MHG-V3-4 (Initial Draft)

Chapter 24 - Two mini stories

A2.24

**** (mini story 1)

Samantha lay down on her mat spread out on the floor. She felt exhausted. Out in the living room she could hear her father having a long conversation with Tamiya, her mother. Although she would love to spend more time talking with the mother who had been missing her whole life, she also didnt want to distract her dad, who had been overcome by emotion when Tamiya's memory had been restored to her and he was able to talk to her for the first time in many years.

Samantha smiled. She thought back to that moment of apprehension when she sat waiting in her mothers server room, while Ayaka's soldier stood guard. Ayaka had asked her to place her earpi there inside the machine, so she had nothing to do but just wait.

It had been a long waiting time, but when the lights in the room had finally flickered on and the holopad shimmered on, she had had no idea what to think. Was she going to see her real mum? Or just that monstrous illusion that had happily watched as Mark had tried to do to her whatever he wanted.

Thankfully though, the woman that appeared in front of her at that moment was no monster. Her face looked grey with sadness, her fringe hanging down over her dark shaded eyes, a stream of tears trickling down each cheek.

Samantha opened her mouth once, then twice, but no words came out.

"Samantha.." Tamiya was the first one to speak, but her voice was hoarse.

"M-mom?" Samantha whisphered, almost inaudibly.

"Mm." Tamiya moaned her confirmation, the edges of her lips curling upwards as she did so.

"I'm.. I'm sorry Samantha. I've been a terrible mother to you."

"No." Samantha said, shaking her head. "It wasnt your fault."

"It was." Tamiya said. "I gave myself to my work so that i even became my work. Because of that, i could never be a real mother to you. I'm.. sorry."

Samantha broke down at that point, collasing to the floor and weeping uncontrollably.

Tamiya also cried, but didnt speak anything. She knelt down and simply watched as Samantha cried.

After some time Samantha took some deep breaths to control her sobbing.

"Thank you." she said. "Thank you for coming back to me. Even though its been a long time, its not too late to start being my mom again."

"Samantha.." Tamiya spoke softly.

"Y-you don't want to?" Samantha suddenly asked, looking up.

"No, of course I do." Tamiya said, shaking her head gently. "But I don't feel worthy.."

"Worthy or not, you are the only one. So you have to do it, okay?" Samantha said firmly.

Tamiya smiled and nodded.

"You're right." she said. "Which means you've got a lot to tell me about."

"A lot to tell you about?"

"The life you've been living." Tamiya said gently. "I missed out on almost all of it. You're already grown up. You have to tell me everything that has happened."

"R-right here? And now?"

"Why not?" Tamiya shrugged and smiled. "I've got the door, so there's no way anyone will disturb us."

Samantha looked at the door and smiled. What before looked like a prison door had now become the gate to a sanctuary where she could feel permanently safe.