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"That's the last one," Dyne declared as Sephira watched him finish loading Sophie and MOMO's things into the back of the car they'd be using to travel between home and nursing school. Though it was originally one of the Tohno family vehicles, Aunt Akiha had given it to MOMO as both a graduation gift as well as to commemorate her earning her driver's license. The two had accepted the gift as it would allow them to more easily return home when necessary and not have to hire movers to deliver their luggage. But, regardless of how they decided to travel, the entire family stood nearby to see them off that morning.

"That should be everything," MOMO noted. "Thank you so much for your help, Daddy."

"And you two will be fine with unloading when you arrive?" He asked. "I could still squeeze in and ride along to help with that before taking a bus or train back."

"The two of us will be fine, Daddy," Sophie assured him. "I can unload everything for us. And men aren't allowed in our dorm anyway."

"Oh, I have ways of getting around that," Dyne grinned in a manner that made it difficult to tell if he was joking or not, but nobody decided to press him on that due to the circumstances.

"We'll still be fine, Daddy," Sophie reassured. "We'll have each other and everything you and our family taught us, and the things we learned in school."

"And we'll be able to visit during breaks and vacations," MOMO added. "Especially because we couldn't take everything with us." Sephira knew she was referring especially to her life-size stuffed rabbit. As their shared dorm room wasn't going to be much larger than their individual rooms at the family cabin, they knew they'd have to cut back on which possessions they could take.

"Everything in your rooms will be waiting for you," Dyne slipped his arms around both of his adopted daughters' shoulders, causing the two to smile and blush a little as they felt themselves being hugged a bit. "As will all of us. It's going to be tough without the two you here to help keep me in line." He winked at them.

"We'll still visit when we can, Daddy," Sophie leaned into the hug a bit. "And you can always call and message us."

"And you still have Sephira, Mazda, and Ayu here to keep you in line," MOMO giggled, playing along with the joke. "I have to return every once in a while too for my own regular maintenance as well as upkeep of the other systems you, KOS-MOS, and I only have access to."

"We'll want to visit our favorite places every so often too," Sophie added, clearly alluding to the flower field that replaced the battlefield that Dyne had found her in.

"No matter how often or why, you're both welcome back here any time," Dyne's smile widened a bit. "Of course there's so much I want to say to both of you right now, so forgive me if it comes out a little muddled." With that, he took a deep breath to collect himself and once again looked at the two daughters. "MOMO, you were one of the first arrivals since those who were lost in time and space began being redirected here. Your knowledge and optimism became invaluable in setting everything up that allows us to monitor for new arrivals. Not just invaluable, but handling everything and keeping those new arrivals safe may well have been impossible. Though I ultimately failed in our original plan to send you back to your time, if I had to endure everything I went through to prevent you from being erased from the time stream all over again, I would, because seeing you again after everything had been corrected made it all worth it ."

"Oh, Daddy, please don't make me cry..." MOMO reached to wipe at some tears forming in her eyes, only for him to beat her to it.

"Sophie," he turned towards the second girl, "though you were very much a blank slate when you arrived , that meant you carried the innocence of a child; always eager to learn and try new things. As you learned to develop and control your emotions, you also never let go of your desire to see other people happy. Your friendship with MOMO and your eagerness to always be willing to lend a hand to your mother or your sisters has simply been exemplary. The trials you've gone through have only taught you to better understand and recognize those positive emotions. Watching you grow like that taught me more than I even would have expected."

"Eheheheh~..." A large smile appeared on Sophie's face as she tried to use it to cover her own forming tears. "Thank you, Daddy."

"Because of that same friendship," he continued. "The two of you have become virtually unstoppable in your endeavors. As you two have always been there for each other, through both the good and bad during our years together, it's only strengthened your personal bonds as well as with the rest of the family. I could always count on you to watch over Sephira during her trials and you welcomed both Mazda and Ayu with open arms once they arrived too. Your hearts are so pure that it'd almost be a crime for anyone to say you aren't human as you've both proven time and time again by allowing your experiences to temper you both into who you are now. And there is nothing more real about you than that. MOMO, you truly understand empathy and Sophie, you truly understand mercy. Rather than fall into despair over what you've gone through, you're instead using that as a motivation to help others. There is no more human trait than that. I love you both so much and I couldn't be more proud to be called your father ."

