The room was silent until Tal hit the floor, and then everyone screamed at the top of their lungs. Mena cried out his name in tears. She could not believe that Ashlan would go to such a length. Was Mena’s love really worth the price of murder?

"How is that possible?!" Stellaris said, her radiant skin turning pale in the dark theater. "Those were prop weapons!"

Ashlan was stained with Tal's shadow blood, and she stood in the spotlight like a criminal caught in the act. "I didn't do it…" she pleaded. "I didn't kill him…"

Before anyone could answer, a guttural voice echoed around the room. "Yeeeesssss you did…"

Everyone shrieked when it came from Tal's body. "You stabbed me...in jealousy...Miserable wretch…"

The voice didn't sound like Tal's voice. It was raspy and deep, replacing his boyish tenor with something much more frightening.

"But," he rasped. "I won't go down without a fight. I've got a beast sealed inside me for when my lifeblood runs out ...Lioness...you will die!"

Tal let out a scream as a giant hand plunged out of his chest. Veiny, muscular and throbbing, it slammed Ashlan against the play's backdrop.

Ashlan gagged as the hand tried to throttle her, but right when she was about to die, another arm emerged from Tal's body along with enormously muscular legs and a shadowy tail. Tal's body grew larger and larger until he was the size of the stage itself. He threw his head back, and when it returned. It was the head of a skeletal dragon with a glowing red eyes. "Behold the Shadragon!" he roared

Everyone began this spill out of the theater in droves, leaving only Mena, May, Janus and the teachers.

Electra immediately pleaded with Tal as he clutched an unconscious Ashlan in his hand. "Stop it this instant, honey!" Electra cried. "Unless you want to get yourself and me by extent, indicted for murder."

The Shadragon roared defiantly, totally ignore Electra's plea. Electra stood with her legs in a fighting stance.

Lightning crackled and surged all the way down her arm right to her fingertip. "I don't normally strike students," Electra said, her voice deep, boisterous and theatrical, "but this is a rare example: lightning strike!"

Electra unleased a hail of lightning, surging right towards the Shadragon, but it swatted it harmlessly away and back at Electra, blasting the boys' headmaster straight into the wall.

Everyone watched in shock, as Electra opened her eyes. Her tongue hung out and with a goofy smile, she slurred, "I guess lighting does strike twice," before she was knocked out cold

Stellaris looked warily at Mena, May and Janus. "Get back, this beast is extremely hostile. You saw how quickly it took down a fully trained headmaster!"

“What happened to him?" Mena cried.

Stellaris put her hand to her chin. “I think this is some sort of Body Familiar triggered by his pain. People of the Shadow Nomads have this kind of rare power.”

“Is there some way to stop it?” Mena asked.

“Perhaps,” Stellaris said, looking down at Mena. “To stop him. We need to remove the source of his pain.”

Mena gazed at the dragon. She saw the rapier sticking out of its shoulder where black miasma oozed. It gave her an idea, but it would take all the guts in her skinny fat body. Mena ran up to the stage causing everyone to call after her.

"You're not on my daddy's To-Kill list yet," Janus cried, but Mena didn't listen. She had climbed the stage and stood at the beast's feet.

The beast waved the unconscious Ashlan over its mouth as it exclaimed dramatically, "Now lioness, you will feel TRUE PAIN!"

It held her over its gaping maw, ready to gobble her up, but before it dropped her into its mouth, a small voice peeped up. "Yoo hoo, Prince Tal!"

The dragon looked down at Mena. She stood in her frilly pink corset and matching dress, trying to look as winsome as possible. Immediately, the dragon seized Mena in his claws.

As his fingers wrapped around Mena, she was surprised at how gentle he was. Soon, Mena was level with the dragon's head. His enormous skeletal break nearly touching her soft cheek. "Mena," his guttural voice rasped. "I only wanted to be with you...but that she devil had to come between us…"

"I know, big fella," Mena said gently, but trying to sound sultry as well

Tears trickled from the dragon's piercing red eyes. "Worry not," the dragon said. "Today we shall go together into the next life. We shall truly be Romulus and Julianna together in eternity!"

Mena audibly gulped; that was what she was worried about. The dragon's beak loomed over her, ready to bite her head off. Before it could deliver the coup de gras, Mena whispered, "Tal, can I tell you one last thing before we leave this world together?"

The dragon pulled his beak back. "Anything, my love "

Mena eyed the rapier. "I need to be a bit closer," she said

Slowly, the dragon moved her closer to the sword impaled in its shoulder. She was almost within reach.

"Tal," she said quietly. "I…"

The dragon brought her closer so he could hear her words of admission. He watched her intently. Mena loosened her hand from inside the dragon's fist.

"I love…"

"Go on," the dragon said finally pulling her close enough to the sword.

Mena reached as far as she could and grasped the rapier. The dragon erupted into a loud howl. He was about to rip her head off, but she seized the sword and removed it from his shoulders.

The dragon shrieked and began to shrink back to the size of a young man. Soon, Mena found herself back on the stage beside Tal, who moaned softly as his gash bled profusely.

The stage was stormed by members of the Lollypop Medical Service who lifted Tal on a stretcher.

The Lollypop MD put his tiny fingers on Tal's wrist. "He's alive but in critical condition."

He turned to Stellaris who were now on stage. "We'll have to operate…"

Stellaris and Electra nodded as staff carried Tal off.

Mena clutched at her chest. Even if Tal had nearly murdered her in deranged passion, she yearned for him to be alright.

Ashlan sat up on the concrete, looking completely confused. "Where am I?" She groaned.

She was immediately surrounded by Eye Robots and member of the Lollypop Security Task Force

They cuffed her hands with magic cuffs as Electra towered over her.

"Detain the murderess," she exclaimed, thrusting a finger into Ashlan's face. "We will get to the bottom of why she tried to kill one of my most prized students."

"But I didn't do it!" Ashlan pleaded as she was led off in cuffs

"Oh yes," Electra quipped. "It was the wind that ran him through "

"I mean," Ashlan said. "I didn't mean to do it. I don't know what came over me"

"Bloodlust!" Electra howled. "A crime of passion! We will have you tried!"

As Mena watched her former roommate leave the auditorium, she couldn't help but wonder what the truth was. But she couldn't think about that now, she was much too concerned if her Romulus would pull through.