"Then, we're currently headed vasta, right?" I asked to make sure, "And the house is located marinara of here."
"That still sounds so weird..." Sheep wasn't sold on the idea just yet.
"It's better than bickering over the directions that already exist." Energy reasoned, "And it makes it easier for us to stand on common ground."
It might very well have been a useless detour to take, an endeavor that's just an extra hassle, but I'm sure if the moment comes where we need to quickly alert each other of an oncoming threat, we'll be thankful we had this conversation.
"Not like it'll matter outside of the district, though." Elegy chuckled, "Since this entire system is based on the orientation of the Gods' Abode."
"In other words, the moment it's out of view, the directions lose all meaning, don't they?"
"Technically, we could just arbitrarily "choose" the directions every time we need to." Energy shrugged.
"Eh? But then what's even the point of having them in the first place!" I grimaced, "At that point, just use left, right, in front and behind!"
Though, I completely get it. Cardinal directions are something of an unshakable rule of the world, and since we don't know this rule, it's not that easy to learn it. Until we find a compass, we'll just have to do it in this half-assed way. Hours pass as we traverse the empty expanse, or at least that's how it felt like. Our feet got tired miles ago, but we couldn't let up.
"I forgot, which way's the house again?" I asked tiredly.
"Marinara of here." Elegy said in between ragged breaths.
"I know that, moron! I'm asking where that is!"
He blinked at me, "Behind us... I think?"
"Oh God, don't tell me we've been running in circles?" Sheep fretted.
"We've been walking a straight line this entire time, trust me." Energy assured us, "I would have sensed a deviation in your stride with my mind's Eye, so don't worry."
That really isn't making me feel any better, you know? That just means there's literally nothing here, dammit. Sheep also can't carry this many of us inside him anymore, so even having him fly us to the end is also out of the question. Gah, I blame Elegy!
"Pfft." Energy suddenly broke out into a hardy cackle, "Hahaha!"
"What's so funny?" I glanced down his bag, "Oh, lmao!"
"Lmao?" Elegy couldn't keep the corners of his lips from lifting either, "Phahahaha!"
"You guys, I hate being left out of a joke." Sheep worried he might have been the butt of it before bursting out laughing as well, "Bahahahaha! Oh wow! Hahaha!"
We laughed, cackled, chuckled, giggled and guffawed all in that order, only to repeat it in a different order after that. It's actually so funny, but I just can't quite put my finger on what made us lose our cool so suddenly. This being the case, I did take notice of the fact that even I started seeing the sky as pink now.
"M?" Vastoria's voice called out from behind me, "What are you even doing here?"
I giggled in response, "Saving you, silly."
"I can see that..." Her face seemed disapproving, "Wandering around in the middle of nowhere. Side-questing, if you will."
"Nuh-uh!" I shook my head, "We'll find... something important here, I'm sure of it!"
"How much longer until you do?" She posed a fair question, "Sigh, just go get the Gods already. They have the answer to waking me up and fixing me, not whatever the heck you're waiting to show up."
Hm? But the Gods might get angry if we tell them where we found Elegy... Meh, then again, they don't need to know that. Eh? Hold on a second, why did we ever even assume that we'd have to tell them in the first place? Besides, the Gods said their goal is for everyone to be happy, so they wouldn't punish us in any way, I think. Wait, why are we even here, then?
"Guys, let's go back to the Abode." I turned around, noticing they were stood petrified, looking at Vastoria's visage in the distance, "Guys?"
----------------------------------------
***
----------------------------------------
"You... do I know you?" Energy asked the floating head enshrouded in wings in the distance.
"You did, but right now my memory eludes you." She replied.
"Somehow, when I look at your face, I am overwhelmed with feelings of joy... but also fear. Why is that?"
She then replied, "Because I remind you of the good and the bad."
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
"Yeah, but not the ugly." He joked, "Your face is so round and alluring, and your Eyes the epitome of security."
The lady giggled at his flattery, seemingly charmed by the brain's witty remarks and cheap pick-up lines.
"Humu, you're just feeling a little nostalgic, that's all." She shook her head, "Hey, N. You gonna quit with this charade and just go back to enjoying this paradise the Gods gifted you?"
"Hm?" He was immediately taken out of the immersive experience, "Enjoy this paradise? Me and what body?"
"Who cares that you don't have a body, though?" She argued, "Not like you need it now that the Rotted aren't a thing. You finally succeeded in your lifelong goals, remember?"
He then tilted his head, "I had other goals apart from surviving?"
"Of course, blockhead!" She laughed at him, an act that made his brainwaves go off the charts, "You wanted kids, remember? To start a family and have them survive and reproduce as well. The best way to fight back against a curse is with blessings, and you wanted to bless the world in exchange for the curse dealt upon it. That girl and that man, they are both clear signs that you survived, had offspring, and they lived to keep your family name alive."
"Migu and Elegy?" He turned to them briefly, though he couldn't fully take his gaze off of her.
