Dead Inside

27.

Sabre soon got the hang of floating and hovering as he followed Emburn through the forest. She soon halted and turned to him. 

"We're here," she told him. 

The two slowly moved onward until they broke through the trees. Sabre stared in awe. The area had bright green grass and thin birch trees that stood tall with branches covered in green leaves growing through the bark. Marble graves lined the ground in straight rows, each with unique names and carvings. Sabre didn't understand why it was so pretty, but he hasn't seen anything more beautiful for over a week when he was stuck in the Dead Lands. But something gnawed at him inside, he wasn't happy to be here like he planned to be.

"We will be a bit to set up your body," Emburn told him. "It'll be a bit before you can rest. Try not to speak to your friends, it's for the best."

Sabre nodded slowly and Emburn turned to leave. He sighed. He would enjoy speaking to his friends, but if he wasn't allowed to then he wouldn't. Then again, he did break the rule for humans to come into the Steves' world. But that was a mistake. He should obey, this time. He turned and hide in one of the thicker, hollow trees. He peered out, careful not to be spotted as he spotted his friends following Emburn with Sabre's body between them. He suddenly saw Rainbow Steve, his tears dried up but his eyes still clouded with dread. Rainbow Steve glanced over to where Sabre was and his heart lurched. He quickly ducked down, praying he wasn't seen. He took a few moments to stay fully hidden before taking a quick peek through the hole. Thankfully, Rainbow Steve was continuing forward, but he was murmuring with Galaxy Steve. Sabre strained to hear and was able to make out what he said.

"I swear I saw something," Rainbow Steve said. "It looked like Sabre!"

Galaxy Steve shook his head. "I don't think so, Rainbow Steve. You probably just miss him."

Rainbow Steve was about to argue when he paused and sighed. "I do miss him."

Sabre had to look away for a moment as tears filled his eyes. Rainbow Steve and him had been close friends ever since they met, but now that Sabre was actually dead it was as if they were split apart for good. It pained him to ignore the urge to go see them, but he had to sty back just as Emburn told him to. He blinked away the tears that blurred his vision and turned back to his friends. 

"I'll go get Cat and Cala," Emburn said. "They'll help prepare for Sabre's burial."  

The God of the Steves nodded and Emburn hovered over to two graves that lay side-by-side in the grass. She held out her hands and ran her fingers over the top of the gravestones and the carvings on them glowed a bright aqua blue. Two spirits jumped out of the ground below the gravestones and stood before Emburn. One of them was wearing a pale blue and white jacket and pale black pants, pale brown knee-high boots on her feet. She had pale yellow hair with pale blue tips and had pale blue fox ears and tail. The other wore a pale purple, blue and black shirt and pants with knee-high black boots. She had pale purple, blue and black hair with pale black cat ears and tail. She reminded Sabre of Galaxy Steve.

"What is it now?" the blue one asked. 

"We have a grave to prepare," Emburn replied.

"Another dead?" the purple one asked. 

"Will they ever learn?" the blue one questioned. 

Emburn rolled her eyes. "This is our job, now, remember? Come on, we'll prepare the grave and then you can rest."

"We never get rest anymore," the blue one murmured. "I wish I were still alive."

"Me, too." the purple one agreed. "But this is us now, let's just do what we need to."

The three spiritual girls went over to a bare spot in the ground. The three held their hands together and touched the grass and soil. Instantly, a stone jutted up from the ground and a hole appeared below it. Emburn stood and turned to the group.

"The grave is ready," she told them. 

The God of the Steves dipped his head and turned to the others. They moved Sabre's boney body to the grave and carefully set it in the hole. After that, the spiritual girls placed their hands together again the hole was covered with soil and grass. 

"Can I rest now?" the blue one asked. 

Emburn nodded. "You may now rest, Cat. You, too, Cala."

"Thank you," the purple one, Cala, said. She turned to the group of Steves. "I'm sorry for your loss." With that, she sank back into her grave along with Cat who sank into her own. Emburn turned to the group.

"I wish you good luck," she said. "But now, it's time for me to rest, and it's also Sabre's time. I will return when the time is right." she closed her eyes and sank into the grass, the letters and carvings in her gravestone glowing and soon fading. The God of the Steves' eyes faded for a long, quiet moment until relighting. He turned to face the others. 

"This is where we leave," the God of the Steves said. "Our journey is over, here."

"But-" Rainbow Steve spoke. "But, I can't leave... I can't live Sabre."

"None of us can," Galaxy Steve said. 

"We must leave," the God of the Steves repeated. "This is not our place to stay." Before Rainbow Steve could argue, the God of the Steves raised his hand to the sky and the clouds swirled together, just as the had before. When the clouds were close enough to the group, the same large lightning bolt struck them and they disappeared. Sabre swallowed as tears flooded his eyes once again. He wished he talked to his friends, to tell them he didn't want this and that he was still with them, but Emburn told him not to. But now that he thought about it, why did he obey Emburn?