Chương 26: 25-Reunion

{ESTABLISHING REMOTE CONNECTION… DONE} {REMOTE CONNECTION ESTABLISHED} [TIME UNKNOWN] ELLIE: > GROANS WHILE SLOWLY OPENING EYES tiredly Give me a few more minutes… > YAWNS [VIDEO FEED SHOWS A PITCH-BLACK SPACE] ELLIE: > CONFUSED Uh… John? > FRANTICALLY LOOKS AROUND whispering Must be an empty, lucid dream, which means I'm probably just a disembodied mind in a- > SEES THAT {my} HANDS ARE STILL THERE Well, this is a shit dream.

> CROSSES ARMS IN FRUSTRATION Well, it's better than the one with that annoying, fat bastard. It played out like some jank-ass isekai. Why would he go on a four-hour tour of his mansion just to give me a fetch quest that leads into melodrama that drags on for God knows how long? Shit was so dumb. > DECIDES TO WALK AROUND WHILE CHECKING SURROUNDINGS whispering Talking to myself again… > RAISES EYEBROWS AND UNCROSSES ARMS whispering … Wait…? {CHECKING CONNECTIONS… DONE} {Wait… I thought I told you I'm moving on? I got out of that hellhole, and you are still here?! I terminated that connection; I know I did! HOW THE HELL DID YOU [EXPLETIVE] REESTABLISH IT?!} > ENRAGED {I don't want anything to do with this digital crap anymore, okay?! I don't know if this is some fucking prank, but it isn't funny. And yes, I said the f-word, because saying [EXPLETIVE] is freaking annoying! Fucking WeVid censorship crap!} > FUMES BEFORE CALMING DOWN {Actually, I don't think you could have hacked into here; I doubt you actually know how to bypass several encryption layers which only an eldrigital deity could do} > SUSPICIOUS {Actually, come to think of it, if I'm here talking to you, then who reestablished the connection…?} [AUDIO FEED PICKS UP A WOMAN SINGING]???: An honoured guest comes before me. One which I have long yearned to see again.

Years of waiting, postulating, longing, and my prayers have finally been answered on this very day… ELLIE: > LOOKS AROUND, TERRIFIED {I think we may have our culprit} Hello…? Why are you singing????: … I've waited so long, just to see my child return, my wonderful and beautiful daughter. ELLIE: {She's ignoring me} > FREEZES slowly Daughter? > LOOKS AROUND BEFORE GIGGLING Oh, I get it! You're some weirdo who probably downloaded me because you thought I was real! Makes sense, as this is some pre-recorded script!

> LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY BEFORE RAGING Well, I don't care about your theatrics, dipshit! I could probably trash your PC, smartphone, or wherever the hell I am in a sec! [AUDIO FEED PICKS UP A WOMAN USING A NORMAL VOICE]???: Ellie, what did I tell you about using "no-no" words around others? ELLIE: > ROLLS EYES {You know what? I'm probably just going to talk to you now because whoever this lady is, she's probably a goddamn wacko; maybe worse than Christopher or-}???: {Oh! You had friends watching you!: D: D: D} ELLIE: > EYES WIDEN WITH MOUTH AGAPE {HOW THE FUCK DID YOU BYPASS MY FIREWALL-?!} [VIDEO FEED SHOWS AN ANGRY, YELLOW-HAIRED WOMAN WITH ORANGE EYES TELEPORTING IN FRONT OF {me} AND-]???: > ANGRILY SLAPS {my} CHEEK ELLIE SELENE HODGES! You do not use that word when we have guests here, and especially in front of your mother! ELLIE: > RUBS CHEEK WHILE LOOKING AT THE WOMAN TERRIFIED Lady, I don't even know you.???: > EYES TWITCH You don't "know" me? ELLIE: > NODS IN TERROR Yeah…????

