NT Re-Runner

NT Re-Runner - Looping 20 - Intro and Coda

Stepping through were another tall pale Fox in a white robe with deep red eyes, silver hair. And red tips to her hair and ears. On her arm was a shorter Fox with black hair and red eyes wearing black and red robes. They were lajoi's Grandparents and they seemed in oddly high spirits. Lajoi and Asra stood up and bowed. Raithe waved for them to sit.
"You're fine. Hello Asra~"

"Ma'am..." He nodded. Asra was a bit intimidated, since that was the woman that 'welcomed him into the family.' As everyone seemed rather tense, Fin hopped over the back of the couch on the other side and sat down while sniffing the air. Lajoi blushed and lowered her head shamefully.

"Just four? To each their own." he shrugged, waiting for Raithe to walk around the length of the couch to the other side where she also sat in front of the squirming bag.

"Uhm... What's this about? Why did you need to show up? I understand that it was likely a member of-" Raithe lifted a hand in a stopping motion.

"The full picture is becoming clear. I can feel it now." She nodded towards Teuta who strutted forward and ripped open the bag. An awkward girl burst out, panting and gasping on the coffee table. Before she knew where she was she cried out.

"How the hell is it possible that it smells worse out here than it did in there!?" Suddenly she realised she was surrounded and pounced for the window, only to be caught by the neck by Teuta, walked back and put her right down on the table. The girl sat nervously in a neat cross-legged position, sweating.

Lajoi sneered at her. "Why are you tormenting my son? Is it really necessary as part of this war?" Shedu blushed and looked away. She didn't seem like she was going to answer at all, so Lajoi seethed and stood up, drawing back her hand.

"Wait, little Joi. Things are more complicated than you realise."

"Huh?" She reluctantly held her hand and waited.
"Okay?"

Raithe stood up. Shedu shuddered as the woman placed her hands on the younger fox's shoulders, releasing every single piece of Tachware that Shedu had on her.
"H-hey! What're you doing!? I- I knew you fuckers were evil!"

"You think WE are the evil one-" As Lajoi was about to protest, Fin rolled his eyes and said.

"So what if we're evil? World's a tough place."

Raithe paused, took in a deep breath, then exhaled saying. "Dear... we are not 'evil', remember?"

"Oh. Right." Fin nodded.

"We're off-track. This poor thing-" Raithe patted Shedu on the head as the fox nugget squirmed on the table.
"Is your daughter."

"What?" Lajoi squinted.

Asra took one look and nodded. "Yeah, I can see it." Shedu blinked at that and could be seen blushing at him.

"Garland's an only child. We both got 'fixed' for legitimate and..." She looked at Asra.
"Fetish reasons."

"Nice." Fin smiled.

"I know I didn't have any kids before..." She shrugged.

Raithe nodded, picking Shedu up and sitting down with her on her lap. "L-lemme go, lady!" Shedu complained.

"No.." Raithe smiled. Fin leaned over and sniffed.

"Smells like us." He remarked.

"Yes. Little, Joi, this girl is likely Garland's twin."

"Uhm..." Asra placed a hand on his wifes and argued.
"We were aware when you explained it to us that Garland was supposed to be a twin, but that the two tails signified-"

"One ate the other. It signified that." Lajoi said frankly, furrowing her brow.

"We've been bamboozled." Fin claimed seriously.

"Fin is correct, though his wording is a bit... simple. I believe that we were led to think that Garland's twin had never been born, but... what if she had and she was simply separated from us and trained somewhere else."

Lajoi became choked up. "W-why? Why would they do that?"

Fin leaned forward, scratching the back of his neck. "Unique gifts. Because all of you are born of me, there's a chance of manifesting powers. But... we think these powers manifest most often when someone has twins. So... when Garland and-"

"Shedu." Lajoi stared at the girl. Her expression was filled with a mix of emotions.
"If our girl was born healthy we were going to name her Shedu." Asra pulled Lajoi into a comforting hug. Lajoi looked at Shedu pleadingly, pushing Asra off of her.
"I shouldn't be embraced right now. Listen, I- they told us that there was not enough of you left for you to live... we-"

"You decided to get rid of me." Shedu sneered.
"Took the parts you needed to keep Garland happy and healthy and tossed me in the bin, right!?"

"No!" Lajoi cried.
"We never did that. We had everything ready to save you when you were both born! The best Tech, the best doctors! We were ready, but..." Lajoi looked down and hid her face in her hands. Asra rubbed her back, frowning. He informed Shedu.

"We were told that there was nothing that could be done. Nothing was taken from you, ever. We thought we buried you."

Shedu swallowed hard, her eyes wide with confusion. Raithe stroked her head idly. She was no longer struggling. The woman finally added.
"The cult saw to it that we were all deceived. Honestly? I'm impressed. It was the perfect ruse and it seems my Mother has outdone herself yet again." She sighed.
"Her scent is all over you..."

Fin looked at Shedu sympathetically, then turned his attention back to Lajoi and Asra.
"We've had a whiff of something for over a month now. It seemed to be... power related to my own. We couldn't place it, and it didn't seem to be affecting things too badly, or so we thought." He narrowed his eyes.
"Rogue branches are opening and closing rapidly."

"Rogue branches?" Asra questioned.

"They're... like time loops. I have mild awareness of them... It's kind of crazy, because I feel like if it was just a derivative of my own power then it wouldn't do this. I think Coda has done something and is making use of the power that should belong to Shedu and Garland to open and close loops and create ideal situations for herself. But... Garland and Shedu still have some control. If I'm feeling it correctly, I think Garland has the ability to set a new start point outside of Coda's control, while Shedu has the power over where the end point for each successive loop falls. Unless she has control over both of those, she's stuck." Fin shrugged.

"Which is why she was messing with Garland... It was to-" Lajoi began before Shedu interjected.

"To make him give up... She said that." Her lips quivered.

"She said that if Garland stopped existing and gave up she could take his power. She- she promised I'd be able to live in a world where I was the one that got to live with you guys." That admission hung in the room for quite a while.

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