"And the guardians? Apparently they are yet to know of this portal.." Phobos sat in his cold throne, as it shot past him he let his fingertips stroke the arm of one of his viney slaves. Though he had allowed for Cedric to enter his favourite chamber once again, he focused on the murmurer before him. Beautiful, yet disguisting. He'd had abomination in mind, but when he studied the long flowery fingers; like the smallest finest branches of a blossoming tree, he could not help admire his own work. Roots created veins along their green leafy skin, reaching up the neck to the expressionless face of each brother or sister. A family; their skin's texture reached their eyes and their prominent noses didn't have spaces for breathing for lack of need. Long hair was their most human feature, straw coloured locks that droped long past their stomachs.. Yes, these creatures were far more pleasing than the man cowering before the thrown.

"I've sent a reconnaissance team to find out where your murmurer is hiding on Earth."

"Remind them to be careful. Until I steal the heir's powers, she is still dangerous." Phobos then smiled as Cedric took feeble steps toward him with a plate of food. The child who was usually tasked to bring his food had tried to run, and now he was no longer available for service.

...

Susan Vandom stared at the paper in her hands before looking up to her squirming daughter with disbelief. "Two C's, a D, and," She flaunted the offending paper to her daughter, "You stuck gum on your math grade!"

"Useless and counterproductive for fighting a war.." Will mumbled and Susan raised an eyebrow at her child.

She crossed her arms, "You'll be starting a war in a minute if you don't explain yourself."

Will looked flustered then, seeming to realize what she'd just said, "Uh.. You know Einstein didn't do well in school either..?"

"Okay, how's this for a formula?" Susan glared at Will, slamming the paper down on the girl's desk before turning to leave, looking over her shoulder at the now sulking girl, "Two C's plus D.. Multiplied by gum equals no movie this weekend!"

She smiled, closing the door, glad that that was over.

...

"So, you're all going tonight?" Will shuffled awkwardly, looking up at the poster for 'Vance Michael Justin's' newest movie. She still didn't feel exactly comfortable with the girls after what Elyon had said, but she figured that it was best to forgive and forget; that's what she'd done with Caleb after all, and so far it had been working. Plus, Elyon wasn't going with them anyway.

Cornelia only gave will a look, before smiling at the picture, "What part of 'starring Vance Michael Justin' do you not understand?"

Taranee then raised a feeble hand, "This time, someone else sits next to Mrs Justin!"

Will grinned at Cornelia, who moved closer to the poster and sighed, "Ahh! I just cannot help screaming his name!"

At this Will grinned as Hay Lin nodded, "Over, and over.. It's a movie screen.. V.M.J can't hear you!"

Cornelia sobered, looking seriously at Hay Lin, "He hates being called V.M.J!"

"And broccoli and girls who wear too much makeup.." Will laughed as Hay Lin, Irma and Taranee chanted what she supposed were Cornelia's other favourite facts about the movie star, but inside she wondered if she could afford to miss out on a chance to get to know them better.

Taranee turned to Will then, causing a knot to form in Will's stomach, "Then you're coming, right?"

Will looked at her shoes, but forced a smile to her face as she nodded, "Eh- Uh.. Yeah."

She bit her lip as Irma grinned at her, pointing to Cornelia, "It's the premiere. Be prepared to spend six hours in line with Superfan!"

She followed as the girls walked away, Taranee smiling at her, "Bundle up. Bring cocoa ..and.. Earplugs."

Cornelia stayed behind, still staring at the picture, "Our love will keep me warm."

...

"You're sure this is where you smelled the portal?" Caleb pushed the dumpster away from the wall and shouted out his too-familiar passling allie's name, before adding a side note, "All I smell is rotten eggs, which is actually an improvement over smelling you." He turned and caught a glimpst of a rat scurrying past, sighing to himself, "You're not Blunk. You're too clean."

Caleb was then distracted by a familiar voice and he walked out of the alley to find that Cornelia was standing by the poster, practically drooling over it. She giggled at it in a way that made Caleb laugh, "You just haven't tried broccoli the way I make it, Vance Michael!"

Caleb walked slowly behind her, and found a derivative pleasure at her visable jolt when he spoke, startling her out of her daze, "I didn't know you and the poster were dating."

Cornelia first looked embarressed, then decidedly flustered, finally resting on aggravated. She had not forgiven him yet. "Caleb! Sneaking up on people might be okay in Meridian, but here it's just... Like, rude!"

"I don't get why girls here fall for a picture of a guy pretending to be an elf." He glanced up at the picture of a man quite blatantly posing, and holding a sword and bow. Someone who needed two weapons couldn't be very skillful.

"He is not an elf!" He grinned as she spoke, matter-of-factly, "He's an trundablad; a tribe of incredibly good-looking pixies who battle the forces of Flemdar." She stalked off, leaving him rolling his eyes, but then he felt a niggling annoyance.

He turned around, shouting to her back, "Hey, I'd like to see Vance Michael what's-his-teeth tangle with a giant lizard, 'cause I do that, you know! Every day!" He sighed, knowing that she wasn't impressed. And she was the one who liked him the most. Was.

Just then, he jumped as car horns sounded and cars all screeched to a halt along the road. He was pretty sure they weren't meant to do that. He could only gawp as a yellow car sped straight for him and he didn't even have time to winc as it passed him, stopping up on the curb. Two humans staggered out of the car, their faces pale, and ran. The window rolled down to reveal a hysterically laughing Blunk dressed in a red uniform. "Yo! Want ride?"

"Blunk, you stole a-a.." Caleb looked at the word on the side of the vehicle, "A taxi?"

"Not steal. At hotel, people say, "Take taxi". So Blunk take taxi." Caleb scowled and opened the door, and Blunk fell out, leaving space for Caleb to climb in, Blunk getting in the back.

"Caleb take taxi back hotel!" He yelled, but as he looked at all of the buttons he frowned. "How do you start it?" Blunk then slid into the front passenger seat, direct Caleb as he started the engine which roared ferociously as though something were trapped inside it. He jerked as the 'taxi' began to move; not quite believing he was taking direction from Blunk