-2: 90
Off on distant shores, at a certain beach.
Yuni coughed up water as she slowly pushed herself up. Her pink twin-tails had come undone, leaving her hair hanging loose behind her in pink waves. Meanwhile, her eyes, once a dull gray and now a clear violet hue, scanned the surroundings. Hugging her black cloak over her body, she called out in a raspy voice. "Mihara...?"
From nearby, another woman coughed. Wearing a skin-tight leather outfit that barely hid anything at all... and which seemed to be more like strings than an actual outfit, only barely keeping her modest...
Mihara got up, her long black hair trailing behind her. "Ugh..." She wiped the sand off her body and said, "I hate sand... Yuni. Are you alright?"
Yuni smiled and ran over to hug Mihara. "I'm fine! Are you?"
"Yeah." Mihara let out a small smile. "I'm perfect. But I think we should thank our new friend, shouldn't we?"
"Oh! Yes!" Yuni turned around and looked along the shore. "Siren? Are you here?"
Silence.
For a moment, Yuni was worried that their new friend didn't make it with them.
But then a rippling rainbow bubble emerged from the water and someone stepped out.
A woman with golden eyes and long hair, shifting from black to green and violet, looking almost like seaweed. Triangular hair pieces separating that hair into twin tails. And a black skintight suit that looked a bit like scuba gear, going up to her chest and leaving her shoulders bare.
Siren... or Little Mermaid as some would call her.
She stepped onto the shore and looked at Mihara and Yuni with concern.
Mihara chuckled and said, "You can talk, Siren. Your kotodama doesn't work on us, remember?"
Yuni nodded. "Yeah! And even if it does, it'd be fun!"
"I-If you say so!" Siren smiled and jogged over. "Are you two okay though? I didn't think Gluttony would spit us out like that... are you hurt?"
Mihara smiled. "Pain is nothing new, Siren. We're fine."
"Mmhm!" Yuni let out a bright smile. "Compared to getting those Rapture cores and things shoved in us, a little water and drowning is exciting!"
Siren blinked. "Um... exciting?"
Mihara chuckled. "Well. We have... interesting hobbies, shall we say? Breathplay is one of them."
"Huh?"
"...Mm, you're so innocent." Mihara chuckled and tapped Siren's nose. "It's what makes you cute."
Siren blinked. Then she huffed. "I'm not innocent! I mean..." She sighed. "...Don't make fun of me too much?"
Yuni stretched and said, "No promises! But... Mihara. Can you contact Syuen at all?"
Mihara chuckled. "Did you forget, Yuni? Even if I wanted to... we were underwater."
"...Right." Yuni sighed. "...So we've just gotta walk and hope we find our way back, huh?"
Siren smiled and said, "Oh! I can help with that! My bubbles can send messages!"
Mihara paused. "That's right. You did mention that. Hm..." She took a look around and said, "Since we're on the surface... should we try to send a message towards that Commander?"
Yuni's eyes lit up. "You mean that cool guy who threatened Syuen?"
Siren looked nervous and said, "C-Cool guy?"
Mihara nodded. "That's right. He's in charge of the Outpost too, so if anyone can get us sorted, it should be him." She looked at Siren and said, "How do your bubbles work, Siren?"
"B-Before that... Where's Mori?" Siren looked around concerned.
At that time, another wave crashed against the shore and then a shorter Nikke with silver hair and a blue uniform washed up. "Urgh... I hate... water..."
"Mori!" Siren jogged over and helped her up. "Are you okay?"
"Could be better... Ugh. But are we really out?" Mori looked around. "...Where are we?"
Mihara shrugged. "Beats me. But I do know two things."
Yuni nodded. "Mmhm! One!" She pointed at the bomb collars on her and Mihara's neck... or what was left of them. "Gluttony ate our collars, so we don't have to listen to Jien or anyone anymore!"
"H-Huh?!" Mori blinked and looked at them. "...It's really gone? But how?"
Mihara stretched. "Well... I think that Gluttony thought we were Raptures. Technically, we *are* Heretics right now."
Silence filled the air.
Mori reflexively took a step back. But then she paused and let out a slow exhale before stepping forward again. "...That makes sense. You guys did say M.M.R. did weird experiments on you with Rapture parts."
Siren looked concerned and said, "Are you alright? I had a friend who became a Heretic and-"
"WHAT?!" Mori jumped up. "You never said that!"
"S-Sorry...?"
Mori paused. "...N-No. I'm sorry." She sighed. "...It's habit. I mean, you didn't abandon us even after all of that, so I guess I can trust you. But... a Heretic? Really?"
"Mmhm..." Siren looked sad and said, "...It was terrible. She regretted it a lot after she came to her senses. I hope she's okay... Oh!" Siren shook her head and looked at Mihara and Yuni. "But are you two alright? If you're a Heretic... isn't it bad?"
Yuni tilted her head to think. But after a bit, she shook her head and said, "Dunno! It's a bit weird. I think I can transform? But..." She hummed and said, "...I mostly just feel like I can... sense other people?"
Mihara nodded. "Same here. It's probably what Syuen theorized about Heretics being able to sense each other to coordinate... But I think we're a bit different."
Siren looked at Mihara and slowly nodded. "I think so too! You don't feel scary like the other Heretic Raptures I've seen... And you remind me of Levi. Your eyes aren't red!"
