"Ah!"
Alex and Justin tumbled down the steps.
"Wiztech?!"
Justin shrugged. Magic did what magic did- no explanations or excuses. Alex sighed.
"Ugh... now what am I supposed to do? It could be anyone!"
"No... not everyone...!"
Justin and Alex turned to find a monster waiting for them.
"Did you miss me?"
"Ariel?!"
"Close," She strode down the steps with confidence, "I'm... so much more than before..."
The Russos backed away.
"Justin, what's going on...?"
He swallowed ignoring his sister, "Get back."
The monster continued marching forward ominously. Alex was surprised to see the girl alive.
"Oh..." Ariel made a faux pouty face, "Did he not tell you what would happen to me? What? Did you think that monster would, like, kill me or something?"
In a flash, the girl was on Alex, "Please... you should know better than to think a girl would get let off so easy."
Justin watched as his sister was thrown through the air. Concentrating, he cushioned her blow using hand magic.
The monster picked him up too.
"Oh, come on!" There was no one to cushion his fall.
Ariel laughed, "Wow... when I planned my revenge, I thought it would be so much more fulfilling. But now, ughff!"
Alex circled behind her opponent, knocking her off her feet, "Yeah. I know, right?" Her second blow connected and she continued, "You know, I'm sorry. It wasn't fair. But let's get it straight, none of this is fair. Life sucks. You do something even slightly bad, and it comes back to bite you. Bite back, and suddenly you're in the middle of a war."
Ariel rolled to her feet in a snarl, "I'll destroy you for this! Do you have any idea what I went through?! I have suffered!" She punched the Latina in the stomach, "Immeasurably!" Thud. "And it will never be okay!"
...
Alex blinked.
One second a fist was headed towards her face, the next, she staring at... stars? Looking back, she found her brother wheezing on the ground.
"Time magic?"
"Yeah."
"Good timing."
Alex sat beside him, unafraid for reasons she did not understand, "Is it just me, or was that really quick? Within twenty-four hours, a fresh monster was set to guard a flash trail?"
Justin leaned his head towards her, "It could be a coincidence..."
Alex rolled her eyes in disbelief, staring him down.
"Fine."
The young mother got up and paced, "There's logic to this, and a lot of emotion. Like..." Her head ground in confusion, "I don't know. I know we're missing pieces, but... I thought if I released you-"
"All your problems would be solved?"
The were both uncomfortable. Then she answered a terrible secret she could not take back, "Yeah."
"I need my wand," Justin watched as she turned away, "I mean it."
"Yeah."