I sighed as Donna was making the dress around me. Adding to it, sewing parts and making me pose in certain ways to get what she needed to do. It took hours… lot's of hours.
"Okay, now look." She said, motioning for me to turn and face the full body mirror.
Sighing, I turn-
…
The dress was a light seafoam green, small frilly poofs from my shoulders turned into thin semi transparent sleeves that went down my arms just a bit past my elbows. The dress itself was well fitting, hugging my body without being too tight and showed off just enough of my cleavage, something I never had before my pregnancy was now shown off in a classy manor. The long skirt had a cut down the side of my right leg, going from my foot up to my hip and it only managed to show off enough leg when I posed or walked. The back was open, showing off my fins back there and leaving enough room for my tail that honestly looked really good.
That's… really me?
"This…is me?" I asked in awe.
"Yes mom, that's you." Donna smiled. "A dress that shows off your curves and natural muscles, as well as making you look sexy, feminine, and drop dead gorgeous. And you doubted my skills."
"I….never thought I'd see this…" I said honestly, in such disbelief at what I'm seeing here.
"Heh. I love that you like it so much mom. I'm glad you enjoy it."
"Yeah…this always never worked for me but…now that I see this it's…just amazing."
"You can keep it, I'm happy to make much more for you also. I know dad has lots already."
"Thanks Donna." I said with a smile. "Your dad would get a kick out of seeing me in this dress.'
"Well go show them! And Mamma Nanny, I want to make her a dress but… I'd need more fabric and a ladder for her…"
"Which we can easily get." I admitted, as I started to move towards the door to show everyone.
Exiting the door and I first headed towards the bedroom. I spotted Casey sitting in his favorite chair and reading a book. He did that a lot these days.
"Hey Casey." I said. "Look at my new dress."
They looked over at me. "Holy… Heather, you look… wow… I thought you said you'd never wear a dress since you didn't like how they looked on you?"
"Well, Donna is a miracle worker apparently." I said honestly. "Makes me look good in a dress, and it feels good to move around it." I said readily.
"I'll say… I think this is the fanciest thing you've ever worn."
"Yeah, this is a fancy thing…and I really like it." I said honestly.
"It looks amazing on you." Casey nodded, closing their book and standing up. "I feel a little underdressed now."
"Well then get dressed, we're going on a date."
"Heh, haven't been on one of those in a while." He chuckled, walking over and giving me a quick kiss. "Let me get ready then~"
Casey headed for the closet and I took a seat on the bed. It really has been a long time since we've gone on a date just to have a date night. Wonder if that means things here are just… getting better? In terms of the town there is still a lot to do and be done… but thanks to Nanny, Carver… it's safe here now.
"Can't believe we're going on a date after…so long." I said honestly.
I wonder… will we get to enjoy more of this? Maybe even go on a real date with Diane? She's more a person than a sex bot… she helped raise the kids, do house work, and even helped out on the farms.
"I should also go on a date with Nanny at this point if she wants…" I mentally added.
After a while, Casey walked back out, dressed in a long red dress, the top was covered in some sewn on frills and fake gems, it was sleeveless, hugging their curves and the skirt only went just above the knees and still had some cuts along the thighs to show them off. They also wore some heels… wow…
"You know, when I first got this form I didn't think I'd be enjoying dresses and such this much." They laughed as they walked over to me.
"Well…uh…I certainly like it." I said honestly, blushing and honestly glad that things were…counseling down south at seeing how beautiful Casey was.
"I know, and that's a bonus." They said, giving me another kiss. "So, I'm assuming we're going to the bar then? It's the only place here we can really go and eat at."
"The classiest of places to go." I chuckled. "But yeah, let's head to the bar."
With that, I wrapped an arm around Casy's and we walked outside. It felt… kinda embarrassing, going out in this-
"Oh hello you two!" I was surprised to see Omega walk up to us. "Hello, where are you two going all dressed up like dolls?"
"Heather got a nice dress and we're going out to eat." Casey said.
"Oh, this place has a restaurant?"
"A bar, it's mostly for the farmers to relax and destress."
