The river's gentle waters cascaded through Retroville Middle School's basement. Cindy listened to its low whooshing, then knelt before the teacher's desk that had once helped save her life. By her foot rested an empty Doublestrike pistol. She briefly wondered how the gun had found its way down to the basement before shrugging the question aside. Cindy scooped up the pistol, studied its plastic frame, and realized how truly harmless the weapon was.

Cindy clambered up the desk and stared at the water flowing past her. The once mighty river had already lost half its depth; Cindy surmised that the plumbers had already started their work. She glanced one last time at the pistol in her hand, then tossed it into the depths before her.

"Ms. Vortex," Superintendent Clarke's voice crested over the water's noise. Cindy hopped off the desk and adjusted her waterfall braid as her old foe approached. Cindy couldn't help but smile at the superintendent's attire: a steel pantsuit. "We didn't need to meet down here, you know. There are offices upstairs."

"I wanted to finish things here," Cindy answered. "Did the school board agree to your terms?"

"For the most part," Clarke flashed a quick grin. She handed Cindy a sheet of paper and let her study it. As Cindy looked it over, Clarke summarized the document. "There will be homework, but for the next three months it will consist of group assignments. This will let us foster both your studies and interpersonal dynamics."

Cindy found this compromise reasonable. Her eyes dropped to the next item on the list. "I see they agreed to the extra credit opportunities."

"They did," Clarke nodded. "We can't return the Nerf guns and we're sure as hell not using them again. So we'll donate them to needy kids. Whoever wants to help clean and package them can get extra credit for the community service."

Cindy's eyes flitted to the document's third section, which was Sheen's idea. "And the ice cream machines?"

"We can't afford ice cream machines for each school," Ms. Clarke sighed. Cindy narrowed her eyes as Ms. Clarke explained, "But I was able to reach out to some local establishments and secure some used frozen yogurt machines."

"Frozen yogurt?" Cindy's face radiated utter disgust.

"It's a healthy alternative that meets the cafeteria's nutrition requirements," Ms. Clarke gently argued. "I did try to make up for it with the last item." Cindy studied the document's final section as Ms. Clarke explained, "Lindbergh elementary has a school president. And Retroville High has a student council. But the other schools in the district are lacking this representation. That changes now. Starting this quarter, each school will have a student council of five elected members, plus a president."

Cindy arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really," Ms. Clarke assured her. "Their power will obviously be limited, especially in the elementary schools. But even there they'll control things such as the dances' playlists and some books that the library purchases. And if they can eloquently argue their positions, they can bring up any issues to their school's principal." Cindy's face radiated pure skepticism as she studied the document. "You seem confused."

Cindy huffed, "Just not used to adults actually keeping their word, let alone going beyond it." After Cindy finished reading, she flashed Ms. Clarke an appreciate grin. "Thank you. Since Forrester's out, who will our council be reporting to?"

"You might know her," Ms. Clarke offered a solemn smile. "Louisa Clarke."

Cindy cocked her head. "But you were superintendent. Isn't that a dem-" Cindy swallowed hard and stopped herself.

"A demotion?" Louisa asked. "Only in the sense that it carries less salary and prestige."

"I'm sorry," Cindy whispered. "I didn't want you to get in trouble."

"Truth be told, it's a good thing. Superintendent would never have been a good fit for me. It will be nice to get back in a school with the teachers and you students. And I hope we might be working more together. The elections for president will take place February first."

Cindy caught her drift and dropped her eyes. "I have a history of subverting democracy at Lindbergh."

"Something tells me you've learned from that mistake," Clarke assured her. "Listen, Cynthia. I've been talking more to the students and even Ms. Wolf, who evidently stayed here all winter break to ensure you kids were safe." Clarke nodded in admiration while adding, "She's a real treasure."

"Yeah," Cindy grinned in wry amusement, "she's one of a kind."

"Anyway," Clarke went on, "what you all accomplished was nothing short of remarkable. Your school could use a woman like you in charge. And quite honestly, so could the world outside these walls."

"It wasn't all me," Cindy protested.

"Enough of it was," Clarke assured her. "The school will be up and running in a week, Cynthia. I look forward to our time together." She thrust out her palm.

Cindy studied her steady hand, then clutched it tight. "Me too. See you then."

