Chapter 56: Magical Aftermath

Harry was true to his word. I assumed that it would have hurt him to have to bring his wife to the hospital and remove her magic forcibly, in a dangerous procedure, but when he came back, alone, he was stony-faced.
    "It's done. She won't bother you anymore."
    I tried not to let my relief show too obviously. "And what about your child, Harry? What are you going to do?"
    Harry's weariness showed on his face, aging him to the point where I realized how similar he and daddy looked. "Once she gives birth, I'll be taking the child. It won't be difficult—you know how much power our family holds. She knows that with one word, I could lock her up for good."
    "Could you really do that, though? You loved her."
    "I still love her, Yuki. She tried using magic when we left the hospital and... it just doesn't work anymore. The expression on her face broke my heart. So no, I could never let myself lock her up. But I'm taking her child, and that's far worse."

I'll always regret not having warned Harry. In the end, he and I both did the wrong thing. He never should have tried to convince me that Stefan was a bad person and I should have convinced him that Shauni was the opposite.
    I threw myself back into work with vigour. The horses were tentative of me, at first, but Flame has always been brave and was the first to approach me. When he realized who I was, he snorted and nuzzled me affectionately. It didn't take long for him to convince Snowy to accept me as well.
    The two had obviously been busy while I was dead, because it wasn't long before Snowy gave birth to a foal I named Nyoko. I loved being around a foal again, and with spring fresh in the air, it was hard for me to avoid falling in love with the little horse.

Nyoko wasn't the only one that I was falling in love with. There was something special about your childhood friend and old love bringing you back to life and waking you with a kiss. Needless to say, I was head over heels for Stefan.
    I was very worried that we were going to have a honeymoon period. That things would be like the last time we dated, and things would fall apart again. But there was no denying that I felt differently this time. The time apart and years growing up had served us both well. Communication was easier and we were both unafraid to voice what we wanted.
    It helped that I no longer had school, and although my horses were still my life, time with Stefan was a a welcome break from work. Slowly, I found myself putting him first more and more. In fact, I was so excited to go to the Spring festival with him that I cancelled my plans to attend a horse show.

"Are you sure?" Stefan asked when I told him. "I know how important these things are to your career."
    "That may be so, but my career isn't the only thing important to me. We only have so much time in the world, Stefan, and after the whole ordeal with Harry and Shauni, it's made me realize how important family is. How important you are."
    Harry had moved out and gotten a modest home for him and his newly born daughter, Suzanna. I didn't know where Shauni was, but he assured me that she wasn't going to influence his daughter.
    Stefan accepted my words with only mild reluctance, seeing that he too was excited to spend the evening with me. Stefan was heavily involved with politics, and the two of us didn't get as much time to see each other as we would like. Consequently, we cherished our date nights even more.
    "Let's try our hand at the love-o-meter!" Stefan said, pulling me towards it. Even now, the feeling of his hand in mine made me feel nervous.

    "Oh man." Stefan groaned as the light flickered on blue, indicating the lowest rating possible.
    I laughed, trying to cover my face with my hand to hide my smile.
    "What's so funny?"
    "I was really hoping it would be a bright red. Do you see what the top one says? Something about burning loins? I had a really good pick-up line for it."
    Stefan quirked an eyebrow at me. "Oh? I suppose you have nothing for cold loins."
    "Don't worry, I can certainly provide a warm remedy for that affliction."
    Stefan chuckled, shaking his head at me. "Come on, silly, they just started the competition for the Spring King and Queen."

    "Look, Yuki Blanche! People are clearing an area around us as we dance! They must be entranced by our performance."
    Stefan dips be back, forcing me to cling closer to him. "Believe what you want, love, but the reason they're looking is because I'm a ghost. You don't see too many of those walking around."
    "No, they do tend to float." We dance for a few more minutes to the rhythm of the song before Stefan pulls me tighter, lowering his voice. "Do you really face a lot of hardship as a ghost?"
    I shrugged as best as I was able to. "It's not too bad. People stare and ask some intrusive questions, and I feel a little colder, but all of the important things have stayed the same. I can hug the ones I love, taste delicious food, and relax Flame with a few pats. Trust me, I received more flack back in high school."
    "I'm sorry about that, Yuki. I should have seen more clearly how the other girls treated you. Were you friends with any of them?"
    I sighed and pulled away from him slightly to catch my breath. They were announcing the winners to the Spring Dance and it wouldn't be me. "No, Stefan. I was friends with some of my cousins, but the only person who I was ever close with was you. That's why... Well, I was foolish when I was younger. But it's hard to find new friends in a town as small as this."

