It happened, again.

The universe had to be telling me something, because there was no reason why I should have had him in my dreams. It was acceptable when I'd learned what had happened to him. But why would I think of him in my dreams now, almost a year later?

True, I did think about him sometimes, but he brought me too much pain, so I popped the thought like an irritating pimple.

I sighed through my nostrils, ruffling my dark blonde hair. The dream was as clear as the room I lay in. It hadn't been a memory, more like a fantasy of what could have been had things been different, had he not turned out the way he did.

I pulled my knees to my chest, resting my chin down on them. My eyelids felt heavy, tempting me to fall back asleep. I knew better than to give in. If I did, most likely he would be there again, waiting for me. A dream and a memory was all he was now.

I rubbed my eyes. Todd was surely going to ask about me; I wore my worry like an odor. I would tell him, though. He knew enough about me to have the right to know why he was suddenly appearing while I dreamed.

"Something's up."

I looked to the doorway to see Todd half naked, leaning against the doorframe. No matter what, his dark hair always looked ratty. It was like he knew he was on my mind.

"Bad dream?" he pressed cautiously.

"Not really," I confessed. "More like a bitter fantasy."

"Let's talk it over breakfast."

"You're going to make breakfast?" I gasped. "Is the world beginning to end and I'm just now finding out?"

His brown eyes did a dramatic roll. "Some men know how to cook."

"In the time I've known you, you have barely made food."

"Do you have any preference?"

"Surprise me." I smiled sheepishly.

While Todd went down the hall to the kitchen, I slipped out of bed. I exhaled deeply, letting whatever tension I had disappear. I looked at the standup mirror in one corner of the bedroom.

I had changed drastically in the course of a year. My former attire was all but a memory, just like he was. I had conformed to the Midgard lifestyle, somewhat. There was still much I had to learn from the world, and from Todd. Thanks to being in New York, my speech changed a little bit. I guess it wasn't so much my speech that differed as the words I was using.

Even though Todd corrected me to say "Earth" instead of "Midgard" every time when referring to the planet I was now on, it would always remain Midgard to me.

I could see the old me in the reflection: her hair done up nicely, her attire making her look very elegant and important.

Now, I looked ordinary. In most cases, most would hate looking common. Even in my old home I was considered normal. I wasn't born into royalty.

On Asgard, I was normal. Here in Midgard...I appeared normal, though Todd, myself, and only a select few others knew that I wasn't.

I sat at the dining table in the small kitchen as Todd made breakfast. We weren't together; it was why when he walked around our apartment half-naked I had no lustful feelings stirring. We'd literally run into each other, that's how our friendship started. How we bonded was rather odd, being that we were from two different worlds—not like he knew that in the beginning.

"I saw him again, Todd." I put my clasped hands on the table. "He was there as clearly as I see you now." Though I had never given Todd his name, he was a frequent enough subject for my roommate to be aware of him.

"You just miss him, Kiara, that's all. Don't think about it too much."

"It doesn't make sense! I didn't think about him for a long time, and now all of a sudden, he's there again in my dreams?" I shook my head. "I want to believe there's something behind seeing him."

"Don't tell me it's another gift you failed to tell me about."

"The gifts I've shown you are all that I possess. I've told you everything there is to know about me."

Technically that was half of a lie. True, I may have told Todd that I was from a different world—Asgard, in my case—and the few powers I had, but when it came to my life pre-Earth and who he really was, Todd was kept in the dark.

Todd chuckled to himself. "I still can't believe how much you've changed."

He wasn't the only one.

~*~

Everything was so strange here.

The humans dressed differently; there were moving transportations that were not horses or animals. Buildings were built to reach the skies, and the humans were walking with strange things in their hands, some of those things pressed to their ears.

I was not sure what to do. All that I gathered was that my wish was granted, and I was beamed down here to Midgard to start my new life. A part of me already regretted the move, but I knew better than to want to head back so soon. I needed to see if I could gather my bearings first before choosing to head back home to Asgard.

I looked very out of place with my attire, I did not realize just how much so until eyes lingered on me. The stares made me feel insecure.

Humans did not appreciate beings standing still in their path. Some were polite about moving around me, others simply shoved into me—the ignorant pricks.

Looking over my shoulder, I took a few steps before knocking into someone. I caught the man just as he was about ready to hit the hard, gray ground.

"I'm sorry!" I panicked, righting the man. I quickly released his hand before he realized how strong I could be, or before I broke one of his bones. "I did not see you."

"I gathered that." His brown eyes widened at my appearance. "Where's the convention?"

I tilted my head. "Pardon?"

"You know, like a renaissance fair? Comic-Con?"

"I...I do not understand." I glanced down at my outfit. Is this mortal making fun of me? I already know my clothes are vastly different, but there's no need to poke fun.

"Nice acting, it's very convincing."

"You—you think I am acting?" I lifted my head up, raising an offended brow. "This how I actually speak."

He laughed. "Oh, you're really good."

"You insult me." I began to move along, but the man grabbed my arm firmly, pulling me back.

"I'm sorry." He put his hands out in surrender.

"Can you tell me where I am?"

"You're in New York." He said this in an odd tone, like he was surprised by my response. "You don't know where you are?"

"No."

"Are you a foreigner?"

