For a few blissful moments the next morning, Jayler knew peace.
It did not last long.
The night before had been spent with the rest of the Clan Leaders and Skylian Mages, chattering about some subject or another to pass the time. Jayler found that their two groups meshed together rather well despite their widely varying backgrounds, and he was glad that he was finally being given the chance to speak more with the team that his sister was a part of. The rest of his team seemed to have enjoyed themselves as well, and buzzing energy had thrived in the air the entire way back to his room. Jayler had fallen asleep almost immediately, not realizing how tired he was until after it was too late for him to try and keep his eyes open.
Waking up the next morning brought with it an onslaught of positive memories from the night before, but at the same time, it offered Jayler a reminder of the fact that he was going to be headed home before the day ended. He would be meeting with his mother once again, and for the first time since they were children, Jay would be with him.
Having Jay come along meant that Jayler was by default going to have to explain everything about magic to their mother. There wasn't a way for him to avoid it. The truth was going to come out, and it was going to come out quickly if his predictions were correct. Jayler wasn't exactly fond of the idea of sharing the full extent of his adventures with his mother, but he knew that he didn't have a choice. He was going to have to tell her sooner or later, and Jay's arrival back on Earth was going to be the perfect chance for her to hear the truth. Jayler knew that she was going to be defensive about the idea of her children being involved with a magical dimension, and that was assuming that she was still able to keep her composure after she saw her daughter for the first time in well over fifteen years.
Jayler was unable to keep his nervous energy inside, and he started to pace back and forth across the length of his room in the castle. His stomach had decided to start doing merciless flips, and that only made him feel worse about the whole situation, something that he hadn't even realized was possible up to that point. How was he supposed to think about how he was going to tell his mother when his body seemed to want him to throw up everything that he had ever eaten in his life?
A knock came at the door a moment later, and Jayler found himself approaching the door to open it. The door opened before he could pull on the knob though, and Lex poked her head into the entryway from around the corner. "Tuila says that we're almost ready to leave to go back to Earth. She told me to come and get you," Lex explained. "I'm glad to see that you're up and moving."
"Yeah... I'll be there in a second," Jayler told her, trying his best to hide how overwhelmingly anxious he was. The critical sheen in Lex's gaze told him that he hadn't done a good job of keeping his nerves a secret, but she didn't question him on it, seemingly understanding that this wasn't any of her business. Lex retreated from view a moment later, disappearing around the corner and down the hallway down to the main area of the castle where Tuila was undoubtedly waiting.
Jayler sighed as soon as he was alone, almost collapsing onto his bed between his weakened knees and his upset nerves. He wasn't going to be able to hold this off forever, and all he could do was take the bull by the horns and deal with whatever was to come. He was going to have Jay by his side, so that was going to make it easier by default. He had been alone when he first told his mother about the fact that he was transgender, and having Jay by his side was sure to make this ordeal less taxing in the long run. That was what Jayler kept telling himself, anyways, though he didn't think that he was going to be inclined to actually believe it anytime soon.
Even so, it didn't take him long to pull himself together for the day and head back down to the lobby of the castle. Jay was there alongside Tuila and the rest of the Clan Leaders. If any of his teammates caught onto his nervous energy, they chose not to bring it up, though Jayler did receive a few sideways glances from Xia and Gemini as soon as they saw him. Jayler swallowed dryly, doing his best to not think about what he was about to do. He wanted to tell himself that he was making a mountain out of a molehill, but he knew that it wasn't going to be quite so easy as repeating cliched phrases into his own ear.
The teleportation process was quick and easy as always, and Tuila was gone in a flash once the group had settled down on the ground of Earth. That was par for the course, but Jayler found himself wishing for her to come back as his stomach continued to resist the idea of talking to his mother about the truth behind his secret shenanigans. The rest of the Clan Leaders bid one another farewell, and Jayler offered a halfhearted wave before staring down at the ground below.
"Are you ready to go?"
Jay's hand came down on his shoulder, and Jayler looked over at her in a desperate attempt to hide how nervous he was. He knew that he failed as soon as he saw her wince with concern. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess," Jayler offered to her with a weak smile. He felt sick all over again, but he knew that he wasn't going to be able to get out of this no matter how much he wanted to. There was no time like the present to work out issues like this, and Jay was going to be able to handle all of the technical facts regarding Hyperion. They were going to be fine one way or another, right?
