Part 9 I know, it's been a while, but no reviews for so long left me feeling unhappy... Then one day I, out of nowhere, got a review telling me to continue... So during my vacation I restarting the writing, and over some time, wrote this... Though I can't help but feel that it's... leaving the original storyline, and the original characters... Oy vey.

(I really didn't feel too much like spell checking the whole thing, so this will probably be fixed some other time.)

Now, then... I don't own Ed, Edd& Eddy or any of the other characters, though I did create a few of them... Be warned that there will be more interaction between the look-alikes, namely Ed+Ed, Edd, Edward, + Edd, and Marie+Marie... just to give you guys worse headaches as you try to figure out who's who! ;) Now, on to the fic!

***********

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The Secret of Edd Part 9 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"........."

No one was saying anything; they simply marched through the ruins. The four slowed down, and then paused.

"This stuff looks like it's been moved lately..." Edward commented, looking at the dirt in the failing sunlight. He glanced back at the other three. "Notice how everything else looks like it hasn't been moved in years?"

Edd's eyes took on a spark of interest, and he came up next to his look- alike to examine the area. "You're right... And look at these marks... A scuffle of some sort..."

Marie shrugged. "So what? Do you think the things that do live around here never fight?"

Ed had separated himself from the group a moment before. "I'd say they were here..." The other three looked in the direction he was standing. There was a pile of stacked wood at his feet, and he looked up at them. "I can't think of many monsters that go and gather firewood to make fires... They usually just go with buildings, or bodies..."

Edd shuddered. "That's a wonderful image, Ed," He shook his head, "But at least we know we're going in the right direction... And if they had time to gather firewood, then they aren't too far ahead of us."

"Then, let's get going." Edward said simply, then looked upward. He could sense the moon just on the horizon, the potential storm in the wind. //And we're just here to help those guys deal with 'Tony'... Here, every thing's just so much... Truer... You can feel the power under everything, the essence...//

"...I thought we were going...?" Ed asked dryly, grinning. Edd smiled, and Marie just shook her head.

"C'mon, Edward, we c'n always come back... And it's not like we're leavin' yet anyway." She told him practically, and then put an arm around his shoulder.

He shook his thoughts off, then nodded. "Yeah, don't want to lose the trail just yet..."

The four began to walk again, in the same direction that their 'quarry' was, about a mile ahead of them. They picked up their speed in hopes of catching up.

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

Rolf was watching the sky pensively, listening for any odd sounds.

//It is so quiet... Since those two major attacks, there has been only been a few stray ones here and there, and Kevin has been normal the entire time...// the name seemed to echo in his head, and he glanced over at the boy, who was being avoided by the other kids. He didn't seem to pay it any mind, as he was staring at his feet, brooding.

//...Then again, his silence is not so very odd...// Like Kevin, most of the others were quiet, after Rolf had commented that Jimmy, Sarah, May, and Marie's singing was probably catching the attention of the zombies. They had been sullenly quiet, though Rolf had seen Jimmy stick his tongue out of his mouth in his direction at least once.

"...This is boring..." Sarah finally muttered, breaking the silence. Ed glanced back at her, and she pouted. "Why do we have to be quiet? It won't do us any good to be quiet if we just die of boredom and become zombies, that's probably how there's so many of them here!"

Kevin chuckled at that, then looked defensive when Rolf and Edd, as well as several of the others, gazed at him. "What?" He spread his hands out in a questioning position and shrugged. "She could be right, ya never know."

"...They're both right... We need to loosen up, you guys." Nazz had finally spoken again. She smiled hesitantly at them. "After all, we're just stressed about being in a weird place like this, right?" Some of the kids nodded agreement, though neither Edd nor Jonny responded.

"Does this mean Sarah and I can sing again?" Jimmy wondered. Several of the older kids groaned, and he smiled brightly under the retainer. "Well?"

"Please?" Sarah looked pleadingly at Rolf, who paid her no mind. After a quick whisper, she and Jimmy both directed their teary-eyed pouts at Ed, pouts that were as affective as his own faked tears.... His eyes watered slightly, and his lip quivered.

Ed glanced over at Rolf, and the older boy sighed. "...Can you sing quietly, at least?" Rolf finally gave in, though he glanced at the rubble around them suspiciously. Both of them nodded enthusiastically, and he sighed. "Fine..."

Marie grinned brightly, and elbowed Nazz. "Hear that? Let's sing again!" When Nazz smiled, the blue-head turned to Edd. "C'mon, Double D, you toooo... For, there is a singerrrrrr, in yooooouuu..." She drawled, in a poor opera imitation.

Edd shook his head, though he smiled. "I'd rather not, though thank you for the invitation, Marie... Let's get going again, you guys."

They continued walking again, a little more light-heartedly than before. Marie waited for Nazz, and the four singers formed a line in the middle of the group, and promptly burst into song.

"On the road again...!" They started, soon to be joined in by some of the others. A verse or two into the song, almost everyone had joined in.

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

Eddy looked over the edge of the building they were on, with a few rocks in his right hand. In what dim light there was, he could see a group of the zombies down below, doubtlessly moaning. They weren't marching around with their arms before them, but simply standing, looking up at the sky.

*Thud*

One of Eddy's rocks dropped from his hand, plummeted down and hit one of their heads. All 20 or so of them looked over at the one nursing it's head, then up at him.

"...Oops..." He muttered, his eyes widening as they all swarmed towards the walls, trying to find a way up. He quickly looked at the doors, finding them to be closed. "Phew... Uh, Tony?" Eddy stood quickly and looked over at his old brother, who turned his head in Eddy's direction.

"What is it, squirt?" Tony nearly smiled at that, it had been a while since he had been the top dog, and able to refer to people in that type of a manner... Although... During his time of watching Eddy and his friends through 'Plank', he had seen that Eddy had taken after him a great deal, at least in the way he acted, not necessarily his skill at it... No wonder their parents had never wanted him to come around, he was a bad influence.

