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POC 2: The Rising Nebula - Chapter 1

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Protector of Chaos 2: The Rising Nebula – Chapter 1: Invasion of Onyx Island



Following the cessation of the transaction meeting, Volt ordered everyone to board the Voltage mother ship—Marduk—that would lead an entire fleet of soldiers and droids straight on the path to Onyx Island. Desdemona was in charge of keeping the ship's operators on route, as well as regularly updating them with the latest coordinate changes. Alter, Trinity and Malchior always had to stay near Volt for direct orders during missions as significant as this one. Alter was not eager about any of this. Half of him wanted it all to be over with as soon as possible, while the other half hoped that Laila had something planned for an invasion of this great magnitude.

Sighing, Alter stared out the window, but could only see dark clouds rushing pass the glass as the ship increased its velocity. Within moments, the floating island started to become more visible in the distance. It was defined by massive mountains and trees that covered the land. Onyx Island truly was a sight to behold. Alter could see Eggman Nega's fleets at the other end of the island, evidence that the mad scientist had kept his word.

"Sir, we are receiving ze transmission from Dr. Eggman Nega," Desdemona alerted. "Would you like to accept it?"

"Yes; go ahead," the emperor responded.

The raven inserted a few commands into the computer, which allowed a wide window to pop up on the large monitor, showing Nega with his usual grin.

"You're as punctual as ever, Dr. Eggman Nega," complimented Volt.

"Well, I have to be!" the scientist said in laughs. "Flattery aside, we're all ready on my end. Just give the word, and we'll give this island the invasion of a century!! Hee hee hee!!!"

"Will do."

The call ended, proceeded by a sigh from Trinity. "He certainly is excited about this."

"And you are not?" countered her master. "You know full well that I know about your former relationship with the guardian of this island. You and Laila were like sisters."

Alter's ears perked at that statement. He had no idea Trinity was close to Laila. What could have happened that caused them both to part ways?

The rabbit appeared calm, but Volt could tell that she was emotionally in turmoil. "This will be the first time that you two will come face-to-face ever since you joined my causes. She will hold nothing back to protect the Nebula Emeralds, so I am expecting you to have an even greater determination to claim the prize we seek."

Trinity bowed slightly with a hand over her chest. "My services will always be of the elite for you, my sire. We will not fail."

"That's what I like to hear. Now, let us commence." A circular microphone hovered down from the ceiling and positioned itself in front of Volt. Everyone quieted down as he began to speak. "Laila the Echidna, guardian of Onyx Island..." he announced; each word he spoke reverberated through the ship's outer speakers, reaching every corner of the island. "As I am sure you have undoubtedly noticed by now, we have the entire island surrounded. From the north, we will rain fire upon your ancient echidna civilizations until nothing remains but ash. Hail winds and sub-zero mayhem shall devastate from the east, followed by the elegance of darkness spreading through the west. Crows carrying the soul of a vampire will make their presence known from the south to upheld any obstacle that attempts to sheer them of glory."

"And at the center of it all, the powerful roar of thunder resonates above the heavens, growing louder and louder until instantly, a flash of light appears, signaling the end of your demise... If you wish to avoid any or all of these dilemmas, then fear not—a compromise can be made in exchange for the seven Nebula Emeralds. Which will it be?"

For a moment, everything was quiet, but Alter could sense immense power building up and originating from Onyx Island. A bright light suddenly appeared from the center of the island, expanding all throughout its vast land until it was all covered. By the time the process was completed, an entire force shield had been manifested, protecting the island from all corners. Every edge, every path, every possible entry was now barred off by the illuminance of Laila's power conveyed by the Master Emerald. Not a single ship would be able to trespass its barrier.

Volt stared at the mighty fortification without the slightest hint of anger or frustration. He remained calm and vigilant, which are excellent qualities for a leader to have and display during events such as this. He knew that Laila wasn't going to make this easy for him, which is exactly why this invasion was necessary.

Alter was just as intimidated by the force shield as everyone else. How would they be able to breach it? His ears perked once more as he felt a second charge coming from the island. He could feel a force penetrating into his mind, and he couldn't stop it no matter how much he wanted to. Looking around, the others around him were experiencing something similar, as they all had their hands pressed against their foreheads as if trying to ease the pain. Volt and even Malchior were probably the only two who weren't paying heed to it. When the throbbing finally subdued, Alter could hear a female's voice beginning to speak.

