Author's Note

Li: Hi, readers! This is going to be an awesome chapter! Alex is just soooo evil! I loved writing it! Didn't you have fun helping me proofread, Roy?

(silence)

Li: Roy?... Uhhh... Roy... Where could he have gone?

Voice of Reason: Do you want to know?

Li: Gah! You! What are you doing out of your bunker? Get away from me!

VoR: You know that the bunker can only keep me locked away for so long. (evil smirk) I think we should start the story now.

Li: No! Help me!

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Chapter Six: The Ties of the Mercury Clan

There was a mad scramble to leave Mikasalla, much to Piers' secret joy. He hated Mikasalla, and all it's dull, stupid people. But if Alex knew where they were, they didn't want to stay in the same place.

Alerai was helping Leif with one of the bags of supplies. As he got his arms into the backpack's straps, Leif asked, "Can we trust you?"

"What?" Alerai was taken aback.

"Are you sure you're not leading Alex to us on purpose?" Leif asked. "I don't mean to be suspicious, but the well-being of my sister and my friends is at stake."

"Alex hurt my sister. He hurt me. Why would I want anyone else to have to deal with that?" Alerai said softly. "Alex is a monster, and I would never wish him on anyone."

"Good." Leif said. "You have a devotion to your sister that radiates from you like the sun's warmth. I trust you."

"Thanks." Alerai said, touched. He felt a sudden companionship with Lief. They were the same age, fourteen. They were also both unwaveringly devoted to their twin sisters. Lief smiled at him, and from that moment on, they were friends.

Outside, Tori was trying really hard to explain to Aria that she didn't have to carry a pack. She was being stubborn, and cold, in an attempt to drive him away, even though every hard word was like a knife in her heart.

"Aria. You don't have to carry a pack!" Tori said. "We can handle it."

"I am not a weakling, Torian of Goldenia. I am perfectly capable. My brother and I have been on our own for seven years. I can do it myself."

"Aria, this is not a question of your strength, it's-"

"Tori, I am carrying a pack because I want to! Do not try to talk me out of it!" The hurt look on his face made her want to hug him and apologize, but she knew that she couldn't. Tori walked away, and Aria turned, putting on the pack and feeling horrible. Tori genuinely cared for her. He tried and tried to get her to open up, and she couldn't. She didn't want to hurt him, if anything. She didn't know what was going to happen to her and Alerai. Sighing, she went to rejoin the group, guilt weighing heavier than any pack ever could.

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In Goldenia, the parents were doing nothing but worry.

"What if they get lost?"

"What if they run out of food?"

"What if they can't find Piers?"

"What if the boat sinks?"

"What if Alex finds them before they're ready?"

Felix grumbled. Isaac finally shouted, "Jenna! Mia! Mariella! You're doing enough worrying for all the rest of us combined! Please stop. You're freaking out Felix." Felix's left eye was twitching. He had never liked large amounts of conversation, because he was a naturally quiet person. All the chattering was bothering him tremendously.

"Piers will take care of them." Sheba said quietly. "We have nothing to worry about."

"Nothing but Alex!" Mia cried vehemently. "He is... He..."

"We can't spend all our time worrying about it." Ivan said. "It's their quest. We just have to let come what may. Let's go take a walk around town. We could go to the beach."

"You guys go." Mia said. "I've got some things to do." The others reluctantly agreed, and left Mia to straighten up some things around the house.

"Alexei!" she called. "Come help me with this dusting!" No response. "Alexei?" Still nothing. "Alexiana of Goldenia, get in here now!"

"Funny. You used to yell that at me." a soft voice said. It mimicked a high falsetto. "Alexos of Imil, get in here now! Quite silly, really."

Mia stared at the door to the bedroom, where the voice was coming from. A tall figure strode out into the kitchen, staring at her.

"Hello, Mia." Alex said quietly. "Surprised to see me?"

Mia stared in horror at the only other member of the Mercury Clan. Even though eighteen years had passed, he had not aged a day. He was still the exact same Alex he had been all those years ago. She stared into his deep aquamarine eyes and managed to gasp, "Alex... You... You're supposed to be dead! You were crushed by the mountain!"

"No, Mia. I was not." Alex said. "Although, it did delay me a bit. I've had to spend quite a while recovering my lost strength."

Mia was silent. Alex laughed and came closer, to look into her eyes. "Tell me, Mia... Is your little Alexei named after me? Because you just can't let go of the memories?" He smirked, then said, "And I'm afraid I must ask... Is your son at home?"

Mia recovered then, pushing him back. "No, he's not." she spat. "Stay away from Tori." Alex smiled, amused by her reaction.

"Oh... Well, no matter. I know where he is now."

"What! What do you mean?" Mia demanded.

"Only that it seems my... trackers, Alerai and Aria, have made new friends. Interesting. Very interesting. Do they honestly think such a pitiful band can protect them from me?..."

Mia looked at him, trying to think clearly. Finally she asked, in a deadly calm voice, "Where is Alexei?"