Now the younger boy looked uncomfortable, hiding the rocks behind his back. "Well, uh... The, uh, zombies are tryin' to come in..."

Tony's eyes widened, and then narrowed as he glared at Eddy. "What?" His brother hesitated, and he sighed. "What did you do?"

Eddy made a face and looked down at his hands, then showed Tony the rocks. "I was, um, hittin' em in the heads, dropping these on 'em, y'know? And they didn't really..."

Tony blinked, then rested his head in his face, massaging it slightly. "...I see...." Pounding sounded below their feet as a number of zombies literally threw themselves at the wall. "Well, they don't seem to be getting in, so it doesn't matter."

"Oh... Okay." Eddy smiled faintly in relief, and then scurried back to where he had been standing. The rocks were quickly put back on the floor, and he pushed them aside with his shoe.

***********

Ed's eyebrow rose as he stopped suddenly, examining the slope beside them.

"Hey, what's up, Ed?" Nazz wondered, coming up next to him.

Ed looked over at her, and the kids surrounding them, and pointed. "There's a cave in here, and it doesn't look like anyone's home..." He glanced at the rest of them. "Are you guys getting tired?"

The rest of them nodded, looking excited, and Rolf walked past them to look at the cave's opening. "It is well hidden, and there are no recent tracks..." He commented, holding his torch aloft for better light. He looked down the tunnel, then nodded. "Good find, Ed-Boy.. Ed." He amended. "That should work well for our shelter."

Edd nodded. "Alright, let's take a look in there." The group went to the cliff wall that the hole was in. The tunnel went diagonally left into the rock at first, then twisting away further right into the hill. Part of the rock stock out in front of the cave's left opening, hiding it from curious eyes.

The group walked down the tunnel single file, and spread out into the actual chamber.

"The walls appear solid..." Rolf observed, holding up a torch. "And this is the only chamber, so there's nothing to the cave we do not already see."

The cavern reached back about 25 feet and was about 35 feet across at the widest point. It was surprisingly dry, with only one or two puddles from drippings off of a few small stalactites. The ceiling reached several feet above Ed's and Rolf's heads, the lowest point about 6 feet high.

Jonny looked around, and then nodded. "We're the only people here, so..." He paused to cover up a yawn, "I'm going to sleep..." The others watched him smile happily, then walk forward a little on the cave's left side, then sit down and stretch out to sleep.

The others took this as a signal, and spread out across the cavern. Sarah and Jimmy went to the corner away from the opening that Jonny was closest to and curled up together.

May went over to Lee and murmured something. After the group song earlier, the two had walked almost silently with the group. Considering their usual boisterous behaviors, this seemed... Unnatural, Edd decided.

"Uh... Double D." May asked, turning towards him.

"Hmm?"

"Are we gonna have look outs? So, we, uh... Know if something tries comin' in here?"

".... You're right, we'll need sentries..." Edd realized, and then glanced around the cave. The older kids were all now attentive. "Marie, you an I could take the first watch, correct?"

She nodded and leaned against the wall near the opening while Ed scanned the other kids. "I could go second, with, uh..." He paused, "Nazz?"

She smiled. "Sure thing, Ed."

"I'll go third." Kevin quickly volunteered, looking sullenly at Ed.

Marie looked at him and raised her visible eyebrow while Rolf nodded slowly. "Yes, Rolf and Kevin could be the third pair of sentries... And that leaves only... The other Kanker Sisters."

Everyone awake looked over at the two. May nodded, while Lee faced her head in their direction; most people still couldn't tell what she was looking at most of the time.

"Okay, so we'll take the last watch. Not a big deal." Lee commented.

"...So.... How long should our watches be? 2, 2 and a half hours?" Ed asked curiously. "And how do we tell when the watches are over?"

Edd grinned, holding up his wrist. The bulky, most likely hand-made watch was there. The others blinked.

"Double D, how is it that we did not notice that... Bulk... Until now, if it was on your wrist the entire time?" Rolf asked, looking bewildered.

Edd simply grinned widened, and he rubbed his hands together. "Well, that's just going to be a mystery for all of you to contemplate... Marie?"

She blinked, still staring at the watch. "You had it in your pocket, right...?" She asked him. He only turned away, the grin reminding them of a Cheshire cat, and grabbed a few unlit torches and a spear. Marie followed suit, frowning as she tried to understand where the watch could have been hidden.

This whole time there had always been at least one lit, so that the fire didn't go out. The two each lit one, then sidled through the tunnel and out of the cave.

Ed watched his friends go, and then looked at the others. "Well, let's sleep now while we can..."

Voicing their agreement, the others spread about in the space, arranging them for sleeping. Nazz stayed to the left of the opening while Ed sat to its right, so they could quickly go watch without waking the others. Kevin went into the indented corner far to the right of the door, and Rolf went to the corner furthest from it. Jimmy and Sarah were already sleeping in the far left corner, with Jonny between them and Nazz. May sat down in the middle of the cavern, and Lee lay near her, and tried in vain to fall asleep.

After more than half an hour, she yawned, then rolled over. The ground beneath her wasn't even, and sleeping would be...

//Oh, why do I bother... It's not like I'm going to sleep anyway...// the redhead lay back, staring at the barely visible ceiling.

//We had to pick the middle of the cave...// She thought mournfully. Most of the others had leaned against the walls, similarly thinking before drifting off to sleep.

She sighed. //An' why're they bein' so nice, anyway...? None of them believe us, they think we really meant to do all that...// She had a sinking feeling that the unofficial 'truce' wouldn't last after this was done.

//The first thing I'll do when I see that Eddy.. Is kick him in the @$$ as hard as I can...//

Picturing how far the boy would fly, she rolled on her side and eventually fell asleep.

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

Kevin had relaxed in the indentation, out of the way and sight of most of the others. For the third time his eyes wandered towards Nazz, who was sleeping peacefully on the other side of the tunnel.

//Nazz...//

As always, Kevin felt like swooning when he saw her. She laid there peacefully, sighing contently rather than snoring, with a little dribble of saliva off the side of her mouth.

