The Final Kingdom - Chapter 9

<-Chapter 8

Kellie awoke in the early morning and could feel the stillness inside that told her she was ready. No Cultivator, Defender or Ruler, was ever truly afraid of death. All lived knowing their lives would end before immortality kicked in anyway, but Defenders especially could not fear death for they faced it every day they owned their Mask. They had to be willing to give their lives for their Rulers, their worlds, and the universe itself. Kellie, being of Daffodil, felt more comfortable with death and rebirth than most other Cultivators. She had been ready to some extent for days but had wanted to savor a few more precious hours with her living loved ones.

Tyson stirred and his arms tightened around her. "How long were you awake?" he asked softly. He nuzzled his nose into her hair.

"A little bit." She turned over and tucked her head under his chin. "You're going to miss Chance, aren't you? Almost as much as Diaz has, you have always been close to Chance." She smiled. "At the least, he tolerated you harassing him almost as much as he tolerated Diaz doing it."

"I just felt that if he got used to someone sassing him all the time, he'd be better prepared for being a Caretaker. And maybe it was just funny." He tucked his hands under his head on a smile. "You know, I was entirely unsurprised when Chance turned out to be the chosen Caretaker for LeAnn. I always knew it would take a singularly spectacular person to handle him, and the fact that it happens to be our king and queen's daughter is icing on the cake."

"Speaking of children." She took a deep breath. "We have to talk to Devin. We have to tell him everything. He deserves to know why he will be cheated out of his parents." She frowned suddenly. "It's curious. We think Raine did not become pregnant because Destiny was protecting her. Why would she allow for Devin, then?"

"He has something important to do as well," he countered simply. "Which we have known all along, given the circumstances. I'm sure we'll soon figure out what power he holds, and it will make sense of everything." He watched her sit up and admired the way her peach hair tumbled around her bare shoulders. She was so beautiful to him. There was absolutely no regret in his heart for giving his life to follow her. Their time was finally done.

"I think my place of memory might be the place to talk to Devin." She slid from bed to get dressed. "Because they are inexorably woven together." She sighed. "I hope someone in the Realm can tell us how to handle watching your child grow up and not be there to help them every step of the way. Most children of Cultivators are mostly grown before they have their parents stolen. Well, actually, Matthew and Genevieve could be viable. Though Edgar and Shana had Octavia as much as Rocky and Siobhan did, you know Matt and Gen probably wanted to land on Protea and help them."

"Given we're discussing Edgar and Shana, I'm thinking they thought it more than once. We could also ask Hannah or Quint." He winced saying it. "Never mind. Not Quint! It was his fault that my king has always been such a terror."

She snorted delicately. "And who was it who was always getting him into trouble?"

"Out," he stressed. "Out. He got us in, and I had to get us out! I know Diaz and I have a reputation for encouraging him, but we really don't okay? We just have had the terrible bad luck to be the one near him when he decides to do something potentially unhealthy, and we never know it's coming until it happens! Honestly, Sam is the only person other than Shana who has ever been able to stay a step ahead of him. I and Uwe and Diaz just sort of scramble behind him, trying to keep him from charging fiery hells with a bucket of water and a toothpick."

Kellie laughed outright. "Oh, gods, it's like talking about Siobhan, too! Shana and Edgar can be trouble, to be sure, but not that much! The Commanders and Defenders directly assigned to protecting Delphinians are lucky to still have any sanity."

Though technically all Defenders protected both Shana and Siobhan, and all Commanders protected both Rocky and Edgar, both teams had been specifically split so that four of each focused solely on one High Ruler. For millions of years, the split for Defenders had happened the logical way with the four of the Dark worlds following Protea being assigned to Protea, and the four of the Light worlds following Delphinium being assigned there. It had only changed in the current Era as the Resurrection Cultivators all but obliterated any lines separating the team. LeAnn and Reagan did still have four personal protectors, but it fell that LeAnn had Tasia, Theo, Beth, and Racine, and Reagan had Raine, Emily, Storm, and Ryan—all but swapping the standard entirely.

"I think I begin to see why maybe things got switched around this time," he said wryly. "You've got that perfect half Protean and half Delphinian in LeAnn, so give her the rare Gray core twin, and with Reagan, you've got mostly Delphinian with a dose of Protean, so made her twin our oddball kid who isn't thrown off balance by anything."

Kellie got out of bed to find her clothes, and she was smiling. As had become the standard, Raine was most like Kellie but had enough of Tyson to catch the unwary by surprise. Tyson also got out of bed to dress, and they linked their fingers together and left the room they had been using. Both could sense Raine somewhere nearby, and they found her when they walked out the back into the start of the vast gardens around the manor. She and Logan sat on a bench swing with Devin snuggled up against Raine's side. He was young enough at eight, but asleep he seemed even younger. Just a little boy with big copper eyes and unruly cornflower hair. "Hey," Kellie said softly.

"Hey yourself." Raine looked up at her quietly for a few moments. Then, "Are you ready?"

"I think I am. Are you alright?" She knelt in front of her daughter. Truly, the younger Cultivator was as much her daughter as Devin was her son. Raine's calm and steady nature came from her mother, and her impish and mischievous streak came from her father. Every time she grinned, Kellie saw a flash of Tyson in the twinkle in her eyes. "I know this must be . . . hitting close to home."

Raine took a deep breath. "Seems I just can't manage to keep a mother for as long as I want, but I've got my other mom to cling on to. Tasia tapped me and Storm when we checked the castles to tell us that our parents were fine. Mom and Dad still tend the orchards for Tasia, so they were in the safest place possible when everything happened. They are now providing shelter for all of the survivors."

Tosh Peacer, Raine and Storm's birth father, and Olivia Martine, Tasia's birth mother, had only been married officially for little over two years, but they had been all but married for more than two decades previous. They had helped raise each other's children and the two families had become so thoroughly one that majikal bonds had grown between all of them that looked no different than those between blood relations. The kids had kept their mouth shut on their parents being soul mates, though, until Tosh and Olivia had figured it out personally. Tasia had then gotten the honor as High Priestess to marry her mother and stepfather.

Olivia was the parent through which Tasia had directly descended of Liena Vanguard, so Olivia had a fair amount of majik herself. Tosh also had majik, which both Raine and Storm had inherited, so he was not without skill himself. They could easily keep the survivors intact for however long may be needed, and Olivia would issue orders to any that needed it.

"It still fascinates me," Kellie decided, "how your bloodline gave us two Resurrection Cultivators. And two such diverse ones, too. There have been Defender sibling sets before, every few generations, but not usually crossing the lines in such a way. Generally they were both Dark or both Light, not one of each."

Logan tilted his head slightly. He, too, was a descendant of Liena Vanguard and Jean Rancul, though not from the direct bloodline. That combined with his as-yet unknown infertile Seed made him incredibly powerful; only Anna, Rodi, and Tasia surpassed him majikally. That strength both majikal and physical, as well as emotional, made him the perfect Caretaker to a Daffodil Dual Cultivator like Raine. "Maybe this journey, whatever it is, will give us an answer."

Devin stirred and his lashes lifted. "Mommy?"

