The gathering.
Seated in a table in front of her Aunt Beatrice was seated a discouraged boy after her Aunt revealed something to him but refused to elaborate further.
"Anyway Oberon, can Betty know where your parents are going to celebrate their second honeymoon, in fact?"
Slightly cheering up with the change of topic the boy pulls his body from the table and sits upright to speak face to face with his relative.
"Oh they didn't tell you?"
"No, in fact"
"Those dunderhead parents of mine"
"Nobody says dunderhead anymore. It's no big deal I suppose. They are adults, they don't need to tell everything to Betty in fact. But if you really thing it was a grave mistake, then you can tell Betty in their stead"
"Okay, they said they will visit Priestella, the Karagirian hotels caught their eyes"
"Priestella uh, it was indeed a charming place, I suppose. But Subaru didn't like going there that much after a momunent to the heroes who repelled the Priestella Siege was inaugured, he said that he still didn't believe he deserved a statue or something, so the sight made him uncomfortable, in fact".
"Oh? Ancestor Subaru didn't like the statues made for him? I guess that's why we only have paintings of him and a lot of them are him playing with his family".
"Subaru was the charmest when he was among family. He didn't like things made solely for him, I suppose. Even those paintings are things we the women of the house at the time did in secret, since Subaru wouldn't let us paint him being the silly person he was, in fact".
They both stay in silence for some moments enjoying the calm atmosphere, in reality, Oberon absorbs so much of the surrounding that he almost is drunk on them.
"Auntie... What's with this garden? My head feels dizzy only looking around, it didn't hurt when I first entered or when we were talking".
"Ah, Subaru called this "The Garden of Shadows", the trees here grow tall and flexible, so the wind doesn't have problems bending the cups and branches in weird ways, that makes the shadows of the leaves move around in a chaotic manner, if you concentrate in the shadows you are only going to dizzy yourself, as long at you don't focus in the shadows you'll be fine, in fact".
Oberon wasn't expecting to recieve and answer, he merelly wanted to test his luck, believing that his Aunt will say something along "Wait until everyones is here" or "We'll talk about this later" like she had been doing to every question he has raised.
"W-why would the Sage of the Stars make this garden?".
"He said he wanted a memento from a place he has mixed feelings aboug it, he said that maybe if he spent some time in a similar place with a clear mind he may be able to sort his feelings, he never did, in fact." Beatrice was looking at something that was beyond Oberon.
"Why would he keep this place then Auntie?"
"Betty said that he had mixed feelings, some were good and some bad. He couldn't bring himself to destroy it because of those good feelings, I suppose. Besides, don't you think it add to the charm and mysticism of this place, in fact?"
"I-I suppose that's true".
Oberon started to scan his surrounding only to regret it inmediatly after feeling a headache starting to form. Beatrice sees this and in a tone similar to the boy says:
"You sure are a dunderhead"
Reverting to her usual tone she gestures towards a door that lead inside the property.
"Cross that door, it would send you to your room, you should sleep, I suppose. Don't worry, Betty will tell Valentine that you'll be sleeping until dinner, in fact"
"Thank you Auntie, with your permission"
Oberon stands up and walks toward the door the great spirit pointed at, holding his head with a hand to ease the pain a little.
At the other side of the door was a modest room, it had only a bed next to the window with curtains, a nightstand with a magic crystal lamp on top and a mirror fixed to a wall.
Putting himself to bed Oberon's counciousness starts to driff towards the dream world under the influence of his headache, but before sleeping he has one final thought.
'The bed sure is comfy, but I preffer my own... bed...'
Oberon is waked up by the feeling of being shaken by tiny hands, opening up his eyes and focusing them he meets a pair of butterfly eyes, staring at him softly.
"Hello Auntie".
Oberon rubs his eyes and sits on the bed while trying to stop being half asleep. He was dozing out when he felt a handkerchief being rubbed against his face, waking him up more.
