In Limbo, Emily, Teddi and their new traveling companion, Jojo, were making their way out of the junk zone of the Limbo Wasteland. “So you’ve met Misfit before?” Jojo asked as they were walking. “How’s he been these days? Is he alright?” “Oh he’s fine,” Emily answered. “Last time I saw him was in the mortal realm hiding from his wife. Apparently, some stuff from the past came up, and he has to lay low for a while.” “Oh I understand entirely,” Jojo said with a solemn look on his face. “Marigold Bathory. Oh yes, I know she gets when she’s in one of her moods. Not to worry though, it may not seem like it, but she really is a good person deep down.” ”Pfft, deep down,” Teddi mumbled. “Deep down, she’s a complete nut. That’s what she is.” 

After a few more minutes of walking, the little group had left the junk zone and came across a lovely little house that seemed strangely out of place in the wasteland. “Oh, how fortunate,” Jojo said as he hobbled his way towards the house. “Hopefully whoever lives here will be willing to give me some directions to wherever Misfit is hiding.” “Yeah! I can’t wait to see Grandpa Misfit again,” Teddi said excitedly. Looking down at the teddy bear scrap, Emily asked, “You see Misfit as your grandpa?” “Yeah, don’t you?” Teddi asked cheerfully in reply. “Hmm, I guess he is in a way,” Emily answered. When they finally reached the front door of the house, Jojo knocked on the door with smiles on their faces; only for those smiles (except for Jojo’s) to disappear once they saw who answered. For standing at the door was none other than Bathory: Misfit’s wife and the most hateful person in Limbo. 

Staring up at the old woman with an ecstatic grin, Jojo said, “Oh my goodness, Bathory? Is that really you? Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to see you. You wouldn’t happen to know where Misfit is, would you?” Bathory only scowled at the pinhead before closing the door on the group. “Well that was rude,” Emily said, slightly shocked. “She could’ve at least said something. Anything really.” Casting a side glance towards her “mom”, Teddi replied, “I told you she’s a nut.” “No, no, she probably just didn’t recognize me,” Jojo said in reply. “It has been a while. I’m sure if I remind her, she’ll be willing to help us.” With that, Jojo knocked on the door again, bringing Bathory back to the group. 

“I am very sorry about earlier, being so forward and all. You’ve probably forgotten all about me, and here I come, knocking on your door and shooting the breeze without even saying a proper hello,” Jojo said to Bathory apologetically. “It’s me, your old pal Jojo. You remember me, right?” Glowering down at Jojo with a bitter frown on her face, Bathory answered, “Oh yes Jojo, I remember you quite well.” “Wonderful,” Jojo said, naive to Bathory’s venomous look (kind and trusting soul that he was). “Oh I have so much to tell you, but we should find Misfit first. He needs to hear what I have to say as well. Do you know where he is?” Casting a contemptuous look down at Jojo, Bathory smirked as she said, “Misfit isn’t here right now. Why don’t you wait here while I go find a phone and call him, let him know you’re here. I’ll be right back.” With that, Bathory began closing the front door, hoping to wait her uninvited guests out. 

Before she could close the door all the way, Bathory felt the door stop short, as if something was blocking its way. Looking down, she saw that Emily had stuck her foot in the way, keeping the door from closing. Looking up at the elder woman, Emily asked bluntly, “What’s your problem with Jojo?” Bathory only smirked, replying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Oh cut the crap. It’s pretty damn obvious,” Emily retorted. “Now I can understand why you’d be reluctant to let me and Teddi in, but why Jojo? He’s the nicest guy you could possibly ever meet. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Glaring at the young drok, Bathory replied in a grave tone, “Now see here you little tramp, as the main housekeeper of this abode, I have a right to turn away whoever I wish. I will not be strongarmed by anyone, especially some self righteous, little...” Before Bathory could finish her rant, another woman’s voice interrupted, saying, “Bathory? Who’s at the door.” Turning around, Bathory saw Roquella standing behind her. 