We settled down on a nearby patch of grass. Stefan was quiet, absorbing what I had said.
    "The only person I ever connected with was you, Yuki. I don't talk to anyone from high school very often now. When we broke up... I tried moving on. I really did. But I just found myself not interested in any other girls. Instead, I tried growing up and learning from our relationship. But I always missed you. I missed how comfortable I felt with you. I missed how you always made me laugh, how much you cared about horses and other people. I missed the urgency in which you feel the need to make your bed, and I missed making you laugh. It's true, too, that you are undeniably the most attractive woman in the world. You just make other women seem so... bland by comparison." He turned to me, some shyness still spread across face. "Emotionally, I've always been so dependent on you. When something bad happened, you were the one I went to. And with good news, you were always the first one I told. You've always been my best friend, Yuki. I know I must have seemed popular, but in the end, you and I have always been so similar.
    "I think it's important to mention that you only came in contact with the girls. Ones who were jealous of you. There were a lot of guys who were jealous of me and I had to deal with them. Guys who would turn as you passed by, or blush whenever you talked to them. But you never noticed them. The only ones you saw were the girls who made themselves seen."
    "I also saw you, Stefan."

When the air got too cold, we walked home in silence and held hands. Between the crackling fire we ignited and Stefan's tender words, it didn't take long for me to warm up. "This was the couch we first kissed on," I whispered.
    Stefan wrapped an arm around me, pulling me tight to him. "You were my first kiss, you know."
    "And you mine." And although I didn't say it, something in the back of my brain told me he would be my first, only, and last.
    "Why don't we recreate that moment?"
    Even all these years later, I still felt a desire for him that had never quite been sated, and it only made our gentle kissing all the more exciting.

    When things got more heated, Stefan pulled away, readjusting his beanie.
    I frowned, my brain a bit fuzzy. "What's wrong?"
    He blushed. "Nothing. But I would prefer to... I mean... I just need to catch my breath. Besides, it's getting late."
    Disappointed, I stood and pulled him closer to me, running a finger along the top of his chest, tickling hair that had never been there when were were teenagers. "Are you sure you can't stay?"
    Stefan gulped and dipped me down so far that all of my body weight rested in his arms. "I would like to, Yuki. I would like nothing more than that." He leaned down and kissed me, brief but sweet.

    "In fact, I would like it so much that I was wondering... Would you like to move in together? I feel like we get to see each other so rarely, and we're both so busy, not to mention that I would love nothing more than to fall asleep next to you. To be able to hold you in my arms as we fall asleep, and gaze upon your face the next morning..."
    I silenced his words with a kiss, and he responded eagerly, parting his lips to mirror mine. I pulled away slowly, amused and warmed by the state of breathlessness he was in. "Yes, Stefan. I would love nothing more than for you to live with me. Although, I have to say, I think you're really romanticizing the appearance that my face will be in coming morning..."
    He grinned, cupping my face in his hands and leaning forward to kiss my forehead. "Somehow, I think I will be able to endure it."

Living with Stefan made our lives much easier. We didn't have to coordinate plans with each other and it was easier to be spontaneous. Even on days when we were both busy, at the end of the night, we still saw each other.
    We were reminded of what it was like when we were kids, too. We played horseshoes, swam in the pool, and even jumped on the trampoline. Well, tried, at least.
    "I think you have an unfair advantage, being weightless and all," he teased, jumping to match my height.
    "It's not something I can control," I responded, slowly floating back down to the trampoline. "What if one day I just floated away?"
    Stefan smiled. "I'd get into a hot air balloon, grab your hand, and we'd descend together."

While floating away wasn't a real concern of mine, the possibility of me not having kids was one of my greatest fears. Seppen Hiver was on her fifth child, thanks to both Doc and Dopey. Daddy assured me that the family was happy and healthy as could be. Knowing Seppen, I didn't doubt this. I still thought that their whole... arrangement... was odd, but I couldn't deny my own envy.

Marty and his boyfriend had had quite the collection of their own kids, thanks to a surrogate. Their relationship was constantly on the rocks, and I couldn't get behind the logic of their decision to have kids considering their tumultuous situation. Harry told me that Marty had been pushing for kids for a while, and that it was a bit of an ultimatum between him and his partner. In the end, he got his way, so he couldn't complain too much. Daddy argued that Marty did, regardless, and became overly protective when daddy played with his kids.

