Spoilers for the story: Wizard's real name.
Chapter 1
"The... end."
With that Gale closed the book he'd been reading and looked down at Evelynn, the couple's youngest child, sleeping in the crook of his arm. Orion, the oldest, was beginning to doze off on Gale's chest, half in his lap, with his legs laid over his father's. Gale carefully leaned his arm over to place the book on the edge of the chair and gently nudged his son. Orion stared up sleepily and nodded, understanding Gale's look. Hikari looked up from her ledger at the dining table and watched Orion slide out of the chair and begin to stumble towards the children's shared bedroom. He paused briefly to turn towards his mother and rubbed his eyes as Hikari hugged him tightly and bid him good night. Gale turned his attention towards Evelynn and as he stood, carefully lifted her up with both arms. She cuddled her head against his chest and Gale stopped momentarily to let Hikari give her a light kiss on the head.
"See you in a minute," Hikari whispered, and turned to close her ledger, beginning to prepare for bed herself.
Gale walked into the dark bedroom and laid Evelynn on her bed, pulled the covers back and tucked them around her gently. He looked over at Orion who stared back at him with half-closed eyes.
"G'night," he mumbled, and pulled the covers up to his chin. The Wizard stared for a moment. Orion seemed more willing to sleep than usual
"Good night," he spoke softly so as not to wake Evelynn and stood up.
He started for the door, but barely made it more than a few steps before he heard a whimper. He looked back at Evelynn, eyes open and watery, reaching for him.
"Dad." Orion gestured towards the paper lantern resting on the nightstand.
Gale nodded and walked back to the table and held his hand half-closed, his fingers curled, and a small light formed and floated down into the lantern. The now dimly lit room seemed to have calmed Evelynn's tears, but her arms remained open.
"Papa," she whined, her voice shaking.
Her father sat back down on the bed and spoke in an understanding voice, "Evelynn... it's late."
"Mmm, but I don't wanna sleep." She grabbed the side of his pants tightly.
"Why? What's—"
"She's scared on the monsters," Orion interjected in a grumpy voice. "It's been this way for three nights." He rolled over.
That explained the willingness to sleep earlier. Gale turned his attention back to his daughter.
"Hmm, well... I don't sense anything. Everything is fine. Your mother and I"—He pointed towards the door—"are right in the other room."
She nodded at her father, but appeared unconvinced. Gale honestly felt nothing in the room, or around the house for that matter. He chalked it up to a child's imagination. The Wizard leaned over and kissed her forehead, smoothing her hair off her face as he did so.
"Everything will be fine," he whispered, and she smiled sweetly in return.
"I love you... Papa." She yawned, blinking slowly.
Gale slid his palm to her forehead, and with a warm, faint light she was asleep.
"Dad..." Orion had rolled back over during the interaction. "Do you think I will ever be able to do that?"
He had shown some inherent ability since birth, knocking objects off the walls during his tantrums or levitating small objects. As he grew older Gale had tried to help him focus to do simple spells, and he was improving, but could still only accomplish the basics. Hikari had been concerned he might hurt himself, but all his accidental bursts of energy seemed to rebound off him and set something else on fire. Luckily, no one else had been harmed in these rare events, but consequently Orion tried much harder to keep a calm demeanor at all times.
"...Dad?"
Gale came back from his memories and looked at Orion, who was anxiously awaiting his answer.
"With practice... perhaps," he responded truthfully, and Orion grinned and nodded.
"Time for sleep." Gale moved to his son's bed and bent over. His palm pressed gently against the quiet child's forehead, and Orion kept his smile a few moments even after he drifted off.
Orion was always interested in watching his father perform any kind of magic, while Evelynn was only interested in the flashier spells. His daughter seemed to have taken after her mother and didn't appear to posses any magical abilities, or at least that's what Hikari believed. Gale, however, was not convinced that she was without the talent.
He began walking towards the door again, but left it cracked. He didn't think Evelynn would wake, but wanted to keep watch over her periodically throughout the night.
Hikari cocked her head at him as he entered the room. "Everything okay? That took longer than I would have thought." She was already sitting in bed, lights off in the room except for one they had placed on the table next to their bed.
"Evelynn was afraid of... monsters." He started getting dressed for bed, rubbing the side of his head as he did so.
