A Time to Be Young

"There's crazy magic bullshit happening. That's enough of an explanation for me. I don't want any part of it."

"She said you could live out your years naturally."

"For how long? We don't know. I don't even know who that woman was or what her name was. I don't know this emperor kid. I think it's best if this is undone and ..."

"Daddy, no. If mother was young again do you think she'd want to go back."

"Please tell me that's not the standard you judge me by."

"You said you wanted to be with me when I graduated. You said you wanted to be with me at my wedding. Well, do you want to do those things or not?"

"You know I do."

"Then, daddy, don't have anything to do with those people. Look at what they've done already. They're dangerous. What if we make them angry by asking? Walk away, daddy. Stay with me. Stay like this. You don't need mother. You don't need anyone else. You have a fresh start, a second chance. Stay with me. Please."

"What if someone finds out?"

"Who's going to believe it? That you found the fountain of youth? You're a new man. You have a new life. No more debts. No more lawyers. No more court. Stay with me and I'll make you happy."

"You deserve to be with someone better than me."

"I choose you, daddy. I want you. Please say you'll stay with me. Please. It's the only thing I want in the whole world. Please."

"Lilith."

"Please."

"Aw, you know I can't ever say no to you."

Lilith embraced her father and kissed him on the cheek.

"I guess now is as good a time to address the, ahem, sex situation. Now just so you know, if I'm going to stay young it might mean I can actually beat any boyfriend of yours in a fair fight so if you don't want to see that then pick a winner and not some bum."

"Daddy, if you're going to beat up my boyfriend you better put on some gloves to keep the glass from the mirror from cutting your hands."

...

Jill returned to her apartment and alone she sat in the dark. She looked under her bed at the bag of money to see if it was still there. It was but then she realized that she didn't even care about it. It dawned on her that the visions were real. Her brother was really out there, suffering and dying. She wrapped her arms around herself and began to rock her body on the bed. She didn't know what to do. She had to save him. She had to get to him or bring him home. But how? What could she do? If she asked anyone for help they would think she was crazy.

"I wouldn't." said a woman's voice in her head.

Jill came out of her despair and looked around. It was then that she saw the glowing green eyes. From the shadow the creature approached her. It had orange and yellow fur all over it's body and it had the main of a lion. It walked on all fours but when it got to the foot of Jill's bed it stood up like a man though it did not have the face of a man but rather some cross between a lion and a wolf.

"Don't be afraid." the woman's voice said. "My dear friend won't hurt you."

The beast snarled.

The woman speaking into Jill's mind materialized from nothing in a green smoky flash. "Come girl, get to your feet. Let me have a look at you."

"Who are you?"

"We are your friends. My true name would be difficult for you to pronounce so you may call me Linda."

"Ok."

"And this here is Avery. I know he looks fierce but he would never hurt anyone. He's so sweet."

The beast snarled again and flinched when the woman calling herself Linda petted his fur.

"I'm Jill." David's sister answered with fear in her voice.

"We are ever so delighted to make your acquaintance."

"CHARMED." the beast tried to say in English while it looked like it might attack and devour Jill at any moment.

"What do you want?" Jill asked as she tried to get distance and was backed all the way to the wall.

"We want to help you."

"Why? Who are you?"

The woman looked at the beast and there was some sort of recognition between them. Then she looked back at Jill. "Your world is in danger. You know the threat I speak of?"

Jill started to slowly nod.

"He's here?"

Jill nodded again.

"He has already made you so afraid. I'm so sorry this has happened to you."

"He took my brother." Jill said. "He's inside of him. Now my brother is lost, running for his life on some other planet or something."

The woman extended her hands and waited for Jill to take them of her own accord. Jill didn't know if she should trust her at first but cautiously she reached out and took one of the woman's hands. The woman closed the distance and embraced Jill, bringing Jill's head to her chest and holding her like a mother holds her daughter.

"If I can I will help you get your brother back. You must understand the great danger you are in. You and everyone else here. The being that is inside of your brother is an ancient evil. He travels from world to world across the universe, conquering and destroying. Once there is nothing left he moves on. You must help us stop him once and for all."

