"Oh Carlos please get well." Andrea pleaded.

Though they were successful in rescuing Carlos, the shock of everything that had happened left him in a horrible coma. Andrea hadn't left his side once after they got back from saving Frida. Every day and night she would sit by his bedside praying that Carlos would wake up but he never stirred. T.J and the others tried to comfort her but she just wanted to be alone with her brother.

"I hate seeing her like this." T.J told his friends.

"Us too." Manny said. "Is she getting any sleep?"

"I don't know she won't talk to me. The only person she talks to is the doctor. I've tried to talk to her, tried to help her, tried to comfort her, but she just tells me to go away. It's like I don't exist to her anymore."

"Now you know that's not true. You know she cares about you. Try to put yourself in her shoes." Frida said. "Her brother has been taken and hurt in one of the most awful ways imaginable. She's spent so many years trying to get him back and now that she has he may die. Can you imagine that? I don't know what I would do if something like that happened to one of my sisters."

"But Frida you don't even like your sisters." Manny said.

"Hey I don't always like them and they don't always like but we'll always love each other and if they knew I was in danger they would go out of their way to help me and I'd do the same."

"Wow...Well I'm an only child so I don't know what that's like." T.J said. "Part of me wishes that I hadn't of taken off his horns and that I had just killed him then Andrea's suffering would be over."

"If you had done that he might have gone straight to hell and she would've blamed both you and herself for that for the rest of her life." Manny said. "When you ripped off his horns you severed him from a demon's control, I don't know if he'll live or not but if he dies at least she'll know for sure he's not rotting in hell."

"I just...I just can't stand to see her like this anymore. Everytime she sees her brother he causes her to just break down and suffer and...And... I just can't do anything to stop it."

"Maybe that's the point." Frida said. "Maybe for now you should just leave her alone."

T. J sighed, he knew they were right but it didn't make him feel any better.

"Come on I'll buy you a drink." Manny said.

"Are you even old enough to buy a drink?"

"No but I know a bar where the owners are pretty stupid and don't ask for I.D."

Manny took T.J to that bar and bought him a drink. When it got late they headed on back to the order. It was really late when they got back, so much that by the time they returned almost everyone was asleep but they found Nicholas in Manny's room.

"Nicholas what the hell are you doing here?" Manny demanded.

"I came seeking your assistance." His cousin said.

"For what?"

"I've recently discovered something awful. Something dreadful. Something that you and I must discuss in private."

"Why can't I hear about it?" T.J asked.

"Because I don't like you." Nicholas said.

"Hey!"

"Come Manny."

Before he could object, Manny found himself being pulled away outside and transported into a private area hidden underground. Manny was surprised how strong Nicholas was despite being trapped in the body of a child. He wondered what could be so important that he needed his help to do it.

"Alright what's going on?" Manny asked.

"My father is missing."

""Missing how?"

"Missing as in he's gone you fool!"

"Well I knew that but how did he go missing? Did he leave or did he get taken or-"

"I don't know. All I know is Father was a way on business when suddenly he just vanished then shortly after Grandfather disappeared too and so did Grandmother."

"Really? I'd be more concerned if I had actually known them."

"That's not the worst part. Have you ever heard of the dark crystal?"

"I've heard of it in several movies and TV shows."

"Well unlike those Hollywood props this is real and it is one of the most dangerous items the world as ever known."

"What's so dangerous about a stupid rock?"

"It's not a rock you uneducated half wit! It is a very powerful and dangerous crystal that could cause heaven knows what kind of destruction to our world."

"Keep talking." Manny said getting interested.

"It was centuries ago, long before our grandfather was even born. A mortal man had lost his wife to an illness shortly after they married. When God refused to answer his prayers to revive her he turned to devil worship. He discovered a forbidden scripture that would give him the ability to bring things back to life but to do it he needed to dig up his wife's body and a sacrifice a new life in her place by stabbing them in the heart with a crystal. He preformed this ritual and from it the dark crystal was created. A jewel that could revive life but at an awful price."

"What do you mean?"

