Mosaic art by barblaz-arts/Barbara_Lazuli, invertcolor, and viienrose.
Sora Toriyama had seen some weird stuff since meeting Vega Addams.
Okay, that statement wasn't entirely fair. Sora had seen strange things her entire life. Living in Jericho with Nevermore nearby was a guarantee of seeing outcast activity from time to time. Of course, being an outcast herself, trying to live like a normie while keeping her abilities as a medium a secret, was also a major factor. Sora had seen more spirits of the recently deceased than she would have liked in her life.
But even with all that, meeting Vega Addams had multiplied the weirdness factor by a hundred. Partly because she was an Addams... but also because Vega was Vega.
A werewolf obsessed with ufology was not something you came across every day.
With Vega, she had dealt with various mysteries, supernatural assassins, a Christmas with the Addams family, the drama of her admission to Nevermore, accidental time travel, and late-night visits to fast food restaurants after unsuccessful UFO hunts. And yet the current situation was on another level, even more surreal than when Vega had accidentally brought one of her mothers' teenage self from the past.
Two strange women, suspiciously similar to Wednesday Addams, had appeared in their room at Nevermore. And yes, Sora may have overreacted a little at first, thinking that Vega was up to her old tricks again, but knowing the previous incidents...
But there was a reason why the new arrivals looked so much like Mrs. Addams.
“Well, the truth is that we look like your mother because...” began the one dressed in pink.
“We are your mother,” interrupted the younger one with the sternest expression, “Technically.”
Vega stared at them with that adorably (wait, Sora, wtf)
inquisitive expression of hers, a cross between a frown and a raised
eyebrow, while tilting her head in a dog-like manner, sniffing the air
around the two women.
“You smell like mother,” said the young Addams, “Old books, dark manors, cold crypts, sharp things, and blood. But in varying degrees... you, for example,” she pointed to the stern-looking one, “There's a lot more blood in you, while she,” she pointed to the pink one, “is more books and crypts.”
The one in pink looked at her companion, “Aren't those exactly the same things Enid said were our scent when she first met us?”
“And you know Mom, too,” said Vega, crossing her arms. “Okay, what’s going on here?”
Sora just nodded silently, watching the scene, impatient for answers.
“Our names are Wednesday Addams,” said the one dressed in pink, “But to avoid confusion, you can refer to me as Friday. And this is Woe,” she said, pointing to her companion, “Don't be alarmed by her attitude, she won't mutilate you without reason.”
“Boredom is a reason,” grumbled Woe.
Sora couldn't help but swallow loudly.
In a way... she could see it? They weren't identical to Vega's mother, but the young psychic medium could sense some similarities beyond the purely physical.
But what was also fascinating were the differences... the younger of the two women was the one who most reminded Sora of Vega's mother, exuding the same presence of seriousness, authority, and the constant feeling that she didn't like you. But her facial structure was completely different; she was much paler and seemed to emit a constant aura of restrained homicidal intent that cooled the atmosphere in the room, almost as if there were more ghosts than usual present.
This was somewhat compensated by the warmth of the other woman. Sora wasn't sure how to take it... she was clearly a Wednesday Addams, but Sora couldn't have imagined Vega's mother wearing anything pink in a million years. In that respect, the older Addams made her think more of the other Mrs. Addams, Enid. They both shared that touch of... motherhood? Yes, perhaps that was the way to describe it. A balanced mixture of gentleness and firmness. But there was still something unmistakably Addams about the woman. The smell of sharp things and blood, Vega had said. Better not forget that.
“Hmm, Mother's middle name and a rather appropriate nickname,” said Vega, “And the scent makes me want to trust you, but this is still very strange... How did you get here? Because this isn't time travel, that’s for sure.”
“We're from another universe,” said Woe, “Each from our own.”
Vega's eyes widened, shining with interest. “The multiverse is real?” she asked, “Like in the comics Regine is always reading? That's cool!”
“No! It's not cool at all!” said Sora, making an X sign with her arms.
“Come on, Sora, they're versions of my mother from another dimension! That's definitely cool!”
“Yeah, but think about it... in those comics, whenever there are crossovers like that, it's because something catastrophic is going to happen!” exclaimed the medium. “Or maybe it's like in Star Trek and the mirror universe, remember? Maybe they're evil versions of themselves who have come to kill your mother.”