Kellie's heart broke. Though he was eight and getting big, he was not too big to pick up. She lifted him into her arms and held on tightly. "I love you very much," she said into his hair. "Know that. No matter what is going to happen, I do not regret having you, Devin."

His lips trembled and then he held on tighter. "You . . . you have to give your life. It's what you do. It's what it means for you to be a Defender Cultivator." He lowered his gaze when the four adults looked at him in surprise. "Anna. She told me and Relisha and Percival. She told us what was . . . what was going to happen. She said we can't cry. We need to be strong and brave and be proud because our parents and grandparents were chosen by Destiny."

Tyson looked at Logan. "She is far too much like her mother for our collective sanity."

"Tell me about it," Logan grumbled. "I still have nightmares when I remember what she did during the fight against Minstrel."

"So do we," Raine muttered. She knew she would never forget the sight of her young niece standing so bravely in front of a fallen Tasia and boldly looking madness in the eye to drive it back.

Tyson took Devin from Kellie and hugged him tightly. "Your sisters will look over you now," he said softly. "And your brothers. And we'll still be watching you even though you can't see us. You're going to do something great."

"What makes you so sure?" Devin asked curiously.

"You're here," Raine said simply. "We're all here for a reason."

Tyson gently put Devin down and studied him. "I don't know, Kel," he mused. "You sure we want to turn him loose like this? No one will be here to make LeAnn turn him back when he becomes a gecko for sassing her too much."

"Tasi will." Devin nodded firmly as a smile began to lighten his face. He reached up to take Kellie's hand. "Can I go with you?" he asked softly. "I want to help."

"You can come with me to just one place, but not to the Core," Kellie told him. "There is no knowing what waits down there." She held tight to his hand and looked at Raine and Logan as they stood. "The place I wish to go to is in Protea City itself." She met her daughter's eyes. "You know the place."

Raine smiled. "I do." She let her magic well around them and it transported them to a spot in the city that surrounded the palace. It looked as decimated as the palace itself. People hid in alleys and huddled together. Those who had managed to salvage their homes and their lives kept to themselves. It was everyone for themselves now.

Devin's lashes flinched as he saw the scene, but he straightened his back with an inner bravery and strength of will not uncommon in his lineage. He looked at everything for long moments and then said softly, "Destiny must be crying."

Startled, Tyson looked at him. "Crying?"

Devin looked up at him. "Don't you all say that Destiny plans for everything? That she must have been planning for this for a long time? So she knew it was going to be this bad. It must be horrible for her to let these things happen. I just feel . . . as if I can hear her crying."

Raine opened her mouth, then closed it. "I don't suppose we ever looked at it that way," she admitted. "We all spend so much time cursing at her for things we can't change that I guess we never thought it might be a burden on her as well."

After a moment, Tyson murmured, "I always tried ignored her when she was trying to dictate to me, but I guess it never did any good in the end. Ah well. I hope she will be happy when this is done. She needs happiness as well."

"So why are we here?" Devin asked Kellie. "What used to be here?"

Kellie studied the broken building. "Well, it used to be a hospital where Siobhan and I often came to aid others. I first met Tasia here, though I did not know who or what she was until much later. Then, just over eight years ago, I wasn't a doctor. I was a patient."

"It was repayment in some ways," Raine said solemnly. "Tasi and I got to take care of her this time. Sayena was there too, of course." As she said it, she suddenly blinked at Kellie. "How odd," she murmured. "I only just realized. We Resurrection Cultivators call all the Cultivators 'aunt' if they aren't our mother, and we call the Caretakers 'uncle' if they aren't our father. But . . . Storm and I . . . we've never called Shana 'aunt'. Neither has Tasia. Or Rocky and Edgar 'uncle' or Siobhan 'aunt.'"

Kellie and Tyson exchanged a look of surprise. Truthfully, they had not noticed either until then. "Maybe it has to do with them being Apexes," Kellie said slowly. "They . . . are more like sisters than anything else. So, perhaps, as Tasia's siblings, you're picking up on that as well. Tasia makes sense since she's LeAnn's twin, but you and Stormy . . . it is interesting. Ask them." She smiled. "Pattern masters know all."

"Why were you in the hospital?" Devin asked patiently. He was used to the way his huge family could deviate off subject. It was fun, but he just had this feeling that time kept slipping away. There was someone important waiting for them. He knew it for sure.

"Well, let's think about this." Tyson ruffled his hair. "Eight years ago . . . couldn't tend her own needs . . . a doctor and a healer were there along with the High Priestess of Protea . . ."

Devin's eyes went wide. "Wait, me?"

"That's right." Kellie smiled. "And even then, you had such a preference for Tasi! You were terribly restless and upset before being born, but her arcanistry soothed you. And you were even unhappier at being born, but you settled as soon as she held you. Your love for majik and curiosity for the Faith has never once been a surprise." She hugged him fiercely. "I am so honored to be one of the few of my generation who got to have two children to love." She smoothed his hair back. "Raine is right. You being here is a sign you are needed. I am very proud to have been the one to give you life."

"I love you, Mom." He hugged her tight for a moment. "I'm glad you were mine."

She held on and then slowly let him go. Tyson hugged him tight for a moment and then also forced himself to let go. As Raine gathered her magic to send him back to the manor, Devin found a smile for all of them. He wasn't going to cry until he was sure they couldn't see him. He wanted them to see him smiling, and know he was proud to be their son. Whatever important thing he had to do, he would be sure to do it.

Once Devin had been sent back, Raine took a deep breath and gathered her magic again to take the remaining four of them to the Daffodil Castle where the entrance to the Core of Daffodil was located. It had been hidden under some broken flooring in the sickroom, and Tyson and Logan pulled up the trapdoor to let them all jump down inside. Because it was dark, Logan conjured a ball of majik so they could see where they were going as they started walking down the long tunnel.

It was a long, long walk until a spot of light appeared and grew larger. Logan's spell dimmed in response. When the spell went out, they stood in full light before an immense door of wood inlaid with ametrine. Symbols across time that represented the Metal Flower Element had been carved across the surface, and in the center was the daffodil blossom that made the Flower Mark on all the world's Cultivators.

Raine smiled as she touched the door and felt it pulsing. "Yew, of course. Which suits both ametrine and pink daffodil." Tyson and Kellie looked at her curiously, and she explained, "You knew that the pink daffodil represented rebirth, well so do yew and ametrine. Yew also represents death itself, which contrasts yet compliments pink daffodil's eternal life, and both relate to ametrine's transformation." She looked at her parents. "Did you know that the yew is special? Its branches grow into the ground while the central trunk dies. When the trunk is gone, the tree lives on with the branches becoming new trunks of new trees. It recycles itself not unlike our Metal element can recycle itself as well."

A presence stirred in the air, soft and feminine and welcoming. They all recognized it for they had all felt her near at one point. The one being they all answered to in the end. "Destiny," Tyson said softly. "So you are here."

The door shimmered with all the colors of life and then began to ripple with the copper and peach of Daffodil. I feel before me the Mother and Daughter of Daffodil. Who is it who comes to make the final sacrifice?

"I do." Kellie took a deep breath. "I am the Mother of Daffodil. I have come to give back my life and Seed to the planet that brought me forth. I give myself in place of my daughter so that she may fulfill whatever need you have of her."