"Monsters?" Hikari smiled. "She's at that age, we seemed to have missed it with Orion, but Evelynn is our more sensitive child."
Her husband nodded in agreement as he climbed over her carefully. After he finally settled himself he stared at the ceiling for a moment. It had been a very long day, but he knew the question Hikari was about to ask. Her anxiety was radiating throughout his being.
"Gale... Why did you make Orion stay home today? You've never had a problem with him playing with Jin and Anissa's son." She seemed apprehensive to even ask, but her erratic heartbeat betrayed her calm voice.
The vibrations shook Gale's body and he closed his eyes in an attempt to subdue the sensations they shared between them. Once Hikari had been entrusted with his name, a bond had formed—both mental and physical. Although he was susceptible to her every emotion and corporeal need, after years of a peaceful routine it had been quite a long time since their connection had been anything more than white noise in the back of his mind.
"I just had... a feeling." He had tried to ignore the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach all day, but Gale knew after so many years how dangerous that could be.
"I see... Is it still there? Did you see something? Did it have to do with the kids?" Her expression change to worry, and his chest tightened in response.
The exhausted father thought about how to best phrase his answer. "I am not sure."
"To what?"
His wife was much faster with her questions than he was able to compose his answers.
"Any I suppose... I can still feel something. As for the children... again, I am not sure. I won't keep them tomorrow." Gale knew he couldn't contain them to the farm forever, and he had decided to see what he could do about this feeling in the morning.
"Well, if you didn't see anything maybe one of the kids is just getting sick soon," she said, trying to calm herself down.
"...Maybe." He wasn't going to lie to her, and he knew the feeling seemed too strong to be about a mere cold.
"What can we do?" She frowned, pulling the covers up higher over her.
"I plan to go to my old home... Early tomorrow morning should be fine." He had hoped to be ready before she even awoke. It felt strange to be on a more regular schedule after centuries of erratic sleep, but after getting married and having the children, it became a necessity. It had helped when they were shouldering the burden of exhaustion together, and he was forced to adjust his schedule to match Hikari's.
"That makes me feel better then." She smiled and wiggled into his arms.
Whatever Gale had said had eased her concerns well enough, but he didn't feel as confident. Hikari seemed to always view him as an untouchable being, but he was not without faults. It had been centuries since he had used his magic in any form of combat, and besides the occasional spell, Gale was out of practice. Research and documenting had been what he had focused on, and he was now beginning to regret that. Did he even remember the stronger, more destructive spells? He decided he would have to look into that in the morning.
"Gale?" Hikari touched her husband's cheek.
"Sorry... Just planning for tomorrow." He took her hand and moved it down, pulling her close against him.
"I believe in you. I know you can figure this out. You"—a yawn—"always do." She pressed her head under his chin while she situated herself against him. "I love you..."
He could barely make out her words, and knew she was almost asleep.
"And I you, Hikari."
"Papa, Papa, Papa!" Gale suddenly felt something heavy land on his side and a tug on his braid. He regretted that he had forgotten to take that down.
"Good morning, Evelynn." He rolled over and locked his arms around her, holding her in place as her tiny hands slid off his hair with one last painful tug.
She giggled and tried to struggle out of her father's arms. "Nooooo!"
Hikari leaned over. "You woke up Daddy, and you know what that means..." Her hands went to Evelynn's sides and began tickling her.
Gale smiled seeing Evelynn much happier than last night, although her kicking legs were beginning to hurt somewhat.
"Ok, ok, let's let Daddy get up." Hikari picked her daughter up and spun in a circle.
He rubbed the back of his head and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Even though he had spent the past few years adjusting his schedule, he was still not, nor would he ever be, a morning person. But then Gale smelled it...
Coffee.
Maybe it was a good thing he hadn't gotten up before Hikari; he hardly knew how to work her coffee machine.
"Orion is almost ready for the day too. I think he wants to see Van today." Hikari had put Evelynn down at the table where breakfast was waiting.
"It's fine. Thank you..." He took the mug off the table next to him.
"Of course. It only takes me a minute." She smiled and leaned her face towards him.
Their lips briefly before Orion came in the room. He was also was not a morning person, a trait he easily took after his father. He came over to the bed as Hikari turned to help Evelynn get settled with her meal.
