As Hoghor's consciousness began to fade, he felt a strange pull. Instead of disappearing completely, his soul was sucked into a dimensional vortex he couldn't even imagine before. In an instant, he found himself floating in a... place? Space? Even words were not enough to describe it.
"Welcome to the Covenant Tribunal, Hoghor the Creator Demon," a voice that sounded like a thousand whispers at once echoed around him.
"What is this? I'm not dead yet?" Hoghor tried to make sense of his situation. Before him, reality itself seemed to twist and fold, creating shapes impossible to exist in the normal dimension.
"Dead? Life? Those concepts are too simple for this place," the voice chuckled. "You have done something unprecedented, a demon who splits its essence not to destroy, but to create new life."
"Oh..." Hoghor scratched his horns that were somehow still there, "...so this is some kind of... promotion?"
There was a laugh that made the dimension even stranger. "You still carry that Monkey's humor even in front of the Tribunal. Interesting."
Meanwhile, back in the Whispering Forest...
Sun Wukong was still kneeling, hugging his golden staff when he suddenly sneezed loudly. "Achoo!"
"Great Monkey King!" Girmora jumped in surprise. "Are you alright?"
"Ah, it seems someone is talking about me," Sun Wukong rubbed his nose. "And I told you, just call me Wukong. The title 'Great Monkey King' is too long to say multiple times."
At the Covenant Tribunal, Hoghor was given a long explanation of the nature of existence, most of which he did not understand. All he could grasp was that the Tribunal was an entity that "existed" before the concept of "existence" itself was created. The Covenant Tribunal transcends the concept of Action or Silence as well as the concept of creation, they are an essence that makes even the concept of "the Absolute" in polytheistic religions feel very relative. They are the unity that transcends action and eternal inflation, the ultimate manifestation that makes even the concept of ultimate consciousness feel like the early stages of enlightenment.
All things will end at the Covenant Tribunal, like coffee finally merging with water, but in a dimension far beyond the concept of unification. If Maya is the cosmic illusion that masks true reality, then the "absolute emptiness" of the Covenant Tribunal is the truth behind the truth itself.
"So..." Hoghor tried to summarize, "you guys are like universe admins?"
There was a moment of silence.
"...your analogy is surprising but not entirely wrong," Tribunal responded, sounding slightly amused. "And because of your unique actions, we're going to give you... limited admin access."
"Wait, what?"
"You will be given the power to guide your journey, especially in the areas you created with your sacrifice," the Tribunal explained. "But of course with some... restrictions."
"What restrictions?"
"Well, firstly, you can't mention the granting of powers in front of your friends. Secondly, your powers can only be used to maintain the stability of reality, not to... say, make it rain candy or silly things like that."
"Ouch," Hoghor pouted, "I was just about to suggest that candy rain."
Back on Earth, Girmora and Sun Wukong began to continue their journey with heavy hearts. However, they began to sense a strange presence following them.
"Wukong," Girmora whispered, "do you feel like you're... being watched?"
"Yes," Sun Wukong nodded. "And the aura is familiar. Like Hoghor, but... different? Bigger? More... strange?"
In the Tribunal dimension, Hoghor panicked at being spotted. "Oops, looks like I was watching them too closely."
"Hoghor," the Tribunal reminded in a tired tone not unlike a super-dimensional entity, "you've only had your powers for five minutes and you're already about to get caught?"
"Sorry! I'm still learning! Who knew Sun Wukong was so sensitive to these auras anyway?"
"He's literally a former Buddha."
"...oh yeah."
From then on, Hoghor tried to be more careful in watching his friends. Sometimes he couldn't help but interfere, especially when he saw Girmora almost slip on a banana peel or Sun Wukong almost choke on a nut.
"Hoghor," the Tribunal often reminded him, "you were given powers to keep the world stable, not to be an impromptu guardian angel."
"But they're my friends!" Hoghor defended himself. "And look, Girmora almost slipped! That could threaten the stability of... err... local gravity?"
