Genesis Reality II

Chapter V - All The Tears

"Vincent, wake up," Mai said as she shook Vincent awake.

Vincent opened his eyes to bright sunlight and back pains.

"Sleeping on your back in a car really isn't the best..." Vincent complained as he stretched his arms, "What time is it?"

"It's going to be seven in a little bit. We better keep going, I don't exactly feel the safest on the side of the road." Mai complained.

Everyone else was still asleep, but for the comfort of Mai, Vincent decided it was best to keep moving.

Ashton slowly woke up as Vincent slowly drove back onto the highway.

"You know, we're practically driving alongside Haven Forest by now," Vincent mentioned.

"Thank God. I'm starving and cannot wait to get something to eat once we're in the city." Mai complained.

Alongside the road, and not too deep in the forest, Ashton noticed a hoard of people dressed in white.

"Vincent wait!" Ashton yelled, waking everyone else up.

"What happened?!" Vincent responded back, startled like everyone else.

"There was a large group of people just walking around the forest back there. Shouldn't we check it out?" Ashton asked as Vincent pulled over.

"Oh c'mon Ashton! That's clearly a cult and we must not get involved." Mai explained.

"What's going on?" Panthena asked with a heavy morning voice.

"It doesn't hurt to find out. We are on a mission that involves a journey after all," Ashton complained.

Vincent looked outside of his window and briefly reminisced about his first journey with the conscript.

Mizore opened her door, causing Vincent to turn back in surprise.

"Ashton is right. Like look at the positive side of things, It could be a new problem that we may prevent." Mizore expressed her two cents.

"Fine," Vincent complained for Mai as everyone got out and retrieved their belongings.

"It's just this way, C'mon," Ashton said as he led the way into to forest.

"You can see them from here," Taurus whispered as everyone hid behind bushes.

The hoard of people in white clothes was sitting on rocks and enjoying breakfast. The kids were playing around as their mothers and fathers hung wet clothes from the night before.

"Is this a village?" Mai asked, noticing that Ashton stood up.

"Ashton, what?!" Mizore complained.

As Ashton walked forward, more of the villagers noticed and were startled. Everyone else stood up from behind the bushes as the villagers all talked and gossiped.

"It's a refuge... a refuge of my village..." Ashton said through tears.

Ashton unhooked the mask hanging on his back and proudly held it up.

"Ashton?" Vincent asked.

The villagers all applauded as a woman and man walked out of a large building that went underground.

Ashton began crying and slowly walked to the woman that was presumed to be his mother. In walking, he gained speed and dropped his tribal mask in the moment of missing his mother and father.

The three hugged and they all cried, loudly.

The group walked through the bushes, crying in happiness for Ashton. The impact was great, that the villagers even began crying as well.