** Inside the apocalyptic inferno of Queen Raine’s Fantasium crystal…**

** Queen Laine could only watch as her magically created sister stalked toward her. Queen Raine held a ball of flame in her hands, and looked to add her own sister to the list of things around her engulfed in flaming death. Slowly, the realization of what Queen Raine had done dawned on a devastated Laine.**

Laine(Staggering): W-what have you done? You…you killed them. They weren’t real, but…but they were our parents.

** Raine paused her advance for only a moment. In was in that moment that Queen Laine noticed her twin’s face lit only by the scouring flame around them. Her face, highlighted in flickering orange, was totally emotionless. Only the black tear streaks from her eye liner showed that any trace of feeling had been on her face at all during her orgy of destruction. Then she continued to move forward.**

Raine: No… They weren’t real. This world isn’t real. I’M not real…

**************

** Inside The Great Chad’s luxurious Fantasium crystal…**

** The beautiful form of Milady had proven such a good masseuse, she had already moved from massaging his left foot to his neck. Much to the dismay of the beautiful Egyptian woman and the Amazon princess, who had been sent to fetch the latest issue of Superman Comics for his majesty.**

Milady (Leaning in close to whisper in TGC’s ear): This world isn’t real, you know.
TGC (Lost in the luxurious feeling of Milady’s massage): Hmm?
Milady: This is only a fantasy. It’s not real. **Milady stops her massage and waves her hand, indicating The Great Chad’s amazing library/den.** This, all of it, is all a fantasy. The DVDs, comic books, the women. **That last one really got TGC’s attention.** They’re not real. It’s all in your mind.

**Milady ran her hand down the side of a slightly confused Great Chad’s face. When her hand reached his chin, she grabbed it and turned The Great Chad’s head so he would be looking directly into her stunningly beautiful eyes.**

Milady (Lustfully): I’M real.
TGC: Well, that explains why you were never wearing that Princess Leia slave costume I pictured you in. Why are you telling me this?
Milady: Because I—
TGC: I already knew, by the way.
Milady: What?
TGC: This world. I already knew it wasn’t real. I just…didn’t care.
Milady (With mock awe): My my, aren’t you clever. But as I was saying. I’m telling you this because I can make this world a reality for you.
TGC: Really? How?
Milady: It’s quite simple. All you have to do is pledge your loyalty to me and my Master and turn against Warteen and his friends.

** The Great Chad processed this for only a minute, then a smile appeared on his face. A smile so dark and devious, it belied his normal goofy arrogance.**

TGC: Is that all?

*****************

** In the real world…**

** In the dark recesses of The Master’s dungeon, Bob the Ninja, The Bartender, and Monkey were not having a fun time dodging large shadow-like form’s powerful attacks.**

Bartender (Just dodging a bolt of green energy): Yeow! This isn’t a good thing! We should could use the other’s help right about now!!!
Monkey (After being pelted by the debris from the energy bolt): OOK!!!
BtN: Indeed! Unfortunately, our friends are trapped in the crystals! This ring may be able to protect us, but I do not yet know how to use it! If her highness can get her sister out, and Warteen can free The Great Chad, we may have a chance! Queen Raine’s magic would be a great asset to us right now!
Bartender: And The Great Chad?
BtN: His skills are great and his spirit pure. I trust him.

******************

**Back inside the Fantasium crystal holding The Great Chad and Warteen…**

**The fantasy is over. What once was a luxurious room filled with lavish furniture, piles of comic books and DVDs, and hoards of beautiful women, is now only a void of swirling black and velvet clouds. The only beings standing in the void, despite the fact there was no ground, was the beautiful Milady, The Great Chad, and a very confused Warteen.**

Warteen (Looking around the void): Huh? What happened? Last thing I know, I was in the dungeon talking to some freaky old man with a noisy parrot in his back telling me about a “Cave of Wonders”, and I was compelled to go with him. **Warteen notices the only other two figures in existence in the Fantasium crystal.** Chad, what’s up? Who’s she? You just couldn’t give it all up, could you?

**Milady still had to be amused with her chosen warrior’s twisted mind. Was he actually going to send The Psychic to the Cave of Wonders? A place only one being in existence can enter and survive, a being named Aladdin, NOT Warteen? Her charming smile grew a little wider, as she realized her warrior had planned to kill Warteen before she even arrived. It would not help her plans if Warteen had died, but it is an amusing thought anyway.**

TGC (Acknowledging Milady): Her? She is Milady. I, in all my greatness, work for her now.
Warteen: What? Are we getting out of here or not?
Milady: Attack.
TGC: Yes, Milady.

