Ayame Kasagi sits nervously at her desk, staring at her computer screen. She closes her eyes and takes several deep breaths. She rapidly types on her computer, trying to bring up Skype before she can change her mind. She hits the enter key, then immediately looks like she regrets it. She sits there in silence for several second, looking like she's going to jump out of seat. She tries to busy her mind by watching the footage from the last couple of battles. She calms down, and jerks, gasps, smiles, and cheers in response do the videos.
She jumps when the message alarm chimes. She hesitantly hits a few keys, and reads a message asking to set up a video chat. She slowly presses a few keys, bringing up an image. Before her is her mirror image. Both are taken aback by the other, and examine each other in silence for a few moments.
The girl suddenly blurts out, "I know who you are! You're my doppelganger, right? Does that mean you're evil? You don't look evil. Is that arr...uh, aero-gant of me, since you look like me?
Ayame scratches her head. "Um...no, I'm not a doppelganger?"
"Oh," the girl thinks for a moment. "Um...are you an Eidolon?"
"Uh, noooooo, I'm not..."
"A kitsune?"
"No, I..."
"A homunculus, right?!"
"What? I'm not even sure what..."
"Oh, I know, I know! You're from an alternate dimension, right? What school do you go to?"
"I...I don't go to school, I'm twenty years old."
"REALLY?! But you're so little, just like me. Why didn't you get bigger?"
Ayame narrows her eyes, muttering, "You're a wordy little thing, aren't you?"
"What?" The girl asks.
Ayame shakes her head. "Nothing, listen, what's your name?"
The girl smiles, answering, "My name is Takahashi Ayaka. What is your name, other me?"
Ayame smiles, remembering the innocence of youth. "My name is Kasagi Ayame. You're in Jap..."
"Hey, I had an Aunt named Ayame! My mama says I look like her. Are you her? Mama said she died, though."
Ayame's takes a moment to gather her thoughts, and asks, "Is mama...I mean, your mother home?"
"Yeah, she's just laying down. You want me to get her?" Ayame nods, and Ayaka runs off. Ayame nervously taps her finger, considering leaving.
Before she can lose her nerve, Ayaka returns with her mother in hand. Upon seeing Ayame, the woman is dumbstruck, at a complete loss for words. She slowly approaches the computer, reaching out as though Ayame is in the room with her. She takes a seat in front of the computer, more because she lacks the strength to stand then anything else. She speaks slowly, asking, "Is...is it really you?"
Ayame desperately tries to hide how hopeful she is behind a mask of skepticism. "How do...do I know you're really Guì yīng? That this isn't a trick? I...I mean, you look like her, but I was so young then, and it's been such a long time."
The woman thinks, then smiles weakly. "Do you remember when you were six? You saw a dog in the small woods near our farm, and wanted to pet it. But when you approached it, the dog immediately started chasing you. You ran back to the farm, screaming, the dog hot on your heals. You made it to the house, but the dog caught up with you..."
"...and Guì yīng jumped at me and pushed me out of the way just as it lunged at me," Ayame adds, "taking a nasty bite in the process." The woman lifts up her shirt to just below her chest, revealing a large scar on her side just below her left breast. Ayame gasps, and the tears she had been holding back flood forth like waterfalls. Guì yīng joins her, and the two just sit there, crying, as Ayaka watches in reverence.
When the two calm down long enough to articulate their thoughts, Guì yīng asks, "How? I-I mean, it doesn't matter, of course, but I just want to know. The last...last thing I remember was them...d-dragging you out of your hiding spot...who saved us?"
"I, um, it...it was me?" Ayame averts her gaze.
Guì yīng gives her a confused look. "What? No, I...but, they were...I mean, I was told they were all killed. Do you...do you mean you got away and found help?"
"No, Guì yīng, I killed them. All six of them."
"You killed all the bad man who attacked you?!" Ayaka says in awe. "When you were a little kid?! That is so cool!"
"Ayaka!" Guì yīng shouts. "How can you say that?"
"Cause it is cool!" Ayaka answers.
"No, Ayaka," Ayame says sadly. "Your mom is right. Hurting other people can mess up your head as an adult, and its even worse as a child." Ayaka hangs her head in shame. Guì yīng wraps her arm around Ayaka and gives her a kiss on the head.
Guì yīng reluctantly asks, "Then I guess...that means...Uncle..." Ayame nods, shivering slightly. Guì yīng talks in a supportive tone, saying, "Its okay, Ayame. After talking with your friend, Anna, I looked into his death some more. I found out about his involvement in..." She darts her eyes towards Ayaka. "...what happened to that girl, Elizabeth, and I found out the two of you were close."
Ayame looks Guì yīng in the eyes, saying, "We were more then just close, Guì yīng. A lot more."
"I don't...what do you mean?" Guì yīng asks, confused.
"Jeez." Ayaka rolls her eyes, saying, "She means Elizabeth was her girlfriend, mama. I'm eleven, and even I could tell that."
"Oh," Guì yīng says, a bit surprised, "so that means you're..." Ayame nods. "Then it makes even more sense why you...um, did what you did."
"Can...we not talk about that hateful man?" Ayame smiles at Ayaka. "Your daughter said she's eleven, right? She's very lovely." Ayaka smiles back. "You, uh...had her when you were only fifteen, then?"
"Y-Yes," Guì yīng answers, trying to hide a pained look in her eyes. "I...met her father when I was fifteen, and he wanted to...I, um..." Ayame looks her in the eyes, trying to read her. Her face starts to twist in anger, but Guì yīng shakes her head lightly, nodding towards Ayaka, and Ayame calms down. "It doesn't matter, though, because I got Ayaka out of it, and she is the best thing to ever happen to me." She squeezes Ayaka tightly. "Of course, today is a close second. Your friend said you were a soldier, fighting the aliens?" Ayaka smiles, listening intently.
Ayame nods. "Yes, though I haven't seen any action yet. I was promoted recently though. I think they'll be sending my up front with a shotgun, taking advantage of my speed and small size."
Guì yīng nods, hiding her worry. Ayaka excitingly claps her hands together, saying, "That is AWESOME! Can you save me a trophy, like a laser gun, or maybe my own replicator?"
Ayame chuckles, answering, "I'll see what I can do honey. Gotta focus on fighting, though, cause Anna is gonna be out there, too."
"Really?" Ayaka asks, "She was a cool lady, and she said some nice things to me. Is she you're girlfriend?"
"Ayaka!" Guì yīng says curtly.
"Its okay," Ayame responds, "No, Ayaka, she isn't, but I still care about her. There is someone else I'm interested in right now." A soft beeping noise starts playing. "Damn it, we're out of time. Guì yīng, all I want to do is hug you, but I'm afraid for now we'll have to settle for these talks. I'll try to get more time next time."
Guì yīng smiles, tears forming in her eyes. "Of course. I'll be counting the minutes until we talk again. I love you, Ayame."
"I love you, Guì yīng. You too, Ayaka." The image cuts off, and Ayame sits back in her chair, staring at the ceiling for several minutes. Finally, she gets up and changes into her exercise clothes, and heads towards the gym.