PftA Book 5 - Interlude 5 - Saying Goodbye

A/N: I meant to get this out yesterday. I've been working on Book 4 edits (and revisions), which has distracted me from everything else. Hopefully, I'll finish that up in the next week or two. I'll be sure to share a PDF for any who ask (I do track the copies in hopes that I can prevent unauthorized sharing... Finding my book on unauthorized sites is never fun.)

“Do you think we’ll get to come back later?” Kaylee asked her sister, Ashlyn, after reading the message from her mom. “Mom wouldn’t cancel the whole trip just because Emie is leaving, would she?”

As saddened as she was by her sister’s impending departure, Kaylee was already quite used to Emie’s absence. She’d become something of a pen-pal over the years, especially after their time bonding during Emie’s break from the dungeon. But messages were not the same as being physically present.

“No. I talked to Mom about that when she was planning everything. The reservation is already paid for. It won’t be canceled, even if Emie leaves early.”

“Which it sounds like she’s about to do,” Kaylee pointed out.

The sisters swam through the last section of the underwater maze. The rest of their small group had taken a different path to see who could reach the end first.

Though they lived on different worlds and only saw each other two or three times per year, Kaylee and Ashlyn’s relationship had grown much stronger in the years following the war.

They usually spoke at least once per week, which was about how often Kaylee talked to her mom.

She wasn’t as good at keeping in touch with her dad or Caesi, though she had nothing against either of them. Unfortunately, that meant she didn’t know her youngest siblings as well as she probably should.

“We should go ahead and head back,” Ashlyn said with a frown after a moment. “You know Mom’s got to be stressing out right now. Emie’s always been her favorite.”

Kaylee scoffed at the comment. “That’s crap, and you know it. You’ve always been her favorite. Her youngest. Her sweet baby,” she said dramatically.

“Oh, whatever. We both know that’s not true. Let’s just go see if Mom needs help or something,” Ashlyn said with a grumble, though she failed to completely hide the smile from her lips.

Kaylee sent a message to the rest of their group, letting them know that the two sisters would be leaving the park a little earlier than the rest of them.

Their mom’s message had implied that they still had a couple of hours before Emie was expected to return from dealing with the last-minute inheritance stuff, so most of the others opted to remain in the park for a while.

Kaylee swam next to her sister toward the gate in silence. Her fake teal tail and fins cut easily through the water, feeling almost real.

The enchantments were really quite well done. It must have cost the park a fortune to acquire so many such artifacts.

As part of the greater Disney structure, the resort they were staying at was linked to the park by both a teleportation array and a portal. Though it cost more to use, the girls would have used the array to return had the portal to their resort not been open when they arrived.

“Hey, girls,” their mom called out when she saw them walk around the corner. “You didn’t have to come back right away. Emie will probably be busy for the next couple of hours dealing with all that inheritance stuff.”

Their mom didn’t stop moving as she greeted them. Instead, she was almost nervously arranging and rearranging the tablescapes in the covered plaza.

A mobile buffet had been set up along the far side of the space, complete with a pair of MealMakers and a variety of handmade goods. The whole thing was covered by a [Stasis] formation, keeping everything fresh until the guests were ready to eat.

“We thought you might need a little help,” Ashlyn said as she looked around the plaza, noting a serving golem was standing by. “You don’t have to do everything yourself, you know.”

Avery smiled at her daughters, grateful for their thoughtfulness.

“Almost everything has already been taken care of. I just needed to move the ‘party’ date up instead of having it on the last day.”

“Are you going to stick around after Emie leaves?” Kaylee asked, causing her younger sister to glare in her direction. “What? I was just wondering! I don’t plan on leaving right away. I have the next week off, and you said the place is paid for. I was just wondering if Mom would stick around, too. Maybe we could all spend a little more time together.”

Kaylee looked pleadingly toward her mother. The woman’s stoic expression faltered momentarily, but she was quick to recover.

“I haven’t decided yet,” she replied before softening. “It might be nice to stay around for a few days and try to take my mind off of everything.”

Her eyes suddenly started watering, and she spun around, hiding her tears. Sniffling, Avery quietly muttered, “It’s hard losing a child, but at least this time, it’s different.”

Her youngest daughters wrapped their arms around their mother, providing what comfort they could as she quietly grieved.

= = =

Not everyone made it back to the resort before Emie returned. Those who were late were soon warned that their opportunity to say goodbye was swiftly drawing to an end since the Pinnacle didn’t look like she would linger for long.

Anyone familiar with the woman could see the strain she was under. Even with Tier Ten control of her body, the tell-tale signs were there.

