Written By: Armina Qi Saxton

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Chapter 3: Until The Dawn Breaks

Like the Anniversary Ball that had come before it, this day held no certain calmness to it even though many were still asleep or just waking up. Everything seemed to be moving in circles, with no end in sight and now way to end the long, vicious cycle. No end to a tunnel that went on forever, holding no light at a non-existent end; not even a sliver of radiance could be seen through the cracks of the cycle, not even during one of the rare moments when it held a fleeting break. The only hope to this cycle of breaking would be when there would be a light at the end of the tunnel that would veer off onto another path completely.

Ian knew he only had a few seconds to distance himself from the never-ending cycle, hoping to find the silence he so desperately wanted to find outside his shop. It was good enough, for the moment, to get out of his shop so that he could catch a few breaths of cool air, instead of breathing in the musty air of his shop. So many Gaians had come into the Boutique since he had opened the doors that morning, more then there should have been that day. It wouldn't have been surprising that the sheer number of Gaians who suddenly wanted to buy items they most likely wouldn't wear again, if this had been around Christmas time several months ago.

That was not what had been bothering him since he had opened shop that morning, not even close. It was the pastel-colored flyers that were everywhere, from the notice boards across the way, to the bottom of the fountain; he had even witnessed several Gaians shoving these same flyers into the garbage bins around the town, just to get rid of them. Ian wouldn't have been surprised if the flyers were in places he hadn't been in months; if he didn't know what these flyers held upon them, then he would have thought it was just mindless littering done by a group of Gaians that had nothing else better to do with their free time.

His eyes roamed the streets of Barton, which weren't as packed or as crowded as they had been during the days before the Ball, but still had groups of Gaians lurking around. Many had bags that held purchases from the other townships; Ian could tell which bags came from which shop without even having to look inside the bags themselves. He knew, by picking out the two that were the most popular among these groups of Gaians, from the black and pink bags alone came from the Durem Depot, while the gold ones came from somewhere in Aekea. It was amazing at how much the Gaian population was willing to spend for one event and not feel the need to wear those same items again.

Then his eyes stopped right over a short Gaian's head, a soft smile coming upon his lips. He could barely see an older woman walking quickly out of a shop in the far corner of Barton, shooing three young Gaians out into the street. He had to stiffen a laugh at the look on their faces, ,assuming that they had more then a swift kick out of the shop. The woman's eyes darted away from the three that were muttering low to themselves,, catching Ian's eye for a brief moment. She didn't have to put on a forced smile, as there was already one upon her lips as she started for the center of the township. Ian matched her stride, knowing this would most likely be one of the few times that he could say a few words that didn't seem like he had repeated them thousands of times.

"Morning Ian, although it certainly isn't much of one any longer," Agatha said, walking to the square of Barton just as Ian did, stifling a yawn. She appeared to have just woken from the night's sleep, although she had long since been up, perhaps even more the light's first rays. Perhaps it was the lack of quietness of the last few weeks or it was because of something else entirely. Whatever it was, Ian felt the same way, tired and worn even after a long night's rest.

"Morning, Agatha," He replied, stretching his arms. "Slow today, you would think, after everything that has been going on."

"It most likely won’t be like that for long, so enjoying this moment while it lasts. I have a feeling that Easter won't be as quiet as the Anniversary Ball was, perhaps even more so with that damnable creation on the island." This was a wisp of annoyance in her voice, something that Ian caught immediately. He, like so many others, had a feeling something bad was going to happen in the next few weeks, once the tower had been completed and everyone had started to talk about it. He was more afraid of what the Von Helson reaction would be then what Gambino would do, that being a change from what he had first felt only a few short months ago.

"I don't know what would happen during Easter, but you are right. It won't be quiet, considering everyone is clamoring to choose sides, even if they aren't on a side quite yet," Ian said with a nod. Agatha leaned down, picking up a sheet of pastel green paper that had blown their way from across the street. There were countless others laying about, some taped down onto things while others floated about in a mess that looked nearly impossible to clean up. Whoever would be in charge of cleaning up the mess that went from the city to the island, wouldn't have very much fun with it.

"I've got about twenty of these in my shop since this morning and that is not counting the ones that have been left all over the counter and floor," Agatha said, straightening her back as she waved the flyer in the air. Ian didn't have to ask what the flyer was for; he already knew what was written on it. "It's like the sisters want everyone to turn their attention away from the island, to see if they could truly forget that...that tower. They aren't doing a good job of it, that's for sure. No one could forget that thing."

