Chapter 28: Trials and Triumph

Despite returning on the evening of the second day of classes, Shunsui had harbored faint hopes of sneaking back to the Academy unnoticed. But the guards at the gate disabused him of that notion in a hurry. "Yamamoto-sensei would like to see you," the shinigami informed them, tone hard. "All of you."

Rei swiped a weary hand over her forehead, leaving streaks in the dust coating her skin. "Can we clean up first?"

The guard shook his head. "My orders were to bring you to the headmaster immediately." His eyes lightened with sympathy as he took in their bedraggled, bandaged state. Whisper's healing had worked wonders, but she could only do so much, and the days of traveling hadn't helped. "I'm sorry."

Rei shrugged. "Orders are orders." She gave him an ironic little bow. "Are you ordered to escort us, as well, or are we trusted to find our own way to his office?" Her tone was dry.

The corners of his lips twitched. "After you, Kuchiki-san." He waved a hand towards the center of the Academy.

Shunsui bit back a groan as he followed Rei through the gates, shifting the mirror to a more comfortable position on his hip. If they're going to expel us, can they do it after we've taken a bath? And eaten? His skin was coated with a disgusting mixture of sweat, dirt, and blood, while his stomach was loudly protesting the scant rations of the last few days. The mirror was wearing a groove on his hip, as well, though they'd passed it around the less-injured members of the group so no one had to carry it for too long. And he kept tripping over his zanpakuto – apparently, Katen Kyokotsu naturally took the form of a daisho pair of blades, and she had declined to return to a single sword when she left her shikai state.

He stole a glance at Juushiro, whose pale skin had grown steadily paler over the last leg of their journey. Though his zanpakuto also took the form of a sword pair when released, they were apparently content to be a single blade when sealed, for Juushiro bore a lone katana at his hip. But no one would mistake it for an ordinary asauchi – yet another fact they would need to explain, Shunsui suspected glumly. At least their teachers would probably be happy with that one, unlike so many others.

What, your teachers won't be pleased that you rid the world of a dangerous menace? Katen Kyokotsu asked innocently.

Shunsui bit back the urge to glare at the swords on his hip. We ditched class without telling them to confront something that should have gotten us killed. Do you really think that makes them happy? He shook his head. Expulsion was unlikely, but lesser punishments? If we escape without a whipping, I will count myself lucky.

As the guard slid open the door to Yamamoto's office, a blast of fiery reiatsu to billowed out, and Shunsui flinched. Make that incredibly lucky… I've never seen the headmaster so furious. Yamamoto was releasing the reiatsu deliberately, of course – at least Shunsui assumed so – but that didn't make it any less terrifying.

"I've brought them, sir," the guard announced with a bow.

"You are dismissed," Yamamoto grated. A long pause followed, as the assembled students shifted their weight, then, "You may enter."

Butterflies fluttered in Shunsui's stomach as he and the others filed into the spartan office, dropping to kneel in seiza as soon as they were inside. Yamamoto wasn't the only one waiting for them – Kichiro-sensei stood beside the desk, face like granite, while Shihoin-sensei lounged against the wall, examining her nails. Omaeda-sensei was there as well, frowning as he stared at Koji. Shunsui was puzzled by that for a moment, until he realized that Omaeda must be in charge of whatever group the commoner had been assigned to – then he winced. He hadn't even considered the risk Koji was taking by accompanying them, yet he was surely still on probation.

Yamamoto regarded them all with a chilly expression for a long moment before he broke the silence. "What were you all thinking?" Despite the heat of his reiatsu filling the office, his tone was mild.

"You see, sir…" Rei launched into an explanation of the mirror, Gorou Shiba's actions, and their own decisions, and Yamamoto held up a hand.

"I know what you were trying to accomplish," he informed her sourly, with a nod towards Shihoin-sensei. "I want to know what you were thinking."

Before any of them could answer, Kichiro-sensei stepped forward. "Especially you, Kuchiki-san. Your parents forbid you to risk yourself, as they were right and proper to do, so you embark on this escapade to prove that their restrictions were necessary? And Sato-san…" He sighed. "Yamamoto-san, I warned you that including women was a bad idea, yet you persisted. And I warned you about commoners, as well. Now will you see that I'm right?"

Yamamoto shook his head. "Let them speak," he admonished Kichiro-sensei, who scowled as he pressed his lips together. Sullen, frustrated reiatsu swirled about him, dull shades of red like dried blood.

