The Reincarnation of Alysara

Comiak

Credit to SalvationKing0 for editing this chapter.

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I wake up early in the morning with Mom and Dad coming into my room. We are still in the city, in one of the residential houses with an open-air forge workshop attached to it in a manner akin to a garage from my old life.

鈥淎ly...鈥?Mom begins softly. The tone of her voice tells me this is something important.

鈥淲e know that you went through a hard time for the last two years. It鈥檚 impossible for us to understand what it was like; for us, it felt like just a night of sleep.鈥?Dad says, sitting down on my bed next to me. Mom joins me as well, gently holding my hand and purring while Dad speaks.

鈥淧lease... tell us what鈥檚 troubling you,鈥?Mom says.

鈥淣othing鈥檚 wrong,鈥?I reply. It鈥檚 been a long two years, and I am grateful that there were no problems.

鈥淎ly,鈥?Dad says, a bit more firmly now. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e barely talked, and you haven鈥檛 trained at all.鈥?br>
I roll over and open my mouth to say something, but I immediately stop myself. I was about to say, 鈥榊ou wouldn鈥檛 understand,鈥?but even thinking that is making me cringe鈥?they already admitted that they can鈥檛 possibly understand. When did teenage angst set in? I may be thirteen years old, but I am better than that. Of course they are worried; to them, it鈥檚 like I just changed all of a sudden.

鈥淚...鈥?My voice catches in my throat. How do I explain everything? 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know where to start,鈥?I finally say.

鈥淲hy don鈥檛 you start right after you recovered,鈥?Mom suggests.

I hesitate at first, not trusting myself to say the right words, but after I get past the first few words, the rest come out like an avalanche. Along with them, the pain and solitude return to the forefront of my mind, just as clear as while I was experiencing them, my improved memory working against me.

I can鈥檛 stop myself from crying as I explain my worries, my fears, the pain and worst of all, having to deal with all of that with no one to lean on; if I had let anyone wake up, I would have quit and left thousands in a vegetative state.

Mom and Dad hold me close, stroking my head and purring to comfort me. It feels like a weight has lifted off my chest when I鈥檓 finished, like suddenly climbing to the top of a hill or breaking out of a thick jungle and seeing the clear path ahead.

鈥淚t must have been hard,鈥?Dad says gently, 鈥渂ut that is over now; everything will go back to normal once we fix up the village. We brought the airship back, so in just a few months, we鈥檒l have our home again. For now, why don鈥檛 you play with Tana and the twins while we work?鈥?br>
I nod, but stay with my parents until I鈥檝e properly calmed down, and then walk with them to the edge of the city where the excavated airship is at, to see them off. It certainly needs repairs to be 鈥榗omplete鈥?again; that鈥檚 something that I can do given a day鈥檚 effort, but it pains me to look at my hard work in such a state.

The impromptu docks have several boats in place already, but more are likely out and several are still being built as each village tries to rebuild. I watch everyone board the airship but am caught by surprise when, Mom and Dad wave to me, I can鈥檛 help but feel an irrational fear of being abandoned. I know it鈥檚 silly, but... I spent so long without them and now they are leaving in front of me. I take a deep breath to calm myself, hearing the notification of [Calm Mind] leveling up. They will come back, they are just cleaning up and will be back by nightfall. I keep telling myself this as the airship lifts off and heads toward our village.

I find Tana in my perception and walk to where he is, fighting against the feeling that I鈥檓 the only person in the world even as I walk past people. He is currently training with his swords in a building that I presume is the one Esofy claimed as her temporary home. Approaching his door, doubt fills me, a strong feeling of reluctance like I鈥檝e already been rejected. I raise my hand to knock on the door but I can鈥檛 actually bring myself to notify him of my presence. What if he doesn鈥檛 recognize me? What if I鈥檝e grown too old for him? I push the doubts down, knock on the door and wait. Tana stops training and walks to the door, surprise on his face as he sees me.

鈥淎-Alysara.鈥?Tana stammers as nervousness visibly claims him. 鈥淚-I didn鈥檛 expect you.鈥?br>
It鈥檚 kind of cute how he is trying to avoid eye contact, and the sudden rise in love essence shows me that his feelings haven鈥檛 changed. He looks a little older, but doesn鈥檛 seem to have aged as much as I have.