"Yes." It wasn't a lie.

"You speak good English."

"Thank you?"

"Do you know your name?"

I cannot tell him my real name. "I am Kiara...Rivers." It was a lot cleaner than telling him that I was Kiara Romansdottir. No Midgardian would understand my last name.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes."

"It's okay to admit you don't remember anything. But it's dangerous for someone like you to be wandering on your own."

"Someone like me? What is that supposed to mean?" I could see the man was trying to help me, but it seemed half of the time he was more offensive than helpful.

"You lost your memory, you're an amnesiac."

"Oh."

"I know this will sound weird, but, come with me."

"Why should I?" I could assume that across all realms, the lesson of stranger danger was taught to children at a young age and kept in their minds throughout their lives.

"You have no idea where you are, let alone who. You don't seem like you've got anyone to help you."

"You are not going to take me to an infirmary?"

"As good of an idea as that is, I'm not. You need someone, and I don't think they'll be able to help you."

"You believe yourself to be better than a doctor?"

"Look, between you and me, I think something's really off with you. Something so off that you could attract unwanted attention. I don't want you to suffer through that, this is enough."

"Oh...how thoughtful," I noted in an awkward tone.

"I'm not trying to offend you, I just...I just have this feeling."

"So, you think you can help me?"

"Do you see anyone else offering?"

I looked around, seeing his point. I knew better than to trust a stranger, it was one of the basics my parents taught me when I was little. I had always reinforced the idea. But this was not Asgard; I was in a different place. This human knew where I was and was offering his services to me.

I would feel awful if I turned him down. I would not get very far if I rejected his proposal.

"How can you help?"

"I'll let you stay with me."

My eyes widened.

"Easy. I'm not going to kidnap you."

"Is that what a kidnapper says before he takes his victim?"

"Shh! I know it's loud, but the point is to not be louder than it all. I'm not...I'm one of the good guys."

"And what makes you qualified to give yourself that title?"

"I try to do acts of kindness every day. Sometimes the littlest things can make peoples' lives so much better." He shrugged. "I'll let you stay as long as you need to." He held out a hand for me. "There's no catch, no tricks. I promise I won't take you to the doctor and let you be put in the wrong hands."

My eyes met his. He seemed genuine enough. I took his hand timidly; he threw me a rather warm smile.

"Come on, maiden," he joked.

I scowled.

"Sorry."

"Since I am staying with you, you might as well tell me your name."

"Todd Brealey."

"My name really is Kiara," I persisted.

"You're only saying that because you like the name so much."

~*~

"You were clueless about everything," Todd went on, bringing me out of the memory. "Turned out you were beamed here from another realm."

"I know a lot more thanks to you." I smiled. "I would probably be somewhere different if we hadn't run into each other."

"I just don't see why you would want to leave your home behind."

I frowned. "I told you why. There wasn't much it had to offer anymore. I wanted to start over somewhere new, Midgard was my best bet. Granted, I hadn't personally requested here, I was...plopped here, really."

"You'll never call here Earth, will you?"

"It'll take more time for me to warm up to the idea. Stop talking and keep cooking."

"Were you this bossy before I met you?"

"No."

"You sure about that?"

"Positive."

"Damn it!" Todd jumped away as a fire started.

I sighed, getting out of the chair, holding my palm out for the fire. I concentrated, prying it away from the area, calling it to the palm of my hand. I knew Todd was watching in awe as I stole the fire away.

"If only I could do that."

"You wish." I grinned.

"I do."

"Remember the first time you found out about my gift?"

"That was some scary shit."

"You caught me in an emotional state. I didn't realize what was going on until a hole was burning in one of the walls."

"At least you can control it better now. I still think if I piss you off you'll fry me."

"Don't tick me off so you never have to know." I looked at the ashy food. "Should I take over?"

"Are you a decent cook?"

"You've been around me a year. When have I ever made a meal for us?"

"Why are you even offering? You know what; I'll give it another try."

"One more failed attempt and we're going to cereal. You can't light that on fire."

"You could."

* * *

New York lived up to its namesake as the city that never slept; I learned that from day one. The apartment walls weren't enough to drown out the cars and the horns. I'd adjusted to the noise level, but I did miss the silence of Asgard.

I stared again into the standup mirror with blue eyes. I didn't have a problem with my image; I was reflecting on the Asgardian that I used to be. In a way, I felt more human than ever.

I called a small flame onto my palm. It reflected in the mirror, a tiny flicker.

I flinched when I saw him staring back at me through the mirror. I wasn't afraid of the image, I welcomed it. A solemn smile crept onto my face, his smile matched mine. I knew this was all in my head, that when I turned around, he wouldn't be behind me.

The image in the mirror pressed his hand against the glass, looking to me expectantly. Swallowing, I sheepishly pressed my palm to it. I held back the tears as I met his eyes, those intelligent green eyes.

If only the things that happened hadn't. Everything would be right. You wouldn't be gone, I wouldn't be here. I closed my eyes, regulating my shaking breaths. I felt like I was catapulted into the day I learned I couldn't return home, the day I learned he was lost. The emotion suffocated me, as though it was a powerful wave.

I opened my eyes, seeing only myself in the mirror now.

He had vanished, just as he had from Asgard.