It's the sequel! And before we start, I need to reply to some guest reviews from the last one:

To KJtheELMtree- maybe… maybe not…

To AltonPoseidon- I bet she's terrified ;)

To Guest- fandom jump? That's a new phrase, I like that :D

To Guest- It didn't end at 99. It ended at 100! :3

Apologies if I've missed any guest reviews and sorry for the delay in posting the sequel. I don't know how often I can update 'cos I got this idea and then an idea for later on, but nothing in between. As usual.

Everything went downhill after Alvie disappeared. Melanie, although no-one ever saw her away from the TV via hijacked air waves, made her power known through her minions. There was far more than Crystal had known at the palace dedicated to Poseidon- they were all over the world, conducting sieges on governments and cities alike. The mortals did what they could and demigods and legacies helped on the sly, but there was no way to succeed. They may take down a few of the enemy. More just popped up, battling on a psychic plane more than a physical one. Sage had caught the brunt of one of their mind attacks and the terror induced had left her comatose for a fortnight.

Crystal frowned out the window, toying with the ring Alvie had left her. She didn't normally wear rings, but it was Alvie's last gift to her. She had originally hoped it was some sort of charm and she could use it to contact Alvie, but nothing happened and Hazel reluctantly told her it was just a regular diamond.

Focusing, Crystal saw her father leading an army of the undead against Melanie's soldiers. Some of the zombies and skeletons exploded randomly and Crystal spotted a few enemy soldiers standing atop cars, clearly concentrating and wrecking Nico's defence squad. Nico faltered every few seconds, but the fear he could torment them with was far more potent than their little 'party tricks'.

It had been like this for four months now, but it seemed to have gone on and be going on forever. Crystal prayed for it to end- too many innocents were being hurt, gods knew if there were any causalities. Adrian was terrified, not that he would admit it out loud, but he could no longer hide his fear. He never strayed far from his mother or his sister. Nico had banned them all from fighting, even though Joy was mortal and mostly a pacifist and Adrian was shy of seven years old. Crystal had volunteered to fight, but upon hearing about how she flickered, Nico had cracked down and told her 'absolutely no way!'

"Why?" She demanded. "I can control it!"

"Can you?" Her father challenged, raising his eyebrows dubiously. "Can you really?"

"Yes." Crystal replied, trying desperately not to falter under his intense, obsidian gaze. He clearly didn't believe her, having seen her flicker in one of her fits of temper when another search for Alvie had come up with no results. The gold she had conjured up and her image pulsing again had sent Joy into a right dither and it had taken Nico ten minutes to steady Crystal. Any longer and she would have disappeared into the eerie shadows of the Underworld.

"You," Nico announced firmly, "are staying here."

"But-"

"End of conversation." He growled. Percy sent her warning look from the sofa. Annabeth was tending a bleeding gash that ran from his right shoulder to his left hip. It didn't look pleasant.

Mentally ranting and raving at Nico made Crystal feel a little better, but she was also glad he couldn't read minds.

Read minds...

Her small elation wittered to nothingness in the space of a heartbeat and she sank miserably into the armchair. Joy noticed, her expression sympathetic, but she didn't say anything. Not with everyone here.

Now it was just them; Crystal, Joy and Adrian, but he was asleep, sweetly curled up under a blanket on the sofa.

"Crystal."

"Mom."

"Talk to me, sweetie."

"Nico's an idiot."

"Granted, but you're in no state to fight and-" Crystal frowned at her mother. "And I said I didn't want you fighting."

"What? Why?!"

"Because I'm your mother!" Adrian snorted and stirred. Joy stayed quiet until he settled again, lowering her voice. "If Alvie is still out there, he'll come back for you."

"And his family."

"Unless he still thinks they can't remember him. He has a funny way of doing it, but he's only trying to keep everyone safe."

"Then where is he?!" Crystal demanded angrily. "If anyone can fight Melanie, it's him! But he's not here and we're just throwing ourselves into a fight, hardly making a dent!" Crystal turned to glare out the window, seeing Nico's undead forces had tripled in size, but he was sitting behind a car, looking weary and sick. Percy darted over and she saw the white cotton of bandages peeking from beneath his T-shirt. He was injured and still fighting. And where was she? Hiding away in some demigod's home. Demigods and legacies throughout the city had jumped at the chance to protect their home, but she was stuck here. Useless.

"Crystal, come away from the window." Joy instructed carefully, wariness warbling her tone. Crystal looked at her mother's reflection and then saw her own. She was flickering again.

Sighing, she did as her mother asked, taking her seat at the other end of the sofa. Adrian mumbled something about sheep, twisting and nudging her with his foot. Looking at her hand, she saw she was there, not fading at all. Joy looked relieved, yet her eyes still swam with concern.

"Mom? Where is he?" Crystal sounded like a whiny child, but she didn't care. She missed Alvie.

"I don't know, sweetheart."

"He'll come back?"

"I'm sure he's on his way now."

"How?" Joy blinked at her. "How are you sure?"

"Alvie wouldn't leave you or his family for the world."