"No time for that! We need to repair this machine and get on our way," says Kyo.

"Hmm, let me look at those tags. Ah, perfect, this is quite simple." The other team members stare at Clara. How did she figure this out? "It's always good to know a little history," she says, smiling and placing each one in its proper position. The crystal tower starts a low hum, but other than that, nothing happens.

"Not so smart now, are ya?" mutters Raw.

"Yes, yes, we have it right. It just needs some tuning. Let me see that placard." says Anasazi. "life is both short and eternal...emerge from hiding...ephemeral as the wind" "It could be a butterfly," says Giselle. "They emerge from a cocoon."

"Or a rainbow," says Clara "because it talks about shining."

Kyo runs over to her bag and pulls out a jigsaw puzzle . "Remember that mission I went on? I got this as a reward, and put it together when we were waiting at the hotel. It's a butterfly and a rainbow!"

Anasazi examines the picture, turning the crystals until they form a butterfly, and sure enough, embedded in it is a rainbow. The beacon shines out into the sky over the battling groups, and a cry rises up as the crystals all over the city relight. DeWinter's forces, seeing that the beacon has been restored, realize that they've lost and put down their arms.

Venom, not the best with puzzles either, joined Quercus in standing guard, taking up a position near the door. Eden inspected the placard as Jean examined the sockets. Seven sockets, with numbers by each...were those perhaps dates? But the dates of what? She frowned, but then reached into one of her pockets. Seven rang a bell. She pulled out the piece of paper with seven words on it. Each was the name of a flower, and a shade of purple. She put on her glasses and pulled out a pencil, thinking hard.

Eden then looked at the sockets. Seven sockets, seven brightly colored crystals. “Maybe it’s the colors of a rainbow?” she suggested. “They’re full of enchantment and beauty, a light in the sky, like the riddle says.”

“Mm, I don’t think so,” Jean replied, her attention on the scrap of paper in her hand as she scribbled. “Pretty sure this is….” She compared the numbers she’d written on the paper with those by the sockets. “Yep, they match. See, these are the dates these color-words started to be used, and that tells us the order of the crystals. But I’m not sure what pattern to arrange them in.” She started inserting the crystals according to the order on her paper.

Wolf blinked at the mention of a rainbow. It might not be the key to the crystals, but there was something else it might be. "There are rainbow colours on that puzzle! Maybe that means something!" Quickly she went into the bag and pulled the pieces out. In lightning speed Wolf put the puzzle together. "I don't know if it means anything, but I'm sure that that rainbow means something. Here, Jean!" Wolf nudged the completed puzzle over to Jean with her nose. "Does this mean anything to you? I can't make anything out of the other clues, but hopefully this will help with something! I'll go and stand by the others in case my help is needed with battle!"

Jean looked at the puzzle, and then at the placard on the wall. “Good thinking, guys. If I move the crystals like this....” With a few adjustments, she had the sockets arranged in the pattern the puzzle suggested. Shikuyim smiled to see the young ones work. So quick on their feet, they were. It was hard to keep up sometimes.

The team is carefully examining the site where the hourglass used to stand. Now that it’s gone it’s easy to see that something else once stood here. The space is slightly raised and bordered by circular wooden beams and the floor of it is a network of inlaid tracks. The tracks go front to back throughout the circle with many open intersecting points. Around the perimeter are the empty sockets that the crystals must fit into. Once they are set they can moved to any number of places in the circle. Each socket has a number as well.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Remi says, “Does it matter how we put these things? How would we know which one to put where?” Arwen, who is holding up a fatigued Regina, answers and nods towards a placard on the grey wooden wall of the building, “There, those must be the instructions.” Skye walks up and reads it aloud, “I am a child of the air. My life is both short and eternal, full of enchantment to all who behold me. I emerge from hiding, like a light that fills the heaven. I am the spirit of all beauty, and the symbol of all aspiration. Within me is the sum of all my compliments, from early to late, and I shine because of what they give to me. I am as precious as a gem, and as ephemeral as the wind. Behold me!” After a moment she adds, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” She glares at the sign, the crystals and the platform. “Of course we’d have a riddle to solve,” Joysana sighs, “That only figures.”