Then you must make the first sacrifice. The sacrifice of mind. Your memories will remain here as you travel, and they will slowly leave you as you progress. You will remember only the people you love but not any experiences you shared with them.

A smile touched Kellie's lips. "If my sacrifice allows for a future where more memories are made, then I accept. I don't mind being the yew that lets her branches grow on without her."

Logan wrapped his arm around Raine's waist and held on tight. Tremors rippled through her heart and soul long before they reached her body.

"What of me?" Tyson asked.

You have done more than you know, Tyson.

There seemed an odd note in Destiny's voice. A slightly aching tone, somehow wistful and longing. It made Raine surer than ever that Devin's birth was no accident, though she did not yet know why. Destiny expected something from him, too.

Kellie straightened her back and a glow centered at her chest. It pushed forward and brought with it her beautifully glowing Life Orb. The memories she would soon lose reflected across its thousands of tiny facets. It floated forward and merged with the door, and the barrier dissolved to reveal another tunnel beyond. Kellie felt her strength being drained from the first step as memories fluttered away from her mind. She was barely conscious of Tyson walking beside her, his hands lifted to catch her if she fell.

It was the simplest memories that went first. Memories of her normal lives. The things that she had always taken for granted because they were always there. Each tiny memory added up to a collective sum larger than she thought it could be.

Memories of the Light Defenders and their matching Commanders went next. Her friends and surrogate sisters and brothers. There were so many memories of them! She and Yvonne had been particularly close, sharing a similar cool headed nature, and she had spent plenty of time healing Juliet's burns from cooking or the inevitable jabs Sherry endured in her sewing. Virginia had spent two years cajoling Kellie into posing for a painting that had ended up being Kellie's favorite artwork ever.

Memories of the Resurrection Cultivators slipped away before she could grab on. Those amazing women and men who had been her nieces and nephews in her heart. So much like their parents, and yet so much their own people. They had made the kingdoms laugh and glow with life, and had made every Elder's life so very rich and wonderful.

It was memories of the Delphinium Commanders and Dark Defenders to go next. Those stubborn men who were the only people alive who could ever keep Delphinium Prince out of trouble; she would know, given that she and her partners had tried. Alexandria and her temper had always entertained Kellie, and Desiree's ability to get her way had been useful too many times. Clara had always been the calm voice of reason yet she could be convinced to play.  Kellie had always been honored to be part of the generation that had brought Clara out of the Hall for good, but every beloved memory went away.

Memories of Raine and Devin slipped away before she could grab onto them. Her two beautiful children. She'd had both for only a few short years, and she had only been allowed to give birth to one, but they were still both hers. She forgot the years training her daughter in medical science to enhance her healing skill, and the months teaching Devin to walk. She forgot how teaching him to walk had led to the entire castle re-baby proofing everything in sight, sometimes to no avail. Her heart wept bitter tears as she knew she loved them but could not remember anything about them.

It was Siobhan, Rocky, and Edgar who went next. One of her queens and her two kings; three of her dearest friends. She had loved watching Siobhan and Rocky poke and needle their Dark companions of Protea, and she had always stepped in to smooth any feathers ruffled too much. She had been grateful to not be their personal protectors, and then she had gotten stuck with Rocky anyway after he married Shana. She had never really been bothered by it; the two of Delphinium were impossible not to love. Edgar had been easy to love and protect, and she had never been disappointed when his sense of humor got provoked—Proteans never said anything outrageous, they just found the perfect thing to say.

Shana's face swept through her mind and she almost cried out. Her queen. Her dear friend. Oh, how she loved Shana! She had vowed on her very life to be by her side always. She would have done, had done, anything it took to ensure her beloved queen always stayed safe and smiling. It had never been easy, but she had never regretted a minute. And within a few steps . . . it was all gone from her mind.

The pain swelled as Tyson slipped from her mind. Her soul mate. Her lover and confidant. How he had always been there for her! He lived. He lived so brightly that he drew her like a lodestone. She forgot their first meeting in the past, forgot how she had so determinedly chased him down across many years until he had loved her as terribly as she loved him. She forgot the last five thousand years of him always by her side as her perfect Caretaker. She knew she loved him but did not remember their lives together.

When she stumbled, he caught her safely in his arms and another door instantly appeared. As it did, Raine could feel a throbbing inside her body and soul. If she tried, she was sure she could see and feel Kellie's memories inside her. "What is that?" she asked reverently.

It is your final evolution. When this journey ends, your mother will no longer exist on this plane, but her very memories, emotions, reason for being, and strength will become your power. You will be her living legacy.

A tear slid down Raine's cheek. "I accept her legacy." She drew a deep breath. "Destiny . . ."

Why are there two Dual Cultivators born to the same bloodline? Why were Gladiolus and Daffodil born as siblings when they are supposed to be Light and Dark? Because you would complement each other and make each other stronger. Metal and Thunder have always made a wonderful team, and you two are no exception. In Life's garden, I watched the Seeds bloom and saw my hard work pay off as my final Defenders were made. Oh, how you glowed!

"You planned for them to be here." Kellie's voice was faint but strong. "You planned all the way from the Harmonic Era, didn't you?"

After a soft pause, I planned for longer than that, Kellie. From the very moment evil entered our universe, I planned for this day. I and every world worked hard together to make everything exactly as it is. Now it is up to the Resurrection Cultivators to make it all happen.

"We'll do it," Raine said firmly.

Knowing it, Kellie found her breath and her strength once more and straightened her back. "I am ready."

Then it is time for the second sacrifice. The sacrifice of heart. As you progress, you will lose your love for all those around you.

Logan and Tyson both cursed softly, but Kellie ignored them. A small smile touched her lips though she did not remember that they only dropped especially terrible cuss words when truly upset. "So be it."

A glow once more centered on her chest and this time brought forth a copper and peach force that shifted into the shape of a daffodil blossom not unlike the ones now fading on her, but starting to sparkle on her daughter. The glowing flower floated forward and merged with the door so that it disappeared. She tried to step forward but her legs were weak. Tyson and Logan caught her and held her supported so that she could walk forward. Tears filled both Caretakers' eyes unashamedly, and they ran without ceasing down Raine's cheeks.

Kellie's love and emotions for those she had known simply went away with every step. The Cultivators and Commanders, gone. Her laughing son, her impish daughter, gone. Her Apex of Light and two kings, gone. Her soul cried out in agony as her beloved Apex of Dark was taken from her.

And as she saw Tyson's image in her heart, she suddenly rebelled for the first time. "No!" she said fiercely. "You can't have him!"

The third door appeared immediately. Destiny's presence surrounded her comfortingly. I would never take away a Cultivator's chosen mate. He is as critical to your existence as the air you breathe.

"Do you have a soul mate?" Logan asked. "Not necessarily a Caretaker, but damned if you don't need that too, as much as Cultivators do."

There was a pause before Destiny said softly, Not yet. I have been told he might forgive all I have done, but . . . It is now a matter of patience. Sudden humor touched her voice. I suppose after this long, even my patience is strained. It seems a bit ironic in a way, to have never expected to have a soul mate at all, yet the moment I realized he existed, I began to fret for the day we may meet.

