A Second Chance at Life
Prologue
[Revised on 11/18]
'I'm dying and no one's around…' Sol thought as he laid immobilized on the hospital bed. A few years ago, he had contracted a rare disease that paralyzed his body at a slow rate. The disease was rare enough for the doctors to dedicate an entire research team towards studying it, under the agreement that his medical fee would be covered in its entirety.
Naturally, Sol had no issue with the proposal. He was an orphan, someone who had lost his parents at an early age due to one of the many accidents that occur around the world. At the time of the accident, he was far too young to know what he truly lost. In the orphanage, he was disregarded due to his illness and his supposed 'siblings' didn't want to associate themselves with someone who would eventually pass away.
Sol turned his head to the right and looked out of the window. His empty eyes steady on the setting sun in the horizon. "Its times like these that I truly feel peaceful." He muttered as he watched the sun disappear from within his site. Closing his eyes to savor the moment, Sol turned his attention to the comic book on the nearby desk.
As he extended his hand towards the book, he heard a sound coming from his left. Halting his movement, Sol turned his gaze towards the sound and saw a holographic screen with a question written on it floating there.
[Child, are you tired of this life?]
Sol stared at the screen with wide eyes for a few minutes, letting the whole situation slowly sink in before slapping his right cheek. "That hurt…" He muttered as he rubbed his cheek, it was then that realization dawned on him.
'I-It's real.' He thought as he started to calm down and ponder on the question. Thinking back on everything that he had experienced throughout his life, all the pain; the anger; the isolation and his helplessness towards all of it. Sol clenched his fist and nodded slowly towards the screen.
[I see, do you wish to live a new life in a world of your choosing?]
After thinking about it for a few seconds, Sol once again nodded towards the screen. when he did, the holographic screen faded from existence as if it was never there and Sol was overcome with a wave of exhaustion causing him to black out.
xX Xx
"S…Sol…Sol!" A melodic voice slowly stirred Sol out of his consciousness. He couldn't remember the last time someone had called out his name so affectionately, it felt comforting. Letting his eyes flutter for a moment, Sol noticed a navy-blue sky with a few clouds floating past him at a rather slow pace. After taking a few seconds to appreciate the view, he turned his attention towards the voice that had been calling him.
There stood an angel dressed in white looking back at him with a soft smile. She had lustrous silver hair that reached down towards her waist, crystal blue eyes that seemed to see through the thickest of veils and a pair of wings that arced high above her gracious head.
'Strange… I should feel scared but I don't.' Sol continued to observe the women before him. Instead of feeling fear, he felt warmth and acceptance.
"I'm glad that you feel that way." The angel said with a warm tone. Her reply caused Sol to frown slightly in suspicion, he didn't expect the angel to have access to his thoughts. Deciding to test it out, he spoke to her through his thoughts. 'Can you really hear my thoughts?'
"Yes, I can. It's an ability that allows us to understand your most genuine desires thus making the process of your passing easier." The angel replied as if expecting the question.
"Ahh, that make sense." Sol muttered absentmindedly. Focusing his attention back on the angel, he asked "Uhm, what shall I call you?"
"Ahh!" The angel exclaimed in surprise whilst clapping her hands together. "I'm sorry, I was caught up in the moment and forgot to introduce myself." The angel said whilst looking at Sol. "My name is Claire." She replied with a wide smile.
'Claire. Truly a fitting name.' Sol thought as he fell into a daze, hearing her name made her image feel complete. Hearing her laughter, Sol snapped out of his daze and coughed in embarrassment. Taking a moment to calm down, Sol started to contemplate on his current situation more seriously.
'I'm sure that she's the one who had sent me the holographic screen but why? It's not like there's anything special about me. The only thing I can think of is...' Sol broke out of his thoughts and gazed deeply towards Claire.
