Chapter Text
TIMELINE #1618
--- XX / XX / 2122 ---
“Alright… open your eyes.”
Gura opens her eyes. Her eyes widened. They’ve arrived at a sunflower field with a secluded little cottage right by the ocean. Once Gura had gotten over the lurching of her stomach from time travelling— Amelia had given her a bottle of water and some ibuprofen, expecting this— the detective had told her shark friend to close her eyes and guided her through the field.
The sunflowers aim high at the sky, where the sun was unbound, the sea, bewitching with little blue gems sparkling along its surface– washing along the snowy white, sands. The wind softly breezes with a sort of tranquillity to it.
“Ame this is…”
They both hear the sound of 2 children along the distance, laughing by the shore of the ocean. Next to them, a familiar figure with a shark tail, running along the pristine sands with infectious happiness. Just watching the scene alone brings a smile to Amelia’s face.
The figure looks towards them, a look of recognition on her face as she pats both of her children and runs towards Gura and Amelia.
Gura 1618 is wearing a sunflower dress, the clips in her hair gone, leaving her hair free and unrestrained, fluttering through the air freely. She smiles at them with a sort of motherly-ness to it and Amelia immediately thinks about how odd the situation is. She looks older than the Gura that Amelia had come to know.
This is a hundred years in the future in Timeline 1618 after all.
“You’re not my Ame.” Gura 1618 notes, smiling knowingly. And then she looks over at Gura and nods. “And you’re me.”
“S- Same desu.” Is all that Ame’a Gura can say, because she’s never interacted with another her after all.
“Right.” Gura 1618 says, stifling a giggle. She points a finger over to the cottage behind them, her tail swishing back and forth amusedly. “Would you guys like to come in?”
Amelia looks over at Gura, who seems to have frozen in place. She places a hand on top of Gura’s shoulder and says, “Yeah, we’d love to.”
The Gura of this timeline brings them into her house, opening the cottage doors for them and guiding them through the house into the kitchen. The older shark-girl reaches for the cabinet and grabs a jar filled with assortments of different tea bags.
“Tea?” She asks, waving the jar around like a treat in front of the two of them. Amelia nods her head with a cool smile.
“Earl grey for me, please!” She says cheerily. “And hot chocolate for the stinky little child over here!”
“Hey!” Gura turns around, yelling indignantly. “I’m more than 9000 years older than you!” Amelia laughs at her indignant reaction. Gura huffs and turns back around to face Gura 1618 with a shyer stance.
“....hot chocolate please.” She goes.
Amelia heaves and guffaws boisterously, clutching at her stomach. Gura 1618 also laughs at the answer but continues to move around the kitchen to prepare the drinks.
“Now I get a lot of Ames coming around here.” She starts, as she fills the kettle with water and places it on the stove. Gura 1618 takes out three mugs from the cabinet, two with bright blue shark designs, and another yellow one with prints of puppies. She places the mugs in front of her and gives Gura a kind smile. “But this is the first time I’ve met another Gura.”
“You’re tellin’ me.” Gura mumbles, drumming her fingers nervously on the table. Gura 1618 laughs at her answer and looks at Amelia.
She asks, “I’m guessing you have something to do with this?”
Amelia nods her head, grinning, “My good pal Kronii gave this place a five star recommendation. Told me I’d be the only sad Ame left if I didn’t visit you.”
Her own timeline’s Gura looks over, concerned.
“But this isn’t about me right now.” Amelia says, waving her hand.
“Hmmm…” Gura 1618 hums, looking between Gura and Amelia, before settling back on the younger version of herself. “In that case, would you like to talk, Gura? Most Ames just like to talk when they get here but…”
Amelia slowly backs away from the conversation, wanting to give her best friend some privacy.
Before she completely leaves the cottage, she can see her best friend opening up to the other timelines’ Gura. A few tears are shed before Amelia is fully out of the house.
She sits outside, on top of the stoops of the house, taking out her notebook and reading through it. She reads through theories and explanations on the timeline, trying to think . What could it have been? What was the reason behind it?
She’s made absolutely no progress.