Jayler found himself walking in the direction of his home despite how heavy his feet felt. It was as if they were lead trying to drag him into the ground, but his sheer stubbornness and determination kept him moving forwards even in the face of all his anxiety. The walk back to his house was a familiar one, and it was easy enough for him to outline the path with Jay at his side. Jay had swapped out her regular combat-ready ensemble for something a bit more casual to ensure that people didn't stare at her on Earth, and she used a small masking spell to hide the star mark on her cheek the same way that Jayler hid the symbol on the base of his neck. Nobody even gave them a second glance, and Jayler was glad that they weren't getting any unnecessary attention. It certainly took a weight off his shoulders, and he was more than willing to take it.
Jayler and his sister arrived at the front door of the Rose home all too soon, and Jayler's throat felt dry as could be. He glanced over to Jay with his anxiety rattling around beneath the surface, and she gave him a gentle yet comforting smile. "We're going to be alright. I'll make sure that everything is okay. I promise," she assured him.
"I'm glad that you have confidence about all of this, because I know that I most certainly do not," Jayler muttered. "I know that she's going to have to hear the truth sooner or later, but I'm not sure about how to handle that. I guess that I was so concentrated on everything else that I never really had the time to give it a bit of thought. Oh well though... You said that you wanted to meet her, and I'm not going to back down from this just because I'm a bit nervous about it. You know what you're doing, and I'm going to make sure that it's alright for both of our sakes."
"There's the Jayler I know," Jay smiled, nudging him with her shoulder. For a few stolen moments, Jayler almost felt normal, like they were just two siblings who had lived regular lives out of the reach of the magic that they understood better than most other occupants of Earth. It didn't even seem like there was a kidnapping scheme that had separated them in the first place. For a few breaths in the silence, they were simply teenagers going about their lives, and Jayler enjoyed it much more than he would ever be able to say.
However, the peace did come to an end eventually, chaos coming in to take its place. Jayler looked up at the door of his home once again, and a bitter reminder at the back of his mind told him that he had been this nervous coming home after his first adventures in Hyperion too. Everything was going to be alright though. He had a feeling that he was going to be able to work all of this out one way or another, and Jay would be there for him the whole way through. He just had to have confidence.
Jayler's finger reached out in the direction of the doorbell, and he pressed the button a moment later. A gentle ringing sound could be heard from inside the house, and Jayler swallowed dryly in an attempt to calm his screaming nerves. It didn't work, not that Jayler expected anything different. Jay gave him one more reassuring smile, and Jayler sighed as he looked back to the wooden blockade that acted as the final defense between him and revealing the truth of everything that had changed his life over the course of the past few months.
The door opened all too abruptly for Jayler's hazy mind, and Michelle Rose came into view from inside the house. She looked down at her son in surprise. "Jayler? I didn't expect you to be back so early. You usually text to say..." Her words fell silent as she noticed Jay was present, and she glanced back and forth between the two teenagers before her. She had undoubtedly recognized the similarities between them, and her face grew pale. "Jayler... Who is this...?"
Jay cleared her throat before she extended one hand in the direction of Michelle. "Jaylyn Xandra is my name... But you can call me Jay," she said with a gentle smile. "I'm..."
"This is my sister," Jayler introduced, unable to stop his grin once it started to manifest.
Michelle's eyes went wide, and tears appeared soon afterwards before starting to streak down her cheeks. "That's..." she began, unable to push out any words beyond that. She took a step toward the twins before she threw her arms around them both. Jayler was quick to return the embrace with Jay doing so as well after a moment of hesitation. "I can't believe it...!"
"We have a lot to explain," Jay murmured into Michelle's shoulder even as the woman pulled away from her. "It's... It's a rather complicated affair, I'm afraid."
Michelle shook her head, wiping at her eyes with the heel of her hands. "Don't mind that at all... Please, come inside. I need to hear everything," she said. She wrapped one hand between Jay's fingers before doing the same with Jayler. She led them inside soon afterwards, and neither of the siblings bothered to protest as they were guided into the living room. All three of them sat down on the couch and began to talk, starting from the beginning as it stood from the time of Jay's kidnapping many years prior.
