Okay, here's this, the 'end' of TsoE. Keep in mind that I still have the small army of epilogues, one of which is already written, and I'm trying to fix the parts of previous chapters where all the mental conversation was taken out. And in addition to school and ski racing, I also am heading the 'mission' at a role-playing site called 'Haven' at ezboard.com. So my creative juices are a little strained.

Disclaimer: Already said it. I don't own these characters, though I made all the ones not on the show up.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The Secret of Edd- Part 10 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The haze-filled sky was brighter than it had been in days, with sunlight actually breaking through the clouds occasionally. The creatures that feared the light hid in shadowy areas, and beings naturally of the planet (birds, mammals; no vampires or sunlizards) came, blinking, venturing out.

This phenomenon was, however, not noticed by a certain group of kids. They were gathered together on a stairwell, in the ruins of an old building, standing before the uppermost door.

Two of them, nervous about what lay ahead, had spontaneously kissed each other. The door next to them had opened just then, startling the rest of the group. Edd and Marie noticed the change in light and the others' gasps, and pulled apart to see what had happened.

Tony stood there, right there, looking down at them; A slightly annoyed expression was on his face. The starts of a mustache, thanks to two razor- less days, were apparent.

"And here you all are... It's time." He commented.

"S-Say what?" Sarah sputtered as the group's individual brains each tried to comprehend what was happening.

"Were you... expecting us?" Rolf questioned, frowning.

The 20-odd year-old nodded slowly, and Sarah burst out, "How the heck...? What...?!?"

"Where else were you going to go?" He asked calmly, spreading his hands in a shrug. "After this much disorder to your regular lives, most people would want to know 'why'... Especially Double D, I think."

Edd, who had by now gathered his composure, nodded grudgingly. "So I did... And are you going to explain yourself yet, or simply continue talking in circles?" ("Like last time", the others knew.)

Rather than answer directly, Tony stepped backwards, and turned to walk out on to the roof. The group hung back, and watched as he sat comfortably down, crossing his legs, then waving them over.

Eddy, who had been lounging off to the side, gave Tony a glance. "Why'd you open the door--Whoa!" He fell off of the chair he was on, and stared at the doorway as Edd took a few steps out, glaring at Tony. "Wh-What are they doing here, bro?!"

Tony glanced at him blandly. "...Don't get hung up on it... They 'deserve' an explanation, y'know."

"Uh..." Eddy blinked once or twice, his mind generally repeating 'HUH?'. As he watched, the whole group, all fifteen of them, came out of the stairway and formed a semicircle around Tony.
Edd and Jonny stood in the middle of the group, with Marie scowling at the two brothers. The rest separated according to their usual friendships, spreading out on both sides.

A polite cough left Tony as he sat back, considering them. "No doubt, the lot of you want to hurt me, in some... creative ways...," He glanced around at the older kids, "For disrupting your lives the way I did." The looks on their faces, and a few grumbled comments, made him nod and smile. "As I thought. Well.."

"What was that 'test' for?" Edd decided to go straight to the point... And Tony decided to answer him. Kinda.

"To decide which one of you I should teach my powers to."

"Huh?" The usual babble of different comments that tended to occur when this group was confused or surprised by something stared.

"'Teach' one of us? Why?" Jonny asked after a moment's thought. Edd, and several of the others, nodded as they looked expectantly at Tony.

Eddy, meanwhile, blinked behind the man and leaned forward. "What? Why them? Why not me...?" There was a hint of whine to his voice; Edwardo decided to not offer him any cheese.

Tony glanced back at the younger brother and raised an eyebrow. "..You're not capable of it."

"ExCUSE me?!?" Eddy's astonishment got the best of him, and he yelled to, of all people, his older brother whom he still to a degree feared. The uncharacteristic comment was lost on everyone else as Tony ignored him, and turned back to Edd and Jonny.

"The two of you are, as far as I've seen, the only two who could learn, oh... To influence that mind as I do, and son on..." He crossed his arms, sitting up again. "And I wanted an 'apprentice' for my own... What to say? Self-centered reasons? ...Ever since I left, I was off developing my abilities, and getting the idea to teach at least one other.. Stuff happened, and I eventually went back to Peach Creek and set all this up, ultimately to see which of the two of you to teach."

He paused to gauge their reactions, and Marie wondered, "Why not just teach both of them...?"

"...I hate multitasking. It was the idea of, teach one person, solely them, and when they've learned it all.. We each select another, separate, student, and teach the two of them... Then four.. Eight..."

The younger kids looked confused, while Trip shrugged. "You planning on starting an army or something? Out of cul-de-sac kids?"

"No... It's not as though this 'game' was a plan of mine for a long time, or anything; The cul-de-sac I grew up in wasn't the first place in my mind to look, trust me. At first I was just tryin' to keep an eye on my little bro, after the restraining order--"

"What?! Mom said you got fed up with them, and moved out!" Eddy exclaimed, surprised out of his sullen pout. "They had you... A restraining order? Why?"

Tony snorted. "She didn't want you gettin' like me, is all... Bad influence. Don't know what gave her that idea." He smiled at the kids before him; Kevin and Rolf couldn't help gulping slightly. "But don't worry about it squirt, you weren't involved much. ...Anyway, I noticed, one time when I was not too far from the neighborhood, how someone had set up this piece of wood as a focus, and was forever talking through it... Probably looking to find some psychically sensitive guy..."

Jonny blinked a few times, thinking this through. "You mean... Someone else was Plank?"

"Is Plank... I didn't totally mess the thing up back there. I usually just watched through it to get an idea of how Eddy was doing, then left...'Snot like I had nothing better to be doing..."

"Then why wouldn't... he answer me, at all, back in the trailer park?" Jonny's expression was less of the frown he intended and more of a pout, amusing Tony and Edward. Edward said nothing, though, and Tony answered.

"For me to actually speak through the thing, I had to use the thing's whole capacity for it, blocking out whoever else was in there... It'll probably still work for the other person, or people, that use."

