Chapter 47 – Two Mothers

"Congratulations Morus." A voice said to me.

Huh? 

"It's not that big of a deal you know~" That is my voice.

Wait I didn't say that! 

"It is very much a big deal Morus. Very much so." That voice is talking to the voice that sounds exactly like me.

Where the hell am I—!

But finally I got my answer. "You were the one that found the missing Pomus, Morus. Be proud of yourself." Then it all became clear, quite literally and figuratively.

I am in a dream right now. 

More specifically I am dreaming about a specific memory I had while playing Endless, a very memorable dream at that as I confirm by looking my surroundings changing to the exact moment back then. 

I remember this. 

I look on as I see myself talking to a very powerful character even by Endless standards. Someone very famous as the most powerful mage in all the game and its lore. One of the rare player characters that the developers turned into an NPC because of how important she was in Endless.

And most importantly. "You're a dear friend of mine Angie, as fellow beta testers. But what's the point of you talking to me in that account as the 'Mother Of All Elves' when it risks you getting banned?" 

Angieflora, Mother of All Elves, The Living Goddess, Nature's Gift to Endless, and many more titles sung about her. 

Angieflora was one of the first players of Endless, back in its early development. Confirmed to have been the daughter of Endless's biggest and richest investor, she was given the first ever elven character as a favor to that investor. 

She beta-tested all of the magics of Endless, along with me and the others whom are now legends in the lore. The development in Endless's beta was very unique, with many of the players in the beta becoming important characters in the Endless lore as a result. Angieflora being one of the most important ones as she created the playable elven race and its many sub-groups. 

Because of that the Endless team at the end of the beta offered us monetary compensation to give them access and control to our beta characters. We can still have our beta characters and play with them to an extent, but you need permission to access them first and they monitor our actions very closely. 

The reason why they didn't take our characters outright is that with Angie, since her voice and her outside the game have become so famous during the beta. The developers could not afford to let her fame slip pass by without controversy. So special characters like her became part-time Game Masters, as she speaks in events fully controlling the Angieflora character, with heavy moderation from the developers of course. 

And as for me, 

Thank god I was one of the very few people that refused to accept the cash and had full control of my beta character when Endless was released in retail. I love Morus too much to sell her out.

I became famous immediately because I was a beta tester and was one of the first to join into the Endless book contract and lore and made a salary in the game. 

But back to Angie, "Jeez c'mon! I watched you during the raid of Atlantis live on my private account and when I saw you finding the missing Pomus I definitely wanted me to be the one meeting you and not some boring GM controlling my character. Much to their dismay when I told them I'd call daddy otherwise~" The extraordinary beauty of the Mother Elf made a smirk. 

"So can you at least thank me for bothering with calling those idiots to do this for you. Plus the Pomus thing was my idea!" The elegant beauty of the mother elf contrasts with her brash attitude. 

"...Your sure no one's recording this? If Angieflora the Mother Elf acted like that you'd be locked out in your account indefinitely." My past me warned her.

That's just how strict it was with a player-turned-character like her. Their actions gets automatically recorded in the book so the developers must monitor her at all times. I feel sorry for Angie.

"Don't worry, this is a super secret ceremony to discuss about this matter Morus, I'll make sure the only thing written about this is the meeting itself and not the conversations contained in it." She reassures herself. 

Finally, "...Alright fine, what is it that you wanna talk about Angie?" my past self gave up and submitted to her demands.

"Well it's obviously it's the missing Pomus idiot." walking towards the Pomus in question. "Pomus Marea, welcome back my seed." the brash Angie immediately switches and became the Mother Elf Angieflora, and greeted her appropriately like a mother meeting her child again and hugged her. 

"I am back mother." since she was an NPC she could only respond like that and bow. 

Angie looked at my past self once again. "Morus, there are 47 High Elf Pomuses I scattered across Endless right? With their own unique traits and personalities." 

Past me answered, "Of course, those 47 High Elves created their own clans or 'Pomus' based on the environment where they landed from. It's in the book Angie." I answered like its the most obvious thing. 

Then Angie looked down as she explained, "Among those 47 there is one that is missing." she said. 

And past me pointed at Pomus Marea. "Her right?" 

Angie nodded, "And do you know why?" she looked at the Pomus' area between her legs, with a sorrowful face. "You know how each Pomus is different right? Like Pomus Musa having two seeds in its shell and thus being twins and Pomus Capsicum landing atop a volcano and thus masters of the flame. Marea is..." Angie sighed and continue, with a time of total regret. 

"As I was sending each seed out to the world, I thought I had sent out all of the seedlings when suddenly, I heard a cracking noise and as I turned around." looking at the Pomus in question again and hugging her tightly once more.

