A beautiful woman in her early 20s glanced at the wall clock for the umpteenth time in the last 3 hours. Despite being a housewife, she had a very busy schedule lately.
/ So, the pies will be ready in 20 minutes, after which they need to be taken out of the oven and covered with a towel. There is not enough space on the table for two trays, so you need to clear some space next to the sink.
And after that, the decent housewife went to make room on the granite countertop. She had a large family, whom she loved very much.
She had a wonderful husband who doted on her. He spends half of his day with her, leaving the rest of the time for work, children and other little things.
Orihime had heard her neighbors talk more than once about a midlife crisis, a loss of all activity, a loss of interest, that over time they stopped receiving gratitude for their work. In short, it was at this age that newlyweds had the most domestic quarrels.
Fortunately, Orihime escaped this.
Her small children, the eldest of whom was only 7 years old, required a lot of attention and patience. Sometimes Orihime simply did not have enough for all this. She was too tired, did not understand something, or was just nervous. It was rare for her, but sometimes hormones were too much for her, however, she could always just ask for help from her husband, who easily and simply dealt with the children.
Yes, sometimes even he went too far, but he was effective.
Not that she was quick to forgive him when he grabbed his eldest son by the scruff of the neck and threw him into Hueco Mundo .
At that time, their eldest son started going to school, where he met a bad crowd of children from rich families. And the families themselves were good, but they allowed their children too much, which is why they grew up, to put it mildly, unpleasant individuals. Similar individuals often bullied and offended Orihime herself in her childhood. Well, it turned out that their son began to demand more and behave so spoiled, as if everyone owed him.
Tsukishima couldn't stand this for long, after which he threw him out to "think about his behavior" in Hueco. Mundo . Their son was covered in protective Kido , and Grimmjow was also looking after him at Tsukishima's request .
After this, all pride and arrogance disappeared from their son.
Although Orihime herself thought that such an approach was too harsh. But she also understood that he himself grew up in a much more traditional family. He was at least 200 years old.
/ Okay, I've cleared the space. I can put the flour away now, and the rolling pin too. I won't need them anymore... What's going on with the soup?
Orihime approached the stove and opened the lid of a large pot. She cooked a lot, the pot was about 7 liters, since her family was large. After that, she took a ladle, stirred the soup well, and then tasted the broth.
/ Hmm ... It's a little lacking in salt, but they'll fix it themselves. It's better to undersalt than oversalt. There's still about 5 minutes left until it's ready.
Having closed the lid of the soup, she opened another pan in which the potatoes were boiled, having checked it with a knife, she realized that the potatoes were boiled, after which she turned off the stove under it, drained the excess water, put a little butter in the potatoes and began to mash them into puree.
/ So, it's a bit thick, you need to add some milk ... Well, now it's perfect! Soup as a first course, mashed potatoes with cutlets as a second course, and sweet pies for dessert. You can also quickly chop up a salad while there's still time.
And being an experienced super mom, Orihime quickly washed the vegetables and chopped them into a salad. Their diet was balanced enough so that there was no excess or deficiency of fiber, protein, carbohydrates and other microelements.
/ Time to take the pies out of the oven!
After that, Orihime put on gloves and took the first and second baking trays out of the oven and placed them on the granite countertop, then used a spatula to carefully lift the pies so that they wouldn't stick, and she covered the pies with a clean towel.
Orihime didn't really think about why she covered them with a towel, apparently so that the pies would cool evenly. The hot filling burned her tongue very painfully.
/ Although I do this because Tsukishima taught me so .
Orihime didn't forget about the soup, after which she turned off the stove underneath it. Putting her gloves and apron back in place, the young Wife smiled from ear to ear.
/ Orihime's Super Mom has completed her task! There's not much left to do today. Just wash everyone's dishes, throw the dirty laundry in the washing machine, and hang the laundry out to dry.
- Children! Dinner is ready! Come down to wash your hands and eat!
Orihime knew that her two little girls were very engrossed in watching TV, so she wasn't surprised that they didn't hear her. However, she would deal with them later, first Tsukishima .
Carefully sneaking up to her husband's office, Orihime began to listen to what was happening there. Not hearing anything behind the door, she quietly opened the door and looked into the room. Her husband was listening to something, perhaps a report from some manager on an online conference.
- Darling, dinner is ready.
Tsukishima turned to Orihime and removed one earphone.
- I'm telling you, dinner is ready. Will you have dinner?
Even though Orihime pretended to be a fool most of the time, she was not a fool . She would not hold it against her husband if he was late for dinner once or twice.
Tsukishima smiled and nodded.
- I'll be there in 5 minutes.
Orihime beamed with happiness, which made Tsukishima himself smile.
Orihime went back to the kitchen, where her eldest son was already sitting at the table, watching something on his phone. Some other youth nonsense, like The Charismatic Medium of the New Age Don Kanonji .