"His wife was resurrected but she wasn't as she was before. You see he had only revived the body, her soul had already moved on so what came back was a demon that had inhabited her body. That undead creature killed him and began slaughtering hundreds, in the end one of our spiritual ancestors killed that monster, burned the scripture, and took the crystal. For years our family has been keeping that crystal locked up, making sure no one gets it and uses it to revive another monster."

"Does this have a point?"

"Somebody stole it."

"You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! The dark crystal is gone! With it on earth anyone could revive any dead body which a demon can posses! Only spirits and demons have the ability to track it and as you know I regret coming to you for any kind of assistance but my father and our grandparents are missing, God knows where Uncle Rodolfo is, and Uncle Tito is obviously a lost cause so basically I don't know of anyone else powerful enough to help me."

"Wow this must be really bad if you have to resort to coming to me for help." Manny said thinking. "But I'm not sure if I even want to help you."

"What?"

"Well come on you've been nothing but a superior jerk to me for years so why should I help you? It's not like this effects me in anyway. Or does it?"

"You want me to beg don't you?"

"Maybe a little begging."

"Nevermind, I should've known you wouldn't take this seriously."

"Can you blame me?"

"Manny this is serious! If that crystal falls into the wrong hands we could literally be living Night of the Living Dead except in this we're not dealing with mindless zombies we're dealing with cold blooded demons who can't be killed by a bullet to the brain!"

"Man this has got really spooked huh? Wait a minute you watch Night of the Living Dead?"

"Uh...I was really bored one night okay. I went out walking, saw some people watching it at theater, movie caught my interest, next thing I knew I'm watching it. But that's not important! It is major that we find this so...Ugh...Please help me."

"Alright. So how do we track down a rock? Last checked rocks don't have a scent."

"Again this is not a rock it's a crystal and we're tracking not by it's scent but by it's sound."

"I don't follow dude."

"The crystal gives off wave length that spirits and demons can hear and sense. Unfortunately it's extremely difficult for you to hear or sense it because you're half human but I don't know who else to work with."

"Maybe we don't have to track that thing. Maybe we can track the thief, did he leave any trace of D.N.A?"

"No and that's what's really making me nervous about all this. There no foot prints, finger prints, hair, not even a scent was left at where the crystal was before it was stolen. Whoever did this couldn't possibly be human."

"Any idea who took it and why?"

"No. Most of the creatures and the being in this world don't even know about it. In fact the only ones who know about it is our family."

"Maybe someone in the family stole it."

"No, we've got some demonic relatives but none of them would be crazy enough to try to use the dark crystal."

"Then what now?"

"Pack your bags we're going on a trip."

"What? You mean right now?"

"The sooner the better."

"Wait a minute what about my friends?"

"They can't come, no one is allowed to know about this except for our family."

"Well I can't just up and leave them without an explanation they'll know something's up."

"Leave a note."

"Saying what?"

"I don't know you like all the time I'm sure you can think of something."

"That is true but how long will I be gone?"

"Can't say."

"That's not exactly reassuring."

"Oh relax with my speed, intellect, and superior skills we should be able to find it very soon."

"So why am I needed again?"

"Whoever took it must be very powerful and strong so I'm not sure how much help I'll need. Again it's humiliating that I need your aid for this but for the good of the earth and mankind I'll sacrifice my dignity."

"Wow you're a real hero." Manny groaned sarcastically.

"Just pack your page."

Manny was reluctant to go through with this but he had never seen his cousin so concerned and worried before so whatever this whole dark crystal thing was it must've been beyond bad if it had Nicholas scared. So he wrote a note with a lie about where he was and why he had left and began packing his bags. The two left around midnight and stopped to make camp in the woods. As Manny was looking for his sleeping bag he accidentally caused something to fall out. It was a large sketchbook.

"Hey what's this?" Nicholas asked.

"Nothing!" Manny tried to grab it and put it back but Nicholas had already snatched it away from him.

"Put that back!" Manny demanded. "Don't look in there!"

"Why? Is this a diary or something? Do you keep a diary?"

"No but it's personal!"

