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PART 5 RECAP:

Madame Luca: Let's see... The crystal, it is becoming clearer... Yes, I can see it now... There is a tower close to Somnia. And inside the tower, a mirror. It is a large mirror! It is an intriguing mirror! And in this mirror... Ah, revealing that would be what we seers call a 'spoiler'. Go and do your own looking!

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A "spoiler", huh? Better watch out for those. In any case, the group Zoomed back to Somnia.


Milly: (sniff) I'm so glad Evgenya and Ilya's story had a happy ending!

Milly: Two lovers, brought together in each others' dreams... (sniff) I think I'm welling up!

Milly: Even after all these years, Ilya and Evgenya are still so close. I need to find out their secret!

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She went on for what seemed like hours about them! Rex hadn't pegged her for a romantic, but there it was!

The group traveled northeast, then west, to Moonmirror Tower.




Carver: Hey, any idea why they call it Moonmirror Tower? Maybe there's a mirror in there that makes you look as round as the moon. Wouldn't that be funny, aye?

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Interesting theory... Not that Rex had anything better.

In any case, it was a fairly empty place. Too empty. All there seemed to be were three enormous mirrors, and some stairs leading to empty rooms. The mirrors were larger than most buildings, but nothing else seemed amiss about them. Most likely, they were just hiding the real path(s).

The group investigated the first


Milly: Seems like an ordinary mirror to me.

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They investigated the second.


Carver: I think my muscles are sproutin' muscles.

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And finally the 3rd one. That's when they noticed something amiss.




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There were no stairs. There were SUPPOSED to be stairs, but the mirror didn't reflect that. Carver struck the mirror with his hammer twice, and sure enough...


???: Skree! You should've turned back when you had the chance! Now it's time to reflect on the error of your ways! Your journey ends here!

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Their images warped, and their flesh exploded. Blood and viscera sprayed the entire group, before their clones jumped out of the mirror and charged them.

Rex threw his bladed boomerang with his right hand, and dotted some Sap spells with his left hand. Rex repelled his double for the moment, and Milly did the same with a spear of ice... But Carver was not so lucky. He smashed his opponent's head in with a baseball swing across the head... But instead of dropping, the beast spun with the force, replanted itself, and lunged at Carver. It clung to him, and bit into Carver's shoulder! Its pus and drool bled into Carver's blood, and Carver's body convulsed... It was poison!

"MILLY, GET CARVER! HURRY!!"

That was all Rex could say. His own double was upon him! It was a flayed, purple mass of organs and exposed muscle. Entire chunks of meat were missing from its emaciated limbs. The only thing covering its ruined features were some tattered clothing and frizzled hair the colour of rotten eggs. Rex sunk his Bamboo Spear into its stomach, and kept it back via leverage. Rex look at Carver again...

Carver was fighting again, though caked in blood. Not his blood, but the creature's. He had smashed one of its kneecaps, he had his thumb jammed into one of its eyes, and somehow or another, he had taken off one of its arms (probably one of his patented 'elbow breaks')... And yet it kept coming. Rex looked over at Milly... Milly was pinned under her own double. It had a stake of ice jammed between its maws, blocks of ice in its eye sockets, spikes of ice in both temples, daggers of ice dotting its neck (where its caratoid arteries would've been)... Everything that could've possibly killed a human being. Yet it was as strong as ever. Milly could manage nothing, save for a few limp, poorly aimed slaps to the creatures face...

And then Rex's opponent belched! A blast of purple mist washed over Rex's face! The creature stabbed into Rex's left shoulder with the claws on its right arm! Rex stumbled back, but dropped his left forearm across the creature's left elbow! This move drug the creature's body forward, and pulled it off balance enough for Rex to take its back! Rex coughed, clamped his other hand down on the creature's shoulder, and smashed the heel of his foot against the creature's kneecap! The leg snapped off its socket, and Rex threw it to the ground... But now it had started. Rex coughed and wheezed... he couldn't breath...

"M-MI..LL..Y..."

"He stumbled forward, and sliced off her double's arms with a lucky shot. He wrapped his right arm around its neck, and locked out its left arm via a half-nelson.

"...mIL..lY...h-hUR..rY..."

Rex held on for what seemed like forever... Then gasped in relief! Milly had cured the poison from herself and from him! Rex released the half-nelson, grabbed the creature's neck in both hands, and wrenched its head off its shoulders! He tossed it away with a Hail Mary throw, and made to put a Heal spell on Milly...

...Then screamed. Something grabbed him and bit him right on the neck! Rex couldn't get it, and the poison coursed through his veins. Milly used yet another stake to chop its head off at the neck, but the damage had been done. Rex fell yet again before Milly healed him up, and helped him to his feet.

