The Final Kingdom - Chapter 11

<-Chapter 10

 When Desiree awoke in the morning, she found herself curled up against Uwe's chest, and her lover had one arm wrapped across her waist as if he had no intentions of letting go anytime in the immediate future. She closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat. It beat with the same rhythm that hers did, and the synchronized pulse was the only true physical evidence of the invisible bonds between their souls. It had always fascinated her, as much as it had to discover that twin souls beat on reciprocating wavelengths. More curious still was that that did not mean, for example, that Alexandria and Sam, sharing Rocky and Shana, had matching beats themselves. Just another quirk of the powers that be.

Uwe stirred suddenly and his arm tightened. "Good morning," he said huskily. He turned over onto his back and stretched. "How long have you been awake?" He tangled his fingers in her curly hair as she propped herself on his chest. The near ringlets had always lured his fingers into touching.

"Just a few moments." She rested her chin on her hands and admired his face. "I wonder if the Realm has pools."

A seeming non sequitur, but he had long before learned to follow her mind. "I remember during the Realm War that Sandra described the Realm as being like the Ephemeral Plane and a place without space, meaning it is as big as is needed, and people can have whatever they like where they choose to live. I imagine we will need to be near the High Castle of the Realm where Shana and Siobhan and Rocky and Edgar will inevitably have to live, but I can't see why we won't have a pool at our home, or why there wouldn't already be plenty of pools." He grinned. "Considering how many Water Flower Elements are already living there, especially you Orchidians, it seems a given."

"So he says when he's worse than I am." She sat up on her own grin. "You lot have teased me for millennia about being part fish because I'm always in the water, but I am not the one who made a career of swimming." She leaned down to cage him against the pillow. "You made quite the handsome merman in that photo series Shana took." A smile tugged at her lips as pink touched his cheeks. "I had fun making you up for that. I'm sure Sandra and my mother are laughing me from the Realm. Me, the one who hated her royal art classes, turned around and became an artist of a different sort."

He flicked a finger at her nose. "To be fair, it likely did not surprise them. Even back then, I remember you loved playing with your friends' hair. And any of the Commanders with long enough hair you could get your mitts on." He laughed. "I still can't believe Chance let you do his makeup for the wedding."

"To be fair, I sort of showed up at the dressing room armed, and he is a smart man who knows not to argue with me when I want something. I didn't exactly have to tie him to a chair. I would have, but I didn't need to." She nipped at his lower lip. "I like making you up most. Mostly because I'm the one who gets to stare you, and get close and personal." She eased back on a sigh and smile. "Let's get this done. We have another life waiting. That's how I want to see this. As much as it will hurt to leave all we've built here, to leave our son, I want to look at the positive."

"Just think about all the new people you can chase with brushes and powders," he teased as he got out of bed to find his clothes.

"See, that works for me." She got dressed as well and then took his hand to leave the bedroom. They stepped into the hall, and they found Ryan sitting on the edge of the banister like a graceful dove. Gail stood beside him with one hand on the small of his back, as much to shelter as to help him maintain her balance. Desiree had to smile as she saw her. She should have known Jessie's daughter would suit her son.

Ryan glanced over and felt his stomach dip slightly with nerves that never reached his face. Empathically bound as Gail was to her husband, she knew regardless of what his face said, and her hands tightened protectively. "Mom." Ryan took a deep breath. "I felt it, when I woke. You're ready."

"As ready as I might ever be." She offered a hand and helped Ryan down. Lightly she tapped her son's nose. "You never learned that habit from me. Someone else around here is known for sitting wherever he pleases."

Uwe grinned. "Yeah, but someone else—who will remain nameless—is the one who has slid down more than one banister in her life."

Ryan had to grin. "I'm in the gray area between my father's son and a mama's boy. I'm okay with that. You know," he said softer, "I'm proud to be your son. Proud to be Dad's son. I don't regret a thing about my life anymore."

Desiree and Uwe both hugged him tight for a moment, and Desiree felt tears sting her eyes. That inner core of indomitable will . . . that was pure Uwe. Ryan was more like Desiree than Uwe, but he still showed strong traits he had inherited his Commander father. "Good," she said. "Because I don't regret anything either." She looked at Gail. "Make him smile."

Very seriously, Gail said, "I have no other purpose for being." She pulled Ryan into her arms and kept him close. "I've thought a lot about it over the last few days. The Realm War, I mean. I fully believe now that it happened solely to ensure not just Silas' and my presence, but also Tasia's. It seemed obvious where Tasia is concerned, given the Pivots, but I think that I and my brother may have been just as important. To be sure, many important things happened during that war, but some of them would have happened anyway, and some would not have all."

Uwe cocked his head. "You know, I had caught on to Tasia. She is the most pre-meditated Cultivator ever born. But I can see how Jessie and Jon came into play. If the war had not happened, Jon would have died, possibly either not stayed in the Realm or missed Jessie entirely, and you and Silas would not have been born. Or, even if we say Jon might have found Jessie, the odds of her pregnancy would have been much lower—and you would have been too young to recognize Emily and Ryan when they came back for the Dragon War. The way things fell, Shanta herself said it was no surprise it happened."

"Destiny herself must be a pattern master," Desiree said wryly. "Her complicated machinations are far too alike to Tasia's."

Ryan opened his mouth, then closed it. The suspicions among the Resurrection Cultivators were their own. If the Elders were to understand, then they would see it eventually. "So," he said instead, "place of memory."

"There are so many," his mother admitted, "but I know the important one." She leaned over to softly whisper in Ryan's ear.

The location was unfamiliar, but Ryan didn't need to be familiar with it to travel there. He let his magic well, and all four swiftly traveled across the land to arrive at a place neither Ryan nor Gail had ever visited, but was very familiar to Desiree and Uwe. The pool no longer held water, and it had been badly damaged in the shockwave, yet it could be identified. Crumbling diving boards stood at one end, and the entire thing had once been surrounded by plants.

"Where are we?" Gail asked. "Is this Lux?"