And looking at her son, she remembered this cheerful, funny, but noble and charismatic medium. He and his funny show always brought a smile to her face, even when things weren't going so well for her and Sora .
/ He was a good uncle. I wonder what happened to him now?
And while Orihime was lost in her memories, she calmly poured the soup into bowls, then placed them on the table. Then she repeated this with mashed potatoes and cutlets. The portions were small, so the children could eat them. And as soon as Orihime finished, she saw Tsukishima leading two little girls by the hand. They had just washed their hands, so they were ready for dinner.
- Thank you for your work, dear. Children, what should I say?
- Thanks for the food!
- That's right, and now bon appetit everyone!
- Bon appetit!
As a young girl, Orihime often envied other children who had parents. She did not blame Sora for taking custody of her . She was truly grateful to him and prayed for his well-being in his new life.
However, jealousy is an irrational feeling.
That's why Orihime wanted to create a big family for herself. Not necessarily a rich one , but a big and happy one. And she created this family together with Tsukishima .
And watching this picture, Orihime smiled dazzlingly once again.
- Thank you! And bon appetit to you!
Orihime could honestly say that she was happy.
///////////////
/ It seems like yesterday evening was wonderful, but now I feel like such a scumbag and a scoundrel ... Is it really my conscience that has come to life? And I thought that it died the moment I started devouring souls.
Right now, Sigmund was lying in bed hugging Ciel and staring blankly at the ceiling. The rest of yesterday, he and Ciel had watched a movie together and carefreely kissed each other. Somewhere, Ciel became bolder and slid her hands over Sigmund's body, somewhere, Sigmund stroked her arm, back or head, showing tenderness. And when they came back to their island, Sigmund and Ciel hugged each other all night and looked at the stars. Towards morning, they already went to their room and went to bed.
It was a nice romantic evening.
No perversion, no eroticism, just romance. Sigmund still holds to his belief that it is too early for all that.
Besides, he understands perfectly well that he gets a taste for it very quickly, after which he brings it to the end. And he has absolutely no intention of becoming a father at 8, even at 15 it would be too early.
Sigmund doesn't think his mother will take the news well, but he cares about her.
/ When was the last time I had a dream like this? A couple of months ago? Before Ciel's identity was revealed ?
Such "dreams", or rather other people's memories, are nothing new for Sigmund. His Book of the End, although an incredibly powerful and versatile tool, also leaves its mark on the user. Sigmund suffered his entire second life because of his own Fullbring .
Why did Sigmund see Orihime's memories ?
Because Sigmund used the Book of the End on Orihime when they fought in Hell. It's hard to fight against multiple first-string captains at once while also fighting off old enemies, ancient Shinigami , Hollow , and even evolved Arrancars . There were enough souls in Hell for natural ones to appear Arrancars .
And since there was no time to waste in battle, it was much easier for Sigmund to use the Book of the End on Orihime than to use Kaido .
/ I miss her ... Some fool came up with and said that time heals, but I know that it is not so. People just close their wounds. I will never forget my favorite star... My star princess Orihime ...
And feeling how melancholy suddenly fell upon him, Sigmund decided to distract himself from it, concentrating on Ciel .
Ciel lay peacefully, her face buried in his shoulder. She wrapped her whole body around his arm, throwing her leg over him, as if she didn't want to let him go. Sigmund couldn't help but be touched by such a picture, and so he decided not to wake her. Even though Ciel didn't need sleep, food, water, and air to live, she loved to share such things with Sigmund. She felt that it brought them closer.
And so, for the next hour and a half, Sigmund watched Ciel and gently stroked her hair.
Eventually, Ciel woke up and the first thing she saw was Sigmund watching her with a smile, gently brushing her hair. For the Spirit of Origin, it was incredibly sweet and romantic, although a little embarrassing . She reached out to Sigmund and gently kissed his lips.
- Good morning dear.
- Good morning, darling. How did you sleep? I hope you had only sweet dreams.
- Oh, yes! I dreamed that we were playing on the seashore with our children.
And despite Ciel saying such embarrassing things, Sigmund didn't even bat an eyelid. He just smiled.
And Ciel really wanted to see his embarrassed expression. She had never seen Sigmund embarrassed, she thought he would look cute, but the opportunity never came.
- A good dream. But you know that it won't happen anytime soon. Not in the next 10 years.
And hearing the inflexibility in Sigmund's voice, Ciel simply pouted. Despite her compliance, she secretly hoped to convince Sigmund with her napod.
She didn't know why she had this desire.
She knew it was an irrational desire to claim that Sigmund was her man.
But she still tried to do it.
She simply cannot control some of her impulses.
- Okay, I understand that ... By the way, I've been trying to figure out what kind of mother I want to be, but I can't get an answer to my question.
And despite all her knowledge, Ciel couldn't come up with an answer to her question. And Sigmund was interested in this conversation, after all, it directly concerns him.
- Although I am glad that you are preparing for your motherhood with such meticulousness, I do not understand why such a question.