Relief fills me as I realize that he still sees me the same as before, that knowledge lessening the almost overpowering loneliness somewhat.

鈥淐an you help me look after Yafe and Yafel?鈥?I ask, fidgeting.

鈥淪-sure...鈥?Tana blushes and looks down.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Alysara turns around and leads, walking off. Tanafyam can鈥檛 help but admire how she has grown. Supposedly two years have passed, but it doesn鈥檛 feel like it. Alysara鈥檚 tails swing with her gait as she walks and moves, almost like a beautiful dance. Her tails are so long, so fluffy, so beautiful, with an unworldly touch to them; a warm, inviting beauty like a dancing fire in a hearth, they seem to have a silky luster to the fur, almost begging him to feel the softness. Her body is more shapely now but still not quite like an adult鈥檚.

Tana catches up to her side, taking a glance at her. She鈥檚 grown much more beautiful, with soft skin and full lip., Her hair has grown longer too, after not being cut for so long it now reaches the base of her tails and, without being tied back in any way, frames her body like a portrait, He likes it like that. Her clothes hug her bust tighter than they used to, and give her the start of an hourglass look. Overall, she looks like she鈥檚 just beginning to grow into a young adult.

Yet another thing that she is ahead of him in. Looking at himself, he just can鈥檛 seem to match up, he is just leagues below Alysara in every possible way. Tana鈥檚 heart pangs for her, but also seems to constrict when he thinks about his ongoing failure to catch up with her. No matter how hard he trains, it just doesn鈥檛 seem to matter; he continues to fall further behind.

Alysara seems a lot more distant now. He can鈥檛 tell why but it just seems like Alysara is keeping her distance a little more than she used to. She鈥檚 also unusually quiet 鈥?usually she wouldn鈥檛 let the silence between them go on for so long 鈥?but when they meet up with Alysara鈥檚 younger twin sisters she finally shows a warm smile. The twins both stop what they are doing to run up to their older sister and give her a hug, big smiles on their faces.

鈥淥h? You jump into the jaws of the tickle monster?鈥?Alysara says with an affectionate smile.

鈥淥h no!鈥?鈥淩un!鈥?the twins say and run away giggling. Alysara lets them go and gives them a head start, staring off after them with an odd expression on her face.

Envy sparks in Tana, he never had such affection from his family, but then again, he spent all of his time training. Would he have had this if he had taken some time off training, or would it just have let him realise sooner that his parents were zealots? He shakes his head, banishing the thoughts and feelings. He can鈥檛 change the past, so there鈥檚 no point in worrying about it. He chose his path; now, he needs to stick with it.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e had enough time; let鈥檚 go find them,鈥?Alysara says, giving him a smile.

She鈥檚 just too beautiful to look at when she does that; he can鈥檛 help but look away, his face warming up. Alysara saunters off, seeming to follow Yafe鈥檚 trail.

鈥淲hy do you always train?鈥?Alysara asks suddenly. 鈥淵ou are always practicing with your weapons and skills.鈥?She seems a little more comfortable now.

Tana wants to ask what鈥檚 troubling her but he just can鈥檛 bring himself to do so: he, who hasn鈥檛 accomplished anything, might offend her, she may even tell him to go back home.

鈥淚-I, umm, well,鈥?Tana鈥檚 face burns as he tries to find the words. I want to become as strong as you. There鈥檚 no way he can say that to her; he鈥檇 die of embarrassment.

鈥淚 want to become strong... like Esofy,鈥?Tana says, unable to give the whole truth.

鈥淚 see... but she鈥檚 much older than us, so there鈥檚 plenty of time to reach her level. Why don鈥檛 you want to learn a craft?鈥?Alysara asks.

鈥淚-I鈥檓 just not good at it. Besides, I鈥檒l have to replace a skill, and that would make me weaker.鈥?He replies.

鈥淣o one is good when they first start, it takes years to become good at something, and you don鈥檛 need to get a skill. It helps, sure, but not having one doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 do it at all.鈥?Alysara turns down an alley, her certainty making it seem that she is being led by something he can鈥檛 see.