"Hmmm?"

"Don't play with me, Alex! Where is my daughter?"

Alex laughed softly. "She is sleeping. And so, I fear, must you, Mia." He wrapped an arm around the startled Mercury Adept, drawing her close. "Sleep."

Mia felt his Psynergy fogging her mind and clouding her thoughts. She fought to stay awake, but it was a losing battle. Alex lifted her sleeping form in his arms, lying her in bed. Isaac would assume that she had lay down for a nap, and wouldn't realize anything was amiss until she awoke and told him. And if he had applied the Psynergy correctly, that wouldn't be for another few hours. By which time, he would be gone. He turned, and picked up Alexei, who was also asleep. If his little sister's plight was not enough to draw the boy to him, than he would just have to think of something more drastic. Holding the little girl, he warped, and simultaneously sent a message.

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The group was walking through the forests towards Alhafra, although Piers insisted it was only to get supplies so that they could make it to Madra. He had an old grudge with Alhafra's now-elderly mayor.

"That cheating scoundrel tried to get us to work for him, when we very obviously had a quest to complete. Then, when we fixed the boat, and Briggs escaped from jail, he got mad at us for not catching him! He's a lying, conniving..." Piers didn't seem to realize that most of the group was staring at him. They had never seen the gentle Lemurian so worked up.

Alerai and Vincent had gone to scout ahead. Aria was walking near the back of the group. Tori went back to try and speak to her again.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"If you are here to worry about my ability to carry a pack..."

"No! I mean, you look kinda ill..." Tori said.

Aria sighed. "I have this splitting headache, and it keeps getting worse." she admitted. Tori flashed her a concerned glance, and she tried to protest, "Don't look at me like that! I'm... fine..." Without warning, she keeled over. Tori swooped and caught her, worry etching his brow with lines.

"Aria? Aria, come on! Are you okay?" he said, frightened as he shook her gently. "Aria please!"

Suddenly she jerked and began to talk really fast. "Alex...! Get out! Get out! No! You can't... Stop! She's innocent! No!... Alex, you... you... you bastard! Get out of my HEAD!" Aria let out a piercing scream, falling limp into Tori's arms. He stared down at her worriedly, before she opened her eyes and threw her arms around his neck. "Oh, Tori, oh... Oh..." She began to cry. "Don't tell Alerai. He doesn't know... He'd get mad... He... He'd go berserk again. Alex almost killed him last time; you can't let him..."

"Whoa, slow down. What?" Tori asked, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"Telepathy. One of the powers of a Moon Adept. Alex can too, because of the Golden Sun... Sometimes, he can get into my head... and he hurts me... The last time he tried to hurt me that bad, Alerai went berserk and tried to attack him. Alex nearly cut him to pieces. If he hadn't needed us to find you... he would have killed my brother..."

"What was he doing just now?" Tori asked.

Aria looked up at him mournfully. "He's got your sister."

"What! Where?"

Aria sighed. "Somewhere that would definitely appeal to Alex's imagination. He's got her at the Mars Lighthouse."

Piers and the others ran up.

"What's going on?" Lehran asked.

"Aria... got a telepathic message from Alex. He has Alexei. At Mars Lighthouse." Tori said. Saturan cursed fluently. Piers surprised them all yet again by adding a few Lemurian curses to the list.

"Wow, Piers." Lief and Jasmine said at the same time.

"I guess we're going to Prox." Piers sighed. Saturan perked up.

"Really?"

"That's where Mars' beacon rests, yes."

"That's where my mother and my namesake are from. I want to see this town that I'm half part of." Saturan explained.

"That's fine, we're going there anyway. But..." He looked over at Lehran. "Lehran, you need to learn Hover."

"What?" she said, shocked. "But that's so advanced! I don't even know Plasma..."

"I'll teach you. I have a bit of Hover Jade we can use to amplify it at first. Come, I'll show you." He led her away. The others stood in a small semicircle.

"Don't tell Alerai." Aria said. "Don't tell him this happened. Just tell him we got the message some other way."

"Why?" Lief asked. He didn't understand why they needed to hide it.

"Just, don't. Please?" Aria begged. They nodded solemnly. When Alerai and Vincent returned, they informed them that they had gotten a message from Alex and were going to Mars Lighthouse. No more, no less. Alerai and Vincent accepted the tale without question. They would soon be on their way, praying that Alex didn't hurt Alexei before they could arrive.

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Li: All right. FLUFF next chapter! My first attempt at fluff! Woo! (glares at Voice of Reason) Now, tell me where Roy is!

VoR: Oh. Yes, the Pheraean lordling. He's in the bunker.

Li: What!

VoR: Yes. You don't know who I am yet, so I am not physically here, and do not need to breathe. Roy, however, might suffocate in the airtight bunker.

Li: You evil... (runs to help Roy)

VoR: (looks at readers) And really, people, almost 200 hits and no reviews? The review button won't hurt you. Go on, press it...