- Well, we both understand that our child will be unusual. He will have a Sephira Crystal , he will have his own Angel, perhaps he will have your abilities. And it is possible that he will be stronger than you or me. I would be happy if my child was strong, but for proper upbringing, parents must have at least some form of power over the child ... Not to mention that if he or she is too strong from birth, then our child will completely stop respecting your relatives. It might lead to a catastrophe.
Ciel looked uncertainly at Sigmund, who himself was deep in thought.
This scenario was not impossible. Sigmund had seen more than once how people not deprived of power revel in permissiveness and impunity. And it is not surprising that sooner or later such psychopaths and "adult children" redirect their aggression and impudence to family members. First of all, this was done by the aristocrats of the Soul Society. Almost any feud among them began because one fearless child tried to attack or kill another.
Children, especially the youngest ones, are not without cruelty. Social bullying, the desire to fight simply because they find it funny, the desire to rise above someone physically or morally, segregation by interests and "cool/not cool". All this is characteristic of animals, people learn to restrain these base impulses as they grow up.
In Date a Live , only one pureblood spirit was shown to "mature" on his own: Tenka .
And Tenka was not distinguished by her love for her neighbor .
As soon as Tenka felt not even danger to herself, but simple irritation in the form of a headache when looking at Shido , she immediately used Final Sword : Paverschlev , destroying most of the city and the mountain behind it. And she didn't care how many people she killed with this attack, as she had a clear idea that they were different beings.
Even Tohka, an artificially created person who should be much more docile, also used lethal force and almost killed Shido simply because she didn't like the name "Tome". And when she got angry because of Shido's death , she used lethal force without thinking about any accidental casualties.
It's worth making allowance for the fact that Toka herself was tried to be killed for about 10 years of her life simply for the fact of her existence, but it still shows how easy it is to dehumanize a person.
What to do with a very strong child who killed a couple dozen people while playing with his ability?
Shame him?
Will this help?
All children are different, circumstances make their own adjustments, not to mention respect for the parent and his authority.
With an incredibly strong starting point, it's easy to develop a god complex right from the start.
Most of the gods in the DxD world are like this. The gods and demons from Mio and Maria's world were also involved in this.
Even ordinary people who suddenly receive superpowers quickly begin to revel in power. Sigmund has seen such people more than once or twice.
Sigmund himself does not use the Book of the End very often, simply because he feels that it is wrong and dangerous. This is a consequence of the fact that he himself suffered from his own ability. Most of the time, Sigmund tries to solve the problem peacefully, through dialogue.
That's why he didn't use the Book of the End on Ciel , and simply agreed with Touma to create a guild.
The children in his guild were a special case, as they were all injured to one degree or another, and therefore needed qualified help.
What if his child accidentally injures or even kills someone dear to him?
Then he may even suffer psychological trauma, which in some ways is even worse.
Basara was a good example of this situation. Basara , a 6 year old , was a head or two stronger than his 15 year old self. It would seem that 9 years had passed, he should have only become stronger, but he was intentionally weakening himself. It got to the point where he could have died a couple of times, but he was not using his powers to 100%.
However, it was not for nothing that Sigmund was one of the smartest people in his world.
- Solving this problem is both simple and difficult. We just need to create conditions that will be similar to those in ordinary society.
- And how are we going to do that? You yourself said that spirits on average had destructive potential equal to an island. A spirit that doesn't control its Angel can kill an ordinary person with a simple sneeze.
Ciel was extremely concerned about this issue, and therefore tried to figure out the situation as soon as possible.
- We both understand that our child will not be able to use all of his strength right away, and therefore will not be able to be too strong from childhood. We just need to put him in an environment where he will listen to adults because they are an authority for him. This authority itself should appear naturally, simply because the people around him will be older, smarter and stronger.
- And how do we do that? I haven't noticed any friends of that strength. Even Esdeath , being the third strongest, is several orders of magnitude weaker than us.
- And for this we have Spirit Heart . There are quite promising children there now who can surpass the island level. Up to the continent level if they try hard enough, and I will help them. If a child grows up in such an environment, then he will be able to acquire a sense of community with them, and then it is not far to people.
Sigmund spoke calmly about his plan, stroking Ciel's head . But Ciel herself began to think over Sigmund's thoughts and began to be delighted! This literally solved all possible problems!
- Zig, you're a damn genius!
After that, she plopped down on Sigmund and began to hug him with even greater force than before. Sigmund did not mind such caresses.
- Don't exaggerate. Spirit Heart has the same is a good platform for you. You often doubt your abilities as a future mother, and there are children with very bright personalities and difficult characters. If you can become something like an aunt for them, you will become a wonderful mother.
- Even better! Then let's go to their place right away! I can't wait to meet them!
- Wait a bit. I'll introduce you to them along with my secretary and deputy in the guild, as well as another girl.
- Agreed!
And so, Sigmund, along with Ciel , set off back to Earth Land.
