“Death is a relative term. Your body as you knew it no longer exists. Since you died in Annwn, though, the nature you inherited from me defined your passing. You have been reduced to a seed. It is a death of sorts, but you now live within the Tree of Life.”
“So what do we do here?”
“We rest.”
“That’s it? It seems… boring.”
My mom laughed. “It would seem that way to one who was raised with too much television and video gaming.”
“You know about that? The video games?”
“Many of us have been watching you, Elijah. We knew the day would come when you had to make a choice… and you chose correctly.”
Suddenly, a faint sound resonated from somewhere outside… from somewhere beyond the place where I stood. “Mom, do you hear that?”
“I do.”
“What is it?”
“It’s the Bard’s hymn. Listen carefully… you will hear your Bard’s violin.”
“Emilie? But how?”
“It appears your friends have returned.”
“How did they do that? Joni… I don’t think she could reopen the gate, and Nesbitt… Merlin, I mean… he’s nowhere to be found.”
“Your sister, Elijah. I told you. You saved them both.”
“What are they doing?”
“What do you think?”
I listened more intently. The song… I knew it. It was the song that Taliesin had played the night they awoke the Maia, the night my mom emerged. As the song played, I felt a sphere grow up from the surface of where I stood. It encircled my frame, slowly beginning to close.
“Mom, how… How is this happening?”
“You are my son. You are a Dryad. Lugh has relinquished his time of service so that you might be reborn and claim your time in service to the Tree of Life.”
“Lugh… really?”
“He, too, was convinced by your sacrifice. Look below, Elijah. You can see through the base of the Maia as it enfolds you. See their love for you. Their passion.”
I looked as my mother bid me to do. When I focused, I could see through the Maia’s shell. I saw Joni, her wand extended upward. Tyler, casting his light upon the Maia, illuminated my form within. I saw Emilie in the distance, playing her violin. And Lily, her hair now a dark, forest green, stood opposite Joni, extending her staff upward. Not the white, crooked staff she had before, but a new one. It resembled Merlin’s staff. My sister channeled her powers, green and luminescent, into a cone that swirled around the Tree of Life, which beheld my Maia.
I looked up, and the Maia that was enfolding me had closed on top. My mom was gone… absent from my sight, but I could still feel her presence. She was here. Her soul was here, in the Tree of Life… She would always be with me. Even as the Maia closed around me, the bottom shell appeared thinner as the energies swirling around it grew more powerful. As the Maia continued to absorb the swirling energies of the dance, my vision below expanded. Thousands of others—unique creatures of Annwn—had gathered around the Tree of Life, all dancing along with Emilie’s music. Unicorns, Dryads, and nymphs, some resembling Lugh and others with a human-like form. Some were covered in moss rather than bark and leaves, presumably the nymphs of the seas, streams, and lakes. All the creatures of the groves and glades of Annwn had gathered here, for this very moment.
I noticed my body changing. My hair was growing longer. As it grew over my eyes, I could see it was now a bright, jade green like my mother’s. I was naked. I suppose we’re born in the buff, and for those few of us who are reborn, we’d have to be naked then, too. Still, my body seemed healthier. I was leaner, more chiseled, and stronger than before.
As the base of the Maia thinned, Emilie’s music became clearer and louder. I finally got a look at her face… She stared at the Maia, trying to get a glimpse of my frame as Tyler continued shining the light from his gauntlet upon it. I tried to wave at her…
She was in tears, but I don’t know if she could see me… She continued to play. With every note, I could feel my body changing… getting leaner, stronger, my connection to the Spirit of the Tree more intimate, more profound.
Now the walls began to thin, and the top of the Maia began to separate.
I wished I had a pair of underwear or something. At least my newly chiseled frame would leave me nothing to be ashamed about.
As the Maia unfolded, I saw tears all around. Emilie, Joni, and Lily were crying. Tyler was laughing with a smile wider than I had ever seen him wear.