"How?"

"Can you get close to him?"

"I think I can."

"If either of us try to approach him he would destroy us and then travel back to our homes to decimate and holocaust our people as punishment. But we want to help you save your world. We can't do it alone. Will you help us?"

"What can I even do?"

...

"Come out of your shell." Paul heard his daughter say. She kept at it grooming him on how to convincingly pass for 19 years old. "Don't use your old man voice. And remember, all us kids are idiots so hold back on giving everybody wisdom. You have to act like you haven't learned from all your mistakes yet."

Lilith wanted her father to live life to the fullest with her by his side. She was making plans to get him out of that dorm building and out onto the campus proper to do something fun and stupid that a 19 year old would do. Water park, beach, body painting so they could walk around town nude, sex in an elevator, dancing at a nightclub, frat party on campus. Socialize, socialize, socialize.

"Oh, and when I introduce you to my mom as my boyfriend, I can't wait to see the look on her face."

"Are you sure that would even be remotely a good idea."

"Oh, absolutely, but not now. We have to like, wait and build up to that first. Oh, and the threesomes we're going to have, I can't wait to ..."

"Hold up there. Just hold up a minute. Threesomes?"

"Daddy, ..."

"You gotta learn to call me Paul, sweetheart."

"You have to learn to call me Babe, or at least Lilith."

"Ok, fair point. No threesomes. I'm not that kind of guy."

"Paul, I really hate to be the one to tell you this."

"If you've done that in the past I really actually don't want to hear about it. At least not right now. Way too much on the plate already."

"Not me, daddy. Mom."

"Uh, excuse me."

"Oh, you're going to be pissed that I didn't tell you."

"Talk young lady."

"Mom, was cheating on you. Everyone knew. Even uncle Donald knew. I think him and mom actually hooked up once or twice."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"I never saw it but I heard that there were threesomes and maybe even a gangbang."

"A gangbang? You're making this up."

"I never saw it myself."

"Who told you, then."

"Mom bragged about it. She bragged about how she could do all of that and you never found out. But Daddy, listen, she was a fool."

"No, I was the fool."

"Not for loving me. I'm your lucky star. And I am going to make sure that you get so much pussy that you'll leave mother in the dust."

"I don't think I feel comfortable competing on something like that."

"You really don't want to have two girls sucking your cock at the same time?"

Paul was getting an erection just hearing her talk about it. "Well, I wouldn't go out of my way to make that happen. I'm not a pervert."

"You don't have to go out of your way. The girls will come to you. Just always remember, I'm your little girl so I always get to go first."

...

It was very late at night getting close to eleven but Jill was still up. She was sitting drinking coffee and staring at her door.

Knock, knock.

There it was. Go time. She took a deep breath and opened it as far as the chain would allow.

"Hi." David said.

"Hello. Can I help you?"

"Oh, you're angry with me."

"You think?"

"Ok. I apologize."

"Not accepted."

"May I know what I did that was wrong?"

"Wait right there."

Jill unchained the door but did not allow her brother to enter. Instead she went out to the hallway with him and used her key to lock her door. Then she turned to him.

"Where are your two little fan boys."

"I sent them home."

"Right, back to your grand daughter. Because my 19 year old little brother who just graduated high school already has a grand daughter, as if that makes any fucking sense at all."

"Sweet Jill, tell me what's wrong."

"Oh, nothing. EVERYTHING!"

"Such as?"

"Why did you want to have sex with me?"

"Why wanted you to have sex with me?"

"Because you wanted me to."

"I just wanted to show you a good time. I told you I was open to whatever you wanted and we could stop at any time."

"Bull. Shit. You do not get to absolve yourself of agency just because you mention in passing that it's all up to me to do whatever I want to do. You were leading me by the hand and you know it. I was doing whatever YOU wanted to do. And we fucked. You're supposed to be my little brother but you're not. I don't know who you are. You're completely different."

"We haven't seen each other in a very long time."