///////////////////
/ Several months have passed, and my parents still haven't picked me up. And they said it was just for a few days while the harvest was being gathered...
The little girl with blue hair, Juvia Loksar sat quietly under the roof of one of the houses, watching as the people around her swarmed like ants in an anthill under the rain, running from house to house and shouting at each other, because because of the sounds of the rain it was difficult to hear what people were saying.
People didn't pay attention to the lonely girl who was sitting quietly under one of the roofs. They didn't care about her, despite the fact that she was very pale, her pants and T-shirt were completely damp, and she herself was covered in mud up to her knees.
Juvia herself also didn't care about her appearance. She had long since come to terms with the fact that she looked like an uncultured country bumpkin who had just been pulled out of the bottom of a swamp. Her long hair was also damp, constantly getting into her eyes and mouth, but it didn't bother her.
- Achoo!
And since Juvia had been in the rain most of the day, it was no wonder she had caught a cold. The cold rain, the wind, the completely unsuitable clothes for such weather, and the rare heating in the house did their job. It was a miracle that Juvia had gotten sick only now, and not a month or two ago. The girl had excellent immunity, but it was not omnipotent.
Originally Juvia Locksar and her family lived in the city of Oaks, it was a fairly large city that was also engaged in agriculture, Juvia's family was also engaged in this necessary craft.
Due to the city being located right on the edge of a favorable climate, there were frequent rains in that area, which turned the city into a slightly swampy area, but various drainage systems dealt with this.
However, a few months ago, Juvia had shown great magical talent, especially in Water Magic. And since Oaks was a place with high humidity, Juvia , due to her inability to use her magical power, caused real rainstorms throughout the city.
And since the harvest time was approaching, Juvia was sent to her acquaintances for the time of this harvest. After all, agriculture is one of the main sources of income for the city and the Locksar family , Juvia agreed almost immediately. And if too much moisture gets on the various grains, cereals or wheat, or the harvest is stored in damp rooms, it will simply begin to rot. Juvia was a smart girl, and therefore understood this.
- Cough ! Cough !
Juvia started coughing again.
However, by this time she should have been taken home long ago.
/ My parents just forgot about me … No , they got rid of me.
These thoughts were a real shock for the young girl. The first time they came a week after her departure, after which Juvia went through all the stages of acceptance.
At first she denied everything, she just didn't want to believe that her family had abandoned her.
Then she started getting irritated and angry when she didn't get answers from the people she came to see. This worsened the relationship between them, but Juvia didn't care.
Then Juvia began to convince herself that her parents hadn't abandoned her, they just...
Due to her age, Juvia tried for a long time to come up with a reason for her parents not to contact her daughter, who had gone more than 10 kilometers away from them, even once in several months. At first, she could still convince herself that the mail was not working well due to bad weather, the telegraph was broken, that the wires were torn, but these problems are fixed within a week at most. And no one cancelled the possibility of using lacrimas for communication. In every large village there are such stations for communication. Yes, you need to know the difference in minutes between different cities, because midday comes at different times for them, you also need to agree on the time, but this was not a problem.
Depression followed. Long, prolonged, and crushing depression, which eventually turned into almost complete apathy.
By this point, she had long since come to terms with the fact that her parents had abandoned her.
/ Nobody wants to be with Juvia .
Despite her maturity, Juvia remained a child who longed for attention and love, but she received neither.
At first she could find a friend to play with or talk to, but after a week and two moves? People started avoiding her like she had the plague.
For several months now, she has been asked to simply move a couple of kilometers away from the city/village to get rid of her and her rain.
/ It just… hurts…
The first time Juvia heard such a request, she obediently left, but it broke her heart, causing her to simply burst into tears.
Did someone console her?
Obviously not.
/ Nobody loves Juvia .
These were scary thoughts for a small child. Even an ordinary person can change greatly when he realizes that everyone rejects him, that he is left completely alone.
What about Juvia ?
And Juvia just accepted it as a given. Yes, she still tries with all her might to find a friend to play with, but she subconsciously understood that no one needs her. Everyone will reject her because of her damn rain.
Juvia had a severe attack of depression and apathy.
/ I'm hungry...
Feeling hungry, Juvia returned to the village to ask for food. Today, she got up a little later than usual, so she did not have time to eat breakfast. However, because it was the middle of the workday, she was unable to find the person who was supposed to look after her.
As a result, she remained hungry for the whole day.
/ I need to go to my old place under the tree. Maybe I can take a nap there.
And walking in the pouring rain, feeling with her whole body how many large and cold raindrops were hitting her, Juvia's mood dropped even lower, after which she even felt how the rain became stronger.
And with difficulty shuffling her legs along a completely washed-out path, having fallen a couple of times and wallowed in the mud, tired , wet and dirty Juvia reached a small pole on which grew a lonely tree, under the crown of which it was almost always dry. However, right in front of this tree she saw a rather strange sight.
