Chapter Text
Seeing the two bundles of joy with silver hair peeking through the blankets, the tension from the new mother's body is finally released. Her emotions bursting in a strange blend of relief, joy and sorrow
"Twins huh... a girl and a boy at that. How did I get so lucky..."
The young mother couldn't help but tear up at her good fortune. Not only was she able to bring 2 lives into the world without endangering their health, but she also got the perfect pairing of two for the price of one!
It's just too bad that she won't be around long enough to see them grow up. The birth of her children pretty much spent whatever miniscule strength that she had left in her already dying body.
But it was all worth it.
Feeling her life beginning to dim with each passing second, she held her two babies close, giving them their first and last hug and kiss that they would ever receive from her. And with a heavy heart and tears streaming from her eyes, she passed her two little ones to the man sitting beside her to hold them too, his face littered with sadness and guilt.
"T-Take care of them for me. Please, Lord Zeus. Be their family in my place."
Taking the pair of twins in his arms, Zeus stared into the dying mother's eyes with grief yet firm determination.
"I swear, Meteria, I will ensure they grow up to be happy and healthy." the revealed God of lightning promised with all of his being. But he then asked the all-important question that every expecting mother is obligated to answer, "What are you going to name them?"
A flash of pain flared up through the now named Meteria's body as more of her internal organs began to shut down. But that didn't stop her from taking her twins back into her arms before gifting them their names.
"(*Cough!*) Guh, B-Bell. My dear son's name is Bell. As for my sweet daughter, her name will be Alea."
Receiving a nod from the once mighty god, the newly made mother slowly closed her eyes, her little ones being the last thing she ever saw and held as she drew her last breath.
"Bell...Alea... I love you..."
As the day brought not one, but two lives into the world, another was taken away on that same day.
Unbeknownst to everyone in the birth chambers however, especially with the recent death of Meteria, something else is also happening to one of the two twins that were just born.
It took a few hours for Alea Cranel, formerly known as the top Idol Ai Hoshino from a country called Japan, to be somewhat aware of her extremely unusual situation.
One moment, she was holding her dearest son Aqua as her vision fades to black, then the next, she felt like she was waking up from a long cold slumber. Her eyes opened with a very blurry vision while she moved so sluggishly that she could barely even twitch her fingers.
Fortunately, it only took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to the room's candle light. And upon her vision clearing up, the first thing she saw is one of the most beautiful woman she's ever seen.
Despite her skin being sickly pale, diminishing some of her vigor, she still retained her beauty that would put many supermodels to shame. Especially when said woman is looking at her with a smile that's full of love and adoration.
'Why are you looking at me like that?'
'Who are you?!'
'Where am I?'!
'Aren't I supposed to be dead?!'
Ai's thought processes were beginning to go haywire as her infantile body wasn't meant to handle such intense emotions so soon after being born. But before her situation could get any worse, the beautiful woman pulls Ai and another bundle into her arms with great care. Giving them hugs and kisses while conversing to the other person in the room in a language she couldn't understand.
It was by this point that Ai was able to realize that she's a baby again. And taking a look at the other bundle beside her, she was also able to deduce that she was born a twin. Which is quite ironic as she gave birth to a pair of twins herself.
"(*Cough!*) Guh, Bell. M$ $(( !$ Bell. $ !#$%$$*$%* !$ Alea."
'Huh? That sounded important.' Ai still couldn't understand a word that they were saying. But she was still able to tell that two words in that sentence sounded important.
"Bell..." the woman hugs her twin.
"Alea..." the woman then hugged Ai.
"! £0V ¥0U"
And then... the woman stopped breathing.
At that moment, for some inexplicable reason, Ai, now named Alea, burst into tears and started crying loudly. Her new twin brother, who she later realized is named Bell, followed her lead.
She may not have understood the woman's final words due to the language barrier, but she knew in her heart what they meant.
'She said that she loves us... in her final breath...'
She might be a grown woman on the inside, but she still felt the pain of her loss.
'I guess that's one thing we have in common, huh, mother.'
Looking at her sibling crying by her side, she had one final thought before all this emotional roller-coaster sent her to a pained sleep.
'At least... this time... I won't be alone...'
10 years later...
As the sun left the horizon for the dawn of a new day, its light entered an open window and struck the closed eyes of a still sleeping, reincarnated white haired girl.