"Yes, your assumption is correct. The disease you had contract was not supposed to have existed within your plane. It was the result of a dimensional being travelling in between two separate planes, causing a small special rift to appear in your world for a few seconds giving a virus enough time to escape and find a host. The virus purpose is to slowly take over the hosts body, the host being you, and masks it as paralysis." Claire replied in an apologetic tone, she wanted to be as forthcoming as possible when it came to explaining his unique situation.
"Then why didn't you cure me back then? Why did I have to suffer for this long?" Sol bellowed at Claire with sorrowful eyes. He could never forget the sensation of losing control over his limbs on a daily basis, it felt like a death sentence had been set upon him and he had no way of escaping it.
"We simply didn't know the disease had existed within your plane. Angels are responsible for observing countless planes of existences, we only intervene when a plane is in danger of extinction or when a mistake has been discovered, you belonging to the latter. It wasn't until we had reviewed your life for judgement that we discovered our mistake and for that, I sincerely apologize." Claire said whilst bowing towards him.
"HAHAHA!" Sol laughed crazily for a moment surprising Claire. "So that's it. My life was ruined because of a mistake." Sol said in a hoarse voice as he began to weep. The disease took so much away from him. His family; his friends and most of all; his life. He had even thought about killing himself a few times just to end everything but always stopped himself knowing that his parents wouldn't have wanted him to go through with it. Now knowing the truth, he felt a burden had been lifted from him, he felt… somewhat free.
After calming down, Sol looked back up at Claire with confusion. He honestly didn't know how to feel about her, he knew this mistake had little to do with her yet a part of him couldn't forgive her. Living an isolated life with no warmth or comfort, especially for someone as young as him, isn't something you can forgive in a heartbeat.
Sensing the wave of emotions Sol was feeling, Claire quickly waved her hands in denial. "I don't expect you to forgive us so easily for our mistake. The best thing we could do is offer you a new chance to live in a world of your choosing with a couple of blessings to ensure that you're satisfied." Claire said in a remorseful tone. Their mistake ended up ruining a small child's life, it may not seem like much compared to the mass number of beings within their jurisdiction but it was. She had been one of the angels in charge of this plane and for them to not notice a being had invaded was a mistake on their part.
Hearing what had been said to him, Sol's emotions began to settle. He was glad that they didn't expect him to accept their apology and had even offered a form of compensation. After taking a deep breath, Sol looked towards Claire and gave her a small but genuine smiled. "Can I really choose from any of the existing worlds? Do fictional worlds from books or comics actually exist?" Sol asked with a hint of expectation.
Claire had felt the boy's emotions begin to brighten up, "Yes, all those worlds do exist. A large majority of the entertainment in your world is loosely based on existing worlds, we did this to allow the people that are passing on to feel a sense of familiarity in their new world. As for how that works exactly, I'm afraid that's a trade secret." Claire said as she placed her index finger on her lips.
Sol nodded in understanding and looked down in thought. He didn't know what world to choose but he knew what he wanted to experience. He wanted to feel a sense of adventure, friendship and happiness. Coming to a decision, Sol looked back up at Claire and asked with a hopeful look. "Can I be sent to the world that the Fairy Tail manga exists in?"
"Of course, that's a world I'm especially fond off." Claire replied merrily, magic was something that had still fascinated her to this very day. "So, what kind of magic would you like to use?" She asked him in anticipation.
"Hmm, what would you recommend to me Claire?" After seeing her excited expression, Sol couldn't help but ask. He had a feeling that she would know him better than he knew himself.
Claire blanked out in thought. She wanted to give the boy something that's unique, bordering on an extinct art. After a few seconds, she remembered a being that would rise from the ashes, a being so vibrant that it would put the mightiest of creatures to shame.
Focusing her attention back on him, Claire smiled mysteriously. "How about Phoenix Slayer Magic?"
"Phoenix Slayer Magic?" Sol muttered under his breath. A being that would rise after its death, truly fitting this situation.
