Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.

Brilliant sunlight glittered across the large vast dark blue ocean waters, as it slowly began to naturally rise over the dark horizon. A brand renewed day had dawned upon Idris while any signs of previous before night vanished from view. Before long the direct sun was at its highest point in the pale vivid blue sky, as the air became very much alive with a warm gentle breeze bringing the fresh, clean smell of the sea into the bay. The appropriate atmosphere itself was tranquil and peaceful for this time of the day. For it was the beginning of summer, and the ocean breeze brought a very significant amount of fresh and cool air across the earth. The freshening breezes that blew through the air were a very much happy relief to everyone who had traveled from the numerous various hot, humid surrounding little towns to the mainland of Idris.

The pleasant weather that morning merely made it ideal for many of the villagers to come out and enjoy the gorgeous weather while they could because come the next few days from what the weather report predicated a ferocious massive storm was due to hit the coast in less than 48 hours. For many it was the lovely weather to naturally go into town and keenly enjoy what Alicante had to offer. Many of the shops and restaurants were open and busy, as people went out and about in the main town square. Various gorgeous decorations were being hung up all in assorted beautiful colors, for a festival was going on for the next two nights. It was to celebrate the Summer Equinox. The festival itself took place once a year and was a favorite of many of the townspeople and the royal family themselves.

For the Lightwoods, it was the ideal weather to spend some much needed time outside away from the palace. Alec's alarm clock had gone off around 8:45 that morning and he was up in less than five minutes after the annoying blaring sound woke him up. Jace and Izzy had woken up not too long after he had and were also in the process of getting ready to go down to the beach to hang out for the day as well. Max was already awake and was in his room playing on his Playstation while eating breakfast. Robert was busy in his study reviewing the events for the festival and some other important family matters with Hodge while Maryse was in the main palace hall with a few of the palace staff also getting everything else ready for the day.

After finishing getting ready, Alec grabbed his arrows and quiver satchel which were lying on the chestnut oak wood desk at the far left corner of his bedroom. He slipped on his black sneakers along with the satchel and arrows before heading towards the door to his room. A few minutes later Jace and Izzy appeared in the doorway, all dressed and ready each of them clad in workout gear. Jace's blonde hair was slightly messy from just waking up while Izzy's was neatly combed and in a ponytail.

Alec wore a blue t-shirt, dark blue shorts, and a pair of black sneakers. Izzy had on a red and pink seamless tank top, black and pink spandex leggings, and pink and black sneakers. Jace was sporting a loose v-neck grey thin hoodie, black sweatpants and black sneakers.

"You guys ready to get going?" Alec asked, adjusting the straps of his satchel which hung over his shoulder.

His brother and sister each nodded in response to his question. Jace's golden eyes gleamed with excitement and Izzy's held a degree of mischievousness at her brother's words.

"Yep I can't wait to hit the beach this morning. The weather report said it was going to be really nice today," she said.

Jace grinned, "Yeah it's supposed to be really warm and pleasant. The perfect hanging out and training weather," he added.

"Then let's get going," Alec said, before the three of them started to head out.

"Whatever happens we can't be caught by Axel or Dorethea," Jace said, as they continued to walk down the hallway.

Izzy rolled her brown eyes, "I swear he and those two old women all they do is gossip and start trouble," she added.

"Ugh tell me about it they're nothing but trouble," Alec said.

The palace that lovely morning was alive and abuzz with activity. Nearly almost every member of the staff was busy getting the food, festive decorations, and everything else ready for the grand celebration Every inch of the palace and the festival grounds had to be cleaned and organized. The workers had started very early in the morning right before the sun came up, and had been hard at work setting up the pavilions, shops, and other various forms of entertainment. The local townspeople were busy as well making sure everything was promptly running on schedule for the grand festival began at sunset.

Jace, Alec, and Izzy kept a low profile as they walked along the long, winding hallways with Church and Bear following them closely, letting the workers do whatever they'd been assigned to do. The three of them couldn't be spotted or promptly caught by Axel their parents advisor who was often known for freaking out and jumping the gun about them leaving the palace grounds without telling anyone. He often warned them about the endless danger of the violent streets of Idris and how one of them would end up getting hurt or captured by some bandits or ruffians whom were often spotted out looking for trouble, and end up being held for ransom.

In fact all of his ramblings and frequent complaints realistically were complete utter nonsense. Not a single word of it was true nor undoubtedly had any possible kind of actual foundation to it. The siblings were on the second floor of the palace just about to head downstairs when the familiar silhouette of a certain person's profound shadow that they certainly were not hoping to see nor hear from started to form across the pure white decorated walls. As it moved closer and closer, dread slowly began to sink in realizing what was about to happen. But thankfully they had a plan.

Axel walked down the long, winding hallway a cheerful spring in his step. This morning so far had been exceedingly pleasant and uplifting, especially for him. The annual festival was today and for the whole kingdom it was for sure to be a extraordinary fun filled events. He had just gotten done going over some last minute details with Robert and Maryse and so far everything was running smoothly on schedule. He stopped for a moment to chat with Marcus who was the stablemaster and his son and was just about to head towards the main hall downstairs when something in his gut told him to stop.

