My hands are shaking as I quietly smooth my robes, then my hair. I hear the click as my door opens and I look up and my heart skips a beat
There they stand, in front of me. Real. Alive. A little battered and very confused, but here. Truly here are three of my closest friends. My family.
It's hard to hold back my smile. It's hard to remain aloof, but I must. I take in the three misfits standing in my office, drinking in details that had started to fade with age.
Magnus. Big. Broad. Standing boldly as he always does. Ready to defend the weak.
Merle. The polar opposite. Short. Stout. His beard as bushy as ever.
Taako. Slender. Beautiful in an otherworldly manner. Dressed as flamboyantly as always.
I clear my throat quietly, hoping that my voice won't shake or break, then I speak the first words I have said to them in many, many years.
"Welcome, the three of you, to the Bureau of Balance."