My body glowed, radiating light like the sun. I felt a branch reach into the Maia and I grabbed hold of it. It lifted me from my cocoon and gradually lowered me to the ground. As my feet met soil, the glow that had enveloped my body dissipated. Before I could even gain a sure footing, I was overwhelmed by hugs from Joni and Emilie both.
“Sorry, man… I don’t hug naked dudes,” Tyler said. He extended me his fist instead.
I laughed, bumping his fist with my own in return. “Good to see you too, Ty.”
I noticed Lily standing back, looking nervous. I approached her. “Lily…”
“Elijah… I’m so sorry…”
“It’s okay… I’m just glad you’re back.”
“You don’t understand. I remember everything. It’s just… when I was under the Wayward Tree’s influence, I forgot what love was. The Morrigan… you don’t understand how powerful she is, and she’s gaining strength every day. I never could have freed myself from her if not for you. Your sacrifice overwhelmed me. It consumed the curse within me… and what was left from the Spirit of the Tree of Life expanded and reclaimed me. Your sacrifice opened my eyes. And I realized everything I had done…”
“It’s okay, Lily. I forgive you.” I reached to hug her.
“Bro… love you. But you’re naked, and I’m your sister. That’s just weird.”
I laughed. “Doesn’t anyone have any spare clothes?”
“When you cast everything into the tree… the power was overwhelming. It consumed everything,” Joni explained. “Your body, your clothes. All that was left was a seed. I took your seed with me, and I never let it out of my sight. And yes, I brought you these.” Joni handed me a bag and my staff. I retrieved my clothes from the backpack—including my Wise-Ass shirt that Emilie had given me on my birthday—and put them on. Everything fit much more loosely than it did before.
“This is amazing, guys. Really, I don’t know what to say… How did you figure all this out?”
“When we left Annwn, we were distraught. We thought we had lost you. But then it dawned on us,” Tyler continued. “You weren’t dead, not really. The seed… You are a nymph. Half-nymph maybe, but your form returned to a seed, just like a nymph’s is supposed to do. It was worth a shot. Maybe… we hoped just maybe you could be reborn.”
“So we brought your seed home with us. We couldn’t just leave it here,” Joni said. “And Lily… I don’t know how we would have ever gotten home, much less back again without her. She helped us return to the Shire. When we got back, no sooner did we step out of the gate and the pool, than resting there next to the pool on the cave floor was Nesbitt’s staff, along with one of his notes…”
“His staff? He left it there? Why?”
Joni reached into her pocket and retrieved a folded-up piece of paper. She handed it to me.
Dearest Druidess,
Words cannot express how much our single meeting has meant to me. It had been too long since we were able to sit together at the same table, though from your perspective it was the first such occasion.
At this time, you all must be distraught at the loss of Elijah. Yet, you know there remains hope. If the young Druid were to die on Earth, his death would have been a human one. Yet, since he sacrificed himself in Annwn, albeit across the borders of Samhuinn, he died according to his Dryadic nature instead. There is only one place where he might be reborn. You must return his seed to the Tree of Life. Lugh will know what to do. The rite of rebirth is one you have seen before, and it will requ
ire the cooperation of the Bard and the Ovate.
Lily can help you return. I have left her my staff. Or, I should say, I am returning it to her. It was many years ago in my own recollection, but many years ahead in your future, when she first passed the gatekeeper’s staff to me. We come both before and after the other, and like Annwn itself, Lily and I form an eternal guardianship over the gates between our worlds. After all, Annwn exists beyond earthly time. Once Lily takes hold of this staff, she will become a gatekeeper of Annwn. While I never knew of her past captivity to the Wayward Tree—this was never confided in me during my youth—the time she spent under the Morrigan’s influence has surely given her the knowledge she needs. Now, aligned with the Tree of Life, her knowledge may be coupled with wisdom. You must encourage her accordingly. I must entreat you and all your friends, however, never to reveal her past alignment with the Wayward Tree in your future encounters with my younger self. Such information would have likely swayed the course of history and impacted innumerable events of which we were both a part, even those leading us to this very moment.