He looked up to see the Lightwood siblings standing at the very remote end of the long hallway, talking earnestly amongst themselves. For the moment all seemed normal and well. They didn't appear to be up to anything. Just as he was about to advance downstairs Jace, Izzy and Alec promptly began strolling the opposite way going past their individual rooms in which the doors were open wide, allowing the direct sunlight and fresh air to create a pleasant breeze. Alec instantly gave him a friendly smile before muttering something to his siblings and less than a second later, they took off running towards the further end of the halls windows.

"Come on, now's our chance to leave!" Izzy said, as her feet pounded against the polished floor while Jace and Alec intentionally ran after her.

"Yeah let's get a move on!" Alec added.

"You said it brother!" Jace said.

The cat and dog following close behind them. Bear's paws padded against the cool, marble floor while Church ran gracefully at his friends side.

It was subsequently Axel noticed the siblings and pets making their getaway.

Jace, Alec, and Isabelle ran through the hallways of the palace, their arms pumping at their sides, each of their feet barely practically touching the ground, as they traveled through the hallway. The siblings breath was noisy and rattled through their chests, as they pushed further into the crowd of people in the palace, skidding around the corners and barely almost overlooking many of the palace staff. Alec was at the front while Isabelle and Jace were right behind him.

The bag Alec clutched gently slid down his shoulder from where he'd put it earlier but he quickly tightened his nervous grip on it and continued to run, his siblings right behind him. Jace glanced keenly over his shoulder only to instantly see Axel standing at what appeared to be twenty or thirty yards. The distinctive look on his visible face was absolutely priceless. His mouth hung open agape while his fierce eyebrows furrowed twitching in fierce anger at what was inevitably happening.

"Your majesties, Jace, Alec, Isabelle, STOP!" he yelled frantically.

But the running trio promptly paid him no heed nor did any of the people around him bothered to stop the siblings themselves.

With a fierce snarl, he bitterly cursed underneath his baited breath and took off running after them. He'd be bloody damned if he displaced them now. They were in so much trouble when he caught up to them! Axel started to therefore wonder what kind of possible escape route they were taking as they ran eagerly up the long winding staircase towards the third floor of the castle. They ran past the grand library and the training room, before finally coming to stop at one of the wide-open windows down the hallway.

"Out the window?" Izzy asked, her brown eyes staring steadfastly nearly two stories down.

She cast a brief glance in the direction and saw that it was far below. She was not particularly afraid of heights, but the vision runes on her and her siblings' arms were what enabled her to see every detail of the forest below them with such clarity. But it was not very enticing because they might just leap out the window. In contrast and detail, the angles of the trees and rock formations were significantly sharper than she was anticipating. Church sat on a chair by the window while Bear stayed on the floor sitting upright.

Alec grinned. "This is the nearest exit for us for our departure. One of us can carry you if you're afraid."

At those words Isabelle rolled her brown eyes mostly out of annoyance.

"Why would I need that from you two? We have the best runes for things like this, are you serious? I can handle it on my own."

Jace smirked. "Izzy, suit yourself, he said.

"Why are you two stalling? The three of us aren't exactly going to fly out the window," she said.

Jace sighed. "If it helps both of you feel better, I'll go first. Watch me." He positioned his right foot upon the outermost part of the window ledge and was ready to jump out when he heard someone approaching. Alec and Isabelle noticed as well.

Undoubtedly, Axel with two of of the royal guards emerged around the corner in a matter of seconds. When he noticed the siblings standing close to the window, his eyes lit up with joy. His mouth curled into a satisfying smile. He was going to give those troublemakers a harsh reprimand for defying his orders when he caught them for once, but not before he saw Jace standing on the ledge preparing to jump out of the window. Finally he and the guards came to a stop a few feet away from them, giving themselves time to collect their thoughts before he moved closer and spoke.

"Okay, I've just have had enough of this nonsense. We're going to talk to the king and queen concerning your inappropriate behavior when all all three stop acting so silly and come back to the conference room."

Alex continued steadfastly to rant, venom spewing in his voice. He was beyond pissed off and angry at these insubordinate kids constantly disrespecting him and not behaving like normal young adults were required too. The siblings always constantly defying him and the guards orders made them look bad and quite stupid.

"And then we'll discuss how to correctly punish you. I strongly think not attending the festival today and also not leaving the palace for a whole month should amply suffice."

The Lightwoods all exchanged glances before the three of them began laughing hysterically. Alec was bent over at the waist, Jace remained on the window ledge clutching at his stomach and Isabelle fell on her knees in hysterics as their laughter reverberating about the walls of the castle and traveled down the wide hallway. They all had tears in their eyes at their parents advisor's words.

"What's so funny?" Axel demanded, noticing how the guards standing next to him seemed to be totally oblivious of what was happening.

"Are you seriously out of your freaking mind?! You have no right or authority to tell us what to do dude," Jace remarked with his eyebrows peaked in amazement at Axel's words. The grin on his face also broadened, displaying the laughter lines below his eyes.

"Honestly what crawled up into your ass cavity and died?" Izzy laughed as well her brown eyes bright and full of amusement too.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Axel, but myself and my family aren't young kids anymore. We have the right to come and go as we wish as long as our parents know. We're grown adults," Alec said.