"...your reasoning is getting more and more absurd."
But underneath his silly behavior, Hoghor was indeed evolving. He learned that the "identity" he had been searching for was simple, he was a friend who would always be there for the people he cared about, even if they couldn't see him.
Sun Wukong and Girmora also evolved in their journey. Girmora began to learn to be less formal and stiff, even cracking the occasional joke (though most of them failed). Sun Wukong, although his powers had returned, chose not to rely on them all the time. He values his friendship and the lessons he learned from Hoghor more.
"Hey," Sun Wukong would often say while looking up at the sky, as if knowing Hoghor was watching, "thanks for teaching me that the greatest strength is the courage to sacrifice for a friend."
And in the Tribunal dimension, Hoghor would smile, resisting the urge to hug his friends.
"Watch out, Mr. Sun Wukong!" Girmora shouted at the sight of a banana peel on the road.
"Relax," Sun Wukong jumped over the banana peel with ease, "somehow lately I've always been lucky to avoid small dangers like this."
At the Covenant Tribunal, Hoghor whistled in ignorance, while the Tribunal could only let out a long sigh.
"At least he didn't make it rain candy," the Tribunal muttered.
"Oh yeah! About that..." Hoghor grinned widely.
"No."
"But..."
"NO."
And so, their adventure continued. With Sun Wukong coming back strong, Girmora starting to find his true self, and Hoghor who, though invisible, always looked after them in his own way, including occasionally "accidentally" making small miracles that made the Tribunal dizzy.
Because in the end, true friendship is not limited by dimensions, realities, or even the rules of the cosmos. Especially if one of your friends is a demon who somehow managed to get "universe admin access" and loves making absurd excuses to help his friends.
"Hoghor," the Tribunal warned for the umpteenth time, 'that candy rain is NOT part of 'keeping the world stable'."
"But they look sad! And sugar is an energy source! So technically..."
"...Hoghor."
"Okay, okay. How about some raisin rain instead?"
"..."
"So," Hoghor stood before Tribunal, trying to put on a serious face but instead looking like a demon stifling a sneeze, "in theory, if I can create thousands of new worlds, I should also be able to create one new body, right?"
"Hoghor," Tribunal sounded like a parent who was tired of dealing with a recalcitrant teenager, "you've asked this ten times in the last five minutes."
"Yes, but..."
"And the answer is still the same: You can, but you'll lose admin access."
"No problem!" Hoghor immediately replied without hesitation. "I mean, being a universe admin is cool and all... but not being able to hug my friends... sucks."
There was a moment of silence.
"You..." The Tribunal sounded amazed, "...willing to give up powers just to be able to hug your friends?"
"Of course! Besides..." Hoghor grinned, "...you guys have been too stressed watching me. I'm sure you guys need a break from all my candy rain proposals."
"...You're a strange demon, Hoghor."
"Thanks! I'll take that as a compliment!"
Meanwhile on Earth, Sun Wukong and Girmora were resting by the river. It had been a week since Hoghor's "death", and although they were trying to stay strong, the atmosphere still felt different.
"Wukong," Girmora broke the silence, "do you think... Where do you think Mr. Hoghor is now?"
"Hmm," Sun Wukong chewed on a banana he'd gotten out of nowhere, "Probably causing trouble in the afterlife."
Suddenly, the sky rumbled. Lightning flashed in a pattern that was... suspicious.
"What is that..." Girmora squinted, "...horn-shaped lightning?"
Sun Wukong choked on a banana. "Wait, this aura..."
A huge bolt of lightning struck right in front of them, creating a small, smoking crater. From within the smoke, a very familiar figure emerged... coughing.
"Khek! Khek! Damn Tribunal, can't they bring me up in a more normal way? They had to use all that lightning! Uhuk! The smoke is too thick too! How am I supposed to make a dramatic appearance if- Oh, hi guys!"
"MASTER HOGHOR!" Girmora screamed, tears instantly flowing.