It was all I could do to restrain my emotion when we met. Rest assured, you will meet me again very soon. In nine months, in fact. Though, I should say I do not at all recall our first meeting. For now, I shall retire to Camelot. A young boy, descended from Ceridwen, is destined for a once and future kingship. He, requires the guidance of an aging Druid. Soon, you will hold me in your arms. Though the next time I see you, it will undoubtedly be within the heart of the Tree of Life, where the soul of any faithful Druid or Dryad rests.
I love you, Mom.
-Merlin.
P.S. I’ve left my phone for Aunt Lily on the table in the room above. The service in Camelot sucks.
I stood there, staring at Merlin’s words, for what felt like hours, though it was probably only a few seconds. “I… Um, Joni… does this mean what I think it means?”
“Elijah.” Joni took each of my hands into her own. “I’m pregnant.”
I was speechless, at least for a moment. I was going to be a father? Was I ready for that? I suppose I had no choice. I finally managed a question, though I knew the answer before I even asked it. “And Merlin… he’s our son?”
Joni nodded.
“Well, I guess that makes choosing names a little easier.”
Joni laughed. “Yeah… He’ll probably be the only Merlin in his class. But on the bright side, we can be pretty confident that he’ll grow up to become a great man.”
“He will, Joni. He will. I guess we’re going to be a family… somehow. Are we really ready for this? And apparently I’m now the guardian of the Tree of Life. But what does that mean?”
“We’ll figure all that out when we get back, honey. Until now, I wasn’t sure if you would be alive at all. Now, Merlin will have a chance to know his father.”
I took a deep breath and nodded. There was so much to take in, so much I didn’t understand. Still, there was a sense of contentment that settled into my mind. For the first time ever, I knew what my future would be. I was a father. I was in charge of protecting the Tree of Life. I didn’t know what either of those responsibilities fully entailed, I’d have to learn as I went… but at least I knew my role, I knew my purpose. And now I had my sister back in my life. “So Lily, I suppose we won’t be seeing you back home so much after all. It would really be nice to spend some time together now that you’re back to yourself.”
“Oh, you’ll see me plenty, Elijah. The Morrigan has not given up. She has always been able to appear on Earth, like an apparition of sorts, visible to some but not others. Yet even as her own spirit rests within the Wayward Tree, she gains strength. She is looking for ways to spread the blight of Samhuinn both throughout Annwn and into our world.”
“How long has it been? How long was I… you know… dead, but not?”
“It has been two weeks,” Emilie said.
“That means…”
“Graduation,” Tyler said. “We had better get back home.”
“This way,” Lily said as she led us back to the spring. The party gathered around, for the dance had mostly dispersed. A few unicorns and curious nymphs still shadowed us as we made our way back to the gate.
“Are you coming with us, Lily? It would be great to have you at graduation.”
“Are you kidding? After that stunt I pulled at your school, they’d probably arrest me.”
“Ahh… point taken. Well, when will I see you again?”
“Soon. I have a phone now. I’ll give you a call when I’m back. And don’t forget, Elijah. You are the guardian of the Tree of Life. You can return here at any time.”
I gave my sister a hug. “Don’t be a stranger. We’ve lost too many years as it is.”
“I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other a lot more than we ever anticipated. In some ways, we are each gatekeepers now. I have my side, and you have yours.”
“I suppose that’s true. Love you, sis.”
“Love you too, Elijah.”
I stepped into the pond. Tyler, Emilie, and Joni followed close behind.
We made it to graduation just in time. Apparently Tyler told them I was seeing a shrink after the fire. He managed to talk Principal Shields into excusing my absences. Tyler had been named valedictorian. That meant he had a speech to give.
He stood at the podium. The quirky boy I had always known looked older… matured. It was like he became a man in just the last two weeks.