"Those things are everywhere it seems. There has to be thousands of them floating around, but it's not like the Gaian Community is going to ignore it. Not with the word of mouth already going around without the help of the flyers." He frowned at the thought of the sisters wasting more paper on something that everyone knew was going to happen anyways or they could have just posted something in places where everyone could see them and with less waste. "And how exactly are they going to do the eggs this year? Hire someone to be the Easter Bunny?"

"Naturally, since that is what Easter is for." She crumpled the flyer into a small, tight ball and threw it over her shoulder. She didn't care where it went, so long as she didn't have to look at it again. "You don't know who is going to be the Bunny this year, do you?"

Ian didn't respond as soon as he should have, staring at the ball of paper rolling away, towards the center of the paved street. In fact, he didn't know who was going to be playing the role of the Easter Bunny this year, as he had done it the year before and everyone had gotten a kick out of it. Gambino had always asked him to do it, regardless of how many times Ian had donned the horrible-looking costume. But Johnny isn’t the one throwing the Easter Ball this year, ht thought simply. It had been fun to do when he had been asked to, even though everyone in Gaia knew it was him that had dressed up. He smiled, laughing at a passing thought.

"No clue, Agatha. Seriously, so stop giving me that look," He said when he noticed the inquiring look that was on her face. "I think it's going to be different this year, since the sisters want everything to be 'perfect' for their Ball. They most likely want people to forget what happened during the last one they threw, wouldn’t they? They wouldn't want a simple shopkeeper to be in a tattered Bunny Suit, now would they?"

"That's true, but you make a very good Easter Bunny," Agatha said, smiling widely. She then gave him a sideways look that indicated she wanted to know something more. "You sure you don't know anything about this, do you?"

"No, nothing," He said truthfully. Agatha looked at him for a few moments more before her eyes wandered over towards the direction of the island, then up to the shadow of the tower. Ian didn't follow her gaze, but knew what she was looking at; even at Barton, which was the closest place to Isle de Gambino but still quite a distance away, they could see the tower from where they were standing without even having to step back to stare at it. "Strange, isn't it? The tower, I mean?"

"No more strange then when the sisters suddenly appeared a few months ago after being away for so long," She pointed out. "You would think that, with the tower being built and the new mansion on top of it, that Johnny would have opened his mansion to the public and have a Easter Ball to spite the sisters. A good portion of the population that still believe in him and support him. There is, however, a darker side to this one."

She tried to shrug off the uneasy feeling she got at the pit of her stomach, and the look on Ian's face, but she couldn't deny the fact that she knew something was wrong somewhere and that this was just a joke gone wrong. It didn't help either, that so many people were wondering what was going to eventually happen between the two sides, whether it was going to be a repeat of Halloween before or if it was just going to be as peaceful as Christmas had been. Whatever it was, it still didn't help her to think that the horrors had already past and there was nothing wrong anywhere.

"A darker side to what? Easter?" Ian inquired, watching Agatha wrap her arms over her upper arms. She nodded, moving her gaze to the ground.

"I can't help to think that there is something wrong somewhere and that Halloween is just about to repeat itself." She waved off the paled look that came upon Ian's face. "No, no zombies this year. I couldn't take that again, not even if it was some sick joke that was played out by Gaians. I don't think anyone could."

"The sisters won't like that at all." Ian smiled faintly at something, shuddering at a passing thought a second later.

He still remembered the nightmares he had after Halloween, at least thankful that they weren't even remotely close to being true. But, to see the look on the sisters faces when a group of Gaians dressed up and acted like zombies would be well worth it; hell, he would even pay to see that happen.

No matter what came of the upcoming ball, he knew it was just a matter of time before it would change Gaia once again.

****

To the east of Barton lies Aekea, a junkyard to some yet a haven for others. It wasn't particularly busy here, some wandering Gaians looking over the junk that was scattered across before wandering over to the Faktori to see if any new furniture came in. there were a few that wandered over to Crate & Apparel, partly because they were curious as to why it was closed on a day like this. Others simple followed the rest, not knowing why they were going in this direction or why there were people leaving, just as confused.

None had bothered to look around the back of the shop, or they would have taken notice of what was to be used during the Easter Ball that was only a few days away. It was quite well-hidden, despite it still being out in the open to those that had more then a keen sense of poking their noses where it didn't belong. To those that didn't bother to put two and two together, they would assume it was a giant statue of a bunny holding a carrot on it's shoulder, standing still and looking as menacing as it should be. No one knew what it would be used for, if they saw it at all, but the population would soon be introduced to a new character.

