Relief from Odium and Ignorance...

Astra 8a returns to humanity with a shudder, and shivers in shock (emotional and physical) in a pile on the ground.....

Astra 8, already sympathetic to the plight of her sister, can not bear to see the look of self loathing on her twin's face. She rushes over to lend comfort, and is rewarded by a more than startled look and oath from her twin (who hadn't noticed the others yet since she was still trying to pull herself together).

"The first potion you had was faulty," Astra 8 says simply to the stunned Astra 8a, "it wasn't your fault!"

Millions of questions are on Astra 8a's mind, including just what the devil is going on here.

After all, it isn't everyday you meet a "doppleganger," Li'reth thought sympathetically, Let alone twelve human ones and one elfin version, Kethiani, of oneself. That and the griffons seem to be making her a touch nervous.

Astra 8a's eyes then fall upon "her" Fred....and her eye's go wide!

"YOU!" she screams, remembering how her Fred had apparently betrayed her friends and herself earlier.

"Stop!" Astra 8 says sharply, holding back the still weak Astra 8a, "He was under a curse and couldn't help himself. Let me explain....."

A brief exchange explains what has happened. Astra 8a is a bit hard to convince, but finally she does accept it (the only other plausible explanation to all of this is she'd gone mad....in her mind).

"But....if the Unseelie Court is involved.....then life as I know it is over anyway," she sighs.

"What?" Dr. What asks, perplexed.

As the other adventurers from Terra Prime explain, Li'reth nods in understanding.

The fun just won't end for anyone involved even indirectly like Astra 8a and the other Andrea, Li'reth sighed, remembering the less than glowing accounts of what the Unseelie Court on Terra Prime did to mortals who'd dare displease them. That Court had been on the decline for hundreds of years back on Prime, barely a nuisance now, and were NOT immortal as were those on this world (since Inquirer had been able to permanently kill a Redcap so long ago.....gaining the fell things cap which she kept as a trophy....and a copy of which she now wore as a warning to any other dark fairies who would dare face her).....

1. "But I believe now is the time for a an important question for both.....Astra 8a, Fred 8, and....Jarlath of course," Rule 1 says, popping back into existence along with Agent 1 (his chaos counterpart).

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