Book 3: Chapter 53: Expansion

Book 3: Chapter 53: Expansion

When I opened my eyes, I found our spiritual forms still high above the clouds. Though the susurration had disappeared all at once, our connection to one another remained. I peered around the circle, and as my thoughts ran through my companions’ minds, they felt as if they were my own. There was a moment where we instinctively raised our mental walls, seeking to keep ourselves hidden. But then we threw the gates wide, inviting each other in.

Maria was right beside me, and her soul was just as beautiful as she was. Filled with light and life, she wanted the best for everyone around her. When I felt her love for me, I echoed it back toward her, delighting in the way it made her core seem to vibrate. There was a hint of something more within her, something she had pushed far down. She could have kept it from us if she wanted. Instead, she offered it up, baring her soul. It was a desire to be more useful—a need to contribute. We neither judged nor denied this aspect of her, simply acknowledging it as truth.

Claws was to the other side of Maria, and as her true intentions were revealed, I wasn’t the least-bit surprised. She felt an immeasurable amount of love and affection, and she wanted to share it with everyone. Some might call it an issue that she showed her affections by being a menace and pranking people, but not me. There were no hidden secrets deep within my favorite otter. She was exactly what she appeared to be.

Snips’s presence called out to me next, her motherly instincts drowning out the other voices. Snips sought to protect everyone, to be the last line of defense should the worst come to our shores. More than anyone else, she wanted to defend me. Her opinion of me was... a lot. If presented with the choice, she would sacrifice her life ten-times over to save mine. If I was my usual self, I might have told her I didn’t want that. I might have denied her feelings. But as with all the revelations so far, I accepted it for what it was. Who was I to tell someone how to feel?

There was something else deep in her consciousness, an aspect of Snips that she was just discovering for herself. Instead of shoving it down, she offered it toward us all, letting understanding of it unfurl in our minds. It was a small bubble of loneliness, its source clear.Th.ê most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m

She missed Rocky.

He had transformed over the past months, becoming more and more of an issue. That wasn’t the version of him that she longed for, though. She missed the troublesome crab that kept inviting himself into her tidal pond. Even his desire to be yeeted was a source of entertainment at first, one that had grown less and less endearing as they had to become punishments for his misbehavior. She had never voiced it, but she believed something was corrupting Rocky from the inside. More than anything, she hoped he would return without it, his time alone having banished that misguided part of himself. Even if he was still afflicted, however, she’d take that version of him over nothing. It was a raw truth, and I sent waves of love her way, as did everyone else, thanking her for her openness.

Cinnamon was next, and she didn’t give a frack about anything other than sick martial arts moves and going for rides in the sky with her adopted daughter. The contrast was hilarious, and I sensed my body laughing involuntarily. Cinnamon loved everyone, of course—especially Pelly—but her true passions were aerial moves atop Pelly’s back, and perfecting the roundhouse kick.

Borks’s sense of belonging called out next, and as he gazed around with puppy-dog eyes, his ghostly tail wagged. Before arriving on our shores, all he had wanted was to belong to a pack once more. He had found that and more. As each being offered their truths up to him, his sense of family only increased. He felt like he was a part of something bigger than himself, and his only desire was for our bonds to go deeper.

Unexpectedly, the next thing that drew me in came from two different creatures.

It was the pelicans, Bill and Pelly. They both called out to us for one simple reason: they shared the same secret thought—a hidden affection for one another. They stared at each other as their dual romantic intentions unfolded, the depths of them undeniable. To anyone on the outside, us being privy to this information, this moment, might seem weird. Instead, it felt natural. They weren’t ashamed of their feelings, and they offered them up freely, both to each other and the rest of us.

A motherly pride radiated from Cinnamon, momentarily interrupting her imaginings of karate chops and flying kicks.

I was all too aware of my deep-seated fear of taking control of the church, and now everyone else was too. There was a reason for that fear, of course. I was terrified of losing the freedom I’d gained when arriving in Tropica, and anything contributing to that, whether perceived or real, was immediately deemed a threat. Along with the fear of taking control, there was my worry of gaining too much power. Of being forced into the role of a god. I’d expressed my willingness to do so for everyone’s sake, but that didn’t make the idea of it any less unattractive.

With my deepest secret revealed for everyone present to see, I focused on why I was so afraid of changing the status quo. I’d told most of my animal pals of what had transpired in my previous life on Earth, but now that we were one, I showed them.

My privileged life as the son of a billionaire, and the way I was molded to inherit my father’s business empire. The relationship with my father and mother, the former having cared only for his wealth and legacy up until the very end, the latter leaving when I was still a boy, likely unable to deal with my oppressive father.

It would have taken an entire day to explain all the intricacies if they were expressed by words. With their consciousnesses joined to mine, we relived the moments together, my companions reexperiencing the emotions with me. A hint of shock came from everyone, Maria included. I’d already told her about my past, opened up as much as one could with words. But hearing was different from seeing.

From there, I returned to my life here, showing how ecstatic, how blissful, my time on Kallis had been. The sun that rose every morning, casting its warming light over everything I could see. The joy I got from the simple parts of life, like fishing, cooking, or even just having a nice nap in the shade of a tree.

Finally, I let them see how I felt about all of them again. Because of the dark cloud of fear coloring my thoughts before, I hadn’t unveiled the depths of my appreciation for them. This time, I let it all out. All the souls surrounding me, along with all the human pals I’d made since arriving in this world, were the seasoning of my life. The activities and scenery I enjoyed in Tropica were wonderful, sure, but without others to enjoy it with, it would have been bland. Flavorless.

Allowing this gratitude to flow out of me washed away the negative aftertaste of my previous life, cleansing our palates and leaving only love for one another behind. Adoration poured from each of them, feeling the same way. Even Teddy was there, already attached to us after becoming one with our thoughts and seeing the color of our souls with his own eyes.

The fondness for one another built, each participating core resonating with the sentiment. As it climbed higher and higher, I sensed that a change was coming. The chi connecting us all shuddered, then expanded. In what could have only been the barest of moments, the interconnecting ropes flew out from us, their tendrils spreading across the sky. They sprawled out far into the distance, the kilometers-wide net slowly ceasing its expansion.

Through the affection and thankfulness for one another, a great curiosity sprouted. We all watched as the chaotic shamble of interconnected vines began sinking. Down and down they went, and rather than stopping on the ground when they landed there, they sank down through dirt, rocks, sand, and water. Only when they were deep, deep below did they come to a stop, seeming to find the right place.

Immediately, they called out for something—something that neither I nor my present companions could give them.

Now that the mesh was no longer connecting us, our knowledge of each other’s internal state slowly receded. Though it was like losing a part of myself, I used the last of our ‘oneness’ to thank them all. The emotion was echoed tenfold, washing over me until the very last moment.

As our spirits floated back down toward our bodies, my awareness once more singular, I bathed in the aftershocks of what we’d just experienced.