After so many millennia of thinking of Destiny as the Ultimate Goddess, this omnipresent force always controlling their lives, to have her so real and so . . . emotional was almost disorienting. Yet . . . it was also humbling. That she would trust them, love them, to the point that she would come herself to guide them, to let them see her as she truly was . . . even Tyson could no longer resent her.

Kellie straightened as much as she could though her entire body throbbed painfully. The names and faces of those in her life were inside her mind, but she did not remember their lives together. She did not feel her love for them. She only knew she had once remembered and once loved, and it was painful to endure. "What have you left to take from me? Ask, and it is yours." Humor touched her voice. "I'd offer my eldest child, but she's already under your command. How about my youngest? He could be your problem."

Dead silence answered that. It took only a few seconds for the pieces—all of the pieces—to connect for Logan. His jaw dropped as he thought about the origins of his very Faith. "Wait. Don't tell us that . . ."

Destiny sighed. I should have known my Apex of Chaos' conjoined soul might as yet steal some of her Pattern Mastery after what she did to her twin and her mate. That is a skill born as much of the soul as it is the mind.

Logan almost asked about the conjoined soul thing but kept his mouth shut, though he and Raine exchanged a brief glance not so much of surprise as understanding. It seemed as if everything would finally make sense at the end.

A warmth unfurled inside Kellie. Happiness glowed. She had done something wonderful. Unintentionally, she had done something wonderful. She felt as if there was something she ought to tell Destiny, but could not remember what it was. "What else do you need of me, Destiny?"

The reason for your existence: your Seed.

Raine barely stifled a cry. Kellie closed her eyes for a moment, then straightened. "So be it."

The final glow brought forth her Seed and it floated forward to merge with the door. Her legs gave out and she staggered. Only Tyson and Logan kept her on her feet, and every step was a struggle. The emptiness inside grew ever bigger as her magic fled, and only her enhanced lifeforce kept her going. She had no memories of defending or ruling her world. No memories of giving her life for her queens. But she knew. She knew it had happened. And it gave her the will to move on. She was the Daffodil Dual Cultivator, and she would not falter now.

It seemed forever before something appeared in the distance. It surged forward to meet them and became not a door but a doorway. Inside was a circular room that glowed with familiar peach and copper color. In the very center of the room rested an immensely large ametrine covered in pink daffodils slowly being eaten by the evil tar dripping from the ceiling. The Core of Daffodil.

It is time, Kellie and Tyson.

Kellie straightened and found the strength to walk beside Tyson toward the dais. The evil tar tried to attack her but was repelled by a peach and copper shield. A pulse of answering magic swept from Kellie and destroyed the tar, but the Core barely responded. When she touched the Core, and felt how sick it was, she forgot all her own pain. Her beloved planet, her Mother, was as in need of healing as anyone else she had ever helped. More, perhaps.

She let her lifeforce and remaining magic well up without hesitation and then placed her Mask and hands on the Core. Tyson's hands covered hers as he let his life and magic well too, willingly following her into their afterlife just as he had willingly followed her through every life. As the Core eagerly soaked up their power, both Kellie and Tyson began to slowly fade. In that moment, when she could feel and remember it all, she knew what she needed to say. "He's like his father," she told Destiny. "Terribly so. Just a warning that he will forever keep you on your toes."

Destiny's voice warmed. You are everything that is Daffodil, Kellie. You are life and death and rebirth. You bring transformation, even if painful, always enduring even when you must start over anew, and now you can rest. You have done all that was ever asked of you, even when you did not know you were being asked.

Kellie held a hand out to Raine and her daughter crossed to take it. She was nearly gone, but she still felt the warmth of her successor's healing hands. "I'm counting on you to keep Reagan and LeAnn smiling," she said. "That's the most important job we have, you know?"

"I will." Raine barely bit back a sob.

Finally, slowly, at last, Kellie faded away entirely as everything that she was returned to the planet that had given her life. Tyson, too, faded entirely. The Core began to quiver and shake and then produced a glow more radiant than anything anyone had ever seen as all daffodils restored to life. Raine could feel the pulsing warmth of Kellie's magic inside her soul. It was her memories, emotions, existence, and life. She had become her living legacy.

Her Mask appeared in her hands and began to glow with a sparkling effect as fractures mended. The little engraved star on all Resurrection Cultivators' Masks that named them as divine summoners even seemed to glow a little brighter. She actually felt her magikry expanding inside her body as her two Flower Marks began to glow hot and fierce.

It is time, Raine, came Destiny's voice. You are powered by the oldest of magic, the rawest force of the Metal Flower Element. Take this destiny thrust upon you and bloom!

Raine put on her Mask, and her two Marks opened into full bloom as the third blossom marking her final tier joined her Defender one. Her armor rushed in to cover her faster than ever, and everything either shined or glimmered. She pulsed with magikry strongly enough that Logan felt it in his majik before it reached his skin as a ripple of goosebumps—he could even feel it as a tiny ripple inside his soul. It felt a little as if Kellie had never left. She was there, living inside her daughter, becoming part of the magic that fueled her.

He caught her safely in his arms when she fell and lifted her off her feet. Her head dropped tiredly onto his shoulder, and her eyes closed as her body rushed to process the evolution. She had only enough strength to remove her Mask, but her hand fell weakly back into her lap after doing so. She could still feel Kellie near, could still sense her inside. There could be no grief. She was not truly gone.

Destiny's power swept down around Raine and Logan to return them safely to the surface. Rest, she murmured softly. Rest, my sister. The final war will come soon enough. I know you will bring back the peace the people need. This will be your final transformation.

Raine said nothing though her lips curved slightly. She didn't have any doubt as to the outcome. Even if she gave her life too, the people would be free from evil once and for all.

And that made everything worth it.

©Stacy J. Garrett. Do not reprint or redistribute without permission.

Chapter 10->

The Final Kingdom - Chapter 8

<-Chapter 7

A restless feeling woke Nathaniel, but the restlessness did not come from him directly. It seemed to echo into his soul from someone else. He rolled onto his side and rose onto his elbow to look at his lover. She was facing away from him with her eyes closed, but he knew she was awake. He tenderly feathered kisses over her shoulder. "Did you sleep?" he asked softly.

"Some." Juliet let out a long breath and savored his presence. "Nate . . . are you sure about what you're doing?"

"I'm always sure about touching you." His fingers skimmed over her supple body. She had never been curvy or soft in any fashion, nor had she really been as visibly strong as she was in actuality. She hovered in a sort of middle area that had always captivated him.

"I'd hope so, but that was not what I meant." She turned over to look at him. Her green eyes had gone dark and intense. "Are you sure about . . . about giving your life and going with me?"

"What reason do I have for staying here if you're gone?" he asked reasonably. He caught a handful of her hair and tugged her in for a soft kiss. Against her lips, he said softly, "I have no reason to be if you are not here. You could possibly argue that with me, saying that Edgar needs me, but, well. If anything, that just makes it more final for me. Our time here is done."

She took a deep breath. "Then . . . then let's go." She sat up and felt a bedrock calm inside her heart and soul. "I'm ready. I'll never be more ready."

He sat up as well and watched as she slid out of bed. She moved nearly weightlessly on her feet, and could strike with surprising speed in battle. She had only minimal hand and foot style skills, but she became brutally efficient and lethal once she had her wooden staff in hand. "You are unfairly beautiful," he told her.