Meanwhile, Bert and his wife were racking up the collection of kids, too, although their family seemed to be having a lot more issues. Their eldest son, Alvin, was a bit of a troublemaker, forcing dad to come over on more than one occasion to help deal with his behaviour problems. He asked Bert if he though that boarding school was a good idea—after all, Bert had gone to military school himself—but in the end, Bert refused. While Bert had voluntarily joined, Alvin would be extremely resistant, and Bert had seen the kind of mischief that rebellious kids got up to when away from their parents.

And, of course, even Harry had a little one of his own. Suzanna was old enough that I could see traits of both her dad, and unfortunately, her mum. Since I made my own hours, I often volunteered to babysit her for Harry while he was away at work. It almost made me regret him moving out, as it would have been easier if she lived with us, but Stefan reminded me that we'd have to make room for our own little ones eventually. My heart jolted when he said this, and I couldn't help but feel giddy that Stefan was already thinking of our future together.

I thought about these words often during the next few months, and on Christmas Eve, Stefan took me to the town festival on a date to celebrate both the season and my recent international jumping competition victory. The Christmas cheer gave me a happy buzz, and the party planned for the next day filled me with warmth. It had been lonely growing up in such a large house with vacant family members, and even more lonely now that Stefan, daddy, and I were the only ones left. I couldn't help but dream of a house filled with my children.
    I arrived at the park slightly earlier than we agreed to meet, to my consternation, and took it upon myself to wander around.

I happened across a snowman that someone had built and immediately felt cold. Well, colder than I usually felt, being a ghost and all. The snowman was dressed up like Death, complete with a scythe and hood. I didn't remember my encounter with Death, but I couldn't help but feel oddly triumphant. I kicked over the snowman and carried on, proud to have defeated Death. Thinking back on it, the reality was that I likely ruined some poor kid's proud creation.
    The night got considerably better when Stefan arrived. We built a snowman (just a regular one), had a snowball fight, made snow angels, and finally settled down in front of a toasty bonfire.

 "Look what I brought," Stefan teased, pulling a bag of marshmallows from the confines of his jacket. They were a bit squished, but otherwise edible. We scrounged up some sticks and settled ourselves in front of the fire.
    "Thank you for today, sweetheart," I said, looking over at him. I appreciated our moments together so much more. For some reason, I never grew tired of his presence. Just being near him had a calming effect on me, that made me feel like I was safe in the world. He really understood me, from my sense of humour to the way I felt about topics. Love was a hard thing to describe, but I knew that I was feeling it.
    "No need to thank me, love." He smirked. "This marshmallow is plenty of payment."
    I cocked an eyebrow at him as his marshmallow caught fire.
    "Still delicious!"

When we returned home, we immediately headed for the hot-tub in an attempt to warm up. We casually stripped down and hopped in. Living together, and having a relationship for so many years, meant that we had already seen each other naked. Stefan and I both agreed that sex wasn't an option before marriage, however. The risks were too high for both of us. Besides, I was never particularly interested in that sort of thing anyway.
    Sitting next to the man I loved, naked, stirred up feelings of affection inside of me. The hair on his chest was veritable proof that he was a man, and yet the rosiness of his cheeks still reminded me of the boy that I had befriended as a child.

"You're beautiful, Yuki."
    I laughed. "You can barely even see me because of this wispy appearance."
    "Yuki, you could be turned into a toad and you'd still be the most beautiful woman in the world."
    "You sure do know how to say all the right things, don't you?" I snuggled close to him, tucking myself under his arm. "Dating my best friend has been the most wonderful thing in the entire world."
    "Yuki! You didn't tell me that you're dating someone else!"
    "Oh, stop it, you. You've always listened to me—even if I didn't realize it—and been there for me. That time I spent away from you was important, for both of us to grow, but it was also the hardest time in my life. I don't think I could live without you."
    Stefan smiles, wordless, and rubs his cold nose against mine. "Hey, I have something to ask you, but we need to get dressed."

We dried off changed back into our slightly damp clothes. I shivered slightly, glancing towards the house. "Shall we head back in?"
   "No!" Stefan shouted, then took a step back. "I mean, it's just that there's always paparazzi in the front, the snow is so pretty, your dad is inside the house, and this is the spot that he... Well, it won't take long."
    Puzzled, I stepped back and cocked my head.
    Stefan took a deep breath. "What you were just saying right now... That you couldn't live without me? Yuki, I wouldn't be able to live without you. When you died... well, I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't been able to bring you back to life."
    "I doubt many girls can brag about being brought back to life by their true love."
    "We do have quite the story, don't we? One that would be great to tell our children..."
    My heart skipped a beat. "You want to have kids with me?"
    "Of course, Yuki. I've thought about our life together. In fact, I've though about our future a lot."