Looking shocked, Bathory stammered, “Oh, um, R-Roquella. I didn’t see you there.” “I just came down from upstairs,” Roquella said, placing her hands on her hips. “But you haven’t answered my question. Who’s at the door?” Before Bathory could say anything, Teddi shouted, “It’s us Aunt Roquella! Me, mama and Jojo!” Hearing this, Roquella made her way to the front door, smiling at the sight of the little group. “Emily!” Roquella shouted excitedly. “It’s so good to see you guys again!” It’s good to see you again Roquella,” Emily said with a smile. Teddi happily hugged the lost soul’s leg, adding, “We were walking for so long. Can we stay here for the night?” “Of course you can,” Roquella said in reply. “You can stay here as long as you want.” Looking up, Roquella noticed Jojo standing there, hands folded across each other like an intrigued hamster. “Oh, and who might you be?” she asked, slightly surprised. “My name is Jojo,” Jojo answered politely. “I’m an old friend of Misfit’s.” “Indeed, but Misfit isn’t here right now,” Bathory interjected. “You can go now.” 

Glaring at the elder lost soul, Emily retorted, “Hold on a minute Bathory, I’m pretty certain this is Roquella’s decision. She is your boss after all.” Hearing this, Bathory’s face grew worried as she thought over her options. Finally, after putting on a sober expression (the kind one would see on a drunk who was pulled over by a cop), she folded her hands together and said, “Very we’ll then, Roquella what do you think we should do about him?” “Well any friend of Emily’s is a friend of mine,” Roquella said cheerfully. “Mr. Jojo, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you like.” Hearing this, Jojo took Roquella’s hands and smiled, saying, “Oh thank you kind madam. I truly appreciate your kindness. You’re going to make someone a very lucky husband one day, I can feel it.” Blushing a bit, Roquella said in reply, “Actually, I’m engaged to Krockman. We’ll be getting married soon.” “Well congratulations,” Jojo said with a smile. “I’m certain Mr. Krockman is lucky to have you.” With that, Emily and the others made their way into the house while Bathory glowered down at them (only for Teddi to blow a raspberry in retaliation). 

The house itself was a lot larger inside than its outside suggested, easily twice as large as it appeared outside. As she looked around, Emily asked Roquella, “So what is this place? It’s beautiful whatever it is, but still.” “This is just a little place I have out in the country for when I just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Babel,” Roquella answered. “I mean, yeah, I know it’s on the outskirts of a junk filled wasteland, but when you’re in Limbo, you don’t really have a lot of options.” “Clearly,” Emily said in reply, only to stop in her tracks when she noticed something odd about Roquella’s wrists. Running along the underside of the lost soul’s wrists were a set of golden scars that almost looked like slash marks. Remembering what she learned from looking at Krockman’s chest hole back at the restaurant, it did not take Emily long to figure out how Roquella got those scars. “Is something wrong?” Roquella asked, noticing the drok’s silence. “You’re being awfully quiet.” Looking up at her host, Emily answered, “It’s nothing, really. I was just thinking about something. It’s not important.” 

“Right then,” Roquella said, changing the subject as she lead the group to the living room. “One of the interesting perks of this house is that I end up meeting a lot of interesting people who pass by. I even let some of them stay the night, and it just so happens, you aren’t the first travelers that came by today.” As Emily and the others entered the living room, they were met with a group of scraps. Emily recognized one as Plumella, a feather duster scrap who was unfortunately in the services of Bathory. The second was a pale, armless boy with white hair, a red thermal onesie, limp blue legs, and a blue and white striped scarf serving as makeshift arms. The last one appeared to be a white haired boy with glowing green eyes, various circuits running across his silver carapace-like skin, and white apples tattooed on the backs of his hands. As Emily stared down at the scraps, Teddi ran up to the scarf scrap and hugged him as she excitedly shouted, “Wrappa! You’re here!” “You know this guy?” Emily asked curiously. Teddi nodded as she answered, “Yeah, I met him in a class Uncle Krockman sent me to. He helped me get a mushroom in exchange for a hug.” Looking confused, Emily simply replied, “Well, um, I’m not sure what exactly that means, but I’m happy you’re making friends.” Wrappa only smiled, though he there was a hint of confusion to it. 