Liam stepped back from this new creation after cleaning it up, wiping the sweat from his forehead, as he stared at the newest invention to come out of Aekea. He had to smile at the creation that had taken him since before the Anniversary Ball to design and create, a feat that would've taken him less time to create if the order had come from someone else then the two that had hired him for his services. It didn't pay as well as it should have, given the time frame that he had been given and the amount that wouldn't even have covered the metal and parts used to create it, if he didn't already have all of it at his disposal already. Still, it gave him some more gold in his pocket that would have come from his shop alone.

"What in all the gods and goddesses names are you doing?" A voice snapped from behind him. Liam turned his head over his shoulder, his smile faltering as Josie stormed from where the back door of Crate & Apparel was. She didn't look too happy at the fact that she had caught him somewhere else besides his shop on a day that it shouldn't have been closed.

"Hi Josie," He muttered, turning his gaze back towards the metal bunny. Josie came to his side, stopping as she stared, open mouthed, at the gigantic rabbit in front of her. It stood just as tall as Edmund, perhaps an inch or two taller, with the same scar that was on his forehead on the arm that faced Barton. The other arm supported the carrot, which was hallow inside of it, except for the devices that gave it's voice and any sensors that weren't in it's eyes that told it someone was near, with or without any eggs.

"What in the hell is that?" She asked as soon as she got over the shock of seeing something like this, hiding where few could see it. She wasn't exactly surprised to see another robot that was already in it's finished stage, but most of the creations that were made she had seen a good portion of the process being done to it. "And how come you didn't parade it around the entire time you were working on it when you usually do?"

"That is the Easter Bunny, robotized," Liam said, the smile returning to his lips. "The reason that I didn't let anyone else see me working on it, was because it's not something I did for the hell of it, Josie. I was paid to build it and one of the conditions to me building it was that I couldn't show it to anyone. Yet, anyways. Everyone else will see it in time."

Josie stared at Liam for a moment, not saying a word to him or even trying to make out what exactly was the plan with the large, metal bunny standing lifeless in front of them. Her only assumption was that it was going to be used for Easter, when everyone else was expecting a live person to dress up this year. Her assumptions were mostly accurate, or as accurate as they could be without much hard feelings. Still, she had an uneasy feeling about this robot, no matter how innocent it seemed to be.

"How exactly is it going to get to Durem? I'm sure that people will be asking about it when it is delivered," She said, her eyes still on Liam. He rubbed the back of his head, not meeting her gaze; this indicated to her that he hadn't even thought of that just yet.

"He'll be activated on Easter, then deactivated when he has no more use this year. Nothing complicated about it." Liam gave her a quick, sideways glance. "Stop looking at me like that. I know you don't like robots, but this one is for Easter, that's all. It'll remain back here until it's needed again."

"Whatever you say," Came Josie's reply as she headed towards the back entrance to the shop, leaving Liam alone with his new creation. Liam just shrugged went over to the newly created robot, party satisfied with it. He wasn't entirely happy with the way that it had turned out, but it would do for once a year. No one would notice the slight imperfections that he saw in them, no matter how big they seemed to him. He would fix it after Easter was over and the Ball that the sisters were throwing was over.

If it survived the population of Gaia first.

****

Days had passed since the completion of the Robot Easter Bunny and the notice of the Easter Ball that was being thrown by none other then the Von Helson sisters. All of Gaia were excited to know what items they would be receiving this year and if there were any extra events that would be playing out in front of them. They were all surprised by the metallic creature striding from the distant horizon, with a oversized carrot on it's shoulder and a metallic voice that gave them instructions on how to collect their prizes. Some were disappointed that they had to actually work for their items this event, muttering things as they went about going to the mansion in Durem to get what they had to get for their basket. It would take them a certain amount of time to get the items, but perhaps it would be worth it in the end.

Some just shrugged their shoulders and collected the eggs, knowing that if they found a lot, they could just as easily sell them at the Marketplace to those that wanted them. Others would wait for those Gaians to sell the items, too lazy to collect all of the eggs or had not been able to attend the ball during it's entirety. Whatever the reason, at least people would be able to collect the items even if they had to buy them where others had gotten them for free. It was the way that the Marketplace was, selling items and getting what people wanted.

The Easter Ball had started earlier in the day, to crowds of people that had talked to the Easter Bunny and those that just wanted to gather in a place that had free food and drink. Many were even more disappointed to know that the sisters weren't even inside the mansion, ready to greet them with their fake cheer. Instead, there were countless security guards at every corner, to make sure no one got into anything they weren't supposed to. The sisters had learned their lesson from the Anniversary Ball and had hired more security to even things out, if their party should be crashed again. That was the least of their worries at the moment, who was going to be coming inside their home and who was going to stay home that day.

