House of Anubis: One Last Stand

House of Freedom/House of Reconciliation

KT returned in the night to rescue Fabian, Patricia, Joy, and Alfie from captivity by releasing their chains with the key she swiped. She then progressed to the room that held Eddie and Jerome, silently followed by the others.

As soon as he was released, Eddie embraced Patricia and whispered, "I'm glad you're safe."

"Now, we should get somewhere safe," KT declared, "to talk."

They returned to Anubis house in the night, slipping out of the gatehouse unseen and unheard. Once there, the door was shut, and they gathered in the sitting area.

"This isn't safe; Mr. Perry will come looking for us by the morning," Fabian acknowledged.

"Yeah, but if you stayed in there, half of you would've been dead by morning," KT pointed out. "Besides all that, I really have things to tell you guys...Daniel is way too close to having the Dream book. Apparently, the Chosen One in the dream state is very rewarding to Neith. So rewarding, the book is practically in Daniel's hands. Daniel also suspects there's some sort of an inside-job going on." KT rolled her eyes at that.

"What, you mean like, you?" Alfie asked for clarification.

"No Alfie, the man that delivers his mail every morning," Joy remarked sarcastically.

Alfie cleared his throat and looked ashamed.

"KT, we don't want to endanger you-" Eddie began.

"-don't worry about it," KT shook her head. "It's for you guys, so...its worth it." She didn't really appear confident in saying it, but she did her best to act as though she was.

"Wait, the book," Patricia mentioned. "How do we stop Daniel from getting it?"

"We don't," Jerome replied.

"Oh sorry, I don't think you received the memo that he will destroy the world with that thing!" Alfie exclaimed.

"It's powerless without the sacrifices," Jerome reminded. "It's basically the calm before the storm. But, once the sacrifice or sacrifices step through the portal, the book and Neith are at their weakest point. For that split second before all hell breaks loose, there's a shot."

"Right, but someone has to be willing to step through," Eddie stated. "And the only sacrifices that work are a combination of the Osirion, Chosen One, and one other person or just you...Jerome..."

"Jerome, no," Joy whispered.

"Look, I'm not saying I'll step through, but if times come to it, I will...It's better one than three anyway, and it's not like I die-I just lose my soul." Jerome tried to shrug it off.

"Just?" Alfie repeated. "Oh yeah, because that's just a normal everyday thing!"

"You're insane," Patricia added.

"You can't possibly think that any of us will let you risk your soul, even in the most dire of circumstances, Jerome," Joy explained.

"But if it meant the entire world, would you then?" Jerome challenged. "Wouldn't all of you?" He stood to his feet. "Isn't that what we do? It's Sibuna; what else would you really expect?"

"You couldn't love Amber again," Fabian blurted out, unlike him to ever say, but perhaps the perfect thing to say in the moment. Or the worst.

Jerome gazed downward. Without further speaking, Jerome left the room.

"Way to go," Patricia frowned at Fabian.

"KT, shouldn't you be getting back?" Eddie asked. "Just so Daniel isn't more suspicious of you."

"I'm probably dead by the morning," she admitted. "I'm the only one who would free you guys. But wish me luck; I'll head back." With that, KT bid her farewell and was off.

"Well..." Alfie sighed, "I'm going to bed." He stood up to head to his room.

"Remember, Jerome's in that room," Joy reminded.

"I will sleep on this couch," Alfie turned back around and sat down.

"Yeah, we should all rest," Fabian suggested. "The mystery will still be here tomorrow."

Everyone headed out to their own rooms, except for Alfie who laid down on the couch.

~~~~~
That night, Eddie draft a vision, which seemed all too really to actually be one.

He was in the dream state, there in Anubis house. He rose from his bed and stood up, the cold of the floor permeating the souls of his feet through his socks.

He felt compelled to go upstairs, and did so, heading straight for Nina and Amber's room.

He opened the door, and Nina immediately opened her eyes and shot up, sensing the Osirion was there. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, and a smile spread on her face at the site of Eddie.

"Eddie!" Nina exclaimed.

Nina ended up waking Amber who yawned as she rose and laid eyes on Eddie as well.

"Oh my god, Eddie, it's about time you save us!" Amber cheered.

"And we have good news," Nina grinned.

"Weren't you holding the dream stone when you were here last time, Eddie?" Amber pointed out, tilting her head.

"Well...yeah, but this is just my dream, I-"

"Eddie..." Nina faded out. "No, it's not."

"But it's impossible that I'm here without the stone unless the stone..."

"Unlesd the stone what?" Nina repeated.

"I don't know gave me some of its powers or something."

"Do you at least know how to get us out of here now?" Amber questioned.

Eddie shook his head, but Nina almost instantly said, "Wake up."

"What?" both Eddie and Amber asked.

"Okay, just a wild thought, but if Eddie supposedly entered here through his dream, while waking us up in the process."

Amber and Eddie glanced at eachother.

"And I kind of heard a voice just say it," Nina added, admitting a disembodied voice had whispered the solution to her.

"Let's give it a shot," Eddie clamped his hands together.

Nina, Amber, and Eddie gathered everyone up to participate.

"Dad?" Eddie found himself saying, finally seeing him down in the foyer. "Dad." He went to Mr. Sweet and embraced him tightly, whispering to his father, "I thought you were dead."

"Are you crying, Willow?" Amber asked Willow a few feet away.

Willow in fact was crying at the father-son moment taking place between Eddie and Mr. Sweet. "Oh gosh, you know I cry."

When Eddie and Mr. Sweet finally departed, Eddie wiped his eyes, looked at everyone, and took a deep breath. "Ready?"

~~~~~
Another chapter, finally. Sorry if it seems a bit rushed; it might not, but I really needed to get another out to you guys. Hopefully you enjoyed, and now for you lovely Aristocrats, some discussion questions.

Do you think KT will be caught?

Do you think Eddie will successfully rescue the others from the dream state?

Until next time, Aristocrats!