"So... that thing's real?" Marie asked. "And ya said, someone else did the whole 'psychic focus' thing through it?" Tony nodded. "Who?"

"...I don't know. Didn't care enough to check. As long as they couldn't mess any of this up..."

"So, back when we did the whole roller coaster thing, and the bumper cars, and all... There was a real mind in Plank?" Ed commented, then grinned at Edd. "Maybe Plank and Jib were the same person?"

"That would be weird... " Jimmy commented to Sarah. She nodded.

Edward stretched, regarding Tony coolly. "So why are you tellin' us this?" Most of them quieted down, and looked at him. "'Less my memory's messed up, the last time we met, ya'll were pretty intent on playin' your 'game' and keepin' us in the dark."

"Yeah, what was the big idea? Why couldn't you just teach one of them without all this junk?" Sarah exclaimed.

"Why control us the way you did?" Lee followed with, with May adding, "It wasn't nice."

As the majority had some comment or another, Edwardo shrugged at Edd. "Hey, I wasn't there."

".." Tony rolled his eyes as most of them got annoyed and began responding to each other's complaints. //Mob-mentalities, eh? What kids.// He thought at Edd and Jonny, and smirked as they slowly gave the other uncomfortable glances.

//.You evidently used that tendency to your advantage before.// Edd murmured mentally.

//Prob'ly will again, too.// Tony answered. He watched the twos' glances again, then slowly look over at Kevin. The vampire gave a barely noticeable shrug at them, then looked around the group.

*********

//...What kids.// Tony was commenting.

//Jonny, did you.? //

//Uh huh. And these guys are, kinda. They keep getting distracted.//

//I noticed. // Edd looked over at Tony, who watched the two of them with a Cheshire cat of Eddy-like smirk; now he knew where the ex-Ed had gotten in from, the infuriating expression. //.You evidently used that tendency to you advantage before.// He couldn't help but point out; That dratted look on Tony's face! It was the exact one that Eddy showed him whenever he was about to make Edd feel like an idiot, or when he used the hat-blackmail. Honestly.

General emotions of agreement were sent to him, and Tony commented, //Prob'ly will again, too...// The smirk only widened, to Edd's increasing annoyance.

//Guess he's actually not done playing with us, huh? // Jonny asked morosely. Edd agreed with him, and noticed the continued babbling around them.

//Does it seem to you that mental conversations are faster than spoken ones? //

Jonny was unable to answer, as another voice entered the conversation. //What's going on? // Kevin cut in. Jonny blinked, and both he and Edd looked over at him. The redhead shrugged slightly. //I think I just got the hang of how you do this, Double D. Jonny hears me too, right? //

The younger boy nodded slightly and quickly, aware of Tony's continued gaze. //Kevin. You're all right? Really all right.? //

//Yeah, I'm fine. Now, anyway.// Kevin glanced quickly over at Tony, then wondered, //Shouldn't we get going with this conversation again, before Tony decides to try something on us? He's got that look he always had before seriously messing with me or Rolf back when we were younger.//

//Could you? I don't want to yell at them, but-// Edd started, sounding a little uncomfortable; both Jonny and Kevin felt a little of his reluctance.

//Sure thing. // Kevin kept himself from smiling at the sheer oddness a mental conversation held, and focused on the world around him.

"Kevin, are you. okay?" Nazz was asking slowly, looking concerned. He nodded at her, still not smiling; showing fangs probably wouldn't have been the best thing for their thinly patched friendship.

Kevin glanced to his right, cleared his throat, and loudly exclaimed, "Yo, would you guys shut up, or did you even want to understand the tall idiot in the chair?!?"

A few people jumped as he spoke and immediately quieted down; the changes in his voice were a bit unnerving. Total silence fell, and he looked challengingly at Tony.

The man's smirk had fallen, and an eyebrow hovered slightly above the other. He also cleared his throat, eyes not leaving Kevin's for a few seconds. "As to why I set up the. 'Game'? I was, as I said, looking for someone to teach how to do thing things I can do to. The reasons aren't important. That search was slow, and I wasn't getting anywhere. Then I watched as something huge happened, as three middle school kids created a machine with powers I doubt you even grasp yet. And I watched very intently now, realizing what must be able to happen, eventually. If other universes exist, and pieces of wood can harbor minds, and all. Then there surely'd be one, eventually, that had a way to gain real power. And you three went in it." He looked behind him at Eddy, then Ed, then Edd. "Do you.. Have any idea what making a connection between our universe and this one did? Without even coming here, I suddenly could not only shape what a person's opinion of my, or erase some memories, but completely, totally control them. And make them think that what they did was their decision!"

"Then. This gate was truly responsible for the change, and it wasn't just cir.---?" Edd asked slowly.

Tony nodded. "So after I 'convinced' the guys t'let me go, and forget about it, it occurred to me; Why keep looking? I had already found a kid with at least the sensitivity, if not the ability. So I headed this way, setting up a scenario where you'd become paranoid of each other, fighting, and needing someone to help you."

"Why play with us?!?" Compared to the other's voices, Jimmy's was higher and had a noticeable squeak to it.

"That wasn't nice, Tony," Nazz said softly, solemnly frowning.

The four other-worlders sat back calmly, leaning against the stairwell building. Edwardo whispered, "Weren't there, don't care." Trip grinned, while Maria shook her head at the two of them.

"Why use them as your lab rats?" Edward was pointing out. "You were in jail or some kind of institution, weren't ya? Why not just use the people there?"

"And." Rolf both appeared and sounded confused. "Is Rolf wrong, or would all this not be in come way contrary to the rules?"

"Like he cares?" Sarah remarked, just as Kevin spoke up.

