"Violet! Hey! Wake up!"

I lazily open my eyes to see Kim standing over me. "G'way." I mutter.

"Oh, come on, Violet!" Zane complains from across the room. I look over and see Lucinda, Garroth and Kawaii~Chan as well. "Aphmau wants us to meet her. You coming or not?"

I yawn and throw my covers off. "Just give me a minute to get dressed." After they leave, I pull my pajamas off and throw my outfit on, putting my headband in my hair while trying to simultaneously get my bedhead to tame itself. When I'm satisfied (three minutes later) I exit my room and find everyone waiting impatiently.

"Come on, let's go." Garroth says happily, heading downstairs and out the door. We all follow him.

"Why on earth is Aphmau being so cryptic?" Zane asks aloud.

"I dunno." Garroth answers.

"She probably wants to talk to us in private about something important." Lucinda suggests.

"Oh. We couldn't just talk in her and Aaron's room?" Kim wonders.

"It's odd for her to ask us by text." Zane says. "This must be something important, then."

"Zane?" Kawaii~Chan asks, sounding worried.

"Where does their text say to meet?" Garroth asks.

"It says..." Lucinda checks her phone. "On Twilight Beach."

"Oh!" I exclaim. "I know where that is! It's where Aphmau and Aaron met! The day we got here!"

"No time to lose." Zane says. "Let's go!" We run for the beach, quick as we can, seeing Aphmau and Aaron sitting on beach towels as if waiting for us.

"Aphmau!" Zane cries. "Aaron! Are you guys okay?"

"We got your text." I supply.

Aph giggles. "We're fine!"

"Your faces are red." I observe.

"Are you guys sick?" Lucinda demands.

"N-no!" Aph says. "We just have a... very special announcement!"

Zane, Kawaii~Chan, Garroth, Kim, Lucinda and I all look around at each other, each as confused as the next.

Aphmau and Aaron meet each other's eyes, as if coordinating their next sentence, and then yell "WE'RE ENGAGED!!!"

Lucinda screams. "NO WAY NO WAY!!!"

"About time!" I shriek, clasping my hands under my chin, my grin going from ear to ear.

"That's amazing!" Kim says.

"THIS IS WONDERFUL!" Garroth yells, tears streaming down his face. "CONGRATULATIONS!!"

"G-guys..." Zane says happily, and even he's tearing up. I'm trying to figure out how to hug both my siblings at once when Zane turns to Kawaii~Chan. "Wait. Kawaii~Chan..."

A shadow has gone over Kawaii~Chan's face. She makes tiny squeaking noises.

"Kawaii~Chan..." Zane says as if warning the rest of us.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" KC squeals, her eyes sparkling. "HEEEHEHEHEEEE! OH MY GOSH, YES!!!" She does a weird little spasm dance and then soars into the sky, miles above us. "WHOOOOO!" She comes back down, landing in the ocean in a belly flop.

"Oh, Irene..." Zane sighs.

"Did she just-----die?" Garroth asks.

"That's an... understatement." Zane says.

Suddenly, Kawaii~Chan appears next to Aphmau, hugging her tight. "I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS!!!" She looks up, tears in her eyes. "I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!"

Kim, Lucinda and I start laughing while Zane shakes his head. But even he's laughing. "I wasn't expecting any other reaction." He tells her.

"Congratulations, you guys!" I squeal.

"I'm so happy for you two!" Kim says.

"We wanted to tell you ourselves." Aaron says happily. "It was kind of important that you guys found out first. Well, aside from our parents."

"OHHHH, DID APH'S MOM MAKE A "PUT A RING ON IT" JOKE??" I demand.

Aphmau giggles. "How did you know?"

"Oh, please. I grew up with Mummy hovering down my neck! Just wait until I get engaged, she'll be playing that song nonstop!"

Aphmau laughs again, then grows somber. "After everything... We both felt it was right to tell you guys first."

