The Wolf, The Lion, and The Dragon - (Vol.9)

Ch.5 The Parfait Predicament

Owen's Pov

Somewhere in the glowing mushroom fields of the Garden's Arce, Ruby and Razor are running while carrying the still-shrunken Weiss, Blake and Yang in her hands while me and the others are in her hood. Ruby and Razor pants, stop running, and looked back. Ruby sighs in relief as Little pats her cheek.

Curious Cat: (hopping on top of mushrooms) "I'm so glad the nine of you are still the nine of you. Not always the case in the Ever After."

Weiss: (fed up) "You're the one who ditched us in the first place! Which, by the way, was how we ended up in that mushroom house, to begin with! You know, where that delirious caterpillar guy tried to drug us and then was swallowed up by a freaking hole in the ground?!"

Curious Cat: "Ah, yes, yes. Alyx had a similar reaction the first time she saw someone return to the Ever After. But it's not how it seems... well, I suppose it is... but not the way you think, if you think like Alyx, which it seems like you do."

Weiss, Blake and Yang exchange glance with each other. The Cat hops from mushroom to mushroom while Ruby looks on, before looking down at Little. Their attention is then grabbed again by the cat.

Curious Cat: "Ah ha! We're here."

The Cat proceeds down the path, and Ruby and Razor follows. They look with astonishment at a large lake with lily pads carrying various denizens of the Ever After on them. They seem to be heading towards a grand structure toward the centre of the lake with a large, pink lotus flower at the top.

Raiden: "What... what is this place?"

Curious Cat: "Better run."

Ruby and Razor hurried and jumps over to the giant lily pad with the Cat.

Yang: "So, Cat. Going to explain to us how a giant caterpillar disappearing into a hole "isn't how it seems"?"

Ruby puts all of the others back to the safety of her hood with me and team LADR.

Curious Cat: "...Mmmm, when we break or wear out or simply finish what we were made to do, we're called back. But Herb... his heart was too weak to listen, so I gave him a little bit of mine."

Josh: "So... you mean he kicked the bucket?"

The cat looks at him, not understanding.

Blake: "Is he dead?"

The Cat shakes his head.

Curious Cat: "Oh, no. Well, maybe a little bit, but not at all."

Yang: "Ugh! Which is it?"

Curious Cat: "Now that Herb's properly returned, he'll be fixed up nice, and made into the Herb he wanted to be when he was still "Herb". Then he'll come back and find his purpose. Could be the same as before, or maybe not."

Owen: "So, reincarnation. Got it"

Curious Cat: "I'd say that's close enough of a right answer. He never completely died, but when he returns, he'll be alive again. Just as he was before, though not entirely the same."

Ruby: "When Herb comes back... will he remember anything?"

Curious Cat: "Hahaha," What would be the point of that? (stretches) Just like Alyx, you lot. I know, I know, where you're from, things... (shudders) ...die... but we're just not like you at all. We... ascend. Herb will have a purpose again.."

Weiss: "That's impossible. Things have to die someday... right?"

Raiden: "Normally, should have. But there is Ozpin, who has reincarnated Oum knows how many times, and Salem, an immortal witch who theoretically 'can't be killed' or hasn't been killed just yet. Weiss, just if you didn't notice, we're not on Remnant. Rules here are different from those in our world. We can't keep thinking like we're back in our world. If we do, we would only end up in so much trouble, like Alyx did last time.