Jake Addams May 23rd,20XX

“Theodulus!”

“HELOISE!”

Theodulus and Heloise glared each other down from each side of the pad Finn laid on but cooperated to the best of their abilities to make sure Finn was okay. Their bodies focused on Fin but their mouths never stopped moving, throwing barb after insult at each other. I had long been hedged out of the way and had taken refuge at the wall, close enough to see what was going on but sufficiently out of the way that the two could bicker in peace.

Long gone was the calm and gentle woman from earlier, and even further was the stately and imposing man of before. Now they squabbled like teenagers and I did not doubt that they would have dissolved into a physical fight if their hands weren’t tied up.

Even so, I could tell that they were more worried about Finn than they disliked one another, that much was proved by how deeply they focused on trying to balance each other out instead of trying to overwhelm the other’s powers as they continuously threatened to do.

They were more worried for Finn than anything, but it was that same worry that ran their tempers so thin.

I suddenly noticed the blanket at Finn’s feet wriggle, but just as quickly as it had happened, it stopped and it was back to the corpse-like stillness of before. Finn’s grandparents had been too busy to notice it the first time but by the time his fingers got to moving they stopped all bickering and stared at his hands like they were made of gold.

The atmosphere was thick, and my head was torn to parts between being scared for my life and being scared for Finn’s life.

He began to stir more actively and let out a low pained groan, different from the higher-pitched whimpers of earlier but just as heart-wrenching.

The sound cut through the tensions between the two grandparents, and their expressions lost all hostilities, Their postures loosened and voices softened so intensely that if I hadn’t borne witness to their insulting each other earlier, I would have sworn they were different people.

“Cai?”

“Aies.”

Finn stayed still as he finished out the long groan and gently began to twitch at each limb like he was shaking out stiff muscles. He still laid on the pad with his eyes closed but it was clear that he was slowly waking up. These small movements slowly built up in intensity until he was bucking up and down on the flat pad with no regard for gravity.

Theodulus immediately moved to grab his legs and hold them down and Heloise went for his head to hold him still.

“Don’t restrain him too much Theodulus. This didn’t come from his goblin powers.”

Her voice had switched from hostile and mocking to being gentle but firm. It was clear that something was happening.

His body rose into the air like he was possessed, and wings ripped out of his back. I’d seen his wings before, the primarily gold composition with hints of blue and green in it. But these were different.

Specks of Gold and silver swirled together to make a single metallic colour, although it was unlike anything I’d ever seen before.

It was a much paler gold than Heloise’s own wings, but much too rich in colour to be called silver.

The next to change was his hair, and that took on the same mysterious colour that his wings had.

A horn grew out of his forehead, similar to Theodulus, but slightly longer, and that took on the same metallic colour as the rest of him.

He gently floated down back to the pad and his eyes gently fluttered open like a fairy tale princess.

Theodulus leaned forward so he could be the first-person that Finn saw and Heloise, who I'd expected to fight him over this surprisingly didn’t and even took a step back, watching Finn slowly get up with an odd expression on her face.

For the first time since I had got here, I put aside my overcautiousness and rushed to the bedside, eager to make sure that my best friend was okay. I was relieved that he had woken up and could finally admit my fears that he wouldn’t to myself.

“Finn! Are you okay?”