Cupid was figuratively blinded by a sudden burst of white magic; which literally un-blinded him for a few seconds. His first thought upon seeing Selene was how dirty her hair must get at that length. He waited for her to speak so he wasn't talking to a corpse still.

A wave of some warm, giddy feeling of empowerment washed over the fairy. "Cupid. Abby." He felt the wizard smile. Selene sat up slowly and Abby gingerly helped the vampire to her feet. "I feel euphoric. Did I die?"

Thanks to Tick, both Abby and Selene's wounds had been healed without scars. She watched their enjoyment cloaked in invisibility. The now pixie stared in silence, but screamed at herself, 'Just say it!'

The three hurried on through slight mist. They would find a ship that would, either knowingly or unknowingly, take Cupid back home. Abby and Selene would go back to the mansion and explain that Cupid ran away and most likely drowned trying to get home on his own wing power.

Knowing full well Pan was awake, Tick delayed her beating and followed the group. She wanted to see how their plan worked out. 'He's not going to answer a question you didn't ask.' She wanted to see how he would answer. And she was going to ask.

The fairy was following Abby, who had again changed form to look like her mother. Selene trailed in step with him. Tick smiled insidiously as she walked on Cupid's open side, and actually coated herself with an invisibility spell like some wizards could do. Ironically, now the only thing Cupid could see was invisibility. But it was best that way. Cupid was the only one who knew the Giantini pixie was there. As usual, she spoke in his mind.

'Cupid, do you have a girlfriend?' Tick asked rather innocently.

'Yes. Why are you asking?'

Tick chose to ignore his question. 'Who?'

'Why?'

'Who?' The pixie pressed, literally causing his head to ache.

The fairy grimaced, but luckily no one noticed. 'Crystal, I guess. But she thinks I tried to kill her. And Selene. She cares about me and protects me.'

'And we've already established you'd die for her.'

'Why are you asking?' Cupid said hesitantly, guessing the answer.

'You don't love me.'

He didn't reply, so Tick angrily forced her way through his emotions, searching for any love with her name on it. All she found was confusion, self-frustration, and embarrassment. The more Tick pushed, the more Cupid suppressed his feelings until she relented.

'You don't love me.' The pixie repeated. 'I endured countless tortures and deaths for you. In hopes that one day, you'd free me. Remember that pool of blood Pan showed you? Who do you think that was from?! But you don't love me.'

Before Cupid could formulate a response, a voice caused the whole party to stop. "Cupid!" Tick vanished a few feet away and the fairy turned. He knew that voice, and she was the only other one around with pink magic.

Crystal was standing on a rooftop while a large bundle of blankets hovered next to her. The fairy landed near them softly and the purple blankets followed. "Cupid, I know you probably still hate me, but I need your help. What are you doing, by the way? Out here at dawn?

"My friends, Abby and Selene are going to help me get back home."

"That's what I'm doing! But first, I need answers."

"To what?"

Crystal gave the large bundle to Cupid. He slowly unraveled the fabric. There were three slightly warm things wrapped up, all about the same size. "Cupid, say hello to Charlotte, Chloe, and Cadence— your identical triplets. I need to find out how they happened."

"How they ha- Oh!" Cupid blinked, understanding what she meant. The time they were together; the vampirum. "Yea, I have no idea. We never really—"

'I think I can explain.' Tick spoke in Cupid's mind, materializing near the group.

"You can?"

"She can what? And who is she?" Crystal and Abby asked.

Cupid briefly explained. "This is my friend, Tick. She said she can explain, but she only speaks through telepathy." The Giantini pixie nodded in approval and Cupid repeated exactly what she was saying. "Pan
cast an illusion on you [Crystal and me] to hide [my]—" He paused. "Temporary insanity, thank you very much. But that illusion was so strong it affected reality." Cupid frowned, realizing what he just said. "So you're saying this stuff actually happened? Yes, I know how babies are made. Anyway, Pan's illusion basically duplicated [us] and fused us back together. So it's like both the illusion and the fight actually happened, just at the same time. Does any of this make sense? No, Tick, no it doesn't. But I'm going to accept it."

Save Cupid, everyone nodded. "Who knew?" The fairy shrugged. "I'm not even sixteen and father to triplets." He halted, his blind eyes wide. "Crystal...when we get home, what are we going tell everyone?"

She paused, holding the three sleeping children in the blankets. "Um."

"Me neither."

The group of now eight continued into the misty dusk sky, uncertain and awkward.