"Dad, is it ok to see Van today? I didn't know if you still..." He trailed off.
Gale had mentioned to him yesterday that he didn't think it was a good idea, and Orion understood his father's vague answer. He was certainly more perceptive than most of the children his age, but Gale believed that was why Orion and the doctor's son were close. Van seemed to be more of a match to Orion's serious personality than the other children in town.
"Yes... Sorry for yesterday. You needn't stay home... today." Gale added the last part and took another drink, watching his son cheer up slightly.
"Thanks, and by the way... Evelynn didn't wake up last night. I don't know what she meant by monsters, but it wasn't monsters in the room." He looked off, trying to remember something.
"Not... in the room?" This was concerning.
"No, she said she saw them outside. That's impossible... right? I mean the windows are closed and the curtains are drawn... I think she was just getting confused by the wind and shadows. Plus, you didn't sense anything... so..." He seemed satisfied with his own conclusion, but Gale was more confused than before.
"Alright Orion, breakfast then you can go to Van's house." Hikari came over and ushered him towards the table.
No. No that couldn't be possible though. He had placed protective spells on the house, and even the animals' housing. Gale would have surely known if there was another presence. He could detect the villagers before they set foot on the property. Plus, the only troubles the town had seen were those of the bells. It was very uneventful, which was one of the reasons he had chosen to make a home here. Regardless, he decided he would have to look into this.
"Papa, come eat with us!" Evelynn turned and moved her head around the side of the chair.
Gale nodded and stood up, feeling slightly wobbly, but managed to make it to his chair next to Hikari. It was interesting to watch their children and observe the differences they displayed. Orion was mature beyond his age, choosing to study over farm work of any kind, but he still wouldn't turn down his mother's request for help. Evelynn, however, was attached to her mother and was always following Hikari around the farm. Evelynn was extremely emotional and had a very creative imagination, thinking abstractly in ways Gale had never encountered with children. Not that he had any real experience before the two had been born, but he could tell from watching the other children that she was different. Orion had a very linear mind and would always formulate plans before following through with any project or action. He often kept his sister out of trouble when the two were wandering around the village and fields.
"What are you going to do today, Papa?" Evelynn sat staring at Gale with large eyes, waiting for an answer before taking a bite of her toast.
"Research." He took another sip. "Trying to find some old books." He could already see her pouting face begin to form.
"But... can't you play outside with me and Mama?" She put her toast down and her shoulders slumped.
He gave a small smile. "This is very important."
"Evelynn, Daddy will be home by lunch, right?" Hikari turned her head to look his way.
This was an uncomfortable situation.
"I will do my best." He didn't want to be dishonest, but he couldn't be certain. Gale watched tears begin to fill her eyes.
"But—"
"Evelynn, come on." Orion looked at her now. "Dad is going to come home, don't be so whiny!" He had little to no patience in the morning.
"Orion... Don't raise your voice at your sister." Hikari gave him a stern look.
"Sorry," he apologized and looked down before taking a small bite of toast.
Evelynn didn't say anything more, just continued to look distraught. The Wizard knew he couldn't leave the house with everyone in this poor mood.
"How about, when I come back—after lunch—we go for a walk somewhere? We can... play then." Hopefully this compromise would work.
She got on her knees in the seat and beamed. "Promise?"
"Yes." He nodded and smiled. "Now... sit properly or you will fall."
"Ok, finish breakfast you two." Hikari started gathering the empty dishes from the table.
During the brief quiet Gale ate his meal and then began helping Hikari with the dishes. Everything about the morning seemed fairly typical, but the knot was still there. How did this feel so familiar and foreign at once? Had this happened once before?
The children started getting their things to go outside, and Gale watched Evelynn come out of their room on the back of Orion's Pyrenees, Kronos. When his son had picked the name it had taken him some time before he decided that was the one he preferred. Gale had thought it was an interesting name to choose.
"Let's go, Kronos!" Evelynn pointed in the direction she wanted him to walk.
Orion walked out of the room with his backpack. "Be careful with him, Lynn! You can't do that when you get bigger, you're going to hurt him."
"I know, that's why I'll do it now!" She hugged Kronos' neck and he barked.
"Come on, we need to clean up the room before we go." He set his bag by the door and walked back to their room.