"Oh well that won't do at all, you two look far too dressed up to be amongst simple atmospheres." Omega said. Despite their unmoving porcelain face I got the impression they were smirking.
"And…where do you have in mind?" I inquired.
"Oh this darling little place out in Nevostall. The place can be a bit pricy but is still within reason of affordability."
"Is this place… run by Chaos Guilds?" Casey asked.
"Oh no, this is an independent settlement. The zone it's in is of no real value to any of the Chaos Guilds but it does get a lot of travel from traders, both Greed and independent so, it's a lovely hotspot of commerce and trade. The many restaurants there sell to all."
"That sounds…like a good place." I said with a nod. "And you think we have enough money for this?"
"You will once I give you your cut of the profits from the sales." I could hear the smirk in her town as she raised her Assistant to me.
I brought up mine and let them tap to activate the exchange.
[Rem Received! 2,590,460 Rem Added to Account.]
Holy crap!
"That's….wow…" I blinked. "That's a crap ton of Rem…"
"Yes, it sold out by days end, and so many bought it to stock their own stores or self use reasons. Turns out even the bones of some of them are valued for broths or medicinal reasons. So I was able to sell everything." I could hear the smirk in her tone. "Hope you enjoy yourselves." They added as they then snapped their fingers, opening a portal next to her. "This will take you to Nevostall and to return there are plenty of transports that can bring you back here."
"That's cool." I nodded. "Thank you…this date will be amazing."
"You're welcome darling, oh and the place I recommend when you get there is called The Ivory Palace." Omega stated.
"That sounds like a neat place." I nodded. "Ready to go Casey?"
"Yes love." Casey said, giving me a nod and a smile.
We walked through the portal and instantly, we were elsewhere. The place looked almost like a proper city. The buildings were all made from concrete and metal, lots of lights and the sky above was covered in a yellow dome of energy.
It almost felt like… home. Like we weren't on Armageddon.
All around us were shops and restaurants… and people. So many people.
"I…just got a whole lotta whiplash…" I said, tearing up as I also felt…homesick because of this.
"Yeah." Casey said, looking around a bit before wiping a small tear I had. "Come on love, let's go find that restaurant and enjoy ourselves. Maybe shop around for the others as well."
"Y-yeah…Donna did say she needed more fabric and a ladder for Nanny."
"Heh, yeah she would need that." Casey laughed.
We began walking down the street. It was amazing to see all of this again. I'd have to bring the kids here sometime, show them what a real city looks like.
We saw all kinds of stores and restaurants. We eventually found the Ivory Tower. It was a three story building, looks like the first two floors are for customers and the top floor is the kitchen. Interesting. We were seated and given bread and some water with our menus.
"Heh, this reminds me of the restaurant we went to on Trioth, back when you wanted to run through that Forest Dungeon." Casey smirked.
"Yeah, that was fun." I chuckled. "So, what do you think they serve here?"
"Maybe something fancy? Honestly I'm not sure, probably better than whatever we can make with scavenged spices." Casey said as they opened their menu.
I did the same… holy crap! Duck, T-Bone Steak, Meatloaf, Salads, and various wines or champagne. They even have more exotic meats and century long aged drinks. Wow, these prices are high… back home this stuff would be a few hundred rem in a place like this, but everything here is several thousand… then again, given this is Armageddon, getting luxury like this would be much harder.
"Yeesh, things are expensive." I said in surprise.
"Yeah, but the fact we can get them on a planet like this at all means things here might not be that bad." Casey said.
"Fair." I shrugged. "So what do you want to get?"
"Well, how much Rem did Omega give you from our cut?"
"A little over two and half million." I answered.
"... Well then, guess we can indulge a little then." He laughed.
"Indulge we shall." I said with a smile. "Some good Wine and…god I have been dying to get a T-Bone…"
We ordered and reminisced about old times.
The food was honestly better than I expected, but at these prices that's a good thing.
After our meals we paid and left to shop. Most stores sold specific items and such.
