These episodes were weird, so I combined a few. (:

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CLUNK.

I look up. "What was that?"

Zane follows my gaze skyward. (Ceiling anyway.) "It sounded like the passage door. Maybe brother is here!"

My heart stops. Irene, please let it not be so. Not now.

Zane gets up and we go to the living room and find Garroth, Aphmau, and Aaron in the living room. Aaron and Aphmau! She found him! And they're both covered in snow that has soaked into their clothes, looking partially dead and exhausted.

And Garroth is tapping away on a computer.

"----IF I DON'T HAVE A SIGNAL!!" Garroth is saying. "GAH! THIS IS BOGUS!"

"Garroth!" Aph says. "GARROTH! Something's happened! We need to---"

"You're right, something's happened!" Garroth interrupts. "You hadn't realized we've been without internet for a long time! Everyone probably thinks we're DEAD!"

There has never been a better time to slip in, we're so dead. But SHE doesn't say anything.

Oh my Irene I hate myself.

"Y-you're right!" Aphmau says. "How long has it been, anyway?" She shakes her head. "N-no! Now isn't the time for that! Garroth, something has happened to Lucinda."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Garroth finally looks up as I exchange glances with Zane.

"Lucinda has been taken captive. By someone, or something." Aaron explains.

My stomach squeezes to the size of a peanut. Lucinda... Oh my Irene, Ein must have her!

"We need to go back to the secret passage and get her out of there!" Aphmau says. "But we're going to need everyone's help."

"Wait, wait, wait." Garroth says. "Lucinda... our Lucinda?"

"Mhm!"

"Do you realize how powerful Lucinda is as a witch? I mean, she can take care of herself, and---"

"That's only when she has her wand and spells---and she doesn't have either of those!" Aphmau exclaims.

"Is this some kind of praaank?" Garroth giggles.

"No!" Aaron yells. "We're dead serious!"

"Garroth, please believe us." Aph pleads.

"You guys are serious..." Garroth says, all humor gone. "All right. What can I do to help?"

"We're going to need everyone. Especially Zane and Violet." Aphmau says firmly. Zane and I look at each other again.

"Zane and Violet?" Garroth repeats. "Why?"

"Lucinda believes whoever took her did something to their memory. We think they know something." Aaron explains.

"Where are they at?" Aphmau asks.

"Zane went upstairs to take a nap." Garroth says. I pinch Zane and he goes running upstairs. "And Violet should still be in the kitchen. Zane didn't want to leave her, but she said she wasn't tired."

"Are they all right?" Aphmau asks.

"Yeah, they're perfectly fine. Kim said she'd check on Zane, and Violet seemed okay." Garroth says. Not a moment too soon, I hear Kim go into Zane's room. Aphmau, Aaron and Garroth talk for a minute while I try to silently creep back to the kitchen, when I hear Zane's petrified scream. For a solid 9 seconds.

"Zane?" Aph yelps, running for the stairs. I'm right behind her, dashing up and into Zane's room. Garroth gets there first, breaking the door.

"Baby brother!! Are you okay?" He yelps.

"NO! I'm not okay at all!" He screams, his eyes dilated in fear. "That woman-thing KISSED me!" He points to Kim, who has her eyes closed and is sitting on the windowsill.

Garroth starts giggling. "What?"

"Do NOT laugh at me, Garth!" Zane yells.

"It's GARROTH, and I'm your brother!!" Garroth yells.

"STOP TELLING ME THAT!"

"Both of you, stop fighting!" Aph breaks in. "I" run over to Zane and hug him. "Zane, what happened?"

"I told you! That woman over there kissed me!"

"Her name is Kim." Aphmau says almost icily.

"WHATEVER!! I BARELY KNOW HER THAT WELL AND SHE JUST PUT HER LIPS ON MINE!!"

"Uhhh..." Garroth says. "Kim is as shy as anyone gets."

"I hate to say it, but I don't believe you, Zane." Aaron says.

I realize with a shudder that I'm looking at Aaron Lycan for the first time. Before, he was Aaron/FC, Aph's sweet-adorable-and-slightly-annoying-at-times boyfriend. Now, he's ...the Ultima. Why did he hide it from us? WIth just a look from his eyes, he could kill us!

Oh.

My mind flashes back to college days, when Aaron was kind of a solo guy, and would wear a red bandana over his eyes at all times. What if... was he... protecting everyone?

Could he really be the monster Ein says he is?

"Garroth has a point." Aaron continues, ripping me back to the present. "That's not like Kim at all."

"Maybe you dreamed it." Aphmau suggests.

"I did not!" Zane says. "She. Kissed. Me!"

