Silvana, From Clone to Clown Epilogue
Sig ran to then Kindergarten as fast as he could trying to be there on time. He hoped she was alright, his baby was supposed to have a happy childhood, but with all the bullying happening to her. Sig made sure she was only there for the exact required amount of time she must be there.
He was a bit late but he saw her run out of there for dear life. "Seelly! Over here!" The half-demon opened his big black arms.
"Daaaaddy!" Seelly ran towards him with open arms and terror in her voice. She jumped into his chest. His arms wrapped around and they embraced each other.
Sig scared off Seelly's handful of kindergarten bullies and a few innocents by making his red eye flash. "It's okay, Seelly. Daddy's here." He held his human daughter's hand on their way back home.
"Do I have to go back tomorrow, daddy?"
"Do you wanna be a magician?"
"…Yeah…"
"I'm sorry, but you need to survive it a bit longer."
"Made any friends?"
"No… I only have Cousin Vento."
"And he's still traveling with the circus with his mommies… How about that Raffina kid?"
"We wanna be friends, but her scary strong mommy won't let us."
'Looks like I need to have a word with Raffina.'
"I wanna be a clown like Auntie but I'm always crying because of what Mommy did!"
"This isn't your Mommy's fault!"
Sig's shout made his little girl cry again. "She cried a lot too! You're just like your mother!" He blurted out.
Seelly quivered her lips. "Weeeeeh!"
"Oh! I'm sorry, Sila!" He cradled her. "Daddy didn't mean to yell like that." He coddled her some more, calming her down.
"Daddy?" Seelly meekly asked. "Was mommy a bad guy?"
"…" Sig needed a moment.
"Are you crying, Daddy?"
"Who did you hear that from?" Sig was not surprised. He gets the brunt of the hate against his girlfriend directed at himself to this day.
"A lot of people."
The parent sighed. "Your mommy wasn't a bad guy. She just couldn't…" Sig couldn't bring it up to her at such a tender age. "What did they tell you?"
"That mommy was a "bad Doubleganger"." That never stopped piercing the black-haired demon man's heart. "What does that mean?"
"Sila, don't listen to them! Your mommy was a good person. She just couldn't win against her programming…"
"What's porgamming?"
"I'll tell you later." One, Sila is still young, two, Sig doesn't know the definition exactly.
"Does the whole town think she's bad?" She held on to her dad's neck.
"No… But enough to break my heart. And a lot more to you… When you're done with Kindergarten you're gonna be in Ms. Accord's hands."
"Who's she? Is she nice?"
"Yeah, you'll be safe then. Seelly, keep on hugging your Daddy." Seelly hugged him even more. "Thank you, Cuddlebug." Sig started weeping. "I miss Mommy very much!…"
"Daddy… Am I a Doubleganger?"
Sig patted her back. "You aren't somebody's clone. There's nothing to worry about."
"But I wanna be a clown! Everybody's clown!"
"Sig! Sila!" A blue-clad woman waved at the front door of their home.
"Auntie Arle!" Sila ran, cartwheeled and jumped into her Aunt's arms. Arle giggled.
"Hi, Sig, love the stubble." Arle smiled.
"Huh, I should shave again." He rubbed his chin.
"I like it. So Sila," Arle faced her niece in her arms. "ready for your first adventure?"
"Yes, Auntie!"
"Sila Neroni…" Sig crossed her arms. Sila clammed up in her aunt's grip due to her father's disappointed tone.
"You didn't really ask your daddy's permission, did you?" Arle spoke a little more comforting.
"I'm sorry." They barely heard. Sig didn't like being angry at his little girl.
"I said no adventuring until you're old enough." Sig nervously readjusted his glasses that were slipping off.
"I know, Daddy… Sorry, Daddy…" Sig hugged his crying daughter and by proxy hugged Arle doing so.
"Please, Sila… I don't want you to get into any more fights… Fights are why mommy isn't around anymore…"
Those words made Arle feel guilty. But on the other hand…
She gently put her niece down. "Sig, if she's anything like me. Which is kinda to be expected," Arle ruffled her hair. Sila pouted. "She's a little energetic adrenaline junkie. And since the Circus isn't back from its year-long tour how's she supposed to burn all that energy up? She might get some catharsis out of it."
"What's cat-hair-cyst?"
"Its when you relieve yourself by doing something that makes you feel better after a bad day." Arle directed a sly eye to Sig. And he caught her drift. For a moment he saw a grown-up Silvana.
He adjusted his glasses again. "Arle, please. I know you think she can handle it. But I don't think kids like her should go on adventures like this. She should stay in town instead of where Sil star-"
"Ooo." She winced. "Didn't think about that…"
"Where Mommy what?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing."
"I'll tell you later, Seelly."
"He'll tell you later, Seel."
"You always say that about Mommy…" Seelly kicked a pebble near their doorstep, a little upset.
"I'm sorry, Sila." Sig said sympathetically. "How about we play Puyo Puyo? That'll bring some catharsis." He smiled.
"But I'm not good at it yet…" Sila jumped a bit as her Aunt put her hand on her shoulder.
"Well, your Auntie happens to be Primp's best Puyo Puyo player." Arle proudly pointed her thumb at herself. "Champion of six tournaments."
"Auntie Liddy?"
"…No."
"Auntie Ammy?"
And so Sila battled her father with the help of her Aunt who furthered her understanding of the ropes.
Sig was happy. Sila was only 5 years and she already had a better life than her mother had. She had a loving father, loving aunts, a friendly cousin, a loving grand uncle, a caring grandfather, many caretakers, the circus performers were nice to her, basically all but her classmates and some people on the street. A lot of affection defined her life. Silvana didn't get affection until her mid-teens.
Sig started tearing up, but he kept it to himself. He hoped they wouldn't notice. He was so happy for her but felt about as sad for his girlfriend.
His spirit sticking out of his black mist-like aura smiled. The amethyst colored spirit was happy to witness this.
Sila Neroni. The future 19th Pierrot.
Author's Notes:
Hope you had a fine the 1st of April, hope your favorite YouTubers didn't do something annoying.
I know it's a hard pill to swallow that I killed Sil off two chapters ago, and I know not all of you were happy with it. But I stand by my decision. I decided on this ending when I made it so that Sil will not be a Doppelganger, there is no cure. So death was legitimately preferable in his ways, even if both you, Silvana and her friends wish she went out quietly.
She had a good run, and that good run mattered.
I hope you enjoyed the ride… I hope I didn't leave any loose threads that matter.
The working name for Sila was Syldra. I like Syldra more (Making her Syl or Syldra "Syllie" Pierrot) but Sila actually means something. Anyway, I assume she grows up to be a spoiled sweet with a personality that's beyond 'Bullied Kid' with a good friend or two. Maybe 90% clown. Maybe faaaar less inhibited than her Mom.
Happy April 1st.
Finished (along with the real epilogue) on: October 2019
Next up: The next chapter.