We managed to get some more fabric and a tall step ladder for Donna, as well as some more… professional grade sewing supplies. I got Amy her own gaming console and various games for them as well as snacks and such. Jack I got a bunch of music CD's and even tapes and records because they had them and I think he'll find them neat. Rose I got her some… more books on magic, necromancy, and some potion making kits.
For Hex I got him some hair care stuff. All the fur is a pain for him at times.
Nanny I got a few chocolates. Thankfully her species isn't allergic.
Mantis… what should I get him? I… don't think he has many likes or dislikes yet… he just barely got his memories back…
"I'm…not sure what to get Mantis…" I brought up.
"Huh… that's actually a good question." Casey hummed. "What would he like?"
"I don't know…he just got his memories back after my little excursion into his mind…which that's still a whole can of worms…" I shook my head.
"Hmm… well, we know he has Technomancy and Nature based magic so, maybe something relating to the two?" Casey offered. "If nothing else maybe one of these stores sells stuff relating to Nokori? He did say he was trying to experience life by doing what he knew they often enjoyed and did back where he was from."
"Yeah, that's fair." I nodded. "I'm sure there's something around here that would fit the bill…"
We walked around for a long time, we managed to get a book on Technomancy and Basic Nature Magic from a book store, as for anything relating to Nokori… less luck…
We eventually found ourselves in a bit of a strange store. I mean, it was more of a general store or maybe even second hand store unlike the other stores.
The person at the desk was… interesting. Their fur seemed almost a transparent orange, showing bones but no flesh or organs. Their skull was part of their face. Their body was cat like but stood maybe a foot shorter than me.
"Yes?" They asked as I realized I was looking… a bit too long.
"Oh, sorry." I said sheepishly. "Never seen a being like you before."
"Heh. Yeah, I get that a lot. Nokori like me are pretty rare." They shrugged.
"At least we're in the right place." Casey said. "So, do you sell specialty items for Nokori or… just something to help our son feel… happy?"
"Hm? Well there's a lot here, all looted from areas within zones that were based off the old Nokori Origin Points." They said with a shrug.
"Fair enough." I nodded, looking around the place to find something that Mantis might think is neat.
Most of what was here seemed to be specialty clothes, some small odd accessories, and books. Lots of books.
I began looking at titles. Hmm… Your Magic and You, Nokori Biology 101, Personal Care for Fur Scales and Skin, Adapting to Being a Nokori, Nokori: A Brief History, Enemies of The Nokori: Stalker Biology and Variants, Legend of The Hellfire Human Hunter, Ages of Nokori, oh that's a hardcover comic book. Hmm, neat.
"Hmm…so many books…" I hummed.
I did pick up the Stalker Biology book and look it over-
I paused at seeing the photo in here. It was of a Stalker, the body cut open to reveal Internal organs, but that's not what made me pause. It was the accreditation at the bottom.
Photo by: Researchers Able and Zena.
What?
"It…it can't be…" I muttered in surprise. "Hey, was this spawned loot or published from somewhere?" I asked.
"All my stock here was spawned loot." The clerk said.
I frowned, finding this a little…coincidental, as I gently took the book. "Maybe he'd like this…"
In the end, I took not just that book but most of the others.
Finding a ride home was thankfully easy, as a portal to home was only a few hundred rem.
"So, you want to see if I have a hidden past too?" Jenny said after I explained to her about what happened with Mantis and all that.
For the record, he very much enjoyed the book. Apparently he… recognized all the Stalker's in it.
"Yes." I nodded. "If Mantis had some Angel of Dead Memories, then I'm sure all Prize Pod people have such a thing." I said honestly. "Also…this being the first time anyone has even seen these things is also extremely shocking…"
"To be fair, how many people do you know that are doing a memory dive through genetics? Isn't that typically a Heart of Brain type deal?"
"I mean…yeah." I admitted. "But this is a whole new world of possibilities that I…never thought possible." I said.
"Well, alright I guess." Jenny shrugged. "What's the worst that could happen?"
I took her hands. Nanny taught me the specific spell and thankful I was just high enough MP wise to use it.
Jenny and I closed our eyes as we let the spell take over. When we opened them next we were in what looked to be some rundown factory long since abandoned by the original owners.
