Psychophony

...

The passing of time hadn't been a problem for a while. People came and went, and that was to be expected. She wasn't allowed to move on, none of the two sides wanted Tanya after death. Well, no, the one in charge of hell, said he admired her and would give her a bunch of gifts. Of course, the bastard wouldn't reveal what they were. One of them, it seemed, she was allowed to change clothes and wash herself in her old home. She was allowed to roam the city but was completely invisible. She didn't need to eat, just the smell of food manifested a plate of whatever the blonde fancied from whatever restaurant she was close by.

Tanya could visit her old office, that now was a museum. In a way, it was her responsibility to keep things from being destroyed, she hid most of her involvement because of how many people tried to destroy her precious work, to erase her from history. Nobody could see her, but the occasional medium or child. Some would talk, some would stare, those last ones Tanya would just walk away from. So what if she was mostly in uniform? It was comfortable and professional-looking.

December usually was cold, it didn't affect Tanya but she knew it wasn't nice for other people. The blonde didn't know what made her do it, but she wore something different. Something she used when she had days off from the army, a plain long-sleeved shirt and black pants. Doing her routine walk around the museum that used to be her headquarters, she paused. A familiar smell came to her. One Tanya missed and loved, coffee brewed to perfection that only her adjutant could have been able to do. Yet, she was dead... Impossible.

Tanya rushed towards the window, seeing someone with Chestnut brown long hair. This one slowly turned shocked but smiling apologetically. The familiar girl opened the window, the smile Tanya remembered so clearly on her lips. "Hey! Aren't you cold? Would you like some coffee? Of course you would, duh, it's cold. Umm right!"

"Yes..." Tanya nodded.

"I didn't introduce myself! My name is Victoria Neumann! I work here as an archivist. Call me Vicky"

"Tanya Degretschow, I guess we could say I'm a conservator responsible for unit 203 artifacts and documents" close but not exactly. After all, she was the one preventing them from being destroyed. "Just... Call me Tanya"

"The unit 203... Oh my god! I was actually searching those documents" visha... No, Vicky, gave Tanya a coffee cup, and for the first time in years, the blonde drank real coffee and not the ghost of it. It was nostalgic, and she wanted more, more of whatever this situation was.

This was how this relationship began, Tanya stopped wearing her uniform, in a way not wishing to break the illusion. Coffee, chocolate desserts, talking to the girl who looked like her old adjutant, helping her with unique information by extracting documents she hid from everyone.

"Tanya! We will have an exhibition about the 203 soon." Vicky seemed very excited "Grandpa gave me some stuff we kept from his ancestors. I even have pictures. Do you think our Curator will accept them?"

Tanya knew the man, Don Starr, a history buff, anything genuine would make him happy, much more if it was about the legendary unit. When all the orders to hide information expired he was the first to expose that there was at least some child soldiers. He wanted people to see both sides, something the blonde admired.

"I am sure he will, but I would like to check them first" said Tanya smiling a little when Vicky eagerly nodded.

She was handed pictures she could easily recognize, a small smile appearing on her face. The first one was at Christmas, they had been at the front lines, Tanya could claim it an anomaly... But both sides temporarily stopped fighting. She remembered how everyone sang Christmas carols, and Neumann learned how to make s'mores with their limited supplies. Who would have thought chocolate-covered marshmallows could be so convenient? The picture depicted Neumann and other soldiers making them. Tanya couldn't be seen since the fire was covering her face, but the person between her and Neumann was a familiar figure. A busty brunette soldier, the exact replica of Vicky... The girl she loved in her lifetime gorging her face with the snack: Victoriya Ivanova Serebeyakov.

"Tanya?" The blonde looked up looking back at a pair of wide brown eyes. They looked exactly the same, only eye color and hair length changed. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing, it's a good picture, also, temperature changes," said Tanya fumbling with her excuses. "Did your grandfather tell you anything about this?"

"Well, it was after this situation that my family created our cafe and bakery, Silver Noel. When I was little it was tradition that on Christmas clients get a free s'more... I was told the name was an idea by the legendary Argent. Oh! And umm it's tradition we dance together..."

Visha, that had been her idea that day. She had made everyone learn how to dance, her dear adjutant had been very impressed Tanya knew ballet. They also danced around Christmas songs even though not all really have dances. One of the first times Tanya was thankful the tradition existed.

"It's this song! I don't know why... But I know what the lyrics are. It's not really a Christmas song, but it seems that after soldiers heard it and memorized it, some searched for it, and it was in the archives of the emperor's mother... Once the ruler of Russi before her retirement and coming here to stay with her younger son" Tanya watched Vicky play the song, of course, it was in Russian, but it was making her nostalgic.

Once upon a December, something Visha, her adjutant mentioned when she asked about it. The lullaby her grandmother sang to her. Vishal back then had explained that it was a song of regret. The story was, that her grandmother had fought with her ex-mother-in-law. And regretted it to the end of her life. Still, Visha didn't resent the situation caused by her grandmother's fight with the other lady.

Tanya watched Vicky sway, and placed her hand in front of her "Would you like to dance with me?"

She nodded, and Tanya smiled. Vicky and Visha were similar but different in many ways, height, was one difference, Vicky wasn't a glutton, but was a workaholic, to the point she could go overboard. Vicky likes to wear fashionable feminine clothes, while Visha hadn't had the time or care for them. Their love for makeup was also different, Visha preferred not to be bothered by it much, but Vicky liked applying it lightly on herself. While Vishal liked having her hair down and a little under shoulder length, Vicky was creative with styling her long hair.

Yet, they always preferred to have Tanya guide the waltz. Maybe, this was a reincarnation without memories. The blonde was fine with that. They were becoming close, and days and seasons passed. And then Tanya started to hear it around the museum. They were calling her Vicky crazy. Ever since December three years ago When Vicky began to work on the files and history of 203, she started to go crazy.

It angered Tanya, but rationally it made sense why they would think that. Tanya was technically a spirit. Few could see her. Why could Vicky do so? How could she consume every physical thing Vicky brought?

"Tanya?" It was time. She turned, looked at Vicky, and sighed.

"What I'm about to give you, you need to be very careful with."

"Yeah!" That fool's smile. The blonde took it out from the floorboards making Vicky gasp about to panic. Tanya gave her a small box, filled with pictures of herself and Visha, along with four important things, the gems they used in their army days, and a pair of rings, ones she never got to give to Visha.

She watched as she looked through them. Wonder, nostalgia, tears, pain, and then her gaze froze when looking at the jewelry. "Major....?"

"Lieutenant Serebreyakov"

"I... I still like to be Vicky... but I remember! I remember everything. I'm... I'm so sorry I'm so sorry I left I-"

"You died, or that life ended, it wasn't your fault. But now, we can be here again... It's legal now. Isn't it, wife?" Tanya placed the ring on Vicky's finger "I love that version of you, but I also love who you are now. I want to know all your flavors..."

"That sounds so bad"

"You love me anyway"

"Yeah, I do Tanya" They kissed, she missed this, the gems glowed, and then the door opened. Both jumped embarrassed when Curator Don Starr entered. The man sighed irritated. "Yea engagement jitters or whatever, please don't you dare mess up this office Miss Neumann and Miss Degretschow."

Wait, she knew that gaze it was the one in charge of hell. The glint in his eyes told her it was the last gift. She had a body now, she existed again, a new her. Her lover had memories... "Thanks, we won't. You'll be invited to the wedding... Morningstar"

He laughed. Vicky smiled and kissed her. Yeah, these were the best gifts ever.