"It is. As you'd expect, given how long we lived here." Desiree walked over and sat on the edge of the pool. "This is, was, the biggest pool in Lux. This was where I did most of my diving and swimming, other than the pool in our own backyard, and where Uwe worked and trained as well. It's a place of a dozen memories, but one in particular stands out."

Uwe sighed. "Oh, gods. You're going to tell them that story?"

Ryan perked up. "This sounds promising. Which story?"

"The day your father tried to propose to me."

He smiled. "I've never heard about this! And I could see why it would be your most important. However, I think I remember Aunt Shana laughing about something when she had mentioned your engagement. What happened?"

"Everything!" Desiree found herself laughing at the memory. "We'll start with the timeframe. Does 'right before the Realm War' sound familiar?"

"Huh-oh."

Uwe sat down beside Desiree on a smile. "To be fair, I didn't know we would have a war. And as busy as things were, I still thought we would have plenty of time. I wanted it to be done right, damn it." He mock scowled. "So what if it had been a formality, or a repeat of the past? I wanted Ree to know that I was there willingly in our relationship. So I picked out a matching set of engagement rings that would have been perfect."

"Would have been?" Gail asked politely.

"They were stolen out of his EC while he was in a store," Desiree confirmed, smiling. "And he had already made a date with me for a few days out, so he sort of panicked."

Ryan grinned. "And Racine saved the day! I remember her mentioning the irony of Gail asking her to make our rings. That's what she meant, right?"

"Right." Desiree shook her head. "Meanwhile, I had no idea what was going on. Uwe was very not-Uwe-like, all flustered and worried and obviously upset. I honestly thought perhaps he was stressed about everything happening with Shana at that time. She has always been as important the Commanders as the Defenders. You know, I never once thought he was preparing to offer marriage?"

"You didn't?" Uwe looked at her with genuine surprise. "I thought for sure you had to know that was my intent."

"I really didn't." She smiled at him. "It just seemed unnecessary to me overall. You never proposed in our last lives either. We always just . . . perfectly came together. No questions, no hesitations. We never had to question our destination. I never had to announce you as my chosen suitor. Everyone knew. So, no, I honestly did not realize you intended to be formal about things."

"So how did the big day go?" Ryan asked teasingly. He sat down on the side of the pool cornered to them, and Gail joined him.

Uwe sighed. "I was a damned nervous wreck."

"And I had no idea what the watery hells was wrong with him!" Desiree shook her head. "He brought me here, at night, which was a little different but not terribly odd. We had done night swims together before." She pointed up, and all followed her finger to see the roof had been made of glass to allow the sky to be seen, and some remaining panels implied it had been easily opened. "He had this lovely dinner set up for us, and the panels open to let in air. So beautifully romantic. Until one of those random, unexpected, and rather torrential rainstorms of Lux hit. You know, the one that shows up out of almost nowhere and we can't predict because the climate is so naturally temperate that storms are literally a force of Nature magic sort of overflowing."

"Oh, no." Ryan dropped his head into his hands, shoulders shaking with laughter.

Uwe smiled wryly. "Came in right through the open windows, ruined everything. We're scrambling around to get to shelter, and she's laughing at everything, and I'm just . . . at my wits' end. She demanded to know what was wrong with me, and I just . . . blurted out that I was trying to ask her to marry me."

"He doesn't surprise me often," Desiree said softly, "because I know him too well. But that time . . . he surprised me. We were cold, and wet, and shivering and it was not at all romantic." She held up her hands, and the rings on her thumbs shimmered softly. Her wedding bands on her pinkies had been made of aquamarine, but her engagement rings had been carved from seashell. "When he put these on me and gave me the rings to put on him, I had never been happier." She looked at her husband on a smile. "He's always known me better than I've known him."

Ryan stood and walked around to kneel and hug both of them tightly. It felt humbling to know this important thing about his parents. Would he have been able to appreciate them if he hadn't endured his childhood? He honestly didn't think so. In knowing it, some of his resentment for Destiny eased. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"I am." Desiree took a long breath. "It's hard. It's very hard. But I've done it before. Every Cultivator has lived their life knowing it would end, and Defenders especially are prepared to sacrifice themselves for the ones they love. Perhaps it is one of the reasons we are chosen." She straightened. "Let's go to the Core of Orchid."

Magic carried them across space once more, and they landed amid the ruins of the Orchid Palace. The entrance to the Core had been hidden beneath the now dried up aquarium floor in a former atrium. It took Gail and Ryan both to pry up the trapdoor, and the entrance beneath looked dark and ominous. Desiree and Uwe jumped down first, and their kids followed shortly.

It was completely black in the tunnel, and Ryan palmed a ball of majik. They walked together down the long hall, none of them knowing what to expect or what they might see. Eventually, a point of light appeared, and Ryan let his spell stop glowing as that distant light grew stronger. When they found the source of the light, the spell went away entirely.

They stood before the largest door any of them had ever seen. It had been made of a familiar fragrant wood inland with aquamarines and carved with the symbols across the universe that represented the Water Flower Element. In the center, a carved orchid blossom alike to the one on Desiree and Ryan could be clearly seen.

"Eucalyptus." Desiree smiled as she saw the wood. "I'd know that scent anywhere, given they grew all over the kingdom. A water-based tree, so of course special to Orchid."

Ryan trailed his fingers over the door on a smile of his own. "It's also good for purifying, which relates directly to a Ruler magic skill. And it's nurturing tendency suits to our blue orchid and aquamarine alike. The blue orchid is refinement and charm, and the aquamarine is relaxation and insight."

Uwe looked between them and then looked at Gail, who was trying not to laugh. "I think we just understood everything about our spouses we didn't realize could be explained," he told her dryly.

A feminine presence stirred at the edges of their consciousness. It was soft and warm and welcoming. And while Desiree and Ryan both recognized it, it was Gail who was first able to name it for she had been born of the Realm of the Gods and therefore been near the presence most of her life. "Destiny," she breathed.

The door shimmered with all the colors of life and then began to ripple with the ultramarine and purple of Orchid. I feel before me the Mother and Son of Orchid. Who is it who comes to make the final sacrifice?

Desiree placed a hand over her heart. "I am the Mother of Orchid. I have come to give back my life and magic 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."