Sephira watched as her two sisters responded simply by hugging him back, tightly, and slightly catching him off guard in the process. After several silent moments, they eventually loosened their grip and Dyne invited everyone else present to step forward and say anything to the two girls if they wished, which got Sephira thinking about what she may have wanted to say, even though she already touched on it at school with them the other day... She paid more attention to what each person in attendance said more than MOMO and Sophie's individual responses as she tried to get her own thoughts in order.

"MOMO, Sophie," Allie spoke up first. "You've also helped me in ways I can't begin to describe. Even if you had never come to view me as a mother, I still consider both of you my daughters as much as Sephira. Without your help and influence, I may not have ever found the courage I needed to move forward. Your examples along with Sephira taught me that."

"Sophie~!" Kitsuki joined in hugging the purple-haired girl. "I had so much fun being with you from the beginning because, even if I'm feeling down and trying to hide it, it's impossible to ever be in any kind of bad mood when you're around! Even though it wasn't for long, I would never trade our time running the flower shop together for anything!! I know MOMO will take good care of you because you'll take good care of her~!"

"I still haven't gotten to pay you back for saving my little munchkin, Sophie," Alexus beamed. "And if MOMO hadn't been there either we'd all have been buried alive under that old abandoned school. When you're ready to call in that favor, I'll come running."

"I owe you my life too, MOMO," Alondra smiled softly. "I wouldn't have had the opportunity to move forward and learned what I did from that near-death experience if not for your efforts. And Sophie, you threw yourself headlong into danger to the point of nearly sacrificing yourself to protect Ayu. For protecting her, I am eternally grateful."

"Big Sis Sophie..." Mazda was blinking in a failed attempt to not cry herself. "Not just you, but the other you that you merged with. Thank you... for saving my life when I was little. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have gotten to grow up with my original Mommy and Daddy and gotten to meet everyone here. I love you and Big Sis MOMO a lot, so if you ever need me for a cuddle session, I'll always be here even if I'm still in the middle of heroine training."

"MOMO," Ayu closed in on MOMO's arm. "You're the kind of big sister everyone looks up to and I'll gladly follow your example if any of Dad's kids from other worlds who are younger than me arrive while you're gone. And thank you for saving my mom's life when you did. Sophie, like Mom also said, thank you for saving my life and heeding my selfish request to let me regain my sight even just for that one day. It remains one of the best days of my life so far."

Of course, even the extended family wasn't about to remain wholly silent.

"Sophie," Miyako placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're the best sparring partner I ever had and you always treated me like an equal. You and MOMO are technically my cousins, but I see you both as my best friends even as we go our separate ways. You both took care of onii-chan for me, so I'll take care of him for you until you come home."

"Likewise," Aunt Akiha folded her arms and looked away to cover her own embarrassment. "The two of you were a good influence on nii-san to hold him back on his endless womanizing. I accept you as members of the Tohno family and you have my support. Do take care of that car too so you won't have to 'borrow' another one."

"Akiha-sama's just being shy," Kohaku giggled. "She's going to miss you both as much as the rest of us. Sophie-chan, I was happy to teach you what I could about gardening and to learn the things you taught me. Like Miss Kitsuki, I always enjoyed tending the flower field with you and will help take good care of it. And MOMO-chan, I became a much better cook thanks to you. Let's make a big meal for everyone together whenever you come home."

"I agree with Miyako-sama and Akiha-sama," even Hisui spoke up quietly, but succinctly. "I could not have asked for more in your endeavors to watch over Dyne-sama when we could not."

"Sorry about scaring you that one time, too," Arcueid grinned. "But you were showing just how dedicated you were to helping your dad at the time. You're both good kids and everything worked out in the end."

And that still wasn't the end!

"MOMO, Sophie," Kita spoke up first from among the Toriyama sisters. "Though I'm sure my sisters also have something to say, I speak on their behalf as well as my own when I say thank you once again for your patience and understanding with us when we were hesitant to trust you. For as unclean as we felt at the time, you still reached out to help us and heal our physical and emotional scars. I am honored to call you my friends and to work for your family, so I'll work my hardest to take care of your home for you."

