Recovery, a Chance Encounter, and Recollection

A few months passed, and it was now winter again. My tenth birthday was around the corner and along with it, my official debut in to the noble society outside of the kingdom. There has been no movement recently from any possible enemies since the attack at the festival, but I still have nightmares about the incident and the feeling of my blade slicing through their flesh. If it weren't for my past life, and the fact that I was already a little crazy, well, as far as I was concerned that is; I would probably be suffering a lot more from killing someone for real this time. I often wake up in a cold sweat and with tears in my eyes as I see Liz fall night after night. So much so I begged her to stay near me. It was only recently that these nightmares have become vague and sporadic. So, I think I have finally started to recover mentally.

To be fair, it was my first time experiencing a life-threatening situation in this life, and my fifth in both lives. I figured it was only fair I would recover quickly. I brush some stray silver strands of hair out of my face as I sit up in my ornate and plush bed. My buns must have come undone. I glance around my room and see Liz standing by the door, she nods as she notices I have awoken. Hilda moves to open the curtains, but I raise my hand to signal her to stop.

"Is something the matter my lady? Are you unwell?" Hilda moves to check my forehead for a fever and then checks my pulse. I smile and shake my head, "Sorry Hilda, could we go without the sunlight today? I didn't mean to worry you. I feel weird about something as if there were a thing that I was forgetting."

Hilda purses her lips in concern, going over the recent itinerary in her head, "Our itinerary has been consistent and unchanged since we got back. So, whatever it is, it should be fine to give it time, my lady. Forcing yourself to remember something will only make it harder to remember." She gently pats my head and smiles, "Besides, I have good news from His Majesty the King. Your request to have the second princess of Mina attend has been granted, and the invitation was accepted swiftly by King Sora."

"That's good then," A small smile playing on my lips. I look towards Liz, who swiftly takes a knee and smiles gracefully, "I am still in fine condition, there is no need to fear that I may go on a rampage without your order, Rinko. If I may, I would like to at least go back to calling you my lady, or your highness. Would that be alright?"

That was when I remembered that I had ordered her to call me Rinko instead of Master during the fight at the festival, so I swiftly granted her permission again to use standard formal speech with me. "What's for breakfast today, Hilda?"

"Rice pilaf with cut-up sausages and beans with cheese drizzled on as a sauce, is that acceptable?" She answered concisely with a smile.

"Yes, thank you. I assume the itinerary is the same today?" I ask as she helps me get ready alongside the rest of my maids. Today's outfit is just as over the top as usual, but it's cute so I truly didn't mind. A white gown with blue trim and silver embroidery of an owl embellished the bust. Complemented by the skirt, which had the cozy puffiness that I loved and was adorned with blue trim and ruffles. White stockings with blue stripes, and adorable platform wedges only made the look that much cuter.

Hilda takes a moment to straighten out my hair, then answers, "Actually today, we have a sanctioned guest from Mina who has specifically requested to meet with you."

A guest that was sanctioned by the kingdom of Mina, I wonder who it could be? "I see, so today's schedule will be different then. Thank you for the heads up and for always taking care of me Hilda." I presented her with a pouch of gold coins to reward her. "Take this as a reward for your continued and abundant service."

Hilda looks at me with surprise, "Are you certain my lady? I was going to serve you till I was forced to retire anyways, and I am already well paid." Her voice shakes with emotion as she gets to the latter half of her words.

I smile softly, "Consider it a bonus then." I then add with a giggle, "I do not need loose change anyways."

Hilda smiles, "Then I will take it gratefully and stay by your side till you grow tired of me, eh?" She finishes with a teasing chuckle.

I smile and we move to the breakfast hall soon after, humming all the way. Liz trails behind me in her customary spot, while Hilda went her own way after cleaning my room. I stop at a balcony to the side of the hall and look over my home city. Watching the people go about their days, a kid catches sight of me and waves, so I smile and wave back. She flushes and jumps seemly for joy and runs off. I watched on and chuckled, “Cute kid, I hope she makes it back home alright.”

Lizzy smiles and leans against the rail beside me, “Thanks to the heightened security, she should be fine. We should head to the dining hall soon, or you might get yelled at for being late.”

“True, let us go then,” I turn away from the balcony after another hesitant moment, then glance back at my beloved capital. “For some reason, I feel on edge as I gaze out at the city. Has there really been no sign of the terrorists since the festival?”