"Huh…didn't expect this kind of place." I admitted, deciding to pull out Ol'Reliable just in case as I started to look around the place.
We began walking around, all the while Jenny was eyeing everything. "Huh… something about this place feels… comfy for some reason."
"How so? Like an old home or something?"
"Sorta… the atmosphere here just feels like… something I'm used to…"
"Alright…and considering you're used to danger…"
We walked down the halls, looking into rooms and…
I backpedaled into a wall. This room was filled with the shot up bodies of police officers.
"Excuse me what the fuck!?" I asked in surprise and shock.
"... Huh…" Jenny said.
"This is…not something I expected today."
"For some reason this feels… normal?"
"Uh…huh." I said slowly. "Well I'm sure we'll figure this out when we keep going."
As we walked I noticed there was blood all around, staining the floor in pools and painting the walls. The only thing as common as the blood the further we walked was the bullet holes and cases on the floor and in the walls.
"It's like a war broke out in this place…" Jenny said.
"Yeah…and I am not liking where this is going." I said worriedly.
We soon arrived at a door. Blood was flowing in a steady stream from under the crack below it.
Jenny and I shared a look before she took a breath and opened it. Inside was a seemingly endless hallway, where windows displayed scenes. All the while the floor and walls were soaked in blood.
"Well… this is concerning…" Jenny said.
"Yeah…unless you were somehow a blood mage, this is…extremely concerning." I said nervously, walking carefully through the blood soaked corridor.
As we walked down the hallway, the windows all began playing memories.
"I… remember…" Jenny started, looking over to a window. "I was born to the most wanted crime family on planet earth…"
"So…this is why he was so scared…" I muttered, remembering an old Isekai friend that met Jenny and booked it to his sub…I hope the poor marine biologist is okay…"So…you were in a crime family…"
"Yeah… they did a lot. For as far back as our family could remember, we had been criminals. No one knew why, it was like the world labeled my bloodline villains from the birth of our earliest ancestor. So we became what they told us we were…" She said, moving over to another window. "I remember I was only four when I first took a life… he would have killed me otherwise…"
"O-oh…" I muttered. "That's…that's awful."
Jenny nodded, walking along the hall and looking into the windows, her memories… "All my life I wanted to be normal. Online, I had friends, but only through text chats and such. I never got to have a friend in real life… save my family. My older sister and cousins were all the best. With them around we could almost pretend to be normal people…" She said, smiling.
"But now you can be normal." I said readily. "Even though I'm…seeing all this now, it doesn't change how I feel about you." I said honestly, wanting her to know that I still loved her even with all this.
"I…" She started, pausing as she seemed to freeze and then ran down the hallway. I chased after her, finding her standing before another window.
I looked inside. The window showed Jenny was… injured. Lots of nasty gunshot wounds as she was walking against the hallway of the building we were in. Despite her injuries… she looked happy…
"You look happy even with…all those wounds." I said carefully.
"My sister was pregnant… this place was supposed to be safe for her to give birth but somehow the cops found out we were staying here… she had to give birth alone… while I kept them away from her…" The window showed Jenny entering a room, a woman that looked similar to her sitting on a makeshift bed with some bloody rags and some basic medical supplies. In her arms was a little baby, wrapped in a clean blanket.
The woman cried at seeing Jenny. Jenny just kept her smile, managing to walk over to her and kneel down, giving the newborn a quick pat on the head before she collapsed, next to her sister…
"I died keeping her and her baby safe…" Jenny said.
"That's…" I teared up. "You gave your life to protect your family…that is the greatest thing you can do."
"Yeah… I did…" Jenny said, tearing up herself and smiling.
Yeah… just like… just like… Mantis… he gave himself for Matthew… and Jenny gave herself for her sister… both end up here… as Lover Class… Jenny a spouse, Mantis as a child…
Is that… a pattern? Sacrifice for love?
"I…really hope I'm not finding a pattern here…" I thought to myself worriedly. "And…you became our Lover…because you sacrificed yourself for love…"
"I… I guess. That doesn't explain how I ended up in the pod or even how I'm alive… shit now I know how confused Mantis must feel…"
An all too familiar roar came from the end of the hall. I pulled out Ol Reliable and was ready.