Uwe skimmed his fingers down her cheek. "I have also come to give my life and magic, to follow my Cultivator wherever she may go. My king will not long remain on this plane; I will wait for him beyond."

It is Desiree's sacrifice that shall open the way; yours will come later, Uwe. You will know when it is time.

"I am ready to start," Desiree said.

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.

Ryan bit back a cry of pain. It didn't seem fair to make someone live two lives across ten thousand years and then take away their memories. It was only Gail's arms around his waist that gave him the strength to fight back the protests welling inside.

"I accept your demand," Desiree said calmly. There was no room for fear.

A glow centered at her chest and began to push forward until it became a glowing Life Orb. The multi-faceted shape was proof of the long life she had lived, and, perhaps appropriately, it even vaguely resembled the shape of a seashell. The Orb merged with the door, and the door disappeared to reveal another long tunnel.

Though pain began to coil inside, Desiree walked forward calmly and almost serenely. Every step stole more memories. The everyday things went first. The little casual moments that she had never thought of as being important but truly were a part of her. Slowly, the memories gained in importance. It was the Light Defenders who left her next. For years she had been fascinated and exasperated by them all, wondering how it was possible they could remain positive in the face of everything. She herself could be called lighthearted, but her Dark core often made her expect the worse, so her Light friends had never really made sense—she had loved them anyway, though, and had cherished their friendship. Gone. All of it was gone.

It was the Commanders who left her next. The protectors of the former High Kings had been very different in many ways, yet like the Cultivators had shared many similarities. She could not say which she had been closer to, given that the crossing of worlds had meant she spent nearly as much time around them all. They had been like brothers to her, and had been valued friends and partners she could trust to protect her queens when she could not. They all just . . . faded.

The Resurrection Cultivators left her next. How they had fascinated her! She had envied their borderless dynamic, and she had always wished to learn their secret to facing every trial without flinching. They had done things that she didn't think she could have endured. They were incredible people she had been honored to know and have as part of her family, and they disappeared from her mind entirely.

Alexandria, Clara, and Kellie welled inside her. Her oldest friends and most cherished partners. Clara had always been there for advice and guidance, and she had always known what to say and when. Kellie had been a quiet force of stubbornness and tenderness who would sass someone she healed if they had gotten injured through their own faults. Alexandria had amused and entertained her for millennia, and it had never not been a delight to see her and their queen bang heads together. All of them . . . gone.

Rocky's image filled her mind, and she nearly sighed in exasperated fondness. He had been special to her in too many ways. She had loved him not only because he made Shana happy, but because you simply had to love him. The eternal optimist who huffed and puffed and complained when told to do something, but still did it when he knew she had only his best interests in mind. He left her as if he had never been.

Edgar and Siobhan's images loomed in her mind and began to slip away. Her king, and one of her queens. Protecting Edgar had never been easy. She had been grateful when the Commanders had arrived; taking care of one stubborn Protean Ruler had been hard enough without dealing with two. And Siobhan. Her unwavering belief in the impossible, in the miracle of good, had helped saved Desiree's sanity many times. All of it was gone in a few steps.

Ryan. The years had been too short. Desiree's heart broke every time she thought about how her son had grown up, and now she couldn't even remember those moments. Didn't remember Ryan begging to learn to dive, or his fierce determination to out-swim his champion father; he never had succeeded, though he had kept trying. Somehow she had been given a miracle: a child just like her and her soul mate. She forgot every memory with him.

Pink eyes danced past her view in her mind, and pain ripped at her. Her beautiful queen. The bright, burning sun amid the day and the welcoming darkness amid the night. She had been chosen to protect a High Princess of Protea, but she would have volunteered over and over again. Shana had been a living, breathing, part of her life. How could she not love Shana? They had worked on thousands of photo shoots together, and Shana had sometimes pulled strings to ensure she got Desiree to work with; in her own words, she had trusted no one else to convey what she wanted. Every memory faded like the sun setting on the horizon.

Uwe's face filled her mind, and she stumbled at last as pain tore through her soul. Her soul mate and partner. Her best friend and confidant. Did she have memories without Uwe? If she did, they had already gone away. In two lives they had come together like rivers at a bifurcation, never hesitating or wondering. Their life together had not been all harmony—after all, still waters ran deep in both—but the way he had made her heart sing, and turned her blood to steam in his caress, had always been the most important thing. Her Caretaker who could handle even her. All of it was torn out of her by the root.

She would have fallen if Ryan and Uwe hadn't grabbed her arms. The next door instantly appeared before them, and Destiny's presence swirled warmly. Ryan could feel something throbbing hotly and powerfully. He was sure he could see and feel Desiree's memories inside him. "What is that?" he asked softly.

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.

With a strength of will he had inherited from both parents, he straightened his back. "I accept her legacy." A thought occurred, and he asked, "Destiny? If there will be no more Defenders after this, then who will be twin soul mates to future High Rulers? Even without evil, the role they fill is important. They will still need someone dedicated to protecting them and loving them. Lower Rulers, too."

So they will, but they will no longer need a Defender specifically. The groundwork for this future has been laid already, and you have already seen how it may happen: Commanders, and Captains. Every world has an army of Royal Knights who help protect the world from the sort of terrible things that even removing evil cannot end. There is a Captain for each world, and highest ranked are the Commanders of Delphinium and Protea. And so it will come that the ones who will be Commanders for the two High worlds will be the twin soul mates to the High Rulers, and the ones who will be Captains for the Lower worlds will be the companions and bodyguards for the Lower Rulers.

"That . . . makes sense," Gail murmured. "And it is indeed something we had already seen. Diaz already took that arc. Starting as a companion-at-arms who was too young to appoint, but rose to become a Commander as had been expected. A talented child will be found, will grow as companion and protector to their Ruler, and then be appointed at adulthood."

Uwe felt a little pang in his heart he had never been able to shake finally ease. "That makes the past easier to bear," he admitted softly. "To know none of those events were in vain."

Desiree took a long breath and faced the door. "I am ready to continue."

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.

Gail had to bite back her own protest, and Ryan grabbed her hand tightly. They would be each other's strength if they had to in order to get through this. Desiree touched both of their shoulders lightly and nodded. "So be it."

