Chapter 31: Empty Shell of a Man

The dark sky was already lighting up as Marsh and Pierre roam Soda Wetlands in search of his wife. Marsh was already yawning for putting an all nighter as he steers the ponycorns pulling their wagon.

"Pierre, don't you think you're wife might be around this place?" He asks, his eyelids half closed with dark circles underneath.

"Hmm? Oh, uhm, I, uhh..." Pierre stuttered, putting up the act as if he's relying on the orb's power. "The orb tells me to keep going."

"Ugh!" Marsh pulled on the leash, turning to Choco. "Dude, you take over." He tugged on his sleeve.

"Ngg... sleepy."

"No fair, I want to sleep too."

"Shud...dap—OW!" And Choco yanked up in his seat when Marsh pinched him by the waist, "What was that for!?" He was going to pinch him back, but the sight of Marsh looking awful had him startled. "Ohh, you look a little rough buddy."

"It's your turn now, here." Marsh shoved the leash on his hand and climbed to the back, laying down inside the wagon to sleep. "Don't wake me up unless its important!" He uttered before going to sleep.

"I guess I'll be taking over the reins," Choco sighed, "so where are we headed?" He turns to Pierre.

"Just go straight ahead."

"Alright, and a way we go!" He whips the leash, and the wagon starts to move again. As they pass by the wonderful view of sparkling lakes and pond, with the rays of the sun peeking through the sticky rice trees, and the sound of birds chirping makes the scenery relaxing, making Choco lay back and enjoy the view.

"You know, these past few months, everything felt like we were jumping from one problem to another." Choco mumbled, making Pierre lean over and listen.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, it's been a while since I ever felt peace like this." He looks up to the sky, stretching his arm as if he was grabbing the sunlight in his hands. "And my life has never been more peaceful than this moment."

"Oh really now..." Pierre grinned, "What about the life you left behind at the Kingdom? Have you ever wondered about the peace you ruined for running away?"

"Won't you rather ask why I left instead?" Choco smirked.

"Nah, I bet I can guess your entire life's story on a whim."

"Try me!"

"You asked for this." Pierre snickered, "You're most likely some noble kid that had everything that life has to offer. With that confidence, you probably always get what you want without a question and people looked up to you no matter what sh*tty thing you do."

As Pierre talked, the smile on Choco's face slowly fades as he kept listening. "It was basically the perfect life anyone wants for themselves, but then one day, you grew tired of it all, you got so bored after getting stuff without a challenge or a sense fulfillment. That made you yearn for something new... something exciting!"

Pierre enjoyed every second of seeing Choco's daring smile turn down, "The next thing you know, you thought you were prepared to face the world on your own, finally making your own destiny. Leaving your perfect life behind without even thinking about the people that cared about you. You probably thought things always work out on their own, but life isn't that simple."

Choco was going to stop him there, but Pierre still wasn't finished crushing him like the fragile cookie he is right now, "When you start living the life you chose for yourself, you start to realize how much you messed up. Each passing day makes you look back to your once perfect life that you chose to leave behind, regretting the stupid choice you made whenever you had to face something difficult, and things never gets easier—it only gets worse! To the point you only ever find peace in moments where you don't have to deal with anything serious just like this moment..."

Choco was now glaring at Pierre, clearly seeing that he was being mocked by this Cherrymaid.

"What? Did I hit a nerve?" Pierre chuckled.

"Sometimes I forget you're an actual beast." Choco mumbles, and Marsh who was quietly listening with his eyes closed, smiled bitterly.

Then as they continue to move forward, Pierre gazed at the horizons, amused to see the lands in motion. He can feel the breeze of air pass through his cherry jam hair, making him recall his own past moments with his wife.

Pierre's wife used to drag him on land and hold a picnic with him under a huge Sticky Rice Tree years ago. And after having their fill, Pierre liked it when she lets him lay down on her lap, and caress him by the cheek while they feel the very same breeze he can feel. "Hmm... I think... I know exactly where to go now." He mentioned.

Giving Choco some direction to the destination Pierre had in mind, they soon reached the place a few hours just before sunset. "We're here." Choco announced.

