Chapter 30: Our End.
A white room and a single shadowed figure waiting for me. As usual I was naked and looking around it really was the same.
I sighed, "So I died."
"You did," the Goddess nodded.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course," she stood in front of me at full attention.
"Did we save Lara?" I had to know.
She smiled, "Yes."
A relieved breath flooded from my lungs, "Thank God."
"I had nothing to do with it, or at least mostly," she sat down, once more as if on nothing.
"It was a figure of speech," I shook my head and sat as well. Although nothing was there I felt the firm feeling of something beneath me. "So what is it this time? You're not here to give me another chance are you?"
"Unfortunately not. You are well and truly out of those."
"Understandable," I nodded. "Then what's next?"
She shrugged, "I don't know. I might be a god but not that kind of God. Once your soul passes from here it's a mystery to me."
"Then you've brought me all this way just to say goodbye?" I chuckled.
"Is that so wrong?"
"No, it's nice. Thank you," I smiled to her. I stood up and stretched my body. There was a chance that wherever I went I wouldn't have one anymore and I wanted to enjoy the feeling.
"Don't you have any regrets?" before I knew it the Goddess was in front of me. Her hand gently pressed against my cheek.
"Of course I do," my smile turned to melancholy. "There were a lot of things I never got to do or enjoy, people I wanted to say goodbye to, a girl I loved who's no longer with me.... Call me selfish if you want but if I could go back I would."
"You were loved," she let go of my cheek and floated away. "It's time for you to leave. I enjoyed watching you... Rain."
"It was a bumpy ride." I bowed my head to her, "Thank you for sending me to Lara's world back when I was Caius. If I had never experienced that life... I don't know what I would be. Though just one thing, was it you who made me look like that?"
The Goddess laughed, "I thought you looked cute."
I shook my head, "I knew it. You really are a pain of a Goddess."
"Goodbye Rain."
"Goodbye," as I waved I felt myself begin to pull away from her. The white world shifted slowly as colours and warmth swept into my senses. A grassy knoll, mountains in the distance, a rising sun and a forest that stretched around me. In the distance I could see a lake and beside it what looked like a town. For some reason I knew that whatever was there was waiting for me. Was this heaven? The way my spirit seemed to lift and the happiness that flowed into me indicated it was. Maybe dying wasn't so bad after all. It was a new adventure.
As my leg stepped towards that world something pulled me back. Pain ruptured through my chest. The world just beyond my reach began to turn away becoming white once more. Why? Hadn't I suffered enough? I forced myself to move struggling against the tightening pull.
"Rain!" the voice screamed my name. The sound hurt as much as it was desperate. I paused not sure what to do, my mind strangely blank. In front of me was a paradise. I'd be happy there I knew it. Yet I could no longer take a step forward.
The pure white broke through and once more I saw the Goddess standing, waiting. The figure with only shadows for a face stared at me intently. Then she began to laugh. The sound filled the room. It was a disbelieving laugh, filled with ironic joy.
"To think she would go so far. Truly an uncertainty."
"Who is?" I asked.
"Your Hero is calling Rain," the figure smiled. "Her powers are stretching beyond the mortal realm and the reason is you. Though she does have some help."
"Lara is trying to revive me?" that shouldn't have been possible. Even the Goddess said I was done. Then again Lara had always been different.
"Yes," the Goddess answered in disbelief. "Your soul did pass over but she somehow pulled it back, perhaps you left something behind. The choice however is still yours. You can come back or leave, but please tell me, what was it like?" Her question was tentative and soft, almost as if she was afraid to know, something I would have never expected from her.
I replied with the truth, "It was nice... and warm. Honestly, I don't think I've felt happier from just seeing something for the first time."
"You won't go back?"
"No, I will," I laughed. "After all their effort I can't just say no. Besides, I have unfinished business."
The white of the room shattered and the Goddess truly stood before me. A bright blue sky of clouds and a view I couldn't understand. She wrapped her hands around my face and kissed my forehead, "Then go Rain. I hope to see you again."
"We'll see." The world broke apart and I fell away from her warmth.
*
"Rain! Come on. Please come back! Marley we have to try harder." Lara?
"I'm doing all I can!" It sounded like the girl was being worked hard.
"Damn it you better get up! There was a lot I still wanted to do with you." A tearful sob... but it was Taylor's voice.
I coughed as the air flooded back into my system. Like an old machine being jolted back to life, I shook. My fingers and muscles twitched as the sensations returned. The first thing I noticed was the pain of being alive again. How much of me was still bruised and battered? The least they could do was heal that part first. Then came the drops of water splashing lightly onto my face. I opened my eyes. They were crying. Though what I had felt was the rain above them.
"You're back!" Lara clutched me.
"Hey!" Taylor did the same.
"Ow ow!" I pushed them back. "Very much hurt here."
"Ah sorry," the two put me back down.
Looking around we were still in the crater. Dark clouds floated in the sky dropping a light mist of rain across the forest and had made the ground around us muddy. It looked like as soon as Lara regained consciousness she tried to bring me back with Marley's help. There was Ronalt, Earnest, Ardent, Pina and even Caius. They stared at me further away.
"Welcome back," Ronalt said simply.
I closed my eyes and sighed, "You know I think I saw paradise before."
"Don't joke around!" Taylor hit my side, which including the bruise hurt more than it should have.
I decided it would be bad idea to tell them I wasn't joking. Instead I looked at Lara. Her eyes were still filled with relieved tears but they were warm and full of life. The light red to her cheeks and even the simple way she moved. She really was back to normal.
"Thanks for bringing me back," I said to her with a smile.
"Same to you," she gripped my hand. "Really... if you died because of me." She shook her head not even wanting to think about it. "Everyone, I can't thank you enough for stopping me."
"Well you almost killed us about a dozen times each but it was worth it," Earnest smirked. "I learnt a lot."
Ardent scratched his head, "Yes it was certainly dangerous but you've shown me more miracles today than I ever expected." His eyes turned to me, "What was it like being dead?"
"We can do that later," I waved him away and tried to stand. Taylor came to my aid and propped me close against her. Caius stared at me and I back at him. "Don't worry it's not bad."
"I didn't ask," he turned away.
"Anyway, good job everyone, we saved the Hero," I cheered with little energy. "Now we still have an army to deal with."
"It's okay Rain," Ronalt smiled, "We sorted that out."
"Of thank the Goddess," I huffed relieved. "Because honestly I am so done right now."
"We all are," Earnest agreed.