Opening her eyes, the young girl grumbled at having her sleep disturbed before she reluctantly sat up. Letting out a cute yawn as she raised her arms above her head for a good morning stretch. Upon hearing the soft pops from her stiff joints and feeling more awake now that her blood's flowing, the girl slid out of her bed's edge and finally stood up.
Looking out of her windowsill to welcome the start of a new day.
At first glance, the girl looked more of a young preteen at the precipice of becoming a teenager instead of a little 10 year old. Her body is already beginning to display signs of curves and her chest now showing some subtle swelling. Add in her long silky white hair, her exotic irises, (both ruby red with the left eye having a star shaped pupil) and her face being reminiscent of her old one, then you have a look that could turn anyone's head regardless of gender!
This girl's name is Alea Cranel, once known as Ai Hoshino from her previous life in Japan.
The room that she's in is primarily made of wood, containing only the essentials that she needed for day to day life. After all, this medieval world doesn't have things like posters, wall paint, television or any of the modern additions that a person from Earth would normally decorate their personal room with. Just a modest bed, a cabinet for fresh clothes, a small basket for the dirty ones, and a wooden desk and chair.
Said desk being cluttered with several parchments that she had been writing on ever since her hands were dexterous enough to hold a pencil.
"I should have those bundled up. Don't want to lose any of them." Alea mumbled as she looked at her work.
These writings are actually files of her previous life back in Japan: a short retelling of her previous childhood, some of her songs in B-Komachi along with other songs that she judged as good, summaries of other mediums of entertainment such as movies, and many other things that would sometimes pop into her head that she wishes to preserve from her memory. Who knows, her wide knowledge of the entertainment industry just might come in handy later down the line.
But most importantly, she also included a very detailed recollection of all the memories she shared with her beloved children, Aqua and Ruby.
It's to Alea's good fortune that writing a Diary is a familiar concept in this world and that her younger twin brother and her Grandpa respected her privacy. Thus not questioning her habit of writing things down at the end of each day. Though she still wrote her files in Japanese, just to be safe.
And speaking of her twin brother and Grandpa...
'They're probably already out on their morning walk to check the village fields.' Alea thought as she couldn't hear any footsteps coming from other parts of their little home.
And wasn't that a huge change that she had to adjust to.
Her twin brother is Bell Cranel, who was born a few seconds after her, so that makes her the big sister. Being twins, Bell's appearance is very similar to Alea's, just dialing it to the more masculine side of the facial spectrum. His face is very effeminate and could easily be regarded as cute, his short hair and eyes are the same color as Alea's. The only difference being Bell's star shaped pupil nestled in his right eye as opposed to her left.
As for her Grandpa... well... the easiest way to describe him is that he's the stereotypical old, funny, perverted and somewhat senile grandfather figure that you would normally see in flashbacks in mangas. Since they usually kick the bucket before the story even starts.
And wasn't that a concerning foreshadowing...
Anyways, moving toward her cabinet and opening it up, Alea grabs a simple beige dress, topped out with a washed-up white apron and a clean pair of socks.
As she undressed herself to get changed, Alea couldn't help but notice just how early her body was developing.
'At the rate these babies are going, I'll be needing a pair of bras before I even turn 13!'
Alea couldn't help but laugh at how messed up her dilemma is, especially when compared to the other village girls who were older than her by several years.
After getting dressed and putting her used clothes in the dirty laundry basket, Alea leaves her room and makes her way to the house kitchen.
And while the kitchen design is definitely medieval in nature, an iron stove with a chimney on top, a step stool near the stove and a bottom cabinet below, there was an odd mix of modern conveniences added to it. Like a functioning refrigerator, a workstation table, glass bottles storing herbs spices, and a sink on the side.
Pulling up her sleeves and tightening up her apron, Alea opens the fridge and grabs all the ingredients he needed to make breakfast. 3 eggs, 6 slices of bacon, a stick of butter and several slices of loaf bread.
With all those ingredients acquired, Alea closed the fridge with a snap of her curvy hips before walking toward the workstation beside the stove. Picking up a medium sized pan and a wooden spatula from the cabinet, Alea started to cook.
First are the eggs, cracking them open and mixing them all together to make a scramble egg mixture with a pinch of salt and pepper. Second are the sliced loaves of bread, dipping slightly in the egg mixture before frying them in the pan with a slice of butter for oil. And lastly are the bacon, cooking them at just medium toast to give them a chewy yet slightly crunchy texture.
