Song 3

Rebyu: A beautiful country filled with greenery, a fantasy world with a mix of seemingly modern luxuries – and now this was Akemi’s new home. When the gentleman said she was going to be reborn, he meant it literally. Akemi was reborn as a baby to a schoolteacher and his wife, who longed for a family of their own.

They lived in the countryside, where her father taught at the local school, while her mother tended to the animals they kept. Keeping a variety of chickens, cows, and pigs helped them live a self-sufficient lifestyle.

On the night Akemi was born into the new world, her mother sat in bed, rocking her back and forth as her father sat on the edge of the bed. Akemi found herself completely self-aware the moment she lay in her mother’s arms and looked into her mother's eyes as she whispered her new name, “Meloria.”

“Meloria,” her father repeated softly, a proud smile on his face as he placed a hand on her head. “What a beautiful name for our beautiful daughter.”

Meloria huh? Akemi, now Meloria, thought as she lay there. They seem like a lovely couple. Mom is cute, and hopefully, I take after her. The dad looks like he’ll punch a boy if one so much as looks at me.

“She’s going to be a looker just like her mother,” her father laughed. “If a boy so much as looks at her, I’ll punch them.” He threatened as he punched his hand.

Knew it, Meloria giggled to herself. She whined and fussed, trying to get comfortable against her mother’s chest. Her mother cooed, holding her tightly. “My dear little Meloria,” She whispered, kissing her forehead. “Something tells me you’re going to do something wonderful in this world of ours.”

Meloria smiled, rubbing her head against her mother’s chest, and started to fall asleep. I suppose there’s not much I can do in this petite body, her mind wondered; when she was reborn, why did she retain all her old memories?

As she slept, unknown to Meloria, she was being watched by the gentleman who had sent her to her new life. He sat in front of the television, squatting down like a child watching their Saturday morning cartoons, as he admired Meloria settling into her new life. “Meloria,” the name rolled off his tongue. “A beautiful name for a future idol.”

“Maesren,” a voice growled from behind him. A middle-aged woman leaned against the door, watching him observe his reincarnation. “Most gods don’t take this much interest in their reincarnations,” the woman observed, striding up behind him, flicking the back of his head.

“Oi Celesta,” Maesren whined, whipping his head around, staring into her eyes. “What was that for?”

With a heavy sigh, Celesta summoned a chair, taking a seat with one leg crossed over the other. “This room hasn’t changed since the reincarnate left,” she spoke sternly. “I wondered why, and now I see,” she said with a snap of her fingers, and the lights on the stage highlighted the blown-up image of Akemi in her dream idol outfit. “This room has become a shrine!”

Maesren’s cheeks flushed a deep pink as he snapped his fingers, darkening the room again to hide his -not so secret-secret obsession. It was true, this room had started to become a shrine to Akemi since Maesren was assigned to her reincarnation case. In this world, the gods would be given a human, and they would watch over their lives to determine the best course for their afterlife: to be reincarnated or not.

Maersen knew from the moment he laid eyes on Akemi’s dreams that she was something special, and when he saw how she would die, he had to find the best world for her. A world where her voice would flourish and she would become the idol he knew she was destined to be.

“What’s wrong with wanting to keep a close eye on my reincarnate?” Maersen protested, standing up and straightening his clothes. “I must make sure I am doing a good job. I don’t want the higher-ups to accuse me of not allocating my souls correctly.”

“You’re just some stupid idol otaku!” Celeste exclaimed, pointing to the television. “Your job is done. She’s reborn; she has a mother, a father, and will most likely grow up a simple village girl-”

“You’re wrong,” Maersen protested, her eyes narrowed into a deadly glare, taking Celeste by surprise. “Meloria is destined for something more than being a ‘simple village girl,’ and I intend to make sure that happens.”

The words Maersen spoke sank in, her lips twisting up into a grin. “Whatever,” she shrugged, standing up and dismissing the conversation with a wave of her hand. “Don’t come crying to me when it all goes wrong.”

Maersen stuck his tongue out as Celeste turned and left the room. She didn’t understand, she never could understand the happiness an idol can bring to a person. Maersen took the seat, getting comfortable as he turned back to the television, his scowl softening as he watched Melroia through the first few years of her new life.

The television currently showed Meloria’s father standing outside with Meloria in his arms, rocking her back and forth. Occasionally, he would run his fingertips lightly against her skin, smiling to himself; he helped make this little bundle in his arms. She was half of him and half of his wife, and he couldn’t wait to see what that combination would bring. There was no doubt she would have the beauty of her mother, but what of her mind? Would she be a philosopher, a mathematician, or perhaps an artist?

“My beautiful little artist,” he chuckled, so as not to disturb her sleep. “I can see it now. You will paint this world with beautiful colours. You will light up the night sky, bring your mother and me.”

His smile growing bigger, Meloria’s father sat on the nearby fence, listening to the soft snores of the animals as the stars shone bright above him. He looked up at the sky before looking back at Meloria. How he wished he could take the stars and place them on Meloria’s eyes, making her shine brighter than she already was.

“The gods have blessed us with you, Meloria,” he whispered, unknown to him, Maersen smirked as he listened to the conversation, taking pride in giving them a child such as Meloria. His smirk started to fade as Meloria began to get fussy again in her father’s arms, beginning to cry and waking the animals around. “Oh, um,” her father began to get flustered, rocking her back and forth, gently tapping her side to soothe his newborn. “W-what do I do?” He panicked, trying desperately to come up with an idea. He gulped, knowing an old wives' tale that used to help, but it was a risky move. He took a couple of deep breaths as Meloria continued to cry, getting the courage to start.

“Sleep little baby, let the wind rock you…”

As her father sang, Meloria’s eyes opened, staring up at her father’s panicked face. Though he was singing, he looked as if he were in pain. He looks like he’s committing a crime, Meloria observed, instinctively reaching up. Her father’s expression softened, grabbing her hand with a gentle hold. “The stars will watch you, when I cannot, even when you sleep…”

Such beautiful words, Meloria thought to herself, as her father finished the lullaby. The song brought comfort to her, making her feel more at ease and his hold warm, like a blanket pulled from the dryer. Her father leant down, kissing her forehead. “My beautiful Meloria,” he whispered. “You’re going to get me in quite a lot of trouble, aren’t you? Just no more singing, okay?”

Hearing this caused something in Meloria’s fragile baby mind to react as she started to cry, her father beginning to panic again. “No, no,” he tried to act stern, but the more she cried, the more his heart ached, and he knew she was going to have him around his mind. He sighed heavily, giving in. “You win.”

“Sleep, my little baby, and know as you do…”