“I don't think so, they don't have mustaches.”
“Why would we have mustaches?” asked Woe.
“Evil versions always have mustaches!” said Vega.
“I don't think that rule applies to women,” replied Sora, “Or maybe it was a South Park thing?”
“Friday, I demand a mustache,” said Woe to the oldest Addams, who was trying to contain her laughter.
“Ask Pubert to borrow his, although the fact that he has one means he's more evil than you, I guess.”
“Perfidy,” growled Woe, before turning her attention back to the two teenagers, who were still arguing about multiverse crises, evil doppelgangers, and other possible catastrophes. Woe drew their attention back to herself by throwing a knife that she had pulled from her sleeve with a movement invisible to the eye. The dagger flew through the air with a whistle and stuck into the wooden floor between the two girls with a dull thud.
Sora jumped up in alarm, “See? See? Evil!”
“I appreciate the compliment, but that's not why we're here,” Woe explained, before turning her attention to Vega. “We have no intention of harming your mother.”
“Although your friend is right about one thing,” Friday interjected, trying to calm things down. “We're here for a potentially serious reason. Your mother is in danger, and it's imperative that we meet with her.”
“What kind of danger?” Vega asked, letting out a slight wolf-like snarl from her mouth. The sound made them think of Enid, but Woe also heard something of her Nid's feline growls in it, and Friday was reminded in equal measure of her Eamon and her daughter Dora when they got overprotective.
“It's complicated, and a long story that...” Friday began.
“A bunch of interdimensional lunatics want to kill her, and if they succeed, it will also mean the destruction of this entire universe,” interrupted Woe.
“Okay, not that long, then,” muttered Friday.
“Wait, someone wants to kill Vega's mother, and if they succeed, reality will end?” asked an alarmed Sora, “Why? Why would killing her cause something like that? That doesn't make sense!”
“To be honest, we don't know the real reasons behind it. The individual who sent us here was very vague in his explanations,” said Friday.
“Morningstar,” said Woe, almost spitting out the name, “He was also quite foolish in the way he transported us. No wonder Buckman never managed to arrive on time in any of her attempts. Their dimensional jump has left us in Nevermore when our counterpart is surely in Jersey. We won't make it in time,” said Woe, with growing irritation in her voice.
“Uh, mother is here,” said Vega.
The two Wednesday Addams focused their attention on the young wolf, “Excuse us?”
“Mother is here,” Vega repeated, “It's Parents' Weekend. She and Mom arrived an hour ago, they're having a chat with Principal Barclay right now."
Friday clapped her hands in celebration as a smile lit up her face. “Ah, so everything's perfect! See, Woe? Things can still turn out right!”
“Sometimes I hate your sugary optimism.”
“Look at it this way, maybe we can intercept the killer and you can try out your new daggers on them.”
“But on other occasions I can tolerate it.”
“Well, what are we waiting for?” intervened Sora, “If the situation is so serious, it’s best to go and find her as soon as possible, isn’t it?”
“The little medium is right,” said Woe, “We shouldn't waste any more time.”
“Uh... how do you know I'm a medium?” asked Sora, equally alarmed and intrigued.
“Your fear tastes like a medium,” replied Woe, glancing sideways at her as she passed by on her way to the door of the room, “Now, let's go.”
What the hell was that? thought Sora, suddenly paler than usual, but still following Woe out of the room. The four of them were already in the hallway, heading toward the stairs leading down from the dormitory tower in Ophelia Hall, when she felt a hand gently rest on her shoulder. Her eyes met the dark, deep eyes of Friday walking beside her, whose smile made the girl feel calmer instantly.
“Please excuse Woe,” said Friday, “This whole situation is testing her patience. We've been sent here at random, separated from our partners, friends, and family. And I'm afraid she sees you as an easy target to calm her own anxiety, like a wounded sparrow that has fallen from its nest.”
Yep, an Addams after all, thought Sora.
“Ah... it was nothing, Mrs. Addams,” she managed to reply.
“Please, dear, it's just Friday, there's no need to be so formal.”
“Wow, you sound almost like Grandma Morticia,” said Vega, with a mischievous smile, “Mother would have a apoplexy if we told her.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” said Friday, “We know another Wednesday who I suspect is very similar or almost identical to your mother, and she learned to smooth over her differences with her Morticia.”
