SAVING UUNA

Johnny had recognized the luminescent beam the moment it cascaded its golden silk down to the dark forest floor. It was the very essence that had left his being all those years ago, and, despite the solace he had found within the companions he had tamed, still yearned for. Its beauty left him both breathless and heartbroken. 

He watched her bask in the Light, her childlike laughter chiming high above the shadows of such a dark place. She reached skyward, her hands outstretched as if she sought to pull all of its radiance towards her in a loving hug.

"Mama! Papa! They're waiting for me!" 

He suddenly saw her smile falter.

"Wait a sec..." He watched the young child slowly withdraw herself from the center of the warmth of the circle, her small brows furrowing in deep contemplation. 

"There's so much I never got to do. So many places I never got to see..." Her hands delicately began to smooth out the fabric of her dress as her voice dropped to but a whisper, reciting the untold stories she had yet to experience. Nodding her head once in affirmation, she tilted her head upward once more to look at the figures that were concealed from the hunter.

"Is it okay if I stay with my friend? For just a little while longer?" She seemed to fidget where she stood, placing her hands behind her back as she crossed her fingers. A few heartbeats later, she turned back to Johnny, excitement lacing her words and framing her face in absolute happiness.

"Friend!! The Light says I can stay!!" 

She sprinted to the center, her hooves skidding to an eager halt beneath the Light as she raised a hand towards the sky once more.

"Tell Mama and Papa I miss them," she murmured. "And that I'll see them soon." She dropped her hand to her side, turning to face the hunter once more. While Johnny had not known her for long, great pride swelled within his chest for her. Not a glint of fear flickered within her topaz eyes, her aura luminating the night.

No amount of armor could have braced Johnny for the impact of the hug he was given when the little draenei threw herself into his arms. He felt the warmth of her ethereal form seep into his very soul, uplifting what sorrow that had remained at the occurence of his undeath. He felt a single tear slip down his face as his own happiness tugged the corners of his mouth upward in a smile that mirrored Uuna's own happiness.

"Okay, Johnny! Let's get outta here! We have so many places to go!"