"'Against the law' is how we'd say that, Rolf." Nazz blinked from next to him, a little surprised at the normalcy of his comment. "And why come here, to this world, Tony? Why did you set it up for me to 'delay' these guys, anyway?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "So many questions. Well, young 'Edward' here had become a wild card." He again looked at Edd, and gave a slight smile. "Once you had that splinter in you hand, from the original focus, I was able to watch through you, too." Edd nodded slightly, seemingly repulsed. "And he surprised me to no end, somehow canceling the effect I'd had on two of your minds. So now there was, not one, but two people to choose from.? I played around with the set up so that, instead of just getting you all to be in conflict with each other, to get you all to the same place, so I could take you out of the universe, and properly compare your abilities."

He now looked back at Kevin. "As to 'why you'. Think about it. I figured that I'd need another test than a 'magical' wall, and a few golems, plus neither me'r Eddy like you." He now gestured with his thumb at his younger brother who had begun to look bored. "And with that whole thing of you staying behind, with a vampire, and getting bitten? All together, this was way too convenient to pass over."

"I bet." Kevin growled, crossing his arms and glaring. A few kids looked nervously at him.

"Speaking of the. Golems. How did you know how to create them?" Edd wondered. Ed glanced upward, pleadingly, as he recognized Double D's tone of voice. It was the same one he used when of on scientific thing, or when he had asked Jimmy to explain that setting-up of the Eds. He and Marie shared a knowing, weary glance.

"How'd you know how to make a machine for crossing into other universes? You just did it, right?" Tony retorted. Edd nodded, slowly and reluctantly at him. "Same for me. Just did it."

(Off to the side, Trip grinned at the three near him. He pointed at his leg and revealed one of his shoes, a Nike. 'Just do it.' He whispered, snickering. Maria glared at him, while Edwardo gave a small smirk.)

"The golems I put there just to see if either of you consciously controlled it, but. I still had another test or two planned, that can still go through."

Their eyes generally either widened in nervousness, or narrowed in wariness. Eddy, still sitting on the other chair behind Tony, looked annoyed, and stared off into the distance.

"One of them. I don't think I'll do. Poor Kevin has been hassled enough as is, don't you think?" As Tony expected, Kevin didn't react well to mention of himself.

"What were you planning that involved me?!" Kevin took a step or two forward, the challenging look returning.

Tony smiled slowly, and commented, "If I was able to completely control them. What makes you think I can't do the same to you?"

"What.?!" Kevin whispered, straightening quickly. He stared at Tony, ignoring the few whispers behind him.

//After all, you still haven't. drunk. have you.? //

Kevin blinked, as he recognized the voice. His eyes narrowed. "Shut up."

The smile widened slightly, and then Tony looked back over at Edd. He picked up the controller that he'd held in the trailer park, and waved it at them. "The golems weren't important, and the young vampire here wasn't a necessary diversion, at any point. Thanks to this little toy that I learned to make from your mind. Really an incredible thing you came up with--" They noticed a taunting tone as he and Edd now stared at one another. "-But it's capable of doing more."

"Why do I get the feeling that he's gonna tell us it's a weapon?" Ed muttered. "Bad guys are never interested in something that can't be used for destroying things."

Tony glanced over at him, glaring. "'Bad guys'.?" Ed only smiled at him; an impish expression one would expect to see on Sarah. "Hmph."

"If you didn't bring us here to teach one of us how to control people's minds wasn't a 'bad guy' thing. then why.?" Jonny looked puzzled.

Tony sighed, putting the controller down on the seat beside him. "For one, it's not only a matter of 'influencing people. For example, tell me; can you do this?" He waved his hand at the group.

They all stared as Edd slowly floated into the air, and as he noticed, exclaimed, "Wha-What on Earth?!" He looked down at Tony, slightly panicked. "T-telekinesis?"

"Yes." Edd was now hovering about 6 feet above the ground, shaking. His controller floated out of his pockets and hovered a short distance before him. To his relief, Tony put his had down, and Edd descended slowly. "A useful thing, especially when it came to getting out of my old room. Move the bricks out of the way, climb out, put them back and go." As he spoke, the controller revolved in a small circle, occasionally flipping upside down or swinging back and forth.

Eddy's jaw had opened. "You mean that's how you were always able to sneak out? Moving bricks with you mind?"

"And how I never got hurt rock-climbing?" Nazz murmured.

"Exactly." Tony opened up his hand, and the controller flew into it. Many of the kids looked impressed.

Trip was looking thoughtfully at the adult. "That could really be useful in certain lines of work." He grinned at Edd and Jonny. "Whichever one o'ya he teaches, tell me how t'do that, huh?"

They looked over at him, and Marie smiled disdainfully. "What 'line of work' would that be, anyway?"

Trip grinned. "Are you accusing me of something? Come, now."

"This is all fascinating an' all." Edward said slowly, very sarcastically. "But now that yer done playing with that thing, ya mind giving it back?" He held out his hand to Tony.

Edd blinked, then noticed that Tony was holding the controller in his right hand, and sitting up straighter than before. "Oh..! Yes, Tony, really."

Similar comments echoed around the group, and grew louder as Tony shook his head. Marie and Kevin glanced at each other and nodded, then started forward. Or tried to, rather. "What the." Marie commented, blinking with her visible eye. Lee and May gasped off to the side.

Kevin glared at Tony again. "Deja'vu, huh.? This is getting very annoying."

"Hey, let'em go!" May cried out, shaking slightly. "I. I thought you were doin' doing that!"

Tony looked at her mildly, then at the two frozen in place. By now both of them were glaring evilly. "I'm not going to until they stop trying to come at me." He slipped his feet off of the chair, and stood up.

"Marie." Edd said slowly.

"Tch. Fine." She folded her arms, annoyed, and glanced at Kevin. He frowned, but also relaxed.

"So, why won't you give it back.?" Edward repeated.

"Because. One of you needs to take it from me." Tony said slowly, waving it at them again.

"Lemme guess. Your other test?" Sarah seemed to be mimicking Kevin and Marie's glares.