Kevin smiled when he noticed that. Thanks to Edd's plan of traveling at night, they would be resting in the cave as day came and went. Thankfully, no direct sunlight would come into the cave, yet enough would come through the tunnel to let them see clearly.

//Just as well... No point in making a scene again...// He decided. After all, ever since that encounter with the zombies, there had been a new, yet almost familiar feeling inside him... Kevin just hadn't figured out what it was.

//Hunger...// His minds voice told him, and he was inclined to agree when his eye opened and he sat up quickly.

//What the...! I didn't think that! // Kevin stared around at the cave, resting his gaze on Jonny. //Did he...// Jonny was sound asleep, obviously unaware of this new question.

//That was almost like... My mind's voice was something other than me... But that's not possible, right? //

There was no answer, and he shook the thought off.

Edd's head suddenly appeared as he looked in the cave's opening, an extinguished torch in his left hand. His right hand was steadying the large cowboy hat on his head, and he was unconsciously scowling up at it again.

"Don't like the hat?" Kevin asked, and Edd jumped, and then whirled around.

"Kevin?!?" Kevin felt a lot like laughing just then. Edd's eyes were huge, the torch had been dropped to the ground, and he was breathing rapidly. "Goodness, what on Earth was that for?"

The redhead blinked, leaning back against the wall. "Sorry 'bout that.... I thought you saw me."

"No, I most certainly didn't..." Edd wiped his face, giving a nervous chuckle. "What are you doing awake, anyway? It's only just now time for Ed and Nazz to keep watch, there's no need for you to be up yet."

Kevin shrugged. "Couldn't get to sleep, I guess... Don't worry, it's not like I was tired, so I'll be fine..."

Edd humphed, the shook his head. "If you say so..." He put the piece of wood down next to the wall, and then knelt down to wake Ed.

//Wonder if Nazz'll wake me up...// Kevin wondered, then frowned. //Probably not... She's been avoiding me this whole time...// He ignored the others, closing his eyes and laying back again. That feeling came to his attention again, and he remembered the word that had echoed in his head a few minutes before.

//Hunger, huh...? But... hunger for what? //

The reply was immediate.

//Hunger... For blood...//

Kevin nodded his head slightly, unnoticed by the others. //That's... That's it, isn't it? // He smiled slightly, the new, strange contours of his face becoming evident. Under his lips, his canine teeth stretched out, protruding further than before. //That's it!!//

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

"Hunger... For blood..." Tony was saying from where he sat on the edge of the building, cross-legged and facing the south. His eyes were closed as he concentrated, planting the thoughts in Kevin's mind, and stimulating the boy's new instincts.

//They're possessive creatures, vampires...// Tony noted. //And that boy considers Nazz as being his own... Perfect...// He smiled slightly, opening his eyes. Glancing over the edge of the building, he noticed that the zombies had ceased trying to come in.

//What's Eddy done.... Hmm...?//

Tony watched as the creatures all looked to the southwest. "...Eddy?"

Eddy was lounging on the other side of the roof, his shirt flung onto one of the two chairs. He opened his eyes, and then sat up. "Uh.... Yeah, Bro?"

"...Did you do anything else to bother them?"

The whole group below them began to slowly walk to the southwest, never looking back. They traveled in the same exact direction, swerving only to avoid rubble and trees.

Eddy looked confused. "No, I didn't... Why?" Tony didn't speak, and simply watched them leave. Grabbing his shirt, Eddy stretched quickly and went up next to his brother. "Hey, where are they going?"

Still saying nothing, the older brother's eyes trailed up, and looked in the direction they were traveling in. Further south than their route, he could sense a number of living people... One of which he could sense was the boy, Jonny...

"They're going to find your old companions." Tony finally remarked, with a slight smirk. //Could they be sensing his change? How? I wonder... //

"To those guys...? Why?" There was a trace of scorn in Eddy's voice as he looked up at his brother, who only stared out thoughtfully. "Oh, whatever.... I'm going to get ready for a tan." He walked back over to where he'd been lounging before, and lay down so that the rising sun hit the most of his back.

Tony watched him go, then looked back towards the south. There was a strange residue of sorts in the air far in that direction, and he raised his eyebrow. //...Was that the gate opening...? I see... Those two... No...// He sent his senses in that direction, closing his eyes and looking inward. //Those four... Those two... Ah. // His eyes opened, and he smiled. That boy, Edward, seemed to be the wild card once again... He would have to try and influence him from interrupting the process too much.

**********

Ed yawned and stretched. "Huh...? Oh, hi Double D!" He greeted quietly. Edd was standing above him with a torch illuminating their faces. "Is it time for my watch?"

Edd nodded, handing the light to Ed. "Yeas, it is. Nazz is waiting outside, and Marie wants you to get out there so she can come in here and sleep..." He smiled, with a slight quirk of his eyebrow. "So I recommend that you go quickly."

Ed grinned and nodded, and after taking Edd's torch and spear, went quickly out the door. Nazz and Marie were sitting on a rock about thirty feet out from the entrance, the closest to the cave in a cluster of boulders that reached out to the path. Marie was on the close edge, staring expectantly at the cave's entrance.

"There you are!" She hissed, and ran over. "Here. When it says 8am, you go in and get Rolf and Kevin.. Got it?" Marie thrust the large watch of Edd's into Ed's already-full hands, then bolted for the cave.

Ed watched her go, looking confused, then shrugged and climbed onto the rock. Nazz had a lit torch in her hand and a small pile of what appeared to be firewood beside her. She smiled. "Hi, Ed."

Ed nodded, glancing around, then down at the wood. "Were Marie and Double D gonna have a fire or something?" He wondered, moving the spear into a more comfortable position in his hand, and sticking the torch into the crack between two rocks.

Nazz looked down at the wood and smiled again. "Actually, Marie said they went and grabbed a whole lot of wood so we could have a fire before we go... She said Double D was checking through his pockets to see what he's got now, since those are Edward's clothes, and apparently he found some cans of beans.. Oh, and that you'd probably have something to eat."