Liz becomes serious for a moment, then says, “There have been some small-scale skirmishes, but nothing of note, we cannot even confirm if they were the same people from the festival. I thought it would be better to hold off on saying anything until we had confirmation...” She trailed off as she looked into my eyes and noticed a distant look. “My lady?”

I cough and clear my throat, “Sorry, I just, I can’t put it into words. I just... Heighten security over the next year or two, I know I am being unreasonable, but I have a really bad feeling.”

“It shall be done; I will even ensure the escape route to Mina is secure and ready.” Liz takes my unreasonable request in stride and ensures her orders get passed down to the royal army as we pass a training field.

“Ah good morning your highness, did you sleep well?” We were greeted by Sir Gustav as we arrived.

“Of course, thank you for always checking on me when I come through here.”

Gustav smiles, and opens the door, “You know it is in my job description to ensure the family I guard is in good health,” He finishes with a chuckle and ushers me through. So. I smiled and snuck a handful of gold coins into his pouch when he wasn’t looking. Then proceeded into the hall. I smile upon seeing my father and mother talking with my sister Rin. I run up to the table and hug my mother in greeting, earning me a smile and some head pats. “Good morning, Rinko, take your seat so that we can eat.” She pokes me gently toward my usual seat beside Rin and I go to take my seat.

The guards announce the arrival of the first guests who stayed behind at the castle, Dryas, Kyle and the Ambassador. As they took their seats and greeted us in turn, Gustav announced the next guest. “Please welcome our new guest of honor, a guest endorsed by King Mina Sora of the kingdom of Mina; Lady Iris.” A stunning woman with silver hair and blue eyes entered the room. She was tall and slender, wearing a lab coat and glasses, with her hair tied in a ponytail. She was a divine fox spirit, but not one from our recent family history as far as I was aware. She had similar features to me. And when our eyes met, I felt a strange jolt of familiarity even though I have never met her in my life.

I glance at father, and find his jaw dropped. I tilt my head in wonder at his unprecedented sight. “Lady Iris, what brings the goddess of knowledge here? There hasn’t been a record of you visiting since that day.” My father, who has always carried himself with pride and dignity, was clearly nervous and suffering from a cold sweat. He spoke so deferentially that I almost couldn't believe it.

I glanced back at Iris; she was looking right at me as she responded to my father. “I am not here for pleasantries, or to discuss what happened in the past with my beloved sister Lena, but I am here to discuss things with your daughter, Rinko was it?” Her glare at my father, and my father's nervous gulp made me wonder what kind of past this kingdom has with the goddess of knowledge. However, her expression eased into a happy smile as she mentioned her desire to speak with me.

I couldn’t figure out her angle, like, at all. Why would a literal goddess want to speak with me about? It’s fair to say we are probably related far into the past, but why not my sister Rin? I just don’t understand this girl. My confusion must have shown on my face as Iris’s face fell. A somewhat gloomy mood seemed to hang over her, so I stood up and approached her, my nerves making me feel sick. I softly embrace her, much to the astonishment of everyone else in the room, but I ignore them. “Lady Iris let's talk somewhere more private. This isn’t the place to have an emotional scene.” I gently reached out and took her hand, she gently squeezed my hand in response. I turn to a maid and stop briefly, “Please bring enough food for two to my chambers.” The maid bowed and went to arrange the order. Afterwards, we went to my room.

I took a seat at the end of my bed, after offering Lady Iris her seat. Why did I do that? I mean, I know I'm an utter dumbass, but who in their right mind would walk right up to a goddess, embrace her, and then causally invite her to their own bedchambers. I must be crazy. Yet, for some reason, in that moment; I acted with a feeling of familiarity. It was such an odd feeling, but I feel like I instinctively knew she wouldn’t get upset and smite me. I grab my head and groan, then throw myself backwards so that I'm laying down. I don’t get it; I just don’t understand this situation at all. Gahhhh.

Iris looks up at my groan and rushes to my side, “A-are you alright?” She checks my temperature and kneels on my bed beside me, cradling my head so it's in her lap.

“I-I’m alright, sorry I shouldn’t be lost in my own head when I'm the one who invited you to my quarters to talk.” My voice was a little high-pitched from being flustered.