"MOMO, you are the kindest person I've ever met..." Higashiko smiled softly. "I knew right away that, even if my sisters did not see it, you are someone I can trust... I will take care of Miss Allie for you while you continue your studies and I hope to follow your example someday..."

"Me too, Sophie!" Nishiko declared. "I'll take care of Miss Kitsuki for you and I'll have a meal as delicious as the first one you ever made for us ready for you any time you come home. I'll help take care of your flower field so you can be assured it's in good hands every time you visit it too~!"

"What my older sisters said," Minami let out a nervous chuckle. "It's still kinda my fault for telling everyone to not trust any of you when your family saved us. But at the time, even I could see that Sophie wasn't lying, and I just couldn't believe I'd ever meet someone like that. And, like Kita-neesan said, we'll make sure the place is still in one piece for when you come back."

"MOMO," even KOS-MOS was speaking up! "I will continue to perform my assigned duties here per your request. I wish you and Sophie well in your endeavors and will respond immediately should you require my assistance."

Suffice it to say, the two departing sisters couldn't keep their own eyes dry as they thanked everyone who gave them encouragement, support, and well-wishes. As a result, there were very few dry eyes in the large group as a whole. After a few moments of quiet while everyone composed themselves to be able to see the two off with smiles, Dyne looked around and asked if there was anyone else. Sephira didn't feel singled out since he didn't look directly at her, but she knew she had to stop thinking and start talking!

"MOMO, Sophie," she let herself blurt out. "I... know I kind of already said this at school the other day , but that was just for school and this is for everything else..." Those words, on top of everything else that had already been said, caused her to tear up already. "From the day we met, Sophie accepted me as her new sister even though she didn't know anything about me , and she was there from the beginning. MOMO joined in even before Dad adopted her too and... I'm kind of surprised they lasted as long as they did in putting up with me... For as many times as I would prank and kidnap them , they would get back at me in some way . But, for every prank, there were two or three times where they would watch my back , make sure I didn't get hurt , or do something to cheer me up when I was feeling down , even when I hadn't asked for it... I could always talk to them about anything, and it won't be long before I can't do that any more... I'm scared of that, but it would be wrong for me to hold them back... So, I just want to say one more thing... You two... you two..." Sephira couldn't hold herself back any more as she hugged both of them and allowed the dam to burst. "Even though I'm the oldest... you two are still the best big sisters I ever could have asked for...!"

As her words devolved into grateful sobs to let those buried feelings erupt forth, she felt two sets of arms wrap around her in response and the three of them began to cry together for the first time in a long time .

"We've always loved you, Sephira..." Sophie's tears flowed freely too. "You've been there for us just as much , even if you didn't want to admit it... "

"And we'd have watched over you even if Daddy never asked us to or if you weren't our sister too..." MOMO added. "Because we'd still be friends even if we weren't sisters... But, I'm so glad we are..."

"You're forgetting a couple of someones, you know...!" Mazda quickly added herself to the group hug.

"Yes, we're all sisters here and we always will be..." Ayu added as she too joined in and the three older girls made room for the two younger ones.

Sephira wholly expected the entire rest of the group of parents and extended family and friends to make it one enormous group hug, but she didn't realize for several moments that everyone had stepped aside to give them their space and time alone together. She could tell they understood and recognized that the five sisters shared a unique, special bond with each other that no one else could intrude upon. But, as the five were able to wordlessly share their feelings so they would not have any regrets come their parting, the atmosphere felt much lighter than it had at the beginning.

With dry eyes and a clear heart, Sephira was able to join with everyone else in bidding MOMO and Sophie farewell and good luck as the two stepped into their new car and the well-wishers stepped aside to watch them drive off. She didn't have time to be sad or miss them as the car turned onto the main road towards their new destination. She had to pick herself up and start the next chapter of her own life with or without them to help her. After all, with Mazda and Ayu still there, she still cemented her position as the oldest big sister available even if only by default.

And that was good enough for her.

