Chapter 37

'We're going to my home village,' I thought to myself as we're travelling the next morning. By the time Aianite told me, it was too late to do so, so we all agreed to set out the next morning.

"What's going through your mind right now, Nix?" Ianite asked.

"Just... what's gonna happen I suppose. I trust Aianite, I really do, but I'm still scared that nothing will happen." Ianite smiled gently.

"I believe in you, my Champion." The others also voiced their belief in me, which made me feel a little better. We finally made it to the island, and we disembarked from our boats. Oh right! I wonder if Gandus would like her fox back, even though she won't play with it anymore, she could still set it somewhere where she could see it and remember the good old days.

"Hey, Gandus, would you like to look for your fox that Ianite gave you when you were 2? You could keep it just for the memories of when you were growing up here." Gandus made a small face then looked thoughtful. She sighed then shrugged.

"Why not? I guess so." I chuckled, then led the way to our old house.

"Ianite gave you a fox? I'm sure it wouldn't be alive anymore," Tom said.

"No no, it's a toy snow fox."

"Oooohhh, that makes more sense." I opened the door as soon as we reached the house, then I felt a chill... that's new. Shortly after, I felt presences. They're very new presences, yet they feel familiar... wait... Mom, Dad, Liam? I looked around.

"Mom? Dad? Liam?" I spoke aloud. The others gave me confused looks, except for Gandus and Ianite. Gandus looked very upset, and Ianite came over and took my hand. I looked around to see if I could see them. "Mom! Dad! Liam! Show yourselves, please! I can feel your presences here. Talk to me!" Gandus took my other hand. They finally appeared.

"Phoenix?" Mom asked.

"Mom... you guys haven't passed on to the heavens? What about the rest of the village?"

"Wait, can you hear me?" I nodded. "You have great powers... we never knew how powerful you'd be. We only thought you could do small soulfire magic. Now come to see that you can communicate with the dead. I'm so proud of you Nix. As for the rest of the village, no. They haven't moved on either. Nix, do you have the ability to help us?"

"I... I don't know... I can try." I looked to Liam. "You haven't aged a bit," I said, amused. He poked his tongue out at me.

"Very funny sis. You've aged a lot. You too Gandus." I relayed what Liam said to Gandus and she shook her head, smiling.

"Well, you'd be even older. You're the oldest of us three."

"Now you three, that's enough teasing," Dad said. I told Gandus what Dad said and we giggled as the spirits just smiled. The others with us smiled. I can feel they wish that they could see and hear my family. I wish they could too. I'd love for them to meet my family. Well, my family can meet my friends.

"Well, Mom, Dad, Liam, I have friends now. I even have a girlfriend."

"Wait, wait, wait. You have a girlfriend? You?" Liam asked. I gave him a small look.

"Yes, girlfriend, and yes, me. It's our Lady, Ianite." That got very surprised looks from the three.

"Wait. What?" I grinned.

"Yup, we've been dating a while now. Oh, and Mom, do you know where Gandus' little toy fox is? She'd like to take it with her so that she can have good memories of growing up here." Mom smiled gently at Gandus.

"I do, follow me Nix." I told the others that I would be right back and followed Mom to Gandus' room. Boy... it's a bit of a mess. Probably was before the zombie invasion too. I smiled a small smile thinking about the times before the zombie invasion. Mom went over to the closet and I dug through the mess before taking out the snowy fox. It was pretty dirty, not surprisingly. I'll have to see if I can get it better looking.

"Thank you Mom." She smiled and nodded, then she looked serious.

"Nix, so, you're dating our goddess?" I nodded, wondering where she's going with this. "Are you treating her well?" I had the slightest look of disbelief. One, that she'd pry like this. Two, that she seems like she's accepting the relationship. Three, that she'd even think I wouldn't treat her well. Well... except our one argument and my poor judgement, but we worked through that and I learned from my mistake. I told Mom about that one time and then told her I learned and we haven't had an argument since. "I'm glad you learned and I'm glad you two are doing well. Now, let's get back downstairs and see what we can do about the rest of the village." I nodded and we went back downstairs.

"Oh! You guys still need to meet my friends." I introduced my family to everyone, yet sadly, everyone can't meet my family. But wait, can't they do what Aianite did? Make themselves be seen if they want to? But then... it wouldn't be my special power if they could... well, I guess I just answered my own question. They can't. Maybe Aianite can because she's a goddess.

"I'm glad you have friends now Nix. It's good that you are not alone, and that you have many people you can depend on," Dad said. I nodded.

"I'm glad too. Oh, hey! Liam, do you still have the brewing stand around that Ianite gave you?"

"Yeah... why?"

"I wanna take it with us. That way we have something to remember you by. Oh, Mom, do you have your wand still?" She nodded. "Dad, do you have your pocket watch? I think Gandus would be a good person to inherit it." Dad smiled.

"I agree. Yes, it's laying in my desk drawer, safe."

"My wand is in its case on my dresser."

"My brewing stand is in my room," Liam said. I went to all three places and retrieved the items and brought them over to my friends and showed them, then gave Gandus her fox and the watch.

"Thank you Nix."

"Now we can go to the village square. I'll call out to the villagers and hope they show themselves." We all walked out to the village square and I instructed the others to stay behind me. "My villagers! I have come to help you cross over to the heavens! Please, show yourselves to me!" Silence, but a few moments pass then I felt a great chill as all of the villagers started showing themselves. The others felt a chill too, 'cause I felt them shiver too. Not as bad as I, though. A few of the villagers came up to me.

"Can you really help us?" one asked.

"Yes, soul magic is part of my being. With this magic, I can help all of you. Even my own family." I turned to look at my parents and brother. They went out in front of me too now. "You all will be able to rest easy. I promise."

