An Apocalyptic Invasion

epilogue

The cloak rustled around him as he walked through the grass.
He paused and looked at his friend. "What do you think?"
"You were right. It is really pretty at this time."
He set his gaze back on the moon.
"Do the Catwings know?"
His friend snorted. "Of course they do. Did you really think you would fool them that easily?"
"At least I tried. Were they angry?"
"Surprisingly, no. They were more relieved to know that you are still alive."
It was his turn to snort. "Only took them five fucking years."
"You slipped."
"Whatever." He whisked his cloak to morph back to his normal self. "Stupid disguise anyway."
"Good. I still hate seeing you like that."
He tilted his head. "Really? Why?"
Sam shrugged. "I like the real you and not this whole... facade you put on."
"The Cloaked One sounds pretty good, though."
"What DO you do when you're in that form?"
"Give Riley sarcastic comfort when she needs it."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course. And does she appreciate it?"
He slid his hands into his pockets and smiled at her. "I like to think that she does."
She couldn't help but smile back and shake her head. "Carlos, you tricky asshole."
"That's what I've been saying this whole time."
He turned around to see his old friend Tommy fly in with his majestic black wings. "Hey man."
"Good to see you too." They did their handshake and he hugged Sam.
"So what are we doing?"
"Going for a walk before you interrupted."
Tommy smirked at her. "Of course I'm not gonna have a good night if I don't interrupt my best friends."
"I love you too dude. Does she know you work for me?"
"She knows I work for someone," he said.
"I'm sorry I'm still making you lie."
"No, it's okay. It's just... for the first time in a while, I feel accomplished doing something. Even though you are making me lie to my wife, I sustain my family because of you."
"So lose-win situation."
"Pretty much."
"Is this your second child?"
"Third," Tommy said. "What about you CJ?"
"Oh, our fourth."
"Your- WHAT?"
"Marissa didn't tell you?"
"No, she did, but I thought she was joking."
"She does that a lot. She was serious this time."
"Wow. Congrats, man!"
"Thanks. When's your wedding?"
"In a month. Speaking of that, I wanted to ask you something."
"Go ahead."
"Will you be my best man?"
Carlos stared at him. "M-Me? After everything?"
"Dude, you literally are still my best friend. Of course you. Who else could I pick?"
"Two guys who we haven't seen in a couple weeks?"
"Jeremy and Dakoda aren't as close to me as we are. And you're gonna say yes."
"But... I can't show up like myself."
"So show up as Ricky," Sam suggested.
"Riley hates him- or me."
"No she does not."
"Tommy, she literally gave me the cold shoulder when I asked her how her day was."
"Ooh. True; but I'll convince her."
"I think she hates you- or him- because you remind her of you."
"She still misses me?"
"Carlos, you have no idea. She still sometimes talks about you."
"Wow."
"You had a huge impact on her life, CJ. Of course she would still miss you."
"She's nineteen now, isn't she?"
"Yeah," Tommy said. "Sophomore year of college."
"You mean she's actually going?"
"If it gives her something to do, I don't really care."
"Valid reason."
"Do you guys want to go to the lake and talk about how weird we were?"
"Sure."