/ Hm? A man? Did he faint or something?
Juvia saw a guy who looked about 16-18 years old just lying on the grass, his arms and legs spread wide in the shape of a star. He was dressed in the most ordinary things: comfortable pants similar to army pants, a black sleeveless T-shirt and high boots. However, it was not his appearance that surprised Juvia the most , after all , it is almost impossible to distinguish a mage from an ordinary person by clothes alone, unless he is wearing armor. What surprised Juvia the most was that the guy was just lying in the pouring rain with the most contented and peaceful smile on his face that Juvia had ever seen in her entire life.
/ Maybe he died? I don't see any blood, although it's raining now, so it's unlikely that anyone will see blood.
Juvia carefully approached the stranger, after which she timidly touched him.
/ Warm…
Juvia's deep regret , this warmth was the closest she had come to feeling warmth from another person in a couple of months.
And right after that, the unknown guy opened his beautiful green eyes and looked at Juvia , which made her a little scared, jumped away from him and fell on her butt.
The guy himself looked at her from head to toe in surprise, and then smiled.
/ What a beautiful smile...
Juvia had to admit that the guy in front of her was very handsome, but she thought he was weird. Who in their right mind would lie in the cold pouring rain?
- Oh, girl, what are you doing here in such weather?
- I was walking towards this tree, and what were you doing here? It's raining now.
- I was reminiscing. In this weather I met a very important person for me ... By the way, what are you doing here? And in such inappropriate clothes? You're soaking wet!
And to Juvia's surprise , the unknown guy almost instantly stood up on his feet, picked Juvia up in his arms, and then carried her somewhere.
/ He could be from a dark guild! Or even a slave trader!… Although why is Juvia worried? They'll abandon Juvia halfway anyway .
After a little fright, Juvia was overcome with apathy again. She didn't care even if the guy who was carrying her in his arms was a dark mage. However, to Juvia's great surprise , he came under the tree crown, after which he lowered Juvia to the ground.
/ What? Already? Is Juvia really that disgusting that even the dark ones don't want to be around her for more than a few minutes?
And somehow, Juvia felt a wall appear around the tree. She couldn't see it, but she saw the rain crashing into the invisible fence.
She was left alone with a guy unknown to her.
However, Juvia didn't care.
The next thing the girl felt was how her clothes began to dry before her eyes. She literally saw how water was flowing from her T-shirt, pants and shoes. And all this water, as if by magic, glowed with a dim greenish light and gathered above the guy's hand.
/ He's definitely a magician.
Juvia realized this. It could have been some kind of magical object before, but now? It was definitely magic now. However, she didn't understand why he needed to dry her clothes, he himself was all wet.
Juvia's uncomprehending gaze , he began to dry her hair.
- I'm sorry that you have to dry your hair the old-fashioned way, but it's safer for your mucous membranes. You don't want your eyes to hurt and sting, do you?
- N-n-no.
Not understanding anything, Juvia answered with a trembling voice.
This form of caring, so rare for her, was almost unfamiliar to her. She had almost forgotten about it, which frightened her.
/ Does anyone care about Juvia ?!
Just thinking about it made Juvia feel her heart pounding so loudly in her chest. Her heartbeat even drowned out the sound of the rain.
After drying her hair, the stranger placed his hand on the girl's forehead, which only filled her heart with more hope.
- You have a temperature! You need to stay home and recover now, who even let you out of the house?!
After this, the unknown person took out some kind of blanket and began to wrap Juvia in it , trying to make her comfortable and warm.
/ Why is he doing this? Why does it remind me so much of my mother?
Just remembering her parents made Juvia feel bitter.
- Juvia doesn't know. She didn't remember the people's names, she's just passing through.
- Who in their right mind would let such a child go? Where are your parents? How long has it been since you saw them?
- Dubov, probably. I left a couple of months ago at their request, but they didn't call to come back…
Juvia didn't care about her parents, she had long since gotten used to this feeling, she was more interested in watching the stranger, who was now massaging the bridge of his nose out of irritation.
- It's more complicated than I thought... Okay, let's start from the beginning. My name is Sigmund Kronstein, I'm a magician, you can call me Sig. And what's your name, beauty?
Sigmund smiled like the sun. And Juvia , already accustomed to the most gloomy, sullen and gloomy people, was simply confused by such friendliness.
/ He is a mage... Juvia is also a mage, although a bad one... Maybe he will understand Juvia ? Despite her rain? And even if he turns away from Juvia ? Although, what difference does it make to Juvia then ?
Juvia decided to take a very bold step for herself.
She tried to trust the man.
- Juvia 's name is Juvia ... probably Lockser ?
Juvia thought for a moment.
If her parents disowned her, could she still use the last name Loksar or not?
Sigmund smiled even brighter.
- So your name is Juvia . It's quite a beautiful name. Maybe we can talk about something else? Why did you come here?
