The Half-Fallen said, as the holographic light flashed out from her eyes, the panels returning. She began searching once more, but paused when she felt the hold on her shoulders. She turned to find his hands upon her shoulder.
"After the dinner, sweetheart..." Old Jack cajoled.
Lynia hummed, inhaling a deep breath before the holographic light disappeared.
"You’re right, honey," she said, before picking up her cutlery and beginning to eat.
"I am curious. If you had to search each location of each family, with the geographical access you were given, how long would that take?" Ryuk asked the Half-Fallen, who responded.
"A couple of years at most," she said, and Ryuk’s hand paused.
"Isn’t that too much time?" he asked, as she dipped the vegetable into her mouth before replying.
"Well, they need to get reunited with their families, no?" she asked.
"Maybe, but you having to spend years to lock down on their family is too much of a headache," Ryuk said, and Old Jack unconsciously muttered:
"A couple years of headache..."
His hand froze when he saw the piercing golden light that illuminated his face, coming from none other than his wife.
He could only silently continue eating as if he had never said that.
The Half-Fallen huffed a bit before she turned to Ryuk and asked:
"Well then, Ryuk. Do you have any better idea?" She asked him, and he nodded.
"Yes. And that is to give that up—and ask them to go live their lives," he said, resulting in the Half-Fallen one pausing.
"That sounds harsh?"
"No, it’s not. Every one of them had spent 200 years or so on Enderah, so it’s safe to say every Fallen Angel is already an adult, and each child is already with his or her parents."
"They’re already a family of their own. And they should know how to live in a new world."
"If they eventually find the family they left here on Enderah, then good. If not, they can still live their lives with no problems."
"Not you, going to sit down searching endlessly for years just to find a family that might not even remember them anymore."
"What if their family is dead, or wiped out, or died out?"
"It would be a fruitless search. You really want to keep that up for years and not live your own life?" he asked.
Her hands unconsciously paused at his words, her brows furrowing—but then they relaxed as she replied:
"It is simply my duty as a Half-Fallen One," she argued, and he nodded.
"True. But not anymore..." he replied, watching as the Half-Fallen’s one eyebrow knitted.
"What do you mean by that?"
"You were the Half-Fallen One to the ones on Enderah. You were their helping shoulder."
"But it’s a different world now. They need to fend for themselves. You shouldn’t have to carry that burden for even a single week more..." he said.
Her wrinkled eyebrows stared at Ryuk, but then Old Jack’s hand gently landed on her shoulder.
"I think Ryuk is right, Lynia," he said, as disbelief flashed in the Half-Fallen One’s eyes.
"What?"
"I think it’s time you also let them fend for themselves. You were there when they needed you the most. And now, I think you need that breathing space."
"But I—"
"You’ve done enough, and I’m sure they understand that. Don’t keep this up in another world where we planned to start anew," he said, his eyes firm.
Lynia eventually took her gaze from him, turning forward to look at her daughter.
But her silence was enough of an answer.
They all were on the same page, and she was the only one out of it.
She remained silent, continuing her dish, and the silence reigned in the room, until five minutes later when she eventually sighed in exasperation before asking:
"What do you suggest I do?" she asked, and Old Jack replied.
"Let those who are part of the Ten Families reunite with their families."
"And those whose families are still missing?" she asked, and he replied:
"Then let them find a life without them. Just as Ryuk said, each person already has a family of their own. Let them start to live like any other Fallen Angels."
"I’m not asking you to give up your search. Just don’t make that a burden on yourself. And I believe it would only not be a burden if you know they’re already living their lives and not waiting on an answer from you to determine how they’ll live it," he said.
And she eventually nodded.
"I’ll give the order for departure tomorrow," she said, resulting in a nod from Old Jack, who silently inhaled in relief
Only she knew how firm her partner was in her decisions. Once she decided to act on something, she never let it go until it had been done perfectly.
The reason why she was still trying to sacrifice so much was because she believed, as the Half-Fallen One, it was her duty to ensure the Fallen Angels were able to reunite with their family and stay safe, and the fact that they were in a new world wasn’t enough to take that believe away.
But that was a burden that could be carried for far too long.
Not only would it waste her time, but it would also waste the time of the Fallen Angels who are waiting for her answer.
Instead of waiting so long, wasting so much time...
Why not ask everybody to go live with their own families?
If they eventually find their original extended family, then good.
And if not, well... they’re fine without them.
That seemed like a better cause, and he was happy Ryuk brought it up—or it would have been pretty hard to convince her to do that on his own.
"So, we’ll be leaving for the Dominare Family soon..." Morgaine asked, clear excitement in her voice as the Half-Fallen One nodded with a smile.
"Yes, we are, darling."
"And speaking of the Dominare Family..." she said, as the room turned toward her and one of the panels appeared.
She faced it forward, and everyone in the room turned to look at it.
"I just got a message from a supposed higher-up of the Dominare Family."