They gather around together, all but TwoFer who is back guarding the door again. “We can just do trial and error”, Remi suggests. “We don’t have time for that and there are so many different combinations we could be here a lifetime.” Nisa says. Arwen and Regina sit down together on the roof. “I think some water would be good,” Regina manages to croak out, still a bit worn out from the large spell she cast. “Sure thing!” Arwen says and begins digging through the pack for it. She hands a canteen to Regina but doesn’t put the pack away. “Hey.. Wait a minute.. Hey guys, guys! Come here!”

She pulls out a scrap of paper with the names of 7 flowers scribbled out onto it and the pack of crystals. She pulls down the edge of the wrapping and the purple crystals glow steadily. “I see what you’re doing,” Nisa says. “Yes, those would make sense, look at what color they all mean.” Skye frowns in concentration, “We just need to make them work with that contraption over there.” Arwen giggles, “I know just where these four go," “she says getting up, crystals in hand. “And I know where these three go,” Nisa says grinning and pointing at them on the list.

Remi carefully brings the crystals over and hands them one at a time to the girls who are putting each one in its specific spot. Regina comes over and then slowly and carefully begins to move the socket containing a crystal into the circle. Remi and Joy frown but then they all catch on to what she is doing. “Flowers are life to a butterfly, one of nature’s most beautiful and fleeting creatures.” Regina says. They help her move the last of the crystals into the correct place. A shinning beacon of purple rainbows envelopes everything in sight…

All eyes turned to look at Max. Surprisingly, he too was perplexed. Evangelista stood staring at the polymath; clearly disappointed. After his brilliant use of the Dragan theory, she thought he, of all people, would be able to solve this conundrum. The sisters, who were huddled together off to the side, seemed to be paying no mind whatsoever to their friends; they were studying something the aeronaut held in her hand.

The brief eternal silence was shattered by Armina's angry voice. “Fern, what are you doing?” “We need all the brain power we can muster,” she screeched. “There is no time for you to be playing with a jigsaw puzzle!” Always protective of her gentle sister, Ravensong grabbed Armina’s arm, “Leave her alone.” she said. “She's got this! Just give her a second.”

The professor had been studying the sockets when she realized she hadn’t yet seen the crystals. The privateer had been keeping the crystals to herself. “Armina, if you want to get out of here alive, you are going to have to show us the crystals.” demanded Evangelista.

Before Armina, could open her satchel and retrieve the lovely crystals, Fern squealed excitedly “I have it!!! I know the pattern! Quickly, dear privateer, I need those crystals!” Armina reached into her pack producing a felt bag and proceeded to dump it on the table; out fell seven fabulously cut crystals, all in various shades of purple. Fern rapidly navigated the sockets to represent the pattern on the puzzle.

“Okay” Evangelista spouted, maybe feeling a bit useless, “Now that Armina has so graciously decided to share the crystals with us, we have the pattern, but how, pray tell, do we know in what order the crystals are to be placed?” The words had no sooner fallen from the professor’s mouth when Eurus reached into his pocket and produced a paper containing a list of seven colors… ALL of which were variations of the color purple. “I think this is what you are missing my friends,” he said as he handed the paper to the professor.

Evangelista could not believe her eyes, the technomancer was right! She threw her arms around Eurus briefly. With knowledge and confidence, she moved closer to the empty sockets and began placing the crystals one by one into their proper places. “Are you sure you know what you're doing?” Armina spoke, looking over the professor’s shoulder. “Of course I do silly privateer,” Evangelista replied. “I know my history well”, she continued, as she dropped the last crystal into place.

The Foggiest Notions watched as they lit up brilliantly forming the shape of a beautiful butterfly. With all of the crystals aglow, light began to envelop the city once more, causing a serene hush and a calming lull over the rioting crowd below. The only sounds that could be heard were the voices of those responsible, as they cheered in triumph.

Closer, maintaining a stable pace to move even with you is a sleek steam clipper with a dragon masthead. Katsuhiro is standing near a glowing area midship that looks like--a crystal portal! He's done it! Thorson was contacted with your device that you gave Hayao on the steamtrain! Together, they've raised a portal!

