Author's Notes: I fell in love with this story the first few moments of the opening episode. The ups and downs thru-out the story content and the personal growth of the characters involved really hit home for me based off my own experiences growing up with out parents also fostered as well and the trials and triumphs I went thru. Being the story ends with an open-ended hook it leaves room for a second edition we all hope for. But in case not, I thought I would continue the story as Kang Chi and all the others tell it to me to eventually find the completeness as they see fit and come full circle with our beloved characters!
May 15th 1591...
I ran out to the training courtyard of my schools academy.
"Monk! You're here? Why didn't you come inside?"
"Auh?, Actually, I came because there's someone who wants to see you."
"Yea?", "Excuse me?" Looking excitedly at So Jung as he stepped aside to my left. Maybe he brought someone new to study at the school with the rest of the brothers here I thought quietly.
As So Jung stepped aside though I saw the person to whom he was referring, and I froze in place.
Wol Ryung...,-It's my father!-standing only paces in front of me. Only now he was entirely different. No more was he garnered in complete black with eyes glowing red as blood, a soulless ethereal being with a cursed heart. Wol Ryung..., he looked like a normal person-I could only stare at the personage before me in astonished silence. The smile slowly leaving my face. Wol Ryung staring gently at me with a reserved and ever so slightly awkward smile in his eyes slowly turning to sadness holding mine where I stood quietly staring back.
"Is this your true self?" I asked, cautiousness cloaking my concern and amazement that this being requested my presence.
"Yes" Wol Ryung hummingly replied hands patiently behind his back. His stance commandingly authoritative.
He stood tall like a statue with a commanding presence as any mystical Divine Creature would I suppose. Being that I only knew of Wol Ryung and myself I would have to take to his example and hold myself accordingly. I don't want to disappoint him now that he has returned to being a Guardian God of the Jiri Mountains again. If Wol Ryung was here, that must mean he also knows about mother right? 'Do I really want to ask this of him? The look in his eyes and face tell me that I may not like the answer he replies with. Almost as if Wol Ryung is asking me unspokenly to gently understand and quietly accept what I'm about to be told'.
"Mother is...?" I ask with a shaken voice and quiet sadness. I couldn't finish my question.
"Your mother will be with me forever. We will never part from each-other again." Wol Ryung replied determinedly still standing unmoving.
"I heard that mother betrayed you because she was afraid of your true mythical divinity." I stated.
Wol Ryung looking down as if remembering back to that time with broken sadness in his features,
"Perhaps. Perhaps I'm the one who lost faith in her first. The fear that she may betray me might have been the reason I turned into a demon. I certainly can't and won't blame anyone for becoming a Thousand Year Evil Spirit. It was my heart unsettled of your mother knowing the truth, they were my fears."
Again Wol Ryung held my eyes steadfast as if to say-'What happened between your mother and I is no ones blame but my own for not trusting her enough to love me regardless of my nature.'
"I really want to resent Mother or You." "Which one, Mother or You, should I resent?" I sated flatly.
I really did in the moment feel that I could be a normal human child and hate my parents for fighting with each-other and losing the battle in the process. In the moment I felt it unfair and I wanted to be selfish.
The thought to have to live without either my mother or father was disheartening and disappointing but somehow I knew there was no other option. Wol Ryung would not leave my mother's side to be parted from her ever again. This was the knowledge Wol Ryung was a-parting me as his only son and true offspring. That I would be the only one of our family to live amongst the humans and that I must move on to live on and carry out the rest of my life for all of us.
This was the sad truth quietly unspoken in his reflected features, but most of all in his eyes. 'With his eyes Wol Ryung was telling me he was leaving and that he was sadden that he could not stay with me.'
My heart started to twinge in this realized knowledge looking at Wol Ryung's reserved reverence and calmness in his stance waiting for his reply.
"You shouldn't have resentment or vengeance toward your mother or I. Those are the kind of feelings that go against nature. Believe in the Law of Karma. That you'll receive what you most deserve." Wol Ryung stated justly with all the confidence of his Thousand plus years of existence as a Mythical Being.