Iris smiles softly, “I am rather confident that you don’t remember me, and you probably won’t understand what I will be saying next. You will one day though. Your soul remembers at least and that’s enough for me, for now at least. I am your little sister Iris; we became gods around the same time. Your name at the time was Lena. This is the story of our past billions of years ago...”

I do my best to listen and try to understand. It is incredibly difficult. Though, for some reason, I knew it was all true. I just felt this vague nostalgia that I couldn’t place and started crying out of nowhere as Iris held me close. “I-I’m...home sis, sorry, you were right, I didn’t understand everything. However, everything felt like the truth. I feel awkward treating you like my sister though since I have no memory of that time anymore.” I rest my head softly on her shoulder as she holds me close. “I feel like the little sister,” I joke, and laughter fills the room.

“Thank you for listening and humoring me, you really are just like you were back then. You never change.” Iris chuckles.

“Well, that solves the issue of why I never grew up, aha ha ha.” I release a fond chuckle and close my eyes. The feeling of comfort, security and warmth, the vague familiarity and happiness filled me with a profound sense of contentment and made me sleepy. That was the day I fell asleep in the arms of a goddess.

***

When next I woke up, it was morning the next day. I yawned and stretched and rolled over, bumping into something soft. My eyes flutter softly as I struggle to wake up. I was never a morning person, in my past or current life. As that thought passes through my head, I couldn’t help but chuckle. I rubbed my eyes and finally got my right eye open. That gunk always feels like it will seal my eyes shut if I don’t rub it off. Another yawn and I look at my right as I sit up. There, what seemed to be an older clone of mine was fast asleep and nude. I tilt my head in confusion. Why on earth is there a nude girl who could be my twin if she were my age, in my bed. “w-what happened last night? Wait, I don’t remember what I had for dinner or lunch either.” That was when it hit me, I remembered what happened and my face flushed bright red. “You have got to be kidding me, why did no one wake me up? What were Liz and Hilda doing, hell, why didn’t Rin or mother and father come to get me for the things I had scheduled?” I muttered quietly to myself and moved to roll to my left and get out of bed that way. For the second time that morning, I bumped into another body. “Wha...?” It was my sister Rin fast asleep beside me. I glance back and forth between them. “What is it with my sisters, they're both weirdos.” I chuckle wryly and lay back down snugly. I took both Rin and Iris’s hands and held them close. Smiling warmly at them as they sleep.

I gently poke Rin’s cheeks as the time for breakfast begins to draw nearer. A lewd sounding moan escapes from her mouth as she turns away from my poking finger. I shake my head in amusement, I am the younger sister here, right? What is this dork doing?  

“Get up sis, what are you even doing in my room anyway?” I poked her a few more times and slowly sped up until she giggled and opened her eyes.

“Hey sis, why are you in my room again? I know you weren’t here when I fell asleep, that’s for sure.” I lightly pressed her for answers, slowly inching toward her with a goofy grin on my face.

She hesitates, her face flushed a little, and due to that hesitation, I pounced on her and tickled her relentlessly until, “ah! Ahaha haha hehehe, stop, stop. Alright, alright, I’ll explain. “ I let up and sit back down, a stupid smile tugging at my lips as I wait for her to explain.

“To be completely honest, I knocked around lunch out of curiosity to see if you were alright. The one who answered and let me in was Iris. She explained that you fell asleep during their conversation and out of concern I stayed by your side.”

“That so, alrighty, I will let it go.” I smiled at her and then turned towards Iris. “Hey, Iris? I know you're up. Is it alright if we explain things to Rin? I promised to explain the portions of my past I knew. But you would be needed to explain the past of my past.”

“Sure sis, if that’s what you want, I don't have a problem with it. It might be easier to talk about the more immediate past first.” Iris acknowledged me with a trace of a smile as she sat up and rested against my back.

“I suppose you're right; it would require much less of an explanation. Say, Rin, do you remember our promise before the events at the festival? I promised to tell you the secret I have been withholding all this time. Now is the time.” I take a serious tone with Rin, and she nods.