"Yes, Phoenix Slayer Magic. Phoenix's have long since ceased to exist in Earthland because a majority of them had decided live in their own world. The reason I suggested this art is due to the fact that it boasts the widest move set out of all the currently existing magic arts. What makes this art unique is the ritual that its user has to go through in order to use it. Phoenix blood is injected into the user's body to strengthen it enough to handle the strain of using such an art. Calling the process painful would be an understatement but the benefits reaped from it more than makes up for the pain." Claire replied.
"What kind of benefits can I expect from the ritual?" Sol asked, he wanted to know more about the ritual since an angel had stated that it was 'painful'.
"After the ritual is complete, you can expect a dramatic increase in your five senses, muscle strength, bone structure, vitality and intelligence. The ritual essentially turns a part of your DNA into that of a Phoenix, that means you can partially transform into one should you wish to do so." Claire replied with stars in her eyes.
'HOLY SH-' Sol thought as he nearly cursed, almost forgetting the status of the women in front of him. 'It'll be a complete overhaul when compared to my current body and there's a to fly around if I master its transformation. Ahh, this is already more than I could have ever hoped for." Sol thought with wide eyes. Hearing Claire's giggle, Sol turned his head to the side in an attempt to hide his blush.
After forcing his blush down, Sol turned to face Claire. "I'll take it! Just thinking about flying through the skies of Earthland makes me excited." Sol said with a wide smile.
"Great! Now, what element would you like to use?" Claire asked.
"Hmm, how about light?" Sol replied almost instantly. Light exists everywhere, taking control of that power makes the possibilities endless.
"A choice befitting your name, your magic art shall now be known as White Phoenix Slayer Magic. This art allows you to absorb, incorporate and manipulate the element of light. Keep in mind that this art is powerful, so make sure that you can maintain a high degree of control before using any spells." Claire said with a serious expression. A Phoenix is a being that's favored by nature, so using its art carelessly could lead to a catastrophe.
Taking in the warning to heart, Sol looked at Claire with a serious expression and nodded. The last thing he wanted to do was kill a comrade because of his lack of control.
Looking at the seriousness on Sols face, Claire shook her head in approval. "Now that the magical art has been decided, it's time to gift the blessings. In this case, you will be given two." Claire said with a smile.
"Hmm? Blessings? Wasn't offering me the White Phoenix Slayer Magic art the blessing? Sol replied with a dumbfounded look. 'Isn't this magical art already enough? Wouldn't these blessings just make me more overwhelming?'
"Don't worry, it's far from enough." Claire replied as if it was an undeniable fact. "Although the magical art is rare, it's barely worth the emotional pain that you have suffered throughout your life. Please understand that we truly wish to repent for our mistake, so accept these blessings as an apology and allow them to aid you in your next life." Claire said with a downcast smile.
Sol felt a rush of warmth invade his heart. He wanted to believe that their apology was just a facade to mask their mistake but after having heard what Claire had told him, he started to believe that they were genuinely trying to redeem themselves for their mistakes. Sol started to feel a sting in his eyes, he didn't want Claire to see him cry again but he couldn't control himself anymore and let the tears pour out of his eyes. He used his hands to hide what he could but his wails could still be heard.
Seeing him cry for the second time, Claire immediately enveloped the boy in a tight embrace. She knew that Sol didn't wholeheartedly accept their apology earlier but that didn't stop her from showing him how much they had actually meant it.
Feeling the warmth of the embrace, Sol didn't hold back anymore and cried to his heart's content. As he did, he began to accept and return the embrace wholeheartedly. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he had cried so much.
After a while, Sol released Claire from his embrace and gave her the warmest smile he had ever given anyone. She had unknowingly removed all the burdens that he had been keeping deep within his heart and that allowed him to feel true tranquility, a sensation that he thought would take a lifetime to feel.
Focusing his gaze back on Claire, Sol noticed that a few tears on her face. "C-Claire, why are you crying?" Sol asked in the softest voice possible, surprising Claire and even himself.