"Heads up, Rex!" Milly said.

"Needin' a li'l help here!" Carver said. The trio bunch up... and what Rex saw horrified him.

He saw the creature he had speared, with its legs completely intact. He saw the one Carver had smashed up, with the side of its head healed, and its arm re-attached. He looked over at Milly's... and saw a faint light in its hands as it re-attached its own head.

"Th-They regenerate!" Rex gasped.

"No, j-just spells" Milly wheezed.

"Whatever! How do we KILL these things!?" Carver roared.

Rex didn't know. Rex and his friend got tired, and the clones did not. Rex and his friends felt pain, and the clones did not. Rex and his friends were flesh and blood, while the clones were made of rot and unholy poisons. Their clones weren't as fast, or as strong as Rex or Carver... But that would soon change, the way things were going. Rex likened it to fist-fighting a drunk... And THAT'S when Rex found the secret.

"Guys! Spread out! Milly, get yours to the entrance! Carver, drag yours downstairs! I HAVE A PLAN!!"

"Wh-Wha..?"

"DO IT!!"

And so they did. Rex feared what would happen if Milly wasn't around to cure them, but he was more afraid of what would happen if they were all in one spot. Perhaps one of the zombies would spew more mist, and tag all three of them at once. Perhaps TWO of them would jump Milly at the same time. Either of these would spell the end for them. Besides, Rex had a plan...

Rex drew his clone to the dead-end on the first floor. Rex wasn't trying to hurt his anymore; just harass it with enough boomerang throws to keep it focused on him. A minute went by, two minutes, three minutes... Carver & Milly had long disappeared from sight...

Rex made his move. He launched one Sap spell! Two Sap spells! Three Sap spells, then four, then five, then six, then seven... The zombie started to melt, its body turning to liquid. Rex threw his boomerang again and sliced its legs off at the knees. Then came the clever part... He rushed forward, grabbed its detached legs, and ran off before it could stick them back on!

Such was the process of fighting a drunk... Sort of. Never try to drop them with blunt force; they wouldn't even feel it until morning. You had to immobilize them instead. Cut off their air supply with a choke, restrain them in a lock, or knock them to the ground and run... And that's effectively what Rex did with his double. He had to hurry though; Carver wasn't nearly so clever.

He ran down the stairs, and found Carver with his. He was alive, but he'd dropped his hammer, and his technique was gone. Carver was gassed. Wild haymakers were all he had left.

Rex threw the legs he was holding to the side, grabbed Carver's foe in a bear hug, and yelled for Carver to knock his block off! Carver picked up his hammer, Rex lowered his head, and Carver swung upward! The zombie's head flew off! From there was an awkward minute or so of kicking off the beast's legs, before grabbing THOSE up as well. Now Rex & Carver had four in their arms!

The pair ran towards the entrance towards Milly... And smiled. She had already taken care of hers! Its arms and its legs were stuck to the wall via more spears of ice, and the rest of the body was pinned by a giant stalagmite of it! Milly was on her rump, sweating and gasping for air... But she gave them a small grin.

"An excellent performance, I think. Wouldn't you agree?"

Rex and Carver smiled back, and help her up. After that was the act of smashing the corpses' heads into paste, along with their hands, harms, and legs. Only then did the group feel safe to progress...


Milly: Let's go, Hero. But be careful not to get lost...

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The tower itself was uneventful, aside from some moderately critters here and there. Of note, however, was the person they found.


Ashlynn: H-Huh!? You can s-see me!? Finally, someone in this md world can see me! It's like a dream come true! You'd think being invisible would be fun, but it's totally boring! Everyone ignore me, or worse ― they try to walk through me! I can't even fix my hair! See my reflection in the mirror? There isn't one! What a pain!

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Actually, she should've been glad to NOT have one, considering what they'd just went through...

Still, how did she get in here? She had no key, she couldn't break the mirrors... By all accounts, she should've been stuck outside with the rest of them.


Ashlynn: I came to this tower because I heard stories about Ra's mirror. It's here somewhere, right? I figured if naything's gonna solve my, um, see-through situation, it's the mirror. But this isn't exactly the friendliest place in the world, is it? I'm at my wit's end here!

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"Girl, you don't know the half of it..."


Ashlynn: Oh, but I shouldn't whine so much. I'm just happy to finall meet someone who can make eye contact! You're going up, right? How about we all go together?

Carver: Heh. Guess the little ghost lady's invitin' herself along, aye, Rex? You lettin' her join the team?

Rex: Sure!

