Jade is screaming. The bindings are pulled taut. She is suddenly stiff, frantic. [i]Her models of the universes are collapsing, leaving behind only hunger and the darkness of the underworld. There is no path to victory. The roads are gone. The roads are gone.[/i] How could they have thought they could win this? With, what, with a hunting lodge's worth of weaponry, with a few clever tricks, with a girl who barely understands piloting? Now, competitive gardening, if they'd done that, haha, if they'd...

[i]Jade wraps her arms around Dolly and yanks. They tumble to one side, helpless, her claws in Dolly's fur, holding her tight. Unwilling to let go. The world is ending and if she cannot stop the apocalypse she will bury herself in Dolly until the world stops existing.[/i]

The void swings down, and Dolly and Jade both jerk, roll, pathetic little meowmeows, trying to buy themselves another second together. Just another. Dolly buries her face in Jade's hand, flails with the other, undignified, defeated, undone. Desperate not to be ripped out of the idol's heart and paraded before Valynia, who'd tease her, who'd punish her, who'd make her regret turning her down. Or, worse, kept as Jacinta's trophy, an even worse end (because at least she'd guiltily enjoy Valynia's attention and hot-mouthed affections, but Jacinta is overwhelming).

[i]"Dolly, I promise, I love--"[/i]

[Dolly and Jade burn another level of Harmony to attempt to Defy Disaster with Daring. [b]2[/b].]