OBLIVION [SEQUEL TO SATELLITE HEART: BARLEY LIGHTFOOT x READER]

chapter fourteen

Barley sprinted up the steps, his shoes sliding across the hard floor. His palms met the wood as he slipped but he got right back up, now suddenly aware of the absence of Blazey. For once, there wasn't a dragon under his feet keeping him from moving quicker. They didn't need Blazey, his dad never got really sick. Another pang in his heart. He opened the attic and stepped back as the ladder slid to the floor.

"Barley, what are you doing?" Wilden asked gently.

"I'm looking for something!" Why he thought the staff might be up here, wrapped up, he wasn't sure. It made no sense to think that it was.

"Son, there's a girl standing in my doorway downstairs, asking if you're okay," he said. He touched Barley's leg as he rummaged through what he could reach in the attic from the ladder.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "Hang on, ___! I'm okay, I'm just looking for something!"

"Barley." Wilden tapped on his ankle. "Get down from there."

Barley let out a sound of frustration. There was nothing in here that even resembled what could've been a wizard staff. "No, Dad!"

"It's not up there, if that's what you're thinking." Barley stopped moving. "In fact, I know that's what you're thinking. Come down from there and follow me."

He turned on the ladder and moved himself down slowly. Wilden just smiled and went to his bedroom. Barley followed, his eyes wide.

He took him to the bedroom and sat him down on the bed. Barley closed his eyes and kept his head down, his hands clasped together. Wilden sat down next to him. "Talk to me, Barley."

"Dad," he whispered, his voice strained. "I really messed up."

Wilden nodded. "I know you did."

"No, you don't get it," he said. "I---"

"You don't have to explain it to me," he said. "Now it's just time to think about what's most important to you. It doesn't have to be your mom and I, son, you know that. You're an adult now and when you've got a family of your own to take care of, well, the other people just fade into the background a little more."

The closet at the far side of the bedroom was partly open already. Wilden slid it open and rummaged around the side of it for a second before he pulled out a long wrapped object. He laid it on the bed and unwrapped the cloth from around it. It was Ian's wizard staff --- the first one they had from their dad.

"I may have not dabbled in magic in efforts to save my own life," he said, "but I was aware of my magical abilities for a long time. I bought this, eh about four months before you were born. Your mother didn't know, of course, because I knew she wouldn't be very happy with my purchases with a baby on the way." He laughed.

"How did you..." Barley's voice wasn't anything more than a whisper.

"I know what you and Ian did," he said, "in order to save me."

"What?"

"Do you think it would be easy for me to forget that a girl that looks exactly like my neighbor's daughter who's about your age was the same exact age back in 2000 when I was sick and dying? I remember her healing me, Barley. I saw her and I remember her face."

"H-How?"

"I'm a wizard," he said, lifting his hands like that was the only explanation needed. "But no, look. Magic is powerful. Magic is dangerous. And what you three did... it was and is still beyond dangerous --- more than you know. I wasn't going to say anything because I thought that Ian would remember the truth for longer than he actually did. But since he doesn't... well, I can do this myself."

Barley couldn't understand. He didn't understand.

And Wilden knew that.

He placed his hand over his son's. "What you three did for me, to get to know me again, it was very brave and heroic of you. But my time on this Earth ended when it did because that was how it had to be. It wasn't easy to come to terms with it, but my time was done. I had left my mark on the world through you two. I would've loved to spend more years with your mother and watch you boys grow as the years passed. But Barley, my time came and went, and yours was still going. And that girl of yours downstairs, she's your future. You can't throw it away."

"I didn't want to," Barley whispered. "I-I never wanted anything like this to happen."

He nodded. "I know."

"I-I just wanted you to see my family," he said.

"I wish I could see the baby when it comes," he said, "but that's just not how it'll be. But I have a feeling he or she will look a little bit like the same little guy I held in the hospital all those years ago." He closed his fingers around Barley's hand. "Son, I love you. I love your brother. You two are my everything, and if I ever lost you guys, I wouldn't be able to go on. I'm sure you know how that feels now."

Heavy footsteps pounded against the stairs as you, breathless and shivering, burst into the room. "Barley?" You stopped, seeing the elf with his dad. You swallowed hard. "I-I'm sorry, I was just worried that something was wrong."

Wilden shrugged as if you could go on, that you weren't interrupting anything.

Your eyes were on Barley's and you were all that he could see. "Look, I know this is crazy. But if there's something I can do, Barley, I'll try it. I trust you and I want to help you have this life that you want."

And Barley couldn't help but smile a little, teary eyed and in love, because even though he was almost a stranger, you cared about him. You were just that kind of person.

Wilden smiled proudly. "You picked a good one, Barley," he said. He stood up and grabbed the staff. "But I think I'll take care of this this time."

"What?" Barley's voice was just a whisper again.

"I think it's time that your brother and you get home. To your real home." 

Barley stood up slowly. "Dad...?"

"I love you, Barley," he said. "Tell Ian that I love him, too. I already sort-of said goodbye while you were outside, but I don't think he understood much." He laughed solemnly, like he was trying to feel happiness through the sadness, like he was struggling to move past his own feelings and think of his sons. It only took a deep breath and then he laughed again, and it was real this time. One more I love you, and Barley got to hear one last laugh from his dad, and he hugged him, and Barley got to feel one last perfect hug from his father before Wilden recited the spell and everything changed.