"You're right, Yuki. Dating my best friend has been wonderful. I can only think of one more thing to top that." Stefan kneeled down in the snow, ignoring the coldness no doubt permeating his clothing.
    My mouth felt dry, and a snowflake drifted into my eyelashes, causing my eyes to water.
    Or maybe I was just crying.
    "Yuki Blanche, nothing would make me happier than being married to you: my best friend, the love of my life, and the future mother of my children. I promise to love you for each second, waking or asleep, to raise you up when times are rough and to act as a partner, a source of support, and a friend. Yuki Blanche Casmin, will you marry me?"
    He opened the box that he was holding and I couldn't help but gasp as the gleam caught my eye. I covered my face, overwhelmed with emotion, and nodded vigourously, extending my hand.
    After a moment, I was able to regain speech, and cried out, "Yes, of course I will marry you!"

 I embraced him, a surge of happiness incomparable. This, by far, was the best day of my life. It even beat the day I got Flame, our when we won our first championship. Yes, I had a special bond with my horses, but at the end of the day, no one could compare to Stefan. I was glad that I had managed to finally figure that out.
    "You know, Stefan, you were my first crush. And now, you're my only and last."
    "I guess our moms were right to betroth us."

I winked at him. "I'm just fulfilling my mum's last wish." And with that, I could wait no longer, and kissed him. 

Chapter 55: Resurrecting Hope

It was a gorgeous day. Shauni and Harry were enjoying the spring air, their honeymoon phase not quite yet complete. The lovebirds held hands and traveled from park attraction to park attraction, before, giggling all the while, trying their hand at the love meter. Both hoping for a score in the red to display before everyone their fiery love, and both shrugging when the colour flickered green. "Looks like you two are friends!" the machine displayed. Harry turned to his wife and smiled. "It's not wrong, you know. You're my best friend."

There to corroborate the evidence of their date was Andy, Harry's own father. He had his eyes on a werewolf prowling the park's perimeters, primed to arrest her at the slightest sign of mischief. The werewolf, however, was in fact the park proprietor, just trying her best to keep her park looking tidy.

Harry only noticed his father when he saw Andy running out of the park as fast as he could go (which, in fact, was an impressive speed for a man of his age). Andy had just received a call on his cellphone from one of his neighbours that they had spotted a fire in one of the second floor bedrooms and had phoned for the firefighters.
    His fatherly instincts prickled and Andy rushed into the house recklessly, failing to heed his years of training when faced with a fire. There was only one thing that mattered to him—finding Yuki. Her door was locked from the outside, but the only one who had ever held the key to the doors in the house was Andy. He pulled his shirt over his nose to shield his face from the acrid smoke fuming beneath the door and, with a trembling hand, unlocked the door.

Grief immediately wracked his body, for the scene in front of him was clear despite his tear-filled eyes. Death had come and left only the bare remains of his youngest daughter. Andy didn't know who to turn to. When his wife had died, he had laid the burden of his grief onto his children. They were older now, though, and he feared that the death of their sister would affect them even more greatly than he could imagine.
    He went to the one person who he knew loved Yuki Blanche with all his heart. The one person who would understand his pain. Stefan.

    "Sir? Are you all right?" Stefan asked awkwardly, completely taken aback. Andy had knocked ferociously on his door, then had immediately collapsed into Stefan's arms. As he held the shaking man, an overwhelming sense of dread washed over him.
    "No, I'm not," Andy managed, stepping back, "Yuki is dead."
    For a private investigator, Andy really didn't know how to break news gently. Stefan, unable to absorb this information, blinked. "Tell me what happened."
    Andy shook his head, still fighting back sobs. "Let me show you."
    Fifteen minutes later, Stefan was forced to swallow the bitter pill. Andy, having cried more than he had done in the past ten years, became numb as Stefan cried in turn.

   Having lost track of time, Stefan returned home, promising to come back in the morning. On his way out, he bumped into Harry and his wife, Shauni. After hesitating a moment, Stefan stopped them both. He broke the news as gently as he could, watching their faces carefully. Harry's mouth fell open, shuddering breaths escaping his lungs. He turned into the arms of his wife, sadness and empathy apparent on her face.
    But Stefan did not overlook the lack of shock. As he told her, her eyebrows simply drew together into a frown. He could not put his finger on it, but something was wrong.

They held the funeral the next day, planning to keep Yuki's ashes alongside those of her mother and grandparents. They were planning a larger funeral later, once they got a chance to tell Seppen and Bert. Unfortunately, both were extremely overwhelmed with their own children and families, so Andy and Harry decided to reserve the news until the following week.
    Stefan didn't think it was right. Shauni didn't state her opinion. It was, Stefan thought, as though she didn't care.