His brother sister were delighted to see him speak those phrases with such assurance and assurance. He had always kept to himself and persevered through most of the awkward situations or anything else that happened. The truth was from the time Alec was a small child and then through his teenage years he'd always been quiet and soft spoken. He hadn't really interacted with any of kids or adults from their schools, neighbors, clave meetings or just people in general. The fact of the matter was he was just very shy and closed off except to his friends and family whom he was closer with. And Magnus, who brought out the very best in him just like his siblings and friends did as well.

"You're all going to come with us willingly or not. We can either do this the hard way or the easy way," the left guard said, speaking fast, his hands tightly grasping the metal spear he held whlle the right guard nodded in response, their eyes focused on the three troublemakers in front of them.

One of the guards was a giant, enormous, hefty man with a shaved head and a dragon tattooed on the back of his head, with the wingspan extended over his shoulders. The second guard was of medium height, with an ordinary physique, and blonde hair.

Jace gave his siblings a quick glance before they too moved to face Axel and the two other soldiers while appearing to shrug their shoulders in despair. They lifted their hands in the air high over their heads, giving the impression that they had let their guard down but it was all an act.

"All right, Axel, you win, Alec mumbled while seeming to grit his teeth. We'll return with you," he promised.

Izzy let out a sigh as the snake bracelet uncoiled and then locked into place around her wrist, keeping her fingers on the silver handle. Alec dropped his quiver and put his arrows back into their container, while Jace put his knives and seraph blade back into their holders while keeping his hand on the handle. Axel's face started to sneer smugly, and he seemed to glow, reveling in triumph. It felt so great to finally have these troublesome kids under control.

"I was confident that you would see things from my point of view; please proceed in silence. Children, we wouldn't want to cause a scene right now, would we?" he replied.

Jace smirked before he spoke. "Sorry, Mortface, I don't think so!" before climbing back onto the window sill.

"Psych!" he yelled, before giving Axel and the guards the middle finger, something that they very much well deserved and had coming.

Following that, he escaped the tall, open window quickly not before scooping Bear up into his arms and dramatically before leaping and plummeting past the tall, dark, and dense trees. Alec and Isabelle watched him intently as their gaze focused on the incredibly precise angle at which their brother bent his knees to deflect the blow. Bear stayed calm in his owners arms as they flew through the air. It was thrilling and excellent to fall through the wide air; the crisp air blowing against his golden hair and skin before he touched the earth. The thump of his landing was not very loud and might have easily been mistaken for the slamming of a door or the placing of book on a table.

Isabella beamed. She wasn't convinced it was that difficult. Before turning and casting a quick glance behind her, she inhaled deeply and relaxed her shoulders. A smug grin formed across her red lips as she stepped up onto the ledge, clenching her teeth as she concentrated she attempted to copy Jace's step in mid-air before she looked back at Axel and the two guards.

She added, "I'm sorry you self-centered pompous windbag, but I must bid you aideu," and then she jumped out the window with style.

It appeared as though the trees, earth, and grass were waves on the ground moving beneath her feet. As a cool summer breeze swept over her black, heavy hair, several hues mingled together. Her shoulders were covered in waves of black silk, which the soft sun's rays highlighted in its light brown tones. She landed a few feet away from Jace, just as softly as his and not too loud either, her legs absorbing the force of the impact with the balls of her feet. Bear stood on the grass with his back to them, sniffing at a particular spot.

Izzy reciprocated Jace's smile by grinning back at him. "You were right. That was a piece of cake," she remarked.

Obviously, it was straightforward and easy as she expected it to be.

"Izzy?"

"Yes?"

"Even for a shadowhunter, that was very graceful."

Izzy gave Jace's words a brief moment of consideration before smiling with pride and grinning. Alec would have begun to laugh hysterically a split second later if Jace had been lying to her face and merely stating that. His remarks were absolutely accurate and sincere because there was total stillness all around them, but for the sounds of nature and the nearby animals and no one found his remarks humourous. It was the very first time someone had ever told her those words in her life, or applied the term graceful...or well in her life or existance anyway.

"Thank you."

Before she glanced back up at the window to see if Alec was coming. Sure enough a couple of second later he came into view the bottom of his boot resting upon the wooden pane, with Church in his arms, whom he had scooped up from the couch. His blue eyes looking backwards at Axel and the guards. He smirked just like his siblings did and positioned himself to leap out of the open shutters.

"Have a nice day asshole!" he said, before leaping out of the window.

"No come back!" Axel yelled, attempting to grab Alec's foot but he was too late.

The wind whipped through Alec's black hair as he fell from the three story window, golden rays of sunlight warmed his beige colored skin. He felt so free and happy as the tree's and soft earth's details were much sharper and defined. All thanks to the runes they all wore, everything physical and simple. He landed a couple feet away from Jace and Isabelle, who were standing right near the forests edge, all ready to go.

"Dude that was awesome," Jace said, giving his best friend and sister a high five.

"Hell yeah it was," Alec replied as Izzy grinned as well.

"True dat, now what do you say we head for the beach?" she said.

