Epilogue

The halls of Magic School echoed with the footsteps and voices of children. Young witches and other magical beings of all ages roamed the halls in search of their next class. Amid the crowd, Leo made his way toward his classroom. He'd been back teaching for three years now and he couldn't be happier. Piper had been ecstatic when he'd told her the news. Just as Leo reached to open the door a voice called out.

"Grandpa!" Matthew called racing up to his grandfather and hugging him around the legs.

Leo smiled down at his five-year-old grandson. He was also going to enjoy teaching year because his two grandsons were in his class. Life had been difficult the last five years after Kenzie's death. Chris had really stepped up and raised the boys. The rest of the family was of course there to help.

"Hi Dad," twenty-year-old Chris said, arriving a minute after Matt. Jacob was hiding behind his father's legs.

"Jake come on. It's Grandpa. You'll be ok," Chris said, coaxing his younger son out.

"Don't you want to come play with Grandpa, Jake?" Leo asked, bending down to the boy's eye level.

"I don't want to got to school," Jake whined, tears springing to his eyes.

"Me neither," Matt announced suddenly.

"Matt. Five minutes ago you said you couldn't wait," Chris said, exasperated.

"I don't want to go if Jake doesn't," Matthew answered.

"Jake come on, please," Chris begged.

"The kids make fun of me," Jake sniffled.

"They do," Matt agreed.

"Well I'll tell you what," Leo proposed.

"If anyone makes fun of you, come and tell me," Leo finished. Jake meekly nodded his head and Chris handed them both of to his father.

"Have a good day Dad," Chris called.

"You too," Leo replied as he led the boys into the room and to seats. Ten minutes later the rest of the class had filed in and were seated.

"Good morning boys and girls," Leo greeted the class.

"Good morning Mr. Wyatt," the class answered back.

"Today we're going to learn how to summon," Leo began. A child in the third raised her hand.

"Now we all have different ways of summoning things. Can anyone tell me one way?" he asked. Matthew raised his hand.

"Yes Matthew?"

"Orbing," the boy answered confidently.

"Very good. Would you like to show us how?" Leo questioned, pointing to a book on the other side of the room. Matthew blinked and the book disappeared from the desk and reappeared in his hand.

"Great job. What about someone else?" he congratulated his grandson.

A boy in the back row named Robert telekinetically summoned a globe. Kelly, sitting two seats in front of him astral projected, picked up another book and then returned to her body.

"That's great. You guys really know your stuff," Leo complimented the class. By now, everyone but Jacob had had his or her turn. Leo moved towards Jake.

"It's your turn Jacob," Leo said.

"I don't want to," Jake said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Everyone else did. You don't want to try?" Leo probed.

"No."

"You can do it Jake," Matt called to his brother in encouragement. Begrudgingly, Jake held out his hand and the book that resided in his brother's lap black orbed into his hand. The kids around Jake gasped in horror and chairs scratched the floor as they moved away from him.

"That's enough for now. Recess," Leo called, dismissing the children. The children filed out of the room, all except for Matt and Jake. Matt walked over to his brother and hugged him.

"Everyone is scared of me," Jake sniffed.

"They shouldn't be," Matt consoled him.

"I don't want to go to recess," Jake complained.

"You don't have to but you have to stay in here if you don't," Leo instructed.

"Are you going to stay here or go play?" he asked Matt.

"Stay here," he answered. Somehow Leo knew that would be his answer. He walked out of the room but did not go far. He waited a few minutes before peaking back into the room. Jake and Matt were levitating on orbs, a mix of blue and black beneath both of them, facing each other. Jake was actually smiling, emitting a laugh at something Matt said. It broke Leo's heart to see Jake so intractable around anyone other than his brother. Figuring it would be best for the other children not to see their bonding time, five minutes before the rest of the class returned, Leo walked back in.

"Guys, everyone else is going to be coming back soon," he told them. Immediately both boys' feet were back on the floor.

"Do you guys do that a lot?" Leo asked curiously.

"Yes," they answered simultaneously.

"It just feels—" Matt began.

"Safe," Jake finished. Leo gave them a warm smile as the rest of the class filed in.

The rest of the school day passed relatively uneventfully. Several students asked to move their seats to which Leo informed them that they could not. Jake said nothing the rest of class. The twins were the last to be picked up.

"How were they?" Chris asked as the boys gathered their belongings together.

"Matt was outgoing as usual. I had to force Jake to participate this morning. He's having it pretty rough with the other kids," Leo answered.

"I let them stay in from recess and I watched them. They were…bonding it looked like," Leo added.

"Levitating on orbs?" Chris asked. Leo nodded.

"They say it reminds them of before they were born. Kind of creeps me out," Chris admitted.

"It's strange that the orbs are both blue and black under both of them," Leo commented.

"We're ready Daddy," Matt interrupted.

"Ok. We'll see you for dinner Dad," Chris called as the trio orbed out.

Dinner passed with ease that night. Jake and Matt were in Chris and Wyatt's old room playing, or so the adults assumed. They were, as before, levitating on orbs.

"Don't be sad," Matt said, giving his brother a concerned look.

"I wish it was before we were born," Jake muttered.

"Then it was safe…" he trailed off.

"It can be safe here too," Matt countered.

Jake stood on the orbs and Matt mirrored his gesture. They took a step closer and for a moment they embraced and were one again, as it had been before they were two. In that moment, a thought occurred to Jake. He did his best to keep it to himself as they separated. The separation always made him extra sad.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Matt told his brother as their feet touched the floor.

Matt disappeared and Jake faced the floor mirror. He knew it would hurt his brother when it happened but everyone would be happier. He raised his and a bolt of lightning flew from it, colliding with the mirror and reflecting back. It struck the child down instantly. In the bathroom, Matthew began to scream in pain. His eyes wouldn't close but he was seeing a bolt flying at him. It never hit him. Matt knew something was wrong. He rushed back to the bedroom to find his brother, lying on the ground motionless. He couldn't keep the tears away.

"Daddy," he cried shrilly. In a flash of white and blue, Chris was in the room. His knees gave out at the sight.

"No…it can't be happening," Chris sobbed. Disturbed by their grandson's cry, Piper and Leo rushed in as well. Piper hid her face in her husband's shoulder. She couldn't bear to look.

"He wanted to be safe," Matt babbled repeatedly until suddenly Jake's body disappeared in a golden light.