Guess Who's Back?

Aphmau's POV:

I decided to let Alina sleep in the bed, and I could sleep in my chair for the night. Aaron chose to sleep with the both of us, and he slept on the small beanbag for another night. I quickly drifted off to sleep, more so than usual. I mean, I guess it was a hectic day, going to therapy, getting Alina, and then chilling at home, But I've had more hectic days. Why am I so tired today. The moment I realize is the sam moment I'm taken to a familiar black void, with a friends there waiting for me.

"It's been a minute, hasn't it?" I joked.

"Really?! I was worried sick! I couldn't get to you- I thought you died or something!" Blaze yelled at me.

"Well it's not my fault that a precious baby cam to me for help!" I defended.

"Well-, Wait, did you say baby? She was in your head?" Blaze asked.

"Yep, and now I have her in real life!" I said. "Her name is Alina."

"Aph, you can't do that! That'll mess up the multi-verse!" Blaze said angrily.

"Well she would've died if I didn't help her! I had to do something! Once I know that it's safe for her to go back, and when I know how to get her back, I'll put her back!" I said proudly.

"I still don't think that's such a good idea, but as long as you put her back I think it should be fine. But now, I can talk about everything." Blaze got off track.

"I need you to pay very close attention." Blaze said. "You only have two months left starting in three days. You need to take action now." I got confused.

"Why? I have two months left."

"Exactly! Time in the Irene dimension is different from here, meaning if you don't act sooner than later, by the time you get the last piece of the relic everything will be gone!" He had a really good point. But I need to do the little things first. I can't risk killing myself without doing what I need to first.

"I can't. I don't even know how to get to the Irene dimension!" I shouted into the echoey void.

"I know someone you can talk to. I know this is gonna sound weird, but ask Lucinda to talk with her mother. You need to talk to Hyria. She knows the way."

"What do you mean 'she knows the way'?"

"Hyria was the only person Irene gave her memories to. Hyria is the only one who knows. You have to talk to her." Blaze explained.

"But what about Alina? She can give me her memories. Surely she has to have memories of how to get there!"

"Aphmau, she's just a kid. How would she have memories of the Irene dimension?"

"Maybe someone told her about it!" I tried to say confidently.

"Just ask Hyria! It's not that hard!"

"Fine, I'll try. Just give me some time." I said.

"You don't have much left. Use it wisely." Suddenly, everything started to shake, and Blaze disappeared. I was waking up, I presumed. I exited my dreamscape and roughly blinked my eyes open. I saw Aaron lightly shaking me awake.

"Aphmau, are you up?" He asked.

"I am now.." I rubbed my eyes and saw I was in my wheelchair. That's right, I let Alina sleep on the bed. I look over and she's still sleeping.

"You've been asleep for at least 15 hours. You okay?" He asked. I was asleep for that long? But Alina is still sleeping too. I look at the clock and see it's three thirty two. The sun was shining out my window, and I squinted to even dare to gaze in its direction.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Next time, wake me up sooner." Aaron took me downstairs and presented me with eggs for breakfast. I ate some of it, and it tasted heavenly. When I looked back at it, I noticed something. There was a season on it. It was a season I only ever saw Aaron use. Besides, Melissa's made me eggs before, but never like this.

"You made these, didn't you?" I said.

"Wha- How did you know?" He asked.

"The oregano. I've only ever seen you use these when making eggs. They're really good." I complimented, and he lightly blushed.

"T-Thanks.." I continued to eat me eggs with glee, while Aaron simply watched me finish. When I did, I rolled myself to the sink and started cleaning my plate. Aaron walked up to me.

"You really don't have to do that. It's hard for you to reach over." Aaron said, taking the plate from my hands.

"But I want to help." I pouted.

"I know, but you have to wait a little bit longer." Aaron washed the plate for me and I rolled over to the couch.

"Where's Melissa? I thought she of all people would be up." I asked.

"She left to the grocery store." Aaron said. He finished drying my plate, so he put it back up in the cabinets, and came up to me. He sat down beside me on the couch and we sat in an awkward silence for a little bit. Then Aaron started to speak.

"Alina went to bed not that long ago." He said.

"Did she walk up in the middle of the night?" I asked.

"No, she was giving me my memories back." He responded. I was both excited and nervous. Does he remember Ein? Does he remember starlight?

"She did?"

"Yeah.." He didn't seem very optimistic. That made me more worried.

"Aphmau, what happened in college?" I looked at him confused.

"Where is this coming from?" I chuckled.

"Alina showed me something, but not the whole thing before she fell asleep. You were hiding from everyone. Why?" He asked. I suddenly got a rush of anxiety from the memories that re-flooded my head. I remembered when the rumors were spread about me, getting with a lot of boys at once. It made me so uncomfortable to think about.

"I just became more of an introvert the more I grew up, is all. I was just...scared of social interactions! Yep!" I said. Technically, I wasn't lying either. I was self-conscious about myself, and definitely still am.

"Aph, please just tell me the truth. I just want to know if you were okay." Aaron grabbed my hands and squeezed them gently. I blushed.

"I was fine, I promise. People were just being people, and I didn't like it when I felt stares behind my head." That also wasn't a lie. People really were just being people, being immature and believing everything they heard. Aaron calmed and let go of my hands.

"Did you see anything else?" I asked.

"I did, actually. I saw us in high school." He stared into the distance as I stared at him. He smiled at his thoughts. "I didn't realize we knew each other for that long."

"Yep. what did you see in particular? When we both thought we were annoying?" I asked, and chuckled at my memories with him.

"What? We didn't like each other?"

"So you didn't see that? What did you see?" I asked again.

"All I saw was you coming into class, after you called my name. I also saw a prom poster." I thought back to our small dance in the music room. The memory was nice, but it brought a shiver up my spine.

"Yeah, prom was fun." I smiled.

"There was something off, though." He said.

"There was? What was it?" I asked one final time.

"There was something about your eyes, that were different from how they are now. It was almost like there was light. In your eyes." He spoke with caution. I knew what he was talking about. And he was right.

"Yeah, I lost that light a long time ago. That doesn't mean I'm not happy though, it's just a scar from everything we've been through together. It's something that can't go away." I said, a little depressed thinking of everything. At the lodge. At Starlight. Even in that white chapel where I fought Micheal. But I lost that light in my eyes ever since Aaron left for the lodge. It just...faded away. I thought that If I went to him, it would come back, but that made my life a natural disaster.

"Oh. I'm sorry." He apologized.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." I grabbed his hands this time, and I caressed his cheek as well. "I'm alright, and so are you." I smiled. Aaron hugged me, and I hugged back. We sat there, just embracing each other for a few more minutes, before we heard Melissa open the front door.

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