The beach itself was just on the other side of a river that just so happened to be at the edge of the woodland as the three of them headed towards it. While the soothing lapping of the air rippled throughout the landscape, crystal-clear water rushed through the surging torrent. In the lofty woods, one could hear the chirping of birds and other creatures. Through the clouds, there was a small hint of sunlight, and the rays themselves glistened on the water, giving it a shimmering appearance.

"Do you think we'll be swimming?" They halted beside the lake, and Izzy questioned.

Alec shook his head and slung his bow and arrows over his shoulder to prevent them from falling off or becoming misplaced. He got back to his feet and knelt down to tie up a loose shoelace on one of his sneakers. While Jace and his sister secured their weapons, the wind whipped across his black hair, sending a few strands flying.

"Nah, and get our clothing filthy and soaked? No. We're jumping."

"That's what she said," Jace said, as he started to laugh.

Alec began to chuckle as Izzy rolled her eyes.

"Only you, Jace, would say something as immature and lame as that," she said.

When she thought about what her brother had just said, she pursed her lips, leaping across the river was unquestionably a more wiser and superior decision than swimming since, in fact, it would result in them all being wet and muddy. Not to mention how it might impact her skin and hair. The combination of the smell of the water and the dirt and muck being soaked into her hair was not the greatest idea, however occasionally dirt and mud were excellent for your skin. Izzy scrunched up her nose in disdain and scowled at the very thought.

"All right you go first," she said to Alec.

The river looked to be fifty yards wide, and not far from them was a rock imbedded in the riverbed that lay against the level ground. Alec began walking towards the rock. His blue eyes looking out over the rushing water, as it flowed from the far left and then all the way downstream. There were large hills of black rich soil along the other side of the large stream along with various small plants and other wildlife in the forest.

He smiled at the beautiful scenery, not before taking two steps backwards, he clenched his hands and counted his steps. He then ran back those feet before launching himself over the river. Izzy and Jace watched him fly above the river as they observed his moves. As he flew into the air, Alec could feel the adrenaline pumping through his body. Just before vanishing into the dense canopy of trees on the opposite side of the river, he added the final touch by twisting his body into a somersault.

Jace murmured, "What a show-off," and he could hear his brother laughing from a distance.

"Of course he is," Izzy said.

A split second later, Alec emerged through the other side, secure and beaming with pride as he observed his siblings from a distance. As the waves of the river began to somewhat settle, the enormous trees towered above him. Jace moved forward as soon as he gave the signal for them to approach.

"Come on slowpokes let's get a move on!" he yelled.

"I'll go next," her brother said.

Jace moved backwards a few steps from the big gray rock, largely to avoid rushing into anything dangerous. After taking a big breath, he instantly experienced strange anxiety. He wasn't afraid of falling or of being harmed, but rather of damaging the forest itself, which was what was causing the uneasiness in his chest.

He could feel the raw, overwhelming power building in his limbs; suddenly, he wasn't sure whether he wanted to jump over the river, burrow under it, or claw his way through the jagged, tiny rocks below or the bedrock itself. It wouldn't take very long, really. Everything around him, including the trees, bushes, shrubs, bushes, rocks, and castle, started to seem very frail.

He took a slow initial step and started running straight towards the water. His golden eyes and thoughts moved so sharply and fast, all owing to the runes they'd placed earlier that day, that one stride was all it took for him to reach the water's edge. It only took him one long, simple bound to get there, which seemed more like an eighty-fourth of a second, but there was still plenty of time. He found it so easy to plant his right foot on the rock's flat, smooth surface and apply just the proper amount of pressure to propel his whole body into the air.

For a brief while, Jace had focused on his precise target, aiming with considerably more precision than just brute power, and making sure he was applying the right amount of power that was necessary in order for him to make the that he worried about the water below if he accidently fell then he would be completely drenched. The fifty or sixty yard width wasn't that much of a problem. He landed a few feet from where Alec was standing, who grinned at him.

"How was that?" he asked his parbatai inquiring as to whether or not he had made any mistakes. Jace was panting from the effort, yet his breathing was labored and full of excitement.

"That was fantastic," Alec grinned in agreement, but the joyous, informal tone of his speech didn't always match the expression of astonishment in his eyes. "But Jace you need to work on bending your knee's more. The impact landing was a kinda sloppy."

His best friend responded with a smile.

"Alec yours was great as well the leap was slightly just a tad bit off. You should have bent your back to the left a bit more."

Before they both turned to look at Izzy who was waiting on the other side of the river with her hair fixed and her ponytail pulled tight, encouraging her to go next.

Izzy analyzed the angle and size of the boulder itself as she moved near the edge of the gray rock. This wouldn't be too difficult for her, but she had to plan things out precisely if she wanted to cross the river like her brothers. She relaxed herself by taking a long breath before sprinting into the crystal-clear lake and climbing up onto the boulder. She planted her right foot's heel onto the rock's flat, smooth surface as the adrenaline began to flow through her veins, and she launched herself into the air.