You are all fools if you truly believe I will let you step foot onto my island.

Alter immediately recognized the telepath to be Laila. He could never forget her calm but serious tone.

I will not allow you to trifle with the power of the Nebula Emeralds, continued the mental voice of Laila. I will not hesitate to take all of your lives to ensure the protection of these Emeralds is maximum. The barrier that you see surrounding Onyx Island is naught but a warning. I am giving you the chance to turn around and go back to where you came. If I see any futile attempts of breaking through it, I will strike. Heed these words.

As the message ended, everyone could feel the pressure of Laila's presence exiting their minds, giving them a brief moment of relief. Unfortunately for Laila, Volt hadn't come all this way just to flee.

"Malchior," spoke the emperor. "You know what to do."

The mysterious bat stood from his seat and bowed. "It shall be done..."

Instantly, he vanished in a puff of dark smoke and reappeared outside the ship right beside the force shield of Onyx Island. As he placed a hand on its translucent exterior, a ring of violet bite marks started to form with electricity discharging from its radius. From there, the energy began to eat away at the barrier, creating a small opening for some of the minor battle ships that hoarded troops of soldiers and droids. Ship after ship slipped through the diminutive entrance.

Malchior could sense that Laila was trying to reseal the hole, but it was no use. The bite mark just continued to spread. Soon, it would be large enough for the mother ship to get through. Laila couldn't allow that. Malchior's eyes widened as a massive wave of light pulsed from the force shield, repelling the vampire back. A second burst occurred, this one managing to push back both Nega's and Volt's fleets. Malchior had to end this quickly.

The bat shot his body at the sky without the use of his wings, then accelerated towards the top of the force shield and created another bite mark just before another wave knocked him away. He then sped over to Nega's side while firing dark rays from his palms to absorb the energy of the shield's surface, tearing a good quality of it away in the process. Once he made it to Nega's mother ship, he placed a final bite mark that would eventually provide the scientist access to the island, then teleported back to Volt's ship.

"Excellent, Malchior," praised his master. "I've just received word that the troops have already docked their ships and are scouring the island in search of the Nebula Emeralds. We will do the same once this barrier has completely evaporated, but just to be on the safe side... Alter, I want you to go aid the troops with the search. We'll be right behind you the moment this shield is down."

"Yes, sir," the wolf replied.

He headed towards the ship's main entrance where a group of five soldiers wielding guns and other gadgets were waiting. Similar to Volt, all soldiers had lightweight body armor. Their uniforms mostly consisted of black shirts and pants with glowing green circuits and the empire's insignia at the center of their shirts. They each wore helmets that completely concealed their identities, which also had air masks around the mouth and nose. Circular glass lenses provided them with visual capabilities.

"All of you are coming with me," Alter said as he entered the code that would release the hatch of the door. "You know your objectives, correct?"

"Sir, yes sir!" the soldiers answered in union.

Within seconds, the hatch slid downwards, creating an opening. Alter moved to the very edge with the soldiers behind him and scanned the skies for any signs of more wave attacks from Laila, but none had occurred. The wolf jumped in the air and created an ice platform to keep him airborne. His troops joined him by using their anti-gravity boots for flight.

Not wasting time, the squad took off towards Onyx Island. The search began as soon as they landed pass the almost depleted force shield. As Alter looked around, he could see other search parties running around and blowing up boulders, trees and bushes in hopes of discovering the Nebula Emeralds' whereabouts, but Alter knew exactly where to look. The only place Laila would guard the Emeralds would be the Altar of the Emeralds. However, he knew it wouldn't be that easy to find it.

Onyx Island is the future version of Angel Island that is guarded by Knuckles the Echidna in the past. Alter once had a fierce battle there with a dark spirit known as Mephiles the Dark. Laila's island was much different from the one he knew. It amazed him with how much it had changed over the course of the years.

As Alter and his troops continued their exploration through the thick jungles of the island, he began to sense a new presence that had been stalking them likely for some time now. Before he had time to react, two of his soldiers went flying backwards through the air while shooting ammunition from their guns, but no target was hit. Alter could only watch as they were forced into a dark part of the forest where only their screams could be heard, echoing then fading until it was silent. The remaining three soldiers raised their weapons and aimed into the pitch black area, waiting for the persecutor to reveal themselves. A psychic hold suddenly over came them, and they too were dragged into the black abyss.