Andy, stony-faced, observed Shauni consoling Harry's seemingly irreparable grief. "I wanted to tell you last night, but it wasn't the right time... And it won't be the right time for a while... But I need to tell you now because you deserve to know. With death comes life, Harry. I'm pregnant."
    Another decision that Stefan considered to be inappropriate. Funerals are not the place to announce pregnancies. And besides, Harry seemed hardly cheered. How could he? Now in addition to feeling grief for his sister, he felt happy about having a child, and then an insurmountable amount of shame at his happiness. Andy did not feel even a glimmer of happiness at the prospect of another grandchild.

Later, Shauni retired upstairs, leaving the Casmins to themselves. Harry gazed at the graves of his relatives, lost in his own thoughts. Stefan took the opportunity to pull Andy aside.
    "I know we wanted to leave her ashes here.... But I wanted to take them," he said.
    "Why would you want that? How will she rest if she's not at peace?"
    Stefan took a breath. "As an investigator who works with the police force and a member of the royal family with great political ties, I'm sure that you are familiar with the procedures of returning a human to life."
    "All you need are their ashes," Harry spoke suddenly, not turning. "It's one of the branches at the hospital. I haven't worked there long but... I've heard rumours. They're still testing, though. It's not something they would offer to the public. And it costs a lot of money."
    Andy shook his head. "When Jessie... when Yuki's mother died, Yuki said that she didn't like the idea of bringing Jessie back to life. She said... that the life of someone not truly alive nor dead would be empty and incomplete. That she, and us, would never have a chance to grieve Jessie."
    Stefan bit his lip. "My life without Yuki is empty and incomplete. And how can I grieve her if I will dream every day of bringing her back to life? Of thinking of all the what ifs? Besides, she is not the public. I am not the public. We are both of royal blood, and the money is something I can handle. Even if that weren't the case, Harry, I would hope that you could help me out."
    Harry sighed. "She's my sister. Of course I would help." And with that, he strode away.

"But why can't you leave the ashes here until we've made a decision?" Andy asked.
    Stefan turned to make sure that Harry had exited the room completely. "Because I can't bring her back to life if I don't have the ashes. And with Shauni living in the house... I don't want to take any chances."
    "Do you suspect her of something? I saw her at the park the time of the incident. It would have been impossible for her to have set fire to anything."
    Stefan shook his head. "It doesn't matter. The firefighters said that the fire was not accidental. You haven't told Harry, have you?"
    Andy shook his head.
    "Then I can assume that that means you don't completely trust Shauni either."
    The two men exchanged a glance. Andy wandered upstairs to leave Stefan in peace. In the cold air above, he was embraced by what felt like silken tulle billowing due to the wind. "Mom," he whispered into the ghost's shoulder, choking out a sob.
    She clasped her son firmly, wishing she was more solid so to protect him from the world. "Let Stefan bring my granddaughter back, Andy. Without Yuki's love in the world, it's just not the same."

Stefan was not the only one who had his suspicions, however. Flame, who did not understand that his owner was dead, was fortunate that Yuki had lovingly maintained his stable and food supplies, because the other members of the family were too distraught to take care of him. Still, the animal recognized something was off, and in the way that animals flee from naturals disasters, he, who had silently witnessed Shauni being unkind to Yuki on multiple occasions, met the one human he had distaste for.
    Shauni, as usual, didn't care for the animal and simply ignored him. She was indifferent, it seemed, to anything that happened in the household.

For the next few weeks, Stefan immersed himself in reading. He nabbed textbooks from Harry, pulled up research articles online, and visited the hospital to consult. They would only have one chance at bringing Yuki back from the dead. The chances were low. In fact, the procedure was almost guaranteed to fail, since it had never succeeded before. The odds weren't in his favour, but Stefan was determined, fueled by grief. If it failed, Stefan would have to accept that he would never see Yuki again. Whether this was something he would be able to handle... he did not want to even think about.

Only Andy held some sort of semblance of faith in Stefan. Harry was unconvinced, and Shauni was trying her best to make Stefan let go. She complained that the atmosphere was not good for the growth of her child, that eventually he would have to accept Yuki's death. She rebuffed any of his accusations by saying she couldn't fake grief for a woman she barely knew. Stefan begrudgingly accepted this, but argued that she ought to have more empathy for the family's situation.

After months of being on the waiting list, Stefan finally received the call he was waiting for. He brought the ashes that he had guarded for months, stored carefully and secretly from Shauni. Both she and Harry believed the ashes to be buried. Only Andy knew the truth.
    The doctors told Stefan that it would be one more month before they would see any results. He nodded and asked for frequent updates. They told him to not hold his breath about any positive news.