“This is not my first life, I have memories of my past life, er, I should say my immediate past life...” I explained my life as Alen Schinzel, the incident that led to my death and subsequent reincarnation as Rinko. Then I passed it off to Iris. “However, I had a life before Alen, one I have no memory of. Iris is my little sister from that life, and she came here in pursuit of me. I'll leave her to finish explaining everything.” From the early days of creation, all the way to the present. I watched Rin’s expression go from shock, to tears, to shock again, and then horror, and sadness towards the end.

“Everything is the truth, as I lived through it.” Iris finished her explanation. Rin looked at me in wonder. “So... You...you are Lena the lost goddess. You’re still my sister, alright? I won’t give you to Iris even if it means I must fight a goddess to do it. I will share, after all, this means in a way, Iris is my sister too. What should I call you?”

I smile and shake my head in amusement, “I am still Rinko, it is who I feel would be more accurate at the moment at least. I don’t have any memories of being Lena, and we should keep this between us for as long as possible. We don’t want to start a conflict just by claiming I am the goddess of creation and destruction. Admittedly, it's also still a lot to take in, we cannot be sure how much of what anyone says about my pasts, including from Iris, is true. Sorry Iris, but I will have to stay a little skeptical until all this is proven down the road, I hope you understand.” 

Keep this secret and don’t share this information with anyone Liz.  

“Affirmative my lady” Liz responds in kind. A recent discovery of ours was that as a part of my vampire brood, Liz and I can converse telepathically. I sensed her presence under the bed in a puddle of shadows, a special ability she discovered through her training. I made a mental note to have her teach me it later.

“That's alright, sis, I understand your concerns. If I still get to have you as my sister, I have no complaints.” Iris smiles and her clothes magically reappear covering her body.

I facepalm in exasperation, “You mean to tell me you could have had jammies on this whole-time sis? Gods why are my sisters such dorks, I swear!” My smile and laughter fill the room as I lay back down.

“Sorry,” Iris smiles at me with a small chuckle.

Rin looks at me in surprise, “you sure relaxed enough to speak your mind since you told me everything.” A wry smile danced across her face as she suppressed her own laughter. “You're probably the biggest dork of us all though.” She adds.

That got everyone laughing, even Liz laughed and bonked her head on the bedframe as she was trying to come out of the shadows mid laugh. This sparked even more laughter. Rin was a little shocked to see Liz come out of the ground, but once she realized it was her, she laughed too.

Gasping for breath and clutching my tummy, I do my best to get myself to where I can speak again. “Iris, how long do you plan to stay here? Don’t you have your own duties to attend to?”

Iris grins and says, “Typically, I would if I was in the middle of an experiment. Fortunately, when I learned about your reincarnation, I had just finished a major test. I should be free to stay around till you go off to school in two years. However, er, I will keep this part to myself for now, sorry sis. You will understand soon enough.”

“Fair enough, alrighty then, let’s go get some food, I’m hungry.” Rin went to her room to get changed, and Iris helped me change into another gorgeous gown in place of my maid, Hilda.

Iris reminisces about the past, “This reminds me of when we were little and helped each other get changed for the day.” She rests her head on mine after finishing, “You were just as cute then as you are now too. Some things just aren't fair.”

I chuckle and say, “Says the nearly identical twin of mine, eh.” As I turn around and bop her lightly on the head. “Anyway, sis, were we twins by any chance?”

Iris stops for a second, then smiles and responds, “Yeah, we were.” She says in an emotional voice.

“Wait, don’t tell me...am I going to end up as tall as you?” I ask hesitantly, fearing the answer.

“Honestly, probably. You were just as tall as me back then. Even if genetics are different now, your past divinity will influence your body more than any genetics ever could. Reincarnation or not, if you were a god or goddess in your past life and are born the same sex as your divine self. You will take on all the traits and features you used to have.”

“Then what about these pink streaks at the end of my hair?” I ask.

Iris investigates my hair, “I don’t see a single pink streak, you might have had them earlier on, but as you grew up, your divinity overpowered your genetics.”

Hearing that I look myself over in the mirror, “Holy shit, you’re right...wow.” I check myself even closer to the mirror and that’s when Rin returns with Hilda following behind her. The sight of Iris and me looking at my reflection makes Hilda's eyes widen, but she doesn’t say anything. Though I am the only one not aware Hilda was there as I turn around and look at Iris, “So does that mean we would still be considered twins, dear sister?”

