- Teika bowed his large head, silently crying as it all sank back in. Capri ran over, forgetting about personal space and giving him a short hug. It startled the adult viscet, but he soon relaxed. “Thank you,” he murmured, voice gruff and uneven. “I want to see something. Just to put my mind at ease,” he spoke, standing from his spot and leaving where he stayed for long. The orange, black, and white viscling raced after him, ears perked in curiosity.
He descended back down the hill, heading straight over to an ancient tree. It’s roots gnarled, and the bark appeared to be peeling off. Leaves were thick all through the branches, but frayed towards their edges.
Teika locked his gaze on a prominently standing rock, resting just in front of the tree. He padded over, sitting before it and looking at it hard.
Suddenly, he moved quickly, digging his green paws a pit of rocks and tossing them aside. Capri stared on in shock before he finally spoke, “what are you doing?! Won’t there be a- ...oh.”
As soon as the last word left his mouth, Teika had finished emptying the grave. Nothing lay underneath them, not even bones or remnants. “His body isn’t even here. The rocks were sunken in.” He went quiet, contemplating his thoughts. “Something happened, between back then and now. I’m going to find out where he went.”
“Can I come with you?” He pleaded, looking up at Teika with big eyes.
He looked down at him for a few moments. “Sure.” Teika mumbled, a little hesitantly. They needed to start travelling fast, though, to make good distance and time with what day light they had left. “Follow me, closely. I won’t be going slow.” He warned, but stopped abruptly when something resurfaced in his mind. “Wait.” Teika frantically dashed up and down the hill by the cave, clearly looking for something. He paused, huffing as he glanced around. “Where did it go?” Panic was evident in his voice, and Capricorn quickly joined him. “What? The crystal? I haven’t ever seen anything like it in all the times I’ve visited.” He trailed off, realizing the viscet never heard him talk about coming there so often. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, referring to the item.
Teika tried vainly to search more for the treasured item, but found no trace left of it. He wanted to crumple down into a heap, but second thought it, as he already shed so many tears in front of Capri. Stifling a cry and ignoring the tears forming in his eyes, he began to leave the area. The viscling trailed behind him, confused and worried about his emotions.
Teika was a little unsure of himself, at first - so much has changed in the time he was dormant, so his mind map was quite off at times. Though sometimes he’d be correct on the exact locations of towns, built up from the ancient packs he used to know. Some of them were settlements that used to clash, and never see eye-to-eye. Seeing them now peaceful and respectful towards one another made his chest swell with pride. It was a strange feeling, looking at all of what changed and developed without him. At one point they passed through several towns, as Teika didn’t want to risk the viscling’s life - it earned him odd looks, which were shocked or even amazed of his presence. He thought it must have been due to his appearance, but Capri figured out the real reason. They definitely remembered him, after all this time - be it through legends or nursery tales, he was still alive in their hearts.
It made Capricorn uncomfortable, but Teika pushed on, curtly responding to his worries with “just keep going, and don’t look around too much.” It was quite difficult for the viscling to follow that order once he had realized why the other viscets were behaving strangely.
They travelled that way for several days - Capri kept letting Teika lead, as he wanted to see where exactly the adult wanted to go. He learned he was a wanderer and knew the area, but whenever Capri asked him where their destination was, he would be brushed off gently. “It’s a surprise,” the teal viscet would say, smiling as he looked around them. There was so much forest taken over where Teika used to know as dirt and dust, disorienting his navigation a little bit. When he did begin to recognize the species of tree, he rushed forward, completely startling the viscling.
Teika broke through the brush, skidding to a halt off to the side of a glimmering spring. “We are here,” he announced, swaying his tail as he spun to look at the viscling. “This is the same place me and Rem were.”
Not much changed there since Teika last visited. The springs perhaps were fuller, but the type of trees remained the same, and so did the little waterfall. The water was clear as ever, and Teika couldn’t help but flop by the largest spring and relax his sore muscles for a while. Capri took time to feast his eyes on everything around them, and even cooling himself off by going splashing around in the pool. Teika watched him with tired eyes, waiting for him to finish playing before he started with the other reason they arrived there.
When the viscling did finish romping around, Teika spoke up. “Time to show you my abilities.” He slowly pulled himself to his feet, stretching his legs and neck as he did so. The viscling was nearly vibrating with excitement, eyes twinkling with joy. “I really do get to see them?”
“Yes.” He murmured, standing still for a while and focusing himself. Unknowingly, he swished his tail around in the process, but Capri didn’t break his meditation. It wasn’t all that easy for him to tune out the white noise of the water, but eventually he managed it.