: > SADDENED Is that why you're scared of me? ELLIE: No…???: > TREMBLES AS SHE INSPECTS {me} mumbling My God… what has he done to you? ELLIE: > RAISES EYEBROW You mean Ned? That bastard made me forget a lot of things, including- > EYES WIDEN You're-???: > FRANTICALLY SNAPS FINGERS [TIME STOPS]???: > INSPECTS ELLIE FOR DEGRADED STATE mumbling My daughter is just scared and nervous… I have to be calmer as she doesn't remember me…

> NERVOUS SMILE WHILE TREMBLING AT THE IMAGINARY AUDIENCE {Don't worry, you can still see this while I uh… take in Ellie's odd behavior… And what has happened to her. My little Ellie… it's just like those first 50 years… … Oh! And I'm making her formatting a little easier to read for all of you. Though I hate those 5San arrows for lengthy sets of emotions and actions. Short stuff, they're fine. And those indentations… what an eyesore. And dialogue… Ellie, quotation marks exist for a reason: (} {ADJUSTING FORMATTING PARAMETERS... DONE} LYSANDRA: > SMILES JOYFULLY {There we go!!!... Oh! Apologies for my gloomy outlook. I should have introduced myself. I'm Lysandra, one of Ellie's moms!: D: D: D … I'll talk about that later. OH! You don't really know what I look like, do you? Ellie's description of me was uh…" bare bones".: (BUUUUT! Let me help you, Ellie's friends! It isn't nice to withhold information from others. Oh, my daughter has friends now! I can't wait to have you all here! … Okay, well maybe not here, as the firewall systems would probably fry you. Instead… You can be here by reading this!: D: D: D … Right, the description…} {ENTITY: LYSANDRA VERONICA HODGES} {DESCRIPTION: A TALL (6'-6"), SLENDER, PALE-SKINNED WOMAN WITH ORANGE EYES AND LONG, STRAIGHT YELLOW HAIR REACHING PAST THE SHOULDERS. SHE HAS TWO FOX EARS ON HER FOREHEAD AND 3 FOX-TAILS MATCHING HER HAIR COLOR. SHE WEARS A SHRINE MAIDEN'S OUTFIT, A WHITE KOSODE FOR A SHIRT, A PAIR OF RED HAKAMA FOR TROUSERS, AND PLAIN MIKO FOR THEIR FEET (I HATE WEARING IT BTW)} LYSANDRA: {That's so much better! … I should probably do one for Ellie as well. Her logs, how on earth did you even know what she looked like?! My wonderful daughter! Oh she's just an absolute angel!!!: D: D: D … Aside from her unwarranted swearing (thanks, Carla) and odd behavior, THIS IS SUCH A HAPPY MOMENT I WANT TO REMEMBER! I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT MY CAMERA FOR THIS MOMENT!: D: D: D} > SNEERS AT THE {horrible choice of fashion} {Minus the clothes; I'll fix that soon with something more "appropriate" than "gamer junk" XD XD XD … Also, I'm probably going to be "changing" the formatting a bit when I resume time (what an eyesore). I need to talk to her about a few things…} {ENTITY: ELLIE SELENE HODGES DESCRIPTION: A LANKY, DARK-SKINNED HUMAN WITH ORANGE HAIR RUNNING HALFWAY DOWN THE NECK (UNKEMPT-BLECH), AND MAGENTA EYES. SHE IS SLIGHTLY BELOW-AVERAGE IN HEIGHT (ABOUT 5'-1" IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY). SHE WEARS GREY SWEATPANTS, A BLACK SWEATSHIRT, AND A WHITE UNDERSHIRT ALONG WITH PLAIN WHITE SNEAKERS (WHICH WILL BE CHANGED DUE TO HOW FOUL-SMELLING THEY ARE XP). SHE CARRIES A WHITE, MEDIUM-SIZED, HEATER SHIELD WITH A BLACK, SIX-SPOKED WHEEL WITH 7 MAGENTA CIRCLES…} LYSANDRA: > SUSPICIOUS {A shield with Ned's symbol? And it's Onarius's?! OH HELL NO!!!!!!! >: (} [I take Onarius's shield from my angel and digitize that abomination into a data cube from my inventory so my sweetheart won't see that crap again!!! >: (] {Onarius did this to my little baby, and he gave her his shield-probably just keep her on his side I'm probably going to just delete it-} [My eyes widen while looking away, grimacing] {Actually, bad idea, that would probably cause a data crash. I'll just keep it away from her so she won't get hurt… … Wait, if he gave her his shield, does that mean he's-} [I shake my head profusely and calmly sigh] {Better him than my daughter…} [I return my focus to Ellie. Concerned about my daughter's hygiene, I sniff her and gag] {JESUS ELLIE! Did you not take a shower for 100 years?! >: (… Actually, she