Chapter 1082: Chapter 1082: Found
"I will stay here to coordinate with the three Heras... there's also the fact that I feel like I need to talk to my younger self, literally."
Several hours had passed since everyone's conversation with Miss Pepondosovich, and Riley, Hannah, Nannah, and Miss Pepondosovich were now in the ship's Portal Chamber. Aerith and Diana were also there, making sure that everything was set before Riley and the others start traversing to the other universes.
Aerith wanted to go, but she knew it might have a different effect if Renna saw the mother of one of her... siblings from the Old World. And she also couldn't leave because Aerith 2 was still completely aloof from everyone, confused and extremely wary of everything.
"I'll leave all of you here," Aerith then approached Riley, "And Riley, for Arthas's and your other children's sake, don't disappear again, okay?"
"I will not disappear for now, Aerith," Riley nodded.
"Alright then, I do hope you find Rennalyn... I truly do," Aerith then placed her hand on Riley's shoulder, seemingly wanting to hug him. But after a few seconds of just staring at his face, she just nodded and walked away, "Anyway, time for me to talk to my younger self about what she had gotten into."
"You and Megawoman..." Aerith squinted her eyes as she watched Aerith leave, "...I feel like the two of you are closer than before, but not really? I mean, I know there was a suddenly lapse of judgment from her and she fell in love with - which was so fucking random, by the way."
"It's not random at all," Diana, who was setting up the coordinates with Miss Pepondosovich, leaned away from her console as she looked at Hannah, "Themarians are naturally and instinctively attracted to people stronger than them - and it would not be an exaggeration to say that before your brother left, he was the strongest being in the entire multiverse."
"...I still don't get that, you're like animals then," Hannah shrugged, "And Silvie's also refusing to show herself since she's afraid of getting attracted to this idiot."
"You mean you're not feeling it, Sis?" Nannah joined in on the conversation with her eyebrow raised, "Because fuck, his pheromones are just oozing out."
"I'm not fucking degenerate like you. Ack, enough of this conversation. I kinda also wanted to talk to my younger self like Megawoman," Hannah sighed, "But it's weird, we're like totally different people. I feel like I have more in common with you than her, Nannah."
"You were so innocent back then, huh?"
"Man... time," Hannah once again let out an even louder sigh, "I really just wish we could turn back time, you know? I heard from the younger Mom that she heard that you could have actually stayed in the... simulation. I'm calling that Black Tower trial shit a simulation from now on why didn't you just stay for a while there, Riley?"
"Because you and my children will die if I spend unnecessary time in the trial, Sister."
"...But you had time to destroy that simulation?" Hannah looked Riley dead in the eyes. She then started putting some sort of harness on Riley, with all sorts of gadgets and things that he doesn't really recognize, "But seriously, if you had the time... would you have stayed in the simulation?"
"I do not see any reason why, Sister," Riley shook his head, "I have already lived that life." "Well... you could have made different decisions," Hannah tightened the harness, "Aren't you curious what would have happened if... you just stopped being Darkday, like completely stopped doing all the fucked up shit you were doing?"
"But I did stop, Sister," Riley blinked a couple of times as he returned his sister's gaze as she stood right in front of him, "Briefly, when we enrolled in the Academy."
"That..." Hannah's eyes slightly trembled as she heard that. But after a few seconds, a small smile crawled on her face, "...I've almost forgotten about that. For a minute there, we were... we were like normal children, huh?"
"I was, you were already an adult during that time."
"Fuck you," Hannah rolled her eyes as she patted Riley's chest several times as she finished tightening the harness.
"What is this for, Sister?" Riley then finally checked the harness Hannah put on him.
"Oh, so that we don't lose each other," Hannah said as she started wearing her own harness, slightly struggling due to her thick thighs, "The portal sometimes glitches, and that's not fun at all."
"Fuck, I remember that," Nannah stuck out her tongue in disgust. She had already been wearing her harness since earlier, and was just waiting for the two to be done, "We needed to find each other for like a year."
"It would seem that you have been busy the past 600 years, Sister."
"I'm always busy," Hannah rolled her lips, "And you know what, I've always thought our reunion would be much more emotional since we haven't seen each other for like centuries, but then when I heard that it had only been a moment for you, I dialed my emotions down." "You can control your emotions now, Sister?" Riley seemed extremely shocked, "I was wrong, it would seem that you have undergone a complete change."
"Fuck you," Hannah rolled her eyes before looking at Diana, "How's it going on your side, Mom?"
"Done," Diana said as she and Miss Pepondosovich walked away from the console and approached the group. And as they did so, a large portal opened up in the very center of the hall, "I didn't really do anything special, just like the usual - only difference is that I let Miss Pepondosovich pick up the coordinates."
"Hm..." Hannah squinted her eyes as she looked at her oversized watch, "...It says here that we've been to this universe before, and we didn't even find a single sign of life, not even the
slightest."
"I already told you, I let her choose," Diana just shrugged as she looked at Miss Pepondosovich, who was also wearing a smaller harness.
"Does... that mean we've actually been to Aerith' Ross's universe before?" Hannah squinted
her eyes.
"Well... we are not really sure if it really is her universe," Miss Pepondosovich raised her hand as she walked toward Riley, "I'm lucky, not psychic — right, Riri?"
"She is very lucky, Sister," Riley shrugged, "If I haven't met her, then I would still probably be in the Domain of the Gods 600 years ago. Although, I suppose we met each other because
she is lucky."
"...How is she even lucky to meet you?" Hannah raised an eyebrow.
"I haven't actually found out about that yet," Miss Pepondosovich smirked as she looked at Riley, "Come on, Riley - do something already. Make me a queen or something."
"You are already a god, Miss Pepondosovich.'
"Yeah, but that's boring," Miss Pepondosovich shrugged before focusing on the portal, "So... are we going in now, or what?"
"Let's go," Hannah breathed out as Nannah grabbed her hand. Nannah was about to grab Riley's hand with her other hand, but Hannah quickly swatted her hand away and held Riley's
hand instead.
"Cool, we're holding hands," Miss Pepondosovich said as she raised her arm and grabbed
Riley's finger.
"Mom," Hannah then glanced at Diana as she started walking toward the portal, pulling the
others with her.
"Yes, yes. I know the drill," Diana groaned, "Stop showing off to your brother. Did you know, Riley? A few hundred years after you were gone, Hannah was really dep-"
"Shut up!"
And without even waiting for Diana to finish her words, Hannah dragged everyone to the portal — and almost immediately, they were thrown into some sort of large library; a tower
of books just scattered everywhere.
And right in front of them, just casually reading at a table, was Aerith'Ross.
"Hm...?" Aerith'Ross blinked a couple of times as she quickly looked up at Riley and the
others,
"... You found me already?"