Turning her attention to the other scrap, Emily asked in a friendly tone, “And who might you be?” The laptop scrap only shot her a silent, dirty look in response. “Don’t mind him,” Roquella interjected as she calmly placed her hand the scrap’s back. “This is Mac. He’s technically Krockman’s son.” When Emily heard this, a look of shock crossed her face. “I’m sorry, that’s Krockman’s son?” she asked, placing a hand to her mouth. Glaring at the drok, Mac retorted, “I am not his son.” “He and Calibur are the first scraps Krockman ever created, so he considers them his sons,” Roquella continued, ignoring the scrap’s protests. “I found him wandering around the wasteland a few hours ago. He was shaking his fists at the sky and screaming things like, ‘Dark unfeeling Will of the Universe, seize me! Take me in your nebulous arms, rend my limbs and crush my bones.’” Emily only stared in shock as her gaze slowly drifted towards Mac. The laptop scrap said nothing but, “Naturally, it wasn’t up for the task.” 

“Right then,” Roquella continued, unphased by Mac’s iconoclastic ravings. “You all must be tired after your long trip. We have plenty of beds for you to sleep in.” “Thanks Roquella,” Emily said in reply. “We really appreciate it.” “The girl can sleep in one of the upstairs bedrooms,” Bathory interjected. “As for the pinhead, he and the scraps can sleep in the attic like the dregs they are.” Looking offended, Emily retorted, “Hold on, why can’t Jojo sleep in his own room? He shouldn’t be stowed away in the attic like an old piece of furniture and neither should the scraps.” Before Bathory could say anything, Jojo got between the two women and said, “No, no, there’s no need to worry about me sleeping in the attic, Emily. That’s very kind of you to offer Bathory. The attic sounds like a lovely place for a night’s rest.” All Emily could do was watch as Jojo made his way upstairs followed by the scraps (only for Mac to stay behind long enough to shoot Bathory a hateful glare and flip her a defiant middle finger). Glancing over towards Roquella, Emily saw the lost soul mouth “I’m so sorry” while giving her a sympathetic look. 

Later, up in the attic, Jojo and the scraps were busily going about their business. Jojo was sitting in a corner of the attic reading, while Teddi was busy investigating the little room, poking around the various piles of junk and antiques stored up there. Wrappa and Plumella were busily setting out sleeping mats for everyone while Mac simply stared on curiously at the group. Noticing the laptop scrap’s gaze, Plumella asked, “Is there something wrong, Mac?” Without breaking his gaze, Mac asked, “How can you do it? How can you let that feeble old crow push you around the way she does?” Looking surprised by this, Plumella responded, “Well that’s just how it is. Madam Bathory found me one day and just took me in, no questions asked.” “I see,” Mac said as he steepled his fingers. “And that gives her the right to treat you like garbage?” Turning towards Wrappa, Mac added, “And what about you, floppy leg. What reason do you have to be crawling around in the wasteland. Kind of a dangerous place for a guy whose legs are only good for standing.” “Well, um, I actually came out here to look for Teddi,” Wrappa answered nervously as he twiddled the tassels of his scarf. “I don’t know why, but ever since she hugged me back in those scrap classes, I’ve felt... weird whenever I think about her. I’m not sure, but I think it’s love.” 

Hearing this, something in Mac’s mind snapped. “Love!?!” Mac snarled, his eyes glowing red as his neck split open, revealing the full width of his mouth and his numerous fangs. “You came all the way out here in the middle of nowhere just to find what you think is love!? How pathetic!” “Oh yeah,” Wrappa said in defiance, though it was quite obvious the little guy was afraid. “W-well, w-what about y-you? Why are you here?” Eyeing the scarf scrap, Mac closed his mouth back up to its usual position (what would have been the usual length of any other similar looking creature), his eyes turning back to green as he answered, “If you must know, I saw something strange shining in the wasteland and I wanted to check it out.” “You came all the way out here to see something shiny?” Plumella asked curiously. “It’s not like that,” Mac explained. “Whatever was shining out there was emitting a lot of power, and I aim to take it as my own.” “But why would you want all this power?” Plumella asked, growing concerned. “I’m looking for more power, because I want to overthrow Krockman!” Mac shouted, as if the question alone had offended him to his core. “For someone who claims me to be his son, Krockman is a garbage father. He sticks me in some mansion in the middle of nowhere, he doesn’t fix my migraines, he hardly ever talks to me, doesn’t even respect me. I mean, do you even know who I am?” Hearing this, Plumella eyed the silver skinned scrap skeptically as she said, “I know who you are Mac. We all know who you are, and your unrelenting rage towards everyone else, lost souls and scraps alike. The only thing I don’t know is this: after you defeat Krockman, what will you do then? Will your life get any better because of it? Honestly, I’d find it hard to believe. After all, what will happen to the Wrecker of Krockman when Krockman’s finally been wrecked?” It was at that very moment that that Mac realized something horrifying: this downtrodden moppet of a scrap had struck him right where it hurt the most. Having nothing else to say, Plumella continued with her business alongside Wrappa, leaving Mac to stand there in stunned silence. 

