The Dream Sanctum: Beyond The End (22 page)

Kai could only nod. He couldn’t imagine what his friend must be feeling
at the moment, but Kai had never been happier for him. He knew by the way they
looked each other that they truly loved each other, and he couldn’t think of a
better way to officially end their trip. He fondly remembered how he had felt
after seeing Kwin for the first time after her close encounter with death, and
knew that was the only experience that could come close to this.

“Ah, Alastor, before you go…” Kwin started, looking pointedly between him
and Elvia.

“Oh, right.”

Alastor stepped up to Elvia’s side, and Elvia gazed up at him with a sad,
yet thankful expression. Suddenly Kai knew what was about to happen, and he and
the others gathered closer nearby as Alastor put a hand on Elvia’s shoulder. It
was silent for a moment, and Alastor’s expression was oddly calm. It was the
look of a man who finally knew what he needed to do.

“It’s been great having you around, Elvy,” Alastor said. “All these
years, you and I exploring the world, adventuring, beating people up for fame
and fortune… it’s been more fun than I could have ever hoped.”

Elvia had tears in her eyes as she looked back up at him.

“You are me, and I am you, but I have tried to be everything you wanted.
I waited with you every day, hoping that you would one day find what you were
looking for, and now you have. My time is at an end, but I regret none of it. I
am nothing without you, but… thank you. For everything.” She turned to the
others in the group and gave them a small bow as she wiped the tears from her
cheeks. “And thank you for being so supportive and loyal, despite what I am,
and despite everything else. You are true friends. Do not forget.”

Kwin was the first to react. She stepped forward, and, after a short
pause, hugged both of them. Lindsay was right behind her, and Kai joined them
last, and he looked up at her for what he knew was the last time.

As he looked into Elvia’s eyes, he saw no resemblance to Alastor. He saw
only Elvia, a wonderful friend, one who had been with him since he had first
entered the Sanctum, and someone he cared so much for. He remembered meeting
her for the first time before the Tournament of Blades, how Lindsay had managed
to get her to laugh, how she taught them how to fly… despite what she was, he knew
she would always be real to him.

As they cleared away, Ella took Elvia’s hands in hers, and looked at her
with gratitude and appreciation.

“Thank you for taking care of my brother,” she said. “I can tell you’ve
come from every ounce of love and creativity he has, and it’s because of you
that I found him again. That you’re here shows me how much he must have wanted
to see me again, and how much he’s capable of giving back to his friends. I’m
only grateful… and I’m happy you could be there for him when I could not.”

Elvia smiled. As they all watched, Elvia walked slowly over toward the
bonfire and turned around to face them. She met each of their eyes in turn, and
then with one last burst of flame, Elvia vanished forever.

P
uffy white clouds dotted the
sky and the sun shone magnificently overhead, lighting up ever house and car
and street in the neighborhood and beyond. It was still early in the morning,
so only a few cars were on the roads, cruising quietly as their tired drivers headed
to work. A cat stretched lazily on a sidewalk, lying down to let the sun’s rays
warm its fur. All was quiet and calm, and it looked as though it was going to
be just another calm Friday.

The silence was broken as a black car tore down the road, barely missing
a red light and skipping quickly around a few cars driving much slower.

“For god’s sake, Frederick!” Kwin yelled from the back seat, looking
between Alastor’s driver and Lindsay, who looked as though her life was
flashing before her eyes.

“Master Alastor wanted to ensure you’d be at his house by late afternoon
so you wouldn’t miss the party,” Frederick explained, quickly dodging a blue
pickup truck with a screeching of tires.

“It’s seven in the morning and you live forty minutes from us, I think we
can afford to take our time!” Kwin protested, hanging on tightly to Lindsay’s
shoulder as Frederick darted between two other cars. Frederick pretended not to
listen and instead started humming along with the radio.

As they pulled into the driveway of Alastor’s mansion, Lindsay opened the
door and stepped out of the car before it had even stopped moving. She moved a
few steps from the car then lay flat on the sidewalk, her eyes closed,
breathing heavily as though she had just run a marathon. Kwin stumbled out
after her, trying and failing to stay on her feet, finally relenting and lying
next to Lindsay for a few moments. Kai got out last and knelt on the driveway,
hoping that he wouldn’t be sick.

