24 - Atonement (Patreon)

They ran for an empty field of clouds and mist. It was impossible identify the ground or anything on the distance. Mune thanked in silence the terrain is plain.

Then, a warm ray of light rubbed Mune´s skin. He felt nice, something he apreciated again in silence after pass for cold hallways and sinister fields. He felt a deep peace. Even he had the need of open his arms and drop his own powders on himself. A lot of beautiful thoughts came and helped him to forget the bad things he lived.

However, Cheshire don´t felt right, his smile dissappeared for a while. Then he stopped and Mune noticed it.

- Wait. - Asked Mune a bit worried. - This is not Limbo anymore, right?

- Correct. - Responded Cheshire.

- What is this place? - Cheshire gave him a big smile.

- We are entering on a place is known as Coelum Empireum.

- Oh, a new place for explore?

- Not really blue guy. Here is were our quest end.

- What?

- And... We have failed.

- No way! why?

- We stopped the corruption, but we couldn´t save Chirin, the main origin of all this mess. 

Mune was thinking on it.

- No, you are not right. - Continued Mune. - We saved many on Limbo, remember Slade, Djali, Bambi, we gave hints to Orange Cat of what he should do... even they. - Mune pointed the kitties. - They was lost. Our mission was stop the corruption, and we saved others. We won much more than we lost.

Cheshire looked deeper Mune, to the end he nodded in silence.

- So. - Mune broke the silence.- Let´s continue walking, Giovanni and Campanella are awaiting us.

- We cannot go there. - Cheshire said for first time with a sad voice.

- Are you tired?

- No, here is were they must take their train.

Mune understood, then he called his friends.

- Hey guys. - Mune said with a happy tone. - We did it. Now you can take your train and travel to Cross of South.

- Come with us. - Said Giovanni.

- I would like it, but I need do other things in home. And I haven´t a ticket... And I... I need find the moon! I totally forgot with our adventure...

- Don´t worry, is ok.

- We understand. - Campanella hugged Mune and later Giovanni imitated him.

All incluying Cheshire hugged each other.

- I am gonna miss you, both of you. - Said Mune.

- I hope... - Cheshire felt a lump in his throat and almost choked himself. Kitties laughed. Then he cleared his throat and continued talking: we will see you again, on another picture, another story, and another ending.

- Is a promise? - said Giovanni.

- Not only a promise, is a fact.

Mune felt sad and he hugged for last time Campanella and Giovanni, and again, a ray of light appeared on the sky. Mune looked up and then he says quietly "I´m so sorry"...

A stunning flash.

And the laughs stopped.

Everything got silenced.

Then... a wind, and the sound of birds on the distance.

Mune woke up.

Mune looked around, the light, the mist, the clouds, even Campanella and Giovanni dissappeared. Only Cheshire was with him on a green field.

- Am I was sleeping? - Mune asked Cheshire.

- Like a baby. - Replied Cheshire. You had a need of put your magic powders in yourself, right?

Mune, totally confused he stand up and looked around.

- So is over? - Asked Mune again.

- Not yet. - Cheshire responded but for first time he looked sad.

- Are you sad because your relatives are gone?

- No, I´m glad they leaved. But my mission, my quest... over.

Mune put his hand on Cheshire´s back.

- Don´t feel bad.

- I am right blue boy.

- No, you need something of me, and I need a lot of things to talk, a lot of questions and you need help me on my quest...

- No, only you need talk of what happened, right?

- Yes.

Cheshire started to walk and he pointed a big mountain:

- Can you see that peak?

- Yes.

- We are going on that direction. After we pass there, you will back to home.

- So let´s go.

Cheshire and Mune continued walking for a long way, in silence, looking the landscape, pretty natural and real compared with the abandoned Limbo or the unspeakable horrors of Gehenna... or even the misterious glory of  Coelum Empireum.

The time passed. It was the morning. No more dark clouds in the sky. Only peace.

- We are almost there. - Said Cheshire, noticing Mune looked very tired. - Its not time for rest.

- My hooves are not designed for that type of terrain. - Responded Mune.

- Then how do you climb trees? or even better, how do you climb your temple?

Mune not mentioned anything about his secret and both continued climbing the mountain...