On the other side of the room, as Teddi rooted through the furniture, she noticed Jojo was reading a book. “Hey Jojo,” she said as she sat down next to the pinhead. “How are you feeling?” “Oh I’m fine, really,” Jojo answered, looking up from his book. “Why do you ask?” Looking concerned, Teddi explained, “It’s just that Bathory was really mean to you, and you just let her push you around. Doesn’t that bother you?” “Now Teddi, there’s nothing to worry about,” Jojo explained. “Bathory gets that way sometimes. It’s best to just play along. She’ll calm down eventually.” Teddi only looked up at Jojo sympathetically, slowly realizing that he was too kindhearted to hate anyone (even if they deserve it). 

“So what’re you reading?” Teddi asked, hoping to change the subject. “Oh it’s a wonderful book. One of the first books I’ve ever read,” Jojo explained, holding up the book for the little scrap to see. “It’s called The Little Prince, and it is quite the read.” “The Little Prince?” Teddi asked, memories slowly surfacing in her mind. “I know that book. Momma used to read all the time when she was growing up. I remember it all from back when I was just a normal teddy bear.” “I see, well in that case, would you like me to read it to you?” Jojo asked. “I’m a little ways in, but I can start from the beginning if you’d like.” “No no, I know the story by heart by now,” Teddi said in reply. “So how far along are you?” “I’m about to start the chapter where the Little Prince is visiting the neighboring asteroids,” Jojo answered with a grin. “He’s about to visit the universal monarch.” Hearing this, Teddi eagerly clapped her paws, saying, “Oh that’s a good chapter! Start from their.” And so, Jojo began reading to Teddi, the little scrap slowly drifting to sleep as Jojo read, “The first of them was inhabited by a king. Clad in royal purple and an ermine, he was seated upon a throne which was at the same time both simple and majestic.” 
———— 

“Ah! Here’s a subject!” shouted a voice in Teddi’s ear. Waking up from her sleep, she was met with a strange sight. Sitting across from her in a simple yet majestic throne was Krockman, but he was dressed in royal purple and in place of his trench coat was a beautiful ermine cape. “Uncle Krockman? What’re you doing here?” Teddi asked, growing even more confused now that she saw that she was no longer in the attic, but some strange lunar landscape. “How dare you address me as such,” “Krockman” said in an offended tone. “I am no ones uncle. I am a king, and as such, I order you to show me respect or leave without delay.” “I’m sorry, you just reminded me of my Uncle Krockman,” Teddi explained apologetically. “It was an honest mistake.” King Krockman stared down at the scrap with a curious eye, saying, “Then I order you to stay here at once.” Looking up at the familiar king, Teddi asked, “So you’re really a king?” “Of course I am,” the king said shortly. “I am a universal monarch. I command everything under and beyond the heavens... with respect to their own abilities of course.”  

Feeling curious, Teddi asked, “Um, Uncle Kro... I mean, your highness, could you do something for me? Could you command the sun to set so it’s twilight? I think the sky at twilight is just beautiful.” When he heard this, the king grew concerned, a pensive look crossing his face as he rubbed his chin. “Why yes, of course I can do such a thing. But I must wait until conditions are favorable to do so,” he explained as he pulled out a smartphone and quickly looked something up. “Yes, I shall command the sun to set around... twenty till eight, and then you shall see how well I’m obeyed.” Realizing the true nature of the king’s “power”, Teddi shook her head and said, “I see. In that case, I think I’ll go.” “You can’t leave!” The king, bearing his fangs. “I order you to stay!” Looking up at the king, Teddi retorted, “If you want me to obey you so badly, perhaps you can order me to leave without delay.” Seeing the king grow silent at this, Teddi decided to take the opportunity to leave. As she walked away, she could here the king feebly call out, “I make you my ambassadress!” 