The glow appeared at her chest once more, and this time it brought forth a glowing force that resembled the orchid blossoms even now fading from her skin. Ryan's own had begun to sparkle. The glowing flower moved to the door and merged to dissolve it. The tunnel loomed behind.

Her first step nearly sent her to the floor. Ryan and Uwe each braced one of her arms and helped her make her way slowly down the hall. With every step, her love for the people in her life vanished. The Light Defenders, gone. The Commanders and Resurrection Cultivators, gone. Rocky, Edgar, Siobhan, Clara, Alexandria, and Kellie. Gone. Her son . . . gone. Shana was taken from her, and she bit back a cry of protest that she could not remember or love her queen.

Uwe's image filled her mind, and for the first time, she rebelled against what was asked of her. "No!" she shouted. "You can't take him from me!"

The third door instantly appeared, and Destiny's presence wrapped soothingly around her. My beautiful Cultivator, I would not—cannot—take a Cultivator's Caretaker away. Her voice filled with warmth. Even those of the Water element who flow with everything, who accept every change, cannot be pulled apart once they become a single river.

"Do you ever know who soul mates will be?" Gail asked.

Of course. Cultivators, especially, have special soul mates. When their Seeds just start to bud, I ask them what they want most, and they tell me if they know. Some don't know and ask me to figure it out. Others look into the garden around them and point to another Seed as the one they want most. I have seen that happen twice. Long, long ago, a little black protea bud and a little white delphinium bud reached out to each other even before I asked. Then, not quite as long ago, a tiny purple iris began to bud under the protective shade of a black poppy until the two had grown together as a single entwined force.

"That might be the sweetest thing I've ever heard," Gail admitted. "And I'm telling Raine because she has to paint it."

I would like to see such a thing myself. I admit, they did surprise me with their actions.

Desiree took a ragged breath and managed to tease, "There's something that can surprise you?"

Her voice warmed. There are always things that can surprise me where my flowers are concerned. I enjoy that.

 Desiree slowly straightened as much as she could. It hurt to know she had loved and remembered the people in her mind but be unable to love and remember them any longer. "What more do you have to ask of me?"

The reason for your existence: your Seed.

"I give it freely."

The last glow began and brought forth her Seed. It merged with the door and it disappeared. She could not walk down the tunnel by herself. It was only Uwe and Ryan who gave her the strength she needed to endure. Her knowledge of her life as a Dual Cultivator of Orchid left her with every step forward. She had forgotten the battles and orders of the years, but now she didn't even know they had ever existed. Yet something still drove her forward. You could take a Cultivator's memories and Seed, but you could never take away the spirit that had made them bloom in the first place.

It felt as if forever passed before they saw light ahead. It became not a door but a doorway, and it rushed forward to engulf them. When the light flared, they stood in a circular room. In the very center sat an immensely large aquamarine covered in blue orchids slowly being eaten by the evil tar dripping from the ceiling. The Core of Orchid.

It is time, Desiree. Uwe, your time has come as well.

Evil gathered at the edges of the room and dripped from the ceiling. Desiree freed herself from Ryan and Uwe and slowly straightened. Tall, proud, and unwavering, she walked toward the Core with her Caretaker at her side. His hands hovered to catch her if she fell, but she would not. The evil gathered to attack, but it was repelled by an ultramarine and purple shield from Desiree that cleared the room entirely.

She climbed the steps of the dais and gently placed her hands on the Core. As she did, she realized how sick and pained her world had become. It had been enduring for millions of years with this burden. All of her pain seemed worth it in that moment because she knew, was sure, that her world would never hurt again. She removed her Mask from its bracelet and placed it onto the Core. As she let her lifeforce and remaining magic well, Uwe's hands tenderly covered hers to do the same. They slowly began to fade, and in that moment, everything came back to Desiree. "We surprise you," she said softly, "because you want us to surprise you. Not everything was dictated. You gave us choices, even when it could be risky, for you trusted us to always find a way."

Destiny's presence swirled around her. You are everything that is Orchid, Desiree. Your charm nurtures and protects the ones around you, you support the sun when it sets, and you block the taint of evil from winning. Now you can rest. You have done all that was ever asked of you, even when you did not know you were being asked.

She turned and held out a hand to her son. "Ry." Though she was almost gone, she still felt Ryan's fingers clasp hers tightly when he climbed the dais to stand beside her. "I have only one thing to ask of you."

"It's yours," Ryan said simply.

She smiled. "Be happy."

Ryan bit back a sob but could not stop the tears that ran without stopping down his cheeks. His Empathy clearly felt the joy inside his mother at knowing that she was finally free. "I promise."

Finally, slowly, Desiree faded away entirely as everything that she was returned to the planet that had given her life. So, too, did Uwe fade. The Core began to quiver and shake and then produced a glow more radiant than anything anyone had ever seen as all flowers came alive. Ryan could feel the pulsing warmth of Desiree's magic inside his soul. It was her memories, emotions, existence, and life. He had become her living legacy.

His Mask appeared before him and he slowly took it from the air to discover it had mended and begun to sparkle not unlike his sparkling Marks. The magikry in his body had surged outward in a rush that meant even his summoning power had become greater. His Flower Marks began to glow and grow hot.

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

Ryan donned his Mask without hesitation, and his Marks opened to full bloom as the Defender Mark on his arm gained its third and final blossom. More powerful armor came in to cover his body with such force it glimmered and shined across all surfaces. His power actually echoed through Gail's wings before it reached her magic and then finally her skin. It felt, a little, like Desiree had never left. She was there, living inside her son, becoming the power that fueled him.

His knees buckled, and Gail dashed up the steps quickly to catch him in her arms. As she lifted him, his head fell tiredly against her shoulder. He managed to remove his Mask but his hand dropped after, and his fingers barely retained their grip on it. It didn't seem as if there was any strength left in his body.

He closed his eyes as he felt his mother's presence as a pulsing warmth inside his heart and soul. Desiree did not exist on this plane, but she existed on another. She was not wholly gone. Those with power never truly died. Thinking it, his grief began to lift. The end was never the end.