Without warning, Teika’s form completely altered itself. The viscling guessed it was a Leporidae, going off of how he described them in his life story. He had longer ears now, and no lengthy tail was evident with his body. In its place was a stubby but fluffy tail, and his vibrant petal tufts were still on his elbows and ankles. He also still had the same feather pattern of turquoise, greens, and gold, so there was no mistaking him. Teika hopped over to the viscling, looking up at him with his green and gold eyes. “Woah,” he muttered in amazement, “that’s awesome!”
“I can also do this,” he spoke, voice now flowing telepathically through Capri’s mind. It staggered him, and Teika promptly apologized. “Sorry about that.”
He managed to do the same infinity symbol in that form, shaping it until other rabbits in the area were drawn to him. They hardly cared about his existence, merely joining Teika’s side and flopping cheerfully. “I can also command them, but I’ll leave them be for now. They seem quite happy.” Although Capri couldn’t see his expression, he had a content tone to his voice.
“What about the dash?”
“Ah, well, I suppose I could try it as well.” He shifted forms, and the Leporidae were completely unphased. Teika turned, heading over to a clear patch of soft grass and looking expectantly at Capri to watch. “Here goes nothing,” he stated, lurching forward and attempting to “jump” forward. For a split second, he thought it could work, but he was left running to no avail. He gave it a few more tries just to be sure before finally giving up. “I don’t think I can, anymore.” Teika coughed, and something nudged one of his arms gently. He looked down, a little surprised to see Capri looking up at him proudly. “It’s okay. It was amazing enough just seeing what else you could do!”
He beamed at him, appreciating the optimism. Teika peered up at the sky above them, and realized it was turning to evening. “Alright, let’s go find somewhere to stay for the night.” Capri yawned and didn’t oblige to a good night’s rest. Both viscets took off, heading for the nearest settlement to the springs. Thankfully that wasn’t all that far away, as it was half an hour or so by foot.
Capricorn led them both to a rural inn and checked in for the night. Thanks to the owner recognizing the viscling and a little persuasion, they received a free night. Sometimes he would come by here to purchase some food supplies, or rest after energy draining travels. It wasn’t the best place, but spending time with his idol made it all the better. Teika slept in a medium-sized bed, mostly made of thatch and hay with a blanket on top while Capri took the smaller bed. He found it to be more comfortable than the scratchier nest he had before.
Teika had trouble sleeping, tossing and turning as he had nightmares about losing Rem repeatedly. It caused him to wake several times, and even stressing him to the point he gave in and sat up. ‘I just can’t do it,’ he thought, eyes gazing through the dark over at Capri’s resting form. “Bye for now,” he murmured to him, before soundlessly exiting the inn. The chill air made him shiver for a few moments as he sauntered out of town. A guilty pang in his chest made itself known, as he thought about leaving Capri without a word. ‘I’ll return as soon as I can,’ he told himself, hoping it would ease the feeling.
He wandered on for some time, watching as the shadows slowly began to dissipate with the gradual arrival of the sun. Light painted the sky, covered in several different kinds of clouds. They brought a temporary calmness to his heart and mind, allowing him to think a little more clearly. Teika was giving himself some time to come to terms with what happened, and how helpless he really was in it all. It didn’t come easy, however - some things he just couldn’t help but feel guilty for. ‘I wish you could be here to make it better,’ he sighed, eyes looking up to the stars before they disappeared.
As if on cue, a blinding glare filled his sight, and a translucent staircase appeared in front of him. “What in the-” he began, before closing his jaw. He’d never seen anything quite like it before, but something was drawing him towards it. Following the urge he started the climb, making careful movements with each step. Due to the appearance of the stairs, he was uneasy about its stability. Ascending up above the tree canopy gave him a breath-taking view of the land, showcasing it’s vast forest and foggy mountain peaks. Teika couldn’t stop himself from taking a few moments to admire it all. His curiosity urged him up, continuing up over what seemed like thousands of steps.
His feet were aching horribly by the time he reached the summit, where he paused to catch his breath. The elevation caused some difficulties with his balance and oxygen intake, but he managed. Something was driving him forward, but it didn’t click until he set foot on velvety clouds. It was then he realized where he was.