I was so absorbed in the mysteries of my past life as Lena that I was blind to everyone but Iris at that moment. Rin cleared her throat in a very loud and normally rude manner to draw my attention. “O-oh...ah, I can explain?” I squeak out awkwardly upon seeing Hilda there.

“You see, Iris and I really hit it off and now have a close sisterly bond, ehm, she is a goddess, but she looks so like me that I was joking about being twins ah, ha, haha.” My awkwardness as I try to explain the situation and twist things to work, and the pitying gazes from everyone in the room at my attempt to lie just made me feel even more anxious.

Hilda looks at me with a pitying but understanding gaze. “I understand the situation, there is a lot of information that I am not privy to, but there is clearly a lot going on here. Also, my dear mistress, you are a lousy liar. I can read the room enough to know I should keep everything I just heard to the grave. So do not worry.”

My face is utterly crimson in embarrassment. Iris chuckles and mentions, “Yet another thing we have in common, neither of us were ever good liars, eheheh. I feel for you sis, I truly do.” She wraps her arms around me and rests her head on my shoulder as she speaks.

“Oh, shut up Iris,” I gently rib her and playfully shove her, a giggle escaping my lips. “we’re already late, let's go already before anyone else shows up leading to another awkward moment.” I turn towards the door and walk right out; everyone’s affectionate gazes follow me until I vanish from sight.

Iris cracks a wry grin and shrugs, “Always a handful, huh sis.” then giggles and follows me out, though she pauses briefly and glances back at Hilda, “I will tell ya just what exactly is going on later alright? You just gotta keep it to yourself.” then she quickly follows me.

Rin turns towards Hilda and shrugs, “It’s almost like there are two Rinkos’ now and I donno how I feel about it.”

Hilda smiles and inquires, “So tell me, are they really siblings?”

Rin sighs, then drops her shoulders. “It really is hard to believe isn’t it. Rinko being Lena’s reincarnation and all that. However, it would explain a lot. Rinko has always been oddly mature, and capable of the weirdest things. It makes me wonder if I truly am the right choice for being the crown princess sometimes. If Rinko truly is Lena, the founder of this kingdom and the literal goddess of creation and destruction, it would make things easier for me. I wouldn’t keep comparing myself to her. So, I guess I kind of have some wishful thinking going on there.”

Hilda smiles in understanding, “You are right about that, comparing yourself to a goddess is foolish. Only those with the divine spark can claim to be capable of reaching those heights. If I were in your shoes, I would take that knowledge and assume it’s the truth. That way you can just focus on yourself. That may be presumptuous of me, but I hope my advice helped you. Focus on what you can achieve and don’t dwell on the things you can’t change.” She takes a deep breath and continues, “It is highly likely that it is the truth. Rinko is very likely to be Lena, and the reason I say this is that I used to work in the church back in the day. I have heard the stories and history, there was also a bit of knowledge passed down at the time, though I only seem to recall it now. Those who achieve Godhood can sense each other to some extent. That sensitivity is greater for siblings who attain divinity together.”

“I didn’t know you used to be a member of the clergy, what lead you to working under Rinko?” Rin asks, her curiosity peaked.

“Truth be told, it was over fifteen years ago, the church isn’t the one I used to support. Your father rescued me from a pursuit of mercenaries back then. I was originally in his service, until Rinko was born. I swore then to serve her till the day I died all because of her similarity to a statue within the church. My hunch was right at the time. Rinko turned out to be Lena, the goddess I always admired and respected, despite her...spontaneous nature to put it politely haha.”

Rin nods and listens closely, “Thank you for telling me your story. We will have to talk again another time. We don’t want to keep everyone waiting now do we~” Rin says happily.

“Yes, Let’s.” They quickly headed to the dining hall a few minutes later.

***

“Ay, Rin, what took you so long?” I wave my hand with a grin on my face. My formality completely slipped away. Everyone else aside from Iris, Rin, Hilda, and Liz were wide-eyed and frozen. Their jaws gapeing as they saw me being so abnormally informal in front of guests. I pay them absolutely no attention though.

Father waves over Iris and whispers, “What exactly happened yesterday? Rinko is acting so differently now.”

Iris looks at me warmly then shakes her head, “Sorry, but while I know what happened, I cannot say anything about it.”

Rio sighs, “Iris, I swear if you did something to my daughter, I am going to be incredibly upset. I don’t care if you are the sister of our nation’s departed founder.