She glided like a beautiful trapeze artist soaring on a swing from a high beam as the wind caressed her black hair and skin. She was across in less than a second, so the experience was fleeting yet gorgeous, electric, and fantastic. Half expecting the enormous, densely populated trees to provide a challenge but they were quite the opposite, very helpful. She reached out a hand not before falling back against the rich, black earth right above the deep forest and with her fingers caught herself on a branch located nearby, and swung lighty from the wood limb, landing on her toes still at least ten or fifteen feet from the ground itself on the wide large bough of a tall oak tree.

The happiness coursing through her veins was absolutely fabulous. She started to laugh and over the sound of her delightled laughter she could hear her brothers racing to find her. Her jump had been in fact slightly as wide as their's, maybe smaller but it didn't matter. Looking down she saw they had approached the tree she was standing in and she quickly leaped from the branch she'd been standing upon onto the ground right by their sides landing safely and soundly.

"How was that?" she asked.

"Wonderful if I do say so myself. You seemed a little hesitant when you were about to jump Iz. It threw your balance off a little," Alec said.

"It definitely was awesome but like Alec said you seemed to be holding back," Jace added.

"Can we do that again?" Izzy asked.

"We're supposed to be heading to the beach," Jace said.

"Oh right I remember."

"Try to keep up and follow me if you guys can," Alec said, he grinned as his expression was michevouis and taunting before he took off running towards the thick shady tree's. Jace and Isabelle smirked at one another and also broke into a run as well.

Alec was sometimes a little bit quicker than the two of them, but they all had their own distinctive walking patterns and paces, and right now he was ahead of them. He was obviously quicker since his legs were so fluid. They seemed to be travelling at blazing speed because of the runes; nonetheless, they were all unable to keep up with it. Jace, though, had a little additional strength from his leap across the river. As they soared through the huge living green forest web, close by each other's sides and not quite following each other at all, he and Izzy quickly caught up with Alec, each of their strides matching their brothers. Alec grinned, Izzy chuckled, and Jace laughed softly to himself as they raced. Their laughing neither slowed them down nor took their attention away from where they were going.

Izzy could now get why they never struck the trees as hard as they ran, which had previously eluded her. She had such an odd feeling as it passed through her veins. As she sprinted, leapt, and even rocketed beneath and over the emerald-thick, huge green labyrinth of varied plants and fauna, invisible wind blasted over her black hair. As she began to catch up to her brothers, the wind from her pace caused her hair to become somewhat loose.

The forest itself was considerably more alive and present around them than they had ever experienced. They had no idea that there were little critters around, as well as somewhat bigger ones, hiding and swarming in the dark green and brown shrubs. As Jace, Alec, and Izzy went by, several of the animals' breathing stopped and their heartbeats seemed to increase out of fear or nervousness. The siblings carried on, their laughter resonating across the enormous expanse, as the breeze felt so warm and tender against their skin and the hard forest floor itself seemed smooth and like velvet under their feet.

The three of them, along with Bear and Church, all abruptly stopped and skidded to a halt to stop and catch their breath after running for the last half-hour it had taken them to get to their destination. Less than a second later, they arrived at the beach in record time, with Jace sprinting out of the woods first, panting hard, followed closely by Alec and Izzy.

Alec replied, "I vote we walk the rest of the day," taking three little towels and three water bottles out of his luggage and offering them to his brothers while wiping the sweaty top of his forehead and neck.

His inside heartbeat was as rapid as a jackhammer from the exercise they were doing.

Izzy answered, taking the towel and water from her brother's bag and wiping her forehead and neck as well. "Me too; I'm completely beat," she said. She popped the cap up and poured some into her palm, as well as taking a drink. How delicious the water was! She cleaned her face and neck since her skin felt cold and fresh afterwards.

Jace remarked, wiping sweat and grime from his neck and forehead. I, for one, say we do that too," he said.

As they made their way down the sandy beach side, Church and Bear were not far away. The cat avoided the water as much as possible and just lounged in the sunshine as a small wind fluffed his grayish-blue hair. Bear cheerfully jumped up and down in the water as he strolled next to Jace, Alec, and Isabelle, who were now merely taking a little break to replenish their strength. Nearing its zenith in the sky, the sun was

Bear, who had been cheerfully dancing along the waves, suddenly halted in his tracks, raised his big head, and started to smell the air. Church glanced up and also noticed the aroma as it suddenly flooded his nose and senses with a very sharp, familiar scent. Before returning to their owners' eyes, the dog and cat exchanged a quick glance before Bear began to bark and Church began to meow.

"What is wrong with those two?" Jace asked.

Izzy adjusted her hair and said, "I honestly have no clue," while fixing her ponytail.

"Well, whatever the case may be, it's not essential," Alec said.

Church meowed and yowled, while Bear growled loudly while pacing back and forth, until the two of them set off rushing down the other end of the beach.

"Bear! Church! Come back!" Izzy said,

They kept running away toward the far end of the sandy beach despite Izzy's yells.

"What the actual hell are they doing?" stated Alec.

"I don't know, but something is telling me to follow them," Jace remarked.

"Okay, let's go!" Alec said.

Before the three of them began after the dog and cat, each of them breaking into a sprint.