"How can you promise something so big as that? Are your soul powers really that great?" one skeptical villager asked. I wanted to give them a slightly annoyed look, but refrained.

"I can promise that because they are that great." I delved into my experience with the soul sand valley. Mom looked horrified and Dad looked very concerned.

"That don't mean nothin'." This villager is beginning to get on my nerves. Ianite took my hand. She knows I'm starting to get annoyed. I lightly squeezed her hand in gratefulness.

"Well... lemme prove it to ya then." I turned to the first villager. I want to spend as much time with my family as I can before they have to go. "Do you trust me?" He looked at me, searching. He slowly closed his eyes and nodded.

"I trust you. Are you a goddess?"

"Oh goodness, no. I'm a Priestess, on my way to High Priestess."

"I'm surprised. With your powers with souls, I'd imagine you to be a goddess." I blushed lightly.

"I'm flattered, but I'm not a goddess. Give me your hands. This will be my first time, but Aianite was right, I know what to do." He gave me his hands, I was surprised to know that even though he is transparent, I can still feel his hands in mine. I closed my eyes and prayed aloud, "Oh heavens above, take mercy on this poor soul who has been trapped here for many a year, wandering with nowhere to go. Please take this soul into your pastures and give them the peaceful afterlife that they deserve. Help them move on." I felt him disappearing slowly. I opened my eyes and he was smiling.

"Thank you Priestess. I can feel it, I'm going to a better place." I smiled a big smile.

"I'm so glad. Rest in Peace, my brother." He closed his eyes, still smiling, then disappeared completely. I turned to the skeptic. "Now do you believe?" He bowed his head.

"I apologize Priestess... I should have had more faith." I took his hand.

"I forgive you. Now, would you like to go next?" He nodded. I did the same thing for him and for the others. It went so smoothly and now all that's left is my family. I sighed deeply, wishing I didn't have to part with them so soon after reuniting. Mom rubbed my back gently.

"I know baby, I know." I hugged her close, trying, but failing, not to cry. This sight has to look weird to the others. It looks like I'm hugging the air. That thought made me chuckle a bit. I felt Mom's confusion. I stepped back and told her how weird the hug might look to the others. She giggled and agreed. I took Mom's hands in my own.

"I love you Mom, so much. I'm going to miss you and Dad and Liam so much after I help you cross over."

"I'll miss you too Nix. I'm so proud of you. You're doing amazing things, like Ianite said on your necklace when you two first met. Did she know?" I shook my head and explained about the prophecy and about my past life. My family was surprised to hear I had a past life. I grinned.

"I'm special." Everyone laughed. I chuckled and then closed my eyes, wishing I didn't have to do this. My resentment towards myself surfacing again that I had stayed awake past my bedtime. As I prayed for Mom's soul, nothing happened.

"Nix?" Mom asked, confused. I was confused as well.

"Why didn't it work?" Aianite appeared, to help me once again.

"Phoenix, you cannot feel resentment toward yourself as you try to help your family move on. You need to be calm like you were with the others. I received their souls as you prayed for them, helped them move on. I'm so proud of you Nix, but you need to move on from your mistake. You also need to remember that this was supposed to happen. It was unavoidable." I bowed my head a little bit.

"Phoenix, who is this?" Dad asked.

"This is the goddess, Aianite. Do you remember that I mentioned her name in my past life explanation?" My family nodded.

"So, she's going to be there to greet us when we go to the heavens?" Liam asked. I nodded, smiling. "Cool! We get to hang out with a goddess the rest of our spirit lives."

"Not always, brother of Phoenix. I'm usually watching over my High Priestess' reincarnation," Aianite explained, laying a hand on my shoulder.

"Aww..." I poked my tongue out at Liam.

"Sorry bro, I take priority." He returned the favor and I chuckled. I turned back to Mom, then sighed. "Aianite, you can go back to the spirit world. I think I can do it now." Aianite nodded, then hugged me.

"I believe in you Nix. I'll be there to greet your family." I nodded as Aianite disappeared. I took Mom's hands again and tried again. This time it worked. I sighed of relief. I turned to Liam.

"I'll miss you brother. This time we had was bittersweet. We definitely didn't lose our sibling relationship," I laughed. He grinned at me.

"We sure didn't. I'll miss you too little sis. Or should I say, big sis now?" I chuckled.

"Little sis is fine." I took his hands and helped his spirit move on. I turned to Dad.

"You take good care of your little sister and Ianite, Phoenix. I'm proud of you as well. You're doing amazing work Nix." I smiled.

"Thank you Dad. I will take great care of Gandus and Ianite, I promise." He smiled and closed his eyes. I took his hands and helped him move on. After he disappeared, it really started to set in that my whole village was really gone now. I turned to Ianite and she held me as the tears began to flow.

"I know Nix, we're all here for you." I just nodded a little bit. I know they are, and I'm so grateful for that. I felt everyone lay a hand on my shoulders, giving me their support. I settled down after a moment and looked around the village.

"It's so empty now... after seeing everyone again here in the square. That's a sight I haven't seen in 16 years."

"16 years, still crazy to hear that your village fell that long ago," Karl remarked. I nodded.

"Still crazy for me too... but I'm glad I was able to help everyone move on. It brings me peace of mind at least, knowing they're safe in the afterlife and living the best afterlife they can." Everyone smiled and agreed. I looked to them all. "Well, I suppose we're done here. Let's head back to the Isle of Gathering." I gathered up the brewing stand and Mom's wand and led the others to our boats. After everyone got into their boats, I took one last look at my village before getting in the boat with Gandus. Now off we went, back to the Isle of Gathering.