Ed tilted his head, looking confused now. "Beans...? Why would Edward have..." He paused, considering that Edward was, from what he had seen, unusual. "Huh.... Well, I have a candy bar or two, and..." He looked down at his pants, and then reached into his pocket. "A sandwich... Um..."

Nazz made a face. "I don't think I want to know what you've got with you, Ed... Remember, I've seen your bedroom before, so...."

Ed grinned, and chuckled a little. He couldn't think of anything to say to that, his room was, well, horrible, now that he considered it. His room's cleanliness had never been an issue that he considered, he had always just lived in it... //Double D must be rubbing off on me, or something... // Ed decided, and looked back out towards the horizon, then paused. "Wait..." Nazz met his gaze. "How is double D gonna open any cans...? Does he have a can opener with him?"

She shook her head. "No, both Kevin and Rolf have Swiss Army knives..."

Ed nodded. "Gotcha Charlie..."

Nazz looked at him, and giggled. "You guys are always so funny..." Ed smiled as well, and after a few moments they focused their attention back to their surroundings.

*~*~*~*

They had been sitting quietly, watching the sky turn pink and the land turn lighter. Although there were the occasional noises in the distance, they never came close enough for the two to see their sources. The land was deserted, and the sky was again filling with clouds.

Nazz scootched around, looking uncomfortable. She looked towards the nearby trees, then back at the horizon.

Ed noticed this behavior and frowned. Nazz had been fidgety for a little while now, and he was beginning to wonder why. "Nazz, are you okay?"

She started, then smiled and blushed slightly. "Oh, yeah... I, uh,... Yeah."

"What is it?" He asked. "If your tushy's getting sore, you don't have to sit on the rock."

Nazz looked at Ed's lap and laughed softly, and looked ashamed, and slightly reddish. "No, it's not that... I just, I kinda have to, uh... Go...."

Ed blinked, and then also blushed at this realization. "Um.... Oh..." He scratched his head. "You could just go, I won't watch."

She shook her head, turning even pinker. "I would've, it's just... I don't have any tissue paper, and there aren't even any leaves.... So, I...."

Ed looked over at the forest, then nodded solemnly. "I woulda told ta use a leaf, but it's all dead over there...." He looked thoughtful, then glanced down at the over-sized watched in his hand. "Why don't you go ask Double D?"

"Huh?" Nazz looked confused.

"Well, he, uh, carries a lot of stuff with him all the time..." He said, shrugging. "So you never know what he might have."

"But... Toilet paper...?" Nazz asked meekly. Both of their faces were glowing red almost as brightly as the torches in their hands. "Um.... I guess.... I'll go ask him..."

"Uh huh." Ed watched as she started to go in, blushing furiously, then quickly turned away and surveyed the area. There was still no sign of anything in the woods, and it was now light enough to see without the torch.

//Better put it out, and not waste wood...// Ed thought, and put it out by covering the flame with his hand. He pulled his surprisingly unburnt hand and examined the torch; it was extinguished.

He nodded solemnly again, and tossed the torch towards the path, then sat back.

Ed watched the trees and rubble for a few minutes, thinking. As much as he loved monster movies and comics, there seemed to be something... Wrong about this place. Most of the other kids seemed to have noticed this, and had generally been nervous, except for during the song... But Double D and Marie only seemed concerned for the others, and Kevin...

Ed looked up at the sky. Kevin's behavior during that fight had worried him. Those zombies had been frighteningly strong, to the point that he and Rolf had been helpless, and yet... He shook his head. Maybe it had been adrenaline, but he had to wonder... Double D hadn't started turning into a wolf until they had gone into this world, and the Kanker Sisters hadn't been able to control anyone until that time... Sure, Tony had been bragging about something, and had taken the ability away from the two sisters, but Ed couldn't help but wonder if there was a connection.

//I should ask Jonny about it...// He decided. Now that he was thinking about it, Double D had been behaving strangely for sometime, but even more, ever since they came here. It wasn't obvious with the way he talked, but just the boy's behavior, his way of standing, and looking around... Ed wasn't sure if Marie was acting oddly, the only times he had ever seen the girl were either when she was doting on Double D... or when she was doting on Double D, actually. That made him grin.

He sat back, and glanced down at the watch. "It's been almost ten minutes..." Ed frowned and looked over at the opening. Surely Double D didn't have that much stuff with him, right? Something wasn't right... //I'll go see what's up. // He decided, grabbing the one burning torch left and holding the watch in the other. He walked quickly over to the entrance and started to peer into the tunnel when the torch suddenly went out.

"Huh...?" He looked down and watched as the wood dissolved in his hand, falling to the ground as dust. A shadow appeared in the doorway. "..!" He looked up, only for a force to hit him in the head, knocking him backwards and to the ground, unconscious.

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

Edd looked down to see what his toe had just hit. "Hmmm...?" He knelt down to pick it up, a piece of wood that had been burnt at one end.

"That looks like... A torch." Ed commented, coming up behind him.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Ad.... Hey, is that another one up there?"

The two abandoned the path they were checking and climbed onto one of the rocks. A small pile of wood, and a few loose burnt pieces were scattered around on one of the wider boulders.

"Huh..." Edd said, looking down at them, then glanced back at the others. "Hey, you two...." He waved to them, calling in a low voice. They were examining what faint traces of footprints there were. The two looked annoyed, but trotted over.

"What?" Edward also spoke in a low voice. Although they hadn't seen any bodies left anywhere, it was clear several fights had taken place. As much as the four liked beating things up, they all decided to find those other kids before starting any fights on their own.

"Look't these... They're still kinda warm." Edd explained, handing one of the torches to each of them. Marie nodded slowly, turning it over in her hands.

"Then those guys are near here." She decided, straightening and looking around. Her eyes widened, and something large suddenly swooped over their heads.

"Whoa!!" The four all off the rock, then turned to see what just went over them. An enormous bat was flying away to the northwest. A large shape dangled from its claws, with something yellow at one end.