Alter knew exactly who this was now. Stepping out of the shadows, a silver-furred hedgehog with five quills pointing upwards from his head and two larger quills positioned downwards approached the wolf. He had a large quantity of white hair on his chest and black markings at the corners of his eyes. Golden gauntlets with cyan circuits that glowed every few seconds or so were equipped to his wrists and ankles. His white gloves contained a circular symbol that was also glowing with a cyan light. The boots he wore were black with teal toes and a white stripe running up to the cuff where red gems were embedded, while the base of the boots were a metallic gray with more circuits installed on them. Those yellow eyes of his flared with a strong determination that told Alter just how serious the young hedgehog was.

"Alter, this ends now!" the hedgehog declared. "I won't let you or any of Volt's pawns get their hands on the Nebula Emeralds!"

"Silver..." Alter began, addressing the hedgehog. "It is inevitable. If we do not acquire the Nebula Emeralds today, then we will be back the next day. This is an endless cycle. No matter how much you and Laila interfere, all of your efforts are futile. We will eventually prevail. I guarantee it."

"But I still don't understand... Why are YOU involved in this?!" Silver shouted. "You and I used to be friends, but now you're working for Volt... Is this some sort of trick?? Laila keeps telling me that you're really serious about all this, but I refuse to accept that! I know you, Alter."

The wolf turned away slightly and began to discreetly form an ice shard on his palm. "You're so naive..."

"W-what?!"

"People live their lives bound by what they accept as correct and true. That's how they define 'reality'. But what does it mean to be 'correct' or 'true'? Merely vague concepts… Their 'reality' may all be a mirage. Can we consider them to simply be living in their own world shaped by their beliefs?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Allow me to shed a little light on this dream of yours, just as you did for me not that long ago. But this time, only I will be the one to walk away."

Silver barely had time to catch Alter's thrown ice shard, stopping it merely a few inches from his face. Alter knew he couldn't get too close to Silver, otherwise he would get caught by his psychokinesis. The wolf stayed on the offensive and continued to unleash a barrage of ice shards. Silver managed to capture them all, but there was only so much that he could hold, so he began to use Alter's attack against him by launching his own ice shards towards the incoming shards, shattering them to bits.

Still formulating more tactics, the hedgehog levitated himself into the air and proceeded to fire energy blasts at Alter, whom dodged the best he could, but eventually got hit, sending him back a bit. The wolf grunted, but it would take more than that to stop him. Silver grew more cautious as the surrounding area became concealed within a misty fog. He felt the temperature dropping rapidly, and his breath was now visible in the frosty air. What is he up to...?

Without warning, several discs composed of ice zipped by him, just narrowly avoiding them. Silver looked behind him and watched as the discs sliced clean through a solid mountain, leveling it by half of its normal height. He glowered. "That could've killed me!! Have you lost your mind?!"

To his surprise, the fog was beginning to lift. By the time it had all cleared, Silver could see that Alter had long retreated to resume his search of the Nebula Emeralds. Silver couldn't let him escape. Charging up his psychokinetic power, he boosted after Alter at incredible speeds.


Meanwhile


Back at Marduk, Malchior's bite marks had finally vanquished Laila's force shield. Volt then commanded Desdemona to give Nega the cue to commence with the all-out invasion. Ships from both Volt's and Nega's fleets raided the island. Troops of Voltage soldiers and droids swarmed about, making sure to stay in groups of three to five.

"Malchior, you may stay here to rest," said Volt. "Feel free to join in when you're feeling up to it, but I would prefer if you held the fort while I'm away in case Laila tries something inconspicuous."

"You can count on me, my sire..."

"I too will do anything I can to aid Malchior and protect ze mother ship," Desdemona added in.

"Perfect. Trinity, we're leaving now. Stay close to me at all times. Laila won't hesitate to take us down when we are most vulnerable, so it is important for you to remain by my side."

"Oh, very well, my sire," replied a flattered Trinity. "But... What about Alter?"

