"First things first!" A melodious voice chimed out, as if echoing his thoughts.

"Who's there?" Orpheus asked.

A willowy, brown and green figure stepped forth from the tree beside him. "Me, silly!"

A dryad! But they were all gone, weren't they? "Wh --- Ho -- Huh?"

"Well, you're not so clever today! But, it'll come to you in a moment I'm sure." The nymph giggled, titled her head, and gave him an incongruously intense stare.

Wait, there was something familiar about this dryad's presence... It was an Aspect of Gaea! She was back, but in a more approachable form.

"You betcha!" exclaimed the silliest Aspect of Gaea. "And Anaera will be back soon, so we have very little time!"

"Time for what?"

"For letting go."

Orpheus understood instantly. It was time to release the past. "You mean?"

"Yes, please step into the tree."

The two thin figures stepped into the tree with a flash of verdant light.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two nymphs stepped out of the tree.

One of them trembled a bit as she looked over her golden brown skin and dark green-brown hair. A strange look combining astonishment, joy, and a tinge of regret crossed her face.

"Yes, I remade it exactly! You look quite like yourself!" the steady, more powerful nymph said.

"Yes! And my other form?"

"It went through a bit of a sex change!"

"I guess this means I should call myself Eurydice again."

"Well, it'll suit you better as you are now!" the Aspect of Gaea giggled. "But, you look a little sad."

Eurydice sighed, and said, "I shall miss the sound of his voice."

"Well, don't let it get to you, and take this and be on your way!" the silly Aspect tossed the remade Guardian a strange polished wooden instrument and then disappeared back into the tree.

Eurydice looked over the instrument. It was something like a clarinet, but there was no reed. She blew into, and then gasped. It sounded like *his* voice! "Thank you!" she called out and ran off. She had to get back to Disneyland.

Anaera was back!

And would she be surprised!