While this was happening, another area of the beach's steep cliffs started to crumble many prior years before, revealing the lush terrain beyond them. The shoreline was dotted with several large stones, making it difficult for anyone to attempt to cross them. Right near the water's edge, a little group of boulders that towered over the smaller ones created a tiny little nook. Three individuals were seen lying on the sandy seashore, where the clear waters glistened in the early morning light. It was just impossible for anybody to notice the rocks because of how they were oriented.

As Simon gently began to open his eyes, warm, soothing sunshine shone on his beige skin. He didn't want to leave the pleasures of sleep, but he felt as if all of his mental and physical stamina had been utterly sapped. Twice blinking, he let the veil of pleasant distortion gently lift from his head and dissipate. Once again experiencing touch, he discovered that he was partially buried in the chilly ocean waves. He felt his face being forced into something soft and velvety as the waves dashed against the ebbing tide and the soft sand cradled him.

His mind was already exhausted and sluggish as the memories gradually began to pour back like a torrent of rough water flooding every corner of his mind with every event that he'd previously forgotten. He and his friends had come here to the surface and consumed the potion in which Clary had obtained from Lilith the sea witch herself who had given his best friend in exchange for something very dear and precious to her. There had been unaimagninable and horrible pain, which had caused all three of them to pass out, but the magic should have turned them into humans. That very true fact more than anything gave him an incentive to force his brown eyes open.

Simon blinked a few times, forcing his groggy mind to focus as he looked up at the sky. Everything was blurry and fuzzy; he immediately grabbed his glasses and placed them over his eyes so that he could see better. The sun was high in the bright blue, cloudless sky, which had a few tiny ones floating around. While the air was cool, its briskness enhanced the chilly ocean waters. However, he found that he was quite warm and content. As he glanced around, he noticed a large forest right behind them, just above the cliffs, and over the tall trees was a magnificent castle. Its white walls could be seen through the thick trees and just above some of the towers too.

When he looked up again, he saw that it was now late, and fear set in. It was about noontime, since the sun was reaching its peak above the horizon. He anticipated that his mother would get overwrought with worry and throw an utter fit, leading inevitably to a tantrum that he neither wanted to see nor participate in. He looked around and saw his friends resting just a little distance away. Clary was propped up against a rock, up to her waist, in the shallow water, with half of her face obscured by her red hair. Magnus was lying a few inches away, his lower body obscured by a large chunk of slimy seaweed and some sand.

"Oh shit! It's almost noon. My mother will freak out! Clary, Magnus, wake up! We've got to get back to Atlantis!"

As the sun began to rise over the ocean's deep blue, his friends also began to awaken. Clary's eyelids slowly opened that morning, and then Magnus yawned and rubbing his hands over his eyes.

"Stop talking, Simon! Will you please shut up? You need to tone it down a little," Magnus mumbled beneath his breath.

The warlock opened his brown eyes to the sight of the sun high in the clear blue sky, the sound of lapping waves, and the flight of squawking seagulls. Something slimly was brushing against his skin as he tried to lift himself up from the shallow water and onto the beach. He took one look at the clump of seaweed and started peeling it off immediately. The green threads detached without difficulty, and he rolled onto his back slowly propping himself up on his elbows.

Clary began to rouse from her sleep, a pounding pain throbbed in her head signaling a huge migrane coming on. As she opened her eyes, the brilliant sunshine beamed directly into them, causing her to feel very cold on one side and somewhat warm on the other. She felt rested after a good night's sleep and focused her sleepy thoughts on getting her eyes to focus. Her emerald eyes fluttered for a few seconds before opening and she stretched her arms upward into the air while yawning. Her once-damp hair was now completely dry, and it draped over her face. She quickly pushed it out of the way and glanced to her side while moving her body in a more upright position becoming fully awake.

"What's with all the racket? Why are you two shouting at each other so loudly?" she asked.

"I'm yelling because it's nearly almost noon and we've practically have been here almost all night and my mom is going to kill me if we don't get back home now!" Simon remarked as he flipped over on his chest on the sand.

Magnus smoothed his wet damp hair and began to move into the water, saying, "Relax Simon, we'll get back in plenty of time; we just have to get ourselves off this sand and back into the ocean."

He tried to get his tail to move, but it seemed like it was split in two. When he glanced down, he saw that two long, thin, yet muscular human legs had replaced his previously magnificent dark purple tail.

"That should be easier said than done! Let's get a move on! " Simon said he moved about in the shallow water, reaching down to wiggle the base of his tail so he could swim more easily, only to feel something other than his typical, sharp scales. He looked down and realized he was really stroking the smooth, warm flesh of a human leg. His pupils dilated in amazement, and a piercing yell from his lips.

"What the hell happened to my tail and why do we all have legs now?" he said.

Even before she could respond to her best friend's question, Clary's emerald eyes widened in shock as she saw that her dark green mermaid tail and two ivory knees attached to a pair of long human legs were sticking out of the water instead. Her face lit up as a huge smile formed on her face, and she gently raised a leg into the air, wriggling her toes. The spell had been successful, and Lilith wasn't lying. She ran her fingers over her skin, which, in contrast to her once-rough scales, now felt smooth and like marble.

"They are flawless and breathtaking! I'm going to use them," she said.