鈥淎lso, fighting doesn鈥檛 only mean you are better or stronger, or have higher combat skills.鈥?she continues to explain. 鈥淗aving other skills, like perception skills, can make you stronger as well, sometimes faster than only practicing fighting. For example, my [Sense Mana] helped me learn spells and enchanting much faster than just learning those by themselves.鈥?br>
Esofy had also stressed how important those skills are. 鈥楲isten, Tana, It鈥檚 one thing to fight with your normal senses, but to fight with [Sense Danger] or [Battle Sense] gives you a huge leg up. It gives you a whole new sense to help you react in battle or dangerous situations. I even knew someone with [Danger Prediction], which lets you know when an attack will happen even before it happens.鈥?Tana took both.

Alysara soon finds her sisters, tickling them once she catches them. She stands so far above him, even though she doesn鈥檛 spend all of her time training. It makes him a little jealous that he can鈥檛 be a genius too.

鈥淵ou can incorporate training into your normal life,鈥?she says, turning toward him. 鈥淭ake this game, for example; even if it was for fun, I was tracking them with my skill and training it. You don鈥檛 always have to be in a dojo.鈥?br>
Alysara takes his hand and pulls him close, his heart speeding up and pounding in his ears.

鈥淵ou can practice your footwork with dancing.鈥?Alysara starts moving, leading him in a dance. 鈥淎nd maybe you can even gain a breakthrough.鈥?br>
Being so close to her, he can鈥檛 take it; with a burning face and shaky legs, it takes his full concentration to not run away out of sheer self-consciousness.

鈥淪orry, was it too much?鈥?Alysara asks as she suddenly breaks away.

鈥淣-n-n-no,鈥?Tana stammers, looking away.

鈥淎-Anyway,鈥?Alysara says awkwardly. 鈥淵ou get the point. You can train your skills with everyday things.鈥?br>
He nods. Perhaps he should ask Esofy to teach him how to dance.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It is very... awkward? That鈥檚 not quite the right word, but it鈥檚 a strange feeling to know that I am the focus of someone鈥檚 crush, although the sense of validation is nice.

Wait, when did I start caring about validation? Regardless, I鈥檓 too young to really want anything like that.

This is why I hate puberty! Stupid hormones, stupid emotional swings, and stupid overly sensitive self-consciousness.

I focus back on my sisters and ruffle their heads. I play with them until they are out of breath, and we take a break. Tana has mostly been awkwardly tagging along, so, after our rest, I ask what he wants to do.

鈥淯mm, well, p-perhaps...鈥?Tana struggles to say what he wants, his eyes darting around with nervousness. 鈥淯mm, m-maybe you can teach me how to d-dance?鈥?He鈥檚 blushing furiously, but he finally manages to get the words out.

鈥淚 want to learn how to dance too!鈥?鈥淭each me too! Teach me too!鈥?the twins say.

If only there were more of me, I think with a silent internal giggle that catches me by surprise, summoning two of my Diadem clones.

With the help of my multiple minds, I teach them basic dance movements. Tana remains flustered throughout the lesson but handles it rather well.

鈥淲hat else do you want to do?鈥?I ask once we get tired of dancing.

Tana shrugs, rather unhelpfully, although his slightly blanked-out expression tells me he鈥檚 probably not thinking too clearly after dancing with me for that long.

鈥淲hy don鈥檛 we play with our Bonds?鈥?I suggest after a few moments鈥?though, this way we can also train the twins鈥?Bonds. 鈥淗ere are the rules: no Bond skills; we each summon three balls of our element or essence and try to hit each others鈥? if yours are hit, remove them; you lose if you have no more left.鈥?br>
After laying out a few more rules, we start. It is immediately apparent that I have a major advantage with my much higher Bond level, and I end up being ganged up on after winning the first round. I let the twins win the second round, Yafe beating Yafel after I am taken out, and then I make sure everyone wins at least once.

For much of the rest of our available time, we play netball. I remember Tana being very good at it, and, despite not playing it for years, he only seems to have gotten better. I can鈥檛 help but feel nostalgic, replaying some of the games we played back then. We end the day with another dancing session in which Tana manages to get a breakthrough in his [Agile Movements], since he isn鈥檛 quite as flustered as he was before.