"I understand." Garroth says. "B-but---"

"You guys are family to us." Aaron interrupts.

"Awww!" Kim coos. "Aaron..."

"I completely understand." I break in, grinning and for once not feeling the load of guilt that comes with speaking of the lodge. "After all that's happened... you guys really mean a lot to me, too"

"Aww!" Kim says again, her cheeks glowing.

"We're so happy for you guys!" Lucinda says to Aph and Aaron.

"Thank you." Aaron says happily.

Kawaii~Chan giggles. "Now, how about you guys tell us how it happened??" She says, wiggling her eyebrows and giggling some more.

"All right!" Aphmau says, turning to Aaron. "Uh---Actually... Aaron is better at describing it then I am."

"Me?" Aaron says, surprised. "Um---okay." We all form a circle around him, and Kawaii~Chan actually sits right in front of him eagerly. Garroth goes over to Aphmau. "Aph and I decided to go off alone and camp for a few days, and well---there's this spot on the side of the island that I saw before any of you got here, and I thought it would be the perfect place for all that. Anyway, we went up there, and we were hanging around, and I just couldn't stop myself, I'd been carrying the ring around for weeks now---"

"Oh my Irene, you had?" I break in, giggling. "Sorry. Continue!"

"And we just had stopped there, but I had to do it soon because I couldn't think of any better moment, so I just, um, asked her." Aaron says almost nervously, glancing back at where Aphmau and Garroth are talking. "And she said yes, and kinda ran at me like a buffalo---"

"Hey!"

"---and then we waited a couple more days, and came back here." Aaron says. Kawaii~Chan and I sigh dreamily. I hope when I get married I have a perfect moment like that one.

"Hey, Violet, Kim, would you guys come here?" Lucinda suddenly asks, as if realizing something.

"Sure!" I say, grabbing Kim and following Lucinda to a bright yellow house, where she motions for us to crouch in the bushes.

"Uh, Lucinda, what are we doing?" Kim asks.

Lucinda looks at me and I instantly understand. "This is Terry's house, isn't it? Or Travis'?"

"Yes." Lucinda whispers. "I'm going in there to search for the book. And I need you guys to distract everybody."

"What??" Kim demands shrilly.

"Shhh!" Lucinda and I whisper.

"WHY ARE WE HERE?"

"KIM!" We scold as quietly as we can. Lucinda peeks around the house to where Katelyn and Travis are talking. "I'm going to go check on them. Be right back!" She goes around and peers over the porch at them. Kim turns to me, her face alarmed.

"Violet, tell me you don't agree with this! This is crazy!"

"No, it's not." I say in a low voice. "Kim, you don't understand---"

Lucinda comes back. "Lucinda, are you absolutely sure about this?" Kim checks.

"Positive." Lucinda insists.

"Lucinda, there are repercussions for things like this!" Kim warns.

"There are only repercussions if you get caught!" Lucinda says airily.

"LUCINDA!" Kim cries.

"Calm down!" I say. "Why are you so on edge about this?"

"It's someone's house!" Kim says.

"Oh, don't worry!" Lucinda says. "We're not all going through the house."

"Wait, we're not?" I ask.

"Nope! You guys are going to act as a decoy, and I'm going to go through the house." Lucinda explains.

"WHAT?" Kim demands.

"Please! Trust me, Kim!" Lucinda pleads.

"FOR WHAT? A BOOK?" Kim says helplessly. "We could go to a library!"

"Kim, you need to listen before you start jumping to conclusions." Ghost orders.

"Ghost?" Kim asks in surprise.

"Kim," I sigh. "We---Lucinda and I---wanted to be more casual about this, but...I guess we can't hide it from you."

"Huh?"

"I spoke with Ghost about this before we came here," Lucinda says. "But I am highly suspicious of Terry, Travis' father."

"W-why?" Kim asks.

"The book we found." I explain. "The one from the lodge? It had a lot of rare potions and spells in it. It was powerful."

