After a Thousand Years
Mindy Effect

"Why does hearing that bother me?" Bernard thought to himself. Absentmindedly he reached up to rub his ear, the memory of Mindy's friend yelling in his good ear still there. He plucked an earbud up and placed it in his ear. "Does this have to do with why they both left? Him first, then her." He reached out and took a cookie, eating it as he tried to forget what he was musing about, yet he couldn't stop musing. "I thought she left because I upset her. I didn't do something I shouldn't have?"

Eventually, a couple of weeks later, he felt the fiery presence of one of the elves in question. Bernard felt his mouth twist into a smile. "Egan Aegnor?" And then there was silence. Bernard frowned, wondering what he'd said wrong. Letting out a sigh, his smile faltering. "Did I get it wrong?

Then came the scrapping of a chair to his side, and he heard the familiar musical voice from his side. "So, yeah. Not the only one here."

"Oh," Bernard said. His head tilted. "Who else? I recognized you because your fire magic is so easily identifiable, so Quinten?"

He felt the pillow plucked from behind his head and heard the chair scraping to his right as Egan stood up. "Hold on! He's still trying to heal, Pats!"

Then came the light thump on his head with the pillow, his eyes blinking a couple of times under the bandages. He took a deep breath, wishing he could smell the flowers set up in the room, as their blooming would indicate the draining of magic that was overloading his system. But more importantly.

"Really?" he heard Patty say. "Are you trying to pull my leg by not guessing, letting me know you know I'm here, or did you really think I wouldn't pay you a visit?"

Bernard swallowed, the strange feeling setting in again as his fingers twisted into the sheets before saying, "The latter."

He heard Quinten let out a groan right before saying, "Why me?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because of you and Aegnor. Aren't the two of you? And didn't I get in the way of that?" He felt the pillow thump down on his head. Bernard frowned. "Or am I right that I did something to upset you right before you left? Or both? Was that what upset you…."

"I don't know why I bother!" she said before turning and leaving.

"Dude," Egan said. "On top of the fact you can call us by our first names, Patty and I aren't together."

"No. Are you sure?" Bernard frowned, his fingers tightening.

Egan sighed. "Well, it's obvious that the thought of the two of us getting together is bothering you. Do you know why?"

Bernard frowned. "Because you didn't tell me?"

"Uh, because you like her. She's your one," Egan said.

"No. She's yours. Isn't she?" Bernard said.

"No. Why would," Egan started saying before sighing and shaking his head. "Why? Why do you think that?"

"Mindy. Mindy said so."

"And your little sister is an expert on this, like, when?"

"She likely knows more about it than me," Bernard responded.

To which Quinten let out a grown. "Bernard. Really? She's younger than you, but even I can see it."

"No. I mean," Bernard let out a sigh. "I'm not that lucky." His head tilted. "I think what I'm feeling is jealousy."

The next thing he knew, someone was tickling him, but who became evident when Quinten hissed out, "Stop! He's supposed to be recovering, Egan! You know better."

"Yeah, yeah," Egan sighed, pulling away. "At least he's finally admitting it, though."

"Admitting what?"

"That you like Patty, and she's your one."

Bernard frowned. "I didn't."

"You admitted to being jealous."

"Of the fact you've been able to find your one."

Bernard felt his pointed ear grab and pulled as Egan moved closer, who said, "Look. I'll smooth things over with Patty. Just admit that you like her already." He pulled away, but before he left, he said. "And your sister's stupid."

"So," Quinten said. "It might take a while for him to get back with her on your little oops here because they're ramping up the Christmas Elf studies."

"Yeah. My aunt said Mindy's slated to graduate, which will mean she'll be joining us come January when the Christmas Elves return."

"And I'll be coming back."

"You're done with your studies?"

"I'm done learning they've got nothing on me," Quinten laughed. "Seriously, though. How are you taking to the idea of Mindy being there at the North Pole."

"I told my aunt that I'm the head elf."

"Well, that's a start," Quinten said. "Not long till Christmas."

"It's a ways away."

"Bernard, it's a ways away from you healing and going back," Quinten said. He took a deep breath. "You may not be able to return for the Christmas season."

"That," Bernard started saying, yet he didn't want to admit that the thought of a Christmas not working at the North Pole was terrifying. "Plus, if things go well without me, doesn't that mean I'm not needed anymore?"

It was a depressing thought, yet it stuck with him in the back of his head. There were more visits from Mindy, sparse, typically with their aunt, but never with her friends, not to mention she remained silent while he remained bored.

Patty also didn't come back, never with Egan or Quinten, or if she did come, he didn't notice, although he started to become familiar with the feel of Quinten's magic again. And then the bandage came off. He could hear in a way from his left ear, fuzzy as it was, but his eyesight.

"Still blurry?"

"Unfortunately."

"So, I guess you'll need someone to read the mail for you?" Quinten asked, having come a few days. "There's a letter from Santa and Mrs. Clause. You wrote to me about her, and she sounds nice."

"Yeah. They likely found my replacement," Bernard said.

"Hey! Don't talk like that."

"I was joking," he said to the younger elf.

"It doesn't feel like your joking. It sounds like you're depressed, but then they've been suppressing your magic, your Christmas magic, for the past month or so," and then silence.

"Hey. What's going on?" Bernard asked.

Quinten let out a sigh. "Mrs. Clause is going to be having a baby."

"Oh," Bernard swallowed. "When?"

"Christmas."

He took a deep breath. "And what else?"

"They'll manage if you're not back by then and want you to focus on getting better. Of course, you can read the letter as a whole," Quinten stopped, then said. "And don't you tell me that maybe you won't get your sight and healing back?"

"Yeah, but."

"Bernard!" Quinten sighed. "Don't do this to yourself. You're going to get better."