"Dear god," I muttered to myself. I was tempted to flick on the outside camera, but I knew better than to use science here.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

I opened the cabin door. "Hello, how can I help you today?"

"Yeah," the Hero said. "We have a problem."

"You've been having problems all your life. I'm not a magic problem solver." I retorted.

"I need your skills!" the Hero protested. "The Underdark is attempting to invade the overworld once more and destroy the balance of the-"

"I told you on Oorbous," I said in a low voice, "That, if you chose to return, we were done. You did you, I did me, and our time together was over. I have not forgotten, James, nor do I intend to. Unlike you, I am done with all this crap. Give me a planetary threat and I'll come out of retirement, and not a second sooner!"

"But the Underdark is a-"

"Do you know what a planetary threat is?" I asked, not giving him time to answer. "No, you do not. When it comes, you will, and then you can journey to my bunker and cottage here on this mountainside and pull my aging body back into the Refresh Cycle. Until then, leave." I slammed the door into his face.

Oorbous. Where it all started and ended. Where I had chose to protect, while the Hero had chosen neither, but to continue what he was doing. I had already wisened up that it wasn't enough, but even his best companion was unable to pull him out of his bubble.

I had joined organisations slowly getting society to advance again. Small inventions, like fire pillows, and large inventions, like lumber mills, were being introduced as fast as we could find audiences for them. I was old, hundreds of years thanks to the Refresh Cycle, and I was ready to retire and die.

-----

James had finally learned to stay away for over two years now. He would do his thing, and me mine, and I was finally relaxing. In the morning, I would-

Knock-knock-knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock-knock-knock.

I jumped out of my bed sharply as I realized what I was hearing. Rushing to the door, I found James. "What now?" I grumbled.

James looked tired, as though he had spent the last month traveling without rest. So did the rest of his party. "XK," he said.

"What kind?"

"Alien invasion."

"Defenses?"

"None. They have antimagic in ways we have never seen."

"Public?"

"No."

"Foundation building up to it?"

"That's how I found out."

I sighed. "It's time I tell you why I chose what I did at Oorbous. Come inside. We have... a lot of talking to do. I'll cook something up." I smiled. "It's good to see a much saner James again, huh?"

He cracked a weary smile. "Yeah, well... it's been-"

"Don't." I said. "And don't just stand in the door all day."