She looked over her shoulder in surprise. "That came out of nowhere."

"Just watching you walk and thinking about you in and out of battle." He smiled. "You're always beautiful to me, Juli. You should have realized that by now."

"Well, of course I know you think I'm beautiful, but the way you randomly compliment me always catches me a little off-guard."

His smile became a grin. "I save my compliments for those moments where I am so awestruck by you that I have to say something about it. Normally I just show how I feel otherwise." He got out of bed and walked over to tug her into his arms. Gravely, he added, "I would try to be less random, but you're rather adorable when I get you flustered, so you will just have to endure the fact that sometimes I look at you and have my breath taken away and I just have to announce it."

Her lips curved. "You are a terrible flirt, Nathaniel." She leaned up to kiss him softly and thrilled as his arms went around her waist to keep her close. Against his lips, she said softly, "When I become the Guardian of the Thunder Flower Element and the Goddess of all worlds holding it, I do hope everyone realizes that your support is what makes me strong." She frowned thoughtfully. "I wonder . . . I wonder what Amanda will do. Is doing. Do you think the current Guardians and Goddesses want to be reborn yet? Gail and Silas never indicated and no one ever asked."

"We'll ask when we get there. You can be sure they'll be glad to turn over duties to all of you, regardless, though." A thought made him pause. "Hmm. I believe I have a question for our frightening son."

She smiled as she got dressed. "Frightening because he is like me or like you? I swear, that Pattern Mastery has to be an evolution of your legal brain." Once dressed, she braided and wrapped up her long hair. Desiree had introduced her to the style some couple decades before, and she had been wearing it since. It kept her hair out of her face while at work, and she also got the sheer enjoyment of having Nathaniel take it down again later. "I know what place of memory I want to visit," she decided. "It is one of my most important memories. It was a deciding factor in my entire life. In both of them."

They, too, were staying in the manor along with all their friends. They stepped out of their room and found Storm and Kari sitting in the hall and leaning against each other. They looked to be asleep, but their eyes opened when they heard the door. Storm gracefully got to his feet. "Well. Time?"

"It is." Juliet smoothed back his hair. It still marveled her how much she loved her son. She had spent forever expecting to have a daughter, and then she had been surprised to find a son instead. A wonderful surprise, really. He had the best of her and her husband alike. "I'm proud of you," she said softly. "Know that I find no higher honor in giving my life for this universe. I know you'll carry on in my place."

Storm took a deep breath. "Don't do that. Please don't. I've managed to not cry. Don't make me start." His voice broke, then steadied. "I lost one mother once," he managed to say. "She gave her life for me. This is cutting a little close to home." When Kari slid an arm around his shoulders, he turned to hold on tight.

"Stormy." Nathaniel gently brushed at his hair. "Pattern something for me." Storm looked at him, and he said softly, "The Resurrection Cultivators will remain behind after we are gone. The Elder Cultivators have determined that this is their final time to go. They will take their place as Guardians and Goddesses. If you all are staying behind for what feels somewhat permanently, what will happen?"

"We all have rightful places to be," he answered calmly. "This was something I and Tasia once discussed before. The 'proper' order of things? The final culmination? We fully believe that the duties of the Realm are meant to be shared in the end."

"Shared?" He lifted his brows. "Shared, how?"

"So you both know how it works, right? Blossom Field Cultivators have the possibility to evolve when they ascend to the Realm, and Rulers become Goddesses overseeing worlds with their element, and Defenders become Guardians overseeing the element itself. The presumption has been that you Duals would become both. You basically have to take the roles, because you're stronger than the last generation. That's how it goes." Storm held up a finger. "Well, in thinking about things, and how Shana and Siobhan are meant to become High Goddesses, Tasi and I started seeing things falling into place. There have been lots of interim Guardians for Illusion and Nature because Protea and Delphinium never had Defenders until Shana and Siobhan, so it was assumed they would be the proper Guardians. But . . . I don't think they can be."

"Why not?" Juliet asked curiously.

"If a High Goddess could fill double duty, then Protea and Delphinium would not have individual Goddesses—which they totally do. So while Rocky and Edgar become the Gods of Delphinium and Protea—and can't be Guardian because they aren't Defenders—we still have no Guardians for Illusion or Nature. Now think critically: if someone wanted to be a perfect Guardian of any element, what should they have?"

Nathaniel's eyes widened. "Magikry. Magic of both sorts and majik alike. Near total control."

"Exactly!" Kari smiled. "It's starting to make sense now, right? That was how it hit all of us. The Resurrection Cultivators were made to be the perfect Guardians of the elements. It gets even more eerie when you take into account the three Apexes and how they work together. Having two Apexes in the Realm and one in the living plane is going to strengthen the hell out of the universe as a whole. Shana and Siobhan's reach and oversight of the universe will exponentially expand, and Tasia shall be their will as Karma—same as they are now, but no longer just Blossom Field."

Storm nodded. "The Light, Dark, and Chaos Flower Elements don't need a Guardian because, well, they have Apexes who literally filter the raw arcane force of those elements directly through their bodies and souls. Rodi has the Chaos element now too, but he's all but a literal extension of his Apex anyway, so he sort of doesn't count. On a related note I will add, given that Rocky and Edgar are all but twins to their sister-Apex and therefore in possession of the most powerful Light and Dark cores in existence other than said sisters, they will be FAR better suited as a God of their worlds than any other Ruler before them. Rulers of Protea and Delphinium never needed to have the Dark or Light elements, and neither have Goddesses, but it will sure make things easier if they're hypersensitive, y'know?"

Juliet felt calm spreading inside as everything came together in ways she had not anticipated. "And," she said softly, "given your generation represents a peak that will never be surpassed, this truly will be the final role for all of us to fulfill. That makes this choice easier for me, honestly." Wistfully, she added, "I suppose I can't ask for one last battle as a Defender just so I can help you guys tangibly as well. Ah well." She ruffled Storm's hair and then Kari's as well. "You'll do just fine."

"So . . . where is your place of memory?" Kari asked.

"Near the Gladiolus Castle actually. It is a memory from ten thousand years ago. The garden near the royal bedrooms."

Storm cocked his head. He recognized the spot, of course, but had no idea why it would be important. He simply reached out for his transport magic to take them there. He refused to think about everything involved in leading to the ascension. He wasn't sure he was as strong as his parents believed.

The teleport dropped them near the decimated castle. Like the Protea Kingdom, it too showed the heavier marks of devastation. The city beyond the walls was quiet and grief-stricken. In just those few moments when the walls had shattered between dimensions, millions of lives had been destroyed. People had been reminded just how fragile peace could be.

Where they stood outside the castle was a place in the gardens that had once been viewable from royal bedrooms. Only one castle wall stood tall enough to prove it, and the crumbling remains of a balcony were still attached. In an effort to lighten the mood, Kari asked, "Didn't I try to scale that in an attempt to be romantic?"

Her husband snorted. "And promptly got yourself stuck so that I had to levitate you free. Spoiled the mood entirely."

