Chaos knew that the sorcerer, along with that accursed orb, could banish It back to Its prison for an eternity.

As Chris charged, Red stepped forward to meet him. Both lycanthropes morphed, and a savage battle ensued. They fought, scratched, rolled and struggled with one another. Red felt tears in her eyes as she called out for him to stop. She knew he wouldn't listen. And she knew what she had to do.

Chris punched her in the stomach and then tried to run past her. Red mustered up her strength and jumped on his back. With her bloodlust in conflict with her heavy heart, her powerful feline jaws clamped down on the thick flesh around Chris's neck. She could taste the foulness of his blood and it made her want to vomit. The voices in her head started to get louder.

The allies were enraged. They were throwing anything they could at the tentacle, but their attacks had no effect. Shield had a force wall up to protect Croc, who was otherwise quite vulnerable. Tarloh swung a heavy branch at the attacker, but it passed right through.

Chaos was angered. It reached for another victim. It sensed a familiar soul . . . it reached out for Jane.

Besla grabbed Jane and pulled her away. The quiet girl with the beautiful, magical hair was screaming. She was particularly susceptible to the whisperings of this entity, and she decided she would rather die that suffer that kind of touch again.

A number of allies moved to intercede. Besla and the Raptors were trying to get Jane out of the way, but the whisperings of Chaos were echoing in their minds, making it hard to concentrate, much less fly.

Natasha moved between Chaos and Jane, knowing that even her near-invulnerability wouldn't save her. But it was Red who was closest.

Red saw the enemy go after the two women who had defined Red. One of them, Red loved more than anything. She was looking in Jane's eyes, over Nat's shoulder, when Chaos's hand made contact with Red's mind.

{{ YOU ARE STRONG, }} came Its voice directly into Red's thoughts, now clear as crystal. {{ BUT YOU TIRE. YOU FIGHT, BUT YOU DESIRE PEACE. I CAN GIVE YOU THESE THINGS, }} It crooned. {{ KILL THE SORCERER AND ALL THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE WILL BE YOURS. YOU CAN REST, }}

It promised. It delved deeper into her subconscious. {{ I WILL MAKE HER YOURS FOREVER, }} It added, putting Jane's face at the front of her thoughts. {{ I WILL MAKE HER LOVE YOU. I WILL GIVE YOU A PALACE TO LIVE IN. }} It tried one more tactic. {{ I WILL GIVE YOU YOUR PARENTS BACK. I WILL MAKE YOU A FAMILY AGAIN. SERVE ME, AND IT WILL BE SO! }}

Jane watched as one of Red's eyes began to turn red. The other was still filled with tears. She heard Robbie screaming, trying to get to his sister. He had just reached where Jane was standing when something new happened.

A light began to shine. Somehow, a single brilliant ray of Light was beaming into the clearing. It was as bright as the tentacle was dark, and it fell directly on Jane. For the first time in seven years, her head was completely clear and serene. Then she heard two voices, male and female. They whispered encouragement to her . . . and then they whispered a name.

"Annabel," Jane said in a voice not her own. It was a mixture of the two voices that had soothed her soul. Somehow, she knew what it meant. Robbie stopped and stared at her. He hadn't heard that name in a long time. It was Red's real name. The only ones who had ever called her that were "Mom? Dad?" Red whispered, but was still miraculously heard by Jane and Robbie and Nat.

"We're here," came the not-quite-Jane's voice. "And we are so proud of you." Then their voices were gone, but Jane's returned.

"Please," she whispered. “Come back to me."

Red turned her thoughts to the enemy in her head. {{ You offer me nothing, }} she thought with surprising calm. {{ I would never shame my parents by accepting you on their behalf. And you offer me a Love that I would never take by trickery. I have no need to. It is given freely. I reject you . . . now and forever. }}

Red tore free of the tentacle's influence and stumbled forward. Nat and Robbie caught her.

Jane was still bathed in light. She heard the voices of Red and Robbie's parents grow feint, whispering things to her . . . things for their children. Then she heard another voice. This one was much more familiar. It was very masculine, with a deep baritone quality.

It was the voice of bedtime stories. It was the sound of Laughter when Jane was waiting for her hot chocolate complete with little marshmallows. It was the voice from behind the big white beard that Christmas morning that conveyed the illusion that there was still a Santa Clause. It had been her whole world until that voice was silenced. Now, it whispered sorrow. . . pride . . . Love. The voice whispered something that made Jane blush, even as she cried a little.

The voice faded.

"Bye Dad. I love you too," Jane said to the wind.

"GOT IT!" Lothar shouted. It was like hearing the last click of a combination lock sliding into place . . . a moment of clarity. The Heaven's Eye glowed in his hands as man and magic came to a mutual understanding. And on the other side of the tear that Croc had created, the fabric of Chaos's dimension began to heal. And Chaos screamed.

Immortal power equaled immortal pain and immortal fear. Chaos knew that it was returning to its prison . . . to wait another eternity.