"David, when I left the group home you were a scrawny nerd with no friends who used constant studying as a way to distract your mind from remembering what dad did to you. And now I expected a college student who might be a bit more grown up but still basically the same person. Instead I find out that you're the five thousand year old emperor of the universe."

"I'm not five thousand years old. I'm 19 ... thousand years old. It might be a bit more though. I sort of lost track at one point."

"Do you even fucking hear yourself? You come to see me out of the blue and instead of my brother you're Doctor fucking Who and there's no explanation for it."

"Actually, I'm pretty certain I explained in great details about ..."

"Magic this and magic that. BULLSHIT. It's not enough for me. I want my little brother back."

"Ok. Ok. You're my big sister. Please tell me how I have to be for you to accept me as your brother and I will try to do that."

"Start Explaining."

"It's a lot to explain."

"Well, I don't have a job anymore. So as long as you can make time out of your busy schedule wiping out the population of China, I can listen all day long."

"I'm not responsible for China."

"They closed the boarder. They say everyone is going to die over there. What did you do?"

"Nothing. Why would you think I had anything to do with it?"

"Your power comes from death. Oh, that's convenient."

"And you think it means I cause death? I'm trying to save those people. As many as I can."

"This kind of conversation is not one I should be having with my brother. So what is the deal, David. No more lies."

"I never lied to you."

"You know what. Keep your secrets. Go be Darth Vader and enslave a galaxy far far away just so long as you leave me alone."

"Jill, I love you. I care about you deeply."

"Then tell me, what is wrong with you? Who are you? What happened to my brother?"

"Ok, it's going to take a while. Are we going to stand out here all night?

"You want to go in my place?"

"Just saying."

"My roommate is out of town but don't get any ideas that you're going to get to sleep here. In fact, if you're coming inside I don't want any bullshit. No crazy guys who kneel in front of you. No demi gods. No magic. No money. And 100% no sex. You're my little brother for motherfucking crying out loud. You have to act like it and be normal. Don't even let your mind go to sex for a second or I will kick you out on your ass."

"I will abide by your rules in your home."

Jill let David in and pointed at where she wanted him to sit. He complied and sat near her coffee cup. She grabbed a second mug and went to the pot to pour some for him and she set it in front of him.

"You said it was a long story. We have all night. Talk." Jill said as she used the last of the coffee in the pot to fill up her own mug. She sat there looking at him while he considered what to say. She sipped her coffee and then waited a bit more.

"You're scared of me." he commented.

"You're damn right I'm scared of you?"

"Why?"

She got up and went to the door. She opened it and pointed for him to leave.

"What have I done wrong?"

"You said you'd explain. So explain and stop asking me questions. I don't know anything."

"You're right. Ok." She closed the door and went back to the table. She sipped her coffee and watched as David brought his mug to his lips and took a sip.

"Before I begin you need to understand that there are some things I should not tell you."

Jill sipped her coffee. "I want to hear everything."

"Some of it is painful and some of it might not make any sense to someone who wasn't there."

Jill sipped her coffee and her brother did as well. "You going to spend all night telling me what you're not going to tell me? Ok, fine. Answer me this. The scar above your belly button, how'd you get it."

"Our father."

"But how? Do you remember? Do you know?"

"Of course I ... cough ... I ... cough, cough."

Jill watched as David's body lost it's strength and he fell over. He was in pain as he twitched there on the floor.

The beast and the woman emerged from their hiding spot and came out to see the once great emperor now reduced to a helpless human.

"You did good girl." the woman said as she produced a knife. "Now we must finish him before he escapes."

"Wait. What about my brother? What about David? How do I get him back?"

The woman didn't answer. She was focused on the emperor. The beast got between Jill and the woman to prevent Jill from interfering in what had to be done.

"Your reign has ended, highness. You will never rule over anyone else ever again." She brought the knife down and stabbed David in the heart with it. The body had been struggling to get air but the weapon put an end to that and the body lay limp. "He must have been very weak. That was far easier than I ever hoped it to be."

"What about my brother?" Jill asked.

The woman didn't respond. She simply continued to look down at David's body.

"What about the girl?" the beast asked.

"We have no more use of her. Eat her if you want." the woman said.