Nathaniel covered a smile. "It's the thought that counts." He watched Juliet as she moved around the area in a small circle. He knew she dealt with ten millennia worth of bad memories; he certainly did. It wasn't the first time they had seen the kingdoms fall. But, should everything go right, it would be the last. "Julianna?" he asked softly.

"Don't you remember?" She turned and found a smile for him. A real smile, one that made her green eyes soften. "Ten thousand years ago, don't you remember? We met here."

"You did?" Storm blinked and then looked speculative. Of course this would be Juliet's most important memory, her most defining moment. Protecting her queen and king were critical to Juliet's heart and soul for she had been born loving them, but what had truly defined her was the moment when she had been completed by her soul mate.

Nathaniel suddenly smiled. "We did." He leaned against what was left of a wall. "Tell them," he offered. "Let's see if you remember it the same way I do."

Juliet hadn't a clue why they might not remember the exact same thing. Facts were facts. Still, she smiled. "I was sixteen. It had only been a few months since the eight Commanders had been appointed to the two High Princes, and given I belonged to the Light planets and Navidan's team to the Dark ones, our paths simply just had not crossed yet. We knew of each other, but we had not met. Well, most of us had not. Sabin and Maxim and Alexandria and Veronica had all met as the respective leaders of their team of four, with Sabin and Veronica being overall Leads of the eight, of course."

"By the way," Nathaniel offered dryly, "even at sixteen and twenty-one, Nica and Max were striking serious sparks. Mostly just emotional ones, given their ages, but we all pretty much knew where they were headed. I and Jayden bet Evan as to how long it would take them both to realize what the hell was wrong with them." He laughed. "Evan won, of course. He knows Max best."

"I won the bet with Asheria." Juliet grinned briefly. "Anyway, I had been here at home and Sayena had decided she wanted to come see me. Nothing unusual, obviously, but given her position, she could not travel alone. Most every Commander or Defender happened to be busy in some form or another except for Navidan, so he agreed to bring her. Evan tagged along, of course."

She wandered over to where a yellow gladiolus plant still stubbornly clung onto life. "Evan and Sayena met me in a reception room so we could have tea and snacks together—my snacks, of course. As if I would serve my princess and prince something I had not made!" She smiled. "We had the same rule then as now: at least three hour notice before visiting Gladiolus so we can make food." She sighed. "Navi had not joined us since he wanted to explore the palace grounds. Fair enough, right? Well, we were halfway through lunch when a servant alerted me there may be an intruder on grounds."

"Someone was stupid enough to sneak into the palace grounds?" Kari lifted her brows.

"If rabble rousers weren't so deathly afraid of Rulers who are also witches and the now legendary Resurrection Cultivators," Nathaniel said dryly, "it would no doubt have happened at least once by now to you."

Juliet smiled wryly in agreement. "The Elders of that time had still been alive around then, but Amanda had also been away that day. So I grabbed my Mask, made Evan and Sayena stay put, and headed out to inspect the area. Eventually found myself a rather well-known rabble rouser from town who had decided to either burgle or kidnap. Never did establish which."

"Went right to beating him up?" her son asked politely.

"Given that I had just spent fifteen minutes chasing the asshole through the rain-soaked gardens, I wasn't in the best of moods to begin with. Armor and exposed skin and hair covered in mud, which felt terribly icky. Could have ended it faster with my staff, but he had pissed me off. So I made a fairly strong point about not trying that again, dropped him, and turned to discover we had an observer." She winced wryly. "Navidan, who had apparently come up shortly after I'd found the jerk and then stood there watching the scene. Who, I will add, was nearly as handsome at his young age as he is fully matured. Of course I could not actually feel desire for him at that age, but I sure liked what I saw! I recognized his uniform, so I knew who he had to be, and oh gods I was so embarrassed. I really had not intended to make that sort of first impression."

Nathaniel crossed his arms as he leaned against what remained of the wall. "Now here is where we will deviate," he said gently. "A servant had also told me what was happening, so I was looking for either Julianna or the intruder—whichever I found first. I found both at the same time. I honestly couldn't have alerted her to my presence for the simple fact that she had . . . dazzled me." He looked at Kari. "You remember how you felt when you first saw Storm in his Defender armor? The shock and the awe that such an amazing creature was right there before you?"

"Believe me, I remember." Kari brushed her lips across Storm's cheek.

"Well, that was how I felt." He looked at his startled mate. "You were cranky and filthy, certainly. But, goddess, Juliet, how you glowed. And I knew . . . I just knew that I was your other half. No one else would ever suit you."

"Oh." Her cheeks turned slightly pink. "You never told me that."

"You never asked."

Enjoying the story, enjoying this important information about the parents he hadn't known nearly long enough, Storm asked, "What happened after that?"

"Navi 'escorted' the intruder off palace grounds while I went to get cleaned up and switch to my Ruler gown. We ended up becoming dear friends, and he more than once strongly implied he intended to become one of my suitors. I found that hard to believe." She winced wryly. "After I turned twenty-one, things got a little, er, more complicated. I went into a sort of anxiety-panic mode because I had it in my head that it just couldn't be really that he was my soul mate because I didn't deserve him, but he just calmly kept waiting." She snorted softly in remembered humor. "The day of my twenty-fifth birthday, he went and put himself on my suitor list, came and found me, and then kissed me until I near forgot my name."

Kari snickered. "Which made your life easy because you could then just accept him and toss the list."

"Well, there wasn't much of a list actually, but basically that, yeah."

Nathaniel grinned at their kids. "Maybe I ought to correct her about that too. I wouldn't say the list was as long as what Shanae's got to before Robert obliterated the competition, but it was by no means short!"

Storm had to laugh at the look of surprise on Juliet's face. "I bet your mother hid the real list from you because she knew Dad was your perfect soul mate."

"That definitely sounds like something she'd do," Juliet admittedly dryly. "You're more like your lineage than you know, honey."

He beamed. "I'll take that as a compliment." He studied Juliet for a few moments and then his smile slowly faded. "Are you ready?"

"I am." Juliet took a deep breath. "I really am. It isn't the first time I've willingly given my life for someone. I did it for Siobhan and Shana alike when we fought Mania. Now I do it for you." She turned to Storm. "The greatest gifts a mother can give her child is life and love," she said softly. "If you can't give one, then giving the other is more than enough. You generally hope that you give life, and then love, but sometimes it is the other way around. I have given you all the love I could ever give any child of mine, and it is that love that spurs me to give my life for yours. And I regret this only less knowing there is another wonderful mother still out there to give you the love you deserve."

Tears slid down Storm's cheeks though he did not say a word. With the strength and courage of his Gladiolus heritage, he straightened his back and lifted his chin. He turned and walked into the remains of the castle and led the other three directly to where the entrance to the Core was located. The top opened obediently at his command, and they all jumped down inside. It was a familiar location for Kari and Storm since they had gone down there prior. This time they headed down the long hall looming before them. Kari conjured a small light to allow them to see where they were going, and as light in the distance grew closer, she let her spell dim.

The spell winked out entirely when the light had fully reached them. Before them stood an immense door of wood inlaid with the familiar citrines of the world. Symbols from across the universe that represented the Thunder Flower Element had been carved into the face. In the very center sat the same gladiolus flower blossom that Marked both Juliet and Storm.