It would be the best thing you've seen since you went through the tunnel portal, except for the girl in the wedding dress Tanaka is carrying as tenderly as he would her counterpart. Larianne! It's Larianne!

You have to get over to that ship! There's nothing nearby but a rickety service ladder which can't be stabilized without risking your warrior.

"It won't risk me," states a raspy purr firmly. "I feel so much myself now. I've been restored. My chip is working perfectly."

TwoFer gives a long kitty stretch, knocks down the ladder and sits firmly on the end Tanaka's crew can't secure.

"Head on over," he says with a wave of his front paw, and you do, anxious to see how Larianne is faring.

As the last of you reaches the deck, you turn to see TwoFer looking wistful. It's too far for him to jump, even with his restored strength. Tanaka sets Larianne carefully down near you, then, with one fluid motion seems to go straight up the rigging to swing out near TwoFer who has dropped into a tiger crouch to leap onto the outstretched arm.

Seriously? Straight up and out? Like walking on air? Who does this?

"Hidden dragons," Katsuhiro explains, looking fondly at his nephew who is now wearing TwoFer on one shoulder.

Still hard to believe, but even harder are the sights of Larianne staring at you blankly without even a flicker of recognition and DeWinter's force bearing down on you at a pace you can't avoid.

But wait. There's a familiar ship near you, with its captain waving at you cheerily. It's Lucien and the Floating Frenchman!

"Bon chance, mes amis, and good to see you all well. I see you might need some assistance," Lucien calls from the helm. "Trust me, you are in luck!"

He spins his ship in the direction of the approaching dreadnaught and laughs.

"Just one more thing," he adds, patting his first mate, Gaston, on the shoulders. "Tanaka! Catch!"

And with that, he gives Gaston a huge shove toward the dragon boat, leaving it to Tanaka to swing off the other side in a drop to grab the fluttering and startled faerie. (Oh, great, he walks air in reverse as well. Who does this?)

"Did I mention, mes amis, how much I hate curses?" The Frenchman's auxiliary sails billow out and the engines race to full steam. "Adieu, my friends! Bask in the light!"

Before you can protest, he's gone in a streak of steam and sail.

"I should have known," Gaston wails as he is hauled aboard the deck. "He knew that dreadnaught was out there! When he sent his crew with special gifts for Izzy and a note to tell her he loves last night, I should have known. He knew that dreadnaught was out there! I should have known!"

The faerie breaks into sobs, and you are horrified as you see the Floating Frenchman barrel on a collision course with the dreadnaught.

"Lucien, NO!"

But it is too late. The Frenchman hits the dreadnaught in a fiery explosion, and the dragon boat's pilot descends rapidly to dodge the debris. The Frenchman is gone, and only a few figures fall to their dooms in freespace.

Then, almost impossible to tell in the smoke, you see another ship, a small sloop, moving at a speed beyond any steam vessel you can imagine. Into the cloud and debris it flies, and you think you spy, just for a moment, a creature that looks like Pugsy readying a net. Just you are too far to tell for sure, and the fiery dark smoke obscures the scene.

"One curse is broken," Tanaka comments, "but there may be a chance he is caught in another." He reaches out a touches Larianne's cheeks. "So alike. They really could be sisters. Fortune is a cruel mistress. You should get her home."

Larianne looks at him and smiles. Who wouldn't? Still, she is staring blankly ahead.

Then OneToo profers the little bracelet you've carried all this time. Larianne turns to look at it, and reaches out her fingers to hold it.

"So pretty," she murmurs, turning it over and over. "I think I've seen this before. I..."

"Take her quickly," says Katsuhiro. "We have no idea how long the portal will hold, and we must retrieve Vertilline before it closes."

OneToo looks completely downcast as he goes to sit beside TwoFer at Katsuhiro's feet. The old man smiles at him.

"Take OneToo with you," he says. "The one he served is no more, and I believe there is one he would gladly serve waiting."

"Creator!" cries OneToo joyously. "You are too kind!" He swirls around Katsuhiro's ankles in gratitude and then happily joins you again.

"We owe you all so much," Tanaka adds. "Perhaps one day, in some other time, or some other space, we can repay you."