Rei glanced at Hikaru, then squared her shoulders. "Mika was my best friend, and the Fujimoto clan are vassals of the Kuchiki clan. It was my duty to avenge her." Her voice was soft but firm, with no hint of insecurity.

Shunsui bowed his head. "Mine as well, sensei. It was my carelessness that lead to her unjust death, and I owed her spirit the chance to rest in peace." His throat tightened, one hand tensing as he prevented himself from gripping the pink armband that still encircled his bicep.

After a pause, Yamamoto grunted. "Your motives are admirable, even if your actions were foolish," he admitted, rocking back on his heels.

Shihoin-sensei cocked her head to one side. "Why not ask for help, though?" She pursed her lips. "We received reports of a massive outpouring of reiatsu, product of a battle that should have left you all dead or grievously wounded. I see you two found your shikai states…" She nodded at Shunsui and Juushiro. "But even that shouldn't have been enough. Did you find backup from your clans?"

Shunsui carefully avoided looking at the other students as he shrugged. "Like they'd be happy to support us? No, we did it on our own." It wasn't quite a lie, he told himself, even as his gut twisted with shame. If Whisper, who had vanished into the city as soon as they'd stepped through the outer gates, counted as one of them, it was true, though.

His shoulders tensed as Shihoin-sensei studied him, eyes narrowed. Of all the teachers present, she knew the most about their extracurricular activities – he had the sneaking suspicion that she could see straight through his misdirection, but was choosing not to challenge him for reasons of her own. Instead, she just shook her head. "You were very lucky, then. But that doesn't answer my first question – why not ask for aid?"

"We didn't think of it," Shunsui replied honestly. That was his fault, he suspected – he'd been so caught up in the fever of finally having something productive to do that he hadn't questioned the sense of their actions.

A pink blush spread across Juushiro's cheeks. "I'm sorry, sensei," he murmured, bowing his head. "We shouldn't have done this on our own."

She shrugged. "In the end, I suppose it all turned out fine, so I wouldn't waste your energy on regrets."

"Fine?" Kichiro-sensei burst out, rage suffusing his tone. "You call this fine? They vanish without permission, miss multiple days of school, and return with this ludicrous story about a magic mirror that they just happened to stumble across in the middle of the wilderness, and that's fine?" He sneered at the mirror, which Shunsui had propped against his side. "That doesn't look like a terrifying forbidden artifact to me. How do we know they're telling the truth?"

"It's not magical anymore, we deactivated it," Shunsui replied hotly. Juushiro laid a calming hand on his knee, and he shut his mouth on the rest of the words threatening to emerge, though they still seethed in his mind. And it's a good thing we did, too, or you'd have a pack of overpowered hollows on your head right now. Maybe then you wouldn't be so condescending, hmm?

"That's hardly…" Kichiro-sensei began, face flushing.

"Now, don't be so hasty," Shihoin-sensei interrupted. She prowled forward and dropped to one knee beside the mirror, running a slender finger over the runes carved into the wood. "I'd need to study this for a while, but I can say right now that the reiatsu traces left in the wood confirm that a spirit was trapped in here. And these runes…" She frowned. "This is certainly one of the artifacts whose creation is now forbidden." Her lips twisted as she rose and returned to her post against the wall, and Shunsui wondered what she was feeling. Disgust at the forbidden techniques? Sorrow that they'd locked away such knowledge? Indigestion?

You have no sense of ceremony, Katen Kyokotsu informed him acidly.

Shunsui swept her a grandiose bow within his head. Guilty as charged. The corners of his lips twitched, and he hastily rearranged his face into a more sober expression. Now hush, I'm listening.

Yamamoto sighed, the wrinkles on his face deepening as he studied the mirror with a faraway expression. Something in his eyes looked infinitely old as he shook his head. "If what you all have told me is true, you have done us a service by freeing the poor spirit trapped in here." His tone hardened. "But you are leaving out a crucial piece of information, I believe. How did you find the mirror in the first place?"

Shunsui and Juushiro exchanged glances. Thus far, they'd avoided any mention of their own interactions with Whisper, as they'd agreed among themselves, but now, that pretense was up. Juushiro spread his hands. "We told you that Shiba-san hired a thief to steal the mirror from his own family, right? Well, we went to talk to that thief."