Destiny's power swirled around him and Gail comfortingly. Sleep, Ryan, she urged gently. I will return you both to the surface. You have nothing to fear now. You will prevail. I am sure of it.

His lips curved into a smile. Of course he would prevail. He had his parents' stubbornness.

 

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

Chapter 12->

The Final Kingdom - Chapter 10

<-Chapter 9

 

To Justin's surprise, he awoke alone in bed. Disoriented, he looked around the room and found his wife sitting at the window and wrapped in a thick blanket. She was staring at the dawn sky silently. He walked over to her, and he realized that though the sun could not be seen, a hint of orange and yellow could still be sensed. He sat down beside her and then tugged her into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder without a word before giving a soft sigh. "Amongst all the things going through my head," she murmured, "the biggest worry I have is for Siobhan."

"Naturally so." He combed his fingers through her short orange hair tenderly. "But you know that she won't make you wait for long. The Resurrection Cultivators will protect her until she fulfills her destiny once more, and then you'll have eternity to spend sniping with her."

Her lips curved. "We have never sniped at each other. Nagged, maybe, but not sniped. Someone has to push and prod her to do things she doesn't want to do, and that's what a twin soul is for, really. I've always thought that might be the most important duty for a twin to a High Ruler. Not just protecting them and loving them most, but having the nerve to get in their faces and make them do things. Shyness holds back Siobhan and Rocky and Reagan as strongly as overwhelming emotion holds back Shana and Edgar and LeAnn. Okay, maybe not LeAnn. And Reagan gets over her shyness pretty fast."

He smiled. "The benefit of blending the two biggest lineages, I think. I'd say it would make Tasia and Raine's jobs easier, but . . ."

She snorted. Hard. "Definitely not easier." She sighed and nestled her head on his shoulder. "Pity we didn't get an oblivious Protean this time around. They're so adorable to watch figure out who their soul mate is. I got to see it twice with my generation." She bit back a laugh. "This life manages to win for best revelation, I think. Watching Siobhan circle in on Edgar was hilarious. I don't think he at all realizes how subconsciously frustration was mounting after they turned twenty-one."

"It was really that bad?"

"Worse. I'd say the moment where it reached critical was the day before Siobhan stripped and pounced on him. She and I had been running around town doing things, and we ran into Rocky and Edgar doing the same. Of course Siobhan latched onto Edgar's arm and started talking in that enthusiastic, bubbly, way only a Delphinian can, and there was just this . . . look on his face as he listened. They had all but forgotten Rocky and I standing there, too! He and I looked at each other, and know what he said?"

Knowing he would enjoy it, Justin asked, "What?"

"A hundred pieces says they spontaneously combust by tomorrow night."

He laughed out right. "He would!"

"He turned out to be right, of course. I've always suspected his Sight had told him things maybe he had no desire to know." She laughed as she said it. "A week later, I gave him the bet, because it was only fair. He immediately took me out for lunch and ice cream with it." She smiled. "Reciprocity. I love him not much less than you or Siobhan. He's my little brother."

"Which is why he confronted me in two lives over how to handle you."

Her brows shot up. "He did not."

"Oh yes he did. Basically, in both lives, as soon as you and I got together, he showed up on my doorstep to tell me everything he knew you would not tell me so that I could be better prepared to deal with you in all your moods."

She wanted to be offended, but she could only laugh. "That man! Honestly." She caught Justin's face in her hands and kissed him quickly. "I think you've had me handled just fine. And I have never once regretted knowing you, or enduring anything that I have. I have always considered myself to be one of the truly blessed Cultivators for I was given both a twin and a lover. Aster chose me as her first Dual Cultivator, and Destiny chose me to be my queen's most dedicated protector. Then they gave me you. I regret nothing."

He framed her face with his hands and kissed her softly, lingering over her spicy flavor that was like fire and smoke. His beautiful fiera; his fire princess. He was the lucky one. He didn't know how he had ever earned the right to be the Caretaker of a Dual Cultivator. They eased back, and he murmured, "You sound like you're ready."

"I am." Her voice broke, then steadied. "I can feel it. Siobhan's pained and gouged soul. Now I must cause her more pain. She had better not be late like she always is, or I really will spend eternity sniping at her."

With their minds made up, they got dressed and left their borrowed room. Sherry could feel their son somewhere nearby and knew that he had sensed her decision. The presence came from outside, so Sherry and Justin headed to the gardens out back. There they found Theo and Kimber sitting next to a riotous bush of black proteas stubbornly clinging to life.

Sherry's heart clenched with pride as she saw Theo. Her beautiful son. He was as passionate and fiery as his Aster bloodline, but he had Justin's tireless devotion and wonderfully pragmatic nature. "Good morning."

"Good morning." Theo found a smile for her. "I had a feeling this might be the day. It just felt like it might be." He got to his feet gracefully, and his red hair burned brightly in the gloomy light from the distant sunrise. "I'm not going to cry," he decided. "Because I know that I'd do the same thing if I was in your boots."

"He'll just cry later," Kimber noted.

"Don't help," her husband scolded. When she stood and wrapped her arms around him, he sighed and held onto her arms with his. There were only two people in his life he had never been able to out-stubborn. One was his Lead Defender. The other was his wife. "Are you ready?" he asked Sherry.

"I am, actually. I know where I want to go to visit my memories. I think it should still be there since it was in Lux." She leaned over and murmured in his ear, and he lifted a brow. He did not know the location, but it sounded familiar anyway.

One transport later, they stood on a broken street in Lux outside what had once been a cute little house with scalloped edges and bright colors. Sherry felt a surge of warm nostalgia as she looked at the house. "It is still here. I'm glad. So many memories here! I should have been back to see it sooner. I wonder why I didn't. I used to look at it before the kingdoms were resurrected."

"The same reason Aunt Shana never went to her manor," Theo told her. "Too much fear of pain or longing for what you could no longer have." Kimber's hand settled lightly on his waist, and he leaned against her gratefully. He had lost one parent once; his father had been killed in a quake. This felt somehow more painful. Perhaps because this time Sherry and Justin literally gave themselves in his place. "What is this place?"

