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There's Joe…oh, Joe, thank you for everything…I can't believe what you did to help me…and now, here I am, on my way to Earth! Oh my gosh, it's getting closer and closer and...whoa! What was that flash? That is weird. I guess it's part of the process? Am I gonna remember any of this? It's getting so close now…and…
Ember gasped and…the baby emerged…and…
…light…ow!...breathe!...breathe!...ouch…man, nobody ever told me anything about this part…how long is this gonna go on?...and…dang, I'm hungry! I wonder if there's any pizza slices around here?
"Oh Ember—she's beautiful!" Ember could only pant…she had experienced such pain during the birth that she just couldn't even speak. Wade held up their child and handed her into Ember's waiting, trembling arms. Ember had enough energy to murmur and coo to the newborn, and stroke her small flame. Slowly she broke into a broad smile. "Wade…oh…yes…oh, welcome, you miracle." Holding the baby, she beamed down into her face.
As she looked around, 22 felt unsettled. Like this was some weird dream, and not actually waking. Who were these people? The person holding her…apparently female…looked sort of like a person, but was made entirely of fire? And yet 22 felt no pain from being held by a being made of fire. And this other person in the room, standing nearby? Big and blue and transparent? Apparently male…he looked like…he was made completely of water? Wait…these are…my parents? Something is really off here! How did I get here? Where are the people like I saw when I was in Joe's body? Is this some trick the Jerrys played on me after all the trouble I caused them for thousands of years? They send me to this alternate universe where everybody's made of fire and water and who knows what else?
"Vivisteria." "Yes, without a doubt. I love that name." "It'll probably be shortened to 'Vivi' right away," Ember laughed. "Look at her. She's got both of us in her. A flame…interesting color it is!" "Yeah—sort of—blue, like me. Is that some water there?", he said, indicating her body. "She's going to have some real interesting traits," observed Ember. "So, as I said, my folks put some of the Blue Flame on my head when I was born; and yours—?" "Water sprinkled on me." "I wonder what she's gonna want to eat. Some kind of mix of our foods?" "Well, since she grew inside you, I'm sure that whatever you have to offer her will fill the bill to start with," Wade said. Ember held Vivi close, to feed her.
Wha?...oh, is this food?...ohhhh, man...oh, that's waaaaay better than pizza...well, this is still really weird, but...the food here is good...and these people are nice...nice people...food...yum...and as this gentle contentment overtook her, 22's 'old soul' merged into Vivi's new one, and ceased to be separate. She lost her power of 'adult' thought, lost all her memories of the Great Before...of all her mentors...of Joe...these floated away on a warm sea of wordless contentment, in which the whole world was her mother, beaming down at her, as she nourished herself from her body.
She was Vivi.