Amelia brings out a new page, and a pen. She presses ink to paper.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing comes to mind.
She sighs and places the notebook away, stumped. It could have been anything really. The conduit. It could be something that she doesn’t know— it could be something that she already knows.
What kind of detective is she if she can’t solve the one thing that’s important to them?
“Mummy!” Amelia raises her head, confused. It was the only warning she had before the two children rushed her way, rushing and jumping into her arms.
“Whoa–!” The detective exclaims, falling onto the floor with two children giggling in her arms. Oddly enough, they look exactly like her. “Hey uh…”
The two girls look up. The one on the left had blonde hair, just like her own, but with streaks of yellow. The one on the right had bright white hair— just like Gura, except it had streaks of blonde and blue hair. They both had Amelia’s sky blue-pink eyes and don shark tails at their backs. It was really very endearing to see.
The white haired girl lights up a little, as if realising something. “Oh! You’re from another timeline, aren’t you!” She exclaims excitedly, eyes glinting in the same way Amelia does when she sees something interesting.
The second girl gasps at the revelation, eyes also twinkling in wonder.
Amelia cracks a smile, and talks in that same voice she uses to talk to kindergarteners. She straightens up and answers proudly, “That’s right, I’m from another timeline!”
They both gasp and jump off Amelia, posing cutely as if they’ve done this multiple times before. Their tails are wagging. Cute , Amelia couldn’t help but think to herself.
“I’m Clementine!” The white haired one exclaims, clearly the more extroverted of the two. She pats the blonde haired younger girl who straightens up and nods her head.
“And I’m Naomi..” The yellow haired girl goes, smiling shyly.
“Well hello, Clementine and Naomi.” Amelia goes, reaching over to pat them over the head. Their tags wag faster. Honestly, she can feel herself getting choked up by the second. They’re such beautiful children. She couldn’t help but remember Walter. “You know, I have a son that’s younger than the two of you.”
They smile widely, excited. “You mean we have a brother?!” Clementine squeals, jumping up and down excitedly.
Amelia’s never thought about it before. She thinks about the countless timelines with herself being in a relationship with children. If that’s the case, then she has an infinite amount of children. Oh god.
“Uh… something like that.” Amelia says awkwardly.
The two children jump up and down excitedly as Clementine chimes in again, “Well when you see him again, tell him we said hi! And tell him to visit us sometime!”
Amelia winces again. “Oh, yeah I’ll do that…”
“Is he nice?” Naomi asks, “Mama says not to make friends with mean people…”
Amelia thinks back on bright smiles. On relieving hugs when she returns at night, where her son and her wife had waited diligently for her on the couch. Some nights they would be too tired and sleep on the couch.
“Yeah.” Amelia says, smiling fondly upon nice memories. “He’s very nice.”
They smile. Clementine answers, “We want to meet him!” Naomi looks over at her sister and then back at Amelia, nodding her head vehemently.
Amelia places a hand on top of Clementine's head, running fingers through snowy white hair. “One day, I’ll bring him and you guys can play together.”
Eventually they run off back to the beach. They’re part atlantean, so it doesn’t surprise Amelia that they find joy in the ocean— swimming and playing around.
The door opens, and out walks Gura. Amelia turns her head around to see Gura with a complicated expression on her face. As if she wasn’t sure whether to be happy or not. Amelia can see that the rim of her eyes were a bit red— she must have been crying a lot in there.
“So? How was it?” Amelia goes, raising her brows, smirking.
Gura looks a bit bewildered. “Really fucking weird, dude. Why did I think it would be a good idea to talk to myself?”
“Did it help at least?”
Gura stares hard at the floor and smiles. Her tail wags a little, not unlike the two children that Amelia had just met. “Yeah. it did. I asked if I could visit again. She told me that I could come as many times as I want.”
Amelia feels some sort of proudness welling up in her chest. A little relief. She’s glad that Gura had taken the first step to talking to someone. Even if that someone was herself.
She laughs and pats Gura’s head. “We’re jumping again. Stay close.”
