Todaya Episode 06

As the sun began to set, Todaya arrived back at the small cottage where Alldayna was absorbed in reading. The air was filled with a warm embrace as Alldayna welcomed Todaya."Todaya, did you find them? Did you find your parents?" she asked.

With a beaming smile, Todaya responded, "Yes, I did. And I also have the answers you've been seeking – but you will have to come with me. I'll show you. Trust me”

Excitement coursed through Alldayna's body, and she immediately packed her things and followed Todaya out of the cottage.

The two women set off down the road, walking for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, they arrived at a beach where they encountered a massive snake with three celestial stones in its mouth. The snake which had crossed paths with Todaya before.

"Miri," Todaya said, "I have learned the reason why you can't become a dragon. If you take me and Alldayna across the sea, I'll share the answer with you."

Miri eagerly agreed and ferried them through the Blue Sea, swimming across the vast expanse of water. Once the three arrived at the shore, Todaya thanked Miri and said,

“Your path to becoming a dragon is blocked by the three celestial stones in your mouth,” she explained. “You only need a single one to ascend to the sky"

Overjoyed, Miri immediately spat out two of the stones and passed them to Todaya.

With only one celestial stone remaining, the snake twisted and turned, growing in size and strength, transformed into a dragon and finally soared into the sky with a deafening roar.

With the two celestial stones in hand, Todaya and Alldayna continued on their journey. They walked for days until they finally came upon the Yeonhwa pond.

There, the lotus was still blooming only on the top branch, just as Todaya remembered.

She approached the flower and greeted it. "Hello, Lotus. I have found the solution to your troubles. If you give your flower to the first person that saw it, you will be able to blossom as much as you wish."

Without hesitation, the lotus plucked the only flower and presented it to Todaya, as she had been the first one to come by the pond. Suddenly, buds sprouted from every branch of the lotus flower, and the coveted flowers began to bloom.

Carrying the two celestial stones and the lotus flower, Todaya and Alldayna continued their journey towards the White Sand Village. There, they found Jang Sang reading as usual.

Todaya gently cleared her throat, and Jang Sang looked up from his book. "Oh Todaya, welcome back," he said.

"I have the answer to your problem, Jang Sang," Todaya said. "If you find a partner who has also read in solitude for years – just like you – you will enjoy prosperity and happiness together for a long time."

Excited but worried, Jang Sang asked, "Where in the world would there be such a lady?"

Todaya smiled and introduced Alldayna. "I brought her here, Jang Sang. If you pair up, you'll be able to live happily ever after."

Jang Sang and Alldayna looked into each other's eyes and held hands tightly, thankful for Todaya's help.

After having helped the last of her companions, Todaya returned to her old village to visit Ms. Baek. As they sat, Todaya told all about her journey and the joy of finally reuniting with her parents at the Conjunction. At the end of her story, Todaya presented Ms. Baek with a celestial stone from Miri. Ms. Baek hugged Todaya tightly and said, "You are no longer the lonely little girl that I knew.” Todaya smiled, grateful for the love and support that Ms. Baek had given her over the years.

With her missions accomplished, Todaya became the goddess of seasons. Having finally returned there again, she  oversaw the Conjunction, and brought the scent and wind of the seasons to the world, ensuring that life would continue to thrive in harmony. Holding a celestial stone in one hand and a lotus flower in the other.

[Todaya: Goddess of Seasons_Episode 05]

Todaya’s tears flowed freely, her heart heavy with sorrow. Even the guard, with his stony exterior, couldn’t help but feel bad for the young girl. He went inside to report the news, but before he could speak, an angel appeared, having heard the sound of crying. With a gentle voice, the angel instructed the guard to bring the child inside.

Todaya followed the guard as if in a trance, her watery eyes opening wide with wonder as she entered the Conjunction. She stood before the angels, feeling small but somehow familiar in their presence.

“Who are you and how did you get here?” asked one of the angels.

And so, Todaya began to tell them the story of her life. She spoke of her lonely existence on the vast grainfield resting on the wings of a crane, the ever present sense of not belonging, despite having been taken in by the villagers, her journey over thousands of kilometers into the unknown searching her parents, and the array of people and creatures she had faced along the way.

Before Todaya had even finished her story, the angel sitting at the altar descended from above, tears streaming down her face. She embraced Todaya tightly, holding her close.

“How did you make it all the way here? Oh my dear, we are your parents,” she said through sobs. Todaya’s mother continued, “We were called to be here guarding the conjunction on the day you were born. Though our bodies may have left this world, our hearts remained, and we sent the crane to watch over you.”

Todaya couldn’t believe it. The parents she had been searching for all this time were here, right in front of her. She held their hands tightly, sharing with them the never-ending stories of her journey.

The next day, her parents showed Todaya the Conjunction. The place was surrounded by a high wall with four doors. They opened the first door to find spring flowers in full bloom, including rhododendrons, forsythias, and azaleas, swaying mildly in the warm breeze. Behind the second door, fields of barley, wheat, and vegetables grew lush under the scorching sun. The third door opened to golden waves of rice fields, stretching as far as the eye could see. And finally, upon opening the fourth door, Todaya was met with swirling snowflakes that covered the world in a blanket of white.

All four seasons flowed from this place. Realizing how unique and magical this place was, Todaya couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with emotion.

“Now that I have met my parents, my wish has been fulfilled. I had tasks entrusted to me on the way here, so now I must go back,” she said, her voice heavy with sadness.

Her parents listened attentively as she recounted the tasks she had been given during her journey to the Conjunction. They answered each one in turn, offering words of encouragement and support. They saw Todaya off at the door, their hearts heavy with the knowledge that they may not see her again for some time. Todaya left the Conjunction filled with anticipation for the day she would be reunited with her parents once again.

[Todaya: Goddess of Seasons_Episode 04]

As Todaya journeyed onward, she chanced upon a group of young women weeping beside a well at a fork in the road. Ever the inquisitive and compassionate soul, she approached them to ask about the cause of their distress.

“We are the maidens of heaven,” the women replied, their voices choked with tears. “We are being punished for our neglect of duty, having failed to fetch water for the Heavenly Palace. In order to return to our celestial home, we must empty this well of all its water. But our wooden bucket has a gaping hole, and no matter how hard we try, we cannot scoop water without spilling it all.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Todaya took the bucket and set to work. With quick thinking and resourcefulness, she plugged the hole with mashed grass, then sealed it with melted pine resin, patiently waiting for it to harden. Once it had, the maidens were able to use the bucket without a drop being spilled, and they emptied the well in no time. Filled with gratitude for Todaya’s kindness and assistance, the maidens offered to accompany her on her quest to find her parents. Guiding her through winding paths and over rolling hills, they eventually caught sight of a grand palace looming in the distance — the Conjunction.

Yet Todaya’s hopes of finding her parents were dashed when she was met by a stern and unyielding gatekeeper, blocking her path to the castle gate. Undaunted by his gruff demeanor, Todaya stood tall and pleaded with him to let her through, explaining that she had journeyed from the human world to find her parents. But the gatekeeper remained unmoved, refusing to let her pass. Disheartened and desperate, Todaya’s eyes filled with tears, and she fell to the ground, overwhelmed with despair. As she gazed up at the gate, her heart aching for her parents, whom she longed to see, she cried out in frustration and desperation.

“Oh, gatekeeper, why won’t you let me in? Oh, heartless gods, why are you so cruel? Oh, dear mother and father, whom I’ve been longing for so much, I will not give up on seeing you!” With a fierce determination burning within her, Todaya resolved to find a way past the gatekeeper and reunite with her long-lost parents, no matter the obstacles that lay ahead.