He tried to take it away from him but Nicholas got up and jumped up to the top of a high tree, Manny huffed and began climbing up to get him. Nicholas perched himself on to a sturdy branch, opened the book, and began to look at the pages inside. They were drawings, very good drawings. They were pencil drawn illustrations and sketches of various places and people. One was of a church, another was of a group of nuns, there was a drawing of the woods, a drawing of a tiger, a drawing of the city, and other things. One of which was a very detailed and illustrated picture of a woman he recognized as his human aunt Maria.

"Did you draw these?"

"Yes now give it back!" Manny called from down below.

"Interesting. I never took you for the artistic type and I hate to admit it but you do have talent."

"Thanks now I say again give it back!"

"Why? It is it merely simple drawings is it not?"

"Yes but it's none of your business!meeting Some of those I don't want you to see."

"Like what? Oh Manny don't tell me you're one of those artists who sketch nude women."

"No! I don't do that! Give it back will ya?"

"Um...No."

"Ugh! Nicholas when I get up there you are so in for it!" He said changing into his spirit form so he could climb faster.

Nicholas continued flipping through pages only skimming at the pictures until he stopped at one near the end. It was a drawing of Frida. It was a well illustrated sketch of her with her hair down and no goggles on her head, her face was just there looking calm with an innocent smile. It was drawn in great detail, every aspect of her face and body was drawn on point.

"Give me that!" Manny said snatching the book back when he finally made it to the top.

"I see so that's what you didn't want me to see."

"What? What did you see?"

"Your well illustrated drawing of that apostle girl."

"Ah! That's not... That's not her!" Manny denied while blushing.

"Manny I have a photographic memory and the girl in the picture looks exactly like her so you're waisting your time with your petty denile."

"Look it's not what you think. I drew it for her birthday and it wasn't finished at the time so I had to keep working on it and-"

"Manny I don't care."

"What?"

"I don't care why you drew her I was just curious to why you didn't want me to see what was in your book so badly. Now that I have my answer I have no need of it."

"So...That's it?"

"What? Do you expect me to tease you about it or something? Do I look that immature to you?"

"Ummmm..." Manny said examining Nicholas twelve year old looking boy body.

"Nevermind don't answer that. Point is I don't care."

"Oh good not that it means anything I just...Okay I'm just gonna stop talking about it now."

"Good choice."

"So why do you think anybody would want that crystal?"

"Why do you think? To bring back someone who's dead. It's something that every living creature on this earth has wished for at least once."

"I haven't."

"No you love has died yet believe me you'll wish for that. It's a foolish wish but everyone who's ever lost someone has had it, even me."

"Oh yeah? Who did you lose that you wanted back?"

"If you must know it was my mother. She died the day I was born, I never knew her. You know my father blames me for her death."

"He told you that?"

"No but he doesn't have to. I can see it in his eyes, the way they fill with regret and misery every time my birthday passes because he knows had I never been born she'd still be here."

"Oh...That's rough man but hey at least he didn't ditch you out of shame like my dad did."

"You fool!"

"What?"

"I knew your father! He was my uncle and I'll have you know he loved you and your mother more than anything! You two were all he ever talked about and quite frankly it made me sick but if you think he left you and Aunt Maria out of shame you're wrong. I knew my uncle and he loved you and he was proud of you too. Why, I don't know but the point is you and your mother always came first in his life."

"Then why did he leave?"

"You know the rules, spirits are not allowed to have contact with their half human children. Uncle Rodolfo was forced to leave you and her by the council not to mention if he had stuck around you would probably wouldn't have made it to age two."

"What does that mean?"

"Didn't it ever occur to you that maybe he left to protect you? Uncle had more enemies than any spirit I knew of and they couldn't take him down so when they found out he had a human wife and half human son they decided to be cowards and go after his family. Uncle was not only forced to leave but it was the only way he could protect you and your mother."

"Is that...Is that really true?"

"I'm not in the habit of lying. You may not believe me but it's the truth."

"Whatever. I'm going to sleep."

Manny climbed down the tree and got into his sleeping bag. Before going to sleep he began to wonder if what Nicholas had said was true. Part of him wanted to believe it so bad but another part of him was afraid that if he did he would be disappointed by the truth. He was just so confused.