TIMELINE #1337
--- 8 JANUARY 2022 ---
Ina stares down at the number on the coffee cup that was given to her.
In a moment of just casually exploring along the pathway of the park that she hadn’t been in so long, she had entered the Starbucks around there. The man who served her very slyly handed her the cup of coffee with a phone number written down on the cup.
He could be considered conventionally attractive, Ina guesses. Not that she would know, she was kind of more interested in women more than men.
She takes a sip out of the coffee, distractedly, waiting for her friends to arrive at the coffee shop. It’s sweet. Why is it sweet? She looks at the coffee and sees another message: extra sweet for a sweet girl like you <3 .
Ina looks up at the guy who winks at her. She resists the urge to frown.
He’s not a good person. The Ancient Ones observe and warn. Ina knows already. She pats the book anyway, as if it were a dog that just did a trick properly. There’s a pleasant humming running through their connection, as if AO-chan appreciates being treated this way.
We’re not a dog.
I know you aren’t . Ina thinks to herself mischievously, and foolishly raises the cup to her lips once again.
“Hey, Ina!” A familiar voice suddenly greets, and Ina almost scalds her tongue on the coffee. She turns her head over to the side, greeted by snowy white hair with blue highlights.
It’s Gura! A wave of excitement washes over her. Amelia had been monopolising her as of late— and Ina misses her old friend greatly. She smiles.
The excitement is gone when she notices blonde hair next to the Atlantean.
Nevertheless, she gives a hug to the Atlantean excitedly, running fingers through silky hair. She feels a bit emotional, somehow. Even though she’s grown somewhat accustomed to Gura’s presence.
“You waiting for anyone?” Gura asks, tail wagging, taking the seat opposite to her. She looks down at the coffee cup with the number written down. Ina can tell that Amelia had noticed the message written on the cup the moment they met eyes. It’s a terrible habit that the detective has: piecing everything together, as if every moment of her life is a case to be investigated. Amelia takes a seat next to Gura.
The Atlanteans’ eyebrows raise up teasingly. Before she’s able to say anything, Ina spots maroon hair and flaming orange hair in the corner of her eyes. Ina stands up, raising her hand to wave the two over.
“Kiara, IRyS!” She calls out, “Over here!”
Ina can see Amelia looking over, alarmed. IRyS and Kiara walk over to the table, surprised to see Gura and Amelia sitting. IRyS immediately claims the seat next to Ina, grinning uncontrollably.
“Ame! Gura! What are you guys doing here?” Kiara greets.
“Oh you know, stinky over here got a little hungry so I figured we’d get coffee and a bite to eat.” Amelia answers, laughing cheekily. She reaches over to ruffle Gura’s hair. Oddly, Gura didn’t shy away from the touch, seemingly used to the action by now.
Ina purses her lips at the sight. It’s almost as if Amelia had heard her advice, taken it, and then thrown it to the ground.
“And guess what, Kiara? Look! There’s a guy that’s into Ina.” Gura says teasingly, wiggling her brows. “He wrote his number on her coffee cup.”
Both IRyS and Kiara jump up. Kiara looks excited, whereas IRyS looks worried at the news.
“What?” IRyS is the one who answers. She looks over at the cup that Ina refuses to touch anymore and turns it over to reveal a number and a cute message underneath it. Monotonously, she reads: “Extra sweet for a sweet girl like you. And there’s a heart.”
The nephilim pouts and crosses her arms, clearly jealous, “Was it the cashier?”
Ina nods her head, sighing. “Yes. Apparently he’d been chasing me for a while.”
Which is odd. Ina doesn’t really remember any cashier who gave her his number 20 years ago. His face was a little familiar, but there aren’t any memories of the number. Maybe it was because she had gotten into a relationship with Amelia at this time.
The cup is snatched away.
Everyone watches as Amelia uncaps the coffee cup, looking down at it with an amused smile. She sniffs the drink and scoffs slightly. She then proceeds to take a sip out of it.
“W- Why did you just drink Ina’s drink?” IRyS asks, horrified at the act. Ina looks over at the nephilim, who glances back and forth between Ina and Amelia, confused. Even Gura and Kiara looked confused. Ina is a second away from scolding Amelia.