“You act like I just drove you through hell!” Frederick sighed, shaking
his head at them.

“No, but I’m betting you have the experience,” Kwin shot back, struggling
to her feet. Behind her, Lindsay got to her feet as well, then fell over again.

They entered the mansion and Alastor greeted them from the top of the
stairs, just as before. As he, Lindsay and Kwin walked down the hall toward
him, Kai couldn’t help but glance at the portrait on the wall. For a moment he
couldn’t see it, and wondered if Alastor had taken it down, but then he grinned
as he spotted it, now facing outward, on the wall at the end of the entryway.

“So what’s on the schedule today?” Alastor asked lazily, looking as
though he had just gotten out of bed.

“Staying inside, far away from any cars, and maybe playing a friendly
game of push-Frederick-down-the-stairs-until-he-stops-moving, what do you
think?” Kwin answered darkly, and Alastor chuckled.

“You guys are staying the whole weekend, right?” he continued as they
walked down the hall, and the others nodded.

“I love it here!” Lindsay exclaimed happily. “Though I think I might ask
my mom to pick us up instead. If Frederick drives me home again he might as
well take me in a hearse.”

The rest of the morning and early afternoon passed uneventfully, as
expected. The joy of being together was overshadowed by the prospect of meeting
Alastor’s guest of honor. Ella had given Alastor her address, then left the
Sanctum early to pack. Alastor hadn’t wasted a moment, getting up before the
sun rose to prepare transport for her. She had managed to travel over a
thousand miles away in the years they’d been apart, so rather than sending
Frederick, he bought taxi fare and plane tickets for her.

As the sun began its descent in the sky, Kai and his friends gathered on
the front doorstep of the mansion and watched the distant gate, and Frederick
joined them. Every time a car passed by they all stood on tiptoe, hoping to
catch the first glimpse of Alastor’s mysterious sister.

Finally, one of the cars slowed and turned into the gate, making its way
slowly up the driveway toward them. Kai couldn’t help but look at Alastor, who
looked more anxious than anyone else there.

Frederick jogged down to open the door of the car as it pulled smoothly
up to the front walk, then stood in front of it.

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I am honored to present–”

“Just… just open the door, Fred,” Alastor said, and Frederick obliged.

Ella stepped out of the car and ran joyfully over to where Alastor stood,
taking him into a tight hug. Kai was amused at how different her mannerisms
were from Elvia’s despite appearing identical to her, and knew it would take a
while to get used to.

“This place hasn’t changed a bit,” Ella remarked, looking around at the
grounds. “Everything is exactly like I left it.”

“You don’t feel weird about coming back?” Alastor asked with a grin.

“No! Well, I’m sure it will take getting used to. Every noise I hear I’ll
think mum or dad is coming to lecture me for being up too late. But I think I
can manage.”

“Good! I mean, god knows we’ve got enough spare rooms. Yours is still how
you left it. Our parents refused to touch it after you left. They said they
didn’t want to see the living place of a disgraced child. Actually, now that I
think of it, there was probably something seriously wrong with them.”

“And
you
haven’t changed a bit
either,” Ella laughed, hugging her brother again. “You really don’t know how
happy this makes me. It’s everything I could have hoped for.”

“You say that now, but when you find out you’ll need my permission to
bring a boyfriend home you’ll probably like me a lot less.”

The pair snickered, and Kai recognized the same mischievous glint in her
eyes. There was no doubt about it: they were definitely related.

“All right friends, let’s party,” Alastor exclaimed, turning around and
leading them back inside.

“You’ve prepared a party and everything?” Ella inquired, looking
impressed.

“Oh yes. I made sure we have an abundance of pizza and terrible music,
and even made a chain-link decoration out of construction paper. I hung it in
your room as a welcoming gift, so you may experience issues the first time you
try to open your door.”

“Pizza? You, Alastor?” Ella asked in mock surprise.

“I know, I know. But I did spring for more toppings this time.”

“You went all out, I see,” Kwin said, amused.

“I live to please, dear.”

