Free Change Fault

A/N: Okay, really sorry for the delay, I mean it! I've had concerts and so has my family and I swear I have had absolutely no time! This chapter is going to be kind of long, so that way I don't get yelled at too much.

Disclaimer: I write way too crappy to be Diane Duane, so I obviously don't own the Young Wizards series.

LONG RECAP:

Kit, because of the Lone One's evil trick, was locked in a dark world, where he had remained for a long extent of time. The Powers That Be took pity upon him, and figured out a way for him to be normal again... Though who knows for how long. Nita, while Kit was gone, had turned into a cold, impassive being. She had locked herself in her room over the summer, and finally she decided to come out and tell Dairine, Tom and Carl what happened. Dairine has been working with her wizardry partner, Darryl, for some time, as things with the Powers and Lone One continue to get weirder. Suddenly, a power depletion is detected and the Universe is beginning to corrupt. But Dairine can't tell her sister. A gathering of our well known wizards happened in Nita's living room, and it was decided finally that Dairine and Darryl were going to be "bait" for Him. Nita, no matter how much she disagreed, could do nothing. And after who knows how long, Kit's wizard manual has come back to him. Yippee!

Chapter Nine: Strong Appearance

Kit sat outside in his yard throwing a stick once in a while at Ponch, who chased it gratefully and the bounded back to him. Beside him lay his manual, which lay open to the Oath, which Kit had read so many times he was sure that he memorized it. Bounding up again, Ponch lay the slobber-covered stick at his master's feet.

Thinking?

"Yeah, I am." Kit tossed the stick a little farther than he had before, and it almost fell into the street, before Ponch caught it midair.

About what? Ponch lay his head on Kit's knees, looking up at him with big eyes.

"A lot of things, Ponch." Kit stood up, and Ponch jumped up, excited.

Are we going out? Huh? To see Nita? Please please please please please!!!! Ponch was now bouncing around by the fence, where Kit was unlocking it.

"Sure, why don't we go see Nita? Or maybe you just like her doggy treats more than mine." Kit laughed as Ponch let out a small whimper, and the pair made their way down the street, Kit in his own little world and Ponch wishing he literally was. (A/N: In A Wizard Alone and A Wizard's Dilemma, the world with all the squirrels!)

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Nita was watching TV in the living room when she heard the doorbell. Annie hollered that she'd get it, and Nita made no move to even find out who was there. Beside her Ronan sat, leaning against the couch's arm while his head rested in his hand.

"Neets, Kit is here." Annie called, and Nita heard her aunt's footsteps take her upstairs. The smell of dog was what Nita could smell first, and then the large mixed breed pounced on her and washed her face with his tongue.

"Ponch, get down! No kissing up to get treats." Nita heard Kit demand, and let out a laugh when Ponch let out a whimper and got off her. "Good boy, hey Nita, hey Ronan." A small edge of jealousy hinted on Kit's voice as he said Ronan's name. Of course, it didn't last long, for the smirk of Peach was what replaced Ronan's grim features. Nita stood up and wiped her face on her shirt, while Ponch continued to jump up and down demanding a dog biscuit.

"Hi Kit. Nita, I have to go... out." The demand of Peach was what came out of the Irish boy's mouth, and both Kit and Nita nodded respectively as Peach and Ronan made their way... out.

"So, Neets, what's up?" Kit sat down on the couch, ignoring Ponch's rather loud (and rather rude) comments about how wizards liked to torture pets. Nita couldn't help but smile at the dog however, and whispered something about strategically placed dog biscuits in the kitchen, and it took less than a second before the dog was out of the room. Nita smirked in satisfaction and sat down next to Kit.

"Nothing much, it's been a while since anything has truly happened." Suddenly something sparked in Nita's eyes. "School is tomorrow..." The wizard moaned, and Kit let out a laugh. He, in turn, was replied with a glare that only his partner could muster, which only made him laugh harder.

"Come on Neets, school is the least of your problems right now." Kit dodged a pillow sent straight for his head. Nita stuck out her tongue at her wizardry partner and then looked up at the ceiling. Not even ceiling tiles to count, what kind of boring house is this?

The kind your best friend is in.

Nita stuck out her tongue again. "Illegal brain tapping! Don't do that Kit!" Nita demanded, to no avail, he was laughing again. About fifteen minutes later they were found-by a rather full dog-lying next to each other on their stomachs on the floor, watching TV Nothing good was on, so Kit was trying to convince the TV to play a movie.