"The house where I grew up in this life." She trailed her fingers over a broken fence. "A lot of us Elder Cultivators, like your generation, did not have families with two parents; maybe another sign of the future rebooted lineages. Some of us had single parents, or no parents, or distant relations instead. Siobhan and Rocky had just their mother, and then Shana and Edgar lost their parents but gained Octavia Toulume as a mother as well. Kellie had a single mother but lost her young; Desiree's two mothers helped raised her after that. Juliet's parents died right before she was an adult, but Clara argued for her independence. Virginia had a single father. Yvonne and Alexandria, like Desiree, had two parents—a mother and father for Yvonne, and two fathers for Lexie. And me . . . I had my great-aunt."

"What happened to your parents?" Theo asked curiously.

"I was, ah, not planned?" She smiled wryly as she said it. "My parents were under the age of adulthood, and not ready to be parents. A rarity, but does happen. They decided that they would have me, but they wanted me to have a more secure home than they could offer so intended to give me to the Care House as a safe drop. My great-aunt Carolina—my mother's aunt—immediately said that she would take me instead. She was an older woman even then, secure in her life, and she had wanted to be a mother. My parents agreed, and shortly after birth, Aunt Carolina took me home." Her eyes softened. "I loved her so much. I would have done anything to make her proud. She was in her eighties by the time the Redemption Wars started and we all had to put on Masks again. I didn't tell her. I just didn't want her to worry at her age. So I said nothing about anything, and she never knew up until she died ten years later."

"She knew," Justin said softly, and drew Sherry's startled gaze. "She knew," he said again, simply. "I don't know when she figured it out, but I learned she knew right before the Realm War. We had taken her out to dinner, and we ran into Siobhan and Shana."

"I remember that," Sherry mused. "Shana had still been weak and recovering from being in hospital, and Siobhan had named herself babysitter. Gods, how I hated seeing Shana weak! I would have done anything to make her better."

"And Carolina saw that, my love. She watched you interacting with them and then asked me very seriously 'would Sherry give her life for those two?'"

She let out a little breath, somehow unsurprised. "What did you tell her?"

"The truth. I told her that your very existence was dedicated to defending Siobhan and Shana. I then told her that I had been given the honor of being chosen for you, that my existence was dedicated to caring for you and protecting Edgar." He smiled. "She knew exactly what I really said, just as I had known what she had really asked. She said to not tell you she knew, but someday, when I felt the time right, to tell you she had never been more proud than to be your mother and that bringing you home had been the happiest day of her life."

Theo immediately went to Sherry's side and wrapped his arms around her. Sherry turned her face into her son's hair and let the tears well. Her great-aunt had been her rock, had given her all the love she could ever need. She was glad to know, in the end, Carolina had known and accepted and been proud of the truth of Sherry's existence.

"I guess that's why you're a great mom," he told her softly. "Given you had a good example."

"Don't help!" She swiped at her eyes as she released him. She fell silent again and then decided, "I'm ready. I've been traversing my memories all morning, and having seen this place where many are focused . . . I'm ready. I have no loose strings left. Let's go to the Core of Aster."

Theo met her eyes unflinchingly. "Until Aunt Siobhan can come back to your side, until you can protect her again, I will act in your place." He covered his heart with a hand. "All of us Resurrection Cultivators will protect her and Aunt Shana, but I will be her greatest Defender."

"I'd trust no one else," Sherry said simply.

There was nothing more to say. Theo gathered his magic around all four of them and it carried them across space to the ruins of the Aster Castle. Sherry's lashes flinched as she saw again the devastation of her kingdom for the second time, but she said nothing. It would be the last time. She would make sure of it.

The entrance to the Core was located under the ballroom floor. Kimber and Justin pried it up and then Justin jumped down first. After a glance around, he called, "It's fine."

Sherry and Theo jumped down to join him, and Kimber climbed down the ladder. "Kindly recall some of us are still relatively normal," she grumbled. "I can't jump ten feet down a hole without breaking my ankles."

"I'll teach you how to do it safely," Theo promised her. "Anyone with magic or majik can do it safely up to, hmm, fifteen feet or so? There are caveats to it—we're not Apexes who can turn off gravity—but you could for certain do it too. And you are not by any definition normal, Kimber." He shot her a lofty look. "No Cultivator chooses an inferior mate."

"I told you he's your son," Sherry murmured to Justin dryly.

He tugged on Theo's hair lightly. "He is indeed."

The walk was a long one but no one complained. Theo held a ball of majik to allow them to see where they were going, though there was not much to be seen. A point of light eventually appeared in the distance, and he let his spell diminish as the door grew closer. When the two lights met, the spell winked out.

Standing in front of them was the biggest door anyone had ever seen. Its warm toned surface had been inlaid with agate, and it had been carved with all the symbols across the universe that represented the Fire Flower Element. In the very center, the aster blossom Flower Mark that could be seen equally on Sherry and Theo.

Theo lightly touched the door and felt the wood pulsing under his fingertips. Softly, in his mind, he heard his priestess murmur, Alder is a sturdy wood with an affinity for fire. It burns pure and sweet and it can represent one's personal appearance. It can be used to trap or banish spirits. It suits well the orange aster that is about banishing evil, and love, as well as the agate which can also banish bad energies—but awaken talent.

At the smile on Theo's lips, Sherry glanced at him. "Is there something about the alder that makes it special? It can be used for banishing spirits, right, like our orange aster?"

"It can, but there's more to it. It also represents personal appearance." He knew from the way his parents and Kimber all smiled that they understood as well. "And our aster is also about love. And our agate has the ability to awaken talent as much as remove bad energy. It's like . . . we never knew just how much our world influenced us. Most of us came to understand some of the flowers, and a lot of the stones, but now that we see everything together . . . it makes more sense than we knew."

A soft and feminine presence stirred in the air. It was so potent that even Kimber felt it though hers were the most limited gifts present. Sherry recognized the presence first for she had felt her more than once in her life sworn to defend her queen. "Destiny," she breathed.

The door shimmered with all the colors of life and then began to ripple with the orange and yellow of Aster. I feel before me the Mother and Son of Aster. Who is it who comes to make the final sacrifice?