~~~~~
Michelle's eyes were wide as saucers by the time that Jayler and Jay had finished their explanation of everything that involved Hyperion. "That should about cover everything that you need to know," Jay concluded. "I know that it's a lot to take in at once, but... This is the truth of the matter. We have magical abilities and are bound to the Galaxy of Hyperion. It's been the case ever since the day that we were born."
Michelle was silent for a long time after hearing those words, and Jayler found distress rising in his stomach. He glanced over to Jay nervously before looking back to their mother. "I-I know that it sounds ridiculous, but... It's the truth. We would never lie to you about something like this. That's how Jay went missing for so long without anybody being able to find her," he said, desperate to say something that would fill the silence until Michelle felt comfortable with responding.
"I believe you," Michelle murmured much to the surprise of both of the twins. "The day that you were taken, Jay... There were people at the hospital who didn't appear to be normal at all. Their ears were pointed, and there was something about them that simply didn't feel... Human. There were multiple people like this too, and I... I didn't think that it was real at first. I told myself that I was being dramatic and hadn't actually seen anything because I didn't want to believe it, but... Hearing all of this... I know that it must have been true."
"They must have been part of the Fearbringer army," Jay murmured. "The Fearbringers were trying to take who they thought was the reincarnation of a Clan Leader, after all... They just didn't get the Clan Leader out of the two of us, and that was their first mistake. I can only imagine that those were the people who took me all that time ago."
"I can't believe that this is all real... I know that it has to be, but it feels like something that you would only hear about in your wildest dreams," Michelle admitted with a shake of her head. "Jayler would never lie to me about something like this, and it's impossible for anyone to look that much like him without being his identical twin. I know that this has to be real..."
"So... What do you think of it all?" Jayler questioned, hating the way that his lungs seemed to want to strangle the words before they could be vocalized. As far as he was concerned, this was the moment that was going to either make or break everything that they had been discussing up to this point. Michelle had always been fiercely protective of him, and in hindsight, it became clear that she behaved this way because she was trying to keep Jayler from suffering the same fate as his sister. This was the part that Jayler had dreaded the most ever since he realized that their mother was going to have to learn the truth one way or another, and he was terrified of her reaction. In some ways, her potential response even scared him more than Alba's monsters of Ice magic ever could have.
Michelle's expression contorted briefly, and Jayler found his stomach doing yet another flip. He did his best to keep his gaze even as he watched her though, and after what felt like an eternity of silence, she responded. "I don't like the idea of you two being in danger," she confessed. Her gaze drifted over to Jay. "You just came back, and... I don't want you to get hurt even if you have lived there your entire life. And Jayler... I'm worried about you too. I don't want either one of you to wander into trouble if it can at all be avoided."
"We know what we're doing," Jay assured her. "I've lived there almost my entire life, and I know how to handle myself. Jayler's much better at fighting than you would expect at a first glance. Plus, we're surrounded by other powerful fighters who will be more than able to look after us to make sure that we stay out of trouble. I understand your concern, but we're going to find a way to pull through this no matter what. We've been fine up to this point, after all."
"I know," Michelle confessed with a heavy sigh. "I know that you know what you're doing and what goes on over there, but... It's a mother's job to worry, you know. I have to do what I can to make sure that you two are out of trouble where possible. It's par for the course, and I... I don't want either of you to wind up hurt. I keep saying that, but that's because I haven't meant anything else more in my entire life."
"We'll make sure that nothing bad happens," Jayler assured her. "It's just like Jay said. We both know how to handle ourselves, and that's assuming that we aren't surrounded by other incredibly powerful fighters who will be able to help us stay out of trouble. There are tons of other Hanilia like us, and most of them have been at this much longer than either one of us. They know how to look after us in case it's necessary, and they aren't going to let anything bad happen no matter what."
"I trust that you have faith in all of these people, but... I don't know. All of this is so new to me. I always sort of felt like there was more going on the day that you two were born and Jay was taken, but... It's a lot to take in at once. I don't think that I'll ever really be able to know how to handle the fact that you two have powers from another dimension and can fight."