Teddi did not walk far before literally bumping into another person. Looking up, she was annoyed to see that it was Bathory, dressed in a beautiful yellow dress and donning a large hat. “Careful now child,” the Bathory look alike said as she dusted off her dress. “We wouldn’t want to mess up such a lovely dress as mine.” Glaring at the woman, Teddi snarked, “Oh great, it’s you.” “Oh you’re far too kind,” “Bathory” said in an unusually pleasant tone. “Of course, it’s only natural for someone like you to compliment, being an admirer and all.” “An admirer?” Teddi asked in confusion (mainly because she was not a huge fan of the real Bathory). “What in the world are you talking about? And why are you wearing that weird hat?” Looking up at the hat on her head, the conceited woman answered, “This old thing? It’s for when people acclaim me. Go on then, clap your hands.” Doing as the woman told, Teddi clapped her hands, only for the woman to take the hat off and bow in an overt manner as if she was being applauded by an entire stadium. “Ah, wonderful. Just wonderful,” the woman said, pleased with herself. “Now tell me child, do you admire me? Really, truly admire me?” Looking confused, Teddi asked, “Does it really matter if I do or don’t? “Of course it does,” the vain woman answered, seemingly shocked by the question itself. “After all, to be admired means you see me as the smartest, richest, most beautiful and well dressed woman on this entire planet.” Looking around and seeing no one else (not even the king from before), Teddi said, “But you’re the only woman I see on this planet.” Looking appalled, the conceited woman asked, “Can’t you admire me all the same?” Feeling frustrated, the woman turned away from Teddi and huffed, forcing the little scrap to leave. 

Before she took one step, Teddi accidentally knocked over a few empty liquor bottles. Surprised by this, Teddi looked up and was shocked to see a whole field of empty and full bottles. At the center of the field was Tom, disheveled looking in old rags and a straw hat as he poured himself shots of booze. Ever curious, Teddi slowly walked up to the table and looked up at the cait sith. After a few minutes of awkward silence (mostly because this Tom was too engrossed in drinking to notice his guest. “Excuse me, Mr. Tom?” Teddi asked, finally breaking the silence. “What’re you doing?” The drunken Tom, having finally noticing Teddi, leaned over the table, stared bleary eyed at the scrap as he took a shot of booze and answered, “I’m drinking.” “Oh, well why are you drinking?” Teddi asked curiously. “To forget,” Tom answered shortly. “I see,” Teddi said, growing concerned. “And what are you trying to forget?” “That I’m ashamed,” the tippler said, growing a little annoyed. Now deeply concerned, Teddi asked, “A-and, um, what are you ashamed of?” “Of drinking!” the tippler loudly hissed before turning back to his bottle for another shot. When she heard that, Teddi was filled with a profound sadness, causing her to leave without even saying goodbye. 

As she walked, Teddi heard a loud click-clacking sound in the air. Looking towards the source of the clicking, she saw Kama of all people, sitting at a desk, wearing a business suit, and typing away on a computer. “Kama? What are you doing here?” Teddi asked, growing even more confused by the second. Kama hardly noticed the teddy bear scrap as he counted, “Five into ten, ten into twenty, twenty five into thirty, thirty into a hundred... yes, yes, that makes 15,980,407.” “Fifteen million what?” Teddi asked as she peered over the desk. Finally realizing he had company, Kama looked down towards the little scrap, asking, “Where did you come from? Why are you bothering me with such ridiculous questions? Can’t you see I’m busy counting? It’s very serious business.” “But what are you counting?” Teddi asked. “I’m counting all those things up there,” Kama explained. “Those things that shine in the night sky and make lazy people daydream.” Looking up towards the sky, Teddi said, “You mean the stars?” “That’s it, the stars,” Business Kama answered. “I count them constantly because I own them, and if I just so happen to come across a star no one else has found, I claim it as my own.” “Really?” Teddi asked, somewhat interested. “But what’s the point of owning the stars? Better yet, how do you even own a star?” “The point of owning the stars is that it makes me rich,” the businessman answered curtly. “As for how I can own them, it’s quite simple. When I find an unclaimed star, I make a note of it on a piece of paper and lock it in my desk drawer. It’s all very serious business.” Hearing this, Teddi could not help but giggle. “I suppose it’s all very poetic,” she said as she tried to stifle her laughter. “But it hardly seems all that serious.” With that, Teddi walked away from the desk and the flustered businessman, laughing all the while. 