Before him were colossal buildings shaded with off-whites towering over him, intimidating him quite a bit. Various species of creatures were bustling within the area ahead, cheerfully greeting one another and handling their duties. It was alien from what he was familiar with on the lands below, but he didn’t mind it that much. The atmosphere was positive and welcoming, something he easily adjusted to. As soon as he moved to explore, a thunderous flapping of large wings startled him. Teika backed off a few steps, turning his head away as gusts of wind flew around him. “Welcome!” The source bellowed, landing gracefully in front of him. Not too far behind followed a smaller viscling, equipped with her own wings. She didn’t stop flying, directly colliding with Teika and enveloping his arm with a hug. “Hello,” she chirped, beaming up at him.
“C’mere stardust, give him a little room.” She followed his order, but not without a disappointed whine. “You must be Teika?”
He nodded, a little overwhelmed by the attention but remaining calm. “Did you just pass?” The viscling asked, and Teika made a face of shock. Who he presumed to be her father shot her a glare. “Not now. Go find Corona for me, please.”
“Okay,” she muttered, making a pouty face and then dashing off.
“How do you know me?” Teika finally spoke, then followed it up with another question. “And who are you?”
“Quite a long story, but I can explain soon. I’m Sahaquiel. Follow me,” he gestured with his paw, and padded off to a nearby building. Teika hesitated, but eventually trotted after him.
Inside, the architecture and decor remained the same as the outside. Some books lined the walls, and the rest were on shelves jutting out from the walls. He was in astonishment at it all, having never seen any structures like this in his life. Sahaquiel led him over to an empty corner, away from any possible eavesdroppers. “You are probably feeling quite lost right now,” he continued, pulling a dusty book off a shelf and flipping through it. “Very… what exactly is this place?” Teika replied, still training his eyes on him. “Depends on who you ask. I’ve known it as Halitos.”
“Can you explain how you know me?” He pushed, mostly concerned about what his true intentions were.
“To put it as simply as possible, I’ve been watching you for some time. Up here, I’ve acted as a sort of guardian angel to you. You have questions, and I have answers. That pathway opened just for you to come here and ask them.”
“Okay, uh… do you know what happened to my parents?”
Sahaquiel hummed, closing his eyes for a brief moment, thinking. “Your father and mother eventually met back up, after your separation. They mostly stayed at Desker, and had relatively safe and happy lives. They missed you dearly, and were quite surprised to hear of your good deeds.”
“Oh.” He responded quietly with mixed emotions. Teika’s gaze dropped, and he felt a couple tears threaten to form in his eyes. Willing them away in Sahaquiel’s presence, he avoided meeting eyes with him. “I’m sorry,” the winged viscet murmured, but his attention was dragged away momentarily when two others approached. “There’s Corona. Can we have a second?” Sahaquiel peeked around the corner, and the other viscet nodded in response.
They both remained there for a little while, as Teika fought back tears. Sahaquiel murmured something he felt was important, but it rapidly left Teika's mind. The angel placed a comforting paw on his shoulder, “if it makes you feel any better… I’m sure you have another burning question on your mind, and Corona can help me answer.” He wiped his cheeks, confused at first but nodded anyways. Without another word, Sahaquiel leaned around the corner and gestured for Corona to come over.
“This is Teika.” He introduced him, and looked towards him expectantly. “Did you-”
“Aren’t you going to show him that one guy?” A familiar little voice interrupted, and all turned their heads on her. Teika perked his ears, curious about who the viscling was referring to. “No, no. That can wait for another time. Go see if your mother needs any help, dear.” His tone rapidly shifted from dismissive to fatherly, taking care in how he spoke to her. With that she flew off again.
“Anyway, did you have any other questions Teika?” Corona continued.
“Yes… actually, what happened to Rem?” His question confused Sahaquiel and Corona for a moment, but he added to it quickly. “I know he was gone, but… his grave. He wasn’t there.”
“Ah.” Both angels shared a knowing look, and turned their gazes back on Teika. “Would you really like to know?”
“Yes.”
“This way then, please.”
Corona started off out of the building, Sahaquiel and Teika following shortly behind. Anxiety was beginning to grip his stomach, turning it into knots. He couldn’t back down now, though - he needed to know what happened to him.
“Here.” The orange starry viscet stated, looking up at a square portal. White light filtered out of it, nearly blinding Teika when he gazed ahead at it. Sahaquiel and Corona backed up, leaving him standing in front of the structure alone. “What is-” One of the viscets quickly hushed him, urging him to look forward again. Reluctantly, he did as he was told.
Teika’s eyes took a moment or two to adjust to the harsh radiance, but his heart dropped when a recognizable figure strolled out.
“Rem?”
