"Antareans Shed Tears Too"

"Two Down… 222,138 to Go"

Chapter 10

X

Michael stepped out of the portal back into the palace conference room on Xarius holding Jayyd and Alyyx by the hands. Right behind him were Liz, Maria, and Max. Maria rushed to Jayyd and threw her arms around her, as large tears ran down both of Maria's cheeks. Unsure at first how to react, Jayyd slowly… inexplicably… moved her own arms around the sobbing lady who held her as though she might never let her go.

"Mm… mmm… Mom, Don't cry!" Jayyd said. This brought more tears to Maria's eyes and tears to Michael's, too. Michael put his own arms around both Maria and Jayyd.

"Mom? …Dad?" Jayyd wasn't sure if she was asking or stating a feeling that had just popped out of some deep recess of her mind.

"Yes!" Maria cried. "Yes! You're home now! You're home, Jayyd!"

"Home!" Jayyd mulled the word over in her mind. She didn't remember ever hearing this word. Yet… somehow, she knew what it meant. "Home!" It meant family. It meant happiness. It meant security. It meant…

"Mama! Daddy!" Jayyd's eyes filled with tears, and she hugged Maria and Michael both tightly as memories long ago forced into some deep recess of her mind by the Ghor's machine began to flood back into her head again.

"Mama! Daddy!" She cried again, just to hear the magical words… the words she had forgotten existed.

Max turned to thank the young man who had helped Jayyd. As he looked into his eyes, recognition hit him like a sledgehammer…

"Alyyx? Alyyx! Oh my God! Liz! It's Alyyx!"

Liz had, until this moment, not actually looked directly into the young man's face. She had been so concerned with Maria's getting Jayyd back. She had asked the Sphere of Searches to find Jayyd. That it had found Alyyx with her was a blessing she had not expected. Liz ran to Alyyx and threw her arms around him. When she had last seen him, he had been almost eight years old; now he was seventeen. Liz pulled back and looked at Alyyx's face then smiled…

"You've become such a handsome young man! Oh my God, Alyyx! This is so wonderful!"

It was Alyyx's turn now to feel the strange, yet somehow comfortable, feeling that these people were something… or someone… that he should remember. But where were these memories? Alyyx shook his head trying to remember. It seemed that a fog was lifting from his mind. He looked at Liz then at Max…

"Mama? Daddy?"

Liz and Max held Alyyx in their arms as tears ran inexorably down both of their faces.

"It's okay, Alyyx… You're home now!" Max said.

Alyyx nodded. He knew that it was true. The fog was still lifting from his brain, but already he knew… He was "home." Alyyx did not remember this word, but he had no doubt of its meaning. He was home.

Varec stood with Shag and Maya. The three of them watched the reunions with a few tears in their own eyes. Turning to Shag, Varec smiled…

"Well, Shaqor… That's two down… There are only 222,138 Antarean children left to find now…"

Shag nodded, still smiling. It seemed a daunting task, finding so many children, but Varec was right. It wasn't only Max and Liz's children or Michael and Maria's children… or even his own precious little daughter, who still was out there somewhere… There were 222,138 more Antarean children to be found or to account for. And account for them or find them he would… all 222,138 of them… if it took him the rest of his life!

------------------------End of Chapter 10