She sprang up fast, trying to stand up while bracing her palms on her wobbly legs and out of sight of Simon and Magnus in the shallow water. She briefly stood, her long red hair falling to her waist, before she lost her balance and fell backwards, landing with a loud splash that made Magnus and Simon laugh as well as her.

Magnus said, "Nice try, Clary," as she sat up, bending her knees once more and grinning at her clumsiness.

Simon chuckled as well, saying, "Yeah, that was an epic fail."

Clary rolled her emerald eyes at their remarks before realizing she was wearing only her halter shells. She covered herself with as much of her hair as she could, her face becoming slightly crimson. A few seconds later, Simon and Magnus both became aware of the same exact fact: that they were likewise naked and without clothing. Simon's face became somewhat crimson, and Magnus's did as well.

"Now I remember what happened. What precisely do we do next, then?" Simon said, while Magnus was concealed by some seaweed and himself by a mound of sand. Lack of appropriate clothing was certainly an issue, and it would be humiliating if someone happened to pass by and saw them all naked.

"I suggest we find some clothing or coverings pronto," Clary said.

"That shouldn't be an issue," Magnus said with a smile.

Before he snapped his fingers, little blue sparks sprang out of them, and in less than a second, he was wearing a pair of glittery pants in shades of black and purple that hung loosely about his hips and a simple dark blue shirt. He summoned a plain grey t-shirt and a pair of black shorts for Simon and a long-sleeved green shirt for Clary. While Clary changed behind one of the boulders, Simon immediately picked up the clothing and did the same not too far away. She created a halter dress by rapidly slipping her head through the top without placing her arms through the sleeves.

"Thank you Magnus," she said.

"Yes thank you so much."

Simon walked around the large dune he'd been standing behind and was now completely dressed. The material felt very nice against his skin and wasn't too tight or anything. Clary's dress billowed around her body as she tightened the straps around her neck making sure it was secure.

"You're both very welcome," Magnus said, as he stood up from the sand onto his feet. The sand felt very nice between his toes as he wiggled them watching the small grains move slowly around the small little spaces. It was like getting a free mini massage.

At that moment the sound of voices approaching caused all three of them to immediately freeze. Clary's eyes widened as a group of shadows slowly began forming across the sand, coming towards her and her friends very fast. Simon's heart started to pound from inside of his chest before he ran behind a mountain sized sand dune. Magnus felt slightly uneasy hastily hiding behind one of the shady tree's. Clary was just about to run behind one of the rocks when the sound of barking echoing in the distance made her suddenly stop dead in her tracks.

Suddenly a large sized dark brown ball of fur came charging around the corner of the rocky cliff's, while a dark blueish grey smaller one followed suit. The animal's eyes caught sight of Clary before running happily towards her. She instantly ran in the opposite direction as fast as her legs could carry her, running behind a low boulder as it continued to chase her, circling around the rock before she climbed up on it quickly to get away. The dog jumped up on his hind legs, his mouth open and before she knew it licked her face while the smaller ball of fur rubbed it's head against her hand purring loudly.

Alec, Jace, and Izzy continued to chase Bear and Church along the shoreline before they rounded a corner, leading them all to the other end of the cliff and the dog continued to bark loudly at someone or something. Just a second later, they rushed around the cliff's corner only to find that Bear was standing in front of a low boulder while Church sitting a few feet away.

"Bear, Church be quiet. Will you stop that racket!" Alec panted, as he and his siblings came to a complete stop to the area where their pets had led to them too.

"What's gotten into them?" Izzy asked leaning against one of the rocks by the ocean, out of breath as well.

"I honestly don't have a clue," Jace said, before looking in the opposite direction.

It took him a couple seconds to look where the dog was trying to point and direct them too, and his siblings looked up as well.

A young woman was sitting atop a small boulder. She was wearing only a green long sleeve shirt, and her red hair, which was wet, partially covered her face. A few feet away, a guy with black hair was looking out from the edge of a big tree, and not far from her, a guy with curly brown hair was hiding behind one of the sand dunes wearing a gray t-shirt and black shorts. They seemed a little worn out and scared of their dog's yelping.

"Enough Bear and Church! You two get over here immediately!" Alec gave the order in a firm yet harsh voice.

The cat did nothing but sit there on the sand looking at them with a look of disapproval as the dog abruptly stopped barking and approached with his tail between his legs. Bear sat next to Alec and cast a sorrowful and ashamed glance up at the blue-eyed shadowhunter. He was aware that he was in trouble and that later in the day he would be confronted about it. Alec realized his dog was tense and patted his head, assuring him calmly that everything would be okay but asking him to remain still for a moment.

"We sincerely apologize for that. Bear had no intention of frightening you three. Really, he's not a threat," Alec said.

"Yeah, he wouldn't harm a fly, Jace answered with a smile. "He simply became excited, that's all."

Izzy said, "He does that quite a bit."

The three closest friends instantly recognized their significant other's voices and gave a collective sigh of relief before nodding to one another in agreement that they were all safe and out of harm's way. Clary offered Jace a wide smile as she carefully pulled her damp hair to the side and out of the way. Magnus and Simon both smiled as they emerged from behind the large, towering oak tree and around the long sand dune, smiling at them.

