"So, how did the round-up go?" I asked after we pulled back from each other.


    "Good, but let''s get over to everyone! You need toe and make a speech!" Melody said, still holding my face.


    "What? Why do I need to make a speech?" I asked, not liking the sound of this. I really didn''t like doing this.


    "Not a long-winded one! Just one of those, we havee so far, but we still have far to go. I know that you are working on new divisions and getting other projects going, but everyone has been hard at work as well. I just think that you should show a little appreciation for that," Melody said, and then kissed me, squirmed out of my arms, and then went over behind Victoria.


    Melody pushed her right into my arms that she was just in and then gave me a look that bounced from between Victoria and me. It ended with narrowed eyes and a thumb drawn across her neck. There were far too many ways to read this wrong and not enough to read the sign right.


    "Sorry. That woman is so pushy," Victoria said, but I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her forehead.


    "You look beautiful, like a real-life Princess Peach, but in your own style. The dress looks really good on you, too," I said with a smile, and Victoria leaned in to rest her head on my chest and wrap her arms around me.


    "Thank you," Victoria said and smiled warmly.


    We stood there for a moment, and then Victoria pulled back from me. She took me by the hand and led me around to the back of her house, where everyone had gone back.


    "Eh!" Everyone called as we walked over, and I smiled broadly. Canadian as fuck, eh. These really were my people.


    "Eh, back to you all! Thank you all foring out!" I said as Victoria let go of my hand and went to sit with her family on a sectional sofa. "We have had a crazy few weeks, but we have made it! Things aren''t really going to get much easier from here, but I want to thank you all for your hard work. I know that each of you has been doing your parts, and I would love to hear about them! Tonight is about rxing, so let''s try to have a good time! There is also some special weed that we are all got to smoke, or those that want to try it out!"


    Everyone cheered, and then the music started to y, and I looked around to see where it wasing from.


    "What do you think? I don''t know what you listen to, but I had Octavia store up the music from each world we were on, so there are some strange things on this," Omega said as he pped a strange-looking boom box that looked more like a bomb. Octavia was with him, and she nodded to me as I came over.


    "Nice, I would like to hear something from another world!" Iughed, and Omega grinned, giving me a knowing look.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Be careful what you ask for! Some alien music is more powerful than the psychedelic drugs that you are about to smoke. It can take you on a real adventure from thefort of your listening chair!" Omegaughed, and I looked at Octavia questioningly, and she nodded.


    "Yes. Some of the songs don''t really sound like much, but they use special sound waves that make your brain create images and scenes. It is also very dangerous. It can be used to ce thoughts in people''s minds," Octavia exined with a straight face, and Omega cleared his throat.


    "Yes, there is that, but no need to bring that up today," Omega said, seeming to want to change the subject, but this was curious.


    "It will get talked about some time," I said, and Omega sighed and then motioned to Octavia.


    "There was a race that we took this music from that was being controlled in this form. When we tried to do what we did, the ruler became frantic and made a mistake when they broadcasted the music. They told the people to kill the invaders, but they were so brainwashed that they couldn''t tell the difference between us and each other. They ended up destroying their world after tearing it apart. Things got so bad that we were forced to retreat," Octavia exined, and I sighed.


    "That is scary but a valuable lesson. Having control is important, but people still need to be able to think for themselves. Still, maybe hearing one of those songs while smoking might be pretty cool. Been a while since I really let go of reality. I don''t know if we can call ourselves safe, but I think that this is a break in the fighting," I said with a grin, and Omega shrugged.


    "Sure, but maybe we will save that one forter. I think that you still have people to see, right. You might want to keep your head on your shoulders for now," Omegaughed, and I joined him.


    "Dan!" Katie called, and I turned to see her standing with Marley, but Riley and Candace were also with them.


    "I will talk to you twoter!" I told Omega and Octavia and headed over to the group. "Hey! d to see you could make it!"


    "After the time we had at the base, I was more than d toe and rx. Candace wanted to get to work, but I guess there is nowhere set up for her yet," Rileyughed, and Candace scowled.


    "I just think that we could be doing something better with our time," Candace said dryly.


    "Don''t worry, Miss Candace. Tomorrow Sofia will have a ce to work, and believe me, she will get you working if that is what you want to do, but Riley is right. You two deserve to have a short break; we all do," I said, and Victoria came over with a ster of mugs and wine sses. "Looks like we even have drinks!"