Chapter Eighteen- Choices

Siren opened her eyes. She looked around in confusion. She was lying on a tatami bed facing the ceiling. A dresser with a mirror attached was against the wall and her Bo staff rested against it. Siren sat up and took one more look around the room.

It was her room. The room she had when she lived at the Jade Palace. Siren stood from her bed and poked her head out the door. She looked one way, then the other. Her eyes widened when she saw who was at the end of the hall.

"Shifu!" she cried happily. She ran forward and reached down to hug him. But her arms went right through him like he was a ghost. Siren stepped back. "Shifu?" She tried to put a hand on Shifu's shoulder, but her hand when right through him. Shifu didn't even turn around. But he did knock on the door he was in front of.

"Would you get out here?" Shifu called.

"Not yet!" a voice called from inside the room. "I'm still getting ready!"

"It'll be winter by the time you're done!" Shifu protested.

"Just give me a minute!" the voice said again. Siren realized it was her father's voice. "I think I'm going to be sick!"

"Oh come on, Chao!" Shifu groaned. "Everything's going to be fine!"

"I don't know." Chao was extremely nervous.

"You're not backing out from your soon-to-be wife!" Shifu snapped.

Junjie came around the corner. He was dressed in a fine, silk gold shirt and black pants. Siren noticed that Shifu was wearing black robes with a silver trim. And did he say "soon-to-be wife"?

"Is he still in there?" Junjie droned. Shifu nodded, and Junjie banged on the rice paper door. "Chao, if you don't get out here, I'm coming in there and dragging you to the alter!"

"You wouldn't dare." Chao said.

"Try me, groom boy." Junjie retorted.

Chao sighed and walked out of his room. Siren stared. Chao was dressed in red silk robes with gold thread dragons sewn all over it. A red silk sash was around his waist and red shoes were on his feet.

"Chao, relax." Shifu assured. "You'll be fine."

"I'm getting married, for gods' sake!" Chao cried.

"Not yet."

Siren looked up and gasped a little. "Oogway?"

The old tortoise came up to Chao, a groom's cap in his claws. Chao bowed to Master Oogway, and the tortoise placed the groom's cap on Chao's head. "Perfect." Oogway said. "Now, you can get married."

Chao smiled, looking a little hopeful. "By any chance, is-"

"No, Chao, he's not here." Oogway shook his head sadly.

Chao looked sad, but shook it off. "It doesn't matter."

"That's the spirit." Shifu said. "Are you ready now?"

Chao nodded. "Yes." The four of them walked off. Siren followed, knowing she must be in some sort of dream. They walked out into the arena and Siren saw many people occupying it. One person stood out: Ren. Siren gasped as she stared at her mother. She looked so beautiful in her red wedding dress and Phoenix crown. Siren couldn't see her mother's face, but she knew that Ren was beautiful. Siren watched with awe as Chao and Ren went through the wedding ceremony. Siren clapped with everyone else, even if no one could hear.

"So wonderful, isn't it?"

Siren spun around and saw her mother. Ren was dressed in a beautiful yet simple white dress with her long black hair flowing down her back. Siren ran forward and hugged her mother tight, so relieved they could touch. But suddenly, Siren stepped back.

"Am I dead?" she asked.

Ren laughed. "Nope, not this time."

Siren was confused. "Then, why can I see you?"

"Well, you're kind of unconscious." Ren said. "You used a lot of strength, and a lot of chi, in your last attack against Jiao-long."

Siren sighed. "I guess so. I didn't know I could do it."

Ren smiled. "You were born with amazing powers. I'm just glad you were strong enough."

Siren's smile was gone. "But, was I strong enough? I almost lost Dad."

Ren patted Siren's head. "I know, sweetheart, but you saved him. Just as I expected."

Siren smiled once more. "I guess so. I still can't believe I was able to control my powers."

"It was so simple, wasn't it?" Ren guessed. "Just imagine what you want, and everything comes naturally."

"Nothing about me is natural." Siren said solemnly. "I'm a human; I wasn't meant to be in this world."

"I don't think I was, either." Ren agreed. "And yet, here we are." She shook her head. "Fate is such a mysterious thing."

Siren nodded in agreement. "So, what now?"

