A/N: Okay, folks! Time for the false hope chapter! Heh heh. If you don't like fighting, you should just stop reading the story with this chapter. This bit's sort of short, but I was anxious to get to the end. Hopefully you'll understand. Anyway, I hope the chapters aren't getting lame as we near the end. I've been so excited to write this ending for years. It's what I had in mind ever since I started writing Slayers fics. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Read, enjoy, and review, if you're so inclined.

Lecia's full lips curved in a smile as she nestled into Val's warm embrace, reveling in the feeling of his bare skin pressed to hers. No matter how many mornings she awoke in his arms, it still brought pure, unadulterated joy to her soul. She mashed her face against the smooth flesh of his shoulder, humming to herself with pleasure as she experienced the textures of his body. Squirming, she moved herself up to his eye level, beaming as she found herself looking into his golden eyes. She adored Val's eyes; they reminded her of her father's eyes when she was a little girl, with their slitted pupils and slightly slanted orientation. Meeting Val's eyes, for her, was like soaking up sunshine. "Hey," he said with a smile.

"Hey," she giggled, kissing him.

He groaned and tightened his grip on her, crushing her to him in an embrace. She grinned as she felt their bodies mold together, reveling in how perfectly they seemed to fit. "Big day for Gorran yesterday, eh?" he growled, releasing her and running a hand through her long, silky hair.

She nodded against the pillow, her tresses becoming tangled as she did so. Val's short green hair was sticking up every which way, but it was fine and soft where it touched the pillowcase. She loved the color of his hair- it reminded her of the color of the sea off the shores of Wolfpack Island. Of course, she loved it because it was his, too. "Yeah, Gorran and Kerra just belong together."

"But that's not what woke you," he murmured, the light slowly stopping its dancing in his golden eyes.

The darkness she had felt moments before waking came rushing back to her, emptying her of warmth. "No, it wasn't," she replied, fingers tightening where they gripped his wiry arm.

"What was it, then?" he asked, voice rumbling in his chest, its deep tones comforting her and chasing away some of the cold gripping her heart.

"Something shifted."

"On the astral plane?"

"I think so," she sighed, burrowing against him more tightly. "But it was sloppy."

"Hm," he said through his nose, his long-fingered hands fondling her glossy mane.

Lecia's eyes opened wide as she sat up. "Oh no," she choked, and slid from the bed.

"What's going on?" Val asked, lean face serious as he watched her dash about the room, throwing on trousers and a shirt. He threw back the covers and stood, the glory of his nudity lost upon her as she pulled on her socks.

Lecia burst from the bedroom she had inhabited as a child, hair still a mass of tangles, and pounded on the door next to hers. "Gorran!" she shouted. There was no answer. Growling, she flung open the door and ran to the bed, shaking her younger brother by the shoulders. His body was heavy with solid muscle, but the wiry Inverse strength served her well and his eyes fluttered open.

"Lecia?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes with a fist. "What's happening?"

"Dad!" she cried, and Gorran's eyes immediately became alert.

"Is he gone?" Gorran asked, thrashing his way from underneath his bedclothes.

"Did you even check their room?" Val offered from the doorway, tying the drawstring on his trousers.

"I think they both are," Lecia answered Gorran. "Val, go get your mom and the others."

"Right," he said, and his footsteps faded away down the hallway.

"So what happened?" Gorran asked, pulling on a shirt.

"I don't know. Something woke me up."

"You felt something?"

Lecia lead the way down the hall. "Yes," she replied, and tried the doorknob of her parents' room. It turned, but the door was locked. "Crap," she growled, and prepared a mighty spell.

"No magic in the house," Gorran reminded her with a wry smile, and was rewarded with a punch in the arm. "Hey!" he snarled, then quickly drew a rune in the air.

"You deserved it," she snapped, and the lock clicked open, the door slowly swinging inward.

The room before them was empty. The sheets were thrown back, but were slightly warm to the touch as Lecia passed her hands over them. Everything else was in its place, so she began rifling through drawers. A few sets of clothes were gone from each, but nothing that denoted a full-scale flight from danger. "Find anything?" she called out over her shoulder.

"No," Gorran replied, closing the closet door. Lecia groaned and sat down on the bed, scrutinizing the room for any sign of their parents. Gorran sat beside her. "You don't think they were taken, do you?" he asked.

Lecia shook her head. "No, they weren't. It was a sloppy shift, but there wasn't any disturbances around it, really."

He sighed, shoulders slumping, and ran a hand through his coppery curls. "Why would they just leave?"

Lecia tried to smile. "It must have been important, because Dad didn't even fix breakfast."

Gorran's lips twitched, but his amethyst eyes seemed far away. "I wish I could have felt them. Maybe I could help you."

She scowled. "You're plenty of help. Just keep looking. I know they left a note, we just have to find it."

Gorran stood and paced around the room once more, flexing his hands as he searched high and low. "Wait, what's this?" he asked, and produced a large gemstone, shaped as if it once was mounted in a piece of jewelry.

Lecia took it from his hand, wondering why the stone looked so familiar. "Where did you find it?"

"In Mom's jewelry box. It was in a velvet pouch."

"You thought they'd hide a note in a velvet pouch in her jewelry box?" Lecia asked.

Gorran blushed and frowned at her. "Shut up."

"You shut up," she said, out of habit, and they shared a brief smile. She turned the stone over in her hand, and her mirth faded as she slowly realized where she recognized the gem from. "This is Grandma's," she whispered.