Wiping her tears away, Claire looked at Sol with a wide and genuine smile. "It's because I'm happy. I'm happy to have eased your burdens, I'm happy to have made you smile and I'm happy that you won't be moving on to your next life with a heavy heart." Claire said as tears once again threatened to drop out of her eyes.
Sol shook his head. "No, I should be the one thanking you. You let me feel something that I honestly didn't think I could feel in this lifetime. So again, thank you Claire." Sol said with a wide smile, causing her to once again burst into tears. He waited patiently for her to calm down, just his scene here told him how much the issue weighed on her.
After a calming down, Claire gave him a smile that could topple heaven on itself. "Thank You Sol. I truly mean it." Claire sincerely said to the boy in front of her.
Seeing that smile caused Sol to blush fiercely. Turning his head to the side, he coughed and said. "N-No problem Claire, glad to have helped."
Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Claire went back to the topic at hand. "The two blessings that I am gifting you are known as [Magic Support System] and [A Body Without Limits]. The [Magic Support System] is designed to assist the user in absorbing magic internally and removes the need of magic circles. In case you didn't know, magic circles are used by magicians to collect the Ethernano in the atmosphere and manipulate it for their own use. This means that your body will contain a network of channels that are connected to your magical container. As your initial container grows overtime, you will begin to develop your other two other magical containers, these containers are also known as Origins. The systems absorption rate will depend on how many Origins you have activated in your body. So essentially, the quicker you unseal your remaining Origins, the more powerful your spells will become." Claire said whilst taking in Sol's wide-eyed expression in glee.
Sol just stared at Claire in shock. If he unsealed his other two Origins, wouldn't that mean he could throw around large scale spells without wasting too much Ethernano? Shaking his head slightly, he asked "Can you give me the absorption rate in percentages? And wouldn't having too much Ethernano cycling inside of my body damage it?".
"Hmm… 50% for the first Origin, 100% for the second Origin and 200% for the third Origin. The system helps your body purify the Ethernano inside, making it a denser when compared to others thus leading to an increase in its power output." Claire stopped there for a moment to make sure the boy wasn't overwhelmed by the information.
Seeing the boy nod, she continued on with her explanation. "As for the second question. Yes, having an excessive amount of magic inside of your body will lead to harm but that's covered by your second blessing. [A Body Without Limits] automatically increase your container size as you continuously absorb the Ethernano in the surroundings. When the initial container is stretched to its limits, the Ethernano will start flowing towards your other origins gradually nourishing them. There are a few more uses for this blessing but I'll let you discover that later on your own."
'It looks like I can truly enjoy my next life.' Sol thought whilst closing his eyes to process everything he had just heard. Releasing a satisfied sigh, he opened his eyes and sincerely thanked Claire.
"Enough of that Sol." Claire said in a somewhat stern manner whilst waving her right hand. "Now a few more things to do and you can be on your way. First, what age do you want to be when you move on to your next world?" Claire asked.
"Hmm, I'll stay 10-years-old. It'll feel uncomfortable being any other age." Sol said whilst scratching the back of his head.
"Okay, what do you want to look like?" Claire asked with a playful smile.
A blush crept up on Sols face as he said "Hmm, I want to have blonde hair and a pair of sapphire blue eyes. If possible, I would like to grow up handsome…" Sol finished with a quiet voice.
Claire nodded, it wasn't shameful to request something like this. "What time and place would you like to be reincarnated in?" She asked the boy.
'Hmm, I've only read past the Grand Magic Games arc. So, reincarnating a few years before that sounds like a good idea.' Sol thought, he wanted to have enough time to build up his strengths for the events that are going to happen. "For the time, I'd like for it to be X780. As for the place, can you place me in the forest next to the Cait Shelter Guild?" Sol asked, being friends with someone close to his own age would be more comforting and who better than Wendy?
"Fufu, that shouldn't be a problem." Claire said teasing smile. It took a few seconds for Sol to understand what she's hinting at but when he did, a blush unknowingly made its way on to his face.
After laughing for a while longer, Claire's expression turned serious. When Sol noticed this, he immediately straightened himself up and looked at her with a similar expression.