“It’s sweet.” Amelia deduces, with a small laugh in her voice. She places the cap back on and drinks— from the spot that Ina had drank from. “I’ll get you another one.”
“Thanks.” Ina says, without really thinking. She wasn’t going to drink it anyway. Not with it being that sweet.
“Indirect kiss…” The priestess can hear the nephilim whisper, staring at Amelia incredulously. She snaps out of her confused haze to ask the detective, “Wait what? Why did you take her drink?”
Amelia nudges her head towards Ina, who is now looking outside of the window. Simply, she answers, “She doesn’t like it sweet.”
“さすが, Ame, our resident detective, to know that!” Kiara exclaims, clapping her hand excitedly.
The detective lowers her cap, a proud smile on her face. “The resident number one detective, actually! Besides, I’ve been living with her coffee addiction all of my life. There’s no way I would forget her tastes.”
Ina shakes her head, resisting the urge to facepalm. She could practically see the confusion on everyone’s faces.
“...Eh?” IRyS goes.
“...Nevermind. I’ll go order now. Anyone want anything?”
“A ham and cheese croissant!” Gura says, raising her head with a grin.
“I’ll take a cinnamon scroll!” Kiara answers cheerily.
Amelia turns over to IRyS, raising her brows– a silent question. IRyS stands up, wanting to go up to the cashier to judge him with her own eyes. “Actually, I’ll come order with you.”
The detective smiles, “Alright then– let’s go then.”
When they arrive at the counter, a man with well groomed hair, seemingly conventionally attractive, is standing by the counter. He has glasses on and a seemingly bright and kind smile.
Amelia knows better. She remembers him– both in the future and in the past.
Ina might remember not him, from the confusion that was on her face earlier. That’s fine– he wasn’t that important. Amelia had always opted to order when they were in Starbucks, rather than let Ina order for them when they arrived at the coffee shop.
…
Amelia noticed all the time. Every glance. Every smile. Every brush of the hands.
At first, it was just irrational jealousy on Amelia’s part. He was probably just being a friendly cashier, and nothing more. And then when Amelia went to get the coffee again, his number was written on the cup. The words wrote: extra sweet for a sweet girl like you! <3
Needless to say, Amelia threw the cup away and asked for another black coffee. She was absolutely seething in jealousy at this point. Purposefully, she had come with Ina often to the shop, at the exact times that she knew that the man would be at the shop.
She would wrap her arm around Ina. Kiss her cheek. Flirt with her non-stop. Staring at the man. As if telling him that Ina is hers, and hers alone.
Eventually, the man had given up trying to take Ina. The relief and the insecurities that Amelia had experienced for those brief moments had cleared away as she felt a sense of accomplishment.
…
Looking back on these memories, it was admittedly embarrassing. She shouldn’t have been so jealous the way she was. She could have acted more rationally but noooo jealousy just had to take over her.
It was well placed, though. Later in the future, she’d seen him once again with a girlfriend. Good for him , she’d thought at first.
Then she saw him again. With another girl. And then another girl— aaand another girl. Like geez! How many girlfriends does the guy need to satisfy him? She never confirmed exactly how many girls he had been seeing. But just the knowledge of a second girlfriend was enough to know how much of a red flag he was.
And something tells her that it wasn’t exactly a polyamorous relationship.
When Amelia looks over at IRyS, Ame can almost see herself in her. The jealousy, the insecurity. It’s probably worse for IRyS who doesn’t know Ina’s sexuality, and recognises that this guy is conventionally attractive.
She could practically see the sweat runnin’ down the girls’ face!
“Hey! Welcome to Starbucks, what can I get you?” The guy greets them with a bright smile.
Amelia recites the girls’ orders– not bothering to order her own coffee. She’s probably just going to drink Ina’s sweet misorder. IRyS pipes in with her own order and he nods his head attentively. He recounts their orders and when confirmed, they pay and walk off to the side where their food will be picked up.
