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.

[Todaya: Goddess of Seasons_Episode 03] Todaya had traveled for half a day and finally arrived at the seashore. However, she was dismayed to find that there were no creatures in sight. Instead, her gaze was drawn to a distant, steep cliff that marked the end of the shoreline. Without hesitation, she made her way towards it, her feet carrying her step by step until she reached the base of the cliff.

It was there that she noticed a cave nestled in the heart of the rocky formation. Despite her frustration at the lack of direction, Todaya summoned her courage and began to climb the cliff face, one foot in front of the other. It was a grueling ascent, but she persevered, eventually coming face to face with a large snake named Miri, writhing and wriggling in the cave.

“Excuse me,” Todaya began, her voice trembling slightly.
“I’m in search of the Conjunction. Can you please guide me?”

Miri replied, “It is not difficult to show you the way to the Conjunction. However, I have a request to ask of you. While other snakes can become dragons by having just one celestial stone, I have collected three stones and yet I am still unable to transform. If you reach the Conjunction, could you please find out how I can become a dragon and take to the skies?”

“I promise to do my best to find out,” Todaya replied, her determination unwavering.

With that, Miri carried Todaya on its back, and the two set off on their journey, swimming through the waters for what seemed like an eternity before finally arriving at the realm beyond the known world.

As Todaya kept moving, the unfamiliar and desolate landscape seemed to stretch on forever. Just as the sun was setting, she heard a faint noise in the distance, leading her to a small cottage.

Inside, a young woman was reading a book, her face illuminated by the flickering light of the fire. “Excuse me,” Todaya said, her voice hesitant. “My name is Todaya, and I am searching for my parents. I am headed to the Conjunction. Do you know the way?”

The woman looked up, her eyes filled with warmth and kindness.
“Of course, my dear,” she said. “If you follow this road for a while, you’ll come across a well. There, you’ll find some ladies fetching water who can guide you on your way.”

Todaya thanked the woman and prepared to leave, but the woman called out to her once more.

“My name is Alldayna,” she said softly. “I’ve been here for ages, forced to read this book all day as a punishment for my sins. When you reach the Conjunction, could you please inquire about how I can be forgiven and released from this burden?”

Todaya nodded, feeling her determination grow even stronger. She vowed to help Alldayna, and carried on with her journey. The road stretched out before her, dark and foreboding, but Todaya pressed on.

[Todaya: Goddess of Seasons_Episode 02] Todaya walked southwards, her feet pounding the soft white sand. She had been walking all day and the sun was beginning to set, when she spotted a pavilion standing alone in the distance. Intrigued, Todaya stepped closer and found a young man reading a book.

“Excuse me,”

The young man looked up from his book.

“My name is Todaya. I’m looking for my parents and I’m on my way to the Conjunction. I was told you know the way — would you be able to help me?”

The young man replied with a quiet voice, “I am Jang Sang. The Conjunction is quite far away, I’m afraid. However, if you make your way West to the Yeonhwa pond, there is a lotus flower that might guide you further.”

Jang Sang paused for a moment, then added a request of his own.

“If you do make it to the Conjunction, could you please find out why I have to sit here reading all day and night, unable to leave this place?”

Todaya promised she would try to find out, and after spending the night at the pavilion, she set out early in the morning towards the West, in search of the Yeonhwa pond.

Todaya continued her journey, determined to find the answers she sought. As she walked, she finally reached a tranquil pond, the surface of which was so still that it was like a mirror reflecting the sky. In the center of the pond stood a magnificent lotus flower, its shiny pink petals glistening in the sun.

Todaya approached the flower and said, “Hello beautiful lotus. My name is Todaya and I am on my way to find the Conjunction. Can you help me in my journey?”

The Lotus responded, its voice gentle and kind-hearted, “Why are you searching for the Conjunction, Todaya?”

“I’ve heard that my parents are there and I yearn to see them.”

The Lotus nodded understandingly, “Follow the path straight ahead, my dear. You will reach the Blue Sea,” the Lotus instructed. “There you will find a giant snake. Speak with it and you will find what you’re looking for.”

After a brief moment of silence, the Lotus added, “If you don’t mind, could you do me a favor when you reach your destination? During the year, I feel a sense of vitality coursing through my body. Specifically, in the winter season, the energy from the earth flows to my roots and then rises through my stalk when the first full moon of the year arrives. As spring comes around, the energy moves to my branches. However, I find it strange that despite this, I only ever bloom a single flower on the top branch in summer.”

Todaya promised the Lotus that she would do her best to find the answer, and with a grateful nod, the Lotus wished her luck on her journey. And so, Todaya continued on her path, eager to reach the Blue Sea and finally meet her parents.

[Todaya: Goddess of Seasons_Episode 01]

A long, long time ago, a little girl was found alone in a vast grainfield. The people who stumbled upon her, asked, "Who are you? What's your name and where did you come from?" She replied, "I don't know my parents, my name, or my age. I was born here in this grainfield and have lived here all my life." The villagers were curious and further asked, "How did you survive all this time?" She explained, "Every evening, a crane would come down from the sky and spread its wings around me so I could sleep in its warm embrace. It also brought me food; so I’ve been living like this.”

The villagers were amazed by her story. They decided to take the girl in and name her after the day she was found: Todaya.
She began to live with a family in the village. Despite being surrounded by love and care, Todaya always felt different from the others and wondered about her parents and her past.

One day, Ms. Baek, who had taken care of Todaya as if she was her own grand daughter, called Todaya over to talk. She said, "Todaya, don't you want to meet your parents?" Todaya replied, "Of course I do! If I could just meet them once, even if I have to die after, I wouldn't regret it." Ms. Baek continued, "Your parents came to me in my dream last night. They have become angels in the world of gods and are now guarding the conjunction." Todaya eagerly asked, "Where is this place? How can I go there?" Ms. Baek replied with a sigh, "It’s where our world meets the afterworld! It's a far-off place where people cannot go."

Todaya was resolute in her desire to meet her parents. She asked Ms. Baek, "Please tell me the way." Ms. Baek instructed, "If you're serious about it, go to the White Sand village to the south and ask the young man who's reading a book in the white sand pavilion." Todaya thanked her and set out on her journey with a heavy heart but also with a glimmer of hope. She was determined to find her parents and learn about her past, no matter what lay ahead.