After coming home from a long day at school, she closed the door and got scared by him.
"Jesus Christ, can't you give me a warning?"
"What? I can't sneak up on my best friend?"
"It was funnier when you were alive."
His cloak ran behind him as he floated upside down in circles. "True, but as a ghost I can phase through walls."
"Tell me about it," she grumbled. She sat on her bed and rested her head against the wall.
"So how was school?"
"I don't even want to talk about it."
"That bad, huh?"
"See, the thing is that I love college, but there's so much work."
"Really? It can't be that severe."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "I have three essays due next week and a project due at the end of the month. I also have to do research on different types of molecular cells for biology."
He laughed. "Okay, now I see why you're so stressed."
"I wish you were here," she admitted.
"I am here."
"I mean physically; not in my thoughts and not as a ghost."
He gave her a small smile. "You could always drop out."
"At this point, I think it'll be better for me to. Taking care of the kids was always my number one priority."
He floated over to her and slung his arm around her shoulders. "No matter what choice you make, I'll always be proud of you."
"I love you too, CJ. I miss you."
"I do too, Joya. You have no idea how much I want to be with you right now."
She sat up and crossed her legs. "I do. I think about you everyday."
"Yeah, I have that effect on people."
"Are you leaving yet?"
"What time is it?"
"Almost eleven."
"Nah, I'll stick around for a while more so we can talk."
"Can I tell you something?"
"What's up?"
"I don't really think Ricky is a good fit for Marissa."
He whistled. "Damn, that's a new one. Why not?"
"First off, Marissa found someone a bit too soon. Secondly-"
"Let me guess: he reminds you of me way too much."
"How did you guess?"
"Because I know you and also because I've seen the way you look at him. You're imagining me in his place."
"Yeah. He's almost, like, exactly like you."
"Trust her, alright? She knows what she's doing. And she picked a good man."
"How would you know that?"
He gave her a crooked grin. "She chose me, after all."
She laughed. "Wow, you're so cocky!"
"Comes with the perks. But seriously, if you love Marissa you would stop judging who she's dating and just be supportive."
"I'll try."
"As long as you do, I won't have any problems."
She laid down and propped up her chin in her hands. "How's the afterlife?"
"Weren't you in it?"
"I wasn't turned into a ghost."
"It's pretty great. I get to travel between the earth and sky and visit my friends."
"And you can go through walls."
"That's my favorite part. Kinda like a stereotypical ghost, no?"
"Why do you live in my thoughts anyway?"
"I don't want people to think you're crazy, talking to empty space. That's why I only appear in the houses of people who know you talk to me."
"You're still so smart."
He leaned against the wall. "One thing you don't lose in the afterlife is your personality."
"I can tell."
He stretched out his hand and she took it. "Get some rest. Your wedding is in a few days."
"I know. I'm excited."
"You don't sound like it."
"I'm just tired."
"Which is exactly why you should get some sleep. I don't want you to be looking like a zombie tomorrow."
She frowned at him. "I do not."
"Drooling all over the place with hazy eyes? Definitely not."
"Okay, fine."
He was heading out the window when he heard her say, "CJ?"
He turned to her. "Yeah?"
"Love you."
He smiled. "Love you too, Riri. G'night."
He gently closed the window as she faced the wall.
Then, with a whisk of his cloak, turned solid again.
"I will never get used to that," he murmured to himself. "Well, time to get back to Marissa."
Opening his pair of gray wings, he soared into the sky and to his home.
His wife was conveniently awake cradling their daughter when he flew in through the window.
"Sup."
"Did you see her?"
"Yeah." He swung his cloak in an arc to turn back to his regular self.
"Does it hurt seeing her?"
"A lot. Pretending that I'm dead, standing in front of her and not being able to reach her is the part that hurts the most."
"I'm sorry you have to go through that."
"It's worth it if it means seeing her again."
"Is JJ ready?"
"Super. I just need to get her a dress."
"Crazy how I'm Tommy's best man."
"You deserve it. You stick by his side even though you're not yourself."
"It's what a good friend does, right?"
"Yes. She's going to give a tribute to you."
He heaved a sigh. "Of course she is."
"I understand if you leave."
"I'm not. I'm curious what she has to say."
He held out his arms. "I'll take her. You're tired and you just gave birth a few weeks ago."
"I don't want to leave you sleepy."
"I'll be fine," he said. "You go ahead and get some rest."
She handed him the baby. "Goodnight, my love."
"See you tomorrow. Have a good sleep."
She left the room, leaving him with their daughter.
"Well, Sabrina, I guess it's just you and me."
He sat down and read a story to her about a young boy who became king of a whole nation.
She fell asleep before he was done with the first page. Setting the book down, he stood up and quietly placed her in the crib.
Then he turned toward the book on the floor. "Haven't read you in a while, my friend. Thanks for reminding me who I was."
As he was leaving the room, he took one look at his daughter, the book, and the light gently swaying. Then he closed the door.
"CJ?"
He froze and slowly turned in the direction of the voice.
Bri was standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with fear.
"Yeah?"
"I had a nightmare."
He smiled softly at her. "Sorry."
"No, I want you to be with me."
"Don't you have school tomorrow?"
"I'll find a way to stay awake."
"I gotta go to sleep."
Her eyes widened even more. He sighed. "Fine."

"What's it like not seeing your friends?"
"It hurts, honestly. But I have to get through it."
"Staying strong," she said.
"Exactly."
He tilted his head. "You just wanted an excuse to talk to me."
"Pretty much."
He laughed. "You're applying what I taught you."
She smirked. "I'll use that in the future."
He kissed her on the forehead. "Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Alright. And CJ?"
"Yeah?"
"Love you."
He smiled, one of pure happiness. "I love you too Bri."
She grinned back at him before flopping over and facing the wall.
Closing the door gently behind him, he looked up at the picture of him with his friends. He saw the crooked smile on his face and remembered how much of a crazy teenager he was.
"Two years of my life I don't regret spending," he sighed.
"You shouldn't," a voice said behind him.
He turned to see the former Skelri queen Nova standing behind him.
"How... are you stalking me?"
"I can't see my best friend?"
"Don't you have a family to raise?"
"I wanted to see you."
He snorted. "After five years, you suddenly decide to pop up? Is that what we're doing here?"
She pursed her lips. "How about we go outside and talk about this?"

"Why are you here?"
"Just came to see how you're doing."
"No, you're here because you want to tell me something, right?"
She gave him a cold look. "Do you forget that you're still my best friend?"
He looked away. "If you're here to scold me on what I did, I don't want to hear it."
"I'm not here for that. All the times I did was because I care about you."
"Well, all of that hasn't worked."
"What do you mean?"
He slowly turned to look at her. "What have you seen in your dreams?"
"A man with skin as dark as coal that also looks burnt, wearing a cape and a black tophat."
"How would you react if I told you that was me?"
"I would say you're lying."
He snapped his fingers as his skin swiftly gained a scaly texture. His eyes turned into glowing white orbs as a cape suddenly appeared on his shoulders, and a black tophat spun into view and landed on his head.
An evil grin spread across his face. "Pleasure to meet you, Nova. Your dreams are quite amusing to see. Maybe I'll use them as blackmail in the future."
He morphed back. "See?"
"Where did that come from?"
"The darkness within me turned into another pysoliks, and I decided to call it the Hat Man."
"Why do you see yourself as evil, CJ?"
"Look at me, Nova! I faked my death because I couldn't bear the thought of having my own self-guilt eat away at me. What kind of a monster will I be when all of this is done releasing?"
Nova rubbed his shoulder. "You did what you did because you needed to. You knew that what you were doing was hurting your friends and acted accordingly to fix it."
"Then why are you still here?" he said in a small voice.
"I'm not like the others," she said quietly. "I've been through so much in my past life that I can deal with your hurricane of emotions."
She took his hand and squeezed it. "Promise me one thing: that you never forget where you came from. Your origins are important, okay?"
He nodded. "I guess it's time to start a new day, right?"
"I guess so."
The two friends watched the sunrise together, as they prepared for the new life the King would lead.