"Jeez! What was that?!?" Edd exclaimed, looking at the others. All three had serious expressions on their faces.

"A giant bat..." Ed commented. "As far as I know, vampires change into bats when they want to survive in the daylight..."

All four glanced over to the east, where the sun as only slightly above the horizon.

"Well, that's just peachy. So a vampire just suddenly flies over our heads to escape the sunlight... And what was it holding? It looked like a person." Marie glanced at the others again.

"You're right... That must have been one of the others!" Edward exclaimed, his eyes widening.

"Shoot..." Edd jumped back onto the rock and looked around, and just to the south... "Hey, over there!" The others climbed on top to look. One person was lying, without moving, by a cliff. A few feet from there, the cliff rose above the person, and part of it stuck out suspiciously far.

With only a glance at one another, the four quickly ran over to the figure. It was Ed.

"Hey, are you okay?" Edd asked, kneeling down next to him. He recognized the person, and glanced up at Ed. "...You getting a feeling of De'ja vu?"

The Ed standing up smirked, while the one on the ground groaned, and opened his eyes slightly. He looked over at Edd, and his eyebrow furrowed. "Double D...?"

Edd smiled. "Well, yeah, but probably not the one you're thinkin' of..."

Ed nodded, and slowly sat up. "Where.... Where's Nazz?"

The other Ed shrugged. "Well, from the looks of it a vampire just kidnapped one of you, and if she's missing, I'd say it was her...."

"What...? Kidnapped!? By a vampire?!?" Ed's eyes widened in alarm, and he started to get up, and then winced at a pain in his head.

Edward glanced over at the cave. "Is everyone else in there?"

The Ed sitting down looked up at him. "They were... I dunno if they still are..." He struggled again to stand, and the other Ed grabbed his hand, and pulled him to his feet.

Ed blinked, then looked at Ed and Edd. "Wait... Aren't you two...?"

They both grinned, and Ed slapped him on the back. "First guys ya met? Yeah, that'd be us."

Ed shook his head. "How.. Did you get here?"

Edd was about to answer him, when he saw Marie and Edward examining the cliff. From this close they could now see that the rock sticking out had hidden an opening in the shadows of the cliff. //A cave...? Then they're in there. // Edd realized.

Marie and Edward had already seen it, and were disappearing into the cavern. "Oh, y'know..." He groaned. He looked at the two Eds, both of whom seemed content staying out here, and relaxed onto one of the rocks, and looked around at the horizon. Ed, or the one he knew, anyway, was answering the other one's questions, and asking some of his own.

*~*~*

The two walked down the tunnel, surprised by the amount of light making it's way through it. Inside, almost all of the kids they had been with before were laying around the cavern, asleep.

"Any of you guys missing?" Edward called from the opening. Edd groaned from where he and Marie were lying on the other side of the cave, and slowly sat up. "Huh...?"

Edward and Marie split up, checking the faces of all the kids there. Edward paused in front of Edd.

Edd blinked a few times, and then looked up. His eyes widened. "Edward?" What the... How did you get here?" He quickly pulled the sleeping Marie's hand off of his wrist, and then stood.

Edward glanced back at the hole in the wall, and pointed. "We walked through that."

Ed raised one of his eyebrows and frowned. "No, really."

His look-alike smirked, and pulled out the remote. "You forgot this, so we used it to get here and find you." He gave it to Edd, who grabbed it with both hands, his eyes widening further.

"You found it! Goodness, and there I was worried we'd be trapped here... Well, that's a load off of my mind..." Edd said, smiling and wiping his forehead with the back of one hand.

"Hey, Edward... There's actually two of 'em are missin, not just one."

Edd frowned, asking, "Missing? What are you talking about...?"

Edward nodded to her and carefully walked over. "Which ones?"

"Um..." She thought a few seconds for their names, and then answered. "Kevin, and... Nazz, I think?" Marie nodded to herself to confirm it.

"Hold on, Kevin and Nazz are missing? What's going on?" Edd straightened the hat on his head and walked over to where they stood at the entrance, pocketing the remote as he did.

Edward glanced around the cave again. "Well, two of them are missing, and that bat was only carrying one... somethin about this ain't right." He told Marie, then looked at his look-alike. Edd seemed confused, and was waiting for an explanation.

"Well, from what we can tell, a vampire, in the form of a giant bat, just swooped off with one of you guys in its clutches... And only two of you are missing. It works pretty perfectly, I'd say." Edward tucked back a dark strand of hair that was starting to poke out of under his hat, or really Edd's hat, and pulled the hat down.

"A vampire took Nazz.... And Kevin is also missing..." Edd echoed, then turned to look at the corner Kevin had been in. It was empty, with no sign that anyone had been there. "Oh, no..."

"What's the matter, Double D?" Jonny yawned as he came to. Several of the other kids were just starting to stretch and wake up as well. Jonny paused, and looked towards the outside. He sensed other people out there, and he recognized them. "Why are there two Eds...?" He murmured. //Or two Maries, or...// His eyes widened as he realized that there were three Edds in that area..! After a pause in which he listened to the thoughts of those outside, his mouth made a little 'o', and he nodded slowly. The boy then turned his attention back to Edd, who looked very solemn again. Edward was watching them curiously, nodding at one or two as they recognized him.

Edd looked around at the rest of the kids, most of whom were now sitting up and attentive. "It seems that... Nazz and Kevin are missing." The worry was clearly visible in his eyes as he told the group this.

"What?!?" They chorused, adding various comments of disbelief.

"Missing? What do you mean?"

Edward sighed, and some of the attention was drawn to him. "It means that they were outside, and when we got here;" Someone interrupted with "WE?", then was quiet; "And when we got here, Ed was lyin by the cliff knocked out, and there was no sign of those two."

The group immediately started talking to each other, trying to understand what could have happened. Lee's voice was heard loudly, saying, "I told ya somethin' wasn't right about him!", while Sarah and Jimmy looked horrified.