It was not long long before Teddi came across another doppelgänger, this time of Misfit, dressed in long green robes and busily writing in a book. Looking up from his book, the Misfit double gasped in surprise, saying, “Ah! An explorer has come to see me.” “Hello sir,” Teddi said, knowing full well this was not the real Misfit. “Who might you be?” “I’m a geographer,” Misfit answered as he leaned in towards the little scrap. “I record all sorts of things about the land and stories of explorers from all over the world. In fact, you look like someone who’s seen the world. May I record your accounts?” “Sure, ask me anything,” Teddi said, finally happy that she was the one answering questions instead of asking them. The geographer smiled as he got his pencil ready, saying, “Splendid! Now then, I shall record your testimony in pencil first, then in ink when you bring proof. Start by telling me about the place you came from.” “Well, where I come from, there’s a great city filled with people,” Teddi began, thinking of every detail she could imagine. “There’s a wasteland, parks, and recently, my momma came to visit. I think she might be staying.” The geographer, who had been writing this whole time, stopped when he heard about Teddi’s mom. “Oh I’m sorry, but I don’t write about people,” he said as he set the pencil down. “I only write about eternal things. Nothing ephemeral.” Confused by the word (sweet little pilgrim that she was), Teddi asked, “What does that word mean, ephemeral?” “It means...” the geographer said, pausing briefly as if he had forgotten the meaning himself before saying, “That which is at risk of speedy disappearance and imminent death.” “Death? Disappearance?” Teddi asked, growing concerned. “You mean my momma could just disappear one day, just like that?” “Of course,” the geographer answered nonchalantly. “People are very ephemeral things. They can go just like that. That’s why we right about eternal things, like mountains or oceans. It’s a very rare occurrence for a mountain to crumble to dust over night, or an ocean to be drained of all its water one day.” “Well that maybe good for the mountain and the ocean,” Teddi retorted. “But it’s not so good for my momma. I have to go save her.” With that, Teddi left in a huff. 

As she was walking, Teddi noticed the world around her melting away into shadows. Suddenly, a tall, broad figure grew up from the shadowy ground in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. Teddi was shocked to see that it was the same shadowy man from her last nightmare. The man only stared at Teddi with his glowing eyes before casting his ghastly grin and said in a hollow voice, “The show must go on.” It was at that moment when Teddi woke up back in the attic, everyone else sound asleep. 
———— 

Meanwhile, in one of the spare bedrooms, Emily was sleeping restlessly, her mind plagued by a strange dream. In the dream, she was floating through a hospital, everything lit in sepia tone. She could feel herself floating down the hall, muffled voices speaking in the background as she slowly approached a black haired man in his early thirties. As soon as she approached the mystery man, Emily woke up, sweating bullets. “Oh my god,” she said to herself, her ears pinned back and her tail erect in fear. “What the hell was that?” 

As Emily sat in bed, she heard the voice of a little girl say, “Jeez lady, you look rough.” Looking towards the doorframe, Emily saw a strange little pillow scrap, resembling a pillow with the picture of a girl printed on it. The girl picture seemed alive, looking at the young drok curiously. “You look like you’ve just had a bad dream,” the scrap said, tilting her head quizzically. Looking at the scrap, Emily said, “Um, yeah. It was pretty rough.” “Oh! I know who can help you!” the scrap said excitedly before rapidly waddling out of the room, shouting, “Master Baku! Master Baku!” Confused by what she saw, Emily asked, “Who’s Master Baku?” Before she had time to think, her question was answered immediately by the appearance of Baku himself. 

He was strange creature, a tall, heavyset tapir man wearing a green vest across his barrel chest. His fur was a slight purple while pink smoke fumed from holes circling his neck. The tapir man, Master Baku, stared at Emily with an inquisitive eye, placing a hand to his chin as if he was deep in thought. Emily was speechless the whole time, too weirded out by the whole situation. Finally, Baku clapped his hands, saying, “Excellent work, Virgo. This is a definitive case of a warp in the Dreamtime.” “The Dreamtime?” Emily asked, finally finding her voice. “Isn’t that an Aboriginal thing?” “In most cases, yes,” Baku said, keeping an on the young drok. “But in this case, it refers to your dream state. It heavily affects your health, and my dear, you’re living in a waking hell. Fortunately, I can help you.” Looking nervous, Emily asked, “And, um, how exactly are you going to do that?” “You needn’t worry yourself over the details, my dear,” Baku said as he casual cracked his knuckles. “Just sit back, relax, and above all else, remain calm.” Before Emily could ask anything, Baku shoved his fist into her forehead, causing her to blackout. 