"One little seedling, it was especially small, there could be 100 of this seeds and it would fit inside Pomus Persea's seed easily. It was small and fragile but it was still a Pomus nonetheless." Angie let go of the Pomus that's definitely the small and fragile one she was talking about.

"But it still rolled down the rock and hit the soil of my World Tree. Miraculously even with a cracked seed she grew up wonderfully, but..." looking down towards her privates. "Due to the crack, she could not reproduce any children of her own." and then she looked at my at self once more. "She's a Pomus without a Pomus of her own." 

A Pomus is both a title for the High Elf and also the identity of the elves descended from that High Elf. If Pomus Marea can have her own children then they would identify themselves as from Pomus Marea, they would be Marea elves. It's both a name and an identity. And with her not capable of creating any children of her own...

It's like a king without his own kingdom. 

"..." past me and even current me could not say anything to what Angie, no; Angieflora the Mother Elf said. 

Even Pomus Marea despite being an NPC had a look of deep sadness in her.

And so, "Morus, this is the reason why I decided to have a meeting with you." she coughed her voice and became even more dignified. "Pomus Marea could not reproduce so she is the only Pomus with no actual pomus or clan to speak of. This is my fault." and thus Angieflora sat both her knees to the floor. 

"Eh?" she is much taller than me so even while kneeling our faces are still in contact. But this is still very surprising for me as she is so dignified and beautiful.

"So I raised her by her side. I broke my own oath of only having elves from my world tree to take care of the poor seed. That's the reason why I didn't play much during launch. And when she finally grew up, I gave a very powerful magic..." Angie breathed hard and pull up one finger.

"One child, she can have one child. She can have one child of her choosing and the magic I gave her would allow the child that she chose to receive her power and possibly even her characteristics and her race. I never tried this magic before and the ramifications it would have but this is my sin." Angieflora continues. 

"And so, when she grew up I transported her to somewhere safe and secure like Atlantis, to stop malicious players from getting such a powerful thing and was hoping that the one who did find her would be clever and smart enough to find her hidden room. And what do you know, it's you." Angie chuckled a bit at the end there. 

"..." while past me is still very shocked by my explanation. "...So you want me to become her child?" old me finally said something in a shaky voice. 

"Of course dumbass. You found her and why did I explain to you all of that in the first place?" she's back to being Angie again. "But more importantly you were honestly the best person that could have found her." and back to being Angieflora again. 

Then Angie once more, "She doesn't have any children of her own so she has a lot of magical potential to give and also! I raised her as my own in my World Tree, the most magically dense area in the world so yeah. You'll probably get banned from tournaments from now on, at least I can guarantee her abilities since I am the one that taught her." she said all of that in a big grin unbefitting to the Mother Elf. 

I mean your the most powerful magic user right? Obviously her pupil would be strong as fuck.

"More importantly you might even unlock a new evolution!" she's trying to convince me. "Then your face might finally change!"

"B-but—" past me was about to say something before, "No buts!" Angie stopped me from doing so. 

"You know me and my NPCs, I love them too much. I'm sure you can relate right?" she told a confused old me but now.

I sure do Angie, I sure do. 

I felt she was talking to me there for a second.

"Anyways! Honestly I dunno how to activate that magic, I told you it's the first time I did such a thing but yeah, I guess all I can say now is meet your mother Morus, I meant in-game Morus not you Rin, but anyways!" she backs off a bit and looks at the missing Pomus, before she steps towards past me and says. 

"Hello dear, I hope I can be a good mother for you." Pomus Marea said that to past me before—

Huh?! 

It became all white again.

The missing Pomus, I mean Pomus Marea, my mother, looked at me and said, "Hello Morus, in so glad to see you again." She can see me. 

Eh? This is a dream right?! 

•••

"Eeeeeehhhh...?!" I move my laying body upwards unbelievable to someone who's just woken up.  

Quickly, "Morus-sama?!" I heard the voice of someone familiar in the distance. 

I look around and see the room where all of us have slept together, now totally empty as everyone I presume has already left. 

Except for, "Ah, Itia." I notice beside me is Itia sleeping beside me peacefully as I may have accidentally woken her up due to my scream earlier. 

[Yeah, she told me about her story of a man that he turned into a rat.] it's a pretty heartwarming story I have to say, as she overcame her killer instinct and instead turned him into a colony of rats. 

"I should reward her properly afterwards." I decided. 

"But yeah..." looking around, I finally sat on the on the futons that were brought in last night and just reminisced on what happened just now. Or rather, the dream that I had. 

"How did something like that even happen..." I wonder what's up with that dream. [It's so crazy.] my head is spinning. 

Thankfully, "Morus-sama, I am coming in!" that familiar voice, it's Kumo. 

