A/N: Originally uploaded to AO3. Odin Sphere fandom needs more Ariel fanfic.
There was a single temple bell ringing in the night. Princess Ariel groaned and shifted in her bed, her hand flailing blindly about in the darkness to find the crystal lamp by her bed. She could already hear soft bleating cries from the nearby cradle and knew that it wouldn't be long before at least one of the two newborns was throwing an early morning tantrum.
Finally, her fingers found the cool surface of the orb-like light and she tapped it gently. The room was instantly swathed in a soft golden glow, lighting up the red and golden tapestries hanging on the wall and making the mirror on the vanity glimmer. Despite the aching of her body, the young woman swung her legs over the side of the mattress and stood up, stretching only briefly before making her way to the cradle.
Two tiny bodies writhed underneath silken white sheets, both of them sporting delicate gold strands upon their heads and with skin still startlingly pink. The one who looked the worst was the boy—his face had become red and tears were running down his chubby cheeks while he sobbed loudly. Ariel came to the cradle and leaned over it, witnessing her son hit his sister with a plump fist. The girl's face contorted and she began to scream as well.
"Oh, my sweetest dears…" she murmured softly as she reached in. It was terribly difficult to pick them both up and indeed rather dangerous. Still, she did not worry while using their blanket to keep them together and relaxed when the sobbing babies were nestled safely in her arms. "Now shush…calm down…that bell is supposed to speak happiness, you know…"
The twins wailed and she bounced them gently. "Shh…do not fear, my son and daughter…" She wished that her maid was here to help her wipe their faces, but she had long since gone to bed for the night and wasn't due to attend to her for another hour. Ariel walked back to her bed and sat down on its edge, still cradling her children, still trying to quiet them down and ease them back into their slumber.
It was her daughter who stopped crying first and she stopped rather quickly. Her last scream was interrupted by a cough that was followed by a gurgle—she opened her eyes and looked up at her mother, seemingly confused as to why she had been wailing in the first place. Her brother, on the other hand, still flailed uselessly for a good minute before his screams finally subsided into soft whimpers.
"There, see?" Ariel said while bringing them close to her bosom. "I am here. I will protect you both…" She fell silent for a moment before she whispered their names lovingly. "My darling little Velvet and Ingway."
Velvet grabbed Ariel's nightshirt and made a sound that sounded like "Bluh!" Ingway almost seemed to retort with a "Cuboo!" while grabbing a clump of his mother's hair. Ariel laughed while rocking them and the two babes burst into giggles. "You two are so precious!" She cooed. "And you'll both grow to be a beautiful woman and a handsome man."
"Papu!" The twins replied in a manner near incredulous. Ariel shook her head as she gently placed them down near her pillow and settled back against the cushions.
"You'll both be precious, from now until the end…" She trailed off and looked at her two children. Velvet had already seemingly fallen asleep, but Ingway was staring at her with wide blue eyes that still had yet to fade to their true shade of violet. Ariel felt her heart clench as, in her mind's eye, fire burned away a beautiful forest and she heard a man beg despairingly from within a beast's body for someone to slaughter him. She shut her eyes and exhaled sharply before reaching over and brushing at his head.
"I just want happiness for you both…please…" She whispered before she drifted away, away, deep into a dream where she and her two children, now young adults, were together watching the sun rise over a brand new world.