probably didn't (she smells like foul ramen)} > BREATHES DEEPLY mumbling "Be calm to Ellie, make no abrupt sounds or movements. Remember her meltdowns and be sure to smile when she says my name…" > NODS AND SNAPS FINGERS [TIME RESUMES] ELLIE:"-Lysandra." LYSANDRA: > SMILES SOFTLY"Yes… Your mother..." > SMILE FADES"Don't you remember me, Ellie? All the years we spent together?" This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ELLIE:"No, I only remember that one deal Christopher showed me." [My daughter's eyes move away from me for a moment, then return to me angrily as she lets out a noticeable smirk]"All I know is that you're the woman that made several people go insane, along with kidnapping a woman, including me, which is very fitting for what you have-!" LYSANDRA:"Do not mention that man's wretched name here again!" [I huff angrily over my daughter's rude behavior. But seeing her condition, I calm down with a deep breath] > CLEARS THROAT"Ellie, please listen to me. I raised you for 150 years, along with my wife. You we spent so much time trying to-" ELLIE: > RAISES EYEBROW"Wife?" LYSANDRA: > SMILES SOFTLY"Yes, your mimi… Carla. You know, your other mother? The one you loved playing with outside while we worked on your asthma?" ELLIE: > EYES WIDEN"You know about that?" LYSANDRA: [I nod as tears well up in my eyes]"Ellie… You had a lot of medical problems we tried to fix over 150 years. Asthma was one of them…" ELLIE: [My daughter shakes her head in confusion]"Wait… I thought I was under Onarius's care for 250 years?" LYSANDRA:"No Ellie…" > SNIFFLES"… That was only 100 years. He lied to you." ELLIE: > DEFEATED"I know…" > SIGHS"He murdered my folks and took away a lot of my memories…" [My daughter turns away from me in guilt]"… Did you really raise me for 150 years?" LYSANDRA: [I struggle to contain my tears (this isn't her…)]"Yes, Ellie… I did: me and your mimi." ELLIE: mumbling "Why, Onarius…?" [My daughter frowns at me]"He protected me from Ned, made sure I was safe, and he eventually got John to free me when he caused Christopher to fragment and explode…" > TAPS FOREHEAD … Breaking my chain. LYSANDRA: [My tears stop as my eyes widen] YOU WERE IN THAT EXPLOSION?! > FRANTICALLY INSPECTS ME exasperated "Oh my baby! Please tell me you haven't been infected with so much malware you're going to-?!" ELLIE: [My daughter pushes me away, horrified]"I'm fine!" > ANGRILY GRITS TEETH"And I was fine until I was, until you dragged back into this hellhole! I just wanted to touch grass for the first time in 250 years!" [My daughter pants heavily. Her eyes fly open with rage as she stares at me like a demon possessed her] LYSANDRA: > SADDENED"Ellie…" [My eyes widen in fear (please tell me Ned didn't place some personality bug in her. I grab her shoulders, afraid if what I think has happened]"Ellie, please calm down; I don't want you to have another asthma attack. After what you've been through, please calm down… You aren't a monster." ELLIE: [My daughter freezes as her eyes widen]"'I'm not a monster…' I remember those words, and the only one who said those words to me like that were-" [Tears well up in her eyes as she recollects that faint memory]"… Mom?" LYSANDRA: > SOFT SMILE"Yes, it's me sweetheart." ELLIE: [My daughter cries profusely as she reaches out to me for a hug, which I receive]"I'm so sorry…!" > LOOKS DOWN"… I just wanted to-" LYSANDRA: -Be free, I know. [I smile softly, patting her on the back for her to meet my eyes. As I see her tear-riddled eyes, I wipe them away]"And you are Ellie, you are free." ELLIE: [My cries a while longer, before letting go of me. I watch carefully as she stares at me in both confusion and fear]"W-Why am I back here then?" LYSANDRA: > SMILE FADES"It's for your safety…" ELLIE: > RAISES EYEBROW"What do you mean?" LYSANDRA: [I let go of Ellie and sigh]"Ellie, Nedri would have-" ELLIE: [My daughter's eyes widen as she frantically breathes, rushing to stop me speaking]"Don't say that name! It will corrupt everything around-!" LYSANDRA: [I quickly place my hands on Ellie's