Thaw Out A Second Life: Epilogue

A New Cycle

Friedrich der Grosse giggles while she stares at Victorious shyly peeking from a corner.

"Now then. I will leave the conversation between you two. I still have to take care of the paperwork"

Shortly after spotting Victorious, Friedrich der Grosse understands the situation and decides to leave the two as quickly as possible without giving Bismarck time to react.

"It's fine. Are you worried too, Victorious?"

Bismarck can only sigh at Friedrich der Grosse hurriedly dragging her feet away. She turns to Victorious and speaks with her, somewhat inviting to sit beside her at least.

"I'm worried too. It's just that I don't know how to approach her once she wakes up"

Victorious takes one reluctant step forward and musters enough courage to lessen the awkwardness by walking towards Bismarck.

"It will be different now, correct? Although Tirpitz is going to back to who she used to be, memories and traces of the META will remain. Not just the dormant wisdom cube functioning as her heart"

Bismarck lowers her gaze and stares at her hand, unsure about her feelings on the META leaving behind her wisdom cube to keep the body alive while the consciousness is destroyed rather than suppressed.

"Tirpitz will wake up restarting as her normal self without recollection of what transpired. She won't even remember her META counterpart ever existed"
"That icy blockhead of a META......." Victorious's fingers fidgets
"Do you miss her?"
"Something like that, I guess. I spent three months not knowing I've been talking to her and when she finally confessed, she ran after her sister just to die for good. I wanted to scold her more!"

Victorious then switches from sorrowful to pouting and nearly fuming in frustration, and Bismarck gently smiles because Victorious hasn't lost the energetic part of her.

"Bismarck, I don't think I can talk to her yet when she wakes up.....so I won't be visiting for a while" Victorious informs her
"Why?" Bismarck is mildly surprised
"I want Tirpitz to see me as my normal self again. Knowing her, she'd get worried if she sees me gloomy and awkward. I want to greet my friend again with the same smile like when I first dragged her out to spend time with me"
"Take your time. I know it's hard to process right now as a close friend" Bismarck lightly nods
"How about you as her big sister?"

Victorious still finds it awkward to be casually talking to Bismarck, but she sits beside her knowing it's difficult for both of them.

"Wjen I saw my META counterpart grieve and shed a tear, I don't want to lose my sister again. That's why I came to accept this is a new life for Tirpitz even if she doesn't know it"
"......" Victorious stares at the ceiling light
"After everything that happened, this became a lesson on what I must not do. I'll guide Tirpitz this time and ensure she won't undergo METAmorphosis or at least trigger her dormant wisdom cube"
"We're the only ones who knows while Tirpitz will live never knowing what happened....and I think that's for the best" Victorious sighs in exhaustion
"........."

Bismarck doesn't respond, but she silently agrees on keeping Tirpitz unaware of the past events to keep her life as peacefully as possible.

_________________________________________________________________________

The aroma of coffee and tea lingers in the air as steam from both cups faintly rises. The atmosphere between Bismarck and King George V is calm yet somewhat tensed. In the middle of the table is neatly filed documents and spread out photos of Bismarck META's group.

"They've gone quiet. Bismarck META is elusive, so it's difficult to tell" King George V shrugs
"There isn't a trace of the META remaining. My sister has returned to normal, but the matter regarding your involvement....."
"I didn't take sides with anyone. My intervention is only limited once the issue between them escalated"
"Bismarck META managed to intrude one of your bases because you help her bypass detection. However, that ended when Victorious was kidnapped and this sparked the META to confess her identity"
"I admit that escalated before I could notice. By the time I did notice, flames erupted and Tirpitz was nearly grilled"