"Wait." Kim turns to Lucinda. "Someone broke into your place and stole that book! Around Christmastime..."

"Exactly." Lucinda says. "And I have reason to believe it might have something to do with Travis' father."

"Why?"

"Travis used to tell me stories about his father back in High School." I tell Kim. "He was a professor in witchcraft. He was also incredibly strict, and mean. Terry doesn't seem like that at all. It makes me---and Lucinda---wonder what is going on."

"Maybe he changed!" Kim suggests. "People do that!"

"That book is powerful." Ghost says. "And in the wrong hands, it can impact the world. If Lucinda and Violet believe Terry has it, then we need to check."

"Bu-but---"

"Not only that, but now Terry is in Travis' life?" Lucinda says. "After the way Travis had acted? Something isn't adding up, and I need to make sure."

"I just---" Kim sighs. "I just don't want to cause any problems, guys. Things are going great! What with Ghost not coming out as much, Aaron and Aphmau getting engaged---I just don't think that this is an appropriate thing to do."

"Kim, if this is too much, you don't have to get involved." I tell her, trying my best to smile in the midst of all this. "I'm only doing this because that book contained information on how to create F-forever P-p-potions." I swallow my fear. "What if someone dared to make those again? The pain we went through... losing Aphmau...Garroth... Aaron... Zane... You. We went through that once. I will not let that happen to anyone again. Ever. Not when I can stop it."

Kim doesn't answer.

"Will you help us, Kim?" Lucinda asks. Kim still doesn't answer. "Kim? Kim. Kim!"

"H-huh?" Kim exclaims.

"We're running out of time." I say, glancing over at Katelyn and Travis, who are now going inside. "We need to move now. Are you with us, or not?"

"I'm with you." Kim says. Her voice quivers but she doesn't sound as scared anymore. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"All right then." Lucinda smiles. She holds out two pairs of swimsuits. "Now. Put these on."

"Whaaa?" Kim exclaims.

"Whyyy?" I complain, staring in disgust at the two tiny bikinis.

"Because you look cute in it!" Lucinda coaxes. "Not only that, it's a part of my plan."

"Wh-what plan?" Kim asks.

Apparently, the plan where Lucinda forces us into the bikinis and tells us exactly what to say to Katelyn when we ring the doorbell, both blushing furiously.

Katelyn opens the door. "Hello?"

I shove Kim forward. "Oh--um--h-hey, Katelyn!" She squeaks.

"Oh! Kim, right?" Katelyn asks.

"Yeah!" Kim says, pulling me up with her so she's not alone in her shame. "I--- ummmm..."

"Kim!" Lucinda's voice hisses from the bushes. "Be more confident!"

I sigh and break in for Kim. "We wanted to play volleyball with someone, and everyone back at the house didn't want to play."

"But, they told me about you, Katelyn!" Kim says. "And how you are, um, really really really good at playing."

Katelyn laughs. "Well, I mean, they weren't wrong." She looks at me. "Why don't you guys just play each other?"

"Oh! Because... because..." Kim says weakly.

"Because I suck at volleyball." I supply. "And Kim wanted to play someone more her skill level."

"Yeah! She totally sucks at it, so horrible, can't even---"

"Okaaaay, laying it on thick." I mutter. Kim stops and laughs nervously.

"So! I was wondering if, you wanted to play me?" Kim asks Katelyn. "On the beach. I mean, you and I could use it as an opportunity to get to know each other!"

"Aw! Well, while that sounds nice, I may have to decline." Katelyn says, actually sounding sorry. "We're busy makin' plans and stuff."

I nudge Kim. Here comes her monologue...

"Oh. I see." Kim says. "Yeah, Lucinda said you'd probably decline."

Katelyn stops. "Uhwah?"

"She said that you haven't played since a few summers ago and that you're probably all dried up. That you can't hit a ball like you used to anymore."