With that said Ms. Clarke spun around and head back towards the stairs. Cindy watched her go, then turned back to the wall shielding her from the water. She laid a palm against the steel barrier, bowed her head, and then turned away. It was time to leave The River behind.

On the main floor, Cindy strolled towards Prudentia. A few random kids milled about, heading towards whatever area of the school held the most meaning to them. As Cindy studied their serious faces, she was filled with gratitude that Ms. Clarke had allowed the students inside the building before their civilization was torn down. She hoped that all of the kids inside the building, whether old friends or foes, found the closure they sought.

As Cindy approached Prudentia, she found one such student. Gone was his cuirass and Amaris shirt; in its place were blue jeans and a green V-neck. He ran a hand through his tousled brown hair, then lit up as he spotted Cindy.

"Ethan," Cindy smiled while picking up her pace. She vaulted over the rear sandbag wall and halted a foot before the teenager. He smiled wide and held out his arms. Cindy nodded and wrapped him in a tight embrace.

"Good to see ya," Ethan squeezed her hard before letting her go. "Just you here?"

"For now," Cindy answered. "The gang's meeting me upstairs soon." She pulled out her cellphone and glanced at the time. "They might already be at Canterbury. What about you? Aashna around?"

"No," Ethan shook his head. "Said she wants to savor every possible minute without me." He huffed in amusement, then let solemnity cloud his eyes. "I think it's different for the people who didn't last as long as we did."

Cindy nodded in understanding. "This the first spot you've visited?"

"Yeah. Not many ghosts are lucky enough to visit their own grave. You?"

"Started down there," Cindy tapped her foot on the ground. "Working my way up." Cindy pushed open Prudentia's door and stepped into the tiny shack. It rested exactly as she remembered. Drops of blood near the center table, mugs shattered with glass on the floor, and weapons scattered all around.

"I wasn't sure if I should have helped you," Ethan whispered. Cindy faced him as he explained, "What you went through in here...it didn't seem like a Nerf fight. Seemed like they were really trying to kill you. I should have-"

"You should have stayed down. And you did," Cindy forced Ethan to meet her gaze. "We played by the rules and won. That's why we're at least getting something out of it." Ethan cocked his head, so Cindy explained. "I met with our new Principal just now. We're pretty much getting what we were supposed to. Plus a frozen yogurt machine."

"Not ice cream?" Ethan couldn't hide his reflexive disgust.

"I tried," Cindy shot back. She rubbed the back of her neck and said, "We're also getting a student council. Five kids and a president. Clarke wants me to run for the latter."

"You should," Ethan replied. "Imagine if the kingdoms' leaders still held some power. Ike, Betty, Jimmy, and Angie on the council with you leading it? I'd vote for that."

"That would still leave a spot for you," Cindy half-teased.

"Maybe," Ethan mused. "But for now, I'm happy to take a break from all this. Once I'm done here, I'm settling in for a week of video games and annoying Aashna."

Cindy huffed and asked, "Want to postpone those plans for a few hours? We're probably going to go to The Candy Bar after this."

"I'd love to, but it was a stretch getting out to say goodbye to this place. My dad wants me home; says he really missed me. Can I take a rain check, though?"

"You bet," Cindy offered. She spun around to head upstairs, but Ethan's voice yanked her in place.

"Cindy," he began as she turned back around. He held out his palm and said, "It really was a pleasure to meet you. See you in school?"

Cindy effortlessly shook his hand and promised, "First period, first day." With that said, she left Ethan and headed back to the staircase.

Cindy climbed the stairs up to the third floor turned onto the main corridor. Her heart fell as she got her first look at the Kingdom she hadn't been able to defend. Stray Nerf guns, crossbows, swords, and darts obscured nearly every inch of the floor leading up to Canterbury's wall. The barricade stood dented and deformed; Cindy spotted the black singed line where the adults must have tried to saw through. Evidently the steel barricade had held up better than Minerva's wooden one.

Cindy shook her head in disbelief. The simple act of snatching the fair's smithing equipment seemed to have saved her kingdom.

Cindy strode forward and climbed over a section of barricade that had been pushed inwards. She scaled the angled wall, hopped onto the floor, and soon found herself face to face with Arion.