Made in Kisekae.
Sephira and Allie Summers belong to Parasyte123
Kitsuki Ichiyuki belongs to Yi-Phan
Alexus and Mazda Montgomery belong to DLShowtime
Alondra belongs to carlos1976
Ayu Fukuzawa and Chimu belong to RedFalcon23
KOS-MOs model by LinkHelios234
Minivan prop by mca0004

Description
"That's the last one," Dyne declared as Sephira watched him finish loading Sophie and MOMO's things into the back of the car they'd be using to travel between home and nursing school. Though it was originally one of the Tohno family vehicles, Aunt Akiha had given it to MOMO as both a graduation gift as well as to commemorate her earning her driver's license. The two had accepted the gift as it would allow them to more easily return home when necessary and not have to hire movers to deliver their luggage. But, regardless of how they decided to travel, the entire family stood nearby to see them off that morning.

"That should be everything," MOMO noted. "Thank you so much for your help, Daddy."

"And you two will be fine with unloading when you arrive?" He asked. "I could still squeeze in and ride along to help with that before taking a bus or train back."

"The two of us will be fine, Daddy," Sophie assured him. "I can unload everything for us. And men aren't allowed in our dorm anyway."

"Oh, I have ways of getting around that," Dyne grinned in a manner that made it difficult to tell if he was joking or not, but nobody decided to press him on that due to the circumstances.

"We'll still be fine, Daddy," Sophie reassured. "We'll have each other and everything you and our family taught us, and the things we learned in school."

"And we'll be able to visit during breaks and vacations," MOMO added. "Especially because we couldn't take everything with us." Sephira knew she was referring especially to her life-size stuffed rabbit. As their shared dorm room wasn't going to be much larger than their individual rooms at the family cabin, they knew they'd have to cut back on which possessions they could take.

"Everything in your rooms will be waiting for you," Dyne slipped his arms around both of his adopted daughters' shoulders, causing the two to smile and blush a little as they felt themselves being hugged a bit. "As will all of us. It's going to be tough without the two you here to help keep me in line." He winked at them.

"We'll still visit when we can, Daddy," Sophie leaned into the hug a bit. "And you can always call and message us."

"And you still have Sephira, Mazda, and Ayu here to keep you in line," MOMO giggled, playing along with the joke. "I have to return every once in a while too for my own regular maintenance as well as upkeep of the other systems you, KOS-MOS, and I only have access to."

"We'll want to visit our favorite places every so often too," Sophie added, clearly alluding to the flower field that replaced the battlefield that Dyne had found her in.

"No matter how often or why, you're both welcome back here any time," Dyne's smile widened a bit. "Of course there's so much I want to say to both of you right now, so forgive me if it comes out a little muddled." With that, he took a deep breath to collect himself and once again looked at the two daughters. "MOMO, you were one of the first arrivals since those who were lost in time and space began being redirected here. Your knowledge and optimism became invaluable in setting everything up that allows us to monitor for new arrivals. Not just invaluable, but handling everything and keeping those new arrivals safe may well have been impossible. Though I ultimately failed in our original plan to send you back to your time, if I had to endure everything I went through to prevent you from being erased from the time stream all over again, I would, because seeing you again after everything had been corrected made it all worth it ."

"Oh, Daddy, please don't make me cry..." MOMO reached to wipe at some tears forming in her eyes, only for him to beat her to it.

"Sophie," he turned towards the second girl, "though you were very much a blank slate when you arrived , that meant you carried the innocence of a child; always eager to learn and try new things. As you learned to develop and control your emotions, you also never let go of your desire to see other people happy. Your friendship with MOMO and your eagerness to always be willing to lend a hand to your mother or your sisters has simply been exemplary. The trials you've gone through have only taught you to better understand and recognize those positive emotions. Watching you grow like that taught me more than I even would have expected."

"Eheheheh~..." A large smile appeared on Sophie's face as she tried to use it to cover her own forming tears. "Thank you, Daddy."

"Because of that same friendship," he continued. "The two of you have become virtually unstoppable in your endeavors. As you two have always been there for each other, through both the good and bad during our years together, it's only strengthened your personal bonds as well as with the rest of the family. I could always count on you to watch over Sephira during her trials and you welcomed both Mazda and Ayu with open arms once they arrived too. Your hearts are so pure that it'd almost be a crime for anyone to say you aren't human as you've both proven time and time again by allowing your experiences to temper you both into who you are now. And there is nothing more real about you than that. MOMO, you truly understand empathy and Sophie, you truly understand mercy. Rather than fall into despair over what you've gone through, you're instead using that as a motivation to help others. There is no more human trait than that. I love you both so much and I couldn't be more proud to be called your father ."