"Yeah... It's not what you would expect when I'm out late at night, huh?" Jayler questioned with a wince as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "It's been a bit tough to adjust to, but we're making progress each day. There are others who are new to this, so they get what I'm going through even if it's hard for me at times. It's good to be able to have others like that around no matter what happens."
"The kids that you spend time with after school... They're the others involved with all of this, aren't they?" Michelle asked. She was met with a nod from Jayler. "I never would have expected that just looking at you all... You seem to be such normal kids, but I guess that's part of what it means to be involved in all of this."
"It's where I go after school on the days where I'm not back here," Jayler told her. "I... I wanted to tell you from the beginning, but I didn't know if it was a good idea. None of the others are telling their families about it, but... Jay really wanted to meet you when I told her about you, and I couldn't just leave her to wonder about you on her own. Telling you was necessary if you two were going to meet."
"And I'm certainly glad that you did tell me," Michelle agreed with a nod. "I'm honored that you trust me with so much. I can only imagine how hard it is to hold all of this inside on a daily basis. You still go to school and live a normal life a majority of the time, and yet... You do so much as soon as classes end. I don't know how you can bring yourself to do all of this. I don't think that I would ever be able to do anything like this at your age or my own."
"Jayler and the rest of his team do it much better than I ever could either," Jay confessed with a light smile. "Since I grew up in the Galaxy of Hyperion, I never had much of a reason to hide it in the first place. After all, I was living in the other world of magic... I did know that there was something different about me compared to others though. When I got older, I learned that it was because I was human surrounded by creatures that were born with magic."
"All of this sounds so complicated," Michelle murmured as she shook her head. "I swear, you're going to have to write down what all of this means so that I can process it... I'm still surprised that all of this is real at all, much less that both of my children are alive."
"It was a lot for us to take in at first too," Jayler admitted. "For me and the other Clan Leaders, I mean. We first went to the Galaxy of Hyperion when winter break was starting because we were attacked by a Fearbringer, and... Well, everything just kind of fell into place from there, but I guess that's just sort of how it goes. It was a lot to take in all at once, but everyone was patient with us until we were able to fully comprehend what was happening."
"Thank you for giving me the time to breathe with all of this," Michelle smiled gently, though there was still anxiety pulling at the corners of her lips. "I... I know that I'm not going to be able to keep you from this place no matter what happens. This is somewhere that you've grown attached to, and it sounds to me like the world itself has grown attached to you too. I'm not going to restrict your access to this Galaxy of Hyperion since that would only make you feel more inclined to lie to me, but... I do ask that you update me on what's going on while you're there. When you get home, tell me what you can about what's going on in your lives. Can you at least do that much for me?"
"Deal," Jay agreed before Jayler had the chance to even think about the offer. Granted, he didn't exactly need to; of course he was going to agree to it. There wasn't even a beat of hesitation on that front. However, there was still something that he had to get off his chest on the matter.
It manifested itself as a heavy sigh that pushed free of his lungs suddenly and harshly. "Thank you for being so nice about this," Jayler told his mother. "I was worried about how you were going to respond, but... I guess that I got myself all worked up over nothing in the long run, huh?"
"That's better than you potentially having something to actually worry about, wouldn't you agree?" Jay pointed out, and Jayler nodded his agreement. She most certainly had a point there, and he didn't think that he would ever be able to deny that.
"I sort of guess that I always knew there was something goin on behind the scenes... I could see it in your eyes, Jayler," Michelle whispered. "You've always been a rambunctious person, but... You just got this taste for adventure in your gaze like you were searching for something more than any person could have ever imagined here on Earth. I didn't know what to do about it or how to describe it, but... I could see that you were changing in small ways. I'm just glad that it isn't anything too awful. You know how to handle yourselves, and I'm going to trust that there are people over in this Hyperion place who will be able to look after you too."