For just a moment, pony and girl stared each other in the eyes. Then Arion bellowed an elated neigh while rubbing his face over Cindy's.

"Okay, boy!" Cindy laughed while wrapping her arms over the pony's neck. He tucked his own leg over Cindy's and hugged her tight. "I thought you would have been taken back to the farm by now!"

"Not yet!" Carl Wheezer rode up to her on the back of his beige alpaca. "I hid this guy and am taking him home with me. Figured you'd want to say goodbye to your pony."

Cindy grinned wide and leaned her forehead between Arion's eyes. "Thanks, Carl." She hopped atop her pony and led the equine towards Carl. "How have you been?"

"Oh, the usual," Carl shrugged as he and Cindy headed deep into Minerva. "Me and the kids who died just hung out, went to the petting zoo, fought The League of Villains..."

"What?" Cindy asked as they sauntered through the hall. She spotted Nick inside the armory and pulled Arion to a halt. As she swung her legs down to the floor, Jimmy strolled towards her. The boy genius was back in his jeans and red shirt. His hair was also curled back into its usual swirl thanks to his BarberBot.

"What did Clarke say?" Jimmy asked while offering Cindy a hand.

Cindy accepted his aid and steadied herself on the ground. "She actually kept her word. Did you all just get here?"

"A few minutes ago," Jimmy answered. He peered into the armory as Nick strolled outside. The two boys stared at Cindy, then locked eyes.

"Hey, Neutron," Nick flashed a cautious smile. "Visited Minerva already?"

Voice steady, Jimmy said, "Yeah. I'll give you two a minute."

Voice more serious, Nick answered, "Thanks, dude."

Jimmy nodded and led Carl back down the hall. "Meet us in the throne room when you're done."

Cindy wasn't sure what to say, so she let James leave and join their other friends deeper inside Minerva. Once he was gone, Nick led her inside the armory. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. "How ya been?"

"Same as everyone else. Tired," Nick half-joked. He crossed his arms before motioning towards Cindy. "What'd the doctor say?"

"Just a mild concussion and fractured rib. Rest, ice pack, and ibuprofen. Could have been worse."

"Always could, I guess."

The friends fell silent. Cindy mustered her courage and finally asked the question that had plagued her for weeks. "Nick?" Something in her tone dashed any hint of his mile. "Can I ask you something?"

"Always."

"Why did you do so much for me?"

Nick shrugged; the movement sent his gaze tumbling to the floor. "We did a lot for each other. We were partners."

Cindy remembered him flashing her that peace sign outside the fair. The memory was fuzzy; it seemed a lifetime ago. "We were, but you always did more. After Damien, when Angie was going to cut me down? You could have died for nothing."

"You're not nothing," Nick whispered.

Cindy didn't know what to say, so she let her gaze join Nick's on the floor.

After a quiet moment, Nick asked, "Do you remember graduation? Not the war after it, but the actual day itself?"

"Yeah," Cindy nodded. "We had that class party. You and Jimmy shared a malt instead."

"We did," Nick agreed. "And it made think about stuff I'd never thought of before. Like who I really am and what friends matter to me. And that got me thinking about how all you girls had a crush on me."

Cindy contemplated refuting this and realized it would be a pointless lie.

"At the time," Nick went on, "I just thought it was kind of funny. I never really actually thought much about girls."

Cindy smirked as she said, "That makes you the rare fifth-grader who didn't fall inexplicably deeply in love."

"That's kind of my point. After seeing all you guys get together, it made me wonder if..." Nick swallowed hard and lifted his gaze. Cindy stared into his eyes and saw pure despair. "If I might have let someone great slip away."

"Nick," Cindy began, though her train of thought was barreling blindly down an unseen track.

Nick sucked in a deep breath and stood tall. "It's alright," he assured her. "Any idiot can see you and Jimmy belong together." He forced a sincere smile and asked, "But can we be friends?"

A jumble of thoughts swirled through Cindy's head, but the one that stuck out was, Why not say can we stay friends? It didn't take her long to realize that Nick had chosen his words wisely. All she really knew of the boy before her was that he was strong, brave, deeper than she'd known, and incredibly loyal to her. That wasn't enough to build a friendship. But it was a good foundation.

"I did have a crush on you, yet I never really knew you. But I wouldn't mind amending that. Of course we can be friends."