"He will be fine. Alter has always been more of a soloist. He works better when he doesn't have anyone to distract him or get in his way. Come, time to depart."

Volt offered a hand for Trinity to take, both instantly vanishing in a bright flash the moment contact was made. They had arrived at an ancient Colosseum area of Onyx Island that consisted of ancient ruins and massive statues surrounded by twenty feet high pillars. Despite its bleak terrains, it was marveled with fresh grass and active fountains ejecting clear water into the horizons. As the emperor and his top agent began their search, sparkles of light could be seen raining down gently before them. Both stopped as creatures started to form out of thin air. Several flying gargoyles and sturdy golems with stone-like bodies appeared, all of which were coated with Laila's light blue aura.

"She certainly has learned a few new tricks," said Trinity.

"Perhaps," concurred Volt. "Get ready."

The invaders each raised a hand. Volt's cape disappeared into his armor as he entered his battle mode. As electric sparks covered his hand, a metallic hilt of a sword—Dendōgishu—manifested in his hold, while Trinity's hilt—Kyosū—appeared via dark smoke. Green and purple laser beams then ignited from their hilts, both becoming enveloped by electricity and darkness respectively.

Volt stared out towards the golems with disdain in his eyes. Holding two fingers near the snout of his nose, the emperor charged towards them, swiftly and powerfully slashing Dendōgishu through any of the brute titans that crossed his path, sparks flying in all directions with each swing. Trinity followed suit with Kyosū, gracefully slaying all golems that attempted to strike her while following close behind her master.

Volt stopped his attack when he noticed groups of gargoyles flying towards him from above. He motioned with his hand for Trinity to stand back a little as he raised both hands in the air. Seconds later, every gargoyle froze in place, completely petrified. Trinity watched in amazement as Volt swung his hands down, summoning lightning that quickly pierced down from the sky, eradicating all gargoyles and leaving absolutely no trace of their existence behind.

More golems appeared and surrounded Volt and Trinity. The emperor nodded at the rabbit as she quickly jumped in the air and became a cloud of dark smoke, then flew to high altitudes. With Trinity safe out of the vicinity, the golems were struck by a powerful, wild discharge radiating from Volt's sword held high. In the sky, the gargoyles were firing lasers from their eyes at Trinity's cloud form. The rabbit evaded all attacks, then produced ripples of dark energy that eliminated all of her enemies. She then landed next to Volt, and the two advanced forward as if nothing had happened.


Back to Alter


Alter had not only evaded Silver, he had also fooled him. Alter had Silver believe that he had fleeted on foot, but truthfully, Alter just phased underground and waited for Silver to act on his speculations. Rising back to the surface, the wolf smirked, then went off in the opposite direction from the one Silver had taken. Exiting the dense part of the forest, the wolf examined the environment around him.

His entire surroundings were encased in ice. The bare trees had an accumulation of snow between their branches; the mountains and frozen rivers were bewitched with charismatic charm. It reminded him of his home—Cryonic, but how was it possible for one part of Onyx Island to be filled with plants and life, while another part was a frozen wasteland?

As Alter continued moving, he began to detect a familiar sensation, something he felt while he was in the past. He looked around frantically to see what it was, when a light blue ball of light suddenly appeared before him. This wasn't what he was sensing, but he knew it was connected to it. The orb started to drift away, leaving Alter with no choice but to pursue it. It led him through the treacherous, icy landscapes, often accompanied by blizzards, but they weren't a problem for Alter. To him, the hailing winds were just simple, refreshing breezes.

At long last, the floating sphere stopped at a massive crystal with a strange symbol on it. Alter watched as the sphere phased through it, causing the symbol to illuminate. Soon, a portal began to form on the crystal, making Alter curious, but suspicious too. The sensation he was feeling was now stronger than it was a moment ago. Whatever was calling to him was on the other side of this portal. The wolf took in a deep breath, then strode through it, not letting his guard down.

He had entered a dark tunnel of some sort, but could very quickly see a light at the end of it. Once he made it there, he could see the light blue ball hovering by an altar, and not just any ordinary altar. This was the Altar of the Emeralds that housed the seven Nebula Emeralds, each of them positioned on a circle of raised pillars. The light blue Master Emerald was at the center, sparkling magnificently, which was odd because the Master Emerald in the past was green. Perhaps it had been influenced by its current guardian somehow?