“I swear on my beloved sister that I didn’t do anything to her. What I can tell you is that her future has something to do with my past. That is all that I can say.” Iris does her best to explain vaguely.

“That so, Rinko, come here,” he says sternly.

“Yes, father.” I approach him warily. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, not necessarily. However, please keep in mind we have guests, and one of them is a goddess who if offended, could destroy this kingdom in an instant.”

I glance at Iris, then laugh out loud. “She would never do that as long as people I hold dear remain here Father. Your fears are unfounded. Besides,” I move over to Iris and hug her while looking at Father. “She is just as fond of me, as I am of her and Rin.”

“Oh, almighty, please forgive her for her sins, I beg of you lady Iris.” Father quickly grovels before Iris, completely oblivious to the nature of our relationship. Iris and I shared a glance then guffawed loudly throughout the hall.

“Rio, you really don’t need to go that far, what si, er I mean, Rinko said is correct. There is no reason to fear any backlash if Rinko and those she cares for remain here.” Iris almost slipped up, so I had to gently bop her on the head to correct her.

Iris chuckles and bops me back, then wraps her arms around me and plops her head on mine. “Rinko you’re the reason we got into this mess, please try not to make your dear father worry for the kingdom's safety with your behavior.”

“Yes, my dear Iris, it is as you say. However, are you not overcomplicating matters with possible slips of the tongue? How ever are the people here to understand you mean no harm and are super chill.” I giggle and poke her teasingly.

Father stares at me aghast. “How can you interact with a major deity so casually, have you no shame as my daughter?”

“Rio, that is too far, and you know it,” Iris states, her voice sounding hurt as she listens to me get attacked by my father.

“No, it is not, she is my daughter, it is my right to rebuke her for her transgressions. It is not right for a mere mortal to speak as though on equal terms with a god, Lady Iris.” Father’s voice is stern as he glares at me with reproach. “The gods are sacred beings, and should be treated as such, my daughter is committing blasphemy in a public setting which is not ok.”

I sigh exasperatedly, “I swear it would be a billion times easier to just say why it’s okay for me to be all friendly with you, wouldn’t it?” I ask as I glance back at Iris.

“You’re not wrong, what do you think? Should we talk, or keep it to ourselves?” Iris follows up.

“I don’t know, I do know that we cannot keep going in circles. If I get punished for this, I might miss my chance to meet someone that I have been rather excited to encounter lately, so I would prefer not to run that risk.” I add cheerily.

“Well, should we just drag your dear old dad down the hall to talk in private then?” Iris jokes back just as casually.

“You mean it? Sure, let's drag em down the hall then,” I quip back. “You grab one arm and I’ll grab the other” I add with a playful giggle. I quickly moved forward and grabbed one of Father's arms. Iris giggled then teased, “You truly never change do you.” As she grabs my father’s other arm.

“Nope!” I reply with a bright smile.

We then proceeded down the hall to a free office that was soundproofed. Hauling Daddy down the hall as suggested. A guard who followed us bowed and then opened the door for us. Then left the room with the door closed.

From there we repeated the explanation we gave Rin. “See, there is absolutely nothing to fear if me and Iris are sisters, and that won’t ever change. It hasn’t over the last fifty thousand years or more, so why would it change now? We were once blood-related twins after all.”

“I see, though, I don’t really understand it fully myself. I do understand enough to see your point now. Are you two essentially soul sisters then?” Father asks curiously.

Iris shakes her head, “To a certain extent, you could say that, sure. However, not for the reason you may think. You see, Rinko and I are twins, not just genetically, but also with the soul. This goes double for the divine soul. I will try to explain it in a way a mortal will understand...”

Father pops his fist on his hand in understanding, “I see now, so simply put, once Rinko achieves divinity, it will effectively mean she will be no different from the original goddess Lena in all aspects.” A perplexed scowl on his face.

Iris nods, then sighs tiredly, “Explaining gods and how they work to a mortal is beyond exhausting, sis, let's go get our food now, I need a nap.”

I smiled warmly at her, “Good work, and I agree, hopefully, none of the food went cold. What were you most looking forward to?”

“The casserole to be honest, I hear you came up with it?” She smiles back as we stroll peacefully back to the dining hall.