"Now you really do sound like you're talking as a Mythical Being." I smirkingly said with a light-hearted laugh and smile.
Wol Ryung quietly smiled with me-eyes and all-at my comment to his Mythical response. It was our first father/son bonding moment, and to really think about it I believe his words because I might-no I know I would have said the same. 'I guess I really am like Wol Ryung-my father-how often did I think this way protecting the Hundred Year Inn and the surrounding village and it's people? I guess being a Mythical being allows us to think and act differently from the way humans do.'
Wol Ryung's next question interrupting my inner thoughts.
"Did you say you want to become human. This is still your desire?" Wol Ryung asking still with the aire of a god-like statue.
Nodding I reply to his question uncertain of how Wol Ryung will respond, remembering his last attempt to convince me otherwise.
"Then, don't have any fear in the decision you've made. If you're fear overcomes you, you will most certainly lose everything. Do you understand?" 'Wol Ryung...? Was he now allowing and advising me in my choice?
I really wasn't sure if I could trust his reply but being that what happened before is opposite of what's happening now I continued to listen and stare at him earnestly.
My attention he had undividedly and completely;-"The opposite of Faith is not doubt Kang Chi-ya, it's Fear. Know this and you will not lose yourself as I did... My Son."
And in that moment we became true-blue Father and Son. Understanding and peace softly touched both our souls and I knew that Wol Ryung-My Father-accepted my choice and supported it. He accepted me as his son-his own flesh and blood, that no matter where I was or what I was doing HE would always be there in my heart to guide me. And again a twinge reeked havoc at the corners of my soul. This meeting-this bonding moment-of ours was coming to an end, I could sense it-feel it really.
For the first time he moved from his spot across from me advancing resolutely forward within inches of me. Holding my eyes once again looking thru me to my soul. Raising his left arm and placing his hand on my shoulder affectionately, gently, and assuredly with all the love he could transpose from himself to me, he squeezed my shoulder.-'How could he know this!? How...!? Lord Park Moo Sol, Yeo Wool's father, and even the Admiral had all placed there hand on my left shoulder here in this manner in this way as father figures standing in for the one who could not. And now, here he was: MY REAL FATHER-Wol Ryung, exacting the same action as if he always has and knows it's what I need in this moment! How could he know to do this!? That it would settle my feelings and calm my heart!?'-I think to myself conflictedly as I look from my father's face to his hand placed on my shoulder and back to his face again.
My father looking at me with deep sincerity and trusting confidence 'Is this what a true Father's Love feels like? Is this my fathers way of loving me even when leaving me?' My throat started to clench an all of a sudden felt severely dry and looking at my father's face he quietly smiled gently. Tears-I could feel tears twitching at the corners of my eyes.
Releasing his hold of me he dropped his arm turning to leave. Confusion amassed my emotions and I became desperate in that instant to stop my father from leaving me forever.
"This ...between us..., is it the end?" I nervously asked unwilling to look at my father's back.
"Probably, ...maybe."
"I see." Still unwilling to look at him my throat still clenching on my words, tears cloaking my eyes.
My father too, unwilling to turn, only stands in place to hear me out one last time. A face solid in features yet still saddened.
"Still though, at times..., on rare occasions I..., ...I will miss you ...Father." I say turning to finally meet my father's back.
Tears evident and unyielding collect in my eyes, me desperately fighting not to let them fall. Still standing his back to me, my father conflictingly sighs and turns to face me sadly with a rainbow of emotion pooling in his eyes all at once.
I stare at him-My Father... Wol Ryung. Despair in the knowledge this is our final goodbye-the last time I will see his face, overwhelms me an I can only hold my tears from falling freely, quietly begging him to stay knowing he cannot. But I fight it with all my might, tears still pooling ready to overflow as I stand motionless and look at my father.
I can see the slightest of tears clinging to his eyes and my heart stops in that moment as he gratefully, peacefully, and lovingly quirks an awkward half smile at me, me acceptingly an also lovingly smirk a smile back-our eyes lock on one another for the very... last... time.