Mori tilted her head. "...Wait. That's right. Huh." She furrowed her brow. "...Does that mean you're a Heretic but you aren't corrupted? How does that work?"
Mihara shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe Syuen did something? Or the Rapture parts they used were broken? Jien said she used parts from the Rapture we were originally going to capture... but that Commander had already killed it. Maybe it was too broken and we only got half-corrupted?"
Siren smiled. "Well, I'm happy that you're fine!"
Yuni smiled back and said, "Me too!" She hugged Mihara and said, "Now we can be monsters together~"
"Yuni..."
Mori gave them a blank stare and said, "You two are weird."
Mihara chuckled. "You'll understand when you're older, Mori."
"Hey! I'm plenty old!" Mori huffed. "...And I don't think I want to understand anyway."
Siren giggled. Then she said, "Well... should we get going? I don't think sitting around here all day is going to help."
Mihara nodded. "Yes-" She paused. "...Actually, we might need to get ready for combat."
Mori's eyes widened. "What?! Why-"
A swift breeze, followed by a surge of heat.
After that, a woman with lilac hair and a jellyfish-inspired mechanism drifted to the ground.
Right next to her, a woman with crimson hair and dragon wings landed on the ground.
Liberalio looked at Mihara and Yuni before smiling. "My, my. So I was right." She looked over at Nihilister and said, "I told you we had sisters."
Nihilister looked at Mihara and Yuni. Then at Mori and Siren. After that, she said, "...Alright. Guess we'll call Pops to see what he wants to do."
Mori blinked. "...Pops?"
Liberalio let out a dreamy smile. "Yes. Father. I believe the Ark calls him the Valiant? He also goes by Commander Hoopa... Quite the silly name."
Nihilister snorted. "Silly until you realize that it stands for Hero of Omnipotent Powers Annihilated. And that Pops is crazy enough to live up to that name."
Siren hesitated, looking at Liberalio and Nihilister while hugging an iridescent bubble. She glanced at Mihara, a silent question in her eyes. Whether or not to use her Kotodama.
But Mihara laughed. "Well, this is convenient. We were just talking about that one." She tapped her chin and said, "Why don't you tell that Commander that Syuen's latest masterpieces completed their mission and are returning with a hero from the past."
Siren gasped. "A-A hero? Me? I don't know if I'd call myself that..."
Mori shook her head. "Even if it went wrong, you're definitely a hero, Siren. Don't talk down on yourself."
"Aw... thank you, Mori."
Mori's ears turned red. "D-Don't mention it. Seriously."
Nihilister hummed and then pulled out her phone.
Mori noticed and said, "Wait. How are you going to-"
"Hey, phone. Call Pops."
*Now calling, Pops.*
"...Oh." Mori blinked. "Right."
An awkward silence fell over the group as the ringer on Nihilister's phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
And then...
*What's up, Nile? I'm just getting the reunion party ready for my dad. You girls finished with your flight?*
"Not yet, Pops. But we found some people who are like us... and apparently a hero?" Nihilister eyed Mori's clothes and the logo on it. "...Also a Nikke from that Missle or whatever you call it."
*Missilis? Weird. There shouldn't be anyone from that place out and about on the surface... Wait a bit.*
Silence.
And then Hoopa's voice echoed again.
*Syuen wants to know if there's a Yuni and Mihara out there. And if they're okay. Also, if they're there, sorry not sorry for no-selling your schtick when we met.*
Mihara chuckled. "None taken, Commander."
Nihilister raised an eyebrow at Mihara. Then she glanced back at her phone and said, "...That's what she says, Pops."
*Oh, huh. Alright, then you might as well bring everyone home. You can go ahead and use your dragon form. We'll just call you a megazord.*
"...The hell is a megazord, Pops?"
*A transforming giant mech that goes from humanoid to animal. You turn into a dragon. You're a megazord.*
"...Sure."
*Anyway, gotta get going. Apparently, Dad wants me to greet my aunties. ...Still weird to think that the Goddess Squad are my aunts, but life be lifeing. Love you gals, try not to get into war with Eden before we can send Aunt Dorothy back to clear up any miscommunications.*
After that the line went dead.
Nihilister stretched and said, "Well. Looks like you're getting a ride back... Ugh. To think I went from a mighty dragon to transporting random human imposters..."
"Now, now, Sister." Liberalio chastised Nihilister and said, "You heard Father. No using racist words."
"...Fiiine. Humans."
"Good. I won't tell Father you called them human imposters."
Nihilister flew up in the sky and transformed into her dragon form before landing down on the ground.
Her voice echoed with a growl as she said, "Let's just go before I think about how crazy my life's gotten..."
Liberalio giggled and said, "It could be worse, Sister. You could be like Indivilia and stuck in a child's body on timeout after Father pulled her out of Vanitas."
"...Good point."
Mori looked at Liberalio, Nihilister, then the others. After that, she turned to Siren and said, "Uh. Siren?"
"Yes, Mori?"
"...What's going on?"
"...We're being taken back to meet the Commander? And the Goddess Squad? I think?"
"...Right." Mori slowly nodded. "...I'll just... assume I'm still unconscious and lost at sea until the world makes sense again then..."