"And now we have this asshole." I growled. "It will target you hard, don't let it capture you."
"Don't worry." Jenny said, reaching Into a nearby window and pulling out her really big fucking gun. "I know how to avoid capture."
After the retrieval of Jenny's memories, I was getting concerned… are all the Prize Pod people…
I need to check. I know how Jenny and Mantis died before arriving here… now what about others? If they do become Lovers class because they sacrificed themselves for a loved one… what about Ally and Servant classes?
"This is…getting stupidly heavy…" I groaned. "Oh God, what would Dexters memories be?" I muttered in a growing sense of dread.
I shook my head. No point in wondering that, he's away now and living with the New Foundation. Let me think… maybe… I can test this with one of the servant class people…
"Alright…now which one should I grab…" I hummed, looking out to the farm to see who was there that I could grab.
As I was walking around I spotted them. Anthony. He was a beastial like me, a mix breed of dog that had more human characteristics than animal, save the face and fur… tail. The usual.
"Hm? Oh, hey Heather." He said, giving me a smile and a wave. "What brings you here?"
"Hey Anthony, I've got a…strange request to ask."
"Shoot."
"I need to go into your genetics to see into the memories that are…locked away by a memory monster."
"... Come again?"
"I know it sounds weird…well, it is weird, but I need to look into your memories."
"But I don't have memories?"
"That's what I thought with Mantis and Jenny, it's…complicated, can I please go inside your mind?" I asked, knowing this is weird for the poor farmer but still wanting to try.
"I… guess?"
"Thank you." I said. "Now, this'll feel a little weird." I warned as I casted the spell to enter his mind.
The area we were in within Anthony's memories was… a city. A large metropolis of towering skyscrapers. Wow… not what I was expecting…
I blinked. "Huh, didn't expect this." I muttered, surprised my farmer was actually some city goer.
"... I don't like this place…" Anthony said.
"Is it because it's a city or is it because of something else?" I inquired, drawing Ol'Reliable just in case.
"It makes me feel… unhappy…" He said.
"Well…your mindscape wouldn't be this place specifically if there wasn't something here." I mentioned.
"I dunno… this whole thing feels…" Anthony stopped as we both turned and looked to the street. A bus pulled up, stopping before us and the door opened. There was no driver, and peeking inside from the door I saw… the windows. Memories.
"Well…might as well take the Memory Bus." I said, gently taking a step onto the bus.
Reluctantly, Anthony followed.
Once on the bus his memories began to play out.
The first one I noticed appeared to be childhood memories. School, playing, cartoons, reading picture books. All in all, it looks like Anthony had a pretty normal childhood.
"You looked adorable as a kid." I chuckled.
"I was just another kid…" He said, walking passed a few windows. The one he stopped at showed him looking through some agricultural books. He looked to be maybe twelve? "And despite growing up in an urban city, I always loved nature…"
"I suppose that's why you feel unhappy here? Because it's not with nature?"
"... As I grew up, I began to despise the city." He said, walking to the next window. It displayed an adult, basically as he is now Anthony standing in a crowded bus, subway, street. "The smells, the noise, the people… there were so many people. I didn't hate them, I just didn't want to be around them… I got a good job, and rented the cheapest apartment I could to save up. I wanted to buy a house out in the country, away from the noise and crowds of the city…"
"No wonder why you are always so happy to be in the fields." I hummed. "Natural born Farmer."
"I worked myself nearly to death. Long hours, late nights, good paychecks, little sleep. I was so close…" He said, the next window showing him sleepily waiting for the subway… he blinked… closed his eyes, blinked again…
I covered my mouth, he fell onto the tracks, right as the subway arrived and…
"Oh Mother…I'm…" I stuttered, not sure what to say as he just…passed out to his death…
"I was so close…" He said, tearing up. "Ain't that a bitch?" He gave a weak chuckle. "I hate the city…"
"Well…what one life took away from you…another life gave." I said softly. "Are you happy with your new life on the farm?"