The doctor had barely finished speaking when Stefan raced out of the house, the 'end' button unpressed, the doctor's voice ringing out unsurely around the kitchen. Without even his license on hand, Stefan tore through the town, rolling stops and skipping through red traffic lights. This was one occasional where he couldn't care less about being a role model for the citizens. When he reached the front desk, an alarmed receptionist stuttered before managing to express the fact that Yuki had already been released. Stefan turned, unable to believe that he had passed by her unknowingly, and raced outside the door.

---

When Stefan later asked me what I remembered about being in the research lab and hospital, I honestly answered that I was unable to remember. The first time I became aware of myself and my surroundings was when I felt Stefan's lips against mine. The feeling was warm and familiar—soft lips, warm breath, sturdy body. But there was something he had gained that he didn't have as a teenager. A confident assertiveness as a man, a desperate passion as a lover. Just like I felt when his hands first brushed against mine when we were young, a shiver passed over my body, tingles shooting down my body to my toes. When he pulled back, my brain felt fuzzy and dizzy—but perhaps that was the aftereffects of being dead for several months.

Whether he was going to speak or not didn't matter to me in that moment. All I knew was that I felt cold, and that there was nothing in the world I had ever desired as much as I desired him at that moment. I pulled him flush to me and leaned in, greedily directing his lips to my neck, taking pleasure in knotting my fingers into his hair. Why had I never liked his long hair before? It was so satisfying to tug gently on, to run my fingers through. Every extra hair meant another hair of Stefan's, after all. With his attention completely on me, as it had always been, I suddenly felt foolish for having ever doubted him.

Something, however, felt different. But this time, it was all me. I pulled away, confused, and looked down at myself. I blinked several times, coming to grips with my ghostly body. I felt solid when Stefan held me, so why did I now look so transparent?

    The fire, it seemed, had not been imaginary. And the ghosts of my previous family members floated through my mind as if in some kind of reunion. I was one of them now. A different shade, perhaps because of my youth. A ghost? Would I be able to live my life fully? Have children? And did I feel the same to Stefan?
    I glanced up, and my heart was immediately overwhelmed by the loving expression on Stefan's face. My mouth felt dry, and I no longer felt quite so cold. Had he ever looked at me that way before? I knew for certain that I had never done so. What had changed? Or simply, what had I failed to see before? 

    "Are you the reason I'm here?" I asked, unable to comprehend how he would still be able to stand my presence after my treatment of him, let alone go to these ends.

    "Well, I feel like your parents had more to do with it," he joked, running a hand over my elbow, "but yes, Yuki. You see, I can't live without you."

"Stefan," I said, my voice breaking, "I've treated you so horribly. When we dated, I never gave you the time of day. I really took you for granted. And when I broke up with you... I not only lost a man who was only ever good to me, but I lost my best friend."

    "Yuki, I admit, I wish we could have spent more time together when we were teenagers. But that's not your fault. I should have communicated better. And I was so rude about your tournaments. The things I said... I felt so guilty after. They kept me up for weeks. I've always been proud of you for pursuing what you love. I was just jealous that that took up time that I could see you."

    "I'm sorry, Stefan. I really am. I misjudged you when I was younger."

    "I'm sorry as well, Yuki. I can see why. I tried to act cool and enjoyed the idea of having a reputation. I never did any of the things other people talked about—especially the girls. Yuki Blanche, since we were young, you're the only one I've ever thought about. I don't just love you because you're beautiful. I love you because you're you. I love you because of the tender frown in your forehead when you brush Flame. I love you because when you yawn you try and cover your mouth with two fingers. I love you because you lose focus when we pass raccoons and squirrels when walking. God, I love your determination and power when you're racing to the finish-line with Flame. I love your three moles on the back of your left shoulder. I love your pinky toe with the really short nail. I love the scar on the back of your hand. I love everything about you, Yuki. Every ounce of person that you are, and every ounce of happiness that you bring other people."

    Overcome, I couldn't stop the tears, hot and real from parading down my cheeks. "Oh, Stefan. I only wish I could be half as romantic as you. What I know is that I love you, and you mean the world to me. I only wish I had seen it sooner."

    He smiled. "What matters is you see it now."

    The tears fell to the ground and disappeared.

