Family Undiscovered: A DDLC AU

Chapter 16: The Distance Between Zaida and The Doki Doki World

                  Monika and Kathryn both felt awful about what they saw in the video, looking down at their seats, letting a sighing breath of guilt. "What do we do, Mon-Mon?" Kathryn asked her sister, hoping that she would have an answer. "I'm not sure, Katty Kath," Monika told her, still looking down at the floor, trying to think of something. As Monika did this, Kathryn took out a little journal covered in pink-colored leather with her name engraved on the cover. Opening the journal, she turned to a blank page, using her pen filled with blue ink to write down her feelings, preparation of a plan, etc. Kathryn tried to think of anything to do until a little light bulb in the closet turned on by Natsuki to get her manga, coincidentally as Kathryn conjured up a plan. "I've got it, Monika!!" Kathryn perked up, raising her right index finger in the air, along with her pen still in hand as well. "Oh, you do? Well, spit it out. Sis!!" Monika cheered up, wiping her tears away. "Well, you can stay here, and I will stay in Zaida while I come for every meeting that is planned and you can tell me when they are," Kathryn explained, showing her drawn-out plan from her engraved journal. Monika looked at the plan, smiling wide as her eyes perked up a little as well. "But we'll be separated again..." Monika replied, anxious about separating again. "We won't, I'll just live in Zaida while I also visit the literature club every meeting too, and some days, I'll just visit to see you, ok?" Kathryn explained once more, hoping Monika would approve and agree to it. Monika thought long and hard about this, not sure about this plan at all whatsoever. However, on the other hand, she trusted Kathryn at all costs, no matter what, so she nodded her head, and answered, "Okay, but be safe in Zaida, since things seem to be dangerous there,". "I promise to stay safe," Kathryn reassured her, preparing to leave school and go to the portal of Zaida. Monika smiled, taking a deep breath in and exhaling out all her worries from the beginning of her anxious spiraling. After that, Monika rose from her seat, fixing her ponytail with her white ribbon still tied in place to hold up the ponytail she was still wearing. Fixing her ponytail, she became ready to plan all the rest of her meetings and apologize to her clubmates. Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri all sat around doing different activities, Sayori faked a smile at Monika while eating cookies from a bag that Natsuki gave before reading her manga, "Parfait Girls". While those two were doing that, Yuri stayed leaned up against the wall, since her back started to hurt, due to her particular height measurement. Leaned up against the wall, Yuri ate little chocolates while reading the portrait of Markov, reading every detail and word on the pages in front of her. She was in a deep focus like Natsuki was her manga book as well before Monika went back to her desk. "Okay everyone, I have a bit of news to share with all of you," Monika sighed again, looking down at her desk this time while her hands were placed on different sides far away from the other. "Oh, what is it?" Sayori asked in concern, trying to keep her fake smile on. "Yeah, what is it?" Natsuki snapped a little, rolling her eyes over to the window down while Yuri looked up from her book, asking the same question all well, but in a more timid voice than usual. "Well, Kathryn had to go back to Zaida, our homeworld, where most of our family resides," Monika answered them, saddened to tell them this. "Wait, is she not coming back, Monika, I'm sorry, maybe..." Sayori started to cry as anxiety crept through her mind, along with her spiraling depression at its side. "Don't worry, maybe something's wrong with the world like ours, not that I care or anything!!" Natsuki stated after Sayori started to spiral like a spinning top on the floor or another flat surface. "Well, maybe she just doesn't want to leave home...either," Yuri stated that in her timid, mono-like voice, sitting up against the wall still. "No, it's just our home is in danger and Kathryn wanted to leave to protect as best as she could, but she said she'll come back for every meeting we have for the club," Monika told them, hoping her spoken words of what's happening would ease their thoughts. "What? Then we have to go help, don't we? We can't just leave Kathryn defenseless!!" Natsuki replied, concerned for Kathryn at this point. "No, she's fine, I just know it," Monika reassured Natsuki, hoping she and the rest of the clubmates don't ask anything else. Though much to Monika's despise, after the club meeting, though they didn't ask anymore, Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri decide to follow Monika to Zaida. Each one of them hoped to help in some way in Zaida, for they wanted to make sure Kathryn and Monika would be ok.

     Earlier Kathryn, as she went back to Zaida, stepped through the portal only to see Jayden Yami and Valentino Zareth talking together. Seeing this, Kathryn snuck over to the bush, though something didn't seem right to Kathryn. All six kids that she saw in the family history book, standing together as a family with the two mothers not with them. "So Jayden, you understand why I ask this from you?" Valentino asked of him, hoping that he understood.

    "Yes, I understand, my kiddos here will alert me if any Poe is still here in hiding or if one ever returns as well. Right, kids?" Jayden reassured Valentino, nudging his son, Jeremiah. Who was standing near him, who nudged his brother, Jacob, who nudged Rose, who nudged Flare, and so on. This repeated pattern of nudging lasted until Mocha was the last one who got nudged in the pattern. Leaving each kid with a fake smile as Kathryn moved to the other bush across from the conversation. Rose noticed Kathryn as she moved, making her nervous, hoping her father wasn't looking at her at all. Which much in Rose's favor, Jayden walked away after the conversation, allowing all the kids to go different directions about the sight of Kathryn.

     "Father!! We found one!!" Jeremiah shouted, trying to get his father's attention, while Rose rolled her eyes, pushing Kathryn back into the bush with a fake smile. Rose wasn't happy about Jeremiah's actions, but neither was Mocha as she rolled her eyes as well. Yet, instead of Jayden, Valerius had come by, hoping to find Kathryn somewhere, knowing she was in the world earlier. "Kathryn!! Kathryn!! Kathryn, my sweet!!" Valerius called while he walked along the road, hoping to find her. "Ughh!!" Rose and Kathryn both expressed, annoyed at the sound of Valerius' call. Kathryn hoped he would go away, which Rose agreed in her mind, for if Valerius saw her in the bush, they were doomed. So, in the short time they had, Rose signaled Kathryn to follow her until the both of them were safe.