Summary of the experience: Damn nature, you scary.
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Wandering in an empty world of snow and winter, Tirpitz stares at the gray cloudy sky that doesn't change no matter how long she stares at it. Tirpitz turns her head left to right, but there's only the unchanging snow stretching in all directions. There isn't any object in sight as if the distance is forever sealed by thick fog.
"Victorious chose to ignore her instincts all this time and feared leaving her ignorance. Why did she choose to believe a lie?"
Tirpitz takes a breath. Even though she appears to be asking herself, she's aware of another presence standing nearby by her left side.
"......."
Like before, it's what Tirpitz perceives as an echo or reflection of the original one whose body she's currently occupying.
"To begin with, I only accepted this stupid offer because I didn't want another me in this world. I knew our mistake would be repeated" Tirpitz turns to face it
"........."
"Right before I knew it, I came to treat your Victorious as someone dear to me too because I couldn't remain stubborn with her genuine affections. Even in another timeline, I'm a softhearted fool"
"........."v
"Even when I wanted revenge against Victorious META, a part of me hesitated......even for a moment. This feeling, after I killed her? It's guilt. No matter how much I wanted revenge, she was still once my friend who wanted to revive me"
The "reflection" is usually stoic incapable of even uttering a single word, but it furrows its eyebrows for a moment and stretches down its lips, expressing sorrow and frustration.
"A long time ago, I was someone whose heart was frozen and grown numb. As a result, I forgot warmth and felt empty. Emotions were hindrances, so I didn't value human life and trampled on the lives of others.....until I met you....."
Tirpitz turns around and meets Victorious META who's more expressive at least compared to the reflection behind her.
"Unlike this timeline, our circumstances was worse. You would cut down your comrade without a second thought, but I got through that stubbornness of yours. I thought I had to start over again when your METAmorphosis failed....." Victorious META scoffs
"My feelings became worse to the point I nearly lost my faith in humanity"
"Your heart wasn't in the right place because it stagnated you. That's why you doubted until you eventually gave up. As if it answered your will, your wisdom cube shut down its freezing ability and let you die"
Victorious META approaches her and gently presses Tirpitz's chest. Surprisingly, the latter isn't annoyed or hostile towards her.
"We tampered your wisdom cube and forcibly reactivated it. As a result, we brought back an undead META whose death was postponed when the wisdom cube was frozen"
"Even now, my body remains dead....." Tirpitz sighs
"It's corrupted now because your nature as a META is assimilating it. You'll go back to being the old you without the revenge"
"......" Tirpitz lowers her head
"Are you still scared of leaving them?"
"I love my peaceful life, but it's not me. I'm not the one they see and I have to live with that fact"
"Heh. It's been a while since I've seen you this sad...."
Victorious META nearly breaks out into a laughter but gently covers her lips with two fingers. She's amused seeing Tirpitz reacting negatively to her teasing, but she sighs as it's difficult for her to see the living one filled with sorrow.
"I want a real fresh start without the need to lie to myself and to others. It's horrible to replace someone just so to spare someone else's feelings" Tirpitz clenches her fists
"Do you hate it?"
"......I don't know"
YOU ARE READING
Thaw out a Second Life
FanfictionA month after the incident with Victorious META, Tirpitz lives her second chance in life free of another ego and an enemy targeting her. Even so, she lives in worry and guilt from having to hide the cost of being able to live peacefully.