Ashlynn: Hey, wait a sec! I forgot to ask you something! If you folks can see me, that means you must be just like me, right? But you don't seem to have any problems with your...visibility. C,mon, guys! Give a transparent girl a break. Tell me your secret!

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Rex took out the dream dew and carefully sprinkled a few drops on the girl. She became visible once again.


Ashlynn: Aaah! That stuff's freezing! What's the big ide―Hey! I'm not transparent any more! All it took was a cold shower? Why'd I even bother looking for that mirror? Ah, well. Whatever works, right? Besides, I got to meet you fine folks. Oh, how rude of me! I haven't introduced myself. I'm Ashlynn... I'd love to tell you more, but my name's the only thing I remember. CAn you imagine being an invisible amnesiac?

Rex: Actually...

Ashlynn: Ugh! I had so many questions and no one to ask! Anyway, since we're here, we might as well go check out the mirror together. Sound good? Let's go!

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And once they HAD found it...


Ashlynn: Hey! That's it! Ra's mirror! Wow! It's even prettier than I thought! Well, I'm glad I got to see it. I guess this is where we part ways... Only thing is, where am I supposed to go from here? Hmm... You guys seem alright. You have tried anything funny, anyway. I'm thinking I'll keep travelling with you for a while. Sound good?

Carver: She sure is bossy, not that I have room to talk. But what do ya think, Rex? More the merrier, aye?

Rex: Absolutely. Welcome aboard, Ashlynn!

Ashlynn: There you go! I knew you guys were alright! We're gonna be great friends. Trust me!

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Then after some more ribbing by Milly...


Milly: Lucky you, Rex, you're just becoming surrounded by cute girls!

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Rex got the mirror...


Carver: Ahoy! Here it is, Hero! No doubt about it, this is the mirror the King told us about!

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...and decided HE wanted in on the act as well.


Carver: Eh? What do ya mean, “which king”? I'm talkin' about King Somnus from back in our world! The King and Queen here just sleep all the time... They ain't sendin' us on any quests. It was our King Somnus who asked us to find this thing in the first place, right? Quit tryin' to confuse me!

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Heh heh heh... Well, at any rate, they HAD to see Ilya & Evgenya first! They wanted this thing their whole lives, after all!


Iyla: You put the hands on Ra's mirror!? Ah, the pleasure of treasure hunting! I still feel the old excitement!

Evgenya: It is late in the day, but we have found the true happiness at last. It is all thanks to you!

Ashlynn: Yeah, she had happiness written all over her face! In between all the wrinkles, I mean.

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Then there was a pleasant surprise waiting at Port Haven!


That Mayor's gone an' dropped us in it again! As soon as Johan brought Ella back to Port Haven, the Mayor disappeared out of town! I know how he must feel, but hwat about his mayoral responsibilities!?

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W-Wait, Johan GOT HER!?


Johan: Oh! It's you! You're the ones who... Well... You really helped me out that time, you know. Goddess knows, I encountered many a danger while I was out looking for Ella... But it only made me appreciate how lucky I am to be living with my beloved now!

Milly: Johan's journey must have been tough. He looks a lot stronger now!

Carver: To think, I wrote Johan off for a wimp when we first met. Looks like he's got some guts after all!

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"No kidding! My "Hail Mary" shot wasn't a Hail Mary after all!"


Ella: Oh! I am so happy! But the Mayor's left town, and I can't hlep but worry about him. He should have just come home! There's no need for him to give that incident a second thought!

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"Yes, the whole 'sold a woman into slavery' incident"...


Carver: After all she went through, she actually cares about that lousy Mayor? Oh, Ella... (sniff) Ain't you a peach.

Milly: I'm sure it's this kindness that attracted Johan to Ella in the first place. It's nice to see that some men realise beauty isn't just skin deep!

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Speaking of attaction...


Ashlynn: Hey, Hero. Is that girl your type? She sure is pretty!

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And then the fateful stay at Madame Luca's.


Madame Luca: Welcome back, Rex. The crystal told Madame Luca that you would be coming, so she turned away all of today's customers. Hah hee! Ah, hello again, my Milly!

Milly: It's lovely to see you, Madame Luca.

Madame Luca: I see the flock has taken on a new little lamb. Ashlynn, yes?

Ashlynn: Hey! How'd you know that!? Is it written on my face or something?

Madame Luca: Hee hah! There is no stumping Madame Luca! She is a dream seer! Knowing names is a piece of cake! Your journey goes well, yes? Say not a word! Madame Luca sees you acquired Ra's mirror! That must have been challenging...