The powerful sensation that Alter was feeling was originating from the amethyst purple Emerald, the very same Emerald that had chosen him to be its Protector in the past. He couldn't believe he still had a connection with it after all these years of separation. As Alter took a step towards the altar, the light blue orb cut in front of him, then bursted, blinding him momentarily. When the light faded, a female echidna of the same color as the sphere had taken its place in front of Alter.

The echidna's always serious and mysterious eyes were the direct shade of sapphire. Dark blue eye shadow was polished along her eye lids. Her hair was also dark blue and styled as a bang across her right eye, which she occasionally changes by flipping her hair in the direction she wishes for it to fall. She wore a short black jacket with a gray-blue shirt underneath it with cyan linings glowing on the jacket, as well as near the collar and ends of her shirt. Her long black gloves covered much of her arms, only stopping near the elbows. Her pants were also black and shared the same glowing features that her jacket had. On her wrists and ankles were two dark blue bracelets that were decorated with teal gems. Her shoes were mainly black in color with traces of cyan blue on them and had shining blue symbols on the soles.

"Laila..." growled Alter.

"It's been a while, Alter," the guardian spoke. "I have grave news to inform you of, but you and I both know that you didn't come here just to socialize."

"Then you know to get out of my way."

"Alter... Do you really want to challenge me while I'm so close to the Master Emerald?"

The wolf froze. He hadn't thought of the devastating power that Laila could conjure up from the Master Emerald if provoked. He had to play it safe for now.

"I suggest you hear me out."

"What do you want? Why did you bring me here??" the wolf queried consecutively.

"I was not the one who called you here. The amethyst Nebula Emerald is what drew you to this altar."

"That may be so, but you were the one that guided me here," Alter countered. "Why? You know what my mission is."

Laila placed a hand on her hip and closed her eyes, her usual posture when she's about to provide an explanation.

"You were chosen to be the Protector of Chaos for a reason, Alter. There is something that is going to occur, something much bigger than your own personal tasks. You need to pull yourself together and come back to your senses. The world needs its Protector of Chaos; that is why the amethyst Nebula Emerald contacted you. I will let you through, but on one condition."

Alter wasn't sure what he should do. He had to complete his mission by taking all of the Nebula Emeralds, but Laila's words spoke truth. He had been completely neglecting his duties as the Protector of Chaos, and instead was focusing on serving the Voltage Empire... He sighed, coming to a compromise with himself. I'll see why the Emerald called to me, and if it's not that important, I'll do it... I will defeat Laila and take the Nebula Emeralds with me!

"Well?" asked the impatient guardian.

"What condition?"

"I want you to swear that you will cease activities with the Voltage Empire, if not permanently, then at least until what you are about to learn is resolved."

Alter gritted his teeth, but answered, "Very well. You have my word."

Keeping her eyes on him, Laila stepped aside and allowed him to mount the steps of the altar. He passed by the Master Emerald and stopped in front of the amethyst Emerald. Though different in form, it was still as beautiful as he remembered it. Its facets gleamed from the lights reflecting from the crystals around the altar. Alter felt somewhat dazzled as he took the gem in his hands. He flabbergasted as it suddenly became lit with light that conquered his vision.

When his sight returned, he found that he was levitating high above a devastated city that was wrapped in flames. Lava spewed through buildings; the sound of eruptions shook the ground below him and filled the air with thick ash. What is all this?? Where am I??? Alter could detect a powerful force tapping into his mind. He offered little resistance, so it quickly broke through. The sweet, melodic voice of a middle-aged woman poured into his mind. He couldn't recognize the voice, but he knew right away that she had no intentions of harming him.

I see a fire brewing, engulfing all of Neo Soleanna's Sectors in an outrage of inextinguishable flames. I see two hearts conflicting, both uncertain of what is right or wrong. The entire universe is on the brink of destruction... Only the Protector of Chaos can wield a power equivalent to that of the Rising Nebula...

"The Rising Nebula?" Alter requisitioned. "Who is the Rising Nebula? What is the Rising Nebula??"

The voice never responded to him. Another flash occurred, and Alter was back standing at the Altar of the Emeralds with Laila. He still had the amethyst Nebula Emerald in his hold, but it was no longer glowing. The woman's words still reiterated in his mind... He had to find out more. "Who... was she?"