"Now, Yuki, there's someone else here to see you..."
    Warm arms engulfed me and my crying recommenced. "Daddy... I'm so sorry...."
    "Yuki, what do you have to be sorry for? You did nothing wrong. I'm just grateful I have you."
    I stood in his arms for a few minutes longer, but when I broke away from them, I could hardly look at daddy in the eye.
    "Yuki Blanche." He put his hands on my shoulders. "I know there's something you have to tell me. The way you died... It was unnatural. Do you remember how the fire started?"
    I paused, glancing over to Stefan. I could only think of Harry, my concern for him growing every second. My memories were flooding back quickly as I inhaled the familiar scent of my father, as I gazed over the landscape, recalling how I spent my childhood in the town. My eyes traced their way back to the hospital where Harry worked. "I'll tell you on the way home. I can't imagine how Flame must be feeling right now."

By the time we arrived home, it was already growing dark. I approached Flame's barn and noticed an unfamiliar white horse inside, glancing at me apprehensively.
    "Yuki? Yuki!" Harry waved at me from the doorstep, breaking out into a run. He wrapped his scrawny arms around me, pulling me so tightly against him I wondered whether I would be able to pass right through. "You're not quite a ghost, huh? Just transparent. Although, you've always been that."
    I didn't really understand what he meant by that, but I smiled and nodded. Everything seems to be the same. I just feel a bit colder. "And I can walk through walls!" I told him excitedly, passing through the barn to show him.
    "Wow, so you can float, then?"
    I glanced down at myself, shocked to see my feet hovering a couple centimeters off the ground. Immediately, I seemingly regained my weight and my feet planted themselves back on the ground.

"Who's this?" I motioned to the horse.
    Harry grinned sheepishly. "Well, Stefan has been taking care of Flame for the past month, but he visited the farm a lot to make sure that he was doing things correctly. I guess this lady took a liking to him and Flame, because the farmer pressured Stefan into buying her. He named her Snowy, of course."
    I laughed, smiling. "She's beautiful. Hi, Snowy. You're a great addition to the family."
    "Speaking of which, I'd better go check on my pregnant wife. I'm so glad you're here, Yuki."
    I smiled weakly, watching him retreat. I felt insanely guilty—I was about to ruin the perfect life he had procured. Wanting to avoid the disputes and stay out of the way, I let Snowy out and starting cleaning up the barn.
    Then again, it wasn't me who was ruining his life. I was preventing his child's life from being ruined by the person responsible for ruining my life.

During the car ride, I had told Stefan and daddy everything. About Shauni's witchcraft abilities. About the apple.
    I should have been more suspicious. But a single bite from the apple rendered me unconscious. Who knows how much later, I roused from my sleep, but only slightly. My body was limp and I had no control. My brain felt like there was a hazy net pinning it down.
    She must have moved me to my bed, because I had no recollection of walking anywhere.

My eyelids fluttered only once. After that, they remained crusted shut and my brain refused to send any more signals to the rest of my body. But my hearing still worked. And my sight had still recognized enough in that brief second.
    Shauni. Lighting one of the many fireworks that my family had won at festivals over the years. We had more fireworks than we had cutlery. It was no wonder that she found one so readily.
    The peculiar thing was that Shauni was supposed to be at the festival with Harry during that time. When my father and Stefan told me this, I was shocked. I didn't have any timeframe for when she locked me in there, but daddy said she and Harry had been gone since early morning.
    "And she didn't leave once?"
    Daddy shook his head, then faltered. "She never left the park. But she was out of sight plenty of times—to the washroom, to the photobooth... I suppose...."
    "You suppose what?" Stefan asked, impatience laced in his words.
    "If she's a witch... If it's true... I have heard of witches teleporting. But I thought it was folklore."
    Stefan sighed. "And who would have thought we'd be able to bring Yuki back to life? Shauni... If Yuki remembers her doing it, then it's settled."

I remembered those few moments very clearly, in fact. I remembered the piercing sound of the fireworks going off, stunning my brain for a few moments. I remembered the flames catching slowly, slow enough to lull me back into sleep.
    I was grateful that the fumes had ended up rendering me unconscious in the end. The pain of being burned alive was not something I would have cared to remember.

Shouting echoed from the house, waking me from my reverie. I closed the barn and approached the house tentatively. If Shauni was evil enough to murder me, I worried for Stefan's safety.
    I caught them in the middle of the argument. It was immediately apparent to me that Stefan had things handled.
    "We have proof. You can't possibly hope of getting out of this one now, Shauni. How heartless and cruel must you be? I hope you enjoy the cold bars of jail."
    Shauni turned her head away scornfully. "If you truly think I'm capable of teleporting, then a jail certainly wouldn't hold me."
    Stefan sneered. "That's assuming you keep your powers. You can be certain that won't remain the case for long."