Jace checked his eyes again to be sure he wasn't dreaming or seeing things. Clary was seated on the boulder, her mermaid tail replaced by two long, slender human legs, and she was wearing a halter t-shirt dress. Her red hair was almost dry yet was just a little damp. She was no longer a mermaid; she was now a human, just like him. He started to walk towards her, as she slowly began to get down from her perch on the rock, and managed to almost place her feet on the ground. But started to sway forward nearly almost slipping until Jace was right in front of her in less than a second and caught her hands just in time balancing her out. He smiled and she did too, before she placed her arms around his neck and hugged him. He returned the embrace hugging his girlfriend back and then his lips met hers.

Izzy was speechless in front of what she was seeing. She had to pinch herself to see whether she was indeed dreaming or just hallucinating at the sight before her. Simon stood just a few feet away from her on legs instead of his dark blue tail. He wasn't a merman anymore, he was a human being as she was. He smiled at her and she did as well before she ran towards him, leaping into her boyfriends arms wrapping her legs around his waist, hugging him tightly as he did the same pulling back to give Izzy a peck on the lips before it turned into a huge makeout session.

Alec couldn't believe what was happening. Magnus was standing just merely two or three feet from him looking drop dead gorgeous as a now human smiling confidently before he rushed over to his boyfriend who had his arms open and swept him off his feet, holding him close, before pulling back and Magnus gave him a long hello kiss. They were so wrapped up in each other that they failed to notice what else was going on around them.

They all broke apart for air a couple of seconds later, before finally turning to one another to find out what exactly happened to get their boyfriends and girlfriend into this situation. Alec turned to Magnus who smiled at him and he decided to just get straight to the point about everything.

"Magnus, you're human just like us! Are they real?" Alec wondered.

Yes, they are very real, darling," Magnus responded.

"How did this even happen? It's really wonderful that you're all now humans; don't get me wrong, how exactly did you guys obtain them? Did you use dark magic?" Izzy asked.

"Izzy I assure you we didn't use any sort of dark magic," Simon answered.

"I'm not one to jump to conclusions either; this is amazing and wonderful, but what happened?" Jace asked.

He looked at Clary, who smiled at him but didn't say anything before Bear hopped up on the stone beside her and began pelting her with kisses, slobbering all over her face. Clary fell backwards, pinned on the rock's smooth surface from above, as her hand flew out to push the excited dog off of her. Her green eyes closed, and her mouth widened in an expression of laughter.

Yet not a single sound came out from her. Jace's, Alec's, and Izzy's eyes all widened in pure shock and sadness, but they all remained calm but still in utter disbelief at what they just witnessed.

"Clary, what's the matter? Is something wrong?" Jace asked.

She clutched her at her throat as he pulled Bear off her as he helped her to the ground. Her legs shook a bit but he pulled her closer to his chest so that she balanced out perfectly. She began opening and closing her mouth, attempting to form a mere noise or any words from her lips, but it was to no avail. He stood on the rock beside her, looking at her with worry in his golden eyes. Her green eyes looked at him sadly as she tried to speak, but she knew inside that she couldn't and never would again. All thanks to Lilith and the price she paid for the bargain she made: her voice in exchange for becoming human.

"Is she sick or ill?" Alec wondered.

"Are you hurt, Clary?" Izzy said.

"Did something bad happen?" Jace asked.

Clary's green eyes filled with sadness as she bit her lip out, mostly from nervousness, knowing what she was about to tell them all, especially Jace, would make him extremely angry and hostile. But he was the love of her life, and Alec and Isabelle were her friends as well, and inside she knew they would all understand, just like Simon and Magnus. She shook her head in response to their questions, and the words formed inside her mind of what she wanted to tell them, but she wasn't sure if they would be able to hear her like her friends could in that moment. But Simon decided to speak up for her.

"No, you guys, she isn't sick or ill with anything at all," Simon said.

"She can no longer speak because she gave Lilith the sea witch her voice in exchange for her magic to become human," Magnus said.

"Oh my gosh, that's horrible," Izzy said.

"I had no idea. That isn't good," Alec added.

"You gave away your voice so that we all could be together forever?" Jace said as she nodded.

"I'm so sorry, you guys, but it was the price I paid, and she wouldn't take anything else," she said.

"Clary it's all right. If it was the sacrifice you needed to make for us all to be together, then it's completely fine," Jace said.

It was then that all the siblings heard her voice inside their minds very clearly, just like her friends had. Jace blinked before a smile formed on his face, as well as that of his brother and sisters.

"I just heard you talk so clearly," he said.

"I did too!" Izzy added.

"Me as well; at least you have a way of communicating with everyone," Alec replied.

"So now what?" Simon said.

"We go back to the palace and get you guys cleaned up and also something to eat," Izzy said as Simon offered her his arm, which she took and waited for their friends to be ready as well.

"Sounds good to me," Magnus replied, taking his boyfriend's hand, and they started to walk with each other.

"Let's get a move on then," Alec said.

"Yeah let's go," Jace said, smiling at his girlfriend, who smiled back, lacing Clary's fingers with his, and they headed off towards the palace.