No Place Like Home

The Beginning of the End

Ashlynn

"Alright, I have to ask. Do you watch my videos because you like them, or just for research?"

"Well, it started as research, but I was just so amazed by how much you theorists can figure out about my world from those movies. There were things I didn't know about my own world. Most notably the future."

"Ah, right. I was going to ask you about that. You'd be about Boo's age, right? Hey, is Boo actually your cousin? Is Violet her mother?"

"Seamus, you know I'm not going to tell you anything. I'm not going to confirm or deny your theories if I can avoid it. That would be cheating. But yes, I am around Boo's age."

"So it must be weird to see movies about what happens after. Do you believe those movies?"

"I don't see any reason not to. The one about my dad and his family was real. Why not the others? Although, I must say, I'd almost rather live in this world. Except for the whole incronium thing. Did you know my aunt Violet used to want to be normal? Of course you did, what am I saying. There's a whole movie about her. But the only reason I've survived this long without my powers was because I've been too busy watching movies to think about it."

"Did you know there's a fan fiction about me and Violet?"

"I did actually, although I wish I didn't. I just can't even imagine it. Never mind the girl in the movie, she's my aunt."

"If you don't mind my asking, why are your powers so important to you? I mean, I'm sure they're a big part of your identity, and they're also just really cool, but 'can't survive without them' seems pretty extreme."

"Is this an interview? My powers were actually really slow to develop. I've always been really shy and liked to hide in my art, but it never started coming to life until I was at least 8 years old. Up until that time, I'd never had a friend. It was incredibly lonely. Having to go through that loneliness again has been one of the hardest parts about being here. This time, I don't even have my family."

"You've been here almost a year and you still haven't made any friends? How? Who wouldn't want to be your friend?"

"I guess I just never learned how. I had my art, and that was enough. Who needs people?"

"Wow." Ashlynn shrugged.

"Never seemed like a problem to me."

"But other than that, you'd stay here?" Did she detect something hopeful in his voice? Perhaps that was just her imagination.

"With my family, of course, but yeah. I do like it here."

"I would love to travel to the Pixar universe, though. I mean, you guys have magic!"

"First of all, there's magic in this world too. If I'm real, why not Harry Potter? Second, I don't know if you've heard, but my world is going to be taken over by AI machines that will destroy the planet. This place sounds pretty good to me."

"You know, I have to wonder what the differences are between the supers and the wizarding world. It's the same idea, really. Witches and wizards channel the magic already in the world through themselves, using a magic conductor called a wand. The only difference is that they evolved naturally, and use wands instead of incronium. I wonder if you could use a wand?" Ashlynn was hesitant. She didn't want to get her hopes up if it might mot work. But what if it did? It was a reasonable idea, and one she hadn't yet considered.

"I don't know... I guess it's possible. I haven't really thought about wizards and supers being the same. Having to use a wand seems like a disadvantage. If you drop it, you're powerless. I'm used to having the incronium all around my in the air."

"Well maybe we should think of ways to restore your magic, rather than new ways to send you home. If you got here using your powers, then they're going to be your best shot at going back." Or maybe I wont have to, Ashlynn didn't say. Maybe Seamus was right. Maybe she'd been going about it the wrong way all this time. Ashlynn had been so focused on finding her world, she forgot to consider this one. It was a whole new way of approaching the problem. For the first time in the better part of a year, Ashlynn felt a glimmer of hope. She was going home, and Seamus was going to help her.

"Seamus, where in any of the multiple universes have you been for the past year?" And without pausing to think, she leaned over and kissed him.

Seamus

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Seamus Gorman. One morning Seamus walked past the London School of Arts on his way to the coffee shop down the street. As he passed by, Seamus glanced through the windows and was surprised to see a pretty girl with blue eyes and strawberry-blonde hair sitting inside, eyes closed, swaying slightly as if dancing, and painting a masterpiece. There was something different about this girl, he knew there was, but he couldn't quite place what. Perhaps it was the strange feeling of familiarity, as if Seamus had met the girl before or had perhaps been looking for her. Every morning after that, Seamus walked past the school to the coffee shop down the street, fascinated by the girl and her artwork, never realizing just how far he was falling for her. Most of a year passed in this manner before Seamus finally made contact with the girl. She had just seemed to perfect to touch. As if she would disappear just as he got close. And maybe she would. It seemed a very real possibility. But it was still a dream come true when they finally kissed.