- Juvia was asked to go further away from the village so that her rain would not interfere with the village's work. The closer to Juvia , the stronger the rain, only somewhere 3 kilometers from Juvia it does not rain ... And because of Juvia this rain is coming.
Juvia decided to see Sigmund's reaction. If he left her, then she would be of no use to anyone in this world. If even a mage avoided her, then any human would avoid her.
Mages were famous for their "uniqueness". People often noticed that magic strongly influenced the behavior and emotions of the magician. Not to the extent that "a fire magician, then he is explosive in character" or "an ice magician, then he is quite cold". Magic does not affect people so crudely. Magicians often take on some traits of those they absorbed, especially noticeable in those who constantly absorb animals or demons. Demons are especially difficult, since they are very strong and have their own ego, which can imperceptibly replace the ego of the magician himself. Magicians with spatial pockets are prone to endless collecting and accumulation.
However, there are other more eccentric mages, this is especially noticeable in the strong mages. Master Bob, aka the guildmaster of the newly created guild "Blue Pegasus", despite his appearance, a rather plump bald middle-aged man, dresses like a transvestite and even wears makeup.
Juvia herself saw him once or twice in the Weekly Wizard, and was even scared. Bob looked absolutely creepy. She swore to herself that she would never become as weird as Master Bob. Now, these memories only make Juvia smile bitterly.
Juvia herself became very strange.
Watching Sigmund's reaction closely, Juvia couldn't even notice surprise, Sigmund on the contrary began to smile even brighter. He was like the sun trying to break through her clouds of gloom and alienation.
- Oh, Juvia , you're so young and naive. Any mage would understand that you're a water mage. You're literally the epicenter of this rain. Plus, you're a very powerful water mage.
/ So Sigmund already knew?!
- Then why are you so kind to Juvia ? Everyone abandoned Juvia because of her rain.
Juvia was confused. She didn't understand why people had such different attitudes towards her. And Sigmund seemed strange to her. Strangely appropriate. If everyone rejected her, then if he accepted her and her rain, then he was strange too?
/ If so, then he's perfect for Juvia !
- I wouldn't call myself kind. I'm just normal. Any normal person would care about a small child, especially a sick child. You're no different, although no, you're different because you require even more attention.
And suddenly Juvia started coughing.
Cough very hoarsely.
Sigmund immediately hugged Juvia , holding her close to him tenderly. For some reason, this made Juvia feel so warm inside.
- Quiet, quiet, quiet. Calm down, we'll cure you now. Do you want to eat?
- Yes. I haven't eaten anything since this morning.
After these words, Juvia even felt how Zig began to hug her a little tighter. And she liked it.
It was the greatest show of warmth and affection she had felt in many cold, rainy, lonely months.
- You'll need to eat something light along with your medication. We'll do it now.
Right now, Juvia needs carbohydrates more than anything, and easily digestible carbohydrates at that, so Sigmund decided to make a fairly simple snack. He simply crumbled a loaf of bread into a plate, sprinkled it all with sugar to make it tasty, and poured warm milk over it. The lightest snack possible that would at least somehow fill the stomach. Plus, a sick person could eat it.
- Here, eat.
- Thank you…
After that, Juvia began to eat. She ate for a long time, because nothing fit into her mouth. In addition, the taste of the medicine was still on her tongue. She periodically looked at how the rain crashed into an invisible wall, but she did not hear the sound of raindrops hitting. This even created the illusion that her curse had finally disappeared.
Juvia was grateful for that.
- Thank you, it was delicious.
Juvia was a well-mannered girl, and therefore knew what gratitude was.
- You're welcome, it's just a trifle. No one should go hungry. Especially children ... And since we've already met, maybe we should talk about something else?
- About your guild ... What is it?
Juvia was a modest girl, so she tried to be tactful. She didn't know if it was okay to ask a mage about his guild. She had seen her family give tasks to mages to fix the soil after particularly heavy rains or herring. Usually, they just rolled their eyes at her questions about their guild.
- It's pretty new, we've just started recruiting members for the guild. There are a lot of kids your age there, if you're interested.
- And what will you do? There are many guilds: combat, logistics, security, commercial (conditionally non-magical ) and others.
Juvia was curious about a person who was as strange as she was. Besides, it would immediately tell about the environment he lives in. The longer a mage is outside the society of ordinary people, the more his character is measured due to magic. Fairy Tail is a clear example of this, most non-mages consider them a walking disaster and scumbags. Almost bandits.
- My guild is a fighting one. We will establish order in the country so that as few people as possible suffer from dark mages.
/ So, everyone in his guild will be weird... A suitable place for Juvia .
- Can Juvia join your guild?
Juvia even thought that Sigmund almost beamed with joy. His already bright smile became even more dazzling.
- Of course! I'll be glad if such a strong magician as you joins my guild.
And this phrase greatly confused Juvia .
- Is Juvia strong?
- For your age, you are very strong. In pure magical power, you are equal to a B-rank mage. In a couple of years, you will be able to become an S-rank mage.
