For the second time, I opened my eyes to unfamiliar surroundings. I was in a room, surrounded by my own belongings, but it was a room I had never been in before. My clothes were on the floor around the large bed I was in and I crawled out and pulled on a pair of jeans and some band t-shirt.
This was incredibly strange. Maybe in this new universe, I have this room, but why couldn’t I get it new? Like before my clothes were dirtied and thrown on the floor, as I am known to do.
There was a pounding on my door, “Sebastian, get out of bed! Breakfast is ready and you don’t want to be late for school!”
I froze, “Mom?”
I ran over to the door and pulled it open to see my mother walked down a staircase at the end of a hallway. The hallway was lined with pictures, but I didn’t look at them as I hurried after my mother.
The bottom of the stairs led into the kitchen my mother smiled at me as she placed a plate on the kitchen table, “Belgium waffles, your favorite. I’ve got some blueberry pie topping in the pantry if you want it.”
I couldn’t help it; I ran over to my mom and wrapped my arms around her middle, burying my face in her shoulder.
She let out a surprised squawk and tensed before chuckling and wrapping her arms around me, “You ok, baby?”
“I had a bad dream,” I whispered, “I was cut open and the entire world died.”
She tsked, “No more of those weird horror films for you. Go get your brother before his waffles get cold.
I froze as my mother pulled away from me to get a jug of apple juice out of the fridge. I don’t have a brother. I’ve always been an only child.
“Yay, waffles!”
I turned and gaped, “Mink?!”
He smirked and sat down, “I love when Mom makes us waffles.”
She put a can of blueberry pie topping with a spoon sticking out of it on the table and Mink promptly grabbed it and liberally dumped it on top of his waffles.
“Leave some for Sebastian, Mackenzie,” she sighed, “You boys with your weird colored hair and your nicknames.”
He shrugged, “I like my blue hair and my silly nickname, Mom. And Seba likes his green streaks, right?”
I nodded, “Yep. Pass me the blueberries.”
“What time is Gavin coming to get you boys for school?” Mom asked. I gave Mink a questioning look.
“We’ve got twenty minutes,” he said, ignoring my look.
Mom sighed and left the kitchen. Mink turned to me, “Why do you keep looking at me weird?”
“Why are you normal sized?” I asked, “And where are you wings? And what about Gavin? Why is Mom alive? Where are we? What the hell is going on, Mink?”
He gaped at me, “Seb, are you ok? You aren’t making any sense.”
What the hell? Is he serious? Did he… did he not remember what had happened? The stabbing and the fighting and the magic and the dying? It was like he’d just forgotten and somehow… somehow he became my brother. Maybe I should just quit complaining. When I was in Heaven or whatever, I had missed Mink a lot and now… now he’s my brother. And that’s kind of awesome.
I finished my waffles and hurried back up to my room, looking at the pictures lining the walls of the hallway as I made my way. There we were, my happy little family: Mom, Dad, me, and Mink.
I changed my clothes; well actually, I put on fresh boxers, a new shirt, and the same jeans. I brushed my teeth and grabbed my backpack, wondering what school I went to and what classes I was taking as I heard a car honking and followed Mink as we ran out to a beaten up Ford Escort driven by Gavin with jet black hair and several facial piercings.
Mink immediately got in the front seat and proceeded to try to suck Gavin’s lip ring off while I got in the back seat and we drove off. The Mars Volta blared from his car speakers, which sounded like they were worth more than the car itself, as we drove through a nice town, obviously upper class as my parents preferred, but for once I didn’t care.
We got to school, tons of kids piling into the parking lot in cars of all makes and models and price ranges. We got out and entered the school, people talking to Gavin and Mink while I hung back and looked around.
We got to the place that Tink and Riki were sitting at. Tink happily ran over to Mink and started talking about something, not caring that he was hanging on Gavin’s arm.
Then a hand was on my shoulder.
I turned and there was Daerin looking down at me. He grinned and motioned with his head. I followed him as he led me into an empty classroom.
“How are you taking it?” he asked.
“Taking what?”
He grinned, “How are you taking the new life Iehova has given us?”
I had to keep from sobbing, “You remember?”
He nodded, “I… I was the Guardian.” I gaped as he continued, “I was the one that was supposed to protect you and make sure the ritual never took place, but we were too late and we couldn’t save you… Then I met with Daiven and Iehova and they sent me back here to watch over you.”
I sighed, “How did all of this happen? One minute I was talking to Iehova and the next…”
“He is very powerful,” Daerin said with a smile, “Mo’kurei won, but Iehova was able to instantly undo the damage she inflicted. Now we can all be together and happy.”
“Happy?” I murmured.
Then he leaned down and pressed a kiss to my lips before grinning, “Yeah, happy.”
I couldn’t help it.
I smiled.
THE END!!