Edd rubbed his forehead in frustration. How do you tell a large number of largely impressionable youths that, not only was one of them a vampire, and that he had kidnapped another one of them, but also tell them that he had known about this possibility for some time! He groaned quietly, and was about to ask Edward something when another person beat him to it.

"Yo! Edward!" A voice identical to Edd's called from outside the cave. Edd looked up and towards the opening with an uncomprehending look on his face, as several of the kids stopped talking to listen. "You might wanna get out here, it looks like we're gonna have some guests over for breakfast."

"Who...." Edd asked, bewildered, as Edward ran out. With only a glance at the others, Edd quickly followed him through the tunnel.

Coming into the light, Edd winced and pulled the edge of the cowboy hat down to shield his eyes from the sun, and followed Edward. A few yards from the cave he saw Ed standing up, talking to... Ed and Edd?!? //What the...? // Edd wondered, stopping where he stood. The other Edd waved to Edward, while both of the Eds stared out at something with serious expressions on their faces.

"It looks like some of those zombies were followin' us after all..." The other Edd told Edward as he walked up to the three. He pointed to the northeast, where Edward now saw about twenty zombies and what appeared to be... A large troll? They were a good distance away, but moving steadily towards them. Edward smiled. There had been a few reports of trolls in his own world, but all he had seen in Peach Creek were sun lizards... This would be interesting.

"Sweet..." The Ed who had come with him commented. The other one, the one from Double D's world, was frowning at the shapes out there.

Edd finally came up to them, staring at his two doubles and the Eds. "Um... Edward... What is going on?"

The sock-hatted Edd noticed him, and grinned. "Oh, hi again! How ya been?" One of the two Eds nodded at him as well.

Edd looked at Edward with a pleading look in his eyes, and Edward did his best not to laugh. "Don't worry, yer not seeing things..." He told him with a grin. "Ya know that first world you guys went in...?"

Edd nodded slowly, not seeing the direction this was going. A light turned on in his head, and his mouth made an 'o'. "You mean... You guys are the ones who gave us fifteen dollars...?" He addressed the two, who both nodded. He smiled. "So, you two.." Edd chuckled slightly, shaking his head. "Quite the crew we've got now, I'd say..." He then looked at Ed, and tilted his head, feeling concerned. "Ed...?"

His tall friend was still frowning, his mind turned inwards. //Nazz... What just happened...? And where are you now...? // He wondered, and then started when someone tapped his shoulder. He looked down to see Double D looking at him, concerned. The other three had moved over by the boulders, and kids were starting to come out of the cave. "Yeah...? Oh, Double D..." Ed's eyes lost focus as he thought of something, and he hesitantly asked, "So... Nazz... She, really is... Missing...?" A piteous look crossed his face.

Edd's shoulders sagged slightly. Ed had just started acting like his normal self again, too! He exhaled, nodding slightly. "It... Would seem so. And,..." He paused, then added, "Kevin is also missing..."

Ed's eyes widened. "Kevin too?!? Then, maybe they're around here, and..." He started to say, almost frantically, when he noticed Edd shaking his head. "Double D?"

Jonny and the other kids began to gather around the two in a semicircle, listening in curiously. Marie pushed past them and went straight over to Edd, who looked at her with a worried expression on his face.

"Marie, you don't.. You don't suppose that this is related to when we came here, do you?"

The other kids around were confused, and the four watching the slow approach of the zombies all listened in.

Marie's eyes widened as she realized what he meant. "Shoot... Ya think maybe he's the one that took her....?" She thought it over for a few seconds, and then nodded slowly. "Dang... That makes sense, too..."

"What is? Double D, what do you guys think happened?" Jimmy spoke for the others, and wrapped an arm around Sarah's shoulders protectively.

Edd looked around the group, then sighed and shook his head. "Jonny, you remember yesterday, when Kevin came to tell us about the kidnapping...?" //Only yesterday...? // Edd thought as Jonny nodded. //Feels like it's been longer. // "Well, he found us, and told us what happened. We decided to go back to our world and try to decide how to rescue them, and went back through the gate... Now, I'm not really sure why, but Kevin lingered by the cliff for a minute, I'd guess thinking about what we would do now, and he had an encounter with... Himself, really."

"That vampire?!" Ed exclaimed. "But he tried to kill us that first time we met him, and last night he left us alone only because---"

"He doesn't like werewolves. Trust me, we know." Edd interrupted. "Apparently this world's Kevin noticed a human, and acted according to his instincts..." Their eyes widened around him as the group considered what a vampire's instincts might lead them to do, but Edd continued to talk before any spoke up. "After a few moments Marie and I noticed that Kevin hadn't followed us, so we rushed back and scared the vampire off, and found Kevin unconscious."

Rolf swallowed, and stepped forward, staring seriously into Edd's eyes. "Double D... Did that vampire... Feed upon Kevin?" He had put the various things, such as Kevin's paleness, new strength, and all together, and already knew the answer to that question.

Double D nodded slowly and seriously, and looked down at the ground. "Unfortunately, yes. I'm afraid I didn't realize that this change could have much of profound effect on Kevin's psyche, but I was using the fact that neither I nor Marie have behaved in a manner detrimental to society, or the people around us, as my basis for not informing all of you about this..." Edd paused talking, felling slight bewilderment. Had Eddy been present, he certainly would have been silenced from his speech a few words into it. He shook his head slightly and closed his eyes, feeling rather ashamed, and responsible for the situation. None of the others spoke at all, and after a moment he slowly looked up to meet the others' gazes.

"So..." Sarah said slowly, and everyone glanced at her. She stared at Edd. "So... Does that mean... Kevin was a vampire this whole time?"

Edd shrugged hopelessly. "I really have no idea, Sarah. I... I would have to suppose so, but... Not to place blame on anyone else, but I had felt if anything was as fundamentally wrong as this, Jonny would have been able to warn me." He glanced over at the boy, who shook his head.