"And…" Shunsui hesitated, unsure if Whisper wanted people to continue to think of her as male. "The thief led us to the mirror. For a price, of course."

Yamamoto snorted. In and of itself, Shunsui's admission broke no laws, though it skirted dangerously close to dishonor. "Well." He exhaled slowly. "Young men will be young men, I suppose. But that answers that question." To Shunsui's relief, he didn't ask if the thief had taken part in the battle – perhaps he assumed that a common thief would never be able to fight on that level. Shunsui, who still owed Whisper a sizable favor, had no intention of enlightening him on that account. She'd promised to collect 'later, when the time is right.' He hated to think of when that would be, but he had no intention of going back on his word, no matter what Yamamoto thought of it.

But all thoughts of his debt were driven out of his mind by Yamamoto's next words. "You do realize, though, that your actions – while admirable – will not help your case against young Shiba?"

Shunsui sucked in a breath, feeling like he'd been punched, while Rei paled. "What do you mean?" Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, pressed hard onto her thighs as though they alone kept her from leaping to her feet.

Yamamoto shook his head slowly. "Without the spirit in the mirror to corroborate your story, all you have is a defunct artifact. No tribunal will accept that as proof."

Shunsui swallowed, then swallowed again. "But…" he started, then let the sentence trail off. But we came all this way… It wasn't fair. They had all the pieces, kami take it, they just needed to convince a tribunal of them. But there was no way Gorou would confess, Whisper had refused to testify, and now their last hope had vanished. His head swam. But…

"But we have proof!" Rei bared her teeth. "The mirror was right there, right where… the thief… led us! Isn't that enough?"

"You have no proof of that," Yamamoto informed her coolly. "And no proof that this mysterious thief was telling the truth about the events of that night – I'm assuming that's where you came up with this theory about Shiba-san's ill-fated use of hollow bait." His eyes speared Shunsui and Juushiro, and Shunsui gulped. Did the headmaster know about their illegal use of a truth compulsion kido?

Shihoin-sensei – who knew the full story, or most of it – tilted her head to one side. "What if the tribunal heard the testimony of the thief themself? Would that be sufficient?"

"We asked," Hikaru said gloomily, while Yamamoto frowned.

"It might work," the aged sensei admitted. "Though I would not count it as a sure thing."

Juushiro studied his sensei with a peculiar expression. "We asked if the thief would testify, and were told no," he told her. Still careful to avoid revealing Whisper's name or gender, Shunsui noted. "How do you plan to change that?"

Shihoin-sensei's smile was feline. "Leave that to me."

Yamamoto coughed. "And if the tribunal does accept the testimony of a known criminal? What would you have them do then?" His scarred eyebrows dipped towards the bridge of his nose.

Rei's reiatsu flared to a fever pitch. "He deserves to pay," she snapped. "Sir," she added belatedly.

Yamamoto's own spiritual pressure rose a fraction in warning. "Calm yourself, Kuchiki-san. I will not claim that Shiba-san's actions were honorable, but he committed no major crime himself. Stealing from his own clan, well… that is a matter for his own clan and his own clan alone."

Shunsui struggled to get enough air. "And Fujimoto-san's death?" he managed, sparks dancing at the corners of his vision.

Yamamoto heaved a sigh. "Regrettable. But he did not kill her."

"His actions did," Rei interrupted.

Yamamoto frowned at her. "I grant you that. But that is not enough to punish him for murder. And his clan will hardly allow one of their heirs to die for carelessness, even carelessness that led to the death of another noble. Fujimoto-san was only a girl from a lesser clan, after all."

"Her death is evidence that women do not, cannot belong in combat," Kichiro-sensei added acidly. "But that will not convince the tribunal to punish Shiba."

If looks could kill, Rei's glare would have murdered Kichiro-sensei on the spot, and Shunsui would have been right behind her. How dare he say something like that about Mika? Her death had been the fault of the ambush, not any sort of failing on her part. And my fault, of course. Can't forget that. His lips twisted.

But before he could shape his rage into coherent words, Juushiro spoke up. "You do not deny that he deserves punishment, and I am sure that a tribunal will agree that his actions are hardly befitting that of a noble heir. As a son of the Shiba clan, he has a responsibility to act with discretion and honor at all times, and he failed that many times over." He hesitated. "I suggest that we lay this before the tribunal – have Shiba-san serve for a time in the outermost patrols. Let him lay his own body and blade between the hollows to prevent more such deaths."