Her body moved less fluidly than it had only days earlier. The tiny lines around her eyes exposed the tension she was trying so hard to hide.

To a stranger, Emie would likely seem carefree and relaxed. But to someone who really knew her, the truth was obvious.

The Pinnacle was struggling, and it wouldn’t be long before she could no longer risk staying.

Everyone present had been told the truth about where she’d be going next, so they understood the need for the newest Pinnacle to leave before the pressure became debilitating.

Many felt she’d already gone beyond that point, but none spoke such thoughts aloud.

The Trinity Mage took the time to visit with each person present, leaving them with a small spatial bag or a ring before moving on to the next person. Both items were enchanted not to open until Emie departed, though it was clear the recipients wouldn’t have to wait long.

“At least you got to see everyone before you left,” Avery told her eldest daughter with false cheer when Emie finally made her way over after greeting every other person at the gathering.

Avery’s eyes were still rimmed in red, though she had removed all other evidence of her tears, hoping her daughter didn’t notice.

She felt guilty for feeling such grief at Emie’s impending ascension. Avery knew that her daughter would still be alive, so feeling such grief felt wrong. But logic never meant much when it came to feelings.

“Yes. Thank you for setting this up,” her daughter said before wrapping her arms around her.

Avery held on, afraid to let go. She knew it would likely be the last time she ever felt her oldest daughter’s embrace, and she was loathe to let go. Sensing that, Emie didn’t try to pull away.

“I put all the extra goodies and everything else I have left in a new ring for you. I gave a few extras to Dad, too, just in case.”

Avery held on for another minute before reluctantly loosening her grip and stepping back. Her daughter handed her a simple ring, one engraved with the words “With Love, Always” on the inside.

Avery tried to blink away the tears, but it was no use. She let them fall.

“I love you, Emie. Please take care of yourself. Live your life. Don’t just focus on ascension again, okay?”

“That’s my plan,” her daughter replied. “I won’t forget you.” She looked at the rest of the individuals gathered. “I won’t forget any of you. Thanks for coming to see me one last time. I hope you all stay and enjoy the rest of the week.”

Her Dad, Caesi, and her assembled siblings had drawn closer as she spoke. When her declaration was finished, they engulfed her in one last group hug.

Avery was close, so she made sure to get an arm around her daughter. It wasn’t quite as satisfying as a true embrace, but she’d take what she could get.

“Alright! I really need to go now. I don’t want to, but I can’t put it off any longer.”

Avery could hear the strain in her daughter’s voice. The clear discomfort was enough to force her and the rest of them back, giving Emie some space.

“I love you all,” Emie said as she looked across the gathering. Her eyes came to rest on her mom one last time. “Love you, Mom.”

And she was gone.

The plaza was silent for a moment, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

An exclamation of excitement from one of the youngest guests was enough to break the moment, and the plaza was filled with chatter.

The children had each been given a small, magical trinket, while their real gifts had been included in the bags with their parents.

Those who received bags instead of rings soon realized that they’d gotten a special gift as well, since most storage bags did not include the [Stasis] feature, nor were they normally so spacious.

Emie had been smart enough to make both the rings and bags capable of bonding with a single user, preventing access by others and ensuring the items could be [Recalled] by their owner.

Avery watched with teary eyes as the small crowd reacted to her daughter’s gifts. Emie had always been far too generous when it came to sharing her abilities. It was something she’d always worried would cause her daughter trouble.

Thankfully, her worries turned out to be mostly unfounded.

From beside her, Lucas gasped.

“She sent me a shareable video message!” He exclaimed excitedly before looking around. “I thought she forgot about the interviews, but she didn’t! It’s not quite as good as a real interview, but the way she sent it makes it the next best thing!”

Avery’s grandson beamed at the crowd before running off, presumably to deal with the journalists he’d been talking to.

Avery shook her head ruefully before her gaze landed on her ex-husband. She could see from his expression that he was feeling many of the same emotions that she was.

James’s new wife, Caesi, squeezed his hand supportively. Avery held nothing against the woman. In fact, she was glad that her one-time love had found someone who could make him happy again.

Warm arms surrounded Avery on both sides.

“I bet she’s going to have an amazing adventure,” Kaylee said, placing her forehead against the side of her mother’s head. Her younger sister was positioned similarly on the other side.

“You know she will,” Ashlyn said before leaning back and pulling their mother along with her. “Come on. I didn’t see you eating anything. Let’s grab some food, and you can tell us what Emie was like when she was little. Back when Earth was still mundane and ran off of electricity instead of mana.”