Pierre's gaze softened at the sight of the old Sticky Rice Tree where he used to hang out with his wife, so many memories flooded his mind. "Everything looks the same as I remember it." He smiled and crawled out the wagon, dragging his cherry pie fin tail behind.

Marsh woke up and stood beside Choco, watching Pierre find what he's been looking for. They were both feeling nervous of how the beast will react, expecting that he might go on a wild rampage soon. "How are we gonna get the orb back if he gets upset?" Choco asked.

"That's the thing... we don't. We plug our ears and run." Marsh handed him a few plug shaped dangos, "Be prepared."

While the two stays cautious with Pierre's reaction, the Cherrymaid have found a fruit person's skeleroots laying on the ground. He smiles and reached out to hold its hands, "I see now... I always thought I was numbed after existing for hundreds of years." Pierre smiled, tears rolling down his cheeks.

He looks over to the lake connected to the place where he found Choco and Marsh, "I never thought of coming to this place because I was afraid to see you here... like this. I'm sorry I took so long to get here, Sherry. I'm sorry for being a coward."

When Marsh noticed that Pierre wasn't going wild and crazy, he glanced at Choco who seemed to have the same thought. "Should we go there?" He asks.

Choco nods and they went to Pierre's side to accompany him. They were alarmed to see Pierre mourning from the remains of his own wife. "Pierre..." Marsh gently placed his hand on his back, "Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Pierre wiped his face before turning to look at them, "A-Ah, yeah... thanks for helping me get here guys, I really appreciate it."

Deep inside, Marsh was relieved that he was behaving rather calmly. "So, is that her?" He points to the skeleroots laying on the ground.

"It's her." Pierre confirmed, "I know I said a few things earlier... about choices and regret..." he glanced at Choco and continued, "When in truth I was talking to myself the whole time."

Choco flinched at the revelation, "R-Really!? I thought you were some kind of mind reader, you actually guessed pretty accurately—for like about, maybe, 4o percent." In a way, he confirmed and denied Pierre's accuracy.

"Well, I do kinda see my past self in you." Pierre brushed back his hair and pressed his lips, "I used to be a Sweet Merfolk, and I was the last of my kind. The first King of this kingdom took me in out of kindness, and the Deity granted me eternal life as long as I guard and maintain peace in this domain."

Then he turns back to Sherry's remains, trying to stop the tears, "And as an immortal, it was stupid of me growing attached to a mortal being... but I couldn't help it!—Sherry, a cherry woman from the Fruit Empire—she was the closest thing related to us Cherrymaids, she was my everything and now she's..." Pierre bursts into tears, "Damn it, sometimes I can't stand myself for agreeing to have this eternal life—IT'S TERRIBLE!"

"T-There, there..." the two patted him on the back, pitying the very dangerous beast of the Soda Wetlands.

As soon as they buried Sherry's remains, Pierre calmed down and felt better. And the three sat under the Sticky Rice Tree, eating some dango fruits while watching the sunset together.

"I really can't thank you enough for helping me, guys. It's so nice to meet people like you every now and then." Pierre grinned, "It helps uplift the spirits talking to others."

"That sounds... sad. Can't you do anything about your immortality? I think that's the thing making you... this." Marsh pointed out.

"If you ask me, I'd want to turn back time and stop my past self from agreeing to this eternal life, but no one wants to get bound with eternal punishment if the Deity gets upset with a sudden change of heart." He shivers at the thought of the Deity, his expression clearly displeased of the idea. "I promise you, you don't to see Them mad."

"Yikes." Choco muttered, "To simply put it, you're stuck with this life, forever."

"Damn right." Pierre groaned at the unbearable truth, "So if you ever get the rare chance to reverse the irreversable, I suggest you go for it... before it's too late." He said, looking directly into Choco's eyes. "—or not, your choice." He shrugs.

This made Choco roll his eyes, "Tch, whatever."

"Welp, that wraps things up." Marsh stood tall, dusting off his clothes, "Since we've done our part of the deal, it's time we receive our end of the bargain." He smiled reaching out his hand to Pierre. "Where's our orb?"

Almost forgetting about the item's existense, Pierre laughed nervously, "Riiiight, the orb..." and he ends up telling the truth.

"YOU WHAT!?"