We all look over at Kim. "Umm... I think she's asleep." Aaron says. How astute of you.

"All right, Zane, I think you need to come with me." Aph suggests.

"WHY?? WHY DON'T YOU GUYS BELIEVE ME???"

Because she's KIM, you fat little nugget!

"I believe you, Zuzu!!" "I" say softly. I hear more than a few snickers at Mummy's nickname for him, but he just smiles with relief.

"Pfft, I mean, who would kiss you?" Garroth giggles. (A/N: KC, obviously)

"HEY! I HEARD THAT!"

"Zane." Aph commands. "Outside. Now."

"But I---"

"Now!"

Zane groans and goes outside. Aph follows him and leaves us behind. "What was that all about?" Aaron asks.

"I dunno." Garroth says. "But I think---"

"What happened?" Kim suddenly sits up.

"GAH!" We all scream. "Kim!" I cry. "You're awake!" I run over and hug her.

"I didn't even hear her come over." Aaron says, still spooked.

Kim pulls back. "Where's Zane?"

"Oh, he went off with Aphmau just now." Garroth says. Kim gets that weird shadow on her face again.

"He... what?!"

"Yeah, he said that you kissed him while he was sleeping. Ha!" Garroth chuckles.

SHUT UP, YOU BOOB!

"I WHAT!?" Kim cries in horror. "Uh... you know I would never do that, right? Is he okay?"

"Of course we know that, Kim." I assure her.

"And, uh.... I'm not sure if he's okay." Aaron admits. "There's a lot going on, Kim, but if you and Zane are having issues, maybe it's best if you both stay here."

"I think we're all fine." Garroth says. "It's probably a dream Zane had. Once everyone is calmed down, we can go get Lucinda."

"We need to go sooner rather than later." Aaron says firmly. "I'm gonna go check on the passage to make sure no one followed us."

"I'll come with you!" I hear myself say, hating the growing anticipation of seeing Ein again. Irene help me if Ein is there and I can't... I have to watch...

"Good luck Violet! And Aaron!" Garroth calls as we leave. Aaron leads me down the hallway to a room that basically looks like all the others.

"Huh?? It's closed?" Aaron mutters.

"Sooo... Secret passage?" I ask.

He nods. "We tracked you guys here, and it lead to this crazy mess of tunnels. It should be open..."

He walks up to a wall and knocks on it. Then he opens it up to reveal a wall in the way. "A wall?" Aaron demands. "H-how did this happen?" He knocks on it next. "It's concrete. And there's no sign of it being hollowed out? How did this even happen?"

"I take it this wasn't there before?" I ask, feeling sick inside my head when the potion "me" feels sad that Ein wasn't here.

"No, like I said, it lead to a bunch of tunnels before." Aaron sighs.

"Hehe! Maybe you shouldn't try to leave..." Kim's voice says. RIGHT BEHIND US.

"UGGH!" Aaron and I yelp. We turn to see Kim inches behind us, all shadow-y again. "KIM!!" Aaron exclaims. "Geez, what the heck??"

"It's too dangerous for you to leave." Kim says. "Plus, you're going to take Zane with you." She steps forward and we both step back. "Aren't you??"

"We're going to take everyone." Aaron says. "Lucinda needs our help and we need to get to her fast." He looks at the concrete wall. "But I don't know how to get to her without using this tunnel."

"We have to find a way." I say.

"Tell me Aaron..." Kim says. "Where are Aphmau and Zane?"

"I saw them in the hallway when we came here." I tell Kim. "But if they're not outside, then they must have gone to the main room."

"I see..." Kim says. "Thank you, Violet!"

"No... problem..." I say warily. Kim is acting weird. VERY weird. But her eyes aren't green, so...

"We need to get past this wall, so I'll stay here to figure things out." Aaron says, turning back to the wall.

"I'll help." I say.

"If she's gone, then that's for the better." Kim mutters. "Less competition for my prince..."

"Did you say something?" Aaron asks. YES SHE DID WHY IS SHE BEING SO CREEPY?!?!

Kim giggles. "Not. At. All." She turns and leaves.

"Is she alright?" Aaron wonders aloud. Then he shakes his head. "No. I have to focus on this."

"We both do." I agree.

We both turn to the wall, but then a weird gurgling sound echoes. Aaron looks at his stomach. "Even though I'm starving." Aaron mutters. "Lucinda matters more right now."

"Agreed." We both start banging on the wall at different parts.

But I pray to Irene we never make it through. Lucinda can take care of herself.

But no matter how many people we bring, we'll never be ready to defend ourselves from what's coming.