Regret
Three weeks on, and the king of Atlantis was cold. Everything was cold. He had not expected this to happen. When Atlantis had surfaced, he and his wife had been happy. But it did not take long for the bitter winds to penetrate Atlantis's atmosphere. The Atlantean fish had migrated to the bottom of the lake, and the Atlantean fishermen were not skilled at deep-sea fishing. Food was scarce, and Atlantis had begun to wish that they had never surfaced at all.
He walked through the streets to the main area – a flat, circular stone place in the middle of the city that Atlantis used for special occasions. He was sighted by his wife, and her friend, Kishpa. The queen hurried over to greet him.
'Milo, we have found a way to get us back!' she exclaimed.
'How?' Milo replied.
'Kishpa found it.' the queen replied, pulling Kishpa next to her, 'She found an ancient stone, not far from here, which has an inscription on it. She can read Atlantean. I believe that she is one of your better students?'
'Yes, but how –'
'The stone has the instructions. We can get back now!'
'Kida, let me see the stone.' Milo asked. Kida handed it to him, and began rounding everyone up for the final – or hopefully final – try.
'Lanta! Omoko! Daromi! Gather the people!' she called. The three youths cantered off, eager to please. Milo, however, kept silent.
'Kida...'
'Yes? What is wrong, Milo?'
'The method...it involves – the crystal – is it safe?'
'I lived once, I can do it again. Besides, it's almost foolproof. The inscription must have been carved by my grandfather. He was a wise man.'
The youths returned with all the people. They gathered round the two royals in a circle.
Kida tried to take the stone from Milo, but he held it tight. Weakly, he lowered his head and loosened his grip on the stone. Kida took it in both her hands.
Milo pulled her into a hug, and when they broke apart, Kida walked into the centre of the circle. She placed the stone in the middle, and stepped back, then fell to her knees. A beam of light caught her, and she was pulled up into the sky...
Milo stood, watching his beloved wife disappear into the crystal. He stared until the light made him look away.