But as I remember that dream once more, I now remember something that I am now regretting. "I never once achieved being her child huh..." I remember afterwards trying my damnedest to be able to make her my mother in-game and never been able to do it because of how cryptic that quest is. 

So I gave up. 

"..." 

Once he entered, "Mori-sama I'm also here—ah." Gabril came just behind him and just stopped. 

"...What?" Kumo also stopped. In fact he's almost frozen. 

"Hmm? What's wrong you guys—" before I could say anything, I look at where their eyes were pointing to beside me from behind. 

"Fufu..."

And beside me are two smooth legs in a kneeling position and...

"Oh dear, Morus I never knew you were so rowdy this early~" just behind me is someone I remember very well, for very strange reasons. "You were so cute when while your sleeping on my lap as well."

"Mother—"

"Good morning Morus~!" and she hugged me. 

"Morus-sama's Mother?!" Kumo was very surprised.

"Your mom?!" Gabril was also very surprised.

"Hmmmn what's with the..." Itia was not surprised, "Pomus Marea?!" psych I lied, she was very surprised as well. 

"EHHH?!" but I was the one who was most surprise of them all.

This will take a while.  

•••

Things have now calmed down and moved on from screaming and into explaining things on the round table. "So your telling me, Pomus—I mean, mother, that you just woken up this early morning?" I ask again, to confirm if it is really true or not. 

"Yes dear, and when I woken up, I was sitting on my knees and saw YOU on my lap!" she happily told me again. "It was the greatest thing that could have happened to me after such a long nap is to see you on my lap Morus dear~" clasping her hands together she told me while wiggling like a worm from happiness. 

"I see..." I breathe a sigh, not out of relief but  just getting this situation sorted. 

From my dream I saw my past memory of Angie giving me the missing Pomus Marea, which I found during the raid and capture of Atlantis, as my own NPC and more importantly, recognition to be the mother of Morus, which is me. [And now she's here.]

[I specifically remember afterwards...] the chat and forums exploded in anger as not only did I sneak under the radars of famous players and their parties like Kurumi and the Beast King to take Atlantis for myself, but also gotten a freaking Pomus as my subordinate. The literal seed and child of the Mother Elf, the most powerful magic user in all of Endless. ['A Pomus should be neutral!' they said.] I thought with a slight smirk when I remember their jealous faces.

I look back at my mother, who right now is happily talking with the rest of my subordinates.

"I see I see Itia-chan~ so I came out from a stone statue huh." Marea seems to ponder about it. "Very weird but I get to be with my beautiful child so it's alright~" before smiling again. 

"Yes that seems to be so uhm, Pomus Marea-sama. I already told about it to Kumo and Gabril here as well." looking at the both of them,

Kumo responded first, "Yes that's right uhm, it seems to me that there needs to be a trigger of some sorts before we come out."

"Is that so~" Marea looks at Gabril next. "How about you dear? I haven't seen you before from the memories I had back then." although definitely an aloof person Gabril couldn't help but shiver as the Pomus's eyes focuses on her. 

"Yes! Yes! It seems to have been triggered by the dream that Mori-sama had told us about earlier." now it's my turn to me. 

From this conversation it's clearly obvious that, [...As expected from a Pomus.] they are terrified of her. 

My subordinates are not equal. There are some that are more powerful than others, and if Itia, Kumo, and Gabril are in the middle of that, then a Pomus is near the top. That is just how powerful a genuine Pomus are. [They are there to make sure to stop any players from killing NPCs too indiscriminately.] that's what Angie said about them. 

Now back to Gabril. "...That may be the case." I told, confirming her theory. "I thought about both of you when I first summoned you two here, so that dream must have been the trigger." I look at Itia and Kumo and they gave positive responses. 

"I see!" she shouted, immediately freezing them. 

"Sigh..." if NPCs that could compete with the top players wasn't enough. [It must be because I am her mother.] if Kumo and Itia think of me as their master. How would they respond to their master's mom? Even if my perspective is they are the same from theirs she would be in a different league! 

[What a headache...] I couldn't help but furrow my brows in this situation, as I once again have to start all over again with her. 

But, "I'm sorry..." she has noticed my frustration. "I'm sorry Morus, but I just got so excited seeing you once again..." pressing her dress down her chair, she looks down almost tearing up. 

[Oh no!] what have I done! 

"I know that I'm not really—" I need to fix this. "Morus...?!" she's shocked...

...by me grabbing tightly of her hands. "Mom! Do not say that!" I say whilst staring directly at her face. "...Angieflora said so right? I am your child, and I will make sure of it." holding her hands even tightly. 

"But Morus..." she looks at me. "I still haven't given you that magic right? I'm such a failure..." 

Then I hug her. 