Carver: 'Course it was! You don't need to see dreams to figure that out. Speakin' of that, if you're such a grand mystic, why didn't you just tell us how to get the thing, aye?

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Because of 'spoilers', apparently...


Madame Luca: Hah hee! Your mouth is as big as ever, muscle man. Let's call it a night, yes? We can speak more tomorrow.

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After a night's rest...


Madame Luca: You've slept a deep and dreamy sleep, yes? The best kind! So, let Maame Luca see... Yes... You travelled between the two worlds in Amor... And you got your hands on Ra's mirror. You've been through a lot, mmm-hmmm. It's time for Madame Luca to tell you the truth about this world...

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And then came the bad news. Confirmation of almost every one of Rex's worst fears.


Madame Luca: Your keen, young minds probably already worked it out, but the world you were in before was actually the world of dreams. This, on the other hand, is the real world.

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"No..."


Madame Luca: In the dream world, you were merely inhabiting the dreams of those living in this world...

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"Tania... Buddy..."


Madame Luca: That is why no one was able to see you here in the real world. Well, no one apart from old Madame Luca, of course! Hah hee! So, is Madame Luca making sense to you?

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Rex would not buckle. It hurt, but, it explained a lot. It explained why they turned transparent upon falling... It explained why Captain Rusty looked like Captain Blade... It explained the magic blood from Evgenya's sword... the time traveling shenanigans...Everything.

It didn't matter. Tania, Carver, Milly, even Ashlynn... They were real to him. That's all that mattered. Rex nodded in affirmation. He had faced his fears, dealt with it, and prepared to move on...


Madame Luca: Madame Luca was reluctant to explain the dream world before... Why burden you with the fear of disappearing, yes?

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Aaaaaaand then all that fear came rushing back.


Madame Luca: Dreams can end at any time, you see, and with them...you. That is why Madame Luca held her tongue. Now that you know the truth, Madame Luca will cast a spell on you... The best spell she knows! This spell will allow you to cross between the real world and the dream world any time you desire! Now, please close your eyes. Hmm... Yes...

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Good thing he could close his eyes...


Madame Luca: There. It is done. With your Zoom spell, you can now fly between worlds any time you like! Ahh... Such a mighty spell takes much out of old Madame Luca. She feels so drained... Well, you'd best be off. Your world will just keep getting bigger now, yes? Yes!

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Or it could grow small. Small... Cast into outer darkness... Or an empty void. White... Colorless...


Carver: Wh-Whoa, hold on now! You mean we've been livin' in a dream world all this time!? But dreams are so...flimsy – here one minute and gone the next. Same thing could happen to us! Wait a sec, though. If this is all a dream...then am I just the dream version of my real self? Am I the illusion that the real me sees in his dreams...? This is way over my head...

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Carver's response was wild agitation, while Rex's was to shut down. Fortunately, Milly was a perceptive woman... Kind. Always ready with a smile, and a calm word.


Milly: Are you surprised, Hero? I remember when Madame Luca first told me. At first I was terribly shocked... But then I realised that the only way to discover the truth was to keep pressing forward. How about it, Hero? What are you going to do?

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"If you can solve a problem, why worry about it? If you CAN'T solve a problem... why worry about it?"

Those were Milly's words. It was good advice, too. WhatevRex just needed some time to be sad... Then he'd move on.


Ashlynn: Carver and the old lady sure do bicker a lot. Maybe they have a secret crush on each other...

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Eww....

The group used their new Zoom spell and poofed straight into the Dream World. They dallied a little, upon the womens' request; they wanted to see what the boys had seen. First was the hobbit's house...


Ashlynn: Stacking wood, huh? Sounds like a career with a lot of growth. Ha ha! Get it? Wood? Growth? Ah, fun.

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Next was the wayward Church...


Milly: I actually wanted to be a nun when I was a little girl. I always feel so relaxed and comfortable after sleeping in a church.

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After that was the checkpoint, and Haggleton. Weaver's Peak would wait for later, however. For now, they needed to get to Somnia.

They arrived, greeting the soldiers they saw.


Welcome to Sommnia. Stay out of ー Oh, it's you! You're one of those super soldiers hunting for Ra's mirror, right? Any leads yet? What!? What do you mean, you found it!? Well, hurry up, man! The King's going to flip his crown when he hears!

Ashlynn: Tee hee! I bet the King gives us each a big hug!

I'm sorry, have we met...? Oh, we have? You're one of the volunteer recruits? Now I remember you! Where have you been all this time? It's been so long, I wrote you off as AWOL.

Carver: If AWOL means 'awesome without limits', then guilty as charged.