When she came to, Emily was met with a surreal sight. Standing before her, Baku held something aloft in his fist. The thing was grotesque, a black, writhing mass of tentacles emitting a panicked squeaking. Before Emily could say anything, the tapir man shoved the squirming lump into his mouth, messily chewing it up before swallowing. Wiping black gunk away from his mouth with the back of his arm, Baku let out a satisfied sigh, saying, “A rough, acrid flavor initially, but soon followed by a smooth, mellow aftertaste. Honestly, this is one of the finest tasting nightmares I’ve had in awhile.” “I’m sorry, nightmare?” Emily asked. “Well what did you think a warp in the Dreamtime was?” Baku asked, somewhat amused as he held back a yawn. “Now then, after such a fine meal, I believe a rest is in order. Virgo, assume the position.” Hearing this, the pillow scrap, Virgo, immediately threw herself face down on the ground, only for Baku to fall headfirst onto her, sound asleep. Staring at the whole scene, Emily was understandably at a lose for words. But, for whatever reason, she felt somewhat relieved. Finally at peace, Emily went back to sleep. 

As she slept, Emily overheard Virgo talking to herself, saying, “Oh, thank you Mr. Krockman. You’ve made us the happiest couple ever.” When she heard this, Emily woke up, glancing over at the pillow scrap in curiosity. “Mr. Krockman?” She asked herself. “What is she talking about?” “We’ve been trying forever to have kids, and thanks to you it’s finally happening,” Virgo continued before switching to a more masculine voice. “Uh, sure Mrs... uh, Sanchez is it. Just don’t tell anyone else about this okay? I have my reputation to think about.” This peaked Emily’s interest even more, saying to herself, “Wait, Sanchez? I’m a Sanchez. Is she predicting my future? Does Krockman actually help me start a family? And who am I married to in this prediction?” And then, Virgo said something that made Emily’s blood run cold, “And here’s the best part, we’ve already picked out a name for her if she’s a girl: Emily. Emily Sanchez.” Terrified to her core, Emily screamed so loud, it practically shook the foundation of the house itself. 

As if on cue, Roquella ran into Emily’s room, rudely awakened and incredibly pissed. “What the hell is wrong with you?” the lost soul asked furiously. “I know time doesn’t have any meaning in Limbo, but seriously, it’s too fucking early for you to be screaming.” “I-I’m sorry,” Emily said, feeling embarrassed. “It’s just... that scrap really freaked me out.” Looking down at the sleeping Baku and Virgo, Roquella rolled her eyes, saying, “Oh, I see.” Gently nudging the tapir man with her foot, Roquella ordered, “Hey Baku, wake up. We need to talk.” Waking up from his nap, Baku saw Roquella staring down at him, hands on her hips with an annoyed look on her face. “Oh, Roquella. What’re you doing here?” he asked sheepishly. “What am I doing here? You’re kidding right?” Roquella asked in disbelief. “You couldn’t hear Emily here screaming? What kinda nightmare did you eat?” Looking surprised, Baku replied, “M-my apologies. I simply ate her nightmare. Apparently, it was so strong, Virgo must’ve picked it up and broadcasted it.” “Well next time, could you please try to leave the room before passing out. The last thing anyone needs is their nightmares thrown back into their faces,” Roquella said as she picked up the sleeping Virgo, only to turn towards Emily and adding, “And Emily, if what you heard was that bad, you can talk to me about it in the morning. But as for now, go. Back. To. Sleep.” With that, Roquella and Baku left the room, with Virgo in the lost soul’s arms and Emily in her bed. As she sat there, Emily could hear Baku say, “I really was trying to help. She was living in a waking hell.” What Roquella said in reply only made things worse for Emily: “That really can’t be helped. She’s a mortal. They’re all living in a waking hell.” 

That night, neither Teddi nor Emily slept a wink, too terrified by what they had seen.