Ch45: Family Matters
When I fell asleep, I usually encountered no dreams at all and if I did have a dream, it didn't last long... but this one dream I had a week after the Cooper Vault... it was one that I'd never forget.
I was in a space of light, a pinkish red light that had no end to it. I knew I was dreaming and I just walked on the ground of nothingness, my metal parts not on me when I was in dream mode. There was just her. "Hey, took ya long enough!" Neyla smirked from far away. I could see her image as well as a couple others. I didn't recognize the silhouettes, but I knew that they were cats.
"Neyla? W-Who's with you?" I asked, wondering what the others were. When I got closer, I couldn't believe my eyes. What I saw were cats, sure, but I instantly recognized them. It was my mom, my brother Billy, and cousin Ina. I... I was stunned! "N-Neyla?" I asked, looking at the tiger striped feline. "T-This isn't a sick joke is it?... this... is this really my family?"
"It really is us, Sylvia," Billy smiled, rushing over and hugging me tightly. It... the hug was warm and real... it really was them... "You have no idea how long it took me to find them in the coding of Clockwerk's frame, hon," Neyla frowned, confusing me somewhat. "Wh-What do you mean his 'coding?'" I asked back. "Clockwerk has a certain... fashion in how he exacts revenge..." sighed Ina, her face showing a sad frown. "He... in order to keep alive... ate us..."
"T-That's terrible..." I gulped, knowing I also came close to becoming a meal myself. "But... even after he died, we were still alive inside of his body..." sighed my mom, who gently walked up to me and put on a gentle smile. "Thanks to our knowledge of the fourth game's 'hidden treasure' we knew that one eye would survive. So, when you defeated Neyla, we sent all of our data to the eyes along with her... though we didn't really trust her so that's why we didn't reveal ourselves."
"But... why have the audio thing tell me... you know... that I've always been from a video game?" I asked her as her gentle hand streamed across my face, tears dripping down my eyes as I looked at them. "Because you'd never believe us... we had to let you learn the hard way... and we're sorry..." Billy sighed, loosening his hug on me when Mom placed a hand on his head.
"Well... you have a... point there..." I sobbed, trying hard not to in front of my family. After all, I thought for years that they were gone forever... but now I knew I was wrong. "Hey hon... no tears, please," Mom smiled, a tear rolling down her cheek as well. "How can't I cry... I just found out... you're still alive... after three years plus..." I sniffed, as Billy and Ina came over and hugged me along with Mom. "I know sweetie... I know..." Mom sobbed herself.
We stood there crying like that for a while, Neyla actually joining in the hug herself. "W-Will you be... able to talk to me?" I asked, wondering if Neyla's hard work could pay off. Mom sighed and shook her head no. "Neyla's the one in charge of the frame... and if she isn't, everything turns off... so we can only talk when you're asleep..." she sobbed. "I-I see..." I sadly said, looking to Mom's hand to see she had a large mark on it. "Is that..." I asked, looking at her hand. "This was from his attack, yes."
It was then that I could feel the real world pulling me back, something I didn't want to happen yet. "I'm sorry guys..." I sobbed, knowing I was waking up soon. "We'll visit you every night, hon... don't forget that..." Ina smiled, the force pulling me forward until I woke up to a smiling Sly. He was lying in bed right next to me, both of us naked for the most part. "Sly..." I smiled, giving him a snuggling hug. "I sure have a lot to tell you, babe..."