Edwardo stretched. "Are we allowed to take it from your cold, de-"

"No one's getting killed, Ed." Trip cut in, staring intently at the other boy. Edwardo pouted at him, for a second, then broke into a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. 'lit'l impressionable tikes' around, and all.."

"ANYway." Edd shook his head at the two, and looked at Tony. "'Take it from you'. Why? To see if we can, or..."

"-Or because he enjoys being a pain in the butt?" Lee remarked, stepping forward.

"No, not all of you. Either Jonny, or Double D, that's all. I just want to know which of you is naturally better at this. The reason why you," He looked at Edd, "couldn't have broken that is because I know what I'm doing. You just had raw power going for you before." Tony gave them an odd frown, one that once had sent Rolf and Kevin running. "So. Just do it, one of you."

(Off to the side, Trip gave his shoes another glance, and the cameraman glared at him.)

"How? Telekinetically?" Tony nodded at Edd. "Neither of us know how. to." He trailed off as thoughts were pushed into his mind. A quick glance at Jonny, a few thoughts exchanged, and he realized what Tony had done.

"Y-You." Jonny sounded confused, just as most of the kids around were looking at them. The boy stared at a pebble below him, and watched it float up to level with his eyes.

".If simply putting the knowledge into our head is possible.. Why choose between us? Why not." Edd, too, was puzzled, almost at a loss of words.

"For one, because I wasn't sure that would work. And besides. Why waste my time showing both of you and having to stop whenever one of you doesn't get it...? It would be faster with just one person."

By now, the other 13 kids of the semi circle had moved to be surrounding Edd and Jonny instead, watching in growing weariness. After all, they weren't sure what was going on, and remembering how easily Tony was able to control people.

Kevin began to pay attention, shaken from his 'glaring-at-Eddy-for-daring- to-look-at-MY-Nazz-like-that' by the sudden flood of thoughts he noticed in the two, being projected out by the sheer volume of them. //Jeez. That's way too fast for me to even get.// Just how he begun to catch their thoughts in the first place bemused him; it must have had something to do with Tony 'speaking' to him.

Nazz looked at him, unofficial spokesperson of the group, and tapped his shoulder. "Kevin. Is-Is Tony doing the same thing to them that. he did to you.?" She asked, hesitantly.

The others looked at him, hoping for some explanation of Edd and Jonny's sudden remoteness.

"Well. No. S'far as I can tell, he just stuck the. Uh. 'How' to do that levitation stuff into their heads. Y'know? The. knowledge, and all?" He resisted biting his lip; that would have been a little too painful for him.

"He. can do that?" Jimmy asked in a hushed voice.

Kevin frowned and nodded. "Yeah, why not? Double D, heck, I could probably do something like that."

They stared. "What. Makes you think that? Can you read minds all of a sudden, too?" Edward asked after a few seconds.

".." Kevin opened his mouth, then closed it, wondering how to answer. "Well. Kinda. Yeah." Several jaws opened around him, and the staring increased. "Yeah, ever since Double D came up to the cave, me'n him have been talking telepathically."

Marie was staring the hardest when Edwardo suddenly fell down, and the bag he was holding flying out of his grip.

They all turned towards the other four, and gasped as they watched the fabric quickly spread out and envelop the controller. Tony straightened and sputtered, "What?!"

Edd and Jonny smirked as the cloth bundle compressed itself and fell, then rolled to a space just before the pair. Tony didn't looks as amused.

"Well." Rolf shivered at the tone; it had always accompanied a certain frown, the loss of fowl, and pain for Rolf years before. "Well." Tony regarded the pair, and scowled. "The POINT of that was for ONE of you to take it. Not for idiotic teamwork to annoy me-"

"So?"

Tony blinked when Jonny commented that.

******************

//Wanna see something a little more important.? // The boy taunted simultaneously to the adult, without even looking at Edd or Kevin. He didn't need to. //You guys got it.?//

//Let's give him a show.// Kevin decided, stretching. //Then get the heck out of here. I'm getting hungry, and the last I need is for Eddy to start looking appetizing.//

Edd would have frowned, but the conversation was moving too quickly. //Kevin, hold up. I want to bring Eddy with us, and not as a food source for you? //

//What? Why? And that's why to bringing him, not why to. Y'know.// Kevin trailed off, smiling faintly.

A mental sigh came from Edd. //Did. Did either of you check his mind?// Jonny sent emotions of 'no', while Kevin looked sidelong at Eddy.

//Uhh.. Double D, I've got the whole mind-talking thing going, but I don't know how to read minds.// He replied.

//Ah. Well, look.// He transferred the thoughts the same way that they had in the cave. //You know Eddy has always hero-worshipped his brother, with Tony being everything he wasn't. Tall, successful, OLDER. He wanted to go with his older brother, do the whole get-'RESPECK'-by-being-with-Tony thing, and. You guys, if we leave Eddy here, I'm pretty sure Tony is going to hurt him. Maybe badly, if we annoy him too badly.//

Jonny nodded slightly, though the motion was pointless; it was becoming obvious that, during these mental conversations, they weren't talking anywhere near as slowly as a verbal conversation would have been; only seconds had passed so far. //You're right. And you would know better than me or Kevin, anyway, huh?//

Kevin 'hmm'ed, then commented, //I guess. Oh, fine. How about this: We annoy the HECK out of Tony, do the whole 'teamwork has brought us closer together as friends'--//

//Has MADE us friends.// Edd interrupted, earning a slight annoyance from Kevin.

//'has MADE us friends', fine, 'and now we know better than to try to lose our friendship for power', yadda yadda.// Kevin explained, glancing towards Tony. He noticed, with some amusement, that Eddy was no longer ogling Nazz, but staring at Tony in shock.

Edd nodded, noticing with some wonder that everyone else was moving in slow motion, and had been the whole time. Then wondered if he had really nodded at all. //Though--//

//We'll actually mean it.// All three chorused in thought, then smiled and let time catch up with them.