We combed through every cave and ruin in the realm for that mirror, but you showed us all up, rookies. Not bad!

Ashlynn: Maybe they should have tried jumping into big chasms and climbing some tall towers, too.

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And then was King Somnus himself.


King Somnus: Am I to understand that Ra's mirror has, at long last, come into our possession? Yes...yes, this is the genuine object! From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. With this mirror, we can reveal Murdaw's true colours and put an end to his tricks. Our nightmare's nearly over! We have a great advantage now. We must formulate a new plan...Your courageous cooperation in this plan would be most appreciated, Rex. Come to the conference room downstairs later tonight. I'll be expecting great things from you! Everyone else, get as much rest as you can. Our final battle is drawing near. Dismissed!

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Later that evening...


Captain Blade: Rex, uh... Hmm... Could you head upstairs, please? I'll meet you there.

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What happened was... Not what they were expecting.


King Somnus: Nnngh... Uuurgh... Errghh...

Captain Blade: Ah, thanks for coming, Rex. As you can see, the King has fallen ill... Now, you're absolutely positive that was Ra's mirror you brought to us, right?

Rex: The King said so himself, right?

Captain Blade: Well, regardless, it has done... something to the King. The moment His Majesty peered into it... this happened. I can't even begin to fathom how the mirror could do this to him.

King Somnus: I... I...

Captain Blade: Y-Your Majesty! Speak to me! What is wrong, Your Majesty?

King Somnus: N-No... I... I am Somnus, leader of...Aghh!

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The mirror flashed a blinding white light! Everyone closed their eyes, until it'd finally passed... and when they opened them... There she was, standing in King Somnus' place!




Captain Blade: By the Goddess!

Chancellor: Your Majesty, you're... you're a woman.

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The woman stumbled forward, and fainted.


Captain Blade: What devilry! Quick, get her into bed!

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The throne room fell silent. Those assembled thought it best to keep the King's metamorphosis a secret for now.


Chancellor: Ah! Your Majesty! You're awake? How are you feeling... er, Your Majesty?

Captain Blade: Your Majesty! Do you have any idea what's happened to you!? You... you transformed into a woman...

Queen Apnea: This is my true form, my friend. I am not King Somnus... My name is Apnea.

Chancellor: Apnea? Apnea... Where have I heard that name before...?

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Then Rex remembered Chancellor Keating from the other world. This was clearly his Dream World self... Except, this one seemed honourable enough. Perhaps there were depths to Keating that wasn't apparent in the Real World? Or perhaps THIS one simply hasn't had the chance to be evil, yet?


Captain Blade: Chancellor, we must concentrate on King Somnus for now!

Chancellor: Yes, of course. Please answer me this, my lady... If you are not our king, then what has happened to His Majesty!? Or does this mean that our nation never had a king in the first place!?

Queen Apnea: Not at all, my Chancellor. I'm afraid the true King Somnus is in Murdaw's clutches. Or, perhaps, Somnus is none other than Murdaw himself.

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Whoa! Now how did she know that!?


Chancellor: What!? Speak sense, woman! Whatever gave you such an outlandish idea?

Queen Apnea: I'm afraid I can't say. I just know it is the truth. I don't know why I know, but I know.

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Ah. Another one of those "spoilers", huh?


Queen Apnea: Perhaps some past event in the real world flashed across the mirror and into my mind... I imagine this must all be very hard for you to understand, you inhabitants of this world... You believe me, don't you, Captain Rusty?

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Rusty? This world? That must mean... She's the Queen of the Real World!


Captain Blade: Rusty? Um, I'm sorry, ma'am, but my name's Blade, not Rusty. Though it's odd how the name Rusty reverberates within my mind...

Queen Apnea: And you are Sleipnir, right?

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Sleipnir? So that's his Real World self... It would fit the naming scheme, and it would explain why he looked so much like the Prince. Does this mean he... er, "he"... was sleeping too?


Queen Apnea: You have certainly grown, Sleipnir... Anyway, we must not let last night's events delay us in facing Murdaw... This final confrontation will reveal everything... Including how I became King Somnus in this world, I should add. Let us be off, then.

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And so it was. Rex's life was built on lies... Or rather, he's a copy of this "Sleipnir" fella? Was he *actually* a real person? Would he remember all this one he woke up? Would all his friends and loved ones be there? Or would he vanish in a gasp of air? To be perfectly honest, Murdaw was NOT the one on his mind...

But, it was as Milly said. The only way to go was forward. Perhaps they would find a way to sustain their existence. If that was the case, they needed to fight for their future. Or, maybe they would all just disappear one day, without a trace. And if THAT'S the case...

Today was a good day to die.