"Now, you have a choice." Ren said. "At the moment, you're unconscious. This realm is only a dream. You realize that?"

Siren looked around and saw the scene had changed. Now, she and her mother were in the Sacred Hall of Warriors.

Siren looked back at her mother. "So, what's the choice I need to make?"

Ren smiled. "You must choose where to go. You can either go back to the land of the living, or you can join me in the Heavens."

Siren stared with disbelief. "You mean, move on? Die?"

"Well, right now you're kind of in the middle of life and death." Ren explained. "You need to choose which way to go."

Siren thought for a second. "So, if I decide to live, can you come back?"

Ren smiled sadly and pet her daughter's hair. "Siren, I've moved on. My time had come and gone, and I'm happy."

"But you can come back!" Siren said excitedly. "You can come home! You can be with Dad again and we can be a family again!"

"Siren." Ren caressed her daughter's cheek lovingly. "I can't go back."

"But I want to be with you!" Siren pleaded. "I won't leave here without you! If it means I have to die, then fine!"

"Siren, you can't do that." Ren protested kindly. "What about your father? What about Shifu? Think about everyone that would be heartbroken over losing you. I know you want to be with me, but you know that there's only one way to go."

Siren glared. "I want to be with you. You were taken from me unfairly and I was left with an abusive, alcoholic scumbag. For once, I want to actually do what Iwant rather than do the right thing."

Ren looked close to tears, but she kept her smile. "I know. I would love nothing more than to be with Chao again. But it can't be that way." She pulled Siren into a hug. "I love you so much. And I love your father. I want both of you to be happy." She looked Siren in the eyes. "You have to go back. I don't trust myself to leave your father alone. He's heartbroken without you." She waved her hand through the air. A portal appeared, showing Chao clutching his "dead" daughter and silently crying in deep mourning. Siren looked away. She hated seeing her father so upset.

"Does he really need me that badly?" Siren asked.

Ren looked upset. "Don't you miss him?"

"Of course." Siren nodded. "I ran away and was gone for over a year. I was so guilty for putting him though that. But I did it to protect him."

"I know." Ren was smiling again. "I've been watching. Oh Siren, I've always been watching you. No matter where you were, what you've done, you were never alone." She put a hand on her daughter's heart. "I've always been right here. And I always will be."

Siren's lip trembled, and she hugged her mom tight. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too." Ren said. "And I'm sorry that I had to leave."

Siren wiped her eyes. "It's not your fault. Like you said, Fate is a mysterious thing."

Ren laughed a little. "You may look like me, but you act so much like your father. So wise, so strong, and so kind."

Siren looked back towards Chao. He was so upset. He thought his only child was dead. Siren turned to her mother. "I love you Mom."

"I love you Siren." Ren gently touched Siren's face.

Siren's world went dark. Her senses seemed to turn on for a few seconds before they started coming back, one by one. She felt the cold stone of the earth under her bare feet and her scorched clothes against her body. She could even smell the burnt fibers and there was a bad taste in her mouth. She could hear someone sniffling.

"Come on now, Fenghuang." Junjie's voice said. "None of that."

Junjie and Fenghuang were alright. Shifu must be ok, too. Siren felt better already. Then, she felt cold drops of water on her forehead. Chao was clutching her tightly.

Siren groaned. "Daddy, that hurts."

Chao's eyes widened and he pulled away. "Siren?"

Siren's eyes fluttered open. She looked up at her father and smiled a little. "Hey Dad."

Chao sighed with relief. "You can't scare me like that."

Siren could hardly shrug, she was so tired. "I'm a teenager." She whispered. "It's my job."

"Then you're fired." Junjie laughed. Siren chuckled lightly. She looked over at Shifu, Junjie, and Fenghuang.

"Thank you." She said. "All of you. For what you risked to help me."

"For you, absolutely." Fenghuang assured.

"You're worth it." Shifu added, giving her hand a squeeze.

Siren sighed happily, and then yawned a little. "I'm so tired."

"Then sleep." Chao said. "We'll be home soon."

Siren smiled. Chao hooked his arm under her legs and lifted her up. Siren rested her head against Chao's chest and fell into a blissful, peaceful sleep.