Aurora Maple: The city streets were filled with massive amounts of people as usual. Men, women, and children filled the streets with shouts, screams, and laughter as everything seemed a little too normal. The food vendors were selling sliced meats, sandwiches, candies, ice cream, and various different fruits and vegetables to all those willing. Old men sat beside the roads playing cards and gambling all the silver they had left, children were kicking around make-shift, string knotted balls on the street, teenagers were carrying bags filled with quills and books–gossiping and shoving each other as they walked back home towards their families. It felt like home–which was obvious since it was. I grew up in Zylen, one of the major cities established in the Taegan empire. Unlike the country-side there wasn’t a lot of green here but it still looked pretty beautiful to me. The tall red-brick buildings made you feel like you were in a jungle of man-made structures and the beautiful marble banks and libraries took your breath away every time you looked at them. The slow clobbering of horse-hooves pulling large chariots on the gray-brick streets echoed into my ear as huge fountains and monuments were located around the corner of various streets. It all made me feel at ease–which was a rare feeling for me. I took a deep breath and jumped onto the roof of a nearby building which caused a random little kid to point and gasp. I gave him a smile and ran along the rooftops–enjoying the nice orange and pink skyline setting over the city. I used to run along these rooftops everyday when I had gotten the chance and everyday while I was away from home I dreamed of coming back here and feeling the rush of wind on my face as I soared across the city. I jumped up and somersaulted onto a rooftop, dove through a couple lines of drying clothes hung up on some windows, slid down a slanted rooftop, and finally landed onto the front porch of my home. I lived in a fairly big apartment with just my father and sometimes things felt a little empty inside. I was grateful that I had a nice big place to live in but it did feel a little sad at times….

It got way worse after my mother died.

I still remember her face and her voice and the words she would always use to tell me. I was grateful that I still had some memory of her but at the same time it felt a lot more painful every time I did think of her. My father used to say that his genes had completely lost when I was born, which I agreed was true. My mother was a complete carbon copy of me in every way–from her hair, to her eyes, and even in our attitudes. She was apparently a pretty closed off and quiet person–with everyone besides my father of course–and she didn’t talk much to people outside of her family. She was never a super lovey-dovey and doting mother and she was pretty strict when I was super young. When I turned about eleven or twelve though she started to ease off a bit and let me sort of figure things out–which was nice. I always loved my mom and she always looked out for me, and so when she died it made me feel empty inside. The weirdest part was that I didn’t really cry when my father told me the news shortly after my thirteenth birthday. I just sort of stood there unable to feel anything–it was almost like an emotional shock had rendered me feelingless in my body. It hit me about a day after when I broke down and spent the entire week in a feeling of sadness and despair. My father and I didn’t talk much after that–or at least not as much as we used to. I left for warrior academy training a year after and we sort of drifted away for a couple years. I met Lila shortly after I left for home and she helped get me through some super depressing times–which I’m still grateful for–and I never thought about home much after that. But I needed to say goodbye…. It was my last chance.

I opened the porch door and walked into the living room. My father came running out of his bedroom with a confused look in his eyes before surprise suddenly dawned on his face, “Aurora! I thought you’d left… come here.” I slowly walked over to him and gave him a hug. It wasn’t just a normal hug—I gave him a nice, big, long hug which I soaked in to the fullest. I never disliked my father or had anything against him—we just slowly drifted apart. I understood that to an extent but I really needed to be with him for a bit before I left—for myself and for him. I finally let go and we both sat down in the living room together. “Stay here, I’m going to get us some coffee—I bought some ice cream, do you want some?” I nodded fervently as he smiled and left to get the snacks. I leaned back on the couch and soaked everything in. I hadn’t been home in a while but it all felt pretty familiar. Everything was in the same place it was before I had left and that made me weirdly happy. My dad sat back down with two bowls of ice cream and two small cups of coffee. I grabbed the ice cream and started to wolf it down with immense speed. My father laughed, “Ice cream has always been your weakness—I worry for my daughter when the enemy offers ice cream to her as bait.” I laughed,

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“Of course I won’t be that stupid when I’m fighting, dad,” I tried to enunciate my words through mouthfuls of ice cream, “I’ll find a way to get the ice cream and not get caught!” He laughed softly as he took a sip of his coffee,

“To be honest with you, Aurora, I’m very worried.” His eyes filled with concern as he took my hands and spoke softly, “I know I haven’t done my duties as a father and kept in touch with you and I regret that everyday. I was scared and alone after your mother died and I failed to even take care of you and your emotional needs. Then I sent you off to some academy—I sent a girl who just lost her mother off to some place I didn’t even know! What kind of father does that?” His face filled with sadness as he tried to keep a composed expression, “I’m sorry, Aurora—for being a poor father. I know it is late for me to say that and it sounds awfully convenient to say it now but I truly am. To be honest, I don’t know what I would’ve done if you had left early.” I looked down at the table in front of us and just began to notice the massive amounts of paper and envelopes scattered over its surface. I picked up one of the envelopes and opened it. It was a draft—a draft of a letter which was meant to be sent to me. I put it down and picked up another one, and another one, and another one, before realizing that all of them were letters to me… I looked at my father with a sincere expression,

“You wrote these for me?” He smiled wearily and nodded,

“I wanted to say so much but I couldn’t find the right words. I was afraid you’d left and was prepared to send these to you if you had already gone away. Luckily you came back to see your father one last time and for that, I’m grateful.” He took my hands once again, “Aurora, I know that this was what you were meant to do, I know that this is who you were meant to be, but I’m still worried for you. I’m your father and I will always be worried when my daughter is in danger so I ask you just one thing.” I looked at him and nodded, “I want you to promise me that whatever you do, whatever plan you create, and whatever actions you take, you do not treat your life—or the lives of anyone else—as expendable. Your life means so much to me—everyone’s lives mean so much to someone, dear—and I need you to promise me that you will honor that idea.” I looked into my father’s eyes and nodded,

“I promise, dad. I’ll be safe and it’s ok—I have a lot of really strong friends looking out for me. I will come back home to you—I’ll make sure of it.” My dad nodded and I gave him another giant hug, “I love you.” He laughed and smiled,

“I love you too dear and I’m sure your mother would’ve said the same thing as well.” I nodded as tears came rolling down my eyes,

“I’m sorry for going away, I’m sorry for leaving, I’m sorry for everything, dad, I—“ tears came rolling down my eyes as I felt my father hug me tightly,

“It’s ok, it’s ok, everything will be ok Aurora,” he looked me in my eyes and wiped my tears away with his sleeves as he gave me a gentle smile, “I want you to know that no matter what happens, no matter how hard things get, your father will always be with you.”