Then reservedly and sadly, blinking away his tears an emotions looking down, my father turns his head and legendry walks away.
Still standing motionlessly watching this mythical being father of mine exit the courtyard and down the steps finally my feelings overcome me and a single tear flows down my cheek followed by a single other. So Jung comes up to meet my side patting his hand too on my other shoulder also watching my father and his best-mythical-friend descend down the stairs of the academy.
Wol Ryung-My Father returning to Seo Hwa-My Mother and the Moonlight Garden forever to eternal sleep. Me, moving on to live life and attain the Gu Family Book to gain back my lost humanity.
Standing there watching my father disappear forever, I think to myself: 'Like this we move on, like this another hello graces and a fleeting goodbye has passed. His last touch to my shoulder, a father's quiet affection. The look in his face as he looked on me. The unspoken words reflected in his eyes as they held mine seemed to say: 'Do not fear the path you've chosen my Son, for you are strong and will over come the journey ahead, I will be with you in your heart... always. Goodbye'
And I watch as my real-true father walked out of my life as quickly as he entered...
-...422 years later...
-...GOODMORNING AMERICA!
May 15th 2013...
...HOW IS EVERYONE'S FINE SATURDAY MORNING? IT'S 7AM MAY 15TH AND MINE IS REALLY GREAT, GOT MY CUP OF COFFEE, MY BAGEL AND MY MIC. RISE AND SHINE YOU EARLY WEEKEND COMMUTERS MOST OF US STILL WORK THE WEE-***
Simultaneously and abruptly I raise my head, rollover in my bedcovers, and grasping to smack the alarm clock going off on the nightstand quintessentially tumble off my King size bed toppling myself to the floor bumping my head on the corner edge of the dresser leg and quickly sitting up against the side of my bed rubbing my head still dazed as to where I am.
Taking a minute sitting on the floor I realize I'm in my Penthouse top floor suite of the hotel building I live in-which I happen to own. 'I didn't just... about...!? No-way! I haven't dreamed that since...? Uughh, this is so confusing! Why on Earth now?'
Quizzically I shake my head to clear away the grogginess and try to focus looking around the room of my loft. My eyes fall to the collection of artifacts by the wall in the glass case across the room.
One item in particular catches my attention undividedly-in all its cryptically carved writing's glory-A WOODEN HAWTHORNE-TREE DAGGER!
Still resting on wooden pegs, I remember now-now I know why I was pulled back to the past. 'But still... ...that particular dream ...I don't usually-?'
I quickly rushed to look at the digital date on the alarm clock now turned upside down backwards laying on the floor where I fell out of bed. I grabbed it between my hands staring frozen.
Then it hit me:
Today was the day my Mother took her last breath,
Today was the day my Father walked away to eternally sleep,
Today was the day I moved on with my life.
Today..., was that day!
'But still..., why that... ...particular dream? I haven't dreamed... of that since, ...well it's been 421 years 11 1/2 months or so hasn't it?'
Suddenly the dagger falls-my head jerks towards the direction of the sound-from it's resting place to the bottom of the glass case as if an intensely strong gush of wind caused it to fall dagger-end pointing toward me. Quickly my Mythical blood boils searing hot thru my veins and I can feel my eyes taking form like a fox slitting and glowing bright tealish blue-green, my fangs trackting forward. Sharpest of claws springing from my fingernails erected to a razor point.
Dropping my blanket covers to the floor as I abruptly shoot to my feet nostrils flared and senses acute-the two fingers on my right hand quivering as before without my permission... 'What the hell is going on? How and why was I pulled into my Mythical form without controlling myself. I've had this ability mastered for centuries-this is impossible!'
This hasn't occurred in nearly half a millennia and I knew of one being and one being only who possessed such immensely strong enough a power to do so. To the best of my knowledge that person was in ethereal eternal slumber with my mother. Still... something was coming... and coming for me!
Something...,
Something or... Someone has awakened.