There has to be an After for Us ~ (shadam / klance)

Chapter 28 - Let's get meta (physical, physical...I want to get metaphysical!)

"There's the path to the Astral Plane," said Bored pointing down. "It cuts between Memory and Imagination and Dreams."

Pidge and Hunk used their jet packs to lower themselves down to the path set between those ghostly grey figures.

"So exactly where we left off," said Pidge, sarcastically. "Great tour guiding." As soon as they hit the ground, their paladin armor morphed back into the clothes they'd been wearing for the séance.

"You strayed and you were lost," said Bored, touching down. "You weren't getting out of my realm without a guide. The dimensions make no sense." She turned to look at the grey figures. "Ugh these memories keep climbing up the cliffs and crowding the path." Bored karate chopped and kicked at the grey figures and they fell back, fading away. "Get back to the basement, Jeremy!"

"You... know that one?" asked Hunk.

"Naw, I nicknamed most of them Jeremy. They look like Jeremies, don't they?"

"What's... happening to you?" asked Hunk. Bored's appearance was changing. Her body grew to the size of an adult and the pointed ears and child's dress were replaced by metallic skin.

"This is my preferred physical expression. I only do the Altean child bit to freak out souls who wander into my realm. I used to appear to them as a clown, but some wanderers found that assuming rather than terrifying. Can you believe some people aren't afraid of clowns?"

"That's crazy," said Hunk. "Clowns are literally what nightmares are made of."

"Exactly! And I should know because I'm a Guardian of the Dream realm. Nightmares are 18.7% of what I do. But creepy elf child, freaks them out every single time."

"Right? Alteans are just elves!" said Hunk. "Thank you! I know we're all thinking it, but I was waiting for someone to say it." Hunk and Pidge followed Bored as she led them forward on the path. "You know, when you're not trying to actively kill us, you're alright, Bored," said Hunk. "The three of us should hangout sometime in a non-murdery context."

"I'd like that," said Bored. "I do exist in some physical realities. I have form in yours."

"Wait... How does that work if you're also a realm guardian or whatever?"

"Do you not understand the connection between quintessence, souls, realities, and planes?" asked Bored.

"Uh, no," said Pidge. "We tend to deal with science, not spiritualism."

"It is science," said Bored. "Just because you don't understand it, doesn't make it not."

"Okay, I'll bite," said Pidge. "What's the connection?"

"Every living thing has a soul and since we exist across multiple realities, all versions of yourself share a soul. That soul it kept here, in the non-physical planes, usually in the After, but it is possible for it to travel to other areas like the astral plane and Dreams, guardian permitting. Oh, like you right now. Your souls are travelling all over the place now that you're in them."

"So if we share our souls with multiple reality versions of us, how do we only have the memories from one reality?" asked Pidge.

"Good question," said Bored. "That's because your quintessence is your life force, your connection between reality and your soul and on it is imprinted your consciousness. So when your quintessence travelled from your bodies in your realm to reunite with your soul, it brought the imprint of your consciousness from your reality."

"Okay so like how I have multiple email accounts and I can read my main emails on my phone," said Hunk, "But they are also backed up on the cloud with my other accounts?"