Sephira watched as her two sisters responded simply by hugging him back, tightly, and slightly catching him off guard in the process. After several silent moments, they eventually loosened their grip and Dyne invited everyone else present to step forward and say anything to the two girls if they wished, which got Sephira thinking about what she may have wanted to say, even though she already touched on it at school with them the other day... She paid more attention to what each person in attendance said more than MOMO and Sophie's individual responses as she tried to get her own thoughts in order.

"MOMO, Sophie," Allie spoke up first. "You've also helped me in ways I can't begin to describe. Even if you had never come to view me as a mother, I still consider both of you my daughters as much as Sephira. Without your help and influence, I may not have ever found the courage I needed to move forward. Your examples along with Sephira taught me that."

"Sophie~!" Kitsuki joined in hugging the purple-haired girl. "I had so much fun being with you from the beginning because, even if I'm feeling down and trying to hide it, it's impossible to ever be in any kind of bad mood when you're around! Even though it wasn't for long, I would never trade our time running the flower shop together for anything!! I know MOMO will take good care of you because you'll take good care of her~!"

"I still haven't gotten to pay you back for saving my little munchkin, Sophie," Alexus beamed. "And if MOMO hadn't been there either we'd all have been buried alive under that old abandoned school. When you're ready to call in that favor, I'll come running."

"I owe you my life too, MOMO," Alondra smiled softly. "I wouldn't have had the opportunity to move forward and learned what I did from that near-death experience if not for your efforts. And Sophie, you threw yourself headlong into danger to the point of nearly sacrificing yourself to protect Ayu. For protecting her, I am eternally grateful."

"Big Sis Sophie..." Mazda was blinking in a failed attempt to not cry herself. "Not just you, but the other you that you merged with. Thank you... for saving my life when I was little. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have gotten to grow up with my original Mommy and Daddy and gotten to meet everyone here. I love you and Big Sis MOMO a lot, so if you ever need me for a cuddle session, I'll always be here even if I'm still in the middle of heroine training."

"MOMO," Ayu closed in on MOMO's arm. "You're the kind of big sister everyone looks up to and I'll gladly follow your example if any of Dad's kids from other worlds who are younger than me arrive while you're gone. And thank you for saving my mom's life when you did. Sophie, like Mom also said, thank you for saving my life and heeding my selfish request to let me regain my sight even just for that one day. It remains one of the best days of my life so far."

Of course, even the extended family wasn't about to remain wholly silent.

"Sophie," Miyako placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're the best sparring partner I ever had and you always treated me like an equal. You and MOMO are technically my cousins, but I see you both as my best friends even as we go our separate ways. You both took care of onii-chan for me, so I'll take care of him for you until you come home."

"Likewise," Aunt Akiha folded her arms and looked away to cover her own embarrassment. "The two of you were a good influence on nii-san to hold him back on his endless womanizing. I accept you as members of the Tohno family and you have my support. Do take care of that car too so you won't have to 'borrow' another one."

"Akiha-sama's just being shy," Kohaku giggled. "She's going to miss you both as much as the rest of us. Sophie-chan, I was happy to teach you what I could about gardening and to learn the things you taught me. Like Miss Kitsuki, I always enjoyed tending the flower field with you and will help take good care of it. And MOMO-chan, I became a much better cook thanks to you. Let's make a big meal for everyone together whenever you come home."

"I agree with Miyako-sama and Akiha-sama," even Hisui spoke up quietly, but succinctly. "I could not have asked for more in your endeavors to watch over Dyne-sama when we could not."

"Sorry about scaring you that one time, too," Arcueid grinned. "But you were showing just how dedicated you were to helping your dad at the time. You're both good kids and everything worked out in the end."

And that still wasn't the end!

"MOMO, Sophie," Kita spoke up first from among the Toriyama sisters. "Though I'm sure my sisters also have something to say, I speak on their behalf as well as my own when I say thank you once again for your patience and understanding with us when we were hesitant to trust you. For as unclean as we felt at the time, you still reached out to help us and heal our physical and emotional scars. I am honored to call you my friends and to work for your family, so I'll work my hardest to take care of your home for you."

