Chapter 20- Freedom

Suddenly there was a bright light and a pillar of shadow came down through the opening in the ceiling, then suddenly it shot out daggers of shadow in all directions, and before Lunar knew what happened everyone was on the ground, and slowly a puddle of deep red blood was spreading out around them. 

Lunar fell to her knees in shock and sadness, then she said sadly, “So much for beating fate.”

Then she slowly took out each of their soul stones, then went over to their bodies and placed their soul stone in them, then she stood in front of the alter, looked up at the sky that was now back to normal, then took out her soul stone and looked at it, then left it outside her shirt and as she did she felt the mark of life leave her body.

Then she held her hands out, her left one faced the sky her right one faced the ground, then she turned them both over so her left hand was facing the ground and her right one was facing the sky.  Then she said, “Blood of the slain, heal thy wounds; soul in the stone, bring thy back.”

Then she faced both of her hands to the sky, then she said, “Souls of the slain…” then she turned them down to the ground and finished, “Return to thy bodies.”  Then suddenly the crystals all shone brightly and the blood started to disappear as life came back into their faces.

Lunar felt the mark of death leave her body.  Then tears came to her eyes as she felt her strength leave her, she closed her eyes and thought as she fell to the ground “Well... life wasn’t the best, but it was fun,” Then when she fell to the ground she turned back to her original form, and her clothes changed into what she had on that night. 

“Uh, what just happened?” asked Ulex as they sat up. 

“The king said that the spheres are dangerous, why did you rush?” asked Flare. 

Ulex didn’t say anything, then Aqua added, “I-I thought that we died, so how is it that we’re alive?” 

Then they all saw their soul stones, and as they picked them up they looked around and all froze when they saw Lunar laying on the floor.  All of them looked in amazement at what she looked like, then Sol stood up. 

“L-Lunar,” called Sol nervously as he went over to her to check her pulse, then when he put his hand to her neck he froze. 

“What’s wrong?” asked Coslo as Sol backed away from Lunar’s body. 

“Sh…sh-she’s dead,” said Sol as he fell to the ground. 

“But her soul stone has color in it, so why isn’t she back, we were all brought back…” said Ulex as they all froze with the same thought.

“Sh-she brought us back, that’s why she brought our soul stones,” said Sol. 

“But why is she gone?” asked Ulex in tears. 

“Bring back a single life is dangerous even for a sorceress,” said Coslo. 

“But she’s the goddess,” said Ulex as he went over to Lunar. 

“Exactly, a god or goddess can bring back maybe three lives at once, that is at the most, and that’s dangerous for them,” said Aqua. 

“Then why didn’t she just do it one at a time, why all five of us?” asked Ulex as he knelt down next to her. 

“Because it would take up more energy to bring us back one at a time, and it would also be risky, what if something happened and she couldn’t bring us all back…” said Flare. 

Then Aqua continued, “So she brought us all back at once to ensure we would all live.” 

Ulex then said with tears in his eyes “She was so young, she had her whole life ahead of her,”

Then he brought his hand down to touch Lunar’s face, but was sent flying across the room before he could touch her, and as he went flying Sol said furiously, “Don’t touch her!” 

Everyone looked at Sol in shock then Ulex shakily stood up as Sol went over to Lunar and Ulex asked, “What the hell was that for?” 

“This is your fault, you were too reckless so we got killed and Lunar died to bring us back,” said Sol furiously, then tears came to his eyes as he looked down at Lunar. 

Then he knelt down and was about to touch her but stopped, then Flare said sadly, “C-come on, l-lets go, there’s nothing we can do, none of us know the spell for life, and even if we did… she’s a goddess, it would be too hard, we don’t have enough power even if we all combined ours.” 

No one said anything, they just all stood up, then Sol said, “As long as her soul stone has color in it there’s a chance of her coming back.” 

*******

‘Where am I?  Oh, that’s right I died, I hope they’re all ok.  Who are you?’

‘I am the Guardian of Spirits, also known as the soul stone.’ 

‘Am I in my soul stone?’  

‘Yes, and no, you are in your soul stone, but you are also in the world that you have created.’

‘The world I created? You mean the one I made for when my destiny has been fulfilled?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why am I partly in my soul stone?’

‘It means that there is something that you feel is unfinished.’

‘…what could that be…’

‘I do not know, but before you choose to leave your soul stone, make sure that you are happy with how you left your life.  After all, right now you have the power to go back to the life that you had.’

‘If I went back now I wouldn’t have the marks of life and death on me, I’ve fulfilled my destiny.  That would mean that I could live as I please, and choose the road I want not the one that I must choose…’

‘That’s true, you can help the Dragon Kingdom, you can live your life how you wish to.’

‘The Dragon Kingdom, Hope, Crescent, Star, Noch, Mother, Father, Novado.  I could see all of them again.’ 

‘Yes, will you choose to go back, or will you continue on, which path will you take?’

‘Wait, where are you going?’

‘I have given you the paths, now you must choose which one to take.’

‘…’

*******

 “Are we just going to leave her here?” asked Flare. 

“Shouldn’t we give her a burial?” asked Aqua sadly as they walked out of the temple.

“No, this will be her burial,” said Ulex. 

“Yeah, she shouldn’t be buried in the earth, someone as beautiful as her shouldn’t be hidden,” agreed Sol.  Both of them walked in silence, and when they got to the house, Hope came flying out happily, then she stopped when she didn’t see Lunar. 

“Where’s mommy?” asked Hope. 

“Sh… she’s… she’s-” said Sol.

Then he was suddenly interrupted by Hope as she finished his sentence, “Dead…”

She waited for Sol to deny it, but when he didn’t she sank down to the ground and asked, “Why aren’t you denying it… she, she, she’s not dead, she can’t die.” 

Then Hope shot up and towards the temple.  “Should we go after her?” asked Flare sadly. 

“No, she needs to see this for herself,” said Sol as he was about to go into the house with absolutely no emotion on his face. 

Suddenly there was a bright rainbow light in the direction of the temple, just like when Aqua and the others were brought back, but this one was brighter, bigger, more powerful.  They all froze then Ulex asked, “Could it be?”