"It's now time for the ritual. The procedure will be extremely painful, the blood of the Phoenix will essentially break down your entire body and reconstruct it from scratch. Everything from your muscles to your nervous system but what makes this procedure painful is the fact that the person undergoing it is forced to stay conscious." Claire said with a worried look, she couldn't bear to see Sol go through with such a procedure, especially after everything that had already happened to him but she knew it was necessary.
Seeing Claire's worried expression, he began to calm down. This was the cost of power and he knew it. "I'll do it Claire, I hate feeling weak and helpless."
Claire stared intently at the Sol, trying to spot any signs of deceit. When she didn't, she nodded in approval and clapped her hands. As she did, an average sized door appeared behind her. "Very well Sol, follow me." Claire said as she turned her body around and walked through the door.
Sol tried to follow Claire but stumbled a bit, he had almost forgotten that he was immobilized for the better part of his life. After regaining his balance, Sol walked slowly towards the door. Although it felt weird at first, he got used to it and followed Claire through the door.
xX Xx
After passing through the door, Sol eyes instinctively turned towards the bathtub in the center of the room. It was had an exquisite design and was filled with silver liquid. Peeling his eyes from the bathtub, Sol saw Claire staring at him with a serious expression.
"Take your clothes off." Claire demanded.
Sol just stood there, tilting his head in confusion but then he realized that it was for the ritual. Nodding his head, Sol removed his hospital gown. He would've been embarrassed but the situation didn't allow it.
"Now then Sol, this process will be painful but think of it as shedding your old self. Let me know when you're ready to proceed." She said whilst giving the boy sometime to mentally prepare himself. Seeing him nod, Claire engulfed his body in a white light and placed him gently inside of the bathtub.
As soon as Sol's body touched the liquid, his entire being shuddered violently. A heart-piercing scream escaped out of the boy and the liquid started to seep into this body. His screams kept getting louder and louder. Claire clenched he hands violently whilst watching the process, she felt a tinge of regret for suggesting such a method to the boy. She hardened her heart and watched the boy suffer through the procedure, this was the only way she could help him.
"AHHHHHHH" Sol released an agonizing scream as his body made contact with the liquid. He knew it would be painful but this is leagues above what he was expecting. It felt like molten metal was being poured throughout his entire body. 'I have to push through this! I REFUSE TO REMAIN WEAK!' Sol exclaimed emotionally. He wanted to embrace this pain. This was the cost of him shedding his former self.
After what seemed like an eternity, the pain around his body started to subside. His body stopped shuddering but still trembled slightly. Turning his head to the side, he saw Claire's worried face and flashed her a victorious smile as he placed his head back against the bathtub. The mental fatigue from the ritual had caught up to Sol, causing his consciousness to fade out.
Seeing content smile on Sol's face, Claire released some of the guilt she had developed during the process. Slowly lifting the boy out of the tub, Claire decided to clean him up and start working on his desired appearance. 'I'm so proud of him…' Claire thought as she finished changing his appearance. Giving the boy a once over, she could tell that he would grow up to be a very handsome man.
Snapping her fingers, the previously white room with checkered flooring and bathtub changed into a serene field with a single cherry blossom tree placed in the center. Picking up Sol and slowly walking towards the tree, Claire began to think about all of the adventures the boy would have after he is reincarnated. Knowing that the boy would have finally live the life he had deserved, she truly hoped that he can find people that he can cherish.
After reaching the cherry blossom tree, she sat in down against the tree and placed the boys head on her lap. She looked at his peaceful expression for a few minutes before wrapping him up with he angelic wings. After making sure that he was warm, she placed her head on the trunk of the tree and drifted asleep.
xX Xx
After a few hours, Sol began to stir out of his slumber. Before opening his eyes, he felt a form of boundless energy coursing through this body. It made him feel weightless, ad if he was the clouds themselves. After blinking his eyes a few times, Sol gaped at the true beauty of the world. The colors where vibrant, even vivid if he were to focus on a specific area.