Slowly, Shunsui's fury sank back in his breast. Such an assignment would be a major disgrace for Gorou, who – before he quit the Academy – could have expected a commanding role in one of the divisions around the Seireitei itself. To be exiled to the outermost patrols as a common soldier would teach him humility, if nothing else. Shunsui nodded slowly.

After a long, tense moment, Rei's shoulders lost their tension. "If the tribunal accepts that, that would satisfy me."

Yamamoto took a deep breath. "Do not get your hopes up, younglings." He frowned. "You are all in a significant amount of trouble. Until further notice, you are confined to this Academy. If you leave without permission, you may never return." A long pause, as they absorbed the blow, then he sighed. "But…" He glanced at Shihoin-sensei. "If you can secure me that testimony, I will call a tribunal to order."

The tribunal building, set in the center of the Seireitei, bore a remarkable resemblance to a fancy confection. Three stories tall, with red roofs curling towards the sky, carvings and ornamentation graced every inch of its wooden walls. Dragons curled around the pillars holding up the deck that wrapped around the second floor, while less recognizable figures extended beneath the rooves. Herons danced over the gates of the entrance, which was guarded by a pair of uniformed shinigami bearing long polearms. They bowed stiffly as the group approached, but did not move from their posts.

Yamamoto nodded serenely back, unperturbed by their blank stares, and pushed open the gates. The students trooped after him like ducklings as he led the way through the courtyard gardens and into the building itself, glancing back over his shoulder only once to ensure that they followed. Shunsui shivered at the silent warning in that cold stare. Be on your best behavior.

Somehow, he suspected that he'd have no trouble remembering that. The paper screens of the hallways practically radiated censure; the air smelled of incense and old wood of the sort only found in the wealthiest households. The Kyoraku manor's visiting rooms smelled like that – held the same sort of oppressive reiatsu, too. A silent message to visitors: we're better than you.

Shunsui fought to keep his hands still at his sides. The pink ribbon around his bicep seemed to tighten as they walked farther into the manor, at last emerging into a spacious room that contained nothing but a long table at the far end. Five men knelt at that table, backlit by the window behind them so their expressions were concealed in shadow. Another two men, clad in full armor, stood beside either end of the table. And, to the left of the table, Gorou Shiba knelt, head hanging low.

Anger leapt in Shunsui's breast as he stared at the renegade student, but pity followed soon on its heels. Gorou wore a simple yukata, unsuited for both the weather and his rank, along with a pair of tattered trousers. His hair fell in oily strands around his face as he stared steadily at the ground, refusing to look up as the group entered. Dark reiatsu hung in the air around him, broken by thin patches of orange that clung to his skin like beaten puppies. Though he bore no chains, physical or kido, his back hunched as though he could feel the weight of shackles around his wrists.

Huh. For once, Katen Kyokotsu had nothing snarky to say.

Shunsui heaved a sigh as he knelt along with the other students on a row of flat pillows placed near the middle of the room. Yamamoto and Shihoin-sensei advanced beyond them, bowing when they were several steps from the table. "Thank you for convening," Yamamoto intoned.

The man in the middle of the table, whose kimono bore the insignia of the Shihoin clan, nodded gravely. "Present your case."

Shunsui fought not to fidget as Yamamoto went over the facts for the thousandth time. If the old man was going to be the only one to speak, why had he brought the squad with him? Not that Shunsui wasn't grateful – he wouldn't have missed this for the world – but it grated on his nerves to remain silent while Yamamoto recited what the students had told him.

The discrepancy appeared to puzzle the tribunal, too, for the Shihoin representative waved a hand once Yamamoto had finished speaking. "We would like to hear from those who found this mirror."

Yamamoto inclined his head. "Of course. Kyoraku-san, Ukitake-san, please come forward."

The Shiba clan representative, resplendent in a dark blue kimono, leaned forward. "Describe this mirror for us."

Juushiro bowed. "No more than half of a man's height, with silvered glass and a dark wooden frame. Subtle runes are carved into the wood – we theorize that these runes were an essential part of the binding trapping the mirror spirit within the artifact."

The Shiba representative's lips thinned. "Were?"

Juushiro glanced over, and Shunsui took up the story. "Yes, sir. We freed Akarui Mira from her prison so she could not wake any more creatures best left sleeping." And so she could rest at last, but that was better left out for now. The tribunal didn't seem to be the kind of men who cared much about sentiment.

