The Subspace

~ Back To Present Time ~

The elderly man, Ken, leaned back with a smile on his face. "He will protect them. He is more than ready for it." He said slowly and weakly. 

"And she will take care of them as well. Such an adorable little girl when you brought her here." The elderly woman said, leaning next to Ken. 

The two were just about to pass on, but… They would get one last comfort before being seen off. 

"Thank you, for everything." Ralond's voice whispered in the couple's ears. 

Then the elderly couple, passed away with smiles on their faces and in each other's arms. They completed the look of a couple with no regrets in their life. Therefore welcomed death, in the same way they lived their lives… Together. 

~ A Subspace ~

A figure waited here, no… Many figures waited here. However, this one was a Phoenix. She was sitting in this subspace waiting for something. The something was, the souls of the departed. Her job was to judge and guide these souls through their options. 

"Hmm, I wonder when Little Eternia will want me to come by next? I want to see those beautiful grandchildren again soon. Such pure hearted joy is too often cut short. I have to make the most of it when I can…" The Phoenix spoke aloud to herself, beating her wings in excitement. 

The subspace then sent her a message, it contained no information, merely a feeling. This indicated the type of soul she would soon have to judge. She immediately began preparing for the arrival. 

"Hmm, a couple? And it seems like they were quite loved by their family. Oh… Wait? Isn't that Ridgeline City? Alright, after this couple I'll go and see my daughter and all those other cuties." The Phoenix said, finishing her preparations. 

The couple's souls appeared in the subspace. At first they didn't do anything and then started looking around only to see the figure of the most noble of birds, The Phoenix. Being they were both worshipers of Lady Eternia, they kneeled and bowed in reverence. 

"Oh my, aren't you two adorable cuties… You may have some confusion as to where you are now, but this is the place we judge the souls of the living. I've already taken a look at your past. It seems you both were devout believers in my daughter. This makes me quite happy. So tell me, how is she?" The Phoenix asked, transforming into humanoid form. This opting to keep her wings. 

"You're our Lady's mother? It is an honor." Ken's wife said, with a beat red expression indicating her excitement and joy. Even souls can blush in the subspace. 

"Heh, indeed, she is such a loving girl isn't she. I was actually planning on going to meet her after I'm done guiding you two." Eternia's mother said with a smiley giggle. 

"I see…" Ken said, slowly and nervously. "May I have your name, my Lady?" He asked. 

"You may call me Solaria, young man." Eternia's mother said with a smile. She lifted the couples heads from below their chin's, a finger for each of them. "The same goes for you young lady." she added. 

"Lady Solaria, I am afraid I don't have good news. The Lord of Ridgeline City sent troops to Lady Eternia's den… They took… An anti-magic bomb with them. And…" Ken managed to get the words out. Even though he was shaking as he sensed the anger rising with every word he said. 

"An anti-magic bomb… Surely she would have noticed such a thing… Unless it was disguised." Solaria said, murmuring to herself. 

"They had disguised it as a large offering of food, My Lady." Ken finished.

"Then… All that… All that are left… Are those five and Eternia herself…" Solaria said in a truly pained voice. Tears were incredibly evident. 

"Lady Solaria, there was no news of Lady Eternia's survival, but there was another I think her name was, Vitaliana?" Ken's wife explained. 

"Eternia is definitely still alive. No amount of Anti-Magic Bombs would be enough to kill a Phoenix, even if she is only a Lesser Phoenix. The other five eldest of her daughters might have perished for a moment, but with their mother there they are easy to revive. But I have never heard of this… Vitaliana." Solaria said. 

Just then, another figure appeared. It was another one of the minor gods that worked in this subspace with Solaria. Along with the figure was another. It was Solaria's mother. 

"Sister Solaria, I'm afraid I have bad news for… Oh, you are dealing with a couple right now…" The figure spoke, with a bit of trembling in her voice. 

"Yes, they just informed me of my Daughter's family. All those beautiful children of hers… Gone…" Solaria said, clearly struggling. 

"Go then, I'll take up caring for the souls you must guide." The figure said, hugging Solaria. "Give that little one a hug from me too." She continued, ending it off with a quick kiss on the lips. 

"Thank you, I'll go and see my daughter now. I'm sure she's nervous about telling me what happened though." Solaria said. 

"Before you go, I have spoken with Him already. Feel free to dole out whatever punishment you see fit. For they have gone too far once again." Another womanly sounding voice said, coming from Solaria's mother. 

"I will, mother. Please take care of those little ones for me…" Solaria said. 

"No worries. They are my great grandbabies. I'll take care of each of them. Even so, it will take some time before living vessels are available for them again, so I'm going to play with them as long as I can. Such cuties deserve nothing short of that." Solaria's mother said, giggling. 

The next moment Solaria disappeared from the subspace. 

"Now then, it was the two of you… Hmm, I see, it seems your son-in-law had a hand in this crime against nature. But, Little Eternia has already punished him severely. So you need not be punished for this. Would you like to live as humans again, or a noble race? The choice is yours. Oh, and if you choose to live as monsters, you can still love each other just as much as you did in your previous life. So no need to worry." The other woman who kissed Solaria just earlier said.