** Before Warteen could even register the movement, The Great Chad leaped the entire distance of the void between them, a sword and a club drawn, and attacked one who was thought to be his friend. Warteen attempted to fight back, he was even able to grab the handle of his sword, but when he tried to unsheathe his weapon, it remained in it’s holder, stuck. That’s when it dawned on him. The fantasy may have faded, but this was still The Great Chad’s mind, and he was in for a word of hurt. Warteen would have thought more, but a high kick from The Great Chad connected with his chin and made him lose his train of thought.**

****************

** Back in the, sadly, very real world…**

** The Master had succeeded in herding his three targets into a corner of the dank dungeon. The Bartender seemed worried, and Monkey was nearly in panic, but Bob stood ready to fight to the bitter end.**

Monkey: Ook! Ook! OOK!!!
BtN: Do not worry my friends. Something will happen to turn the tide in our favor.
The Master: HA! Optimism will get you nowhere. I will get you to oblivion.

**The Master charged an outstretched hand with green energy and was about to finish off the hapless trio, when a cracking sound caught his attention. The Master turned to the source of the cracking sound. The remaining two Fantasium crystals.**

The Master: What the--?

**Before he even had a chance to act, the two Fantasium crystals shattered and showered The Master with multi-colored shards. As he raised his arms in a surprised attempt to shield himself, The Master missed the nearly unconscious, and badly beaten and burned, forms of Warteen and Queen Laine fly from the crystals and slide across the floor. The two forms stopped in front of their cornered companions. Monkey leaped down to the form of Warteen to check on his friend and owner.**

Bartender: This could be a bad sign.
BtN (Indicating the area where the shattered crystals once stood): Look!

** Sure enough, right where the last of the Fantasium crystals stood moments before, Queen Raine and The Great Chad stood. Both looking stronger, yet somehow darker, than ever before. Still, both rushed to stand between The Master and their troubled companions.**

BtN (Placing his hand now holding Erronius’s ring on TGC’s shoulder): I knew you would help us, my friend.
TGC (Looking at the hand on his shoulder and smiling cruelly): Heh. Who ever said one as great as I came to help YOU?
Warteen (Straining to get up): B-bob! No!

** Before Bob the Ninja could even realize he’d been set-up, The Great Chad grabbed the hand on his shoulder and place his other hand under Bob’s shoulder, and executed a perfect judo throw, sending Bob the Ninja over his shoulder and flying through the air. Bob should have easily been able to right himself in the air and land on his feet, ready to continue the fight as always, and he would have, if it wasn’t for the swirling blue vortex that everyone somehow forgot was still open on the opposite side of the dungeon.**

BtN (As he flew directly into the vortex and into the unknown): Ulp!
TGC (Waving at the infamous blue void): See ya around, “My friend”!
Bartender: BOB!!!

** The Bartender began to race in a futile attempt to save his friend, but he came face-to-face with the emotionless visage of Queen Raine, who said nothing, but still sent the Bartender crashing back into the wall with a simple wave of her hand.**

The Master (Laughing evilly): Perfect! Just as My Lady had planned! Now, go into the void, seek out ALL of Erronius’s children, and make sure they can NEVER return to beguile me!
TGC (Bowing to The Master): As you wish, my Master. One as great as I cannot fail you.

** The Great Chad rushed to the vortex, eager to do The Master’s bidding.**

Milady (In voice only): Wait.

** The Great Chad paused, only seconds from leaping into the vortex.**

TGC: Yes, Milady?
Milady (Still a disembodied voice): You look like you can use some help.
TGC: The Great Chad needs no help to do the bidding of his Master and lovely Lady.

****************

** Milady smiled as she watched the scene through the mirror in her bedroom.**

Milady (To TGC): I’m sure you can. Regardless, I insist you take some help.
TGC (Still in the dungeon): If Milady insists.

**Milady raised her hands to cast a spell.**

Milady: TRANSPORT!

*****************

**Back in the dungeon, a flash of light surprised the occupants, both evil and otherwise, of the dungeon, but what surprised them even more was the massive Alpha Werewolf and Ha-Kee, the Dark Elf, left standing beside The Great Chad.**

TGC (Regarding his new lackeys): Very well. Now we depart!

** The Great Chad leaped into the swirling vortex, laughing evilly at the thought of the power he will gain by doing The Master and Milady’s bidding. Alpha took a moment to snarl at the prone form of Warteen before following The Great Chad, and Ha-Kee dramatically sweeped his cape across his shoulders as he turned and he too disappeared into the vortex.**

** This left The Master and Queen Raine facing off against The Bartender, Monkey, and an injured Warteen and Queen Laine. Milady laughed daintily, but evilly (It takes a lot of talent to do that), as she watched The Bartender kneel down to check on his injured comrades through her mirror.**

Bartender: What the hell happened in those crystals anyway?
Warteen (Weakly): It was bad.
QL (Even weaker): Very bad…