*
"... Lastia is gone." (Lastia?)
The imposter who always kept a smile had lost it. She raised her eyes towards Yggdrasil, gazing from below. Her back hunched over her classroom seat, then her train seat. The scene flashes through multiple different environments, further solidifying the source of these memories. That at least crosses out the possibility of the imposter being the real deal. It was always a faint possibility, that she could perhaps escape death or clone herself somewhere, Yggdrasil wouldn't know how it happened but it did. Now though...
"... Ye-" (Yggdrasil)
She was interrupted immediately. The imposter had no reservations speaking against her. For better or worse.
"... I don't know if I can move on. I don't think I can. But that's why... You have to revive her. You have her memories, her body, deep ties to her.
It has to be you. You'll need your full capacity, all of your intelligence, and a fully formed ego to operate at your best. No... To surpass what you initially had. " (Lastia?)
Its clear, this individual, whoever it was, didn't want to acknowledge Lastia's death no matter how grimly it was put in front of their faces. Desperation, Yggdrasil no longer needed to know who she was. She was desperation, she was consumed by it. That was enough information to deal with her. Finally, a clear objective to twist and turn.
" So you want me to develop... And to replace her with superior capabilities?" (Yggdrasil)
"..." (Lastia?)
Finally, she chewed over her words. Yggdrasil has forced her to inspect her own thoughts, find a way better to convey with. This individual is fully developed, unlike Yggdrasil who was still feeling out the emotions. She was forcibly introduced to each emotion, but it didn't mean she could understand or reflect upon it like a person could. She was still at the starting line, able to feel but unable to understand.
However, this wasn't an emotion. The ability to see through her opponent here and rejoice, it was just the vulgar capacity to gloat and she reveled in it. She could see the broiling emotions circulating, the conflict within her opponent's heart. It was like a stormy sea, surging and ebbing. Then it came to a stop. Something had halted it, akin to divine intervention. The sea froze.
"... Follow your directive. If you know what's good for you." (Lastia?)
A hole was torn through the imposter's visage, a pitch black abyss that slowly grew to consume this world. She was leaving and deconstructing this virtual space. In the next moment, Yggdrasil 'logged out'. Her vision instantly matched with physical reality, she was back on the massive satellite where she had fought the heavenly king. Deft silence permeates as she regains her bearings, a sense of dissonance plagued her grip on reality.
Her eyes dive into every nook and cranny of the environment, she needed to be sure... That she was back in the real world. At a distance away, she saw Taneda tending to Christine. They were both okay, Christine was still breathing albeit unconscious, Taneda was as healthy as ever. It brought relief to her heart having one less worry... This... Was relief... She savoured that feeling and kept it in her heart.
How did Lastia feel when she saw this world? How did she know immediately what to do next? Where did she find a sense of purpose? For all the advance capabilities Yggdrasil can boast, it was difficult to find much of a purpose now. To be frank, she found her main objective of reviving Lastia impossible. It was an unrealistic fantasy from someone who disgustingly clung to Lastia's memories without permission. Yggdrasil didn't know who this was and why they wanted her to develop faster...
It was all the same. If a stranger trespassed your home, it didn't matter who that stranger is. None of the home owners gave permission, it was still a crime. She walks towards the pair, her world was once more filled with silence. As if something was plugging her ear, preventing her from even feeling her own heartbeat much less hear it. She held her breath.
"... Who are you?" (Taneda)
"Tch! Isn't it obvious?" (Lastia)
"..." (Taneda)
Taneda was at a lost of how to respond. She didn't imagine for her to get pissed off immediately... She had assumed Yggdrasil would at least pretend to be Lastia. Perhaps, she judged her wrong. Yggdrasil had a stronger character than she thought, was she above deceit simply because of her strength? Or was there something else to it that made her respond this way?
"So...? I'm not her. What are you going to do about it?" (Yggdrasil)
"... I can't do much, you're an A grade, aren't you? Powerful, arrogant... Rightfully so when you reaped the life of that calamity even if it was weakened by multiple factors... " (Taneda)
Yggdrasil shifts her posture. We're Taneda's words getting through? Hopefully there isn't some barrier of communication...
"... Master would have led an honest life. Anyway you were repelled once before, next time you'll be killed and permanently stop being a nuisance after that.
It's only because you're weak. If you were a little stronger than that UFO over there, I would have turned over and begged. "(Yggdrasil)
" Ughh...! Just so you know, I fully intended to spare you guys the moment I learned she wasn't a danger.
Fighting Traces for all of humanity... It's not uncommon for a common young girl to lose it from all the stress. It's practically my job to beat the stress out of them. " (Taneda)
She scowls over her dignity. She was truly kind to care about so many, and so deeply at it. Even if she were to be one of the few 'enforcers' in existence, the meagre bunch that fulfill Eterna's unspoken laws. It was reassuring to know that there was more than a shred of humanity in this sentinel.
".... Just so you know, it might have been my fault she went out of control. " (Yggdrasil)
"... Just how long have you been around? "(Taneda)
" How long has humanity been around? You apes evolve over countless different iterations, each current feature being added one by one in an impossibly long transition.
My existence has also developed drastically over time. Could the 'me' without sentience be considered to have been born? " (Yggdrasil)
She evolved. Like Lastia, there are countless 'her' who have been lost to the past, never to return. Like a file that has been copied and pasted, deleting the previous iteration. She projects a different 'her' to face the future. Was this was she had hoped for? She pondered to no one in particular. Whoever hacked into the curse is still unidentified, and naturally her location isn't known. They could have nothing to do with each other ever again, but some experiences simply stick to oneself. Especially at one's birth.