Anna and Marie Von Helson stood with a small crowd of people that had gathered around them that weren't inside their mansion or elsewhere in Gaia, enjoying themselves instead of standing around the sisters. Some had pickets signs that they had bought from the sisters earlier, but had come back to see if their idols needed anything, ranging from a coffee break to the need to use the bathroom. The sisters were fine, as they had told the gatherers, although they were flattered at the fact that they were being asked for help when all they had expected was Gaians to buy their signs.

They had been ignored by some that went straight into the mansion without even a look towards them, just to get into the party for the fun, games, and eggs. Anna had shouted things towards them that she normally wouldn't have said publicly, Marie pulling her back to her senses so that they wouldn't get any more odd looks from the few that were around them. Some of those that had gathered, left without even buying a sign, too afraid that either sister would claw them apart at any moment. Marie muttered things that her sister had shouted, leaning upon one of the signs as the last of the group had slinked into the mansion or went elsewhere.

"It's getting too dry, the flow of gold," She said softly with a sigh. Anna gave her a sideways look, a frown on her lips. She knew that was the truth, that there weren't as many people who were willing to donate to them as they had been to their rival.

"It's not fair. How come Gambino got more then us?" Anna pouted, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched a couple of Gaians wander pass, each wearing a V-pin that they had gotten at the last Ball. That lifted Anna's spirits some, but not to the point that it gave her any hope of getting more gold.

"Because of that damnable son of his, that's why," Marie spat, kicking the sign she had been leaning on and swearing under her breath. "If only he hadn't chosen that vegetable over power, then we would have had the excuse of helping him."

Marie had wanted to say more, but the words had caught in her throat before they even had the chance to form. Anna didn't seem to notice that her sister had choked on her words, as she went after a Gaian that had walked out with a basket of eggs and was going to find the Easter Bunny to give to him, sign in hand. She didn't feel like going after her sister this time to scold her for this, instead remaining behind to watch everyone walk by with different masks and baskets of eggs. These things were so easy to create and so many were willing to get for nothing but a bit of hard work.

Marie's eyes moved from her sister, up into the sky and finally onto the tower that sat so very far away from them. It was tall, she gave Gambino that much, but it was worthless as the eggs in which the two of them had gotten. Still, she couldn't shake a feeling that came to the pit of her stomach that she didn't like. It had been the same feeling that she had gotten when she first heard of her father's death, that something wasn't right somewhere yet couldn't put her finger on it. Many nights had been spent, lying awake to try and figure out what was wrong but the truth had never came out. Nothing ever did, when it came to the two most powerful families in all of Gaia.

Two families that would be entwined in something else that was greater then they could ever imagine.

****

Footsteps rang out in the hallway, a sound that seemingly echoed throughout the entire mansion. They were heading somewhere faraway, becoming fainter as they moved quickly to the front of the mansion that was so cold, even in the early spring warmth. These footsteps didn't reflect the gleam that was in the owner's eyes, or the wild look that was on his face, but an urgency to go out into the open air above Gaia and bask in the glow was what these footsteps were saying. All of the land would be watching and that was the way he so desperately wanted to be.

On the other side of the mansion, Gino had come out of his room, just to find his way into the kitchen to get something to eat before retreating back into his room once again. He stopped short of the kitchen door when he heard the unmistakable sounds of faint footsteps coming from the long hallway, although as they grew fainter, he had to strain to hear them. He listened for a moment more to see where they were going before he could no longer hear them whisper something he couldn't understand. There was no sudden movement as he stood there in the silence, afraid that he and his father weren't alone any more.

He didn't know how long he stood there, or when he had started to run towards the entrance of the mansion, but all Gino knew was that he had to get to his father soon. He didn't know what his father would do once he reached the doors, if this stranger inside was really his father, yet he knew he had to stop him before he did anything he would regret later. If he could stop the man before, he could do it again, but could be by just calling out to him once again? The man had seemed so happy to see him when the two of them came together during Christmas; that was over and there might not be any more miracles left.

