“You know, we never did ever come up with any real
resolution for what we thought was causing the
switches.” Andrea mentioned as she entered the living
room.
   “She’s right,” Jenieve agreed. “All we really did
is go on adventures, chat and go to parties.”
   “That’s supposed to sound like a bad thing, right?”
Lisa whispered to Nicole.
   “I think we’re supposed to feel at least a twinge
of guilt over the fact,” Nicole whispered back.
   “No twinge,” Lisa said.
    Nicole shrugged her shoulders.
 “Well, I don’t know about all of you, but I have some
serious packing to do,” Lisa said to her fellow
cousins of the knight.
 “Me, too,” Nicole agreed.
 And off they went.
“Lisa!!! I know what caused the switches!” Nicole
shrieked.
“Yeah, uh… we all do, remember the party for Don and
Myra the other night…”
“No! I mean it’s their dentist! They all go to the
same dentist and he…”
“The living impaired have no need of a dentist! They
have incredible regenerative powers..” Lisa
interrupted.
“Yes, but it does nothing to whiten their teeth. I
mean look at Janette for example. You don’t think she
has those pearly whites professionally shined up a
bit?”
 “Nicole- tell me you’re not serious about this,” Lisa
said.
 “I am deadly serious,” Nicole claimed.
 “Are you lying?
 “No.”
“Now are you lying?”
“No.”
“And how about now?”
“Yes,” she admitted.
“Good, you had me worried there for a minute,” Lisa
said thoughtfully as she folded one of her shirts.
“But you know… you could have been onto something with
that close proximity to a common element idea.”
“Speaking of close proximity… according to my clock,
we’ve still got 20 hours until we have to leave for
the airport…”
“Cerk?”
“And the shrine, if it isn’t too much trouble. We’re
just going to drop off a few things, shouldn’t take
long… honestly.”
“What are we dropping off at the shrine?” Lisa asked.
“Supaige’s tooth. It went flying in our little fight
the other evening, and I was tempted to keep it as a
souvenir, but seeing as we’re all friends again…”
“The one that helps us get such good radio reception
in the car?”
“No- one of the other teeth I collected from my
previous fights,” Nicole said sarcastically.
“Ha ha ha! Well, I’m sure she’ll be glad to get it
back.”
“Uh, Lisa….”
“Yeah?”
“I just remembered. There is no shrine.”
“I knew that. I just blocked it from memory like some
terrible event that didn’t really happen. I’m a
member, you know.” Lisa said.
“I know. Card carrying, even. And I’m sorry.”
Lisa sighed.” So… that just leaves Cerk.
“You know what my one regret in all this is?”
“That we lost our leader for most of the war and ran
around dazed and confused?”
“No- except for losing Kyer, the rest was fun.”
“I regret I don’t have a single picture to show from
all of this.”
“Think the rest of the gang is still awake?”
“Of course.”
“Then how about a tour of Toronto, and girls bring
your cameras..” Lisa smiled. “We can even call
Stephano.”
“It’s gonna be another late night.” Nicole warned.
“And when was the last time any of us went to bed
before three?” Lisa asked. “You wearing out on me?”
“Heck no! Let’s go tell the others…”

     Three hours later a very tired but happy group
arrive back at the cottage.
“I’m turning these in to one hour photo tomorrow,”
Diane declared happily.
“Me, too,” was the general reply.
Goodnights were heard throughout the comfy cottage for
the last time in the war.
“Goodnight, Mary Ellen,” Nicole yelled up from the
bottom of the stairs.
“Goodnight, John boy,” someone yelled back down.

   The next evening it was quiet once more. Everyone
had hugged and said their goodbyes. They had waved
goodbye to Diane, as she drove off in the trailer, all
the while Uppidy going crazy in the back. Everyone had
left except for two. The sun was starting to set.

  “Not bad for someone who was never technically
listed as an actual faction member in this war, huh
Lisa?” Nicole smiled, putting her bag in the back of
the car.
   “That was a technicality.” Lisa frowned. “I told
you that.”
    “The list of factions and its members was a
technicality? So could anyone just off the street be
in the war?”
    “Look, if it makes you feel any better- yep! You
sure pulled a fast one on all of us. You could have
wreaked real havoc in the war! Whoaaa!!” Lisa indulged
her
    “Okay- now you’re just patronizing me,” Nicole
pouted.
   “So sue me,” Lisa laughed.
   “Hey- do you think anyone will find our initials?”
   “Carved into the inside of the closet door? Nah….

"Oh, sheesh! I almost forgot -- Kyer!  We have to tell
her that all is safe," Lisa exclaimed.

"You think she's really still hiding out?" Nicole
asked as they trotted up the stairs.

"Well, I'm not sure.  She hasn't really come out of
her room much since the FoD party, but I think she sneaks around the Cottage
at night.  Either that, or Mr. Spitz has been getting up for midnight snacks."

"Now there's a scary thought," Nicole whispered as
they approached Kyer's door.

Faint sounds of Andean music could be heard coming
from the Fractured Knightie's room, so the pair of Cousinly CotK's were
fairly sure she wasn't hiding in her secret spot.  Lisa knocked on the door
softly.

"Kyer, are you in there?"

The door opened a fraction of an inch.  "Who wants to
know?"  Nicole and Lisa could see one brown eye peeking out at them.

"You're not still mad at me for what we did to the
surcoat, are you?"

"Mad?  No...not me...uh uh.  Concerned for my life? Yes, definitely.
When milord finds out..."

"Kyer, the war is over.  We just waved good-bye to
Diane.  We're the last ones left -- it's safe, really.  And Nick is never
gonna find out what happened."

The door swung open wider, revealing Mr. Spitz hanging
over Kyer's open suitcase as if he were helping her pack.  "Well, I
figured it was safe to come out; I saw Sunny leave before.  I thought I'd
just wait a little while longer...  Do you know how much cork duty I'm going to
have if this ever gets out?"

Kyer stepped back, allowing her friends to come into her room.

"About as much Grout Duty I'm going to get if NA ever
rebuilds the Shrine?" Lisa guessed as she looked over at Mr. Spitz again.
She could have sworn he'd moved.  She went over and scratched the llama
puppet on the head. "Hey, little guy.  Sorry I didn't bring Pookie with me
this war; I can't believe I forgot him.  He was really looking forward
to seeing you again, too."

"Uhh, Lee?  Who's Pookie?" Nicole asked, not really sure if she wanted
to know the answer.

"He's a teddy bear I brought with me last war.  He and Mr. Spitz are
buds."

"Oooh, could you bring George the monkey puppet next time around?  I
can't wait to see him."

"Okay, a monkey puppet is just plain weird," Kyer joked.  "You guys
don't have to worry about me.  I made travel plans already."

Somehow Mr. Spitz got into the act as the trio hugged good-bye.