"... Yeah. When I got out of that pod and was given the seedlings and tools I just felt… I dunno… complete? Like for once I was happy… and… yeah… working on the farms here has been… the happiest I've ever been in my life." Anthony said, managing a smile.
I gave him one back…
…still… he died miserable, so close to his goal…
A pattern. Three deaths… two for love, and so far… one in misery…
"I'm…sadly seeing a pattern here…" I sighed. "And I really don't like it…" I said, looking out one of the windows and seeing the Angel waiting at the bus stop. "Well…at least it was waiting patiently." I muttered, scanning the thing to see if it was any different from the others.
Okay, these patterns so far are proving… unsettling… so Lovers class come from people who died for love, Servant, people who died miserable…
Only one thing to check left… Ally Class.
There was lots of Ally Class around here. And I had one in mind to test this with.
Nate was human, tan skin with blue hair and green eyes. An odd look for a human in my opinion. He worked as a makeshift police officer for the town. Aside from some kids pranks there wasn't much he was doing during the day.
"Hey Heather." He waved.
"Hey Nate, how you doing today?" I inquired.
"Little bored, but that's a good thing. Means things around here are peaceful."
"Yeah…so I have a weird request, mind if I go into your mindscape and unlock your hidden memories?" I asked.
He raised a brow at me, but shrugged. "I guess. Not much else to do."
"Thank you." I nodded, putting a hand on Nate and used the spell.
The place I found myself with Nate was in a military base. Huh.
"Alright…Military Base, bit surprising." I said honestly.
"Huh. I like it." Nate said as he looked around. "Feels… right."
"Probably a Military man in your past life." I said honestly, pulling out Ol' Reliable just in case. "Onwards to wherever your memories might be."
"No need to sound bored with me already." He chuckled as we began walking.
"Didn't mean to." I said sheepishly, following along. "Just…have a bit on my mind about all of this."
"That's fair. So, what are we looking for exactly?"
"Well, we're going through your memories, looking for a specific place that would hold all the mirrors into it."
"Huh… like that?" Nate said, pointing over to a tent. It was a large one and the flap was wide open, showing inside was much longer than the outside and there were the many windows of memories inside.
"Yeah, that works." I nodded. "Though be careful, when we start looking through your memories, an Angel will appear soon and will try to attack you." I admitted. "But not until we learn everything we can."
"Cool." He shrugged.
We walked into the tent. Once we were inside I could see some of the memories… It looks like Nate was… raised in this base? These childhood memories have him here, play running drills and such at such a young age…
"Uh…" I blinked. "You were…raised in this military base…"
"Yeah, All Orphans were drafted into the military." He said, then blinked and chuckled. "Hey, I just remembered that. Yeah, I was told I was left outside the main gate as an infant. This base and the people that were here are the only family I've ever known."
"Well…I mean, you do look adorable trying to do some of the drills." I said honestly. "But…also a little sad that you were just…left there…"
He shrugged. "My story isn't anything special. But I was taught and trained to protect my homeland from invaders. Our town was right along the borders. My first firefight was when I was ten… Sure glad that gun was mounted. Still, hands were tingly for days after. After that I was officially ranked as a Private."
"Child soldiers…" I muttered. "Where did you live?"
"A country called Moldiva. It was large but mostly desert. What it lacked in food and water it made up for in ores and coal. The town I was from mined iron mostly, and the country we were next to, that we kept at bay was called Faluk. A coastal country rich in trade and commerce, but also greed and less than ethical sales. More often than not their mercenaries came to attack our town at least ten times a month."
"Well that sucks." I frowned. "No wonder why you were a child soldier…"
"Eh, can't really complain. I was fed, clothed, sheltered, educated, and I can take apart a glock nineteen in less than a minute." Nate shrugged. "If I remember right… This should be when it happened." He motioned to a window.
I saw through this Memory, Nate was being hit hard by enemy gunfire. All around him were troops, or rather, their corpses. His comrades and family dead around him. The enemy soldiers stopped their fire, closing in around him. Nate just smirked, patting their bloody satchel as he pulled out a string… that was tied around a whole lot of loose pins.