Once finished, Alea grabs 3 plates and 3 forks from another cabinet and distributes the cooked food evenly at each plate. After placing the three plates on a tray, Alea carries the three dishes to their dining room and places them on the table. And finally, Alea fetches 3 wooden cups and a single pitcher of water.
Just as Alea finishes setting up breakfast, Bell and Gramps walk in, both slightly sweaty in their farm clothes.
"Good morning sis!" Bell greeted with excited gusto.
"Good morning, Alea." The old man greeted with a wide grin, seeing his wonderful granddaughter already preparing breakfast for all of them. "Oh ho, such a delectable breakfast made by such a delectable girl."
"Good morning, Bell. Good morning grandpa." Alea greeted in return, though with an annoyed leer at her grandfather's double meaning comment. Though it looked more like an adorable pout instead of the annoyed look that she was going for. Making the old man laugh instead.
"So, what's on the menu for today little Alea?" Gramps asked with beaming pride.
"It smells great!" Bell praised as he began to salivate.
Sitting down on two of the long chairs and eagerly awaiting what Alea has cooked up this time.
"It's nothing too special, just fried bacon paired with toasted egg loaf that I cooked using butter for extra flavor." Alea explained the breakfast that she made, though she did have to change the name of the bread. No one here will understand what a French Toast even means after all.
"Wow, you certainly have been improving your cooking skills haven't you." Gramps complimented his granddaughter before adding, "You would certainly make your future husband very happy one day!"
Alea's smile grew a tad bit darker at the tasteless remark, briefly recalling how it was her previous romantic relationship that got her killed in the first place. She could only hope that Ichigo and Miyako were able to be there for her children after her untimely demise.
Noticing the shift of his other half's attitude, though mistaking it more as fear instead of depression, Bell screamed in indignation.
"Noooooo!"
Bell jumped from his seat and charged at Alea for a full blown protective hug.
"Big sister is mine! And no other boy is allowed to have her unless I say so!"
Bell's bold claim left both his Grandpa and his Big Sister speechless. Not really expecting to hear such daring words coming from him due to his shy and soft spoken nature.
There was a moment of complete silence after this, so much so that Bell started to blush after realizing what he just said.
"Hahahahaha! Ata boy Bell! That's the kind of guts a man would need if he ever aspires to become a full fledged hero! You're making your old man proud!" the Grandpa hollered with laughter and manly pride for his grandson.
Deciding to join in the fun, Alea smiled brightly before saying.
"Oh dear, so my brother dearest wants me all to himself does he? Does that mean you wish for me to be your 1st wife and add me to your future harem as my husband?"
"T-T-That's-!"
It was by this point that Bell realized that his twin and Grandpa were half-teasing him.
"Y-Y-You guys are jerks!"
Bell then ran straight out of their house (grabbing the remainder of his food as he goes) as he couldn't take the embarrassment anymore. Leaving Alea and his Gramps to continue laughing at him at his expense.
But as their good humor eventually wears out, Alea admits somewhat woefully, "I actually wouldn't mind it. At least I can trust Bell not to abandon me."
These words left the once mighty God saddened, though he completely misunderstood the reason behind Alea's words.
"Hey now, there's no reason for you to feel that way. Despite how short her time is with you, your mother loved you both with all of her heart."
"I know." Alea knows that all too well.
It's actually a bit depressing that she ended up losing her 2nd mother shortly after being reborn. The only two consolations that she had is that she felt more beloved during her few minutes with her 2nd mother than she ever did with her 1st one and that she was blessed with a little brother in this 2nd life that she was given.
Not wanting to wallow in such depressing thoughts, especially so early in the morning, Gramps decided to throw a bone for his granddaughter to chew on.
"Why don't you go and become a Heroine alongside your brother. That way, if some handsome mug comes around and shows an interest in you, the guy will have to jump through hoops just to prove himself worthy of you. This would also give you plenty of time to see if the guy is actually serious. True love endures the face of hardships after all."
Her Gramp's suggestion actually made Alea pause. It wasn't such a bad idea, all things considered.
"I… I'll think about it."
After finishing breakfast (with Bell returning later to return his plate and cup) and washing their dishes, Alea walks back to the living room and sees Bell and Gramps waiting for her at the front door.
"Ready for your day with the other ladies of the village?" The old man asked his granddaughter with a little more cheer in his voice.
"Mmhhmm." Alea hummed with a more genuine smile.