"So?" Jonny asked again, out loud. "Instead, we worked together, me holding it still and distracting you, Double D actually getting it."

Edd began to speak. "And as corny as it sounds, this whole thing HAS served a purpose. Although it originally served to drive apart old friends," He looked at Eddy meaningfully, to see the boy look puzzled, then hopeful, "It's made the whole lot of us a great deal closer. And, frankly-"

"We don't want your lessons." Edd and Jonny said together.

"Did you really think explaining this would make the two of them want to learn under you?" Kevin took up, staring challengingly at Tony. "They're KIDs, moron. WE'RE kids. And we just wanted to BE kids, for now."

"Although we're getting to be too old to be curious all the time for curiosity's sake, I should hope we're too young to be consumed be an ill- placed desire for power." Edd added, giving Eddy a slight smile, and sent a single thought over. //Eddy.// The boy jumped slightly, and stared. Edd didn't listen to his thoughts, though confusion was definitely present there. //Wanna come back?//

The other kids looked around at each other. Although they lacked the psychic connection allowing these three to be so fluent, they were beginning to understand what was going on, what was being said, and what they should do.

Marie clasped an arm around Edd's shoulder and smiled. "So here WE are, getting closer and all when you're just playing around with us, fer no reason, messin' with us. Figurin' out stuff about each other we never knew- "

"But are glad for.." Ed interrupted, grinning at May, who grinned in reply.

"Because even though we're still kids, we won't be for much longer.." Nazz said softly. "Which means we'll make our own decisions, and our own risks. Although we'll need adult guidance we don't need you controlling us each step of the way." She stood there, much firmer and self-assured than she had been for a day or two, and looked up at Kevin with a smile.

"And, Rolf feels certain, none of us are so afraid of you that we will run away again." Rolf put in.

"Heck, some of us were never afraid of you from the start." Trip smiled. "In my world, that Tony was like a. a mentor for me."

"And for me, too." Edwardo added.

"That explains a lot." Kevin murmured, as Edward began speaking.

"I never knew you. Can't say that I would have ever cared, anyway. Maria didn't, either." Maria glared at him, punching his arm, then smirked.

"I didn't care, either." She commented, a pointed look at her boyfriend. He only laughed.

"I only heard of you, and figured since you're Eddy's brother, ya must no be all that tough. And yer not. You just use your mind powers to make everyone THINK you're big." Lee commented coolly.

"Yeah, TELL me about it.. My brother's, like, a GENIUS compared to you. You're too dumb to even pay any attention to YOUR sibling, you just use him to get to his friends." Sarah complained. "At least Ed cares about me."

And my dad's a nice guy compared to you, too." Jimmy exclaimed. "So I'm not going to see you bully me, or Sarah, or anyone else around without doing something about it."

"So. I guess NONE of us care much for you, or any of this, huh?" Edd said, after a brief pause in the talking. He met Eddy's increasing open-mouthed stare with a smile. "Not even your own brother."

*****

"I." Eddy said softly, staring at the other kids. The doubles were more intent on making fun of Tony than paying attention to him, but. Ed and Edd were giving him looks, looks that were awfully understanding. Heck, even KEVIN was smirking at him!

"Shut UP." Tony growled, spinning around to glare at him. Eddy winced as the air hardened and slapped his face. He heard a few kids gasp, and one or two grumble something. So He looked up to see a furious expression on Tony's face. "SHUT UP." Tony repeated slowly, now looking back towards the others. "Like you all said, you're a bunch of stupid kids. God! I offer you whatever you want, and you-"

"Turn it down." Jonny said softly. "Neither me or Double D care about what you're really trying to give us, at all. Be your. Your servant, or slave, like how you try to make everyone be."

"Double D just doesn't have a, uh, 'commanding personality', and Jonny-" Kevin began to say, in explanation to Tony, with a mocking tone to his voice.

"'Wouldn't hurt a fly.?'" Eddy remarked hesitantly, still staring. Tony ignored him this time, still facing the other way.

"Exactly." Jimmy this time, and he half-smiled around the group. "I. I wouldn't have said no, if it had be me."

"Most of us wouldn't have. I mean, May and Lee didn't. Eddy didn't. Most us. wouldn't have.. We'd all have some reason to want that power." Marie acknowledged with a shrug. "What was it, three, four days ago? I would've taken it."

"I KNOW I would have." Trip commented, grinning. "But, you didn't think to ask ME, now did you? I mean, really." He stepped forward, next to Edd, and compared the two of them. "I mean. What has he got that I don't? Huh? He's definitely not manlier than me, or anything. Look at those scrawny muscles. Really."

A few of the kids laughed in relief, both at Trip and at the expression on Tony's face. Eddy whispered, "How. can all of you stand up to him like that.? Just a few weeks ago, you guys groveled at the thought of his return, and now," as he stared in amazement.

******

Sarah blinked as Tony moved slightly, and everyone turned to look at him again. His expression made him hideous, but wasn't that always the case with angry evil people?

"Fine." He hissed, then looked over at Ed. "You wanted to know, earlier, how this invention, the gate, was a weapon?" Tony flicked his hand at the cloth bundle, and it lit on fire. Random exclamations rose from the group as he easily pulled the controller from Edd and Jonny's mental grasps. It flew to his hand again, and his hand tightened around it. "Suppose a gate was opened to a universe that never existed, a universe that was a total vacuum. What would happen, hmm?"

He grinned slightly, the hand around the controller clenching tighter, and the free one moving up to begin pressing the buttons. "How about I show you?" Turning the controller for the kids to see, he now pressed a single thing, a zero. "Good bye."

********

"Oh my god," Nazz whispered, staring up.

Everyone but Tony followed her gaze. The gate wasn't opening the same way Tony's had in the trailer park, or how Edd's always did. It hovered in the sky above them, about 100 feet up and free of the metal restraints. This let it spin, growing outward to where the ring should be. And keep growing.