It was so fantastic that Juvia couldn't even believe it. A Rank A Mage was the Absolute Maximum that a normal mage could achieve. Only a few truly diligent and talented mages could reach Rank S. Only a select few could stand on the same level as Saint Mages.
It was a well-known fact.
/ So Sigmund wants to cheer up Juvia ? My soul felt so nice and warm…
Juvia was very much yearning for the most ordinary human warmth and closeness.
The very moment she became a mage, Juvia felt an impenetrable wall appear between her and people.
The wall that separated the mages from the non-mages .
Ordinary people did not understand magicians, they did not want to understand them, they were afraid of them, because they could not do anything to them. And most importantly, they did not want to understand magicians, they rejected them.
And they rejected magicians especially strongly when they stood out from the crowd due to their appearance or other characteristics.
For example, because of Hotei and Wally's angularity or Juvia's rain .
And that is why, despite all of Juvia's desire and efforts to overcome this wall, she was never able to do so.
Moreover , with each move the attitude towards her became worse and worse, because she managed to get a reputation as "the girl who always brings a downpour".
Juvia was left alone, surrounded by strangers.
And that was why she clung so strongly to the first person who understood her, accepted her for who she was, despite her damn rain, and who genuinely cared about her.
And then Juvia realized that she was the only one under the blanket. She looked closely at Sigmund, who was still in the same damp clothes.
- Zig, you need to change clothes and warm up.
He just smiled at her.
- I'm glad you're worried about me, but I'll be fine.
- But you might get sick.
Sigmund pulled the same trick on his clothes as he did on Juvia's .
- You see, everything is fine.
- But your hair is wet.
- I'll dry them.
And as soon as he took the towel out of his spatial pocket, Juvia intercepted it and began to dry his head herself. This made Sigmund laugh, but he did not stop her. And only after Juvia dried his head, she smiled.
- Now that's it, now you can crawl under the blanket.
- This blanket is for you.
- If you freeze, you'll get sick too! Juvia won't lie under a blanket if you're cold.
- Okay, Juvia , as you wish.
Sigmund obediently lay down under the blanket and hugged Juvia . He knew that it was useless to argue with a stubborn child, especially when he was worried about you.
But at that moment, Juvia felt a scorching heat touch her back , a pleasant heat. Not the kind that constantly makes you dizzy or weak, but a pleasant heat that makes you want to just lie down and do nothing.
/ Sigmund is the kindest and warmest person in the world. The only one Juvia can trust.
Juvia turned around to hug Sigmund with her whole body, even wrapping her arms around his leg and hugging his chest, she immediately felt a scorching heat throughout her body, which almost made her purr like a cat. She felt a large, warm hand on her back, and the other began to gently stroke her head and brush her hair. Sigmund didn't care that she was all wet and dirty before, he didn't care that her hair was full of different small leaves and grass with sand or dirt. He didn't care that she looked like some kind of tramp who had just been pulled out of the bottom of a swamp.
Juvia felt the warmth of his body, the heat of his care and the radiant kindness of his gaze.
He was the complete opposite of the people she had lived with up until that time.
She did not feel the cold, piercing glances. She did not feel the almost physical rejection and disgust in a disgusted attitude.
She understood that he was looking at her, thinking about her and her well-being, when others looked through her, looked into the distance and thought about how to get rid of her as quickly as possible and send her far away.
The heat of his care evaporated Juvia's loneliness, and with it her depression and apathy.
For the first time in a long time, Juvia was happy.
/ Sigmund is the warmest and kindest person in the world...
Juvia felt happy only when she was with Sigmund.
////////
After 30 minutes, Juvia fell asleep. Despite all her desire, she was still a girl, and now she was sick. Juvia simply did not have the strength to resist her needs.
/ I feel like such a piece of shit … When was the last time I felt this shitty? I don't even remember feeling this guilty all day long.
Even though Sigmund was a very cynical, cold and indifferent person towards strangers, those close to him knew how responsible he was . He always took it upon himself to act.
Who will do this except me?
It was this phrase that had driven him throughout his life. His desire to obtain the Third True Magic was entirely selfish.
Rest?
The plan to become a Beast, the plan to return to the Age of Fairies, the plan to help Mio , the plan to create his own guild, and to solve the problems with Alvarez , Zeref , and Acnalogia - all of these were his initiatives that often prevented him from becoming stronger.
They even delayed the moment of receiving the Third True.
Who will do this except me?
Sigmund, Aizen and Yahweh had this motto in common.
This was also the first reason to create a friendly relationship with Aizen .
And while Sigmund's hand gently stroked Juvia's back , his own thoughts were still quite depressing .
/ I could have ruined everything ... And because of my inaction, Juvia would have died.
And right at that moment, Juvia started coughing.
Cough very hoarsely.
Because of the constant rain, Juvia was always wet, she was always cold, she didn't really have time to dry out.
Juvia had pneumonia.