"You were contacted by Le Oracle," replied Laila. "Not much is known about her, other than she lives in hiding, even under the radar of the government."

"Why?"

"Not even I know. That's always been a mystery to me. I trust she showed you a vision?"

"Yeah, she did..."

Alter was about to tell Laila about it, but she raised a hand to stop him. "What she told you was for you alone, but I'm not entirely clueless. We all have to do our part in preventing this disaster from occurring. So, our conditions are still in place, yes?"

Before Alter could answer, the Master Emerald began to flash multiple times. Laila immediately ran over to the large gem and placed a hand on it, then closed her eyes in concentration. A few seconds later, her eyes widened. "Oh no..."

"What's wrong?"

The guardian had no time to waste. She quickly began chanting an incantation. The Nebula Emeralds proceeded to glow, one after the other. The one Alter was holding also started illuminating, then returned to its pillar. Soon, they were all just as bright as the Master Emerald. Alter watched as the pillars of the Emeralds sunk into the altar, veiling them from sight.

"Alter, we have to--"

The two braced themselves as bolts of electricity suddenly crashed onto the altar, charging the air with a powerful static that caused Alter's and Laila's hair to rise. When it ceased, two people were now present at the altar, both well known acquaintances to Alter.

"Laila, a pleasure to meet you at last. I am sure that I am not in need of an introduction, but alas, it would be rude of me to not do so. You may address me as Lord Volt, the soon to be dominant ruler of this desolate world. I am here on a rather pressing matter. You see, I wish to liberate the seven Nebula Emeralds that I believe you, the guardian of the sacred relics have concealed somewhere on this altar. I am here to also announce that you have been relinquished of your duties. So it is no longer your responsibility or your obligation to guard the Nebula Emeralds. You will give me possession of the Emeralds or Onyx Island will be mercilessly obliterated by my troops. Your choice. Either way, I will acquire what I came here for."
Mwahahaha... Alter stole a quote from Itachi Uchiha. :iconitachiuchihaplz: Can you guess which one it is? ~.^

I'd like to thank :iconextremespeeds: for giving me the idea for the future Soleanna to have multiple Sectors. We'll explore that more in the upcoming chapters.

Enjoy!


Protector of Chaos 2: The Rising Nebula - Contents


Prologue :bulletred: Chapter 1 :bulletred: Chapter 2 :bulletred: Chapter 3 :bulletred: Chapter 4 :bulletred: Chapter 5 :bulletred: Chapter 6 [Part 1] :bulletred: Chapter 6 [Part 2] :bulletred: Chapter 7
© 2013 - 2024 MarekSterling
Comments21
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TheSwordLegion's avatar
An excellent beginning.

I loved the entire story from beginning to end. The formatting, grammer, ect is good, and flow's well with the reader. The size is just right for me in a deeper fanfic. About 10,000 words- 5,000 is average book sized chapters. You obviously have some skill when you can reach numbers like that and format it so well.

My favorite part of all this are the characters.

Each one is different, and goes pretty well with the canon ones. Silver's appearance is nice by the way. (Love how you made him boost just like he does in the opening scene of Sonic 0'6.)

Throughout the story, we explore Onyx island and meet a new, differently colored master emerald- which I highly approve it. (it certainly changed color when Dr. Eggman got ahold of it in Sonic and Knuckles at the end.) The use of a shield by Lilia is a welcome surprise which toys with the reader's mind momentarily in a good way. He wonders, if the attack shall go through, or if it will all need to be pulled back.

I sense a large decree of grey in Volt's empire, at least in the way he addresses the Emerald's guardian and how much destruction he is willing to cause to obtain them. Each character you spend time using is fleshed out well, and made likable. This is a huge plus in your writing, and will make in memorable toward your readers.

I'm am impress and well pleased by your works. And I would rate them very highly.

Anticipation of next chapter: 93/100

Tips. ~ Nothing, just keep it up!


Praise.~ Well placed nostalgic reference to Silver's boost move, and a well depicted story. Volt's characterization goes well through here. And Canon characters are kept well in character. I have no problem seeing Silver say the things that he does, and the same for Dr. Eggman Nega.

Looking forward to reading the next chapter. :)