“Officially, I did, but, truthfully, it was a dish from my past life. All I did was popularize it.” I giggle sheepishly.

“Sounds about right for you hehe, let’s go.”

***

A few days later, preparation for the ball had begun. Iris taught me how to use beginner magic, manipulate my mana, and release magical pressure. Iris explained that I should probably train with the elves for a year before school to ensure I don’t make too many mistakes. As she said, “You don’t want to accidentally blow up the school.” I know she was just teasing me, or at least I think she was? Little did I know, that was exactly what Lena did when they were growing up.

I was in the drawing room with my tutors, joined by Rin, Iris and Liz. The tutor’s reactions to Iris were hilarious. The ones that were sitting fell out of their seats, and the ones that were standing flinched and took a step back. They knew she was in the palace, but they never expected her to join a lesson.

“Iris, you are way too intimidating for people, relax a bit.” I teased, ribbing her gently.

“Even you should know I can’t realistically relax any more than I already do in your presence dear Rinko.” Iris quipped back and bopped me on the head.

“Sure, sure; Gods it is so hard to censor myself. I feel so awkward. Why can’t I speak freely, for crying out loud. We’re related damnit.” I gripped, my tail swishing annoyedly.

Iris gently pats my head between my ears, “Calm down Rinko, it isn’t that big a deal. Then again, that might be a tall order for you.” Her tone was light and understanding, though it made me feel like she just roasted me.

We were doing some light touch ups on chemistry, magic, and how to operate a battleship so that we could give proper orders if we ever wound up in a battle in space. Was it unlikely to happen, probably, however, to protect against invasions, Runaria had a united space fleet docked at the only spaceport the planet has.

Many of the important guests for the ball have already arrived, and as was tradition, I had to remain out of site out of mind until my debut, this was honestly hard for me to do until Iris taught me some dimension magic which hid my presence from those around me that had less magic than me. Iris told me that, back when I was Lena, I could even hide my presence from her. Of course, she made me promise not to use it to avoid her this time.

After lessons finished, Rin went to do her royal duties, while I had too much free time. So, I left the palace with Iris and Liz at my side. Of course, I used dimension magic to erase my presence in Runaria to avoid being found out. We strolled through the castle town, then headed into the woods where the Suzuki family lake was. I scrambled up a tree and sat on a thick branch. Iris floated up to sit on a branch of the tree in front of mine. Liz stayed in the shadows to act as a guard. “Hey, sis, was I really such a wild child in my life as Lena?”

Iris gazes out at the lake and giggles, “Oh absolutely. You were such a riot that I had to clean up after your messes, but I didn’t mind one bit. There was even a time when we first became gods that you challenged one of the ancient gods to a fight.”

“Really? I probably got my butt kicked ahaha. It’s hard to believe I used to be such a boisterous girl.” I mused.

“You might be surprised; you actually won and took their position as the goddess of creation that day. You were born with the divine affinity for destruction and became the goddess of destruction first.” Iris clarified.

After a short pause, “Ah, really? I always had this preconceived notion that a god of destruction was always a villain. Perhaps I should change my thought process on that. How did I gain the divine creation abilities?”

“It is a little gross, sis. You killed the ancient god of creation and ate his flesh. You gained the divine creation skill after that.” Iris winced at the memory.

I hesitate as I digest this new information, then with a audible gulp, “Yeah that was gross, I must have been crazy if I went the route of cannibalism back then.”

“You were, yea, you were also dumb and spontaneous. No different from the way you are now sis.” Iris’s pointed jab hit me hard.

“Mercy, I cry mercy, that hurt ahaha.” I joke back. “I know I don’t really think things through and just wing it. I also know I am not the brightest bulb. Though in my past life as a human on Earth, I developed enough of a moral code not to repeat the past.”

Iris smiles warmly, “I suppose you are a little better now. You’re still a dork no matter what though and you will always be my sister. At the time, we didn’t understand that a god can pass on their powers through a blessing if they want to retire. I only discovered that after you died.” She pauses for a moment; a ghost of concern haunts her face. “After you died, a lot has happened. The gods fell into chaos and several of them are no longer with us. Without a god of creation or destruction, all anyone could do was maintain the status quo and there are many enemies who have cropped up. Watch yourself going forward sis.” 

Man, this sucks to hear, I hope nothing comes of this in the future. I nod, then rest on the bough for the evening. 

