The Andromeda Sagas ~ Discovery Chapter 10
Urei awoke in her own bed, and the first thing she noticed was that she felt so awake, so refreshed, so alive. She didn't wonder why she was back in her room; she had a pretty good idea about how that had happened. Sitting up and hanging her legs over the edge of her bed, Urei sat quietly and thought. She was now resolved to her situation, and she had made some decisions over the past couple hours. All she had to do now was tell her family.
The house was quiet, but Urei could sense that she wasn't alone. Sliding off her bed, Urei walked to her bedroom door and gently eased it open. Sitting at the kitchen table was Junsui, his head in his hands. Walking over to the table, Urei pulled out a chair and sat facing her father, waiting for him to look up. Finally he did, and Urei was surprised to see how much older her father looked. "Are you all right father?" Urei asked concernedly. "I am, Urei," Junsui replied, pushing his hair back with both hands as he sighed. "Are you sure?" pressed Urei, still worried. "Yes," Junsui said slowly,"but I am going to miss my daughter." Urei froze with surprise. "How did you know?" she asked her father quietly. "You still talk in your sleep sometimes, Urei-ko," Junsui said, smiling at his daughter. Growing serious once again, he added,"Your brother will be furious, Urei. You're the only friend he has out here." "I know papa," Urei said sadly,"But I have to do this....." "Sometimes you can't avoid your destiny, Urei-ko." Taking her chin in his hand, Junsui lifted Urei's face and looked into her eyes. "Always stay as kind and caring as you are, and never let your life at court destroy who you really are. Your mother fell in love with it's glamour, and she lost touch with the real world, and with her family. Be true to yourself........ and visit us every chance you get. We'll miss you," Junsui choked out, his eyes filling with tears. The only sounds in the house were a few faint sniffles as Urei and her father embraced quietly.
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"Well," Urei said to the invisible beings in the clearing,"I'm still afraid, and I still don't want to go, but I'm leaving today." Urei paused, hearing the faint sounds of cheers and excited chatter. "I have a favor to ask before I go. Protect my family for me while I'm gone. Please." The chattering stopped, and one clear but soft voice said,"Of course we will Princess. Be brave for us, and go in grace." Urei smiled and stood. "Thank you," she said softly,"I'll miss you all."
As she made her way back home through the familiar forest, following the familiar paths, Urei still found it hard to believe that she was leaving, and she didn't know when or even if she would ever see her family or her forest again. She did know that she would try to come back home as often as she could. Breaking through the trees, Urei could see her family waiting for her in front of her house, so she slowed her pace, savoring her walk from the forest.
She reached them soon enough, and noticing the generally somber mood, tried to be cheerful. "Well, are we ready to go?" Urei asked her mother. "Yes, I believe we are," Kenmei said softly. She knew this wasn't easy for her husband or either of her children, but it had to be done. "There's no other way, there isn't," she thought, trying to convince herself. At least Urei had finally decided to go with her.
Urei went to her father first. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight, and Urei knew from the sound of his breathing that he was crying. "Be careful," he whispered,"and come back to us." Urei hugged her father, almost crying herself. But she knew that if she started crying, she might not go. And this was something she had to do. Urei gently pulled away from her father and went to her brother. He had been strangely silent about the recent turn of events, and Urei was sure that he was mad at her for leaving. She surprised Kage by giving him a big hug as well. They may have gotten along well, but they were never very affectionate. "I'll miss you big brother," Urei whispered in Kage's ear. "Take care of father until I come home, all right?" Kage stood still for a moment, but finally he hugged his sister back, and Urei was surprised to notice that her big, strong brother was crying as well. Tears filled her own eyes, and as the siblings released each other, Urei quickly wiped the stray tears from her face. "I promise I'll come back," she said to her father and brother, her voice cracking with emotion. "I promise." Junsui handed his daughter her bag, packed with the few possessions she cared to take with her, but he didn't let it go right away. As he and Urei both held onto the bag, their eyes met, and for the last time until he saw her again, he said softly,"I love you Urei." Unable to hold the tears back any longer, Urei flew at her father, both of them sobbing as they held each other. Kage and Kenmei also both had tears streaming down their faces as they watched the painful separation. Finally, after they had all calmed down somewhat, Kenmei gently reminded Urei,"It's time for us to go."
Nodding, Urei once again wiped the tears from her face. She turned to face her mother, who smiled softly, but seemed strangely withdrawn. Kenmei uttered some musical sounding syllables in a language that was similar to elvish, but different enough for Urei to be unable to understand most of it. When Kenmei ceased to speak, the air before her seemed to shimmer, and it seemed that a gauzy curtain was there, and behind the curtain was a misty but beautiful forest, similar to Urei's forest, with a path running through it and disappearing in the distance. Urei turned back to her father and brother one last time, saying softly,"Goodbye." Then she followed her mother through the portal. Looking over her shoulder, she saw her family waving good bye just before the portal disappeared with a sparkle that dissipated on the wind.
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