Ame stands there, placing a hand in her pocket. The tune of Ina’s VIOLET is stuck in her head again, and she hums silently to the song, bobbing her head up and down to the beat.
IRyS stares at her.
“Is there something you need, IRyS?” Amelia asks. The staring is a bit too much.
“Oh! I, um!” IRyS goes, fumbling a bit. She was always closer to Council than to Myth. Although Amelia never really talked to her as often as Ina had, she always thought that the girl was kind. “Are the two of you close? Ina and you, I mean.”
She’s not even bothering to hide her attraction . Amelia couldn’t help but think. She sighs. “Something like that.”
“Oh, then—”
“Yeah! She’s practically already falling for me.”
IRyS and Amelia look over, past the counter of the shop. There, she can see the guy who served them, and another guy who seems to be his friend. Amelia sighs. He’s not even discreet about it. Does no one here know what ‘being discreet’ means?
“Yeah?” His friend answers, uninterestedly.
“Mhm. Her name’s Ina, and she’s hot. And I’m pretty sure she’s rich— I’ve seen her walking out of that mansion out on— you know, Hololive st?” The guy who had served them said.
IRyS clenches her teeth. Amelia isn’t even surprised at this point. But there’s a part of her that just wants to punch the hell out of him.
“She have any hot friends?”
“That blonde girl might be your type. I think her names’ Pudding. But I like Ina. She looks more innocent. Easier to get into bed with. I’d smash her. I bet she’s untouched too.”
“Haha. Nice.”
Amelia rests a hand on IRyS before she does something dangerous. IRyS looks over at her, eyes blown wide open in anger, cheeks flushed.
The detective shakes her head disapprovingly and sighs. “You got any tricks up your sleeve? Like telekinesis or anything? Could you sing him to death or somethin’? Somethin’ discreet?”
IRyS shakes her head, heavy breaths coming out in short puffs. “I can’t do that. I’m hope, not despair.”
“Alright then. Wish me luck if I get arrested.”
“Huh?” IRyS goes, confused.
The guy returns back with his trademark fake customer smile. He flashes a grin at them and brings over a tray of food and coffee to them.
“Pudding?” He calls out, reading out the name from the paper.
Amelia steps up, reaching forward and grabbing the hot coffee contemplatively. She mutters, “Pudding deez nuts in your mouth, heh heheh.” before proceeding to pretend to trip and spill all of the hot coffee on his body.
The man screams bloody murder, as scalding hot coffee burns his body. Amelia pretends to be shocked, dropping the cup of coffee and shrieking, “OH SHIT, SORRY!”
The whole store comes to look at the scene, some people screaming, and others panicking.
“AHH!!! IT BURNS! AH FUCK! OH GOD! IT HURTS SO MUCH!” The guy screams, unattractively, clutching at his clothes desperately. A little bit of coffee had spilt on his neck, and he’s urgently trying to wash the burns from his body.
Amelia almost wants to laugh at the sight. The guy is chicken dancing, practically! And one glance over at IRyS, and she can see the clear pleased smile on IRyS’ face. As if she were saying, deserved .
Suddenly, Amelia feels pain on her face.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Ina goes, her hand suspended in the air. The tone of her voice is similar to that tone as if Ina had caught Amelia eating snacks late in the night. Ah. Amelia thinks. I got slapped .
Maybe out of habit, or out of guilt, Amelia recoils and bows her head down, as if she were talking to someone superior. “Sorry.” She mutters.
The priestess huffs and turns away, ignoring whatever excuses that IRyS was telling to her about the guy to raise a hand over the man’s wounds. Purple light emits from her hand, and the guy’s expression relaxes.
When she’s done, she kindly rests a hand on where the burn would be. She tilts her head, patting the spot, waiting to see if it hurts. “Does it hurt anymore? Would you like an ice pack or…”
The guy looks speechless. There are tears welling in his eyes, but he bravely holds it in. He looks like he might pass out from embarrassment, now that the adrenaline had worn off.
“...I’m fine.” He manages.
Ina nods her head, satisfied. “Could I order a black coffee? I’ll make sure to take it myself. My friend here is a little clumsy after all.”
