A/N: I'm working as quickly as I can. I'm really going to try to finish this soon. I can feel the momentum building in my brain. If anyone has figured out how to invent extra time, let me know. Anyway, I'm sorry these past few chapters have been so short. It's a combination of trying to keep the action moving, dealing with oodles of characters, and the fact that this is being broken up unnaturally into chapters. Plus, I'm trying to keep updating on a consistent basis. Hopefully they'll get longer in the future. Thanks, and please review!

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It took Lecia only a second to realize that the blackness was actually smoke. She hadn't fainted at all, but she couldn't see anything, either. Quickly casting a wind spell, the smoke billowed out into the hallway and felt her heart freeze as the air cleared. Standing directly in front of her, fiery hair whipping around her like a banner, was her mother. Amethyst eyes met ruby and Lina's fine eyebrows plunged violently, glaring at her daugher. Lecia swallowed hard and clenched her fists to keep her hands from shaking.

"What in the HELL do you think you're DOING?" Lina screamed. "Did you even THINK before you flew off with Val? Do you UNDERSTAND what kind of DANGER you put both of you in? I'd expect you to be rash with yourself, but what would you do if he got hurt? You MORON!"

"Mom, I'm sorry," she began, and realized that she was the only one left standing. "Gorran!" she cried, and dropped to her knees, throwing rubble this way and that.

"You brought your BROTHER?" Lina gasped, then fell to her knees as well. "If we live, I'm just going to kill you again, Lecia."

"I don't know what happened!" Lecia choked, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She couldn't fathom life without her little brother. What if she never saw his sweet smile again, or his little round cheeks ruddy from activity? "He just traced some symbols and the door exploded!"

"What's going on?" Lina demanded, sweeping aside a pile of pulverized rocks. A dusty hand stuck up from the debris, fingers twitching. Lina stood and pulled on the hand, Alfred's still form slid out of the rocks. "Alfred?" Lina exclaimed, then narrowed her eyes at Lecia. "Explain. Now."

Tears rolled down Lecia's face, making trails in the soot and dust. "I asked Freddy to cast a scrying spell. He found you, and then we found Daddy, and then we saw a huge yellow eye and everything went to black. A Monster jumped out of the vision and attacked us, but I killed it. I thought the eye might belong to Grandma, and it made sense for Daddy to be here, so I wrote Val. Gorran and Kerra wanted to come, too, and Alfred insisted upon it, so we came here."

"Recovery," Lina intoned, and soon Alfred began to cough, rubbing a bloody spot on his head. "How are you, Alfred?"

The boy blinked up at Lina, gaze blank. "Miss Lina?" he murmured, rubbing his eyes. "What the..." His head whipped around, his hair matted with dust. "Lecia?" he cried.

"I'm fine," she replied. "We can't find the other three."

"We're fine," a voice said, and Lecia turned to see Val standing up from the ruined stone, the pieces of door and ceiling rolling off of the huge black wings extending from his back. In his arms he held Kerra, who was alert but obivously shaken, and an unconscious Gorran.

"Oh, Val!" Lecia gasped, throwing herself at him and snatching her brother away. "Thank you so much!" She immediately knelt and cleared the short curls out of her brother's eyes, smoothing a hand across his cheek to wipe away some of the dirt.

"Let me see him," Lina commanded, suddenly next to her daugher, and Lecia broke out into sobs as she handed over her brother. Val shot her a pained look before he handed over Kerra to Alfred, who thanked Val heartily for saving his sister. Val smiled at the other boy, then was at Lecia's side. He put a large, thin hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

"It'll be okay," he whispered, golden eyes tender. "I don't think he was injured in the blast."

"I'm not worried about the outside," Lina grumbled, running her hands over each of her son's limbs. "Dammit, this is the first time I get to see you guys, and you're all nearly half dead."

Lecia was crying in earnest. "I missed you so much, " she sobbed. "I just wanted us to be a family again. I didn't want anyone to get hurt."

Lina's face softened a bit. "I know, sweetie," she murmured, a soft glow beneath her hands. After a few moments she sighed. "He seems fine. I think he's just unconscious. Val, take him outside and wait for your mom."

Val stood and took Gorran, his face pale. "My mom's here?" he whispered.

"Yup, and she's pissed," Lina replied, standing and brushing herself off. "Let's finish this, shall we?"

"You're going to let me come with you?" Lecia breathed, wiping at her tears.

Lina sighed, dropping her chin towards her chest and putting her hands on her hips. "I never wanted you to come here, Lecia," she said, voice low. "This place is especially dangerous for you. Even though Xellas is technically related to you, she's not family. She's a Monster Lord. I'm surprised you're not dead or worse."

"She only put us in Mister Xellos' old room," Alfred interjected.

Lina scowled at that. "Well, she's got all of us now. Let's see if we can get your dad out of here without getting killed, okay?"

"Yes!" Lecia and Alfred replied, and took off after her down the hallway.