"I do." Sherry's chin lifted. "I am the Mother of Aster. 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."

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.

"Done."

Theo desperately grabbed for Kimber's hand and held on. He had lied. He was not at all ready for this. He knew, was sure, that if she had not been there, he would never have had the will to endure watching what he knew would happen.

Justin briefly touched Theo's hair and then rested his hand on Sherry's shoulder. "And me?" he asked calmly. "I am here to give my life and magic as well so that I may follow the Cultivator you gave to me to protect. My king has already left this plane. Nothing holds me here."

Your sacrifice comes in the end, Justin. To reach the Core, it must be Sherry's sacrifice to open the way. But your dedication and your vow are heard, respected, and expected.

Sherry stood quietly with her back straight, and a glow centered at her chest. As it pushed forward, it brought her radiantly glowing Life Orb. Like the rest of her generation, it reflected back more than average for they had lived a longer than average life. The Orb floated forward and merged to the door so that it dissolved. Proud and tall, Sherry began to walk forward. Her steps were slow but purposeful. Pain tugged at her heart and soul as memories slipped free from her mind like coals being extinguished.

It was the everyday memories to go first. The tiny details of her two lives. The laughter and smiles she had shared with her friends. The little things she had taken for granted without realizing just how precious they were. As she progressed, the memories gained in importance. Her memories of the Dark Defenders and their Commanders faded away. They were her friends and family too. She and Alexandria had always shared such a wry humor for being the two chosen as twin souls to their princesses. Desiree's quiet strength and Kellie's inner spunk. Clara's wisdom and dry sense of humor. The Commanders and their big brother tendencies, especially Sam, had always made Sherry's day better.

The Resurrection Cultivators left her before she even realized how important the memories would be to her. Almost ten years she had known those kids, and it had been years of awe for the way they thought and worked and were seamlessly merged as one. She had envied them in many ways, but she had been even more proud.

It was memories of her fellow Light Defenders and the Protea Commanders to leave her next. So many more memories there, given that the team had been often split out of necessity. Memories of the Royal Era and balancing kingdoms and duties and their princess and prince. Memories of the Rebirth Era and balancing education and work and battles. Using her friends as living dressmaker dummies, and always laughing at how they feigned reluctance but immediately grabbed for whatever she made them. Their Caretakers, even more than the other set, had been like brothers to her. She and Michael, connected by Siobhan and Edgar, had been especially close. She had enjoyed watching him and Virginia butt heads together.

It was Edgar, Shana, and Rocky who left her next. She and Shana had been as close as sisters themselves, had spent many hours laughing and planning costumes for photos and simply hanging out. If ever she had felt stressed, Edgar had been only a call away to come make decisions and help her sort her troubles. And Rocky . . . he had been her little brother in all the important ways. He had always jumped to her defense, always made her believe there was something good in the world. His hand had always been there to hold, and now they were all gone.

Theo's image flickered through her mind, and her heart wept. Her son. If she could have asked for anything, it would have been to have just a few more years with this amazing person. They had spent so much time together making charms and telling fortunes, and he had always just laughed each time she dragged him off to her sewing room to make him try on whatever new thing she had made. He had even asked to learn some sewing basics, just so he could share it with her.

Gut-wrenching pain welled inside as Siobhan left her. Her twin soul mate. Her queen. How she had always loved her! From the day in the Royal Era when High Queen Hannah Delphinium had handed her the tiny white-haired baby to hold, there had been no one, until Justin, that Sherry had loved more. They had been together through everything, had pushed and prodded at each other over thousands of years. Watching Siobhan suffer as Apex had been agonizing, but watching her bloom into the greatest High Queen of the Delphinium Kingdom had been rewarding. Within a few steps . . . she was gone.

She stumbled as Justin's image slipped through her mind like smoke. How she loved him! She forgot everything as if it wasn't so important to her that it made up who she was. Their meeting in the Royal Era, and how she had determined early to have him for her own, only to end up playing dirty and invoking a certain law to ensure she got her soul mate. Their reunion in the Rebirth Era where as soon as she had remembered, she had stalked into his shop and claimed him anew. She had never hesitated with him, had known her life was better for having him in it. And he was gone.

She staggered and would have fallen, but Justin swiftly caught her. The tunnel ended abruptly as the second door appeared, and she focused all her concentration on staying on her feet. The pain seemed to claw at her entire body.

Inside Theo, the Resurrection Cultivator could feel something throbbing hotly and powerfully. If he tried, he was sure he could see and feel Sherry's memories inside him. "What is that?" he asked softly.

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.

Theo bit back the protest welling inside. "I accept her legacy." He struggled to draw a deep breath without bursting into tears. "Why would you let them live this long only to demand their lives? After millions of years of Rulers and Defenders alike never managing a normal lifespan, you allowed the Rebirth Era ones to live to over five thousand years old, knowing all along you'd demand their life like this."

It ties directly to why, after millions of years, Blossom Field suddenly produced two generations of Duals where it never had before. Being a Dual Cultivator ensured Sherry's generation would be vastly more powerful and enduring, capable of surviving the harder and more terrible wars sure to come as the end of all evil slowly approached. Generations ended too young, blood staining the universe . . . these events meant that the Rebirth Cultivators would more deeply cherish the years they did live, and that when this moment came, they would make the right choice.

"And that's why also Theo's generation is both Dual and witch," Justin said softly. "For the very same reason of being as strong as possible. And . . . they will get to be the first generation in history to truly enjoy immortality, without fear of it ending any moment. One last sacrifice, one last bit of spilled blood, to secure the future."

The Resurrection Cultivators will rule until their children grow, pass along their crowns, and return to living nearly normal lives. They will never fear death knocking on their door for they are most valuable alive. Ruler Cultivators of all worlds will also stop fearing their lives ending young. Yes, some will never enjoy immortality—for nothing is ever certain and bad things will still happen—but it will be the exception and not the rule. The actions made now, the war fought now, will change the fabric of existence as it has been made thus far.

"And that makes this even more bearable," Sherry admitted. She 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.

