Family Undiscovered: A DDLC AU

Chapter 10: Lost and Found

            Monika ran home, packing everything in a green string bag, pulling the bag over her shoulder when done. Keeping low and quiet while trying to sneak out of the house, without her father noticing her doing so. Which wasn't a problem since her father was dead asleep on the couch in the living room with the television as well. Making it easier for her to escape, but when she got outside, she couldn't Kathryn anywhere, not at the library, the mall nor at her mom's house. Monika growled as tears blurred her while she sat upon the top of the stairs of her mom's porch, hands on her cheeks and elbows on her knees. As tears flowed down her pale face, a silver ford focus pulled up to the driveway, lights turning off as the driver seat's door opened wide. Looking up at the car, she caught a glimpse of her mother climbing out of her car, purse, and keys in hand.

         Emily, who shut the door behind her, stepped closer to the stairs, only to catch the sight of Monika sitting on the stairs. "Monika? It is you?" Emily asked her, dropping her purse and keys on the ground by accident. Monika sat there, gently nodding her head, hoping that Emily wouldn't be angry at her. Emily's eyes suddenly became whelmed up with tears of happiness with a smile, stating, "Oh my goodness!! I can't believe it!!". Still crying, Emily ran up to her, embracing her in a hug, which Monika returned one to her. The loving embrace from the both of them had tears build-up to the point, where those same tears became a waterfall. After a while, the both of them let go of each other, wiping their tears away until the both of them were okay again. "So how have you been, my dear daughter?" Emily asked, hoping she was doing well. "I'm fine, but have you seen Kathryn?" Monika replied to her mother, hoping for an answer. "No, I'm afraid not," Emily told her, thinking about the last time she saw Kathryn, "But I hope she's ok, I just finished putting up missing posters about her,". Monika looked to the right as she shifted her eyes down to the ground, "Hmm....Is there any secret locations you think she would go?" Monika asked her.

"I do, but it's not a safe one for us anymore,"

"And where would that be?"

"Zaida,"

       The mention of Zaida brought a little memory to her, but it was faint to the point that she couldn't remember the memory fully. Despite that, the both of them agreed to look for her in the area of Zaida, making their way downstairs towards the basement. Approaching the basement, the glow of the portal led them to where Emily's portal was hiding. Monika's eyes grew wide open as she saw the portal that Emily had in her mother's secret closet. Emily approached the portal without a care in the world, stepping into the portal like it was nothing. Monika just stood there in place, not sure about any of this, but Emily poked out her head and asked, "Are you coming?", before going back into the portal. After Emily went into the portal, Monika stood still for a moment, taking a deep breath before she took a final step inside the portal in front of her.

        Meanwhile, on the other side, Kathryn raised her eyebrow at Mocha, asking, "Excuse me? What do you mean by a fugitive member?". Mocha's eyes shifted her eyes away from Kathryn, her expression seemed to go from surprise to a sad one based upon her shifting eyes. Even Rose and Sakura turned away with shifting sad expressing eyes, for the three of them weren't sure whether or not to tell Kathryn the truth behind those words.

       However, before they could even decide, King Valentino Zareth made his way down the stairs with two guards by his side. Kathryn, Rose, Sakura, and Mocha hid Kathryn behind them as Valentino walked by without noticing them. "How did he get down here?" Kathryn questioned the situation, yet was shushed, for she was almost loud enough to be heard. "Because, this bunker is on the other side of a cell and apparently, there's a window on the opposite wall of a library from the entrance door," Sakura explained as all three of them agreed, trying to say it's the truth. Kathryn believed them for the moment but wasn't sure about any of this. However, as Valentino Zareth came towards the library, two dim silhouettes of a middle-aged woman and a girl about her age. Yet, all three voices became familiar, but she wasn't if she was right about who all three of those people in the library were. So, with a little confidence, Kathryn tried to enter the library, but Rose pulled her down, shaking her head with little movement. This time, she stayed back, but as the clues and voices became closer to her, she became right.

"Woah, what are you doing? I already signaled to you, no, don't you listen at all?"

"Please, my family's in there!!"

"Wait, what?!! How?!!"

"I'm not sure, but I won't let them get hurt!!"

"But-"

"No, Rose, I have to do this!!"

       "Okay," Rose sighed, letting Kathryn go past her, hoping she would be okay in the end. As Kathryn charged through the window, falling from the frame of the window. Though, this accident only happened, due to her hand slipping, trying to get her legs over to the other side of the window. From the accident, Valentino became able to hear her fall and the noise of her landing upon the floor, causing him to follow the sound. As Kathryn tried to get up, she saw a mysterious hand reach out towards her, but she wasn't sure whether to take the hand or not. Though, seeing that she needed the help getting up, Kathryn grasped the hand in front of her, rising from the dusty ground. However, once she had got up from the ground, she looked at the familiar face, the one who started the experimentation long ago. King Valentino Zareth, the man behind so many secret things that Kathryn didn't know yet, but the one, who now caught her.