[SOLO] Saying Goodbye (First half of My Pae)

[Tartara Seabreeze]

Being back had been...strange. A good kind of strange, but strange all the same. He had been so busy...he honestly had forgotten about his responsibility as head of the family. It wasn't until Erylia had found him...What mattered was as soon as she did, he went to work sending messages on Shadows to his family member to gather the next day by his cave. Today was that day. In front of him, brothers and sisters who hadn't seen each other in ages hugged and caught up as he waited for everyone to arrive. The only pae left out was Kaiden and Dameons family, as both already knew the news. Dyas and Adora were also left at home.

His sharp eyes caught movement on the perimeter, lurking in the shadows out of sight. That was the last pae left to wait for, and truthfully he hadn't expected her to show. Amara.

He cleared his throat, having all eyes on him. Tristen, Niday, Dayht, Malloren, Yuki, Zana, Erylia and of course, the suspected Amara. "I wish I had called you here for a happy reunion...but everyone knows I am not a fan of company. I would not arrange a meeting in good spirits, though admittedly I should." He shifted his feet uncomfortably on his makeshift podium, a simple upturned wooden box. "Some of you may have tried to come around and find Dameon, Tartara or even me a little while ago. But for years, you hadn't seen us, because we were not on the island any longer." Pae like Dayht and Tristen gasped, while pae like Malloren stayed completely still. Waiting. "Now you may have seen Dameon and I wandering around, but not our mother. Tartara never kept her heritage secret. She wasn't like the normal humans which used to inhabit the island with us. But even knowing that, she stayed long after they left."

What was his brother getting at? His stomach felt knotted and sick.  

[Tartara Seabreeze]

With everyone's eyes on him, he could feel the anxiety hanging thick in the air. Worry painted on the softer pae while the more controlled ones stared with burning intensity. He took a deep breath to continue. "She did not eat as we do. Instead, Tartara would gain nutrients from the soil. For a time it did not seem to harm her. All the nutrients must have added up fine to her system except for one or two. But as the years passed, I noticed her getting weaker. It was a small change at first, only needing me to help her with the big chores. Months passed and gradually she needed my help with all of them. A few more months, and Tartara would only leave her bed to change into her tree. As though she ceased gaining any energy..." The demonic trailed off as he noticed the growing horror. It was a difficult story to relay, and he felt a lump appear in his throat. I still cannot quite grasp it. There is too much pain.

The Day Fae reached out to grab her sisters hand, her pale eyes wide even as they began to gloss over with tears. He couldn't be saying what she thought he was saying. She didn't even know her mom was sick!

In a soft display of sibling affection, Niday allowed her twin to take her hand for support. Her little Day was ill equipped with devastating news, and she was still taking Apollo's disappearance quite hard. She had a feeling it was going to be a long night, and her shoulder was going to be soon soaked with tears.

Yuki listened with bated breath, his ears flat against his head as he stood side by side to his own twin. "Mall..." He whispered, tail completely limp.

Her own ears had flattened, but her face was not the painting of sadness like her furred brothers. "I know Yuki. Be strong."

Oh...oh no...no no no no... The Shadow world...The demonic started to tremble with distress. Shortly before the others disappearance, she had the problem with the shadow world. Tartara had turned into a tree then.

She had taken in shadow soil, and from then became sick. Because she got her mother involved in her friends problem. Because of her, Tartara...Tartara... Oh Guardians...no...

He had to continue on. He swallowed down his lump and tightened his fist until it quivered. "I thought...if I could just bring her back to her own land, to her normal soil, she would get better. I took Dameon, Shageki and Cressida with me and we all got onto a boat. But I had waited too long to take action." Now, the sentence they all had come for. The reason for the gathering. "Tartara Seabreeze's heart stopped beating before we hit land. I...cannot express how regretful I am. If you have anger or hatred, I accept it for failing to help her in time."

"NO!" Dayht shrieked, staring at her eldest brother with disbelief. "Don't lie Raken!"

"Dayht! Shhh!" Niday pulled the sobbing fae to her in a hug, feeling her own heart ache. "Shhh Day. Shhh. I know, I know."

For a moment, Tristen stared at the demonic in shock. He hadn't heard of anyone...dying before. But this was Raken. If he said as much, then it was true and the love fae had no doubt in his mind the other had tried his best. He quickly crossed the distance from him to the Day and Night fae's putting a comforting hand on Dayht's shoulder.

Slowly, Zana sank to her knees as the words left the eldest. She really had...she really had killed her mother. And no one but her knew.

Normally Yuki would have flinched at Dayhts deafening cry, but everything seemed to go mute for him after the reason for their gathering was revealed. His mother...everyones beloved mother... Yuki?...Yuki?...Yuki! The male turned his head to look at his sister staring at him. How long had she been calling his name? His face felt wet.

"Yuki! Are you okay?" As his eyes flicked onto her, the light flicked back into their green depths. Back to reality, and starting to cry. With his tears flowing, she felt her own slip unbeckoned from her eyes.

So...that's what happened. She suspected it. She knew it, deep down when Raken hadn't answered her yesterday when she came to his place. Everyone was falling apart around her, with the exception of older pae, Niday and Tristen. And herself. But she didn't much care to include herself in the list, because she knew the façade on her part was temporary. Only until everyone left. The demonic looked down at the pink demonic. Zana, if she recalled. Erylia walked over to sit down beside her, as she was the only one without comfort when she obviously desperately needed some. The mardi gras female didn't say anything though as she had no words to give. It felt like if she tried her composure would shatter. But she would be a physical comfort of being there if Zana wanted it.

Close enough to hear, but far enough to be unnoticed, the news was shocking enough to give Amara pause. Her family members fell apart at the seams because of love, an emotion she was happy to be without. However...Tartara had raised her. She had fed her, bathed her and kept her safe and warm when she had been too small to do it herself. That was deserving of respect, and the barbed fae had never wished harm upon her mother. Yes, even she was not happy about the fate of the half nymph. When a grave is made for her...I believe I shall visit it once. That much she could do for everything Tartara had done.  

[Tartara Seabreeze]

At Dayhts howl of anguish, Raken winced. It was painful to see the hurt his beloved family felt at once. He never wanted to make anyone in his family cry, but he had no choice. They had a right to know what had happened to their mother, no matter how painful the truth was. "I'm so sorry Dayht...To everyone, I believe we should hold a service for her next week. We can meet up here again and I will show you to the marker I will have made for her." Now that he had said everything needed, he felt foolish on top of the box. The male slowly sinked down to sit on it instead to wait for everyone to process the initial shock. He could only hope they would forgive him.

When the tie dyed female sat beside her, Zana looked almost deadly at her before turning back to stare at the grass. Raken had done a good thing. A hard, awful thing. She couldn't believe the amount of strength he had to not run from the pain and offer to take everyone's hate. If anyone did hate him though, it would be misplaced. It wasn't his fault after all that Tartara passed.

It was hers. She could only hope they would forgive her.