Kimber covered Theo's mouth with her hand before he cried out. He clung onto her wrist desperately, not to protest, but to use her strength as his own.

It is not too late, Sherry, Destiny said softly. You could go back.

"I am a Dual Cultivator of Aster." Her yellow eyes remained calm and determined. "I've given my life before to protect our universe. I can do it again."

So be it.

A bright glow centered once more on her chest, and as it pushed forth, it brought a glowing force in the shape of an aster blossom. Her two Marks had begun to fade, and Theo's to sparkle, but the glowing flower still matched them both.

The flower merged with the door and both dissolved to reveal another tunnel. Just the act of stepping forward was hard for Sherry. When Theo ducked under her arm to support her, Sherry let him aid her in moving forward. Justin and Kimber followed the two Cultivators with tears trailing down their faces. While they had been blessed to be chosen as a Caretaker for a Cultivator, there was also the pain of sometimes being unable to do anything to help.

Sherry could feel her love for her friends and family disappearing with every step. She was only left with the knowledge that she had remembered and loved them, and it hurt more than anything she had ever known before.

The Dark Defenders and Commanders . . . gone. The Resurrection Cultivators . . . gone. The Light Defenders and Commanders . . . gone. Shana and Rocky and Edgar . . . gone. Her fiery son . . . gone. Siobhan was torn out of her by the roots, and it was as if half of her soul had been gutted entirely. Her precious twin soul, her flighty yet incredibly loving queen . . . gone as if she had never defined Sherry's entire existence.

An image of Justin filled her mind, and she rebelled violently. "No!" she shouted. "You can't have him! I won't lose him again!"

The third door instantly appeared before them. Destiny's presence curled comfortingly around Sherry. I would not, could not, take a Cultivator's soul mate from them. If I did, there would be nothing left.

"You took Aunt Siobhan," Theo said softly.

And fragments still remain in Sherry's soul. Once soul mates of either type have met, there is no fully separating them again.

Sherry slowly straightened on a long breath. "What do you have left to take from me?"

The reason for your existence: your Seed.

When Theo's body jerked, Sherry hugged him for a moment. She did not remember him. She did not feel her love for him. That still did not stop the deepest parts of her from wanting, needing, to comfort her son. "So be it."

The last glow began and brought forth her Seed. It merged with the door and it disappeared. Sherry tried to walk forward, but her legs would not support her any longer. Justin ducked under her other arm, and he and Theo gave her the strength she needed to slowly, painfully, move down the hall.

The emptiness grew and expanded inside as she lost all knowledge of her long life as a Defender and Ruler. Her pride at being chosen. Her thousands of battles fought to defend kingdom and universe. The endless work of rebuilding her kingdom after watching it fall. She had never complained once, and she would never falter, not at this most important moment.

After painfully long hours that might have only been minutes, something began to loom in the distance. It rushed toward them and became not a door but a doorway. It engulfed them all in light, and when the glare faded, they stood in a circular room that glowed orange and yellow. In the very center of the room was an immensely large agate covered in living and decaying orange asters slowly being eaten by the evil tar dripping from the ceiling. The Core of Aster.

It is time, Sherry. It is your time as well, Justin.

Sherry shrugged off those aiding her and walked proudly, if slowly, beside Justin over to the agate Core. The evil in the room tried to rebel as they approached, but a pulse of orange and yellow magic from Sherry destroyed it entirely. The Core glowed weakly in response, but was so tired that even Theo barely felt it.

Sherry removed her Mask and gently placed it on the Core before covering it with her hands. As she felt how sick her world was, her own pain no longer mattered. This important being, her own Mother, had endured for even longer than the Elder Cultivators, and she had not had the support of a Caretaker. All she'd had were her chosen children, and Sherry was more proud than ever to have served.

She let her lifeforce and magic well inside and poured it into the Core. Beside her, Justin rested his hands over hers and let his own lifeforce well in turn. As they gave back to the Core, both began to slowly fade. In that moment, the beautiful moment, Sherry remembered and felt it all once more. She could also feel Siobhan's distant pain; it was truly horrible for she now lost two of those connected to her soul. "Destiny."

Ask.

"Shield her. Shield my twin. Don't let her grief tear her apart."

It is done. You are everything that is Aster, Sherry. You are fiery and passionate, one who gives love and makes others look and feel their best. You kept bad spirits at bay while readily embracing those who would ask you to lead instead. You have done all that was ever asked of you, even when you did not know you were being asked.

Sherry turned and held her hand out to Theo. Though she was almost gone, she felt Theo's fingers lace tightly with hers. "I'm proud to have been your mother. Proud to pass on the legacy as the Dual Cultivator of Aster. I don't regret a single thing. I know you will protect my queen until she can return to my side."

"I won't let you down," Theo whispered.

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

His Mask appeared in his hands and started to sparkle not unlike his sparkling Marks as every fracture mended. He felt the magikry inside his body expanding and contracting and pushing his limits ever more. His Flower Marks began to glow hotly against his skin.

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

He did not hesitate as he pulled on his Mask, and a third aster blossom appeared on his Defender Mark as all blossoms across both Marks opened into full bloom. As his shining and glittering armor formed, Kimber could actually feel his magikry tingling against her own majik fiercely. It felt, a little, like Sherry had never left. She was there, living inside her son, becoming the power that fueled him.

He suddenly lost his strength and started to collapse. Kimber shot to his side and caught him in her arms safely. She lowered him gently without releasing her grip. She could carry him while conscious, but could not quite manage if he was all but out—especially not now that his majik had increased and made him weigh a bit more. She needed a little more strength training first! She removed his Mask for him and then safely tucked it into his hands as his head rested against her breast tiredly.

He could feel his mother's presence still. She still existed, though now on another plane. She would not be there to laugh with and talk to, but she was not entirely gone either. Knowing it, his grief gently lifted.

Destiny's power swirled around them tenderly. I will return you to the surface, she said softly. Sleep, Theodore. Your world is as proud of you as I am.

A small smile touched the Cultivator's lips though he did not open his eyes. He felt pretty damn proud to be chosen by his world and Destiny, too.

 

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

Chapter 11->