Sigmund had a sad acquaintance with this disease. One of his sisters had died of pneumonia in the past.
In the 19th century, the mortality rate from pneumonia reached a record 83%.
And right now, Sigmund was carefully and extremely cautiously treating Juvia with kaido . He did it slowly, such operations did not tolerate haste, after all . Juvia was a child, Sigmund doesn't want her to experience pain.
And Kronstein understands perfectly well that, given Juvia's current state , she would have died with a 100% probability.
Despite the monumentality of the magical engineering of this world and Fiore in particular, the rest of the sciences were quite primitive. Most of the engineers of his past world would simply scream in agony if they saw even half of the "legendary" list of "brilliant symbiosis of engineering and magic", he does not even mention the lower quality works.
Medicine?
With magic it can compete with the 21st century, with the magic of life even with the 22nd century.
Without magic?
At most 17th-18th century.
Pneumonia?
Death sentence.
/ If I had stayed even half a day longer, Juvia would have died.
Juvia was on her last legs, magic kept her strong and willing to live, but constant depression, constant exposure to cold rain and cold wind had greatly weakened the girl's body.
What can we talk about if even an unawakened mage like Erza , being constantly in a half-starved state, could swing a pickaxe, chop stones and drag carts filled with stones for several hours a day without a break?
Juvia reached the tree with great difficulty, only three measly kilometers.
Considering her pneumonia, exhausted body and depression, this sleep under the tree could well have been her last.
Yes, Sigmund didn't take a "cure for all diseases" with him, nor did he take a first aid kit for all occasions, but he did have a regular fever reliever and vitamins , and he would do the rest himself.
/ And the worst thing is that no medication could help her.
For Sigmund, the theory of the multiverse was not new, but people simply missed various minor details in their stories and theories.
In cosmology, there is a certain set of constants that determine the structure, properties and future life of the universe.
This set of constants is quite "finely tuned" to allow stars, elements heavier than helium, planets, and life to form.
However, even in absolutely identical universes there may be different matter.
The chance that a particle without its antiparticle will spontaneously form is catastrophically small.
However, such particles without their pair are baryonic matter, the very same matter that everything around us consists of.
The chance that a person, after traveling between worlds, will not cause an explosion of matter when matter and antimatter collide is approximately 50/50.
Sigmund is immune to this thanks to his Reatsu , he simply pushes matter away from himself as he travels.
But in biology and chemistry there is a similar case. During a chemical reaction, complex compounds are often formed that have their own "mirror doubles". Left and Right options. The chances are again 50/50. Instant death will not happen when such opposites meet, but an organism, consisting mostly of the "left variation", simply will not be able to digest any food from the "right variation", experiencing an agonizing death of starvation, desperately trying to get enough. A pretty scary prospect to die. One of the worst Sigmund had ever heard of, and he had heard of many.
Sigmund also foresees such options when traveling between worlds, which is why he fed Ciel food from her world, and why Sigmund constantly uses the Book of the End when arriving in a new world.
If there was a second option now, the medicine simply wouldn't help Juvia .
Such thoughts filled Sigmund's mind. He went over each of the "backup plans" he had with some melancholy. And even so, he could not predict the consequences of just one of his actions.
A simple desire to go on a date with Ciel could cost Juvia her life. Sigmund was well aware of this, which made him feel extremely lousy.
Juvia was a beautiful, but broken child. She was an extremely intelligent, obedient, kind, and sympathetic, as well as a lively girl, whom life decided to punish by giving her extremely stupid and cruel parents.
And what's worst of all, Sigmund understands perfectly well that if he came to her lifeless body, realized that she had died only a few hours ago, that he could have saved her just by his presence nearby, then he would not have felt anything.
His reaction would be something like, "Hmm ... Died? It's a shame, of course, she would have been a valuable addition to the guild, but it can't be helped. Good riddance, Juvia Loksar , I hope your next life will be better."
No remorse, no sadness, no sorrow.
Juvia would have been a stranger to him at that moment.
Sigmund doesn't even consider strangers to be people; for him, they are just empty space filled with reishi , which has suddenly learned to think, and often incorrectly.
Now?
Now Juvia saw him, she talked to him, got to know him a little, recognized and accepted him, even if not completely.
A connection was formed between them.
She became human.
She became a child who needed to be taken care of, who needed help, who needed his help and protection.
And Sigmund will help and protect her.
Gently stroking Juvia's back , Sigmund noticed that her condition had become much better, she even began to smile in her sleep. This could not but please Sigmund himself, he himself began to smile timidly.
/ Juvia , I will take care of you. I hope that you will grow up and be strong, and someday you will be able to tell me your happy life story … Until then, sleep, rest, gain strength and get well. Soon I will introduce you to your new home and your new friends.
In his heart, Sigmund promised himself that he would be the best big brother in the world to Juvia .
/////
As always, comments, activity, conversations, chapter ratings, post-reading impressions and reviews are welcome.