"It's okay, Double D, but I wouldn't have been able to tell..." Edd was clearly about to ask 'Why not?' but he silenced himself... He probably was feeling bad about it. //Then again, Kevin seemed to feel bad about the zombies...// He thought, and then realized that some of the others also wanted an explanation. Jonny sighed. "I couldn't tell because yesterday I was trying to be polite and not listen to you guys' thoughts, so I didn't really catch anything from him, and then... Ever since we came here, I wasn't able to hear his thoughts at all, not even when I tried."

That got a confused response, Edd's the most clear as he asked, "Not at all? Why on Earth not...?"

"I don't know... But I haven't been able to hear your thoughts, or Marie's thoughts, either." Jonny told him. "I still can't right now, and I'm trying to..."

Another clamor arose, this time directed at Edd. May said something to Lee like, "You don't know what he's thinkin' either?!? Hasn't everyone who he couldn't hear gone nuts now?" Lee nodded, looking in Edd's direction. Ed looked concerned, his previous fear that had led him to helping the Kankers, that Edd was either not himself or being controlled, returned.

The other Edd, who was actually listening, immediately had two thoughts. Both were somewhat sarcastic. //Can you hear me now? // He first thought, and when Jonny replied yes, he grinned and visualized a toilet flushing repeatedly until Jonny blocked his thoughts out, glaring at the Edd's back.

Edd's own eyes widened, and tracked about a little as he thought. He blinked, then glanced around the group, and back at Jonny. "Is there anyone else whose thoughts you haven't been able to hear?" He finally asked.

Jonny nodded. "When we went to the trailer park I couldn't hear either Plank's or Tony's thoughts... I could hear what Eddy was thinking, but... It was like there was nothing going on up there." He tapped on his head to demonstrate.

"See?! I told you!" May exclaimed to Lee, and then stepped over to Jonny. "Whadabout us?" She asked, and Lee looked over her shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Jonny asked, looking up at them in confusion. His mind naturally reached out, and he continued with "Oh..." before they could respond. He shook his head. "No, I couldn't hear any real thoughts from you two either... But that was the same as Eddy, I can tell the difference between not hearing them and there just not being any."

They fell silent for a moment, and Edd spoke quietly. "Well, then..." He raised an eyebrow as he looked over at May, then glanced at the sky for a second and sighed. "I'd prefer to think that I'm not being controlled by some outside force, that sort of thought will just cause a new neurosis, and that's something I don't currently need..." He scratched the back of his head, and hit the hat. "Hmm... By the way, Edward?"

Edward, who had also been listening, stretched and yawned, then when he had their attention walked over. He looked over at Edd and smirked. "What?"

Edd smiled, pointing at the large cowboy hat on his head. "While we've got a place available... I think I'd like my clothes back."

"Would you, now?" Edward asked, in a falsely pleasant voice. "Well, then... If you guys will excuse me..." He walked past the group, and into the cave. Edd watched him go with a half smile, then turned to the others and held up his index finger. "Just hang on a second, then we'll get going to find Nazz and Kevin..." Edd then jogged into the cave, just as the others began to discuss, once again, what was going on, and what their next course of action should be.

"Well, if he does go nuts, then I should be leader of this group..." The other Edd commented with a grin. "Either way you guys get to go yell for Double D, right?"

The Ed next to him nodded, also grinning. "Yeah! We can be in charge, y'know? Go beat the vampire right out of him, rescue Nazz, go deal with that Tony guy... All in a day's work."

"What?!? Oh, be quiet, you two!" The Marie near them said, shaking her head. "You two don't know what yer talking about, so zip it, will ya? This is gonna take planning to deal with him, not two dummies running in there and getting their minds controlled by him." She illustrated this by waving her hands at their heads. "Honestly..."

The other kids ignored this conversations and huddled together, voting on their opinion of Edd's leadership abilities... Marie simply listened, and didn't vote.

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

Edward tugged the hat off of his head and exhaled. "Free of the sock at last!" Edd glanced over at his double irritably, seeing blue-black, rather than purple-black, hair whip around. It stood out around his head in the same manner, and near impossible to comb down.

"Yes, well, trust me on this.. The feeling about release from these things is mutual." Edd pulled the bulky cowboy hat of his head, and quickly exchanged it for his own. Holding it one hand, Edd ran the other through his hair, thinking, then blinked. Edward had straightened, frowning and gone to onto his toes to look down at.. The top of Edd's head? "Ummm... Edward... What seems to be the problem...?" He asked, looking up at him.

"Could you look down for just a sec?" Edward replied. One of his eyebrows was raised as he glared at Edd's hair.

"Umm... I know it's rather unusually colored, but... You really don't need to stare at it like that..."

"I don't believe this..." Edward murmured, clearly not listening to Double D. He shook his head, and unceremoniously grabbed some of Edd's hair and pulled a few strands out.

"Ow!" Edd protested below him, covering the spot with his hands as he straightened. "What was that---"

"Here." Edward hung the hair in front of Edd's eyes.

Edd looked confused. "Edward, I'm afraid I don't see what you're trying to show me.."

"Then look closer, twit." Edward pointed at the dark roots of the strands of hair. "The tips are dyed black, with the normal color purplish... but this new growth here, in the last couple of days? It's dark--"

"Brown..." They chorused, and Edd grabbed Edward's hand, staring at the strands. He leaned in close to look at it, then up at Edward. "How...?"

Edward groaned, trying to tug his hands away. "Look, why don't ya figure that out after giving me my clothes back, huh? That is kinda why we're in here, after all." He smirked as Edd grinned sheepishly, releasing his hands. The strands fell slowly to the ground, blending in with the dark of the rock.

"Erm, yes... Good idea." He backed up and pulled the dark red T-shirt over his head as Edward placed the cowboy hat on the floor, gently.

***********

The kids had finished with their vote, that had ended with them trusting Edd; After all, so far only unusual coincidences seemed to have taken place, neither he nor Marie seemed to be insane. They were now lounging around on the rocks or ground nearer the cave.

The three doubles traveling with Edward were telling Rolf and Ed exactly what they had seen, the two nodding and looking towards the northeast.

To the group's surprise, the zombies had changed directions shortly after Edd and Edward went into the cave. They had turned to the east, leading them in the same direction Kevin and Nazz were theorized to have gone.

