"Are you sure you can watch them all? Four seven-year olds will be quite a hassle." Dad Egbert asked, watching as John ran off to join in a game with Jade, Dave and Rose.

"I'm sure. I've got 'em covered." Mom Lalonde told the three. "Besides, you guys need a guy night. I won't even drink."

"You swear you're not going to drink?" Bro Strider questioned.

"I swear. No worries, I'll watch 'em real close." Mom stated seriously. She wasn't carrying her usual martini glass, which added to her emphasis. "Now go have fun. You to Harley! Bye!" Mom waved goodbye as Dad, Bro, and Grandpa Harley hesitantly left.

Mom went back inside, closing the door to her house behind her. She turned around, seeing the kids play some game about trapping mice together, focusing on the game. She sat down, flipping open her wizard book and digging in.

- 2 hours later-

"Mom? Hello?" Rose called loudly, feet from her sleeping mother. Mom had started drinking an hour ago starting with juice she had poured alcohol in a previous night, but hadn't seemed to remember doing so, then continued on to other drinks until passing out on the couch. "She is going to be out awhile."

"Are you sure?" John asked, looking over at Mom nervously.

Rose nodded. "What do you guys want to do now?"

"Maybe we could play hide and seek!" Jade suggested. "There are plenty of places to hide."

"Not it!" Rose, Jade and John yelled quickly, Dave now stuck as it.

"Fine." Dave covered his pointed Kamina shades with his hands before turning the other way. "One, two, three..." Rose, John, and Jade ran in different directions, scrambling to find the best hidding place. Jade crawled under Rose's bed, while Rose hid behind the kitchen counter.

John looked around, trying to find the best hiding spot. "...twenty, twenty- one, twenty-two..." John could hear Dave as he approached the end of his counting. John saw a string dangling from the ceiling, curiously jumping up and grabbing it as he fell back down. A panel opened up as a ladder slid down from the ceiling. John scrambled up the ladder into the room, staring at the heaps off books, little wizard figurines and a few closed boxes. Thoughts of hide-and-go-seek were forgotten as he looked around, curious about what was up here. His eyes fell on a large book in the middle of the floor.

"Found you." Dave said as he reached the top of the ladder, Rose and Jade following him up. They walked over to John, quickly noticing the strange book. It was a thick, leather bound book with strange symbols around a circle on the cover, a house burnt in the middle. The pages were faded yellow, tattered on the edges.

"What's this book?" John thought aloud, looking over the book before flipping it open. The pages were covered in strange symbols- definitely not any language they had seen before.

"Maybe it has something to do with zodiacs? Those were the symbols on the cover." Rose suggested. Rose, Jade and Dave squeezed in around John as they looked over the book together, trying to find something readable.

"Zodiacs?" John asked confused.

"They're symbols that go with your birthday. I don't know which ones go were though." Rose added. They all looked over the book closely. As they flipped to the last page they noticed English written in large, black letters.

"If you wish for special powers, continue on with caution." John read aloud. The kids exchanged shocked expressions.

"Keep going." Rose leaned closer, trying to read too.

"This is powerful. There is a bag in tucked in the back of this book." John read, pausing to check the back cover. A smooth black bag was clipped into the back cover. John pulled out the bag then continued. "Inside is a powder. If you eat it, you will develop strange powers. If not, please hide this book. Don't let it fall in the wrong hands. Good luck." John eyed the words a moment before closing the book. "Do you guys think it'll work?"

"I don't think so, but maybe." Rose thought.

"I don' know, it sounds bad." Dave stated. "But I guess it's worth a shot."

"Let's try it!" Jade added excitedly.

John nodded, pouring the lime green powder into each of their hands. They stared at it nervously, but all ate it.

"It tastes gross!" John gagged. Jade started coughing, turning away from the group. Rose looked like she was going to be sick. Dave sat, expressionless and unfazed until everyone calmed down. "Do you guys feel any different?" John asked. Everyone shook their heads no. They climbed back down the ladder, heading off to find something to do. Rose dropped to her knees, holding her head tightly in her hands.

"Rose?" Dave asked in suprise. Rose fell to her side, curled in a ball. The other three rushed to her side, asking what's wrong. After what felt like ages, Rose sat up, wide eyed.

"Your parents are coming soon." Rose blurt out, standing up. Everyone scrambled to Rose's room.

"Roxy? Are you in there?" Bro called as he knocked on the door. He sighed, unlocking the door with the spare she kept in the rose plant nearby. The men walked in to the house, quickly noticing Mom asleep on the couch and several open bottles on the counter. "Oh no." He sighed, turning his head as he heard noise from Rose's room. The men went up stairs, Dad opening Rose's door.

The kids seemed to be deep in a game off Monopoly, John groaning as he stared at the car piece. "Why do you have so many hotels?" John whined.

"Hey, don't like it don't play. Pay up, Egbert." Dave stated. John stood up, flipping the game board as he did so.

"Hi dad!" John called to his father.

"Come on, we're headed home." Dad stated as he pulled John out of the room. Jade hopped up, heading after her grandpa.

"You beat Egbert huh?" Bro asked Dave, who nodded in reply. "Ice cream on the way home. Oh Rose, can you take care of your mother for me?"

"Yup." Rose answered.

"Thanks. Bye Rose." Bro lead Dave out, closing the door behind him. Rose turned on the TV, putting in a tape in the VHS player. She got through an episode and a half of Squiddles before her mother woke. "Everyone went home already." Rose called from the couch.

Mom stood up, hearing the phone a moment later. "Hello?... That sounds great... See 'ya them. Mhm, I ment then... Bye." Mom placed the phone back down. "We're going to the park 'morrow. I'm a talk to that hunk o' man Egbert."

"Mom!" Rose whined, looking over from the couch.

"Calm down." Mom walked over, sitting down next to Rose. "I can't believe I passed out. Well, at least nothing went wrong."