"Also that you were dumb." I supply, trying to block out Lucinda's snickers. However, I think the steam coming from Katelyn's ears sufficiently covers the noise.

"Yep! Yeah that sounds like something Lucinda would say!" Katelyn says angrily. "That's it! I am gonna own you at volleyball, and when I do, I want you to go back to Lucinda and tell her she's dumb! And!---a butt face. Meet me outside on the beach!" She slams the door in our faces and Kim looks terrified.

"What did we get ourselves into?" she asks faintly over Lucinda's cackling laughter.

__________________

Katelyn is a monster on the beach. But Kim and I make a good team. We're beasts when we can be, but Katelyn still gets balls by us every so often.

"HA!" She yells every time, wiggling around in a victory dance.

I notice Terry and Travis standing the on balcony and have to fight a smile. Aaaaah, so that was Lucinda's plan. As long as we're down here, Travis and Terry should watch us. Like father, like son.

Then I catch sight of Terry leaving the balcony and fear spikes down my stomach. Lucinda, get out, get out!

"HEADS UP!"

A ball comes flying out of nowhere and slams against my face, squashing my nose and knocking me out cold.

_____________________

"Owwww..." I wake up with someone holding an ice pack to my head. I swat them away and hold it myself, groaning.

"I am so sorry." Katelyn says sadly. "When I said 'heads up', I didn't mean literally."

I laugh. "It's okay. I wasn't paying attention."

"How ya holding up, Violet?" Travis asks.

I look over and see Kim is waiting there too. "I think I'm ready to go home." I say, laughing weakly. "Thanks for the game, Katelyn."

"No problem! You aren't bad, though. And you aren't bad either, Kim."

"Heh. Thanks." Kim says, smiling shyly.

I laugh and quickly turn to a groan. "Owww, owwieeee..."

Travis chuckles. "I'll go get another ice pack."

"Sorry to bring you up to our room." Katelyn says. I sit up and look around, seeing that I'm on a blue bed. "It's just, if you've seen the rest of this place... then you'll thank me."

"Yeah, I saw." Kim giggles. "Was that your mess?"

"Ha! Nope! Messy parts of this place are Travis' doing. I pride myself in keeping our room clean."

"Our?" I note, wiggling my eyebrows, mentally filing Travlyn away for later.

"You should see his dad's place, though." Katelyn continues as if I've said nothing. "Or... maybe you shouldn't."

Kim laughs. "No thanks."

"Yeah, I think I'm good to head back home." I laugh, taking the ice pack off my less-throbby head.

"You sure?" Katelyn asks.

"Yeah. I'd like to change out of this bikini anyway." I laugh nervously.

"Gotcha." Katelyn smiles. "Come on, I'll walk ya there."

"Mm-hmm!" I say happily, getting off the bed. But as I slide off, my eye catches on a book lying on the floor next to the bed.

My heart stops and I can't hold back the torrent of flashbacks of snow and emeralds and glowing red eyes.

Ultima.

Kill the Ultima.

Welcome home, Violet.

Violet, stop.

VIOLET, STOP!

I shake off the flashbacks. "K-katelyn?" I ask, hating my voice for shaking. "What is that?"

"Oh, that? That's a book Travis has been reading lately." Katelyn says nonchalantly. Kim notices it, too, and her already pale skin goes snow white. "Spooky looking, huh?" Katelyn says.

"That's the---" Ghost breathes.

"You okay?" Katelyn asks us both. I flinch and turn to her quickly.

"I'm fine! I'm fine! I just---need to get back!" I say, my voice more than a few octaves higher than normal.

"Both of us!" Kim adds. "Haha! Bye!" She grabs my arm and drags me down the stairs, out the door, and back towards the house. As we run, neither of us say a word. Because we're too terrified, too shaken, too frozen in our fear of what we just saw.

Lucinda was right. Travis stole the book.

The only question is, why?

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Sorry for the chapter being so long! I just do it by episode, so there's not really a way to cut it XD