Hidden Worlds (EmpiresSMP)

Chapter 16

Jimmy left with a little kiss and a goodbye and Gem left bottles of potion behind.

Xornoth came up to Scott with a grave expression on his face. Scott mimicked this, a frown tugging his lips downwards. "Alright, Xorny, what is it?" Xornoth sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Lauren. She... left a message for us..." Surprise and relief and a little bit of fear flooded Scott. "Did you get enough sleep?" he asked, unable to believe his brother's words, "Did you say Lauren left a message for us?" Xornoth nodded, hesitancy evident in the slow bob of his head.

"Xornoth... Lauren is dead."

Xornoth groaned. "I know. That's why I didn't believe Gem. But the message... she left it for you. And well..."

Scott raised an eyebrow, "And?" Xornoth sighed once again, "She says dying isn't the worst thing that can happen to you."

"Sure sounds like Lauren. Extremely ominous. Of course she would leave a life-threatening and/or saving message like this." Scott's tone implied annoyance but his brain was ticking. Lauren died in a car accident and there was absolutely no way for Gem or Jimmy to know who she was so, they couldn't be lying.

Scott growled, "None of this makes sense. I start getting weird-ass dreams and then I suddenly grow wings and antlers and some of my friends aren't even human and my dead friend is alive again. There is nothing connecting these incidents."

"Whoa, whoa, back up. Did you say you were having dreams?" asked Xornoth, trying to keep up with his brother, "Of what?"

Scott opened his mouth to reply before realising what he was about to say wasn't something too notable. They also involved Jimmy a lot and he'd rather his brother not be informed of his growing affection for the cod.

"Well..."

He looked at his brother. He looked at the tired eighteen- year-old who worked at a coffee shop and drew drawings for people on the internet, making money in the process, all to keep him and his brother alive. Barely eighteen and already being the sole source of income in the house. How could he keep secrets from someone who deserved the world and more?

"A lot of things," he said finally, "It'll take a little bit to explain, though. If you wanna hear it?"

"Of course. I-I've got something to explain, as well."

~~~~

Jimmy took in a deep breath before knocking at the door of Lizzie's house. It would be the first time he'd meet his sister after the fall of the veil.

The door creaked open and behind where it was, stood Lizzie. Her pink hair was tied up in a bun and her skin seemed tinged with blue. It was very faint, though. It could've been his imagination.

Jimmy looked into her eyes with anticipation. Lizzie stared back, either trying to process the existence of her long-lost brother or wondering why Jimmy showed up at her house with no information beforehand.

"Jimmy?"

Jimmy couldn't speak. His voice was stifled with emotion. Lizzie spoke again.

"...Jimmy?"

He wanted to cry. Lizzie didn't remember him. He thought maybe, the one good thing he would get out of magic revealing itself would be that his own sister remembered him.

"Seabling?"

Jimmy's eyes widened and his mouth fell open with a sob, causing him to cover it with his hands. He fell to his knees, tears streaming from his brown eyes and trickling down his chin.

Lizzie rushed to him and sat down on her knees, wrapping her arms around his shuddering body. "I missed you, too, brother." Her voice shook as tears glistened in her eyes. As she squeezed them shut, a tear rolled down her cheek. "It was the hardest twenty years and seventeen days of my life," he managed to choke out.

"You counted?" whispered Lizzie, awed disbelief the only emotion lacing her words. "Everyday. Every single day. It hurt so much."

"I can't imagine..." she muttered tightening the embrace as though scared to lose Jimmy again. "You know what?" said Jimmy, "It was all worth it."

"This will never happen again. Promise me, Jimmy. Promise me."

"I promise... sis."

•~•~•~•

Word count: 698

Seablings.

<RubyBlueWrites left the game>