"MOMO, you are the kindest person I've ever met..." Higashiko smiled softly. "I knew right away that, even if my sisters did not see it, you are someone I can trust... I will take care of Miss Allie for you while you continue your studies and I hope to follow your example someday..."

"Me too, Sophie!" Nishiko declared. "I'll take care of Miss Kitsuki for you and I'll have a meal as delicious as the first one you ever made for us ready for you any time you come home. I'll help take care of your flower field so you can be assured it's in good hands every time you visit it too~!"

"What my older sisters said," Minami let out a nervous chuckle. "It's still kinda my fault for telling everyone to not trust any of you when your family saved us. But at the time, even I could see that Sophie wasn't lying, and I just couldn't believe I'd ever meet someone like that. And, like Kita-neesan said, we'll make sure the place is still in one piece for when you come back."

"MOMO," even KOS-MOS was speaking up! "I will continue to perform my assigned duties here per your request. I wish you and Sophie well in your endeavors and will respond immediately should you require my assistance."

Suffice it to say, the two departing sisters couldn't keep their own eyes dry as they thanked everyone who gave them encouragement, support, and well-wishes. As a result, there were very few dry eyes in the large group as a whole. After a few moments of quiet while everyone composed themselves to be able to see the two off with smiles, Dyne looked around and asked if there was anyone else. Sephira didn't feel singled out since he didn't look directly at her, but she knew she had to stop thinking and start talking!

"MOMO, Sophie," she let herself blurt out. "I... know I kind of already said this at school the other day , but that was just for school and this is for everything else..." Those words, on top of everything else that had already been said, caused her to tear up already. "From the day we met, Sophie accepted me as her new sister even though she didn't know anything about me , and she was there from the beginning. MOMO joined in even before Dad adopted her too and... I'm kind of surprised they lasted as long as they did in putting up with me... For as many times as I would prank and kidnap them , they would get back at me in some way . But, for every prank, there were two or three times where they would watch my back , make sure I didn't get hurt , or do something to cheer me up when I was feeling down , even when I hadn't asked for it... I could always talk to them about anything, and it won't be long before I can't do that any more... I'm scared of that, but it would be wrong for me to hold them back... So, I just want to say one more thing... You two... you two..." Sephira couldn't hold herself back any more as she hugged both of them and allowed the dam to burst. "Even though I'm the oldest... you two are still the best big sisters I ever could have asked for...!"

As her words devolved into grateful sobs to let those buried feelings erupt forth, she felt two sets of arms wrap around her in response and the three of them began to cry together for the first time in a long time .

"We've always loved you, Sephira..." Sophie's tears flowed freely too. "You've been there for us just as much , even if you didn't want to admit it... "

"And we'd have watched over you even if Daddy never asked us to or if you weren't our sister too..." MOMO added. "Because we'd still be friends even if we weren't sisters... But, I'm so glad we are..."

"You're forgetting a couple of someones, you know...!" Mazda quickly added herself to the group hug.

"Yes, we're all sisters here and we always will be..." Ayu added as she too joined in and the three older girls made room for the two younger ones.

Sephira wholly expected the entire rest of the group of parents and extended family and friends to make it one enormous group hug, but she didn't realize for several moments that everyone had stepped aside to give them their space and time alone together. She could tell they understood and recognized that the five sisters shared a unique, special bond with each other that no one else could intrude upon. But, as the five were able to wordlessly share their feelings so they would not have any regrets come their parting, the atmosphere felt much lighter than it had at the beginning.

With dry eyes and a clear heart, Sephira was able to join with everyone else in bidding MOMO and Sophie farewell and good luck as the two stepped into their new car and the well-wishers stepped aside to watch them drive off. She didn't have time to be sad or miss them as the car turned onto the main road towards their new destination. She had to pick herself up and start the next chapter of her own life with or without them to help her. After all, with Mazda and Ayu still there, she still cemented her position as the oldest big sister available even if only by default.

And that was good enough for her.

Made in Kisekae.
Sephira and Allie Summers belong to Parasyte123
Kitsuki Ichiyuki belongs to Yi-Phan
Alexus and Mazda Montgomery belong to DLShowtime
Alondra belongs to carlos1976
Ayu Fukuzawa and Chimu belong to RedFalcon23
KOS-MOs model by LinkHelios234
Minivan prop by mca0004