"The Draconic Superiors are the ones primarily in charge of our work, and they more than know what they're doing," Jay assured her. "Many of them have been working as Hanilia for upwards of thirty years. They can use powerful magic and shift into dragons at a moment's notice, so they'll be able to make sure that we stay out of trouble if you're looking for that extra little bit of reassurance."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind from here on out," Michelle smiled. "As for you, Jay... I know that I'm not going to be able to keep you here on Earth forever. Your home has been Hyperion for a long time, and you aren't going to be able to just uproot everything that you've ever understood in the blink of an eye just because you met me. I know that fully well."
"Then... What are you trying to say?" Jay asked, each word phrased carefully to make sure that she didn't accidentally upset her mother along the way.
"I simply ask that you come to visit every once in a while, okay?" Michelle said. "I know that it won't exactly be the easiest thing ever considering the shift in dimensions required, but I do want you to come and see me. It's been too long since I saw you... Not since the day that you were born and you were first taken from us. I had given up on ever seeing you again, and I... I can't just resign myself to never seeing you again."
"You know... There's still a bit left of the weekend left," Jayler pointed out. "There's the rest of today and then all of tomorrow. Why don't we take this as a chance to enjoy our first major bonding time as a family of three? I mean, Dad isn't here, but it seems like he never is anymore. We might as well try to enjoy ourselves while we can."
"That sounds lovely," Michelle grinned. "I don't know what it is that we'll even do in the first place, but I do want to see what we can do to have fun. Maybe we could go to see a movie... Or we could get frozen yogurt... Come to think of it, Jay wouldn't know anything about navigating the town, so we could just give her a tour if we wanted to as well. It seems like the possibilities are endless."
Jay simply smiled and shook her head. "I don't have much of a preference in the matter. I know that you'll make the choice that you think is right, and I trust your judgement completely," she said kindly. "I'm looking forward to being able to enjoy this time with you... I never really had an official mother figure growing up, so this is going to be a nice change of pace."
"I'm going to make this a weekend to remember then!" Michelle proclaimed. She reached out and pulled both of the twins into a hug tight against her torso, and they returned the affection not long afterwards. Jayler's worries had completely melted away by this point, little more than a distant memory that didn't matter to him in the slightest anymore. He was just glad that he had the chance to enjoy this time with his family in the first place. They deserved to be able to spend time together, and he wasn't ever going to forget it.
The hug between the three seemed to last a thousand years before Michelle pulled back and glanced back and forth between her two children. Eventually, her gaze settled on Jayler, and her smile started to fade away briefly. "Ah, Jayler... If you don't mind, I think that we should keep this a secret from your father for the time being," she said carefully. "I know that it isn't the best idea in the long run, but... He's out on business, and I don't want to distract him all of a sudden like this. The last thing that I want to do is inconvenience his work, and... I don't want to cross any lines that I shouldn't be quite yet."
Jayler nodded his agreement. "I understand." The matter of his relationship with his father was somewhat complicated. The Rose family hadn't undergone a divorce or anything similar, but Jayler's father rarely seemed to be around due to business. He was traveling all the time, and yet, the rest of the family stayed rooted where they were to keep from being thrown all over creation by his job. Jayler didn't think that it would be a good idea to share everything that had taken place until after his father had returned home. After all, this was a story that could only be shared face to face.
Once Michelle had gotten confirmation from her son, she rose to her feet. "Well, now that we've settled all of that, I think it's time for us to go and see the world! This is Jay's first time on Earth in ages, and I think that we should make sure that it's as fun as possible. Let's go see what the universe has to offer for us today, yeah?"
Neither of the twins had the chance to object to what was happening before Michelle had already darted in the direction of the door to get her things together so that they could leave. Jayler and Jay shot one another a bright smile. Jayler didn't think that he had been this overwhelmingly happy in a long time. At long last, the weight on his chest that came with hiding Hyperion from his family was gone, and he knew that he was going to be alright. Jay was there for him, and their mother was as well.
Jayler couldn't stop his constant smiling for the rest of the day. No matter what happened, he knew that he was going to be fine as long as he had his mother and sister by his side. They were a family in and of themselves, and Jayler was beyond content with that. He was happy, and there was nothing that could happen on either Earth or Hyperion that would ever be able to take that apex sensation of pure joy away from him.
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Oooooooooh boy time for me to drop the epilogue and chapter fifty! Character profiles and glossary stuff is coming tomorrow!
-Digital