"HOGHOR!" Sun Wukong jumped up, banana forgotten.
The two of them slammed straight into Hoghor, knocking him to the ground.
"Ow! Ow! Slow down! This new body is still under warranty!"
"New body?" Sun Wukong raised an eyebrow.
"Yep! Long story short: I became the universe admin, but because I missed you guys, I swapped that position for a new body."
"You..." Sun Wukong stared at him in disbelief, "...swapped powers just to... come back to us?"
"Well, duh! Anyway..." Hoghor grinned widely, "...who's going to teach Girmora a good joke? His jokes are still as crisp as yesterday's crackers!"
"Master!" Girmora pouted, but his eyes were still glistening with happiness.
"And stop calling me 'Master'! I told you, we're friends!"
"Fine, Mast- I mean, Hoghor!"
"Well, that's it! Now..." Hoghor stood up, brushing the dust off his body, "...where are we going? Is Edna still far away?"
"Wait," Sun Wukong interrupted, "are you sure you want to continue the journey? I mean, that black-robed figure is still out there..."
"Exactly! And now we've got a former Buddha at full power," Hoghor pointed at Sun Wukong, 'a servant- er, friend who's starting to crack jokes,' he pointed at Girmora, "and a demon who's already been a universe admin. We're practically unstoppable!"
"You don't have that power anymore," Sun Wukong reminded.
"Details, details! The important thing is that we're together again! And this time," Hoghor embraced his two friends, "nothing can separate us!"
Right at that moment, Hoghor's stomach rumbled loudly.
"...except maybe hunger. Did anyone bring any food?"
"Oh!" Girmora took out a small bag. "I brought some apple pies!"
"The ones you made yourself?" Sun Wukong looked doubtful.
"Yes! A new recipe!"
"Err..." Hoghor and Sun Wukong looked at each other. The last time Girmora tried a new recipe, they had to evacuate an entire village because the purple smoke made the birds faint.
"Let's try it!" Girmora offered the pie with eyes sparkling with hope.
"Well..." Hoghor swallowed, "...at least if I die of poisoning, I already know what it's like in the afterlife..."
"I heard that!"
And just like that, the trio that had been separated was now reunited. They still had a long way to go, danger still lurked, but at least they had each other. Plus Girmora's apple pie that... well, at least this time the smoke was pink instead of purple. That's progress... right?
"Guys," Hoghor coughed after trying the pie, "if I die again, please tell the Tribunal not to use lightning when sending me back. The smoke is really-"
A pie landed right on his face.
"Hmph!" Girmora folded his arms, but his lips twitched in a smile.
Sun Wukong laughed so hard that he fell over, while Hoghor tried to clean his pie-filled face.
"You know what?" Hoghor laughed along, "I missed this. I really missed this."
In the distance, Tribunal watched with... well, Tribunal's expressions were hard to read considering they didn't have faces in the conventional sense. But if they did, they were probably smiling.
"Strange demon," Tribunal muttered, "but at least now we don't have to worry about him making it rain candy anymore."
Just then, some candy fell from the sky.
"...HOGHOR!"
"Not me! I swear! I don't have that power anymore!"
"Oh," Sun Wukong grinned suspiciously, 'it looks like someone 'accidentally' passed on a bit of power before leaving..."
"...me?"
And so their laughter echoed along the road to Edna, accompanied by a shower of 'weird' candy and Tribunal grumbles that could be heard all the way to another dimension.
Because sometimes, the greatest joy isn't about having unlimited power, it's about having a friend who can laugh with you, even when his pie almost sends you back to the afterlife.
"Hey!" Girmora protested, "my pies aren't that bad!"
"Girmora," Sun Wukong pointed at the bird that fainted after smelling his pie.
"...maybe the bird is allergic?"
"Right," Hoghor nodded seriously, "and I'm the Flower Fairy King who likes to dance ballet."
"Really?!" Girmora looked excited.
"...We'll have to work harder with your sarcastic understanding, friend."