Jonny noticed Edd shaking next to him, shrinking down to his knees and staring at the gate. "Double D?"

"M-My dream." The light increased, not of any particular color. If black was a color of light, it was shining at them just as white, and gold, and purple did. Particles of dust began floating upward with the breeze, but too quickly for science to have explained it. They also caught the light, causing the scene to gain a surreal appearance.

"My dream, Jonny." Edd looked up at him and Marie, shaking his head. "The one I told you all about in your room. This is it.!" He whispered frantically, looking back up. Tony hadn't reacted yet, still staring down at them.

"Your dream." Jonny shook his own head, and stared at the gate as well. "You saw this, back. Just after the gate was built?!?" //You told us you didn't know how that dream ended. Do you?!//

//I think. It.// He sighed. //Remember, the light expanded, and the world turned to ruin. But this one is ruins, already. I don't.// Edd shook his head, standing back up.

"H-Hey, that thing's getting bigger!" May exclaimed nervously.

"And. it will GET bigger." Tony said slowly, and crushed Edd's controller with his hand as they watched in horror. "Now we'll see what happens."

"You're nuts!" Maria exclaimed. "If we get pulled in that thing, it'll be like being in space! We'd die!"

Tony didn't answer her, just looked up. The group watched as small stones began flying upwards, into the gate.

"Double D. We need to get out of here. NOW." Ed realized, and grabbed his friend shoulder. "Without anything to hold it in, won't the gate just keep growing?" Edd nodded mutely in response. "And he just broke the controller. So we can't shut it off."

Nazz's eyes widened. "Ed, do you mean that will destroy the planet.?"

"Planet?!? Heck, that's gonna destroy the whole UNIVERSE!" Edwardo exclaimed, seeing where Ed was going. "It'll suck everything in if it keeps growing, and if the other side doesn't exist. We won't, either. we have GOT to get out of here!"

"What.?" Jimmy squeaked, backing to the door.

""Everything"? Let's go, now!" Sarah ran over to Jimmy, and fumbled with the handle. Several kids followed the two onto the stairwell, and began down the staircase.

"You guys, that won't do any good." Kevin said regretfully. "So."

"At least we won't be up here, with him." Nazz murmured, tugging at his arm.

"Well, I'm heading down. Who knows, maybe this'll just wreck the surface of the planet, and we can wait it out in Old Geezer's bomb shelter." Trip commented to Edward with a shrug. Edwardo and Maria looked interested, and the four doubles followed after Sarah and Jimmy down the stairs.

Edd shook his head as the rest of the kids began moving to the door. "What.? What bomb shelter?" Trip didn't answer, disappearing around the corner. "Hey!"

"Rolf believes we should follow them." Rolf suggested. "Staying here does us no good, and to find out what he was saying---"

"They were in some bomb shelter when they got the food and stuff, of course." Edd muttered, as he thought back. "Of course." He nodded to the others. "Yeah, let's go. I'm not sure what good it'll do us, with that," he jerked a thumb up towards the gate, "but those four appear determined."

Everyone but Tony and Eddy began walking quickly down the stairs; Edd paused in the doorway to glance back. Tony ignored him, scowling upward, and Eddy. Had that blank look that he'd had when Lee was controlling him. //No way would Tony let him go, even if I asked, huh.? I wonder what Eddy wants to be saying, that he's being 'influenced'.// He sighed, considering breaking it, but Tony glanced at him darkly. //Perhaps not.//

"So what is their great idea?" Marie was asking from about a flight down, and Edd jogged after them. "Where is that bomb shelter Trip was saying something about?"

"Apparently, in both of their worlds there was some older, uh. somewhat paranoid man, who had set up his basement to survive a nuclear attack during the Cold War, and has kept it well supplied since. And it existed here, it's where they found the clothing and cans, though he's long gone." Edd explained, checking the story from the four's minds quickly.

"Oh." Jonny nodded, checking the memories as well. He frowned. "But. Kevin's right. It won't do any good."

"I know." Edd shook his head, and ran down the final flight. "Hey! You six! Wait up!"

*****

The fifteen met at the base of the building, outside. The sky was becoming clouded over from the dust and rocks flying into the rift above them, and, of course, a storm was beginning.

"What are we going to do..?! I don't. I don't wanna die!" Sarah yelled, stomping.

Several people looked hopefully at Edd, who shivered and looked up. "I don't know," He sighed. "I'm sorry, all of you. This. Well, it's largely my fault, and before anyone says that I couldn't have known ahead of time. Remember my dream? What else was it but a warning?"

"Well, jeez." Edward muttered. "You had a vision, and all. What a stupid way for us to go."

//Double D, how could you have known that that's what the dream meant, though? You're not an expert on dreams.// Kevin thought, then looked and felt annoyed. //Are you listening?//

//He blocked himself off.// Jonny commented softly.

//What, so he can sit there pitying himself.? Honestly.// He simply shook his head while Jonny half-smiled around the group. Both blinked when they noticed Nazz. "Uh."

"Huh.?" She had been wearing a similar smile when she noticed the stares, and glanced up. Her hair, and everyone's who had hair long enough, was beginning to stand up as though someone had rigorously rubbed balloons over their heads. "Oh, you know." Similar groans were heard all around.

"Well. I think, with all of this going on. We need a big hug, everyone." Ed decided, suddenly squeezing May, then Lee. Both girls grinned, hugging in return, and the three looked at Edd and Marie. "Hug, guys!"

Edd smiled faintly and began to stand again, only for Ed to grab both him and Marie as well. Sarah jumped up, wrapping her arms around Ed, and was quickly joined by Jimmy and Nazz.

"Oh, whatever." Kevin glanced at Rolf, giving a toothy smile, then joined the giant hug. Rolf shrugged and stood up, and both he and Jonny went over as well.

Maria and Edward shook their heads together, laying down together and kissing, rather indiscreetly. Edwardo and Trip just seemed puzzled.