"And what about my child? My child with Harry, might I add. What then?"
    "Don't use the kid as an excuse. First, you get rid of the magic. Then, Harry will get custody of the child. He won't want his kid to be raised by someone who murdered his sister. You've really screwed Harry over, I hope you know. He had his head on straight, a great career, and you had to ruin it all," Stefan growled.
    "Oh, please. Don't kid yourself. This entire household was depressed. Harry's father never even saw his children. Harry acted up and got into trouble—"
    "Because of you!"
    "—and his sister. What a ditz. You're just like every other guy that went to our school, Stefan. And she was too blind to see that. The only difference is that you're a prince. When I came into this house, I made Harry happy. I'm giving his father a grandchild. I made their lives exciting."
    Stefan stammered, each word uttered with malice. "Don't you fucking dare pretend that murdering Yuki somehow made their lives better."

"You don't need to explain your motivations to me," Stefan scowled. "You're too easy to read. It was very simple. Yuki's the heir. You figured that by marrying Harry, you would get your hands into the dough. But when you found out he wouldn't get any money, you realized you had to do something. It was easy, wasn't it? Bert and Seppen are gone, with families of their own. Harry, who still lives in the house, would be the natural next heir."
    Yuki's face burned with hatred. It was clear she didn't enjoy being found out so easily. "He's a surgeon. Money isn't something I need to worry about."
    "He's a young man with student loans who had plans to buy an affordable house in the less wealthy side of town. Even if he ended up making more money, it's clear that he wouldn't have used it to live lavishly. By being heir, he would have to live here. You would get the house you always wanted without having to lift a pinky."

The room fell quiet. I took the opportunity to finally appear. Shauni's face was priceless—only the one a killer seeing their victim could wear. Her shock was evident, and any attempt to act was immediately quelled as I drifted right through her.
    Their yells had rebounded throughout the house, and by the pounding of feet behind me, I was sure that Harry was coming to deliver the final decision. I could only hope that my twin was not so entranced by the witch that he would be unable to come to a logical conclusion.

I needn't have worried. Fury flooded Harry's face. Hurt. Betrayal.
    "Dad told me everything. And I heard the yelling. How could you?! I thought I knew you! For you to—to murder my sister—it just... Clearly I'm an ass for ever thinking you were a good person. For trying to ignore any sign. Is this why you got pregnant? In hopes that you could keep me? Well, good luck with that. There's no chance that I'm letting my child anywhere near you. And in case you think of trying anything, just recall the power that we have. You've tangled with the wrong family."
    At these words, a smirk tugs at my lips. Stefan, likewise, is having trouble keeping the gleeful expression from his face. Hopefully Harry wouldn't see Stefan's grin.

"You know," Harry continued, "I actually argued against implementing the magical removal services at my hospital! I said, hey, dad's just being too intense, clearly there are some who use their powers for good. But I'm sure glad they went through with it! With criminals like you, we need some control, don't we? So you can guess where we're going right now. I hope you enjoyed misusing magic, because that's the last time you'll ever get the chance for that."
    Harry grabbed her wrist, pulling him behind her. She didn't resist.

The house was notably quieter without the two of them. I excused myself to Stefan, and asked if I could have some time alone. He seemed confused, but agreed.
    I could not place my feelings, other than that I was feeling them. The house felt like it was undone. Or not done. I wasn't entirely sure. Either way, I set myself busy. Perhaps I had inherited a cleaning gene from gramma, but I wanted to make the house as spotless as possible.
    Gramma. My heart tightened at the thought of her. Did that mean that we could have brought everyone back? Gramma, grampa... mommy... My throat constricted painfully and I swallowed. The difference was, I reminded myself, that I was young. Not that mommy wasn't... but I didn't think she would want to be raised from the dead. Did I, even? Yes, definitely. I was very grateful. I hoped that I would be able to have children, but even so, I felt insanely grateful that I was given another chance with Stefan. Call it fate, but I felt like things were supposed to turn out this way.

 At the end of my cleaning spree, I approached my room, somewhat tentatively. My hand flinched at the doorknob, remembering the searing pain, but it was cool to the touch. And inside... burnt. Everything charred, ruined beyond remembrance.
    But I saw one more thing. A lump of ashes. The part of me that had been in the urn was, it seemed, my soul. Because I knew without a doubt that the ashes had been my body. I teared a little thinking of it. Now, I was a wisp. A memory of what I used to be.
    No, that was silly. I was here because I had more to say. More to do. The past years of my life barely scratched the surface of my future accomplishments. And that, I was sure.

I was sad that Harry's child would lead a disrupted life. I was sad in the end, but I knew it was the right choice. Because at least now, I would get to lead a life.