When he just stares dumbly at her, she raises her eyebrows, awaiting a response.
He scrambles to his feet, nodding his head over and over again. He stutters his words out as she runs around the counter. “Yep– okay— yeah, I’ll get on it— one black coffee.”
Ina walks back around the counter calmly, grabbing the tray that they had left on the table. Forgotten alongside the whole chaos that just went down. She looks over at Amelia who has her eyes trained to the floor, unable to look at Ina.
“Now once again, Ame. Enlighten me.” She says coldly. “What on earth were you thinking?”
Amelia sighs and looks up at her ex-wife. Before the violet-haired woman is able to walk away, Amelia reaches out and grabs at her arm. With a determined gaze, she says. “He’s bad news, Ina. Stay away from him.”
Ina stares at Amelia. Right into her eyes. As if there were so many things she wanted to say— and at the same time, unwilling to say anything.
Ina walks away. Amelia lets her.
XX / XX / 2042
Amelia tried.
All of them tried.
Unwilling to let down someone that they loved. Unwilling to break a promise that was made. Amelia clutches at her near broken arm and looks around.
Hundreds of Amelia’s that she had managed to gather up and yet not a single one of them is able to take Kronii down. They were so close.
Everytime Ame would travel, Kronii would pin her down and bring her back to the time void— where she had the greater advantage. Kronii was an immortal being— a concept, made by the gods themselves. Amelia knew she was fighting a losing battle.
Kronii stands above all the fallen Ames menacingly, the blue bright magic circles forming around her. She’s not letting her guard down– she knows that Amelia is clever and would take any opportunity of a fallen guard. “Ina is too unstable. She cannot do this now. Unpleasant events occur down this route.”
More unpleasant than now? Amelia can’t help but think, and angrily flares her nose, ignoring the pain in her lungs to yell. “Let me through, Kronii. I promised my wife I’d let her see them.”
Kronii raises her head, looking down at Amelia. “I have a duty to protect the timelines. I usually let you go… on these rambunctious adventures. We’re friends, Amelia, but if you threaten the end of a timeline, I will not hesitate to eliminate you, or your wife.”
“Fuck you.” Amelia spits. When she coughs, the blood splatters on the floor. Shit. I might actually die .
There’s a flicker of pity in Kronii’s eyes. With a small flick of her wrist, the different Ame’s all disappear one by one— sent to their own timelines. They all look exhausted and defeated.
She sits down, next to Amelia. Amelia is slouched, resigned, and exhausted. The fight had been long, and Amelia’s mortal body couldn't keep up as much as Kronii.
Kronii raises a hand, reversing the time on Amelia’s body. All the broken bones and bruises begin to reverse time, healing, until the only thing that weighs Amelia’s body down is her exhaustion and will.
“If you’re here to pity me—”
“It’s not the right time.” Kronii interrupts, before Amelia could spit out insults again. She looks past the void— the streams of time flowing past as light blue strings, all leading into their different timelines and fates. She repeats herself. “It’s not the right time.”
Amelia laughs dryly. “So does that mean that I eventually keep my promise?”
“It means that this was the better outcome.” Kronii says, not really answering the question. “I protect the flow of the time. I’ve seen the other outcomes. Trust me. It’s for the greater good.”
Amelia keeps these words in her mind. Resolute. Strong-willed. Kronii is right. The timeline needs to be protected. The implication that the world might end at Ina’s hands doesn't go over her head. Kronii only acts when she needs to act.
Even in the face of her crying wife. Begging, sobbing. Desperate to see her mother one last time.
“Please Ame… please… PLEASE! Just… I know you can't bring her back but just let me see her…” Ina goes, clutching at Amelia’s black suit tightly– it will definitely make a permanent crease after this. The tears that stream down her wife’s eyes onto her suit and the floor shakes Amelia’s resolve slightly.
Despite that, she looks down. Resolute. Strong-willed. Kronii is right, after all. Time is a fickle thing. So she hides her heartbroken expression from Ina.
“...I can’t do that Ina. I’m sorry.”