The Shihoin elder's eyes narrowed as he studied Shunsui and Juushiro. "You two did this?" His tone was carefully neutral.

Shunsui bowed. "With the help of the rest of the squad, yes."

"Hmm." The Shihoin elder leaned back on his heels, while the Shiba elder scowled.

"You have not produced this mirror. How do we know it came from our clan?" But his eyes glanced sideways as he said it, and Shunsui suppressed a triumphant grin. Oh, you know where it came from, don't you… You just don't want to admit it.

Shihoin-sensei stepped forward, proffering a glowing orb to the counsel. "I believe I can answer that, my lords." She waved her fingers over the orb, and a voice began to issue from it.

"I was hired by Gorou Shiba to transport the mirror from his clan's stronghold to somewhere far, far away. He promised to distract the patrols so I would have an unimpeded path away from the keep, as he did with the hollow bait that led to the unfortunate death, I later learned, of a young noble." The voice turned wry. "It is not the first time the mirror has been stolen – does it count as theft if the person holding it stole it themselves?"

Shihoin-sensei's eyes danced as the Fukui representative paled, glancing from side to side before snapping his eyes back forward. "Shall I continue the spell, my lords? Do you wish to know who else has owned this mirror?"

"No, that is quite enough," the Fukui clan elder choked out.

The Shiba elder frowned at Shihoin-sensei, a hint of disapproval in his dark eyes. "How do we know that this is valid?"

"Are you calling me a liar?" Shihoin-sensei asked, deceptively mild. "That would call into question the honor of my clan, after all, and I'm sure you don't wish to do that. I'm sure that your question was just a slip of the tongue – right?" She held her fingers over the orb, ready to start the voice once again, as she stared directly at the Shiba elder.

After far too long for Shunsui's comfort, he shook his head. "I apologize, Shihoin-san, for my words. I meant no slur to your clan."

She smiled gently. "Then I believe you have all the answers you need. Unless, of course…" She let the sentence trail off, fingers cocked.

The Fukui elder sighed. "You have made your point." He turned to the Shiba elder. "This fits the facts as we know them, and it is clear that young Shiba has failed to act with the honor expected of an heir to the great noble families. As he is from your clan, what do you suggest?"

The Shiba representative turned to look at Gorou, who remained as silent and still as granite, then sighed. "He may have failed to act with honor here, but he is a valuable member of the clan. However, we acknowledge that the Fujimoto clan has suffered a loss, so we are prepared to pay them a sum – say, twenty gold – in recompense."

Shunsui paled. "That's not fair!" he blurted out, before he could think better of it.

The weight of the gazes of five elders descended upon him. "It is not your place to determine that," the Kuchiki elder snapped, voice rough with age. "Be silent."

Before he could think of something to say, Juushiro's hand brushed against his. Nothing so obvious as a caress, not here, but a silent promise of support. "Honored elders," the slender student began, bowing low. "May I offer a suggestion?"

The Shihoin representative, after a glance at Shihoin-sensei – his daughter, perhaps? – nodded. "You may speak."

Juushiro bowed once again. "My thanks, elder." He spread his hands. "Allow Shiba-san to pay for his mistakes himself. Not in gold, but in service in the outermost patrols. Have him serve there for a year, place his own body and blade between the Seireitei and the hollows to prevent more such tragedies."

The Shiba elder pursed his lips. "Possible…" He glanced over at Gorou. "I would hear your thoughts on this, boy."

Gorou lifted his head, a spark of life finally returning to his reiatsu. "If it pleases the tribunal, then I would accept this punishment as just." His voice shook. "I never intended to harm anyone, and I regret that my actions led to Fujimoto-san's death." He turned to face Shunsui and Juushiro. "Thank you." He hesitated, as though he was going to add more, then shut his mouth.

Shunsui bowed his head in acknowledgement of the thanks. In the end… He sighed. Dammit, Shiba. The thought was filled with resignation. I guess I can't hate you, not now. Not when he had just been trying to avenge his own mother's death, in the only way he knew how.

You're learning, Katen Kyokotsu commented wryly. You're learning.

Shunsui glanced over at Juushiro, whose white hair shone in the pale daylight coming through the window. Because of him.

The Shiba elder clapped his hands. "Very well, then. If the tribunal accepts that suggestion, the Shiba clan finds it acceptable."