"Come on," Kit stated in the Speech, he was rusty, "This isn't the kind of thing you're suppose to do. Maybe some blood and guts--" Kit was smacked in the head at this comment, "Fine, fine, you know you want to play a good movie. Any will do, you know what ones she likes." Kit whispered the last part, and heard a small grunt and whiz of agreement from the television set. Both wizards sat back on the couch, a mixed breed dog between them.

"I still don't want to go to school."

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"Nita, make sure you send us a call if anything happens, okay?" Annie hugged her niece tightly as they stood in the doorway of the Callahan's home. "Anything, Nita, and not just wizardry." Annie winked and the younger wizard rolled her eyes. Dairine stepped up to her aunt next.

"We'll tell you everything, and Spot says we may be seeing each other sooner than we think." Nita didn't catch her little sister's wink toward her aunt and small whisper of "Anything and everything," which both other wizards were thankful for.

Ronan had already gone home, much to the disliking of Nita, and happiness of Kit, who also had returned home. The small pop! of displaced air sounded and Annie was gone, at least for now. Dairine and Nita made their way back into the house, each falling in turn onto the sofa.

"I don't want to go to school tomorrow, Nita." Dairine complained, after her run-ins with not even going to school, Dairine really had nothing to complain about.

"Me neither, Dair. Me neither."

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School was back, and it looked the same as always. As if construction could do anything to the torture inside. Heh, yeah right.

Much to their disappointment, Harry Callahan chose to drive his daughters to school that day. Nita wanted to try out the Beam-Me-Up-Scotty spell, after not using magic for so long, and Dairine merely wanted to stop on Mars before going to school. Neither could debate their father when he was determined to do something.

"Can we at least drive Kit? I mean, it isn't really that far." Nita begged, and Dairine wanted to say a smart mouth comment about her sister being obsessed, but Nita already had basically read her mind and sent her sister a glare.

Mr. Callahan gave up immediately at the pleading eyes of his eldest daughter. "I guess we could..."

Pop! And Kit was sitting in the back seat next to Dairine in the car. He smirked and greeted Mr. Callahan gratefully, who merely muttered something about never getting use to this magic thing. Nita smiled from the front seat and greeted her partner as well, as they made their way to school. Dairine was dropped off first, a disappointed computer barking softly from her backpack, saying that it wanted to walk instead of be carried.

Kit and Nita got out of the car simultaneously and both said a goodbye to Nita's father as he drove off. It took less than two seconds before people were staring at Kit like he was an alien. Technically, Kit could debate that, seeing as he'd seen quite a few aliens and had met some that looked like humans.

But that was beside the point.

Joanne didn't come up to either of them, much to Nita's disappointment. She wanted to hear Joanne's stuttering voice as she looked on at Kit, who had grown even taller than he was before. But, it was one of those times when revenge wasn't as sweet as it should be.

Kit was still going to advance classes, even though he had been gone.

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"What, did the shadows teach you or something?" Nita demanded, as Kit handed her his new schedule. It was lunch, and both were sitting at a table alone. Kit had been taking tests all day to see how far ahead he was. Apparently, very far.

"Naah, I did extra reading before hand. Not like I predicted being thrown in a very dark black place where the only company I had was a tree that had been struck by a lightning bolt." Kit answered nonchalantly. Nita rolled her eyes and started eating her turkey sandwich, while Kit took out three egg rolls.

"Carmela?" Nita asked, gesturing to the new cuisine.

"Should I even answer?" Kit asked, and started eating as well. Kids glanced at Kit once in a while, but it wasn't like he was Elvis Presley back from the dead, he was just a kid who had been away... On a rather long vacation.

The day was calm however, much to the wizards' enjoyment. It was as if nothing had ever happened. Not that Nita could forget the fact Dairine was going to be bait for the Lone One. But, nonetheless, nothing could possibly bother her as she and Kit walked down the street to where they normally parted to go home.

"So, Dairine is going to start planning it out with Darryl on Friday?" Kit asked, as the two reached the corner.

Nita let out a long, unsteady sigh. "Yeah, much to my appreciation." Nita growled out the last word.

Kit put his hands up in his own defense. "It was your aunt, not me Neets. Look, I'll talk to you later. I'm sure Ponch wants to take a walk, maybe we'll meet you outside later. See ya." And Kit took off, at a rather fast pace. Nita left in the other direction, slightly slower, and both wizards reached their homes at the exact same time. Two rather shaken Senior Wizards greeted one, and a very impatient dog greeted the other.

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A/N: So, how did you like this chapter? Bad? Good? Pointless?

Please, please tell me! Once again, sorry for the late update!

REVIEW PLEASE!