Chasing Sya

No More (2)

Sya waited for the white qi to burn her as it burned her enemies.  But what she didn't expect was that because the white qi fire was hers, she couldn't get hurt from it.  Heartache filled her heart even more when she realized this.  She would not be able to die in the qi fire along with her friends and family.  She would need to find other means of death.

But for the time being, now that she has unleashed her qi fire onto her friends and family, she could not stop half way.  Sya waited and waited for the qi fire to burn up Ju Long's body, turn it into a crisp before turning it into ashes.  But to her surprise, it stayed whole.  

What was going on here?  Sya thought as she slowly sat up.  Even more to her surprise, all of her friends and husband did not catch on fire.  How was this possible?  Sya brought back her qi fire into herself and looked over the bodies.  None of them had burn marks. None of them were harmed.  Their once pale faces now seemed as if they had color to them.  And what scared her the most was that their chest were lifting up and down, slowly and deeply as if they were asleep. 

Sya shook her head and rubbed her eyes.  How could this be real?  Did she die and this was the afterlife?  Is this some dream or a trick?  Sya quickly went over to Ju Long and felt his pulse.  It was beating and it was strong.  Sya quickly went down the line, checking everyone's pulse to make sure everyone was alive.  And each time she found a strong, beating heart, her heart would be filled with so much hope and so much worry. 

All twelve of them were alive.  How could this be?  Sya looked over her friends and husband again.  Checking to see if they were injured or hurt in any way.  But none of them were.  It was as if the injuries they sustained during the battle was all wiped away.  Her eye flicked over them one last time before it stopped on Ju Long. 

Her eyes widen in disbelief.  The Amethyst Stone she placed on them were all gone.  She searched around them, thinking they could have fallen off, but she couldn't find anything.  Nothing at all.  Sya sat back down, looking at her loved ones, willing them to wake up so she would know this wasn't a dream.  That this wasn't a lie. 

Sya stared at them for a long time before she noticed it.  A faint red smoke rose up from their bodies and hovered over them.  Sya quickly stood up, readying herself to fight whatever entity that she would be facing next.  The red smoke became thicker and thicker, forming a cloud above her loved ones before a loud cry of a bird thundered around Sya.  The cry brought her to her knees as she covered her ears. 

From the red fog, came a red and gold bird, the size of her hand.  It cried out again and Sya bowed her head in pain.  Her eyes landed on her loved ones to see if they were affected, but they still laid there as if they were still asleep. 

Sya knew without a doubt, the small bird was a baby phoenix.  Reborn.  The phoenix flew around the twelve people a few times.  Each time it flew, it's tale flicked over the sleeping bodies with what seemed like glittering qi.   It then flew towards Sya and flew around Sya's head.  And it's glittering qi fell on her too.  Suddenly she felt as if she wasn't tired anymore.  It was as if she was perfectly healthy. 

The phoenix flew in front of Sya and hovered in front of her face before bowing to Sya.  When their eyes met, it was as if Sya could understand everything that the phoenix was saying to her. 

"Thank you for freeing me."  The phoenix said.  "The keeper of The Amethyst Stone is the only one who could free me from that prison.  When you broke The Amethyst Stone, you freed my soul.  The moment you used your qi to light the fire, I was reborn in that fire.  As my gift to you, those that you love, their life was given back to them.  A part of me lives in them, as I too, live in you."

Sya could only stare at the mystical bird in awe as it spoke to her. 

"Your life is more precious than you think.  You must cherish it more and not throw it away like you were about to do."  The phoenix lectured her.  "You now control the winds, the sea and Blackmire Island.  You are now it's keeper.  Everything here now belongs to you.  Farewell, my savior and live a long life." 

Sya did not utter a single word.  She was too stunned by the events that just occured.  Her love ones, who were dead, were no longer dead.  She was ready to die along with them, but wasn't able to.  She witnessed the rebirth of a phoenix, who in turn breathed life into her friends and husband.  They were all alive and well.

They were going to be okay.  They could all go home and live a normal life.  No more fighting.  No more watching over their backs.  No more running.  Sya, Ai, and her Seven Shade Hunters were finally free.