"Should we take our shoes off, or something?" Trip murmured, watching the 11 break apart and separate into the good friends and newly formed couples. "I mean, honestly."

"Nah, it's all platonic here. Well, mostly." Edwardo gave Maria and Edward a sidelong glance. "Y'know, those two have go the right idea. What do you say? End of the world, we're all surprisingly sane still. We could give these guys a scare?"

"Mmm." Trip pressed his lips together until they turned white, then shook his head. "Wait a couple minutes. Until we start floating, for example."

Edwardo nodded, commenting, "Romantic. Pity there's so many kids here, though."

Trip snorted. "We're kids, technically."

"Technically." He grinned. "You two, get a room, already."

******

Edd leaned against the wall, looking up as he felt it begin to vibrate under the stress. "So." He shook his head and sighed, perhaps for the 10th time in the last few minutes.

"Do we just. Stay here and wait? That's kinda boring." Marie commented, kneeling beside his and batting a small pebble back to the ground. Each time it hit it quivered for a minute then began floating back up.

"We don't really have a choice." Ed looked rather sad as he said this, much like the majority of the kids. "What could we do? Our gate's not back where we started, it's up there, and he's gone and wrecked the controller so we can't stop it."

"Hey." May frowned, pouting, and looked at Ed, puzzled. "What, uh. What happened to his controller? That he us-"

"Oh my God!" Nazz gasped from where she and Kevin had been, tentatively, kissing. "Double D!"

His eyes had widened as he shot up, staring towards the light source above them. "#$%#$..! He had it! Didn't you guys see, he had it when we just came!"

"Oh.! You're right!" Most of the kids had also jumped up, clamoring loudly. Edd bolted for the door, and stared in horror as it shut just before him. They crowded around as he tugged at the handle repeatedly, only to realize it had become locked. Edd's hands shook as he backed away to let others try and he screamed, "Tony!"

****

The man didn't physically hear him, being busy with a rather short menace on the roof. After they had left, Eddy had continued to sit motionless and staring at nothing as he tried to understand what was happening. Tony's calming influence hadn't hurt this, but when Tony turned to locking the below door, and preventing the kids from coming up, his hold on Eddy had loosened.

This was why he opened his eyes to see Eddy standing just before him. "What is wrong with you?!?" Eddy screamed, panicked beyond caring about what Tony would do, or beyond Tony being able to calm him. "We're gonna die, you know that?!?"

"And we weren't ever going to before?" Tony coldly asked.

"N-Not like this!" Eddy shook, staring up at the silhouette of his brother. "And definitely not yet! We're just kids! Messing around with them was fine, but it's not like they were ever really gonna die! Not with Ed, or Rolf, or Kevin around! This. This is-"

"Not a problem." Tony looked down at his increasingly red-faced brother, and held up the remaining controller. "If you promise to stop screaming, we're leaving."

"Huh.?" Eddy blinked once or twice, then smiled. "You mean. You were still messing with them? We can all go back. now.?" He swallowed and stopped talking as his brother shook his head. "No.?"

"'We'. You and I. Let's go." Tony glanced to an empty space to the side, then began pressing buttons and muttering to himself. "Don't want to be held responsible for what, 15 murders? Better head to before-What do you think you're doing?"

Eddy had stomped over to the stairwell and was looking down it. "I. I. I can't. Leave. I can't leave without them. I'm gonna go. Let them up." He was shaking slightly, but he turned and met Tony's gaze squarely, about the first time in his life.

Tony lowered his arm from the controller, and stood there limply, staring upward. "They. You don't get it, do you?" He stepped towards Eddy. "Idiot. I'm not going to bring them back to just get charged with kidnapping and all, not with this thing. We'll go, I don't know, to a universe where I never bothered coming, or-"

Tony had been distracted. This made sense, considering that a person can only multitask to do so many things at once. He was simultaneously holding the door and lock in place as Jonny and Edd tried to pull the control on it away; hardening the windows so that, no matter how hard Ed threw himself at the windows, they wouldn't break. He was also currently affecting the gravity on the rooftop to keep himself and Eddy from floating upward any time soon. This left no attention to be spent in his brother's mind, checking Eddy's mind. So Eddy was able to grab the controller, and yell, "Hey, guys! Catch!," before Tony could react.

******

Kevin was standing back from the group, about to fly up to the rooftop, and distract Tony, or something, when he heard an irritating, familiar voice.

"Hey, guys! Catch!" Eddy yelled faintly. Chances were good that none of the humans could hear him; the weird gravity was affecting their hearing by now.

Kevin looked up, and saw Eddy leaning over the railing, waving the controller. "You've got to be kidding." He muttered, as Tony's head appeared beside Eddy, and began to pull his younger brother back. Eddy freed his arm, and tossed it down.

"Ow!! Leggo!!" Eddy's voice called as Kevin jumped up to catch the controller. It slowed its descent, rather than speeding up, and Kevin considered that it was a very good thing that he could fly. Transforming into the batlike shape he grabbed it with his claws and dropped.

"Ah!" A yell, probably in terror of him, sounded below as he transformed back and landed. "Kevin?!?"

Kevin looked up to see Ed smash through the window, and Edward accidentally wrench the door off its hinges. He looked back down at the controller and scowled, thinking. //What was it.? 8320.01.? Something like that. If we go to the wrong one. Well, At least we wouldn't be here anymore.// He typed the numbers, and pressed enter. The same screen came up again, blank. "Huh?"

"Kevin, where did you go?!? What was that about?" Edd was coming over by him, sounding confused.

Kevin shook his head, and waved the controller at him. "Never mind that! Double D, how do you use this?!?"

Edd turned, and stared when he saw what Kevin was holding. "H-How did you..!?"

"Eddy threw it down." Kevin stepped quickly and met Edd in the middle, and handed the device over. "It'll work, right? I tried doing it, and nothing happened."