The explosion was massive.
"Glad I got to take those bastards out with me." Nate smirked. "That was for my family, home and country. Mostly though, it was just payback."
"Fair enough." I nodded…so Ally class dies in the line of duty…
All the Pod People classes… die… They all died… For Love, For trying to achieve a Goal, and in Battle…
They all have a past… A past they all died in…
It felt good to lay in bed and do nothing. After my day, this is all I want to do.
"What the actual hell…" I put my hand up to my forehead, my mind going through so many things, trying to come up with some explanation on how any of this was supposed to work…but it just kept coming up blank…
The biggest question that came to mind was just… where did they come from? They have pasts, and they come… are they from where the Isekai come from? That would make the most sense but what and how are they put in the pods? I know the Pods can be found in Loot Spawn, maybe it's done there or… somewhere?
I put my palms over my eyes and groaned loudly. "If someone with answers could just…magically appear, that would be fantastic cause fuck me this is turbo confusing…"
I raised my hand, looking around real quick and seeing nothing. I sighed, turning over and throwing a pillow over my head. This sucks…
"Hi."
"Ah!" I yelped, getting the pillow off and seeing Mantis standing there next to my side of the bed. "D-don't do that!" I said quickly. "But hi Mantis…what are you doing here?"
"You're stressed." He said simply. "I… keep a regularly updated scan and records of all your vital signs. You're really stressed."
"Well…when in the span of a day or two, I learn that there is a Monster guarding the Memories of all Prize Pod people, and I just learned some fundamental rule of reality on how you all got here through the Pods…and…there's too much information, too many questions…and I'm never going to get any of the answers…"
"Is that so bad?"
"A little yes." I answered. "Cause it will forever bug the hell out of me and I know there won't be anyone that'll try and explain any and all my guesses…"
"... Want to cuddle?"
I started rather… blankly at Mantis… did he… actually offer what I just heard?
"Did…you just ask to cuddle?"
"When Matthew or Zena were… upset or, having a hard time or… even just nightmares, they'd hug and cuddle. It helped level out both their vitals and reduce stress." Mantis said. "Matthew used to have them a lot once he learned about formerly being a Stalker… sometimes he shook them off, others…"
I sighed. "Alright, I need something here that I understand here, and cuddles sounds good right now."
I gently helped Mantis onto the bed and held onto them- Oh… My… Mother… Their fur is so… soft! It's like thick silk and its curls grab onto my fingers like little hugs!
"My wings aren't bothering you are they?" Mantis asked.
Their wings are so fluffy and soft! They're like an extra pillow on the pillow that's his body I swear!
"You're so fluffy…" I said, squeezing him a bit as I was super happy about this.
"Most Nokori often have extremely soft fur. I remember Zena and Matthew when they needed to get it cut for the summer months, and also got paid for their fur since it is wool and was used to make luxury clothing items sold at auctions for funding Nokori Aid programs and such."
"I understand that fully." I said honestly.
This felt nice, and was honestly relaxing. I enjoyed this as I felt my body relax and I began to drift off.
I woke up… back at my childhood home? Am… am I dreaming? I haven't dreamed anything since…
I paused, looking down as I saw a young child aged me laying on the grass…
… Okay?
"Uh…hi there?" I asked carefully. "Am I hallucinating or am I stuck in another Dream Butterfly fight again?"
"No. Hi." The little me said, giving me a wave.
"And…who might you be then?" I asked the Mini Me.
"I go by a lot of names. But everyone knows me as Armageddon." The mini me- Wait what?!
"Excuse me what?" I asked in surprise. "That's…how!?"
"How what?" They asked.
"I'm talking to the World Soul of Armageddon…how is that possible?" I asked. "I heard that some people can attune to the world and speak but…I'm just a warrior…" I said, trying to fathom how and why I'm doing this or if the planet just decided to talk to me for funsies.
"That's not how that works at all, we choose who we talk to. I usually try not to talk to too many people anymore. It mostly ends… badly." The mini me Armageddon sighed.