Taking a deep breath of fresh air, he felt the air course through his lungs and the blood course through his veins. 'It seemed like all of my senses have been enhanced considerably.' Sol thought with a wide smile, the ritual was a success. He turned his head around to look for any signs of Claire, he wanted to share this feeling with her.
Looking behind himself, he had found her sleeping peacefully against the tree. She looked graceful, bordering on ethereal. 'I'm glad to have met someone like you Claire.' Sol thought as he noticed the wings wrapped around his body.
A new sensation arose within his heart, it was something that he remembered experiencing when he was younger, it was love. This was the kind of love that a child would express to a parental figure and as of this moment, she truly felt like a second mother to him.
Feeling a gaze upon her, Claire opened her eyes to the sight of Sol gazing deeply at her. She fluttered her eyes for a moment before enveloping him into a tight embrace. As she embraced him, she could hear him talking about all of the 'awesome things' that the ritual had made him feel. 'He seems to be happy with the results, it's as if he had forgotten about the pain he had just experienced.' Claire thought as sigh of relief escaped her mouth.
Claire looked at Sol with warm eyes and said. "Congratulations Sol. Now, I'm going to transfer the Phoenix Slayer Magic techniques into your mind." Claire pulled him away from herself and placed an index finger on his forehead to transfer the techniques.
After the transfer was complete, Claire took a step back and waited for Sol to process the information. Seeing him open his eyes, she said "It's time to start your new journey Sol."
Hearing what Claire had just told him, he felt conflicted. A part of him was excited to start his new life, whilst the other didn't want him to leave her company. "I-I see, I guess it's time to say goodbye then…" Sol said as his voice started to trail off, almost breaking.
"Don't worry Sol, I'm sure we'll see each other again." Claire said as she placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "Here, I have a present for you." She said as her other hand started to glow brightly. After a few seconds, the light disappeared from Claire's hand and a ravishing necklace appeared in its place. The necklace had a crystal blue orb in the middle and was surrounded by silver like branches, the entire thing looked like a snowflake.
"This hear was my first spirit weapon, Mikleo." Claire said to the boy as she dangled the necklace in front of his face. "Mikleo here is a sentient type weapon, as for what type of weapon I'll keeping that a secret. To transform this necklace into a weapon, your magic has to meet a certain threshold in density. You should be able to achieve this density before your first Origin has reached its limit. He will become your guardian, your most trusted ally and possibly one of your closest friends so please take care of him." Claire said as she wrapped the necklace around Sol's neck.
Sol looked down at the necklace with teary eyes, he was happy to have something that reminded him of Claire. He would treasure this necklace, she had told him that it would become one of his closest friends and he didn't doubt her for a second. After rubbing his eyes, Sol looked back up at Claire and gave her a hug. "Thank you, Claire. Thank you…" He said as he tightened the hug.
"There's no need for that Sol, I would be lying if I had said that I wouldn't miss you but it's time for you to begin your journey. It may be hard at times but try to enjoy every second of it. Just know that however you decide to live your life, I'll always be proud of you." Claire whispered to the boy.
"Mm. Take care of yourself Claire, I'll miss you." Sol said as his tears drenched Claire's shoulders. After breaking away from the hug, Claire looked over at Sol one more time before placing her hand on the top of his head and ruffling his hair. She looked over his shoulder and snapped her fingers. A doorway, with a blinding white light, suddenly appeared behind Sol.
Taking a step back, Claire gestured at him to approach the doorway. He looked at the doorway, then back at Claire. He gave her one last hug before jogging towards the it. He looked back one more time, only to see Claire giving him a wide smile and waving goodbye to him with misty eyes. Wiping the tears away from his face, he gave her one last smile before walking through the door.
xX Xx
Speech in this Fanfic
"Talk"
'Thoughts'
"Magic Spells"
Cover Art by Yun-Afezeria (Deviantart).