Nick beamed and thrust out his palm. "Well then I suppose we should make proper introductions. Name's Nick Dean. Resident cool kid, pretty good with a bow, and a fan of your new look."

Cindy ran a hand through her wavy hair before clasping his palm. "Cindy Vortex. Borderline genius, frighteningly skilled in a fight, and grateful for you."

The kids shook hands before heading back out into the hall. "So, what do you think the next Nerf war will be like?" Nick asked. "If it keeps getting bigger, I'm thinking it has to last the whole summer at space camp."

Cindy shook her head as they headed towards their friends' voices drifting out of the throne room. "Right. Maybe we fight beside some grizzled marines returning from a trip to the moon."

"The aliens they found and brought back would have to break free."

"Of course," Cindy agreed. "What else could unite all of us kids and the adults?"

"Thank god their one weakness is foam."

"They've never been exposed to it up on Luna," Cindy agreed. "Haven't developed an immunity."

"We're pretty good at this," Nick smiled. "We should write a book."

"Like anyone would read it," Cindy rolled her eyes. She stepped into the throne room and spotted her seven assembled friends. Sheen, Libby, Carl, Angie, Jimmy, Ike, and Betty stood before the tablet holding The Rules. They had shed their medieval attire and stood before the tablet in their usual outfits. As she and Nick joined them, Ike glared at her through his shades.

"Tell me Clarke kept her word."

Cindy grinned and said, "She did. The only thing she couldn't get were the ice cream machines. We're getting frozen yogurt instead."

Cindy watched everyone swallow dry heaves and glared as Sheen screamed, "I'll kill her!"

"Settle," Jimmy motioned Sheen back.

Libby sighed and turned back to the stone tablet. "I guess that's it, then. We got everything we wanted."

"Back to the real world," Betty agreed.

Angie stared around her throne room. "I did miss electricity and the internet and my parents. But it's going to be hard giving this up."

As the group agreed, Cindy said, "We might not have to. At least not completely. Clarke's setting a student council in place. Elections are next month. Five members and a president."

A devilish smile spread over Betty's lips. "Maybe us old monarchs can still run the show?"

Jimmy chimed in, "I doubt the adults will let us run this school. But we could at least have a say in it."

"Well there's six slots and nine of us," Nick reminded everyone. "What do you say we rocks, paper, scissors over it at The Candy Bar?"

The group voiced their agreement, though Jimmy couldn't help but mutter, "Perhaps we can think of a more logical way to figure out who's the most deserving?"

Cindy watched her friends march past her and remembered Clarke's words. Your school could use a woman like you in charge. And quite honestly, so could the world outside these walls.

"I'll come to The Candy Bar," Cindy lifted her voice over the happy chorus and watched her friends halt in place. "But I can't stay long. I was actually planning on volunteering somewhere after coming here."

Libby asked, "Volunteering where?"

Cindy shrugged and said, "A retirement home nearby."

"Old people?!"Sheen shrieked. "All they ever do is sully candy's good name with lint-covered peppermints!"

Betty cocked her head and croaked, "What?"

"I just figured we spent a lot of time trying to make a new world," Cindy shrugged. "But we have to leave it behind. So maybe we can make the real one better instead."

"Well," Nick chimed in, "I wasn't planning on having another six hour celebration. They got room for another volunteer?"

"I'll come too," Jimmy assured his girlfriend. "They always say that society's youth has a lot to learn from our elders, but I aim to reverse that outdated philosophy!"

"Ugh," Libby groaned. "All those places play is elevator music."

"You could share your playlist and help those old fools get down with their bad selves," Carl suggested.

"And I could spread the Lord's good word," Ike pulled out his pocket bible.

"You'd all actually come?" Cindy couldn't hide her shock.

"It'll spice things up, at least," Betty shrugged and offered Cindy a gentle smile.

"Yeah!" Sheen shrieked. "I feel like we always end our adventures by going to the Candy Bar!"

Carl nervously shifted his eyes from side to side as Angie asked, "So, we all ready?"

"I think so," Cindy said with a smile as she marched ahead of the pack. She stood before her friends and contemplated how it wouldn't be easy to change the world. But as she led her group down the hall, she was comforted by a simple notion.

The only way to begin a difficult journey was to take the first step.