Evelynn motioned for Kronos to go towards the bedroom and the couple soon heard toys and books being moved around. Hikari dried her hands and moved to the front door, her husband following behind her, enjoying the brief moment they had.
"I am sure this is nothing, Gale. It might not have anything to do with us," she spoke quietly and took his hand, squeezing it gently.
He heard the noises from the children's room grow louder and Evelynn begin to giggle.
"I know, but it's better to be careful. It shouldn't take too long." He rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb, and then heard Orion yell for Evelynn to stop.
Suddenly, Gale saw a small object hurtling towards Hikari and shot his hand up instinctively, stopping the newly identified toy, and letting it hover for a moment. Evelynn and Orion peeked around the door with worried looks on their faces. He extended his hand out and the toy fell into it.
He gave the two of them a disapproving look. "That could have hit your mother." He was not pleased.
"S-Sorry... Evelynn was trying to clean and—"
"No! You tried to pull it out of my hand!" Evelynn stepped out of the door and glared at him, hands now on her hips.
"Enough," Gale spoke calmly, but they understood his tone.
"Sorry," The said it softly and in unison.
"Alright, that's enough chaos for one Tuesday morning." Hikari sighed and walked towards the children. "Orion, Evelynn, finish tidying your room, quietly." She had a small smile and made a turning motion with her finger.
Gale paused for a moment and looked at the toy; this could be an interesting exercise for Orion.
"Orion." He lazily extended his arm more, the toy still resting in his palm. "Concentrate... bring this to you."
His son's eyes grew wide for a moment, and then he turned towards Gale, focusing. Evelynn looked up curiously from the floor in the other room, while Hikari leaned against the table smiling—even Kronos was watching.
The Wizard had a confident look. "This is easy... You can do this." He kept perfectly still, and he felt the slightest movement in his hand.
The toy lifted an inch or so, then fell, followed by a frustrated sigh from Orion. Gale gave him a moment to relax as he knew Orion understood that he had to remain calm into order to focus his energy. The determined boy stared intently at the item while trying to steady his breathing. Gale could feel the toy lifting up slowly. Orion stretched out his arm and never blinked as the toy floated, although somewhat unstably, towards him. It landed in his hand and almost slipped, but he managed to keep his grip and a grin spread across his face.
"Good job." Gale walked over and placed a hand on his head. "That's the farthest distance you have achieved, and with the heaviest object."
Hikari walked over and crouched down. "I am so proud of you!" She hugged him from the side, and Evelynn came up behind her and hugged Hikari from behind.
"That was so cool, Orion!" She leaned back and forth still holding her mother, causing the three of them to sway. Kronos barked a moment later, seeming to agree.
"R-Really?" Orion's face grew slightly red. "Thanks..." He looked at the toy and looked up at his father. Gale knew exactly the question he would ask.
"Yes, we can practice tonight... after dinner." The Wizard nodded and moved his hand off Orion's head.
His mother and sister let go, and Orion smiled at them while walking to shared bedroom, appearing very pleased with his accomplishment. Evelynn followed and the two came back out moments later.
"Have a good day with Van, and tell Anissa and Jin we say 'hello' for us." She knelt down and hugged him tightly. "I love you."
"I will, and I love you too, Mom." He hugged her back, but pulled back faster than Hikari probably wanted.
"Be safe... Have fun today." Gale stood next to his wife as Orion grabbed his bag again.
"Don't forget, Dad! Tonight!" He opened the door with another huge grin.
"I won't." He felt Hikari slide her fingers between his.
The boy quickly turned and left while Evelynn was petting Kronos, talking to him about how 'cool' her big brother was. The dog seemed to understand and rested his oversized head in Evelynn's hand. A small 'woof' escaped, and his tail thumped against the ground.
Suddenly, Gale felt a presence and walked towards the door, his hand slipping away from his wife. He had been enjoying the peace, but knew that was, as usual, short-lived. The man slowly opened the door to see Finn fly inside the house.
"Hikari! Evelynn!" He was bursting with energy as usual.
"Finn!" Evelynn bounded towards him and he flew around her in quick circles.
"What are we doing today?" He rested on top of Evelynn's head and began playing with her hair.
Evelynn looked up with a wide smile. "We're helping Mama with the animals, then eating lunch, then playing with Papa!"
