I go through the blank landscape until I reach a lone vending machine. Evil's already there, but where's Good? They're late.

Evil pushes a button. Magic in the air is converted into a can of soda. They take it and open it, filling the abyss with a satisfying crack before it all fades back into silence.

"How you been Null?" Evil asks.

"Preety good," I reply, "you?"

"Been alright," Evil replies, "how's the amalgam?"

"Seems nice enough," I reply, "still to early to say though."

"What name he going with?" Evil asks.

"Uncannoned," I reply.

Evil swirls his soda in the half-full can. They take another sip.

"So I've been thinking," they say, "we just sit in this abyss all day everyday, and what do we do with our time? Nothing. I'm sick of it. Think I'm gonna posses Reaper in the canon timeline."

"He'd need a lot of souls, and at least a few strong 'evil' ones," I remind.

"He's got The Four," Evil explains, "if he reaches a point where he needs more power, I'll take up the torch.

"You're gonna kill Gen?" I ask.

"If that's what it takes to keep his physical form," Evil replies, "maybe."

OK, can't talk my way out of this as myself. Thankfully, as an entity of logic, I have the ability to abandon my emotions. When I do so, my eyes glaze over and my expression goes blank. Guess I gotta do that here.

"Illogical," I blankly state, "killing gen would prevent us from getting physical forms of our own. You'd be on borrowed time, lasting a year at best. Doesn't matter if you still consider him a freind or not, we need him alive."

My emotions return. "Make sense?" I ask.

"Fair point," they reply, "but if gen does die, I'll just erase Reaper so, we'll just see what happens in book three."

Evil finishes off his soda. He bangs the side of the machine, causing another to be conjured. Psssst, the sound cracks, piercing the stagnant air. It breaks the stillness of the abyss.

The conversation stops dead. I start to think. If I were to have physical form, would I have a gender then? Evil's been researching it, and I have wanted to be more... Feminine than I am now, so I'll ask.

"Hey Evil," I start, "I've been thinking, if I were to get physical form could I be a bit more- nah. Nevermind."

"Bit more what?" Evil inquiries.

I can't do it. What if they judge me or don't understand? I mean, maybe it's just a phase.

"Come on," Evil smiles, "now you have to tell me."

"Fine," I sigh, "between you and me, I've always wanted to be more feminine than I am now. Never liked this whole masculine thing yknow?"

Evil looks at me for a moment. Did I say to much? Don't tell me they're gonna ditch our friendship. There's only six people here counting Uncannoned, and Good and Evil are the only ones I'm really able to talk to.

Evil takes a long, calm sip of his soda. They crush the can on their forehead under their cloak.

"I understand," Evil replies, "I mean, I'm fine with being vaguely masculine but I can get behind wanting to go to the other end of the spectrum. I'm not gonna judge. I can talk to gen about it if I posses Reaper later."

Evil gets yet another soda.

"Man you are just knocking those out," I comment.

"What can I say?" They reply, "I like me some good pop. Anyways, I'm sick of the flavors this thing generates. Gonna try to make a new one. Maybe a cola with a bit more fizz. Wish me luck."

"Let me try it when you're done," I reply. Evil gives me a nod and walks off. Where's Good? They're nowhere to be seen. I better go check up on them. I start walking to Good's house.

Maybe walking into a dark abyss with minimal landmarks was a bad idea. I'm so lost, and I.T.'s aura is gone. Guess they sensed mine. So now what? There's nothing in every direction as far as the eye can see.

I'm gonna fade out here. That pie only had enough mana to get me so far. I'm already flickering. So this is how it ends? Ah well, I deserve this anyways. I deserve to die, slowly, painfully after all the blood on my hands. I can't go on any longer. I don't have the strength or the desire to continue. I close my eyes and embrace the nothingness...