"Fukui clan agrees."

"Shihoin clan agrees."

"Kuchiki clan accepts the punishment."

"Taira clan accepts as well."

The Shiba elder bowed his head. "Then we are agreed."

"So." Rei tossed her hair over her shoulder. "That's that, then." She glanced over her shoulder at the gates, which had shut firmly behind them when Yamamoto and Shihoin-sensei had ordered them back to the Academy. The two teachers had remained to consult with the tribunal, but had threatened dire retribution if the students didn't go straight back. Shunsui, at least, had no interest in defying them – yet.

Hikaru captured Rei's hand in his. "Are you satisfied?" he asked softly.

She shrugged. "It won't bring her back." Several steps passed in silence before she nodded reluctantly. "But, yes."

Hikaru smiled at her, blue eyes soft. "I'm glad." Happiness surged in his reiatsu.

Shunsui bit back a smile as he watched them. Ah, young love… He smirked and slung an arm over Juushiro's shoulders. I'm sure we're just as mushy, though I'd like to think I don't have quite as much of that puppy-dog look in my eyes.

Don't be so sure of that, Katen Kyokotsu informed him, though she sounded more amused than disparaging.

Shunsui chuckled. "I love you, you know," he impulsively murmured into Juushiro's hair.

The white-haired student stiffened, then relaxed with a sigh into Shunsui's embrace. "I love you too," he whispered back, wrapping his arm around Shunsui's waist.

"Well, aren't you all cute." A grey-clad figure slipped out of the alleyway beside them. Shunsui froze, one hand reaching for the hilt of his longer sword, when the figure pulled back her hood. "Hello, boys. And lady."

Shunsui pulled his hand away from his sword. "Whisper." His heart sped up. Was she calling in the favor now?

She favored him with a crooked grin. "What, not happy to see me?" She chuckled, then sobered. "So your boy got what he deserved – good. It's good to see that the system works as intended, on occasion." Her eyes narrowed. "But I didn't come here for that. You know that favor you owe me?"

Shunsui's gut knotted, butterflies fluttering madly in his stomach. "Yes?" he asked slowly, stepping away from Juushiro.

Whisper's lips stretched into an ironic smile. "Keep an eye out for a message. I'll be in touch soon." She bowed shallowly to them all. "Take care of yourself, Academy students."

Shunsui's heart began to slow as he watched her leave, though tension still held his muscles tauter than harp strings. "She…" He shook his head. "I wonder if she likes provoking reactions from people. Sure seems like it…" As the sentence drifted off, he laughed. "Come on, I need a drink after that."

Juushiro captured his hand before he could go more than two steps. "We're confined to campus, remember?" Shunsui groaned, and Juushiro smiled wryly. "Come on, you can get a drink back in our dorm room – I know you've got sake stashed away there."

"Not enough for a whole month," Shunsui grumbled, but he let his lover tug him back in the direction of the Academy. "Fine. Party in our room, everyone!"

Rei chuckled. "After today, I can think of nothing better." She twined fingers with Hikaru, who nodded without saying anything.

Ryuu bounded ahead, a grin splitting his face in half. "Let's go!" Aono and Taro laughed as he swerved around a bucket lying abandoned in the street, nearly tripping himself in the process before hopping back upright and continuing onwards without ever losing his smile.

Shunsui glanced over at Koji. "You coming?"

After a moment, the commoner shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

A smile spread across Shunsui's face. "Good." He tugged Juushiro a little closer. "We'd better find a way to replenish my sake stash, though," he murmured in his lover's ear, before kissing it gently.

Juushiro's cheeks turned pink as a spark of mischief lit in his eyes. "Don't worry, I think we can come up with distractions so you don't miss your sake when it runs out." He squeezed Shunsui's hand, glancing up at him from beneath lowered eyelashes.

Shunsui laughed delightedly. "Well, in that case…" He slung an arm over Juushiro's shoulder. "Maybe I'll have to ask for our punishment to be extended!"

Author's Note: Well, that's a wrap, everyone. Thank you for coming on this adventure with me – it's certainly been a wild ride. This isn't the first novel-length story I've completed, but it's the first one I'm truly proud of, and I hope that you all enjoyed it. I'm planning to revise it, possibly heavily, so if you have feedback on the story overall, I'd love to hear it! Thank you again – you are all amazing.