Moments later, Gale could see Finn's expression change as he realized the Wizard was present in the room. "Oh, hello Wizard!" He practically flew into his face. "Are you going somewhere today?"
Gale leaned back to create some distance and nodded slightly. "Yes, I have to look some things up."
"Wow, that sounds... kind of fun! Too bad you'll miss playing with us this morning!" He flew back to Evelynn and floated upside down on her head.
"Well, let's go you two! Meet me outside, and Evelynn you can go ahead and brush the animals," Hikari instructed before gently patting the back of Kronos to make him walk outside.
As Evelynn rode Kronos out the door Finn hung back a moment. "Hey Wizard, it's nice to hear you talking more." He had a big smile as his hat slid sideways. "You were so boring and quiet before!"
Gale knew it was an innocent remark, but he couldn't argue that he'd had... difficulty conversing before he met Hikari, sometimes going days or months without saying a single word. When they'd had the children, he was essentially forced to communicate. However, in the morning, his mind still had trouble processing.
"Finn, go keep an eye on Evelynn for me. I'll be out there in a minute." Hikari shooed him outside, ignoring the comment as Gale had. She shut the door quickly before walking back over to him.
The mother rubbed her temples as she laid her head against her husband's shoulder. "Silence is wonderful."
Gale smiled and held her loosely around her waist. "I valued it... for a very long time... I am glad I have you and the children now. It was lonely." He pressed his lips against the top of her head. "However, I'd have lived infinitely more centuries if it meant I still would have had the chance to meet you."
Hikari held him back. "I love you too." She moved slightly and laid her head against his chest. "It's nice to have a moment with you. I feel like we've barely had any time to ourselves recently."
He moved his head off hers and pondered for a moment. "Perhaps we can try going on a... date... one night soon."
She giggled hearing him say the word "date" and looked up grinning. "Yes, I think I would very much like to go on a date with you."
He slowly released her, kissing her briefly. "Then we'll arrange a time soon. I do need to get dressed. It's later than I would have liked."
Her face formed a pout. "Fine, I guess you can go." She quickly replaced it with a mischievous smile.
His wife started to turn, but an overwhelming wave of anxiety suddenly washed over him. He grabbed her arm to stop her, and Hikari looked back at him with a puzzled expression. Even Gale wasn't certain why he had stopped her, but he pulled her swiftly and firmly against him.
"I-I... I'm sorry..." He still didn't release her. "I just... I felt..."
What was going on? He'd only felt this way one time, and that had been when they had first starting dating. It was infinitely more intense now. Their connection to one another was overloading his senses between her concern and his instinct to protect her. How had something so natural become a jumbled mess in a single day?
He quickly decided that it didn't matter why. The Wizard predicted if he let her leave, he wouldn't see her again.
"Gale?" Hikari held him back, and he felt her worry surrounding about his sudden shift in behavior. "What's going—"
"I love you," he blurted out the words before he'd realized.
"I love you too... What's gotten into you?" She looked up and stared into his eyes.
Something was amiss, but without tangible proof he couldn't simply lock his family away. What was capable of coming between what had once been an indomitable connection?
"Sorry, just... some feelings...I don't mean to worry you." He watched her studying his face and closed his eyes, feeling like she searching through his mind. He loosened his grip on her but didn't release her.
Hikari raised a hand and moved his bangs away from his left eye, pressing her fingertips against the pale mark under it. Gale felt his anxiety calm down and he reached up, holding her hand as he opened his eyes.
"We can figure this, we're a team." Hikari reassured him, "We saved this town together! Whatever this problem is that you are worried about, we can totally handle it." She became her old bubbly self for a moment and Gale smiled. She'd matured a lot after the children, but she sometimes let her younger personality show. Also, the lightheartedness emanating from his wife allowed him a moment of reprieve from the apprehension. He'd be lying if he said this wasn't reminiscent of when they'd first bonded together—a mixture of bewilderment, elation and slight trepidation.
He moved her fingertips to his lips and spoke, "Thank you."
Hikari shuddered and giggled. "You always comfort me, I need to pull my weight every now and then."
"Also, it was you who saved everyone. Including me." Gale continued to stare at her intently and Hikari felt her face grow warm, she knew what he meant.
