A Tear Frozen in Time

True Peace

Zhe Yan had left hours ago, the sun was well overhead and Mo Yuan was still in his chamber staring blankly into space while going over in his mind everything that Zhe Yan had told him.

"Her star is back in the sky Mo Yuan." he had said softly while watching his face very carefully.  "Not only that, but the soul lamp has been burning this entire time.  A piece of her soul was saved and it looks as if she learned much from your return, after all, she had been with me during your entire soul rescue, so not only did she piece her soul back together, but having far greater knowledge of how it works, she was able to move much more quickly."

Mo Yuan had said nothing to him, he merely sat there staring straight ahead.  Now and then, his shoulders would lift a little, but those dark eyes never once moved as he spoke.

"I explained to you that her father had kept her body safe in Yanhua cave all this time, and I don't need to explain to you how he did that, but not only is her body now preparing for her soul return, but like you, little differences in her appearance are beginning to show." he said softly.

In all, it had taken most of the morning, for Zhe Yan to explain what had been happening in Qing Qiu all this time, and then what was happening now.  Her soul was not yet complete, but that her star was back in the sky, was the turning point for her.  Her star would never show itself, unless the Heavens had granted her a reprieve and a second chance at life.  And though internally he was ecstatic and beyond the ability to convey it, he had one question for him.

"Why, was I not told at the very beginning that you had rescued a piece of her soul with the intention of giving her a way home?" he asked quietly.

For thirty thousand years, he had all but given up on ever seeing her again, and he had reached a stage in his seclusion where he had come to terms with it.  Only those earlier years, could have been avoided, had he known.

"And what would telling you have done?" Zhe Yan asked gently.  "You would absolutely have thrown away your chance at cultivating to move into Yanhua cave.  You would not have survived Mo Yuan, I had no choice but to keep it from you." he replied honestly and bluntly and without a hint of remorse for the pain that was sweeping through his eyes at that moment.

"You saw her eyes before she left.  Her final decision was given, I had a right to know." he said as the his voice began to break, the first sign he had shown all morning that he was affected.

With the softest of looks on his face, Zhe Yan quietly observed the man as every emotion he possessed erupted through his eyes which were by that stage moist.  HIs fists were clenched and his body shaking, but rather than fear for his safety seeing as anger seemed to be the overriding emotion, Zhe Yan merely chuckled as he leaned in towards him.

"Look at yourself Mo Yuan.  Do you not feel more alive than you have ever felt?  You are healthy, strong, your energy at the highest it has ever been, and you don't look a day older.  What good would waking to a corpse do to her?" he asked even more gently.  "You would not have survived.  But look at you now.  When she opens her eyes, she will see the man who has been in her head for thousands of years, the same man that she fell in love with." 

And as the first of his tears slipped off his lashes, Zhe Yan sighed deep and long.  Then standing, he stretched his hands out above his head before allowing them to fall heavily at his side.   

"Well, I have to go now.  Luckily I managed to save a little fungal grass from your resurrection and seeing as your elixir chamber hasn't been used in some time, I guess now is as good as any to make one." he said before turning and striding out the door with a big grin on his face.

Now still sitting on his dais and staring blankly at the blue sky through the window, his final words finally registered.  He had been so lost to his memories again and the hope that was filling his heart, that he hadn't really dwelled on what he meant.  And no sooner was he up, then he was running for the elixir chamber, only to find a few scattered feathers and an empty chamber.