"That doesn't matter mom!" I shouted at her now. "That's not important, what matters is that I do acknowledge you as my mother, and there doesn't need to be any magic to prove that." I declared. 

So holding her hands once more, but now our palms locking I say to my mom. "What are you to me, Pomus Marea?" I intentionally said my words for her to admit fully. 

"...Yes." She seems to have, "I am Pomus Marea, mother of Morus Sibylissa... My child." fully brightened up. "And I will do my best to be the best mother you could have Morus." she tells me while giving two thumbs up and an almost teary-eyed face.

I smile at my silly mom, "That's good." though I couldn't help but pat the head of my own mother. I dunno why but I just wanted to do it. 

I look towards the rest of my companions, and they knew the queue. 

"I am Kumo Kruisspin. Loyal servant of Morus-sama. I apologize for my actions earlier." as usual Kumo leads the way. 

"I also apologize for my indolent self as well mother! I am Itia Weiss... No, Itia Sibylissa, sister of Mori-nee!" Itia revealed it to surely shock mother. 

Finally, "Uhm this is the first time we met but I'm just Gabril. Loyal servant of Morus-sama as well and also... A sort of caretaker when the three of you were absent hehe." it's Gabril who's scratching your head. 

From all of these greetings mother chose the most shocking one first, "Sister? So I have two children now?!" which is of course Itia. 

"Yes, uhm mother, well you see..." and the two begun talking. 

"And I believe I should also tell you what we're planning for now..." along with Kumo joining in on the fun. 

"Yes! And also some stories about Mori-sama!" don't forget about Gabril. 

Although the four of them are still quite stiff when talking for now. [That's good if their getting along now.] in truth not all my subordinates back in Endless did not talk to each other that much. [But here we can mend some of that.] it's my dearest wish for all of them to get along, no matter the cost. 

I whisper to myself. "...Oh, I remember now something about that dream I did afterwards..." something that the dream did not cover.

•••

"Morus, Rin."

"Yes?"

"Before you leave with my child, there's one last thing I need to tell you."

"What is it Angie?"

"That Pomus... When it comes out that you've obtained a Pomus as a subordinate there will be outrage right?"

"I know that dumbass."

"Well this is very unfortunate for me and her, but may be advantageous for you. Pomus Marea, as of the 47 Pomus that exists in Endless. She is the weakest one by far."

"...I see, even if she's weak by OP Pomus standards, she's still a very powerful opponent."

"No Morus. Her magic is a clean slate. It's pure and unrefined, but has endless potential. But as of right now she's weak."

"So Morus, even if she is your in-game mother, she needs you to guide her."

"Just like when she nurtures you when the time comes, take care of her."

"As it stands right now, both of you are mothers to each other okay? So please Morus, if you nurture her, she will nurture you back in a big way."

"...Sure Angie, I mean Angieflora."

I hesitated back then. 

•••

But right now... 

I whisper to myself so low no one could hear it. "I will definitely nurture you mom." I know a thing or two about taking care of my parents. 

For a split second Pomus Marea's ears twitched a bit. 

Before I couls notice that though, "Table for five coming right up~!" another parent came by. "Oh my, did something happened~?" It's Marina holding a platter on her hand. 

And of course, "One special breakfast for Mori-san coming right up!" Mary is steadily holding a large plate on both her hands for me. 

[Today will be a busy day again.] I look towards Leonon opening the door to signify the opening of the inn. [But I guess I'll make the most of it.] I'm not mad though, just wondering when I'll take my time off. 

Chaaruzu_Corner

I swear this mother theme is a coincidence! There just happens to be a lot of moms here in this story, and it just turned out this way I swear. Also, Morus, Marea, Maria, Marina.... I'm bad with names, xD yeah that was past me being a dumbass with names so I have to deal with all the M's in my story. 

Anyways! Short standards by my current standards lol. 3719 words but yeah I initially wanted some other scenes but I decided to make this chapter dedicated to Marea xD cuz she deserves it. Marea is the most buildup I had of one character thus far, but I believe she deserves it cuz imo she will be important in the future :P

But yeah, this chapter introduces the elves and the Pomus! I wanna know your thoughts about the Pomus cuz I'm really proud of them. The Pomus is like my first original concept in my story, no other story has a Pomus just my original idea hehe. XD it was inspired from quite grimdark sources let's just say :3 and yeah. Initially this was supposed to be later in the story but I'm so excited for the elf lore I made that I wanted it now xD

But yeah look up the names Pomus, Musa, Capsicum, Persea and stuff :P I think you guys would love the theme of their names ^^ it all came from Morus which was a giant coincidence I promise but I'll explain it on the notes next chapter. 

But yeah super long authors note done arigatou guys I hope you like it :P :3 :D :)