Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the storyline and Messa

Chapter 24 Choosing

Daine didn't stop running until she was in the middle of the forest. Once there, she collapsed to the ground under the weight of the decision she had to make. All her time in Carthak, she hadn't thought that she would have to make a decision of whether to stay there in a world she knew, or to leave to a completely different realm, the unknown. She hadn't considered the option of not being allowed back to Tortall. All she wanted to do was to go home with her friends and try to get over what had happened here. Only, that wasn't going to happen.

As Daine sat on the ground, deep in thought, Cloud, Kit, and the wolves made their way toward her. Daine, what are you doing out here? Couldn't you have picked a better spot to go mope? Cloud asked her.

"I'm not moping," Daine replied.

Yes, you are. You wouldn't be out here if you weren't.

"Well, excuse me if I have the hardest decision to make."

This is NOT the hardest decision you've had to make. You have already made that one. The hardest decision you ever made was to keep going on living with what Ozorne did to you in order for you friends to be safe.

"But at least then I would be able to see my friends again, maybe," Daine argued. "Plus, I coldn't let them get killed because of me. That was an easy decision."

What's to say that you wouldn't be able to see them again, Cloud retorted.

Cloud is right, wolf sister. You will be a great god. You will be able to do as you please, as long as it isn't against the cosmic laws, especially since it will be your country of patronage. Or you will be an empress with whom they will have treaties with them. Either way, you will see them again, Brokefang added.

All while he said this, Kit had worked her way up into Daine's lap and was making comforting trills. "You think?" Daine asked, brightening up enough to actually begin making a decision.

Of course we do, we wouldn't mention it if we didn't. Cloud answered. Now, you have a decision to make.

"Yeah, but either way, I won't be able to see them as I would like."

You'll always have us. Cloud replied, earning agreement from Kit and the wolves.

Daine was definitely brighter after that. She may not get to have her whole family, but at least she would always have this part of it. Of course, she blushed as Russet added, And the Storkman. We can't forget about him.

Changing the subject quickly, Daine asked the gathered animals, "What would you do?"

We cannot tell you. This is for you to decide. Brokefang answered.

Daine thought of this, when a thought suddenly entered her mind. "How is it you are here with me? Ma said time was slowed so that I could make this decision."

All we know is that that Badger friend of yours came and told us you would need our help, Cloud answered.

Daine smiled before turning back to the problem at hand. Goddess or Empress, which would she become? Both had their pros; both had their cons. But the more Daine thought about it, the more she realized which was the better choice. The one that would allow her to spend more time with her friends.

She looked at all the animals, "Thank you, you helped me very much with this. I have made my decision. Cloud, could you give me a ride to the palace, please?" Cloud agreed, and they all made their way back to the room in which she had left the others.

When she entered she found a very hassled looking Numair being interrogated by her mother and the others watching and laughing. "Ma! Leave him alone!" Daine yelled, trying to save Numair.

Sarra looked up and went from scary to pleasant, "Oh, Daine, my sweet, have you come to a decision?"

Daine took a breather and replied, "Yes, I have." All around her everyone waited with bated breath.

'Well…" the Graveyard Hag crackled. "What have you decided?"

"I decided…to become the patron Goddess of Tortall."

"Oh, Sweet, that's wonderful! You're going to be the Goddess of Wild, which means that you are who the animals call on when they don't call their own gods, you are called upon by those who need help with animals, and you are the protector of those with wild magic, both animal and human." Sarra exclaimed.

Daine took in this information before adding, "However, I want the right to visit my friends whenever I wish."

"That can be arranged, Kit."

"Well, what am I going to do now? I have a country without a ruler," The Graveyard Hag complained.

"Use Kaddar. He's very fit to be Emperor. He knows how to do the job, and he'll be able to change things around here."

"But Daine…Goddess…I am not the heir. When Ozorne signed my execution order, he made you his sole heir."

"Yes, but Lady Josephine is dead. Or, she is at least to the country of Carthak. You don't have to worry. I made you my heir a long time ago. You are the emperor," Daine told the stunned Kaddar.

"Daine, I hate to hurry this up, but now that you've made your decision, we have to go. You need to say good bye," Sarra told her daughter. Upon seeing Daine's look, she added, "Don't worry, it isn't forever, just for now. Oh and if you are going to bring your consort, you might want to bring him now, it'll be harder to later."

Both Numair and Daine blushed when her mother said that because it was obvious who she was referring to. Daine couldn't say anything, though. She wanted it to be Numair, but what if he didn't want to. He was the one she wanted to leave behind the least, but she couldn't ask him to do this. Their relationship had just started. Unbeknownst to her, while she was having these thoughts, Numair had tugged her out into the hall to talk about it. He broke through her thought by saying, "I'll do it, Daine."

"What?"

"I'll be your consort, that is, unless you don't want me to."

"Oh, I do. It's just that this is all happening so quickly. I don't want you to do anything that you'll regret later."

"I wouldn't regret it. The only thing I would ever regret would be a missed opportunity to spend eternity with you. I can't go through losing you again Daine. My body, no my heart and soul, couldn't handle going through that again."

Daine looked up at him with happy tears in her eyes because she felt the same way. "You sure?"

Numair smile down at her and asked as an answer, "Verilidaine Sarrasri, will you do the honor of being my wife?" Daine squealed and jumped into his arms to kiss him. It was her way of saying yes.

Inside the room, the others heard the happy squeal. George commented, "I think that means that he's going."

Jon groaned, "This means that I'll no longer have a wildmage or a black mage."

"Don't worry, dear, you still have Alanna and the Dominion Jewel," Thayet told her husband.

"Besides," Onua added. "No one will dare mess with Tortall because its two best protectors are now going to be gods."

Jon seemed to brighten at that prospect when the two walked back into the room, hand in hand. They went through the process of telling all their friends goodbye, being sure to remind them that it wasn't a forever thing. When they finished, they turned to her mother. "We're ready, Ma." Sarra nodded before waving her hands. Daine, Numair, the animals, Kit, and the three gods disappeared into thin air, leaving behind their friends who weren't sad because they knew they would see them again.

A/N: Well that's it. The end of this story. I was thinking of making a sequel about their lives after this story. Of course, it would be focused n Daine and Numair getting used to being gods, but the others would make appearances. Tell me if you think I should. Although, keep in mind, it may be a while before I get to it. I have a couple other things I want to write first. Well, let me know what you think. Thanks to the following for their reviews:

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