-Max's POV- (assume it's this unless said otherwise)

It had been three days since that happened. I wasn't recovering at all. My mom had let us come stay with her again, and I had locked myself up in Ella's room, only letting Ella in to get things like clothes. I was so depressed, no one needed to see the state I was in. That's no way anyone needs to see their leader.

Sadly, everyone could hear me when I broke out into those dreaded tears, whimpering for Fang. I feel so pathetic sometimes.

"Max..." I heard Angel say at the door. "Max are you okay?" She asked. I hadn't spoken to her since he had died. I didn't blame her for his death, but I really hadn't spoken to anyone else either. I simply kept quiet. "Max.. Dylan wants to talk to you."

I cracked the door open. "About what?"

"He said it was something about.. about Fang."

I stared at the innocent little girl who had once been my baby doll, my favorite, now it felt as though we weren't going to be close ever again. "Okay.." I mumbled. "but send him in here."

When he entered my little cave of tears he sat down beside me on Ella's bed, "I think I found a way to bring Fang back." He said. I was taken aback for a second. Why would he want to bring Fang back? Didn't they hate each other? I know for a fact Fang hated him.

"Are you insane?"

He shrugged, "Maybe I am, Max." He paused a moment. I refused to look at him. He was mocking me, I knew he was. Wasn't he supposed to be my perfect half or something? Why was he acting like a jerk? "I really think it'll work though..."

"Why." I demanded. It wasn't any question, it was an order to tell me why.

He fidgeted with his hands a bit. "I don't want you to cry anymore..." He said in almost a whisper. I cooled down a bit and relaxed.

"Okay then. Explain your crazy plan..."

"Human Transmutation."

I blinked a few times, "Human What-now?"

"I know it sounds a bit strange, but let me explain it a bit. First I'll begin with an explanation of alchemy." he went on to tell me about transmutation circles, equivalent exchange, a bunch of scientific sounding things, suddenly a voice whispered to me in the back of my head.

Don't listen to him, Max' The Voice. If it were real, I'd punch it in the face.

Long time no hear, I snapped at it, Where were you when Fang was dying?

"Max, are you listening to me?" Dylan asked.

It'll only cause you more pain.

Enraged at how little he helped at Fang's death bed I shouted - if that's possible - at it in my mind. I'll listen to you when Fang's alive and you're actually helping me!

"Let's do it. Now." I said out of a bit of anger and hoe. If this worked, I'd have Fang back, we'd be able to be together again, we'd be able to love each other again.

Dylan showed me a few images on the laptop Fang left behind of what we needed to draw and I told him to explain it to the flock while I started on it. I heard a teary whoop coming from Nudge, and a few other mumbles from everyone else - not upset, confused or grumbly mumbles or anything like that, more like mumbles of shock or something.

"Done!" I called to everyone in the other room. See that Voice? I'm going to get Fang back, I don't care if you help or not. I said smugly to the Voice with no reply. "Is everyone ready?" I asked.

With shuffling feet and a rush to the room, the rest of the Flock came inside. I glanced at Dylan who nodded. The six of us slapped our hands together and slapped them down on the chalk drawing. Suddenly, light started to shine from the markings on the ground. They were all sorts of shades of gold a blue. Sort of reminded me of the Fireworks Gazzy made for all of our birthdays.

And then it all fell apart.

I wanted to cry. They were falling apart. My Flock, my babies, they were falling apart right in front of me - and I was too.

Blood soaked through the back of Angel's shirt, who knows what caused it, Nudge clutched her stomach, coughing up blood, making a messy splatter on the floor. Iggy clutched his face as blood started oozing out from between his fingers. Gazzy was nowhere in sight! Even me. Even my own leg was started to vanish.

Then all the panic stopped.

I felt like I had woken up in some insane asylum. Everything was white around me. "Why hello there!"

I spun around to see myself. Well, almost myself, if I were sheet white, naked, eyeless, noseless, and bald. Besides that, yeah it was myself. I looked up behind it and a door stood. "A door?"

Suddenly the voice in front of me was behind me, "This is the Gate of Truth, foolish human." I turned to face it.

"And you are?"

Whatever it was threw its hands up into the air with a cheeky grin. "I'm so glad you asked!" It exclaimed. "I am one. I am all. I am the world, the universe. I am god. I am even," it pointed at me, "You." Then it frowned, "Welcome to my domain fool."

"Who the hell are you calling a f-" I was cut off when something grabbed my arm and started pulling back. "Get off of me!" I screamed, thrashing around. It continued pulling me until I was inside that big door.

At that moment, it was as if I went into another brain bomb. Too much information was going inside my head. I felt like my head was going to explode!

Then I saw him. Reaching out to me. With a smile on his face. Then, just when I was about to reach him.. I was back in the white room.

After a short pause the thing appeared again, "How was it?"

"You gotta let me back in!" I said, turning towards the door.

"No can do; that's all you get for this toll."

"What toll?" I snapped at it. Suddenly, my right leg vanished.

"This should do nicely."

Then I was back in that room. It was foggy and it smelled. I looked around then I saw it. "What the hell?"

In front of me lay a rotting creature, struggling to breathe, reaching out to me, murmuring my name. "No.. this isn't what we wanted..."

"Max..." it wheezed.

I had completely lost it and screamed, "Don't touch me! Get away!"

Then it was all black.