All in all, Kai couldn’t think of a better way for Ella to be welcomed
home. The simple gatherings were the best, after all. The mansion staff joined in
later in the evening, unable to resist the food. Kai was surprised to see that
Ella remembered all of them by name, and they all seemed just as pleased as
Alastor to see her back.

As the night grew late they danced, played games and took turns catching Ella
up on everything that had happened over the past few months. With the staff
joining in the fun, the pizzas vanished quickly, much to Alastor’s irritation.

“I never said you could eat the pizza!” he called to Frederick.

“And what were we supposed to eat, then?” Frederick shouted back from
across the hall where everyone was dancing.

“The souls of innocent pedestrians or whatever it is you normally eat,”
Alastor replied, but he grinned as he turned to the phone to order more.

“That boy needs to get a job,” Frederick remarked, looking back at Ella.
“Oh, but you’re fine. You were always the good kid.”

The moon hung high in the sky, and the air was still and cool. Multiple
lanterns lined the upstairs porch where Kai and the others sat, simply enjoying
each other’s company. The music had long since been turned off, all the food
had been eaten, and now it was just the five friends enjoying the peace and
quiet.

“You know, this is the second time that a crazy adventure has ended with
us being reunited with some friend or relative,” Alastor commented suddenly.
“The first time it was Kwin who woke up after a year in bed, and now it’s my
long-lost sister. Who knows? Maybe Lindsay’s great uncle will come back next or
something.”

Lindsay burst out laughing, and Kai grinned.

“When I first came into the Sanctum and met Kwin, I knew things were
going to be exciting, but I didn’t expect anything like this. It hasn’t even
been a year yet, and look at all we’ve done.”

“I actually think this is all because of you, mate,” Alastor replied.
“Ever since you arrived I’ve been having a lot more adventures and enjoying
every minute of it. And let’s not forget you saved my friend’s life.”

“Maybe, but you saved all of us this time. That show at the end with
Devnon was unbelievable. I was even distracted from the fact that we were about
to die,” Kai laughed.

“I don’t know, I thought the best part was the terrified look on Kwin
Two’s face when Kwin got her powers back,” Lindsay said, looking at her smaller
friend with admiration.

Kwin winked, then waved her hand dismissively. “We all have parts to play
in this story of ours. There is no one that stands above another in talent or
otherwise. All of us together make up what we’ve become – and that is, I
believe, the most deranged and unstoppable force the Dream Sanctum has ever.”

The others laughed and agreed. However, Kai couldn’t help but feel sad at
Elvia’s departure, and he wondered how things would change from then on.
 
It was true that they had gained a new friend
in Ella, but Elvia herself was still gone.

Lindsay had evidently been thinking the same thing.

“I’m going to miss Elvia, though… no offense!” she added quickly, looking
at Ella, who laughed. “I mean… well, she was one of the first people I met. She
taught me so much, and now she’s gone.”

“There’s a good reason for that, isn’t there?” Alastor said. “Don’t
worry. Within a week I’ll have convinced Ella to wear Elvia’s clothes, and
hopefully within a month I can teach her to wave a sword around without hurting
herself. But she’ll be with us and add her own special personality to the mix
either way. It will be great, just you wait.”

“Let’s pick a tamer activity for next time, shall we? We need to break
her in before we start moving on to our usual death-defying adventures,” Kwin
suggested.

“Oh, I’m sure she can handle whatever comes up,” Alastor chuckled, then
turned to Kai. “What do you think? Any ideas for what we can do next?”

Kai shrugged, but it was Ella who spoke up in his stead.

“I know I’m new, but I want to thank you guys for being so cool with me.
I spent all night hearing about the amazing things you guys have done, and now
that I’ve made it to the Sanctum too, I want to join you no matter what you’re
doing. Let’s make it something incredible.”

“I think we can do that,” Kai agreed, and he felt his appreciation for
her rising even more. “We’ve been over the edge of the world, but that’s just
the beginning.”

“A toast!” Alastor said, raising his glass from the table beside him. The
others followed suit. “A toast to friendship, loyalty, and exploring the
boundaries of dreams like no one has ever done before.”

The five friends cheered and sipped their drinks. Whatever was to come
next, Kai had no idea, but whatever it was, it was bound to be an amazing
journey.