'Before All This.'

Disclaimer: I do not own young wizards. I am just so original!

A/N: Okkkaaayy. Here's the next chapter. I'm sorry for the slow updates, but once summer vacation is up (26th to be exact) I will be writing full time.

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"Dairine!"

"Hey, Squirt!"

"Dairi."

"Dairine, sweety."

"Miss. Callahan!"

Everyone she knew, and loved, flashed before her as she opened sleepy eyes to the surrounding darkness. Nita, Kit, Ronan, her parents, even her teacher blurred in front of her.

"Dairine! Did you go through my room again?"

"Huh?" She shook her head. "No- Neets, I..."

"Chill out, Squirt! Don't get so feisty!"

"What? Kit, but where's Nita?"

"Don't be upset, Dairi...it always turns out okay..well...usually, anyway."

"Ronan? Where is everyone?"

"Dairine, hun. Did you take in your permission slip. You're teacher was saying...."

"Mom? Mom! How..."

"Miss. Callahan...pay attention, please!"

"Professor. Morgan...I..."

And then, just then, all the images blurred and twisted into one. The Lone Power, looking entirely ordinary in jeans, but still holding that grudge of darkness that made him tottaly not normal in every possible way.

"Leave me alone!" She cried, covering her hands over her eyes in confusion.

"No! Not until you tell the truth!" Nita hissed.

"Am I bugging you, Squirt?" Kit teased.

"Dairi...I'm sorry, Alright?" Ronan said softly.

"Don't talk to me like that, young lady!" Her mother demanded crossly

"That's it, Dairine. Too the office. Now!"

"No...Not...now..."

***

"Where is she! Why isn't she answering me? What if-."

"Nita!" Kit hissed grumpily. "Do you want to wake my whole family?!"

"I'm sure your family would deal. This is my sister!"

Kit sighed, rubbing his eyes and coming over to her, pulling Nita into his lap and looking over her shoulder to look down at her manual.

"I'm sorry, Neets. I'm just tired. Look, do you remember that first really big fight we had a couple of years ago? When your mom...first found out.."

"Of course I remember.." She said hastily. The death of her mother, even years later, was still a deep topic. Kit knew that, and he never pushed her.

"You told me you had tried talking to me. But you couldn't reach me because technically, I wasn't there. Am I right?"

"Yeah..." Realization rippled through her. "Are you saying Dairine's in a practice universe?"

"Could be...are you sure you didn't just feel her leaving?"

She glared at him.

He sighed. "Okay..okay. Here, Neets. I found this spell in the book..page 474 I think..no..that would be page 591 in yours. Yep..right there, you see?"

"Directionary focussing....Kit...look at the material's and requirements for out of Universe."

"I know. Strange, huh? All we need is something of Dairine's...."

***

"Where is he?!"

"Who?"

"Ro?!"

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about Ronan?"

"If you've hurt them..I.."

A far off voice cut Dairine off from her yelling match with the Lone Power. A far off voice she recognized. No, she musn't be fooled by It's tricks. But soon she found herself running into the direction Ronan's voice was coming from, sprinting into the darkness that was everywhere, having no sense of direction, when she ran into something hard, falling backwards and hitting her head on the ground. Blackness. Darkness.

Ro stepped out of the darkness, and in seperation from Ronan. Free, his own body.

"Oops." He chuckled, and grinned at the Lone Power.

It chuckled as well. "Now, my brother, what should we do with her?"

"Hmm..."

And suddenly three voices echoed through the air. Two deep and masculine, one feminine, raised by fear and anger. Out of the shadows, stepped Nita, Kit, and Ronan.

"If you touch her..."

Tbc....

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ohhh...if you havn't noticed....this IS getting towards the end.