“I thought I’d stand here today and tell you all about how you can be whatever you want to be. I thought I’d tell you to follow your dreams. I’d give you some inspiring words about how, if you work hard enough, anything you dream of can become yours. But I’m not going to tell you that. That’s not life. That’s not realistic. Some of us don’t realize our dreams. Some of us can’t be what we want to be. Shit happens…”
Everyone laughed… even as the teachers—Ms. McDowell in particular—looked none too pleased by his expletive.
“But you know what? It’s a good thing that shit happens. Shit changes us. Crisis and loss, challenges, and broken dreams. These things are not setbacks. They are opportunities. Chances to grow, chances to change, chances to be something better than the misguided dream we first sold our hearts into following would have allowed. I recently thought I had lost someone. Someone who gave up everything… He was prepared to give up his life for the people he loved. In that moment, when I thought I had lost my best friend… I realized that life is so much more than choosing a college or making career decisions. We have time for that. Today, be grateful, whatever path you are on. Be thankful for the people in your life. Be grateful for the gifts and talents you’ve been given, and don’t worry about your limitations. We all have limitations. Anyone who has seen me in gym class knows—I definitely have mine! But limitations are important. When we recognize them, it opens our eyes to seeing a new side of ourselves. It shows us that we can be the best version of ourselves by embracing what we’ve been given… our gifts, our talents, and the people in our lives. So, you will find that some of your dreams today will die tomorrow. That’s a part of life. One dream dies, another one is born. That doesn’t mean you should stop dreaming. Dare to dream again. Live your life with gratitude. Love others more than you love yourself. If you do that… then this life… it’ll be one hell of a ride.”
Epilogue
TYLER AND EMILIE rode with the Harleys after graduation… Joni and I needed to talk, so we took the Escort.
“Joni, what’s wrong? Ever since all this happened, you’ve been a little distant. Is something on your mind?”
Joni sighed. “Do you love me, Elijah?”
“Joni, you know I do.”
“If it had been me in that tree, not Emilie, would you have done the same thing?”
“Of course, Joni…”
“But you did it because you love her, too. Will you always be in love with Emilie?”
“Joni, it isn’t like that. I made a choice to give up on my f
eelings for her and to be with you. Plus… she has her own stuff to work through. When she kissed Lily…”
“She was under the power of the Wayward Tree, Elijah.”
“Yes, but what Lily said was right. The Wayward Tree seduces us precisely because it removes restraint. It leads you to ignore barriers. Emilie kissed Lily not because she was forced to. A part of her wanted to… And if that’s what she wants—I’m not even sure if she knows it—I will support her. But I can’t be in the picture for her right now. Not like that. And besides, Joni, what we have is new. Yes, we’re having a baby. But holy shit, Joni, we haven’t even had a real date.”
“I guess you’re right…”
“I do love you, and I’m falling in love with you. But I’ve loved Emilie my entire life. She’s a special person to me—but she is not you, Joni. She will never be you. And the feelings I have for her are totally different. The more I’m with you, the more I realize that.”
“In that case, I suppose it’s time we invest in a minivan.”
I laughed. “I had entertained the notion of using my inheritance for a Lamborghini. So much for that. Dreams change, right? Minivan it shall be.”
Joni reached over and grabbed my hand.
“You know, I haven’t really met your parents,” I said. “I suppose we should do that.”
“I agree. My daddy, he’ll love you… until he finds out you knocked me up.”
I laughed nervously. “Yeah, I’m kind of dreading that conversation.”
“But my mom, you know, she probably won’t even know you’re there.”
“Let’s go see her anyway.”
We made our way to her mother’s hospital room and went inside. We were met by a nurse. “I’m glad you’re here. I regret to tell you, Miss Campbell, that Dr. Nesbitt will no longer be overseeing your mother’s case. We’ve reassigned her to another physician.”
“Understood, thank you,” Joni said. “Could we have a moment alone with my mom? I’d like to introduce her to my boyfriend.”
“Of course, Miss Campbell.”
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