The Sunflower Official had a feeling something was wrong. He didn't know what, but in the PPC, that meant nothing. What he did know was that the Legal Department had sent him a very polite message a few days back, warning that 'the time for irony is upon us' and that he should 'beware, beware the advent of recursion'. That was all very well, but it told him absolutely nothing.

[Bing!]

The Flower pressed a frond against the button set in his desk, and a message flashed up on the screen. He really shouldn't have been surprised, considering his musings, but he was.

To: Sunflower Official, DMS
From: Agent Justin Agent, DIO
URGENT: SO eyes ONLY

What's this, then? the Head of the Department of Mary-Sues wondered aloud. The last time the DIO messaged me was when that Fanfic Land website started up, and we... oh, no. No.

But yes. He read the brief, badly-spelled summary by 'gutsy-gem-iwrya' of the events of the previous year. He read the announcement that 'a new power is rising and it’s factory is at hand!!'. He skimmed over the inarticulate plan, which stated that 'if was all join together an speak out maybe fanficland will admit it’s mistakes an we can all write billiant fanfic again for a bit!!'. Then he came to the response Agent Justin had picked up from the internet.

Dear gutsy_gem_iwrya,

We thank you for your interest in our website. However, please note that, in accordance with the wishes of an external agency, we no longer accept fanfiction of the PPC. Our ethical code forbids posting works which may be detrimental to the reputation of such an august organisation, and we will have no part in it.

...

JUST KIDDING!!! We'd LOVE to have you all back in our playground!!!

Yours with GREAT anticipation,

The Fanfic Land Admin Team

The Sunflower Official stared at the screen for a few moments, and then jabbed the 'delete' button. Well, he began, maybe it won't be as--

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sunflower official stared at the date. I hadn't realised... he murmured. It's been so long...

Indeed, it had been long -- a year, in fact. A year since his beloved bride, Jaycacia Thornbyrd, had been cruelly slain. Or at least, since she had been found cruelly slain. The decomposed state of her body when she had been discovered indicated-- but he couldn't think about it. As her face came to his mind, a single tear rolled down his petals. My poor Jaycacia, he said. She was so young... so innocent...

There was a soft whisper of air behind him, and the flower turned to see his lover enter the room. "I noticed the calender," Jay Thorntree said quietly. "I'm so sorry."

I had hoped that the joy of your presence might keep the memories away, the SO said glumly, but even that failed. He looked up at his lover. You must think me weak.

"No!" Jay pulled her soft pink robe around herself and sat down on the desk. "No, Sunny, I don't." She looked at the floor. "I... even though she was my daughter..."

I thought she was the daughter of Acacia and HQ, the SO interjected.

"Even though she was my daughter," Jay repeated more forcefully, "I still saw in her the same thing you did. In fact, I... there was this one time..."

The SO looked at her. You, too, were able to find joy in the transcendental beauty of Jaycacia's mortal form?

"Yes!" Jay cried. "Yes! I loved her, even as you!"

But then, my dear, the SO exclaimed, we have both slept with the same girl -- nay, woman! And this ties us closer together than any amount of sex between ourselves!

Jay looked at him, her eyes full of hope and tenderness. "Oh, Sunny!" she exclaimed. "Can it be true?"

"Indeed it can," said another voice from behind them, and a soft pink light filled the room. "Yea, in truth it can -- and your shared love for me and for one another has done the one thing -- the one thing in all the worlds -- that I could not do alone."

Jay and the SO turned as one to behold the shining, glowing form of Jaycacia Thornbyrd, as beautiful or more so as they remembered. She smiled at them. "Yes, dear ones. Through the power of pure love, you have restored me to life!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!"

This time, Jay Thorntree didn't even bother to open her eyes. "It's three o'clock, Acy," she mumbled. "Let me sleep."

"Can't," Acacia said, kicking at her friend's bed. "Bad news again."

"I already heard," Jay muttered. "Fanfic Land's open again. So? We've been gone for four years."

"You haven't heard everything, then," Acacia said, and held out a sheet of paper. "There's only one chapter up so far but..."

Jay sat up resignedly and reached for the sheet. Then she stopped. "... it's Jaycacia again, isn't it?"

Acacia looked at her. "Would you be more likely to read it if I said no?"

"No, I just wouldn't believe you." The ex-PPCer sighed. "All right. But I'm going to get a drink before I read it, all right?"

"I was about to recommend it," her partner said wryly. "I needed one, and I'm not even in it."

"Mm. Have you seen my robe around here anywhere?"

A muffled noise came from the end of the bed, and Jay could see the dim shape of her friend trying not to giggle. "... what?"

"Nothing, nothing..." Acacia shook her head. "You'll understand when you read it, Jay. Come on, get up. We don't have all day."

"Night."

"Whatever."