Marie stood and crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently. "What the heck's taking them so long...?" She growled, glaring at the cave. If those two didn't come out soon...

Two figures emerged as she thought that, and she smiled. "Took you two long enough... Did you need to take beauty naps or something?"

The one with the cowboy hat waved his hand haughtily at her. "Yeah, yeah... It'd take you a while if you had to make sure ya still had the right underwear on."

"Ewww!" A number of the kids exclaimed, then most of them giggled. They had recognized the lower voice as being Edward's, and watched the two as they approached the rocks. Edd smiled and relaxed onto one of the smaller rocks.

"Some how I imagine you guys have already chosen our next course of action?" He asked, looking over at Ed and Rolf. Rolf nodded.

"Yes, after some discussion, Ed and Rolf believe we know where to find Kevin, and Nazz, so we are to go find them..." He glanced over at the four who had come through the gate, and added, "You four are welcome to join us, of course..."

Edward grinned and swaggered over. "But of course! What else have we got to be doing right now, anyway?" He leaned on the other Edd's shoulder, who pushed him off.

Edd looked around. "Then it's decided?" They all nodded, and he slowly nodded his head once. "All right, then... I believe we still have one thing to do before leaving, though?" They looked confused, and he gestured towards the pile of wood. "Some food? There's not likely to be a great deal to eat, so we might as well take full advantage of this time..."

"But... What about Nazz?" Sarah asked.

Edd sighed, and explained. "We won't be able to do her much good if half of us are fainting on the way to her... It's been a rather long time since we ate as it is... Okay?" He looked around at them again, and they responded with a little more enthusiasm. He nodded. "If anyone who has food could..." A can immediately appeared on the rock before him, courtesy of Edward. He grinned at them, pulling out two more.

After a few minutes, a pile of 5 cans of beans, 4 sandwiches, at least 6 candy bars, and 4 beets made a reasonably impressive heap before them. A few of the older kids went about starting the fire with the torches while the others nibbled on the sandwiches.

Jonny thoughtfully chewed on part of a beet Rolf had offered him, watching Edd. It was still unnerving to not hear his thoughts, or communicate with him mentally... He'd been getting used to that connection quickly before. //I hope it's just something simple, not what I'm afraid it is...// He sighed, and then sniffed the air. That was definitely the smell of camping baked beans... Someone had gotten a can open, after all.. He stood and went over to the source of the smell, his mouth watering.

*~*~*

Edd listened to their delight with the food with a smile... That should last a while, and with any luck, this whole ordeal would soon be over. The development had him worried, but he felt... Surprisingly detached from it. //Odd...// He shrugged it off. He was more worried about the other's well- being, as he knew he'd be fine in this world...

*~*~*

Nazz's eyes remained closed as she was gently placed on the 'bed' of moss at the mouth of the cave, which fortunately faced the west. Human hands brushed some stray hair out of her face, and then pulled away.

Kevin closed his eyes, a small smile lingering on his lips. The tips of his fangs protruded from his mouth slightly, but didn't cut him. //Now, Nazz won't have all those guys throwing themselves at her like animals... She and I can stay together peacefully...// He decided. However, a few problems lurked at the edge of his awareness, and he looked out at the sky, thinking.

//Obviously those dorks are going to come try and 'rescue' her, and that's not really much of a problem, but she might deceive herself into thinking she wants to go back... I shall have to protect my queen, even from herself...// He decided firmly, then frowned. That... Presence... It was back in his head again.

//What that heck do you want? Go away! // Kevin thought at it, crossing his arms. A breeze pushed back his hair, as the characteristic baseball cap wasn't on his head. Instead, his red hair had grown somewhat, enough to cause a widow's peak above his forehead. //You're getting on my nerves! //

//Now, now, don't be so rash, Kevin...// Kevin froze. That was the same voice from before! His eyes narrowed, almost glowing with an inner red light.

//You again. Now what? //

//I have a... deal for you. If you'll only delay those 'dorks' into staying in this world, for, oh... Another day, and staying around where you are, I can guarantee that no one will ever disturb you and your 'queen' again...//

Kevin raised an eyebrow and stared up at the ceiling. //Will you, now...// He tapped his chin thoughtfully, walking around the cavern. It was more than 100 feet from the ground below, in the face of a large cliff. //That sounds like a good deal, but why would I agree to what you say... Tony? //

*~*~*

Tony's eyes shot open, and he stared in the direction of the cliff. //They're far smarter than I gave them credit for...// He realized quickly, then focused on Kevin's thoughts. The vampire had paused in his walking around, and was looking down at Nazz's sleeping form. He quickly took advantage of it. //Need I say why? I won't lie to you, this is simply a more convenient way for me to achieve my goal, but since you will be helped, and not harmed by this working, why don't you take advantage of it? //

The boy thought swiftly, too swiftly for Tony to follow, and then smirked. //Alright, then.. I'll delay them, and you will ensure that they never bother me again... Got it? //

Tony nodded, realizing fully that neither trusted the other. //Yes, I will keep my part of this bargain. // He closed the link, and leaned back, sighing. //Well, this shall be interesting...// Tony rose, and slid off the wall on the edge, walking towards his younger brother. The boy was asleep, unaware of just how red his back was becoming... Tony shook his head.

//And our parents were afraid I would teach him to be just like me... Huh. Eddy doesn't have the mental capacity to manipulate people the way I can... It's an art, not a game, and he'll probably never realize it... But I will need a successor, so... with any luck...// He turned back to the south, watching twin images of Edd and Jonny. //One of those two...//

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

Well, that's it... The end of Part 9. I'm still hoping for recommendations of songs, and who you want to have sing it, and those people can be any of the kids you've seen in the story, so keep that in mind.... If you're REALLY nice, you'll email me the artist, name of the song, and even the lyrics at Kyinsky@yahoo.com ... I like not having to go find them, really.

I'm also open to suggestions about where the fic should go, so, as always, PLEASE REVIEW!!