"I…suppose one of the few people you talked to kidnapped me and my family?" I asked.
"They used to be nice. We had fun… I just said I was lonely, I wanted friends… not this." They sighed. "But enough about that." Armageddon said as they sat up and turned to look at me. "I wanna talk about you."
"And…what do you want to talk about?"
"The pod people. You found out the secret! The first person ever to discover they have memories hidden not in their hearts or their minds but in their bodies genetics! That's so cool!"
"Wait, really?" I asked in surprise. "Out of the several Era's, nobody has ever decided to figure that out? How?" I asked incredulously, knowing there are some prominent, and kind of completely batshit, Geneticists that would would have learned this either ages ago, or would have killed to figure this out.
"Well, most people when they think of memories look at the heart, the soul, and the mind. How often do you look at your skill cells or your hair and wonder if it remembers anything?"
Huh… fair point…
"Well…while that is a fair point, I'm a Warrior, and Instinct is something that only the Body knows, your cells and the like, it's why the Uncanny Valley effect is always a weird point when you actually think about it…like, you as a person see that it is close to life like, but something about it just makes your body reject such a thing, like your own body is telling you not to trust it."
"Yeah, and I'm glad you started doing this! It can help a lot of people out. Especially once they try and find their past."
"And I'm fully willing to help do that." I said honestly. "But…are…are all the Prize Pod people just…reincarnated from their home plane?"
"Yes. The same plane as the Isekai, but unlike the Isekai, they were selected to be brought over."
"Huh…" I said slowly. "This…this is heavy stuff…"
Armageddon shrugged. "It's just how it is. The reason their memories are absent when they come out of the pods is because otherwise they will be stuck dreaming of their past, of their death… it helps the transition to not remember when they first awaken here."
"Well…that works and makes sense but…what now? Am I doing the right thing by giving them back their past?"
"That was always the hope and intention." Armageddon said. "It happened much later than everyone was expecting but this is a very good thing you've done and started Heather. This reality was built with the idea of freedom and opportunity in mind. Even on my surface, people have found joy and happiness."
"Which is surprising given…well, what this world is." I said honestly. "But…at least I'm doing the right thing here…I should still probably keep this a secret, cause there are a lot of people that could use this for bad things…" I said, even though I know Greed would probably pay hand over fist for this info…other Chaos Guilds wouldn't be so kind.
"I know… part of why I was born was for them… but I have something for you."
"What's the thing?" I inquired.
Smiling, they reached behind them, and pulled out a small gift box. The box was small, white with a red bow. I kneeled down and gently took it, lifting the lid off and it vanished from my hands.
[Legendary Abilities Acquired!
Gene Walker Obtained!
Pod Locator Obtained!
Isekai Locator Obtained!
New Titles Acquired!
Heather The Founder.
Past Protector.
New Guild Registered! First and founding member of the Past Protectors Guild established!
Bestowed Mother's Guidance! Your new Guild is now under the oversight and protection of The Mother!
New Items Obtained!
Armor of the Past Obtained!
3.7 Quintillion Rem Obtained!
2,000,000 Skill Points Obtained!
Various Items Added!]
I could only make a squeak in response… what…
"UH~..." I think I broke as I tried to fathom what the fuck just happened…
"Congratulations Heather. This has been a long time waiting to happen, but thanks to you The Mother's fourth Guild, the Past Protectors, can be established." Armageddon said, giving me a smile.
"B-But…wouldn't this paint a massive target on my back?" I asked weakly, remembering how Nanny needs to hide her true origins or else Chaos Guilds would hunt her down.
"Not really. Since you're the only member right now no one other than other Mother's Run Guild members will recognize you. Plus it's mostly the Daughters and Time Walker's the Chaos Guilds target."
"R-right…" I said slowly. "So…how am I supposed to get new Guild members? Cause this is just…so out of left field…"
"One of the items you got is a manual that will have everything you'll need to know about establishing and running your guild. As the first and founding member you will be in charge of it, but the manual will help you along the way."
"R-right…" I nodded. "Oh dear…this is gonna be…a nightmare and a half…"