***

In a forested area in Runaria, I opened my eyes and saw two people, one who looked like an older me, and one a man who seemed blurred. The man speaks first.

“Hey Lena, you hurt?” a voice calls out, but I can’t see the person’s face, it seems hidden in some kind of fog.

“I’m alright, thank you for asking love, I just feel a little weaker these days.” Older me responds.

“Ever since you gave birth to the Suzuki family, you have seemed so frail, I’m dreadfully worried about you as your husband.” The man speaks again.

I see, this must be a dream of Lena’s past before she died. 

Iris suddenly appeared through a portal. “Sis, what happened? I suddenly couldn’t sense you anymore.” She opens some kind of stat screen and looks it over. “No, it can’t be, your divinity is grayed out. Did you pass on your powers and role?”

The scene then shifted, and I saw a familiar face, as well as Lena fighting. W-what is he doing here, I thought he was the administrator of reincarnation!

“Damn you Orcus, do you know what you’ve done?” Lena cries out.

The administrator of reincarnation, Orcus, laughs in response. A crazed look in their eyes. “You wretched girl, you thought you were untouchable. All I did was humble you, and now, I will kill you.” A ghastly smirk followed his ominous words driving a chill down my spine. 

This Orcus is nothing like the person who guided my reincarnation, but there is no doubt they are one and the same.  

Their brutal clash continued, a massive wave of earth crashed down on Orcus, who slashed through it and drove Lena back with a thrust she barely parried with her spear. The fight intensified to a terrifying level as meteors rained down from a magical gate behind Lena. Their crashing blows send shockwaves through the area, turning the cities around them into ruins in an instant. “Come on, take me seriously you bitch, you're supposed to be the goddess of creation and destruction. Where is that fabled might which put the gods in their place.” Orcus taunts.

Lena responds by instantly creating innumerable earthen spears which she sent flying at the speed of light. Then forming a spiraling stage from the earth that led into space as Orcus blew away the earthen spears. The scale and intensity blew my mind, I felt like I was watching two op anime characters go toe to toe in an epic Shonen.

“Ahahaha, finally a little more of a challenge.” Orcus laughs.

Lena raised her hands and then spread them; the very planet split in half as if following the motions of her hands and swallowed Orcus with a brutal sounding crunch as the planet returned to its original state. A momentary silence fills the battlefield.

Then a deep rumble happened as the crust suddenly burst open and Orcus reappeared looking worse for wear. “Damn, I would be in real trouble if I didn’t weaken you before this fight.” He wipes the blood from his lips, then raises his guard.

A giant mass of gemstone spears rose from the earth curving through the air and surrounding Lena, before she sent them flying down in a sharp hail. She used the distraction to instantly follow behind them and get behind Orcus with an intense three strikes at his back. Orcus scoffs and dodges all the blows. Their blades clash again, the shockwaves intense enough that they formed a thirty-kilometer crater.

The scene shifted again, this time the planet was gone, the brutal fight was finished. Lena lay on the asteroid she summoned to stop her backward movement. A brutal gash across her shoulder and down to her hip. Orcus stood over her, a vicious sneer on his face. “May you have hell in your next life.” Then jerked his blade down. Lena’s gaze seemed to meet mine, her lips moving silently, please look after our sister and live a better life than I did. Her gaze became more distant as life faded from her eyes.

Orcus glanced at me in the dream, then lunged at me, with his blade poised to strike. Then I woke with a start.

***

"Grghnnnagh,” A groan escapes my lips as I open my eyes. I see Iris’s face in front of me, then realize she’s holding me in a princess carry as she walks.

She smiles as she notices I finally woke up. “Morning sis, welcome back to the world of the living.” She jokes.

I crack a half smile at that, then ask, “So, care to explain how I ended up in your arms dear sister?”

Iris freezes for a moment, sensing a change in my demeanor. “Did you regain some memories?”

“Yes, I did. It happened when I woke up with a massive migraine just now. I had a dream of what happened between Lena and Orcus, you were there too, and I guess Lena was married?” I supplied. “I don’t remember everything, but I can only assume there is a reason for that.”

Iris sets me down on my feet gently and gracefully takes a knee before me, “My beloved elder sister, Her Majesty Lena, the Queen of the Gods. Welcome home.”