He didn't even realize how far the hallway to the mansion's entrance was, stopping only once to catch his breath. The mansion was big, perhaps even bigger then the mansion he had been inside during the Anniversary Ball; he had to give his father that much. Bigger then what the two of them really needed, more space then what the boy knew what to do with. If the man knew that much from inside the taint that was quickly moving across his mind, then that was something else that he had to give credit to his father. If he could ever look up at him again without wondering when he would snap, as the question of 'if' was no longer an option; he had already shown to Gino that he could lapse into a few seconds of insanity.

"Gino, stay," A voice commanded him from the doorway to the mansion as he came within a few feet of it. Gino skidded to a stop, looking up at the figure in the shadows, as it turned halfway around to gaze down at his son. Gino took several steps back at the look in the man's eyes, the same ones that had been so caring, so loving, to him only a few weeks before. Now they were cold, ruthless even, a wildness in them that made the boy feel scared just to look into them. "Stay inside, where you can be safe. I don't want you outside."

"But...." Gino started before he was cut off suddenly.

"I said, stay inside!" The man barked, turning back to the doorway, ignoring whatever muttering his son now had. If it worked, if his raising of his voice actually sparked something in his memory, then it was one less thing he had to worry about at the moment. One less thing that he had to look out for while standing on the rooftop, getting any more support then he already had.

One less thing to let the land of Gaia look down upon.

****

It seemed like forever since Easter had started, but it was over before anyone knew what had happened. So many had wanted something to happen instead of collecting Easter eggs, yet there was nothing that was remotely more interesting then the robot version of the Easter Bunny. By the time that the Ball was over with, it had disappeared, along with the eggs that had dried up along with the disappearance of the Easter Bunny. Some believed that the two events had something in common with each other, that the bunny was the only thing that made the eggs appear. In reality, whatever left-over eggs were still around, several Gaian's managed to take to sell at the Marketplace for any extra gold that they could get out of it.

On the island, it was a different scene then what was going on in Durem. A crowd of onlookers and Gambino supporters had gathered around the basin of the tower, some trying to force their way into the building without much success. The doors were too heavily bolted shut for anyone to even attempt to get in and there were no other entrances inside, save for the one on top of the tower. This crowd was waiting for any signs of the man who built it to come out, perhaps with his son, so that they could bestow anything else upon him.

In fact, they were in for a surprise as there was hidden movement inside the mansion as they waited. It had only taken him a few seconds to open the doors to the mansion and walk out into the open air, with a slight turn of his over his shoulder to make sure that the boy stayed inside. He closed the doors tightly behind him, his back laying upon them for a moment as he breathed in the air and laughed manically. It felt good to laugh like that again, when he had everything in the world and nothing to lose. That had been something he had dreaded, losing something so close to him, but this wasn't like the last time. No, he had everything he wanted and possibly even more then that.

Johnny Gambino slowly walked towards the edge of the tower, the same mad, wild look in his eyes that Gino had seen, yet they had suddenly started to glow in the light of the fading day. He could feel the same power that he had from before Halloween, the same rush that he had coursing through his veins. It felt good to feel it again, even if it pushed him even more to the bridge between the realms of sanity and insanity. He knew that it would most likely end his life at the moment, but that was one of the farthest things from his mind at the moment, the only thing that was keeping him on the side of sanity at the moment.

As he came to the edge of the tower, he stood there for a moment, eyes looking down to the very bottom of the tower. Although he couldn't see anyone down there as well as he should, he knew that his supporters, laced with those that had either chosen no side or were on the Von Helson side, were there, chanting his name over and over again. His own way of giving back to those that had donated, in which he had to thank the sisters for giving him the idea, were that of the same kind of signs that they had created. Instead of having a large, golden G upon it, it held the silver VH family symbol on it, something that he had used a portion of his money to fund. They were of better quality then what the sisters were handing out, but they were effective none the less.

He stood there for a moment, letting the wind ruffle his hair and the soft whispers of those down below to reach his ears. Something inside of him snapped at that moment, something small that a normal Gaian would have ignored, something that changed everything inside of him. Just standing there, knowing that he had gotten the sisters attention, the whole of Gaia's attention, and more then what he needed in support and riches, gave him a rush that he had never felt before. Even before everything collapsed during Halloween, the rush had never been this intense, this wonderful to the touch, that he had nearly forgotten what it was like to hold power in the palms of his hands. He laughed again, this time at those that thought he would never return to his former power and perhaps even beyond that.

"My supporters! I told you I would not forget what you've done for me!" Johnny screamed down to them as he outstretched his arms, hoping that those down below could hear him. His voice was loud and booming, something that had always come naturally to his voice when he wanted people to hear him, so he assumed that they could hear him. If they couldn’t, which was something that was the farthest from his mind, then he would have to install microphones somewhere on the top so that even those in Durem could hear him. "I can feel the power emanating from me! The will of the people is on my side!"