"Ah... well... we worked together." She felt silly, after all these years he still made her feel flustered.
Gale knew it was better than to have this conversation with her, no matter how he explained it Hikari always argued that they had saved the town together. He finally let go of her and gave her hand one final squeeze.
"Well, I better go check on Evelynn and Finn. Hopefully the crops and animals are all in one piece." She laughed nervously.
His wife gave him a final kiss on the cheek, a small wave, and reluctantly opened the door, leaving him alone in the house. Their heartbeats were synched, their every breath matched, but the invading dread was clouding his judgment. What wicked force could be pulling the two apart?
After hastily getting ready, Gale walked to meet Evelynn and Hikari outside, watching Evelynn as she chased one of the ducks near the coop. She noticed him and ran over to hug his leg while the duck took the moment to escape.
"Bye Papa. I will miss you!" She jumped repeatedly as she spoke.
He broke free of her grasp and knelt down to her level. "Behave for your mother... I will be home soon." He kissed her forehead and stood back up.
Hikari waved from the barn, trying to shear one of the sheep. No doubt she was trying to do that while Evelynn was occupied so Gale didn't interrupt. He began heading in the direction of town going over which books he might need to look through.
For the first time in years, the Wizard was frightened.
He walked down the path and could see the town was only a few minutes away. The man felt overwhelmed with the different methods he knew to try, but Gale had never tried to peer into the future with no direction. There was no connection to a person's mind, no item to read, no memory to look into, no spirit to search for and no real idea to formulate the vaguest image of what he was trying to find. The Wizard could hardly call on the spirits and simply ask 'why'.
He stepped across the bridge and barely registered Perry wave at him from his shop. Gale gave a nod and continued on to his old home. He didn't have time to stop and converse or help anyone with a pressing question. The only explanation he had for a feeling this strong was that it had to do with Hikari or the children. He wasn't sure what he would do if something was wrong with them. Hikari put so much faith in his knowledge, but he was not a person who studied other people, just various practices, most of which barely involved humans. His only real tie to the people he interacted with was his ability to see parts of their future. If anything that made them distance themselves more from him, people weren't keen on letting someone they knew personally delve into their minds. It was sort of like getting an outside opinion without judgment, or at least judgment that didn't bother them.
He arrived at his door and held his hand in front of the handle, hearing the lock click. A simple spell seemed to be the most effective way to protect his belongings while he stayed with Hikari and the children. Gale couldn't exactly bring a mountain of books to their home, and certainly not a massive telescope.
A thin layer of dust covered most of the surfaces in the house and Gale quickly made his way to the bookshelves. He tried to keep things as organized as possible, but over the centuries he still hadn't found a tried and true method. Hikari had stated there was an order to his chaos, but some days he wasn't so sure of that. Plus, it wasn't like he could alphabetize the many books he had.
Gale knew it would take some time to decipher what he needed from the seemingly endless shelves, and he began motioning his hand towards the top shelf. Carefully, the books pulled away from their places and hovered down, formed a line, and slowly moved past him as he read each binding. He frowned and hoped he would be done by lunch.
"I can't believe this. " He had moved to his desk, head in his hands.
Three hours and he had found two books, both of which explained that he needed something to channel the image, which was impossible because he hadn't the slightest clue what to look for.
Suddenly it dawned on him.
He had one book that could have the answer.
It was something he hadn't opened in such a long time he wondered if the pages would simply fall to pieces when he picked it up. He shifted in his seat and stared at the bottom drawer. His Master's journal may have a passage explaining how to focus this confusion.
As he reached down to pull the handle, he stopped short, feeling as though something had sucked all the air from his lungs. Suddenly, his stomach felt as though someone had struck a blow to it, and his head felt like it was being torn apart. Gale grabbed the side of the desk tightly and tried to stay in his seat. It was hard to even keep his vision steady as the room tilted and began to darken.
The breaths felt shallow.
The heartbeat quieted.
Something terrible had happened.
Authors Note: Eventually you'll be able to simply select "Memory: (whatever it's named)" in the chapter selection menu and skip straight to fluffy, adorable sweetness. If you want to follow their story, hooray! Buuuuut if you're here for adorableness, you have options too. There is little to nothing the story will lose by skipping those chapters, and the memories can be seen as one-shots, I guess.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the story!