"See you later sister!" Bell said enthusiastically as he and their Gramps will be going with the other boys. Either to tend the fields or explore the nearby forest to forage fruits and herbs that they could find.
And with that, the three left their home to officially start their day.
As Alea walked towards the small village center, the Ai Hoshino within her couldn't help but laugh at just how astonishing this world is when compared to Earth.
It was actually through these womanly gatherings that Alea was able to receive some form of education about the world she was living in now.
From what Alea was able to gather, Genkai is basically this world's equivalent of Earth, where humans and other fantastical races like elves, dwarves, amazons, etc live. And up above beyond the sky is Tenkai, this world's version of heaven where the gods and goddesses had lived. But unlike Earth, all these deities decided to be a little more hands-on in their interaction with Genkai.
And by hands-on, they did it quite literally, as gods and goddesses came down to this world, the world of mortals, mostly to escape the boredom of their godly duties and to seek excitement. So they decided to live in Genkai in exchange of sealing away a majority of their divine power and enjoy life as mortals with all the hardships and handicaps that come with it.
With the little divine power that remains, the gods use this to grant 'blessings' to mortals of their choosing, giving them a boost in power to more effectively combat the monsters that plague Gekai. This 'blessing' is more commonly known as a 'falna,' and it helps mortals get stronger through their own efforts.
These mortals who accepted a god's blessing become affiliated with them, a part of their 'Familia' and are titled as 'Adventurers'.
In other words, Alea now lives in a fantasy world where deities walk hand in hand with mortals and Heroes can be born through their valiant acts in combat.
It sounds preposterous, but it's the truth.
Then came the Heroic stories that she heard from her Grandfather, most particularly about the Labyrinth City Orario. The only city in the world that could be the direct equivalent of a metropolis and considered the strongest and most diverse city of all.
But the very highlight of this metropolitan city is the near bottomless labyrinth that resides underneath it.
The dungeon.
And no, it's not the kind of dungeon where criminals are imprisoned, but the kind where monsters literally spawn from its walls and precious resources could be scavenged from its depths. Ai Hoshino may not be a gamer, but she's familiar enough with video game logic to know that monsters become stronger and deadlier the deeper one goes in conjunction to rarer and more valuable loot. The most common loot being magic stones, the monster's life core, which are worth money, or 'valis' as they can be used as power sources in substitute to electricity.
It took a while, but Alea was eventually able to accept her circumstances and the fact that she was truly and effectively Isekaid.
'At least I wasn't sent here by the infamous Truck-kun. Now THAT would've been a really embarrassing way to go.'
Alea laughed at her predicament at the time, but this also made her sad as this also means that she had no way of knowing what became of her children after her unexpected death. She could only hope that Aqua and Ruby can find happiness even with her gone.
As for what she wants to achieve in this 2nd life that she was gifted, she wasn't really sure. Her twin brother has already been indoctrinated by their Grandfather of aspiring to be a Hero by becoming an Adventurer. It was only today that she was encouraged to follow suit, and it's mostly so she would be less vulnerable to overly eager suitors.
Which is not a bad idea. At least if she's a skilled fighter, she'll have the ability to defend herself and not be some damsel in distress like what happened to her in her first life.
"Maybe I WILL take up on Gramp's idea. But I'll be more of a part-time Adventurer instead of a full fledged one like Bell. Just to make myself strong enough so I could defend myself from troublesome guys."
It is now high noon, as the farmers are currently taking their lunch break after the exhausting work that they did. This is also when Alea and many of the women do their part of the daily grind by preparing lunch for their respective workers / family members.
It was also during these times that Alea began to get more looks from the boys close to her age and even some who were older. It was only thanks to her Grandpa that they were behaving themselves because of how respected he is among their parents and the rest of the village.
"Hey there Big Sis!" Bell greeted Alea happily as he and their Gramps grabbed their share of the sandwiches that she prepared while also pulling Alea away from the other boys.
"Mmmhmm!"
"Delicious as always Alea."
After everyone had their share of food, the children were allowed to do what they wanted as the adults did the rest of the more heavy lifting work.
Living up to his promise of keeping the boys away from his sister, Bell chose the safest option and pulled his sister further away and toward the nearby forest.
"Gramps and I found this really cool place in the forest that I'm sure you're gonna love." Bell said gleefully.
"Really? Ok then, lead the way." Alea replied happily in turn.
And off to the forest they went.