Storm lightly touched the door and felt it pulsing under his fingers. Years of patient tutelage from his eldest sister swirled in his mind. "Juniper wood, which we of course knew belonged to Gladiolus. It matches well with a yellow gladiolus and the citrine. Juniper is about hardiness and clearing minds, the yellow gladiolus is strength of character and honor, and the citrine is mental focus and—of all things—success."

"How apt," Kari murmured. "Explains why you lot can buck anxiety faster than most." She smiled. "And why someone is a pattern master."

"I still blame my father being a legal advisor for that one," Storm said with a sidelong look at Nathaniel.

He smiled. "You're not the only one."

A sudden feminine and powerful presence stirred in the air. It was so strong that Storm and Kari felt it ripple inside their majik, and it resonated into Nathaniel's own limited magic. It was a power they all recognized, had all sensed more than once in their lives.

"Destiny," Storm said softly. "Of course you would be here."

The door shimmered with all the colors of life and then began to ripple with the yellow and green of Gladiolus. I feel before me the Mother and Son of Gladiolus. The voice was soft and feminine and uplifting. Who is it who comes to make the final sacrifice?

"I do." Juliet covered her heart with a hand. "I am the Mother of Gladiolus. I have come to give back my life and Seed to the planet that brought me forth. I give myself in place of my son so that he may fulfill whatever need you have of him." Where the words came from, she did not know. It almost felt as if they had been engraved inside her very soul.

Then you must make the first sacrifice. The sacrifice of mind. Your memories will remain here as you travel, and they will slowly leave you as you progress. You will remember only the people you love but not any experiences you shared with them.

Storm's hands curled into fists at his side, and he was barely conscious of Kari's hand resting on the back of his neck.

"Do you need a sacrifice from me?" Nathaniel asked with steady calm. "I, too, am here to give my life for our son."

No, Nathaniel. You are already giving everything you were ever meant to give.

Juliet's back straightened. "Take what you need of me, Destiny. I give it freely."

A glow centered at her chest and pushed forward a highly faceted crystal gemstone with white veins. With surprise, Juliet and Nathaniel recognized what had appeared. Kari recognized it for she had held Storm's in her hands once. Softly, Storm said, "Are you so surprised, Mom? Of course you would have a pure Life Orb. Just by nature of what you have endured as a Cultivator, your mind is pure."

Quite so, Destiny murmured.

The Life Orb floated away from Juliet and merged with the door. It instantly opened and revealed another tunnel beyond. Her physical strength slowly began ebbing away as she forced her feet to move down the tunnel, but her strength of will carried on even as more and more memories fled away.

It was her normal, everyday memories that went first. The little things from experimenting with new recipes to teasing her friends. So many memories over ten thousand years. She had never imagined there could so many inside her mind. She had already let some go from her consciousness, but they had always been there when she needed.

It was memories of the other seven Commanders to go next so that she didn't once remember how they had become the brothers she had always desperately longed to have. They had been there to support and bolster her, and in the case of Tyson and Diaz, always willing to play and have fun. Gladiolans needed to nurture and give love, but, honestly, they also needed to be loved—and her brothers had been part of her family.

The Resurrection Cultivators left her next. That wonderfully fascinating team who had no barriers, no lines, and nearly no limits. She forgot how Raine had truly been like a daughter to her—connected as she was by Storm—and how Tasia had helped her hone her limited hand/foot skills. She had broken her heart watching them suffer, yet she never once doubted them and their skill. All of it went away in a few steps.

The other Elder Cultivators faded next. The years they had been friends, and all the times they had spent teasing each other and supporting each other. Too, the wars they had fought as a team; seamlessly whether as two or four or seven or eight, and how she had always trusted Virginia to bring them back. Her years spent feeding Yvonne because her friend had no ability to cook, and how Clara had guiltlessly pulled recipes from the far past out of the Library just so Juliet could recreate them. She could remember their faces, but not a single thing they had done together.

It was memories of Storm that went next, and something inside her wept painfully. Such a short time she had gotten to have her son! Not even ten years had she been given with the amazing man who walked beside her. She forgot teaching him new recipes to cook, and how to catch and bottle lightning. She forgot the nights they had stayed up plotting birthday pranks on their friends and family. The laughter. Gone.

Her memories of Shana went next. Her idol. How badly Juliet had wanted to be like Shana! So strong and confident and sassy, courageous in facing anything. They would having a sparring match, thoroughly kick each other around (and Shana always won!) and then they would go for ice cream. One of her two precious queens. She had loved Shana as much as she had loved Siobhan. One of her dearest friends . . . gone.

Siobhan left her next, and she wanted to cry out. Memories of the person she had vowed to hold first were torn from her. She had spent many years shaking her head over Siobhan's unquenchable optimism and quick to flare temper, but she had loved every minute. When she had been unable to shake her own doubts, Siobhan had been there to love her. Unconditionally, eternally. And yet she faded away as if she had never been.

Nathaniel's image welled in her mind. She grit her teeth and said nothing though it hurt terribly. Her memories of her beloved husband, her chosen Caretaker, simply left. That important first meeting, and their constant meetings that had followed. The memories of the last five thousand years where he had always been there for her. She knew only that she loved him. She remembered nothing about why.

She staggered, and he caught her as the second door appeared. This door, too, was made of juniper and citrine. It glimmered and glowed softly. There was a throbbing inside Storm now. It pulsed and beat inside his blood. When he closed his eyes and focused, he was sure he felt Juliet's memories inside him. "I see," he said softly. "So that is what you are doing."

"What is it?" Kari asked, her voice hushed.

It is Storm's final evolution. When this journey ends, Juliet will no longer exist on this plane, but her very memories, emotions, reason for being, and strength will become your mate's power. He will be his mother's living legacy.

"I accept her legacy." Storm closed his eyes as tears slid down his cheeks. Something occurred to him, something he had always wondered, and he opened his eyes again. "Destiny, tell me something, please. Why are Cultivators of Gladiolus so desperate to nurture our loved ones?"

Because, in addition to honor and strength of character, the yellow gladiolus is about infatuation and faithfulness. Once you love someone, you are emotionally invested in them, and you will never let them go. I've watched Gladiolans across the millennia find different and more creative ways to nurture and care, but some twenty thousand years ago, they settled on the simplest answer of all: food. All that lives needs to eat, and some people are just terrible at it, and Gladiolus Cultivators happily take up the slack. Laughter filled her voice. And almost always, you Gladiolans are feeding your beloved Irisians. How fitting when the gladiolus and the iris are, in fact, part of the same genus.

It explained so much. Juliet did not remember how many years she had been feeding Yvonne, nor did she remember that Storm had been feeding Tasia since he could reach a stove, but the information just felt . . . right. "I don't mind being infatuated with my loved ones," she decided. Her voice was much weaker than it had been, but the core strength inside was still present. "I was able to provide for them as they needed. Wasn't I?"

Always, little bud.

A tiny cocky smile touched her lips. "Who are you calling a bud? I'm fully bloomed." She took a long breath. "Let me continue. I will not waver."

Then it is time for the second sacrifice. The sacrifice of heart. As you progress, you will lose your love for all those around you.

