A.N. Back again! I know it's been a while, but I lost my way in the story. I'm moving back into it, but slowly. Any ideas, just let me know!
It was weird, being back home. After spending a month or two away, in a different world, I was changed. I was now essentially a Wizard in my own right; I was powerful, and a completely different person. I may still be insecure and shy, but I had power, something I never had before.
But walking from the mining district back to our farm, everything was the same. Nothing had really changed from how I remembered it. It was dark now, and everyone seemed to be asleep, but everything was as dusty and old as ever, but comforting somehow. I hadn't realized how homesick I had become until I was back. I missed my sister, and the Goddess, as well as the people I had just barely met, like the Witch and Wizard.
My first indication that something was different was when I could finally see our house.
Yes, it was still in the same place, and it looked exactly the same as always, but… It wasn't pink. Instead, it was yellow, and as I got closer, the door was green. Everything was the same; all the crops were the right ones that mom would plant for the season, and I could sense all of the animals in the barns, but… They weren't treated like ours were. No, these animals had never been touched by magic such as mine. But, somehow, I knew they were the same animals. Something was definitely weird.
Walking over to the door, I pulled out my key from my pocket where I'd kept it the two months I was gone. It slid into the lock and turned smoothly, and I heard the lock click open. Mom always made sure the door was locked at around 8; if we didn't have our key with us, and we got left outside, we'd have to knock and wake her up.
Inside, it was dark. I couldn't see anything, but I was tired, and made my way through the familiarity with ease, to the door at the foot of the bed; mom was always a light sleeper, and I'd mastered the act of moving with silence from many nights spent late at the Goddess Spring.
In our room, I moved over to my bed, which was empty, like I expected, and I fell into it, and slipped into a long needed sleep. Faith, once again a small flying ball of pink light, settled on the pillow next to me.
"Mark! Wake up! I think someone's in my bed!" I heard a harsh whisper, and woke up. It felt like it had only been a few hours since I'd fallen asleep, but now I was wide awake. I opened my eyes to see a blue-haired girl leaning over Emily's bed and shaking a young blue-haired boy awake.
"Sasha! Go away! I'm tired." He mumbled, sleepily, and she shook him a bit harder. I sat up, a bit startled.
"Who are you guys?" I asked, quietly. The girl, Sasha, froze, and Mark sat up, suddenly more awake than before.
"That's a good question, coming from the boy who broke into our house at night. How about you answer that first?" The boy asked, looking at me with his bright blue eyes. The girl had the same eyes, and they reminded me of someone, I just couldn't place it…
"You're… You're…! But that's impossible… You aren't children of the Goddess, are you?' I asked, suddenly able to place the eyes. I had seen them so many times before, from that soft face, easing my anxiety and helping me to come to terms with who I was.
"H...How did you know that?" Sasha asked, and I shook my head, shocked.
"Because I've spent more time at the Springs than I care to admit. And because I'm the son of the Harvest God." I said, quietly. Sasha looked at me intently, and Mark just nodded, as if that was okay.
"You definitely look the way dad's described him, but… Who's your mother?" She asked, and I felt myself swell with pride.
"My mother is Molly, the Hero of Castanet!" I said, feeling very proud of myself. Sasha looked at me weird for a moment, and then she shook her head.
"That's impossible; our dad is Kasey, the Hero of Castanet." She said. At that point, Faith got up with a yawn, and looked around, then fluttered up onto my shoulder.
"You're both right. Luca, it seems that the Goddess from Forget-Me-Not Valley sent us to the right place, but at the same time, the wrong one. See, each world has many different variations of the same place. In this one, your mother was a man, and he married the Harvest Goddess. In another, your mother looked entirely different, and married, say, Toby. In each case, the person who is filling the role of your mother is still the Hero, but the way they got there, and even the person they married, is different. Now, can we all get to sleep and talk about it in the morning? I mean, for the sake of the God, you guys are technically related. Or, well, Sasha and Luca are both the same person, anyways." She said, and Sasha nodded.
"Sure, but I want my bed back. You can sleep upstairs, on the couch. There should be some extra blankets in the-" She started, but I cut her off.
"Cabinet next to it?" I asked, and she looked surprised. "It's the same place my mother keeps it." I supplied, and she nodded.
"Come on, Faith, let's go up and get some sleep." I said, and we headed up the stairs. I made up the couch, and fell right back to sleep.