"As in Nana Inverse, or the other one?"

"Xellas."

Gorran's face paled. "Why does Mom have Xellas' stone?"

Lecia squinted, going over her memories. "She used to wear it in her necklace. That's all I remember."

"Does it help us?" he asked.

"Not really," she admitted, and pocketed the gem. Her eyes roamed the room. Where would her parents leave a note?

"Duh," Gorran said, and produced an envelope.

Irritated, Lecia snatched it out of his hands, earning a scowl from her brother. "Where was it?"

"Mom's nightstand."

"We were looking for a note from Dad."

"Knowing him, he'd probably hide it in the mirror or something," Gorran sighed.

"We got lucky," Lecia said, and opened the note, color draining from her face as she read it.

"What?" Gorran asked, catching the note as she tossed it in his direction. His handsome face grew grim as he read. "This has to be a joke. This makes it sound like they're never coming back."

"You took your dreams seriously, right?"

"You mean about the wolf?"

"Yeah."

"Well, yes, I did. I do."

"So did they. They probably really think they're never coming back."

Gorran's eyes flashed as he crumpled the note in his fist. "That's garbage. Why didn't they have us go along? We can help them!"

"They're trying to protect us," she said sternly. "Come on, I can hear the others."

He followed her down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Val was gathering the family friends. "What's going on?" Zelgadis demanded as soon as she stepped foot in the room.

Val appeared at her side and laced his fingers with hers as Kerra threw herself at Gorran.
"We're not completely sure," she said slowly, glancing at her brother. "Our parents seem to have left."

"They think we're being threatened, so they've gone to meet it head-on," Gorran elaborated, arm wrapped protectively around Kerra.

Zelgadis ground his teeth. "After all this time, you'd think they'd know that we can-"

"They honestly must think the danger is great," Amelia interrupted, her hand on her husband's arm. "They probably didn't want us hurt."

"But we can help!" Zelgadis protested.

"And when you left us behind all those times when you were searching for a cure?" Amelia asked archly. "Was that just? Was that the right thing to do?"

He glowered at her but fell silent.

"Well, why did they leave?" Gourry asked, scratching his head. "I mean, Lina and Xellos are stronger than pretty much everyone, right?"

"Which means they must have been afraid," Filia said, wringing her hands. Lecia went over to her and took her by the palms, trying to calm her.

"Gorran and I have been having dreams about wolves," she explained.

"A big, black wolf in particular."

"Xellas!" Filia gasped. "She took your father once in the guise of a black wolf."

Gorran and Lecia exchanged looks. They hadn't heard that story before, but it wasn't the right time to find out what Aunt Filia was talking about. "Well, I think they thought it was some sort of harbinger," Lecia said slowly.

"We don't know if they thought Xellas was after them, or if someone else was," Gorran added.

"So the left, to draw the danger near to them, so we'd have time to escape," Zelgadis spat bitterly.

"How noble," Amelia said. "I can't tell you how weary I am of that tactic."

"We know they love us," Sylphiel said. "They should know that we want to help them."

"They never learn," Zelgadis said with a sigh.

"I think I can find them," Lecia blurted. "I can track them on the astral plane." The room fell silent and everyone stared at her, only Gorran's expression free of shock. His face was set and grim, his eyes concerned. He knew what it cost her to touch the void of the astral plane. Gorran was often the presence that pulled her back from the physical plane after her experimental, and dangerous, wanderings when she was a teenager.

"Not all of us should go," Val interjected, his fingers squeezing Lecia's hand tightly. "We shouldn't leave the house unprotected. Lina and Xellos wouldn't want to come home to a pile of rubble."

Lecia wanted to kiss Val for his forethought. Not only was he protecting the place she called home, he was also making sure that those who needed to stay behind did stay behind. Gorran looked relieved also, she noticed. "We'll need a balanced team, with both magic and brawn. Mister Gourry, you and Miss Sylphiel stay here, along with Miss Filia."

"I only stay if Val stays," Filia replied, eyes hard. Gorran quickly sprang to make some tea. Lecia hoped he was right and a warm drink would calm everyone down.

"I'm not staying. I go with Lecia," he said, steel glinting in his eyes.

"Val!" Filia reprimanded, but he shook his head.

"We need you to stay here, Aunt Filia," Gorran said, producing a cup of tea out of nowhere. Lecia envied Gorran's sleight of hand. "You and Sylphiel need to reinforce one another's magic. Besides, who's going to make sure no harm comes to Zelgadis' family if you don't stay?"

"Well," Filia began.

"We'll have all the offensive magic we need, with me and my siblings here," Alfred said, and Lecia hadn't felt as fondly for him in years as she did at that moment. He gave her a gentle smile, and suddenly she knew that the friendship between them was mended. She needed him, and he was there for her.

"Thank you," she told him, and hoped he could feel the gratitude behind her words. She knew Alfred would make a fine king someday.

"Well, we're not staying behind," Zel said.

"It wouldn't be right," Amelia added. "Besides, we know your parents' techniques better than anybody."

"It's decided, then," Lecia announced. "We should leave immediately."

"Not without breakfast," Sylphiel declared. "All good adventures start with a healthy breakfast, isn't that right, Gourry dear?"

"That's the way Lina would do it," he said with a smile and a nod at the Inverse children, and Lecia smiled. Maybe with her parents' friends at their backs everything would be all right, after all.