Nathaniel's entire body jerked though he said nothing. Kari cursed softly under her breath. Juliet ignored them both. She made this choice willingly. Freely. She had no regrets. "So be it."

A glow once more centered on her heart. This time it brought forth a yellow and green glowing force that formed into a gladiolus blossom reminiscent of the ones on Mother and Son alike, though both of Juliet's had begun to fade. In exchange, a sparkling edge had just begun to hint around both of Storm's Marks. A Flower Mark sparkled when the Cultivator stood as the only one of their kind. When this ended, Storm would be the only Gladiolus Defender for the rest of time, and he would be the only Ruler until someday when he and Kari had a child of their own.

The glowing flower merged to the door and it disappeared. Juliet tried to step forward but staggered. Nathaniel and Storm moved to her sides, and they braced her as she continued to move forward. Nathaniel could have carried her, but he knew that she needed to do this on her own feet.

With every step, her love for those around her went away. Her surrogate brothers. The eternally giving Resurrection team. Her fellow Cultivators, who had been her sisters. Her beautiful, brilliant son. The queen she had idolized. The queen she had sheltered. Her soul screamed in fury with every lost love.

Nathaniel's presence loomed inside her, and everything that she was rebelled. "No!" she shouted. "Don't take him from me!! Not again!"

The third door instantly appeared before them. Destiny's presence tenderly curled around Juliet. My little flower, I would never take away a Cultivator's Caretaker. I have asked so much of all of you over the years. The greatest gift I could give you was that of unconditional love. I would never take it away.

After a moment, Kari asked quietly, "What of you?"

Me?

"Where is your happiness?" She shook her head. "You . . . you've suffered more than any Cultivator, of any sort. You knew all along the things that would happen. You were forced . . . forced to make so many painful decisions, do so many horrible things, just to ensure that this moment came, that the Resurrection Cultivators would be here to save everyone. So who is by your side?"

I have had consorts.

"That's not the same thing," Storm immediately argued. "Okay, yeah, you had an interesting affair with Horatio and that's where Orion came from. But . . . Kari is right. You have suffered more than us. You need happiness too."

A note of what sounded like tears filled Destiny's voice. I cannot see my own future, little ones. I didn't know . . . I did not know until after he was born that there would ever be . . . ever be that one person for me. And now I am forced to hurt him as well.

Shock exploded inside Storm's mind as the pattern unraveled wildly. Curiosity about that one tiny detail had been in his mind all along, but he had never expected this to be the answer. It explained everything. "He will forgive you," he said firmly, softly. "I am sure he will."

"If we can forgive you," Juliet said, her voice faint, "then so can this person. If he's your soul mate, he will forgive you anything." She drew a deep breath. "Knowing that everyone will be happy makes this easier to endure. What do you have left to take from me?"

The reason for your existence: your Seed.

She slowly straightened and removed her Mask from its bracelet. "So be it."

The glow brought forth her Seed, and it was a familiar pain for Juliet had endured it before. The gaping emptiness inside her grew bigger and ever bigger as the door disappeared. She had no memories of her battles as the Gladiolus Defender of the Thunder Flower Element. No knowledge of her dedicated service as a protector to High Queen Sayena and High Queen Shanae. No memories of ruling Gladiolus through the long years of rebuilding until it had thrived anew. She kept going anyway. Magic or no magic. Memories or no memories. She was a Dual Cultivator, chosen by the planet Gladiolus. She would not fail.

Something began to loom in the distance, and as it approached it became not a door but a doorway. It surged out to envelop them all, and when the glare faded, they stood in a spherical room that glowed yellow and green. In the very center of the room rested an immensely large citrine covered with living and dead yellow gladiolus flowers slowly being eaten by the evil tar dripping from the ceiling. The Core of Gladiolus.

It is time, Juliet. Nathaniel, it is your time as well.

Juliet straightened her back and brushed off Nathaniel's hands. She would walk beside him, not leaning on him. Proud and straight, she walked slowly toward the Core. The evil tar tried to gather to attack, but it repelled off an invisible shield around the Gladiolus Cultivator. A yellow and green magic swirled around her in return and fired back at the tar to destroy it entirely. The Core glowed in response, but faintly and weakly. Even Storm could barely feel it.

Juliet climbed the dais and gently put her hands on the Core. It was so tired and weak that she forgot all of her own pain. She placed her Mask on the citrine and covered it with her hands, and Nathaniel covered her hands in turn. She let her lifeforce, bolstered after five thousand years, well up with anything remaining of her magic. So, too, did Nathaniel let his own lifeforce and magic well, and both began to fade. The Core soaked in the generous gift, and began to glow. In that moment, that beautiful moment, it all came rushing back to Juliet. Her memories, her feelings, and even her Seed. All of it. Love begot love: the more you gave, the more you received. The unconditional love and sacrifice of a Cultivator could restore their world to its purest state, and in turn, the world could give them back everything they had sacrificed—except for their life. The Elders' time had come.

You are everything that is Gladiolus, Juliet, for you are hardy and honorable. You are the willpower that gives others the strength of mind to survive, and now you can rest. You have done all that was ever asked of you, even when you did not know you were being asked.

Juliet turned and held out a hand to Storm, and he walked forward without hesitation to grasp it. The Elder Cultivator and her Caretaker were nearly completely gone. "I won't be far," Juliet told him. "I'll still be watching over you. And you had better give us some grandkids, got it?"

Storm's lips trembled but he found a smile. "We'll try our hardest."

Finally, slowly, at last, Juliet faded away entirely as everything that she was returned to the planet that had given her life. Nathaniel, too, faded away. The Core began to quiver and shake and then produced a glow more radiant than anything anyone had ever seen as every flower returned to full bloom. Storm could feel the pulsing warmth of Juliet's magic inside his soul. It was her memories, emotions, existence, and life. He had become her living legacy.

His Mask appeared and began to glow brightly as all fractures mended and the surface took on a sparkling effect to the match the sparkling edge now lining both of his Flower Marks. He could actually feel his magikry expanding inside as those same Marks began to glow hotly.

It is time, Storm, came Destiny's voice. You are powered by the oldest of magic, the rawest force of the Thunder Flower Element. Take this destiny thrust upon you and bloom!

Storm pulled on his Mask, and his Defender Mark gained its third blossom before all three and the one on his chest opened into full bloom. Armor swiftly covered his body as usual, and all metal portions had taken the familiar glitter and the cloth had taken on a shine. Standing near, Kari could actually feel the magikry inside her lover. It felt almost as if Juliet had never left. She was there, living inside her son, becoming part of the magic that fueled him.

His knees gave out and she swiftly caught him. She lifted him into her arms and felt shaken to her soul by the events that had occurred. His lashes fluttered and then he went lax in her arms as his body shut down to process her final tier. Destiny's power removed his Mask for him and returned it to his bracelet where it belonged. I will return you to the surface, Destiny said softly. Stand strong, Kari. You will be his strength of will in the coming days. All of you have a role to fulfill. You stand there as deliberately as your mate.

She smiled. "That doesn't shock me at all." As the power swirled around her, she buried her face in Storm's hair. She had every confidence in a happy ending. There was too much riding on it.

©Stacy J. Garrett. Do not reprint or redistribute without permission.

Chapter 9->