"Yeah, so now that you know all this..." She repeated the offer to him once more, "Why not just kick back and enjoy the reward you've been given for all of your hard work during your life down in the Living World? Convince the girl to drop you off in your house with the archangel's aid and have some fun alone for a change."
"No conflicts, no danger..." He thought about it, "Isn't that extremely boring, though?"
"You prayed day and night for this." She reasoned, "So what's the hold up?"
With arguments like those, he really had no reason not to take her advice. Just as a soul has only one life to live, so too does it have only one afterlife. Though this afterlife is rather long in comparison to a human lifespan, it doesn't mean he should be in any rush to cause trouble.
"Alright, thanks for the advice!" Energy turned to alert the others, "Hey, everyone. Would it be alright if I went home? This is leading us to a dead end, you can see it from a mile away... Guys?"
----------------------------------------
***
----------------------------------------
"Š, you gonna head back now?" The floating head asked Sheep.
"Hm? Wait, you're...!?" He was taken aback.
"Don't ignore me. You've been on vacation from your job for a while now, haven't you?" He barked, "Way longer than anyone should ever be allowed to. Do you know just how many people had to cover for you?"
The head was neither that of a woman nor a man, but shockingly—a dog. A floating dog head enshrouded in wings even more glorious than his own, yelling at him to get back to his station.
"J-Job? You mean, at the clothes store?" Sheep gulped.
"No, I mean the chew toy store." The dog rolled his Eyes, "Of course I mean the clothes store, where else do you work!?"
Sheep felt guilty from the bottom of his heart, "Ack, sorry! I'm kinda caught up in something right now! I'll go back as soon as I-!"
"Excuses, excuses! All you ever do is make excuses!" The dog frowned, "You have so many responsibilities, yet you still think you get to pick and choose them as you please!"
"Well I can't be everywhere at the same time, can I!?" Sheep blurted out.
"And you don't have to!" The dog fussed, "All you have to do is help me! Help me help you get back on the right track! You're a shopkeeper, not a moron!"
The dog's words were as spiteful as his fur was soft. It kept barking and vying for Sheep to return to his station and focus on the responsibilities given to him by the Gods, yet the tone it used to get him to listen almost made it impossible to try and bark back.
"But I can't return to my job anymore! My body is no longer fit for it!"
"Oh shut up!" The dog growled, "The body of an archangel is an upgrade of your previous body. If anything, it's even more of a reason to return to your job! Now, get to it!"
"Urk..." He understood finally, dragging his head to apologize to the others, "Sorry everyone, I really have been on vacation for way too long... I think I'm gonna head back... Guys?"
----------------------------------------
***
----------------------------------------
Elegy stood before the winged head in front of him, her allure having a noticeable impact on his judgment. He said neither a word nor made a sound, yet his mouth was agape nonetheless. Carefully, anxiously, as if afraid he'd startle her, he muttered the first sentence.
"I remember you." His heart raced, "Why?"
"..."
"Your hair was pink... or was it Red?" He couldn't recall exactly, "It was short... or was it long? If my mind is telling me it remembers you, then why is my image of you so cloudy?"
"A fair question to ask, L." She nodded, "Though, you never did quite know the answer to these queries. I was never your prime objective anyways."
Her tone suggested jealousy—a hint of grievance mixed with envy. She was a head embraced by her surrounding wings, yet even that head wasn't as clearcut as it was for the others. She was an enigma, something he simply could not understand.
"You're the cherubim." He announced, "The others told me about you."
"So they have." She briefly glanced at them before returning her watchful Eyes to him, "Well, now that you know, surely there is no possibility of you listening to me. L, you have bested me."
Elegy paused, thinking about his next words very carefully, "Well now, we're in no rush."
"Eh?"
The cherubim was thrown for a loop. Those who wanted to best it were required to have extremely strong, unwavering wills. Enough to quite literally change their fates. Out of everyone here, only Elegy succeeded in seeing through her trick. Despite this, he refused to let the opportunity go to waste. Before he could continue their mission, he just had to figure something out.
"Why do I claim that I know you, but I don't even know who you are?" He asked.
"Oh." Her Eyebrows shot up, surprise showing most on her face before she burst out laughing, "So that's what's on your mind?"
"Can you give me this answer?"
"I can certainly guide you towards it." She replied, "But as with all things in life, the truth you are seeking is an annoyingly convoluted one. Most choose to turn away from this truth, for they cannot bear to face it."
"I get the feeling I'm no different."
"You are, and you are not." She giggled, "I will give you everything you need to work the mystery out yourself, but even then, there is no guarantee you will fully grasp it."
"How so?"
"A personal question requires personal rationale." She explained with a warm, kind smile, "In other words, only you yourself can give yourself that answer."
"In that case..." Elegy smirked, turning to the rest of his entranced teammates, "You guys won't mind if me and my new friend have ourselves a little chat, won't you... Guys?"