“Really?” Vega asked, intrigued.
“Student at Nevermore, married to an Enid Sinclair who I imagine is now Enid Addams... yes, there's a good chance of many more similarities,” said Friday, "Although having a variant of Enid as a companion is surprisingly common among many Wednesdays,“ continued Friday, as she pulled a wallet from her pants pocket and a small photo from inside, which she showed to the two girls. “This is my Eamon.”
“Wait, is this guy a version of my mom?” asked Vega, staring at the image of a middle-aged man with blond hair, a beard, and a remarkably muscular physique. “Ha! My mom is a hunk!”
“Vega, you realize how weird that sounds, right?” asked Sora.
“That doesn't make it any less true! And it's not that weird if you think about it, Mom is pretty damn buff.”
Sora tried not to think about Enid Addams' muscles. Mainly because that was just a step away from thinking about Vega's own increasingly defined muscles, especially in the last year.
“Woe also has a partner, Enid Saint-Clair,” Friday continued, pretending to ignore the slight blush that had appeared on the young psychic's cheeks. “Although unlike your mother and other Enids we've met, Nid is a werecat.”
“Now that's weird!” exclaimed Vega, sounding almost more indignant at the idea.
“Her feline prowess and ferocity could make any one of you lunatic mutts bite the dust in single combat,” Woe growled from her position at the forefront.
”Hey!"
“Uh, you two are from different universes, but it's obvious that you've known each other for a long time... and others too, from what you've implied,” said Sora. “How is that possible?”
“It has nothing to do with the current situation, but...” Friday began, “You see, when I was only eleven years old...”
Friday proceeded to explain to the two girls the events of her first visit to Nevermore. Or rather, to the Nevermore of another universe. She recounted her encounter with the local Wednesday and Enid, with Woe, and with other variants who had ended up there due to a failed spell cast by a witch seeking misguided revenge. Vega and Sora listened attentively to Friday's entire story, punctuated by a few brief interjections from Woe.
The two were so absorbed in what they were being told that they didn't even notice how the activity of students and visiting parents in the halls of the Academy came to a standstill when they saw the curious little group pass by, especially when they recognized what appeared to be two extra versions of Wednesday Addams.
Before the day came to an end, the place would be buzzing with all kinds of rumors: the two women were Wednesday's secret sisters, or distant relatives, or clones of some kind...
Finally, the four of them arrived at the doors of the academy director's office.
“Principal Barclay,” Woe read on the doorplate, “You mentioned her earlier, I assume it's Bianca.”
“Yes,” replied Vega, “Do you know her too?”
“We know a bunch of Biancas, yes,” replied Friday.
“Are they still inside?” asked Sora. “Maybe the principal has taken them on a tour of the Academy.”
“I can hear muffled voices inside,” replied Woe, “We don’t have time for niceties and manners,” she said, reaching for the knob to open the door without further ado.
Something she couldn't do, because just as her fingers touched the doorknob, the door swung open from the inside.
The silhouette of a dark-eyed figure stood out before the group, with black hair tied back in a ponytail, a stern face, and a long black trench coat covering equally black pants and a black and gray striped sweater. She was in her early forties, but her face was unmistakably that of the Wednesday that Friday and Woe knew.
“Hello, Mother!” Vega greeted her.
The face of the local Wednesday Addams remained impassive, although a hint of softness crossed her gaze when she looked at her daughter. “Hello, Vega,” she said, before turning her attention back to the two women who looked like distorted replicas of herself.
“Friday and Woe, isn't it?,” she asked.
Friday raised her eyebrows in surprise. Woe just frowned and crossed her arms.
“Uh... but how did she..?” muttered Sora.
“Psychic seer, just like our Wednesday,” explained Woe, “I assume you've seen us coming for a while now.”
“Oh, much more than that,” said Vega's mother, “We have a lot to talk about.”
NOTES
Vega and Sora are creations of barblaz-arts/Barbara_Lazuli.
Once again, I hope I have done justice to Vega and Sora.
If it seems like they accepted the multiverse concept too quickly, keep in mind that they already have previous experience with things as over-the-top as time travel, so the concept isn't that difficult to grasp. And the scent of Friday and Woe awakens enough familiarity in Vega that she trusts them almost instinctively.
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