fingers, heat eating into his palms as he pulled it taunt. Nordic runes. Dink smirked. He specialized in the Scandinavian magic languages. Grabbing a rubber band from the junk drawer, he created a small hood and draped it over his shoulders before running out the door.

"Dink?" Rose yawned. "Dink?"

"We can't fill up the pool." Blu barked at Peter the moment he walked in the door. Peter jumped, sighing as Blu muttered under his breath.

"Why not?"

"Your buddy Achilles melted the pipes."

"Oh. We can always go ask another bunkhouse if they have any extras. The Rat kids might have some spare parts from the forge."

"And how do we ask them? Invade the bunker they've trapped themselves in?"

"Centipede is stuck in there too." Peter hissed. He didn't like Blu and Grant much. They didn't much like him either, seeing as Bonzo had been ignoring them since Peter arrived.

"Hm, funny that. How did that little Japanese kid get out again?"

"That was a favor for Ender."

"Oh yeah, from Achilles. Whatever, I'll just loot Dragon like everyone else." Peter grabbed Blu's shoulder.

"You can't just loot another Bunkhouse."

"Dragon isn't a bunkhouse." Blu yanked Peter's hand off, crushing it in his grip. Peter pulled back, but Blu just tightened his grip. "It's an old abandoned Barn. Maybe you if you knew that, you'd deserve to be my boss." Blu let go and shoved Peter back into the wall. "See you later Dolphin boy!"

"I am a shark!" Peter yelled, but it came out more like a whimper. He checked his shoulder and hand for bruises. A smaller Bunkie came over and helped him up, but Peter ignored them, boring holes into Blu's back as he climbed out of the burnt hole in the wall. How did Bonzo put up with these people?

He's softened.

"Um, hey, oop, lemme just-" Prem just lifted Dink and placed him on the other side of her book piles. "Thanks. The door here goes back to the waiting room, right?"

"Yes, either that or my bathroom, considering what you need."

"The door, thanks." Dink said, smiling nervously. He stepped back into the waiting room, shieling his eyes from the bright unknown of the under realm. Closing the door, he waited a second before regrabbing the knob. Petra would be on the other side. She had to be.

Opening the door, Dink immediately picked up a smell of baking bread. The house was small and cozy, a cottage as far as he could tell. It was void of furniture beyond a single large sofa and instead of a stair to the only room upstairs, there was a ramp. Dink checked the kitchen, but there was only more bread, soup cans lining the trash bin. A large thunk and cursing suddenly came from upstairs. Dink raced up the ramp and grinned.

Petra rubbed her back, having simply jumped off the top of the dresser to the bed. Usually the gliding from her wings allowed her to make it. Usually she had both wings. "Useless fucken- Dink?" Dink hoisted Petra up in his hug, Petra laughing as he spun her around the tiny bedroom. "Hey man! Where have you been?"

"Um, that is a question for you! I haven't been able to find you since we got here! What is this place?"

"Hell, if I know, because this certainly isn't my idea of heaven. I mean, the fresh bread is nice, but there is so much soup here!"

"Maybe your true desire is to control the world's soup supply. Maybe you secretly get up at night and consume mass amounts of soup."

"Ha! I think I would've burnt Phoenix down if I was! Man," Petra smiled, a small blush coming over Dink's face. "I missed you yesterday."

"Really?"

"Oh no, sorry, totally didn't miss the guy I've been hanging out with since I had my down feathers. Shut up and take me to the others already!" Dink nodded. He held the fabric in his hands as jade light began to circle around the pair. The world burst into nothing but green, and then they metalized on Mazer's carpet.

"There you are." Graff said, quickly removing the rubber band from around Dink's neck. "I would scold you, but apparently no matter how many times I tell you not to play with dangerous artifacts it doesn't work." Dink just shrugged and folded the blanket before placing it back on the couch. "I see you brought Ms. arkinian! Do you need anything Petra?"

"Nah. Hey guys. Hey Dap. Hey…Mick."

"Top ten reasons why Mick is sorry," Mick cried, skittering onto the arm of the couch. "Number 3 will shock you."

"Top ten anime deaths!" Petra screamed. "Your ass right now!" The others dogpiled her, Mick yelping and running behind Mazer. "Holy shit."

"Watch your damn mouth." Mazer joked. "Are you the elusive Petra Arkinian Mr. Meeker's been looking for the past few days?"

"I mean I hope so."

"Good. Do you think that's the last of them Hyrum?"

"It should be."

"Alright. Tomorrow we begin planning, so everyone gets to stay the night." Mazer slid Mick towards Petra, Mick giggling nervously and extending a hand. Petra just hissed and lashed at it with her talons.

"Achilles!" Peter yelled, barging into Phoenix. Achilles looked down from his spot inside one of the cages, Pinual lazily hanging nearby. "You said anyone who complied wouldn't be hurt. I don't enjoy liars."

"Are you hurt Peter? You look fine to me." Achilles snorted.

"Rabbit is down a Bunkie and there are scorch marks all over the room. Carn Carby has been nothing obedient."

"Oh yeah, that. That's a personal matter, you can alert Carby that he's getting that extra space for being a good boy though." Peter flared.

"Show me the Bunkie!"

"Ugh, fine! But only because I know you're a baby who has to know everything." Pinual shifted, an illegally tiny boy shimmying his way out from under him. "This is Bean Peter."

(Author Note time! So we're heading into the end game with this fic, and while I'm not entirely sure, I'll probably be done by chapter 25 [little more little less maybe]. This won't be my last fic in this universe, as I'd like to write a prequel and a series of one shots about just things that happen. I've been working towards some of these next few chapaters since I began, and it's great to finally see the fruits of a long long labor.)