"Y-Yes. But Tony already set the coordinates. Drat." Edd frowned and quickly began tapping the keys. "8-3-2-0-0-9. We can always get them back to their own worlds later." He finished, then pressed enter.

Another flash of light above them began, and everyone looked up. "It's set up there? Good thing we opened the door!" Trip commented, helping Ed wipe the glass off of him. "Let's head up!"

****

All fifteen bolted up the stairs, noticing how much easier running up them was when gravity was starting to pull you up as well. Sarah squeaked and grabbed for Ed as her toes started not touching anymore.

"Watch it!!!" Edd yelled, and they stopped to look in horror as the walls began to crack, and the highest above ceiling moved further away. "Move!" Everyone did so, without needing to be told.

"Oh, holy-" Lee whispered as they got to the second highest landing. Tony had stopped holding the rooftop down, and the sudden change in gravity had wrenched it up at about a 35-degree tilt. Eddy was hanging onto the railing, and Tony was floating a few feet off, glaring. No one there would have ever contradicted a person who said he was glowing a dark red color, practically radiating evil.

"Ah...!" All of the lighter weight kids grabbed for walls as they felt what Sarah had felt; an uplifting force just beyond weightlessness, to pull them towards the gate. It was probably 400 feet wide, with lightning crackling at times.

"To the gate.!" Edd yelled, with the static noise so loud he could barely be heard. He used the wall to guide himself to near Eddy, and looked towards the ring of light off to the left, stuck through the floor now that it had been pulled up. "Hey, come on.!"

Eddy met his gaze, and for the first time in days, simply grinned. "Right behind you, Double D!"

Edd nodded in reply, and gestured to the others. "Come on!" The few who could still walk did, helping the others to not float up.

"How does this work? Just go through it?" Edward yelled. "It doesn't look like yours did!"

"I think we need to stand on in, and I activate it a second time to actually go through. That's how it worked in the trailer park.!" Edd replied, bracing himself against the rail to hold himself down. The rest collected, trying to stay down as well, when Tony began laughing.

Looking over, they saw him point up, still laughing. "It's too late for that, I think!"

"What does he mean.?" Jonny whispered as he clutched Rolf's arm and shivered. //Double D.?//

The kids began to yell as the roof shifted, and slid out underneath them. Tony stared at it, and pointed upward again; it flew towards the void.

"Whoa!!!" Eddy's grasp on Ed slipped, and he floated upwards, his eyes widening.

"Eddy!" The kids were only able to watch as he was pulled faster, and faster, then vanished.

"Double D! I can't hold Nazz and get him at once. Just do the gate before anyone else goes!" Kevin exclaimed, staring over at Edd quickly. Nazz looked horrified at the thought of being responsible for Eddy's disappearance.

"All. All right." Edd bit his lip, causing a little blood to come out, then close his eyes and hit enter. //Tony.! I swear, if you escape here somehow. I swear, you won't live long.! // He thought-screamed, just before the kids were pulled through.

******

Eddy floated upwards, watching his friends stare at him as they grew further and further away. //Guys.// Everyone, even the doubles, were watching him, and no one was going and being like they normally were, calling him stupid, or anything. Nazz looked like she was gonna cry, even Kevin and Sarah were looking guilty.

//So. Is this. It?// He looked up, turning himself around. For the first time, and probably the last time, he would face what was coming for him with out looking away. //I. Heh. I should've kissed a girl with out being controlled, at least once. I mean, Lee's not so bad. And kissing a guy doesn't count.// He smiled, remembering that little incident. Skipper, indeed.

Eddy blinked, and shielded his eyes, then paused. And pulled his arm away, and stared as his outstretched hand touched the gate. //Bye.// He thought, then was gone.

*************** ~In another universe~ ****************

"Ow." No one knew who first decided to say something. It didn't really matter. Turned out that the presence of a nearby gate messed up with the end coordinates, which was good; Not one of them would have wanted to explain to the hospital staff how fifteen kids just appeared 3 or 4 feet above the rooftop, then fell.

"$%$%6.#$%^ %^&&#& %^#$&^ (#$%&." Edward commented, and a few kids snickered. He turned his head, and looked around. "Trees.?"

"What.?" Several others began to sit up, wincing as they did. It was pretty dark out, but the moon was about full, and they could definitely see trees all around them.

"How did we get. Here?" Edd was the first to actually stand, shivering as he noticed the cold. "This… isn't exactly the city."

"'Oo cares.? We're alive, aren't we.? Lemme just enjoy that a minute without… Tryin' t'be all scientific an'all." Edwardo muttered, turning onto his back. He opened an eye, then commented, "Oh. Sorry, uh, Double D. Thought it was Trip 'ere talkin'." He nudged Trip with his foot, then closed his eye again. “’Least we’re all here.

"Not all of us are here…." Jonny shivered as well, sitting up. "We're not all here."

"Oh, god." Edd collapsed, kneeling. "Eddy. I had... I forgot… He’s not…?"

"Well, who is here.?" Edward pulled out a flashlight, and pointed it around the group. Kids still lying down groaned when he shined it in their faces. "Looks like. All of us but him and Tony. And he don't count, I know." He said, before anyone could comment.

"How about we just stay here for now. Not go looking for our parents. We've got enough cloth and people to stay warm for the rest of the night." Sarah suggested slowly, snuggling between Ed and Jimmy. "If they're looking for us, they can always, ^yawn^, find us later."

Edd didn't commented, curled up onto himself, so Ed nodded. "Yeah, let's just stay here. I think we've walked enough for now, huh?"

Murmured replies came, and the remaining bunch of cloth was separated and distributed around. None of them really care at this point who was next to them, as long as they were warm and could sleep, so they pressed together and so spent the night.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The End of Part 10 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Oh, by the way. if you have any requests for songs to be sung at the party, by all means bring them up! ANY characters, yes, any, even characters who no longer exist, can be brought in to sing. Name of the song and the artist, and if possible lyrics, are appreciated. Please review!!!