PoV: Sonic

"That's me isn't it..." I looked around the walls. There were paintings of me along everything. I traced my hand along the paintings as a light caught my attention. There was a much smaller orb over the cherry tree sapling that had sprouted here before I was sacrificed, "Look at you, you'll grow to be strong."

  I looked around the room a while longer. I found a blank scroll and ink had been bundled into an offering... "They built a shrine for me... they're giving me offerings..."

I pulled the pendant off and placed it down. It reverted back to a silver rectangle. I bit my finger and a drop of blood fell onto it. It changed back into the healing symbol and the silver began to fade away. It never changed metals. Instead, I saw a gemstone I had used in my healing regularly... it became a solid white quartz pendant.

"Beautiful..." I painted the symbol onto the scroll and hung it on the single blank space within the wall over the small table.

  I noticed now that the prayers had gone quiet. I cracked the door and saw no one was outside the shrine. The outside was just as exquisite as the inside. I smiled as I noticed the lotus seeds at the bottom of the lake. I walked to the edge of the bridge and raised my hands as I faced the shrine.

"Everyone, it's time to grow," the cherry blossom tree reached through the opening on the roof of the shrine before bursting into a gorgeous blooming tree. The lotus seeds all sprouted as Lily pads began to rise. Flowers began to sprout and the shrine had become my home garden. Around it, I grew a gentle moss, from which small flowers sprouted. Before I knew it, I had attracted fireflies who peacefully flew around the pond and tree. That the top of the new tree's trunk was the orb glowing behind the leaves. I looked up at the moon, it was almost half across the sky.

"I need to visit Sally, the sun is going to come up," I left the shrine after that. I wandered around the woods surrounding the village, a few villagers were still awake. I needed to see Sally first. When I got to the palace at the end of the village I felt something I hadn't before, it kept me from going further.

"Sally- Ah! Tsk..." I attempted to reach in and my hand was burned. It was a spiritual barrier... I couldn't go in and see her... "Sorry Sally, you'll have to see me again another night."

  I walked through the now-empty village where everyone was peacefully sleeping. I looked over at the crops, our small farm was still sustained. I grew them all. In exchange for the shrine, and for all the offerings they had left me, I gave them the most bountiful harvest of their lives.

"I hope everyone eats well from now on," I took the little time I had left to bring my old herbs garden back to its vivid beauty. I could tell the sheep had gotten to it before they built a wall around it, "Right," I left a note for Sally in my old shack just before I returned to my shrine, "Good Morning, everyone."

  I grew vines around the tree and had one raise me to the top of the trunk where the orb rested. I touched it and I was at the base of my cherry blossom tree in the garden of the nether world. I pressed my forehead against the trunk after I removed my hat.

"Be safe everyone," I returned inside after wishing them all well.

"You're back, Mephiles said you went back to the mortal realm," Fleetaway was in my room to greet me, "Did you get to see anyone?"

"No... everyone was asleep, and there was a barrier," I looked at my hand, the burn was completely healed now.

"Were you hurt? If they try to purify you you'll die," he grabbed me and started looking for injuries.

"I'm fine Fleetaway," I pushed him off me, "I'd like to sleep now if you'll allow it..."

"Yeah, get some rest. We can have some fun later," he kissed me and left.

  I changed into a simple kimono for bed and laid down. I felt something around me before I could drift off.

"You followed your instructions well," it was Mephiles.

"I don't exactly want to be burned by sunlight," I answered.

"If you behave, I'll let you surface again. Keep in mind that your visits are due to your actions," he left and I was finally alone.

   I should... drop off medicine... tomorrow night...

~~~

11/18/21