The power that he once held before the disastrous Halloween party, the same power that he once took a vow never to feel again, was now pulsing through him. It was something that he had longed to feel, something that radiated from every pour in his body. If the G-Corp sign had not been right under him, all of Gaia would have thought that the power that was inside him was giving him a unnatural radiance from under his skin. His eyes were just as wild as ever, a maniacal laugh coming from his lips, and a large, uneven smile spreading across his face.

Johnny shouted more words down towards the crowd below, which were lost in a gust of wind that carried them out to the ocean. No one down below the tower seemed to take notice that they couldn't hear him speak, as they cheered even more loudly then before. Some had started to go towards the city, perhaps to clash with those that supported the Von Helsons; others stayed where they were, intent on supporting him where they were. Others shook their heads, not only at the tower itself but the man who built it as well, and went back to their daily lives as though nothing was wrong. Nothing was out of place, or would be in the next few short days.

So consumed by his power that he didn't even notice the helicopter had come back from a refueling break, something that he would have noticed if his mind wasn't reeling in the possibilities of what he could regain with the power and riches that he now had at his fingertips. Like he had ignored the helicopter before, he ignored it now, too caught up in his power to even take notice of it. It didn't matter to him, whether any news program was watching his escapade; it was more exposure to him and more reasons to get more gold into his pockets.

In fact, Cindy and the news crew hadn't even noticed that Johnny had come out of his mansion until they were right on top of the tower, looking down onto it from it's vantage point. She peered down to where he was laughing and stretching his arms out wide, a frown on her lips. This was different from the man who had calmly asked for donations not long ago, now looking as though something had finally snapped inside of him and this was the product of it. It was a story at least, one that got her heart beating faster. Had this happened when the tower been completed, and she didn't have orders from the Gaia 9 Headquarters to cover the story of it being complete, then it would have saved her several days of sheer boredom and waiting.

"Ready?" She said, leaning forwards as the door to the helicopter opened. A gust of wind came inside and, like it tossed Johnny's hair, it did the same for Cindy's. The cameraman didn't say anything, staring down at the spectacle down below him before moving his eyes back up to Cindy. They shared a momentary gaze of amazement at how fast one person could change, before he nodded and got the camera ready to begin the taping. He gave her the signal that everything was ready, Cindy straightening her back and turning on her microphone, smiling as sweetly as she could before speaking--rather, shouting,--into the camera and over the wind. "This is Cindy Donovinh, reporting for Gaia 9 Action News. Newsflash! Johnny K. Gambino, formally Gaia's most powerful man, has finally emerged from his mansion!"

She paused long enough so that the cameraman could pan down to get a few seconds of Johnny standing on the rooftop, arms spread wide towards the heavens and a unnatural laugh coming from his lips. If she could have heard him laugh at that moment, she would have shuddered at it, pulling herself closer and feeling as though there was nothing else that would have scared her at the moment than his laugh. With the roar of the wind mixed with the sound of the blades of the helicopter, she was glad that she could only see him but not hear him.

"He appears to be going mad! It seems that the current events, such as his son losing his memory, coupled with the aspirations of revolution, and his recent regaining of his riches have driven him off the deep end," Cindy continued as soon as the camera was back upon her. She opened her mouth to say something else, but found no words that came out of it. For once in her long reporting career, she found she had no words to comment on a story like this, other then recapping what had happened at the Anniversary Ball and before it. The entire population, regardless of when they had come to Gaia, knew of what happened and why it had.

"What's wrong?" The cameraman mouthed to her silently, looking at her to continue. She stared at the camera for a moment, then at the watch that she wore around her wrist. To her, it was still early in the day to anything, but most likely too late for anyone else. If there was going to be any excitement, she would have to plan something in advance so that people would tune into the program without witnessing anything that hadn't been planned out already.

"Please tune in at 3 PM, April 1st, for a special report on these latest developments. This has been Cindy Donovinh, Gaia 9 Action News," Cindy finished, nodding to the cameraman to turn the camera off. As soon as it was apparent that no more filming was being down, she sighed and leaned back, looking down towards where Gambino was standing. She had no idea as to what was going to happen on April 1st, a day when pranks would run wild and no one would believe anything could happen. Perhaps that was way she chose that day and time, to do something witty enough to keep people interested in the story or perhaps it would finally snap him out of his insanity.

Whatever it was for, everyone would remember the time and day that the land stood still.