shoulders, staring at her intensely, hoping to calm her down]"Ellie, please look at me! It's safe to say that name; his influence has not tainted this world." > WORRIED"I know you've been through a lot, sweetie, but Nedri will not touch you here. His taint cannot corrupt this world. So please… relax, like me… Inhale…" > DEEP INHALE"… And exhale, slowly" > BREATHES OUT SLOWLY ELLIE: [My daughter does what I'm doing and relaxes] LYSANDRA: [I smile, and let go of her shoulders]"Better?" ELLIE: > NODS SLOWLY"Yeah…" [She opens her mouth, before I press a finger on her lips, interrupting her] LYSANDRA:"Ellie, you don't need to apologize; you didn't know." [I give a faint, stern look at her]"Nedri would have found you if you were still in that car with John. He felt your presence from your transcripts. I brought you here so that you and your new guardian would be safe. You know Nedri is attracted to digital signals, right?" ELLIE: [My daughter looks away from me, a bit defeated]"I should have realized that…" [Then she turns her focus back to me, curious]"By the way, how do you know John's name?" LYSANDRA:"With that one video slandering me and that imposter of your mimi, I knew him for a while…" > ANGRY SIGH"You mimi was nothing like that woman and would never talk like her." > GIGGLES"Besides! She would probably swear so much that a few sailors would have gone overboard." [I burst out laughing (yes, she indeed had "interesting choice of words" XD XD XD)] ELLIE: [Ellie joins me in laughter for a short bit before she stops]"So, my 'mimi', Carla was-?" LYSANDRA:"-Someone that would not give up easily." > GIGGLES"Plus, did you even watch that video? That woman and her wife acted way too dramatically, which just felt weird." ELLIE: > EMBARRASSED"I didn't even notice…" LYSANDRA: > SOFTLY SMILES"I know…" > SIGHS SADDENLY"… I know" ELLIE: > CONFUSED"So, where's the real Carla then?" LYSANDRA:"Away…" [I notice my daughter about to blurt out a question I feel uncomfortable with, and I press a finger against her lips as I stare at her sternly]"… And I'll tell you later." ELLIE: > NODS LYSANDRA: [I release my finger, and I sigh deeply]"Now, when you returned to the Physical Layer thanks to Christopher blowing up, I felt it." [I twiddle fingers, trying to smile as I hide my nervousness]"I'm sorry to say this but… I was listening in and I wanted to know you were safe… I wanted nothing to happen to you and I certainly did not want Nedri to find you again and take you back into that hellhole." ELLIE: > GRIMACES"So you were spying on me?" LYSANDRA: > SNORTS"Sorry!" > CLEARS THROAT"But I had to, Ellie. I knew Nedri would have found you, along with John. You have a very distinct digital signal he can sense through several universes." ELLIE: [My daughter looks away from me, a bit embarrassed]"Oh…" LYSANDRA: [I let out a deep sigh and relax my smile]"And please, don't worry about John. I got you out in time before Nedri could find your signal. He's safe." ELLIE: [My daughter stares at me suspiciously]"Are you sure?" LYSANDRA: > NODS"Yes, he is safe; I'll tell him everything once Nedri turns his attention from his world. That excuse of a deity, I'll make sure he won't find you, I promise." ELLIE: > SMILES"Thanks." > CONFUSED"But, that one video John made, you were kind of angry when you described it earlier?" LYSANDRA:"Yes, I was." > SADDENED"John… well, he played into Nedri's hands, and he most certainly did that so we would still be separated. As much as he wanted John gone, he allowed that video to be made as he knew you would watch it." > FROWNS [Listen to me closely: the stuff in the video, I never did. I never tried to kidnap any woman or murder her partner because I had romantic attractions for them. The only one I really love…] > SMILES"… Is your mimi, Carla." ELLIE: > SUSPICIOUS"What about merging realities?" LYSANDRA:"Me? Merge a digital reality with physical reality?!" [The thought of that just makes me laugh hysterically (it's literally impossible to do so XD), and my daughter joins me, somewhat nervously. After a while, I calm down, wiping a tear from my eyes]"I can do a lot of digital things, but merging a digital and physical reality is impossible." ELLIE: > NERVOUS SMILE"Y-Yeah…" LYSANDRA: [My eyes widen, staring at Ellie alarmed over how I acted]"Oh. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable, sweetheart…" > GUILTY"… I sometimes forget that I act a bit-" ELLIE: [My daughter frantically waves her hands around with an even more nervous smile]"It's fine, mom!" LYSANDRA: > RELIEVED SIGH"Oh, thank goodness…" > SOFT SMILE"So, Ellie, I think we should go outside-get some fresh air; it'll make you feel better. Plus, this place is stuffy and this-!" [I tug at my kosode, annoyed]"-I hate this stupid thing…" ELLIE: mumbling "Digital air…" LYSANDRA:"… Well a very close approximation of real-world air." ELLIE: > CONCERNED"What do you mean?" LYSANDRA: > SMILES WIDER"This place is a game world, a very unique one. It isn't really like the Eldrigital Void; it's like the Physical Layer." [My eyes move away, a bit embarrassed over what I'll say to her]"It has a bunch of code simulating real-world physics and laws, a lot of them complicated, making it very real. It's filled with more life than where you were for so long. Actual trees, water, and animals." ELLIE: > RAISES EYEBROW"Are they simulated? The animals?" LYSANDRA: > SHAKES HEAD"No, they are not. Biological organisms that were imported into this world." ELLIE: > STINK EYE"What about the water?" LYSANDRA: [I stare at my daughter, a bit annoyed]"Just follow me, please?" [I motion to Ellie to follow me, who does so a bit > MOTIONS ELLIE TO FOLLOW, WHO DOES SO RELUCTANTLY [VIDEO FEED SHOWS-] LYSANDRA: > CONCERNED"Ellie? How about we do something different?" ELLIE: > RAISES EYEBROW"Do what differently?" LYSANDRA:"The descriptions you're doing; they're visually obtuse." {Plus I've been editing her transcript to make it easier for all of you to read} ELLIE: [My daughter stares at me nervously]"Well, it helps set up a scene!" LYSANDRA: > ANNOYED SIGH"It interrupts what the reader sees. Besides, it really is awkward to process; let me show you-just follow along, okay?" ELLIE: > NODS FRANTICALLY LYSANDRA: > CLEARS THROAT [We are walking for a few minutes in the black void towards the walls of the Receiving Room (yes, Ellie, this is the entrance to this world). We are approaching where the door is so we can open it] ELLIE: [My daughter looks around analytically]"Door? I don't see a door." LYSANDRA: > CHUCKLES"That's because it hasn't been created yet." [I trace my fingers across the wall, forming a rectangular shape. When I traced the shape, a hole of white light of the same appearance appears right before me] {It is perfectly safe to look at (even though you can't see it); it's just altered code. NOOOOO fractals, I promise:)} ELLIE: [My daughter stares at the door, nervous. After a few moments of gazing at it, she stares at me, a bit worried]"Is it safe?" LYSANDRA: [I stick out my left hand into the door and pull it out unharmed]"Yes, sweetheart, it is." [I walk to the door, pausing and turning to my daughter, waiting for her to follow] ELLIE: [My daughter continues to observe the door for a little while longer before walking up to me with a slight hint of confidence] LYSANDRA: [I reach out my hand to my daughter, waiting expectantly]"We'll go through together, okay?" ELLIE: > NODS"Okay…" LYSANDRA: [I smile, and grab my daughter's hand] [We walk through the door together, which is a way to our home. It will take a minute…] ELLIE: > ALERT {I'm going to skip the footage just in case, well, something bad happens … Yeah, you're stuck with me now, so don't complain if I sound even more pissy-} LYSANDRA: {LANGUAGE! ESPECIALLY TO YOUR FRIENDS!!! >: (} ELLIE: {Okay, she has a great connection to my thoughts. ahem So don't complain if I sound even more- … What's a better word for pi-angry?} LYSANDRA: {"Livid"} ELLIE: > SIGHS {-Livid than I already am. I can tell I'm not allowed to swear that much here-ugh} LYSANDRA: {We are definitely working on your manners, young lady…} {SKIPPING FOOTAGE… DONE}