"Eat me!"

The beast turned to her. "You look delicious." the beast said as he began to approach and backed Jill to a corner.

It happened very fast, so fast that Jill's eyes didn't really make everything out. There was a flash of reflection off of the knife as it flew through the air and stabbed the beast in the neck. Then the knife changed shape and became a disk and in doing so actually cut the beast's head off. The body of the beast started to heat up and produce smoke which Jill had to fan away. The witch woman screamed in pain as her body locked into a strange position and then began to levitate up. She was suspended in the air in a funny pose and Jill didn't know what was going on.

Then the slain body of her brother began to get to its feet. His eyes looked at Jill and there was an intense look of anger and hatred on his face. He then looked up at the sorceress and while one hand was over his heart another did a gesture and the body of the witch burst and dissolved into particles in the air. There was a blue energy residue outlining where she had been. David did another gestured and seemed to be forcing that energy into a ball and then he pulled the ball out of the air and into his hand. He squeezed it and crushed it and Jill heard the woman calling herself Linda give off a death scream one more time. Like slime the blue energy melted from David's hand and then evaporated into nothing without even a trace. Similarly, the head and body of the beast burned up into the air of the room and only a black stain was left outlining where the body had been.

Jill was left alone there with her brother's animated dead body. Streaming past her were golden strings of power and energy being pulled to David. He was collecting them and then directing them to heal his body.

Cough. He violently beat his chest. Cough cough. He started to breathe again and in just a few moments more it seemed he was back to full health except that his eyes were now glowing bright red and Jill could not tell where his pupils were aimed.

"You do this to me! Why?"

"I'm sorry. I just want my brother back. Please don't hurt me."

"Them I understand but not you. Why? Oh, yes, this answers a question of mine. No doubt about it."

Jill got to her knees and put her hands together like a prayer. "Please. I beg you. I see my brother every time I close my eyes. I see where he has been sent. Can you please send him back to me. Please. Take someone else. I will do whatever you ask of me. You can do whatever you want to me. Just please let David go."

The emperor grabbed a chair from the table and brought it over to where Jill was on her knees. He sat in front of her and put his hand under her jaw to force her to look up at him.

In a softer tone a step closer to human than deity he began. "When you got sick I was the one who cared for you." He showed her his hand palm up. "When you died, with my own hands, I was the one who buried you." Tears of glowing hot magma began to fall from his eyes. "After you were gone I alone was the one who mourned you." He grabbed her face more forcefully and she winced at the brightness of his eyes shining down on her. "For twenty thousand years I have been the only creature in the vast multiverse to even know you existed at all. I carried your memory across galaxies. Dimensions. I burned worlds, toppled kingdoms, slew dragons, and built empires."

He let her go and she fell back to the floor. He was shaking from rage as he got to his feet. "See me not with your eyes? Hear me not with your ears? Thought you I would be a weakling and an imbecile forever? That I would never accomplish anything?"

"I'm sorry." Jill said as she prostrated herself and bowed her head all the way to the floor hoping to appease him.

"Get up. Look me in the face."

Jill slowly, cautiously, got to her feet and cowered. "I don't understand."

"Obviously. And you never will."

"What happened to you? What made you this way?"

He didn't answer her question right away. He sat back down in the chair and the red from his eyes began to fade. Jill sat down on the floor at his feet and looked up at him. In his young face she could see the age of his many years weighing on him.

"The pandemic kills everyone. Almost everyone. About 10% of people are naturally immune and that included me for some reason. You and I, we ran away together to the mountains. There was a cabin by a lake surrounded by trees. You were good at fishing. I was good at hunting. We made it work. We were happy together even as civilization was snuffed out all around us. We found love in each other's arms. It made not any sense but then after we'd started it was the only thing that made sense as if that was the way it was always supposed to be in the first place. Me and you. Together forever.

"And then one day a boy came wandering near the cabin. I told you to leave him alone but you called me heartless. You went and gave him some of our food. You came back infected but didn't know it yet. And then I lost you. For days and days, I don't even remember how long, I didn't eat. I stayed at your grave ready to die and join you.