A Place Without Heaven (Remake)

Chapter 41: Return

        After, such a lot deviations of events, we finally reached our destination after 2 weeks. "It's been really a while..." I mumbled, as we got off the wagon. We are already in the Main Empire of Doghanik, my hometown. "Are you that happy?" Reina chuckled, as she noticed me shivering a bit. "Well, of course I am" I smiled, at her. "H-hmph!" She suddenly averted my eyes, as she was flustered and blushing. "Then, why don't we hurry up?" Gino invited. "Alright!" We nodded.

"Good day, Rel....Led" I said, as I greeted the twin guards in the gate. "Hmm, E-Ed-sama..!" They shouted, before they hugged me tight. "Hey, you two!" I complained. The others stood surprise. "We're very sorry Ed-sama, we were too much happy to see you again" They cried, in sync. "Sheesh, well this guy who has his bangs to the right is Rel, and the one who has it to the left is Led" I introduced. "I see..." Gino stumbled.

We entered the palace. "I'm back!" I said, trying to shout softly, so no one else would exaggerate upon seeing me. Yet, I misunderstood an archer's hearing skills. "ED-sama!" Seria-san shouted, starting off the gossip of all the maids and knights and the other guys in the empire. "Sheesh..."I sighed. I expected this, more or less than I wished it to happen for real.

I laid down my bed, that I haven't sleep at for the past 6 months I was out of home. I gazed at the ceiling. I used to be unfamiliar, that I am now looking at normally like a memory. Reina-and the others were in their specialized for guests. A soft knock interrupted my monologue. "Come in!" I said, as I sat down my bed. "Welcome back, Ed-onii-chan!" a little girl, with a long blonde hair and jewel like blue eyes same as me said. "Ci-a...?" I mumbled. "Yup" she nodded. It was no mistake. she is my little sister, Elicia! "Onii-chan? Ed-onii-chan?" She said. "Ah, sorry I spaced out for a second, there" I chuckled. "Sheesh, even though I was telling you something" She pouted. "Sorry, what did you say?" I asked. "Papa was calling you to his office" She said.

I walked the hallway I used to walk at the day I first saw Fiore, and the day I left the home. It seems very nostalgic to me, everything is. I knocked at the door. A familiar voice, called me in. I opened the door, seeing 4 very nostalgic figures. My dad was sitting on his chair like usual. In his right was Al-nii. Over the left stands Herd-nii and Theia. Cia went over dad's table, and turned to me. "Welcome Back, Ed!" They greeted me. "Thanks..." I nearly cried.

Scene skips to the garden. Theia suddenly invited me into a tea time. "O-oi, Theia why are you including me here?" I asked, as I saw some of her friends in the garden chattering very lady like. "Because it's boring for me to only talk with them" She said, as she fluttered her hair like a princess, despite being a real princess. I can't comprehend to a sister's feeling of boredom that she suddenly invites his little brother to her tea party with future duchess. "Sheesh" I can only sigh, as I stand behind her seat, like a knight. "Hmm, Theia-sama that boy is?" A girl asked. "My little brother, Ed" Theia said. "I see, he's plenty cute for a kid, don't you think?" Another girl said. "Well, I accept your compliment for him" Theia said. Why are you the one accepting it? I nearly replenished my anger. I saw Reina walking on the hallway. She took a glimpse on us. I tried to signal her for rescue by my thumb. "No way" She said, with no voice. "Come on!" I also did. She sighed, and finally went over our place. "Ed! Theia-sama! The Emperor is calling you, it seemed to be an important matter, so he instructed me to have your tea party postponed" She said. What a bunch of lies...but nice one Reina. "Okay, well then everyone, I'm sure but let us call it a day for now" Theia said. "Then, Good day to you Theia-sama" They bid. As her friends left, I sighed in relief. "That's all a lie, right?" Theia suspected. "Well, yes uhm are you perhaps angry?" Reina asked. "Wait, theia it's my fault I told her to..." I excused. I was cut off by Theia, who laughed from her stomach in a very unladylike attitude. "That was hilarious, you what's your name?" She asked, as she wiped the tears she manifested upon laughing too much. "R-eina...Reina Arledimeth" She said. "I see, so you're Erina's little sister" Theia said. "You know my sister?" Reina asked. "Yeah, she was my best friend... my closest friend that I can be true with" Theia answered. "I see" Reina smiled in relief. "I'm sorry to hear that she passed away" Theia looked beneath her feet. "It's alright, it's not your fault Theia" Reina said. "Uhm, I'm sorry I unconsciously called you without no honorifics" Reina added. "It's fine, I don't mind, it reminded me of Erina a bit" She smiled bitterly, as she left us. "You know, she's usually not like that around others" I mumbled. "Then why...?" Reina asked. "Like she said, you seemed like Erina-san" I said, as I walked.

Nostalgia, a very own common word, yet an unfamiliar one sometimes. Like I, many people feel it. It is the same as Theia, some nostalgia can cause sadness, yet some may cause happiness. So we carry on with good and bad memories. We force ourselves to forget it, but we sometimes unconsciously force ourselves to remember it, because that's what we wished deep down. Surely, the reason why I was force to feel nostalgic of that hallway to dad's office, was because of the lingering memories of my past that I forced myself to never forget about. Some people do truly forced themselves to forget it, causing them to do some deviations, causing them to lost their paths on some point halfway. Still, we proceed yearning for the light, wishing for the hope, we move forward with our lingering memories pushing our small back.