"You had drool in your face, in fact. Now that you are awake let's go and eat dinner, your headache should be gone now, I suppose. Betty will be waiting outside for you to lead you to the dining hall, your sister Talitha is already there, in fact".
Storing the handkerchief away Betty exits the room leaving to boy to dress himself up. Shortly after the little quarter elf comes out fully dressed in his regal attire. He turns to the great spirit only to see her start walking away. Dumbfounded he ask:
"aren't we going to use door-crossing Auntie Beatrice?".
"No, you just woke up and I don't want you to fall sleep in your plate, so we are walking so you are more awake once we arrive, in fact. Besides, you need to learn where is everything in this mannor, I suppose, Betty can't be door-crossing nor guiding you for every little thing, in fact."
"When did sister arrive?"
"Not too long ago, in fact, so she almost entered directly to the dining room."
After walking a bit further, the boy came to a realization.
"Isn't the food going to get cold?".
"Don't worry Betty has accounted for this little trip, but if you are so worried about the food you can walk faster so we reach sooner, I suppose".
"Okay, as you say Auntie".
While Oberon didn't start running, he speeds up his walking a considerable amount, easily leaving behind Beatrice.
"Wait! wait! Betty was joking, Betty was joking, Betty can't follow you with her legs, come back here, do you even know where to go?"
Panting and breathing heavily, Beako was unable to keep the pase with the elven boy, and when she finally tried to tell the child to stop, he no longer was able to hear her.
In the end, Beatrice had to use door-crossing all over the place to find Oberon who got lost trying to find the dinning hall. On the good side, Oberon was fully awake for sure and he build up more appetite for the dinner.
Finally reaching the door to the dinning hall, they both look a little defeated, Beatrice hair was unkeep and Oberon didn't bother to try mustering even a bit of dignity or aristocratic aura.
"We will have to apologize to Valentine, Oberon".
"Yes, now the food is surely cold".
Pushing open the door a pair of mean red-pinkish eyes looks at them with a scowl. The gaze belonged to Talitha, Oberon's "sister", the Oni girl Beatrice spoke earlier.
She had long sky blue hair tied in a ponytail, the characteristic mean eyes of Subaru paired with the color of Ram' eyes, while she was Rem's offspring, due to Rem being Ram's twin, sometimes Ram's features would pop up, this event was a pretty scary thing until Beatrice figured it out and explained the matter, luckily no marriage suffered from this joke of fate. She was dressed in a one-piece dress of a slightly darker shade of blue compared to her hair color with some orange and pink decorations. (1)
"Greetings, sister..."
"Took you long enough, sleeping beauty... why do both of you look like you were... running a marathon? specially you Aunty Betty"
Oberon flinches at her question, fully aware that their state is his fault, he looks anywhere except the eyes of her sister who is seated with a still intact plate of food, clearly waiting for them.
"Sorry to keep you waiting Talitha, Betty had to chase your brother because it got lost and didn't stop to see if Betty was following. Although Betty's also at fault because of her words Oberon started running"
"I wasn't running Auntie Beatrice"
"SHHHHH"
While it was true that as a quarter elf he had better phisique than an average person even without training, but Oberon didn't "run", it was only that Beatrice had very short legs, low stamina and a severe dislike to any exercise except some morning caliestenics, so she is unable to keep behind someone who is slightly sprinting, even after all this years, she hasn't admitted once that she needs to do some more exercise.
"Ah whatever, I'm hungry so now that you are here we can finally have dinner, luckily for us Valentine saw you both running all around the place, so she changed the menu a bit, cold food! The steaming tatoes now are cold and mixed with blessed mayo!"
Her expression rapidly changes to one of joy while speaking about the food, Talitha, the third girl born in the Oni branch was a 13 years old food lover at heart, but contrary to what would be a reasonable inference, she is not gluttonous, on the contrary, she is rather preocupied with what she eats, Talitha knows she can't allow herself to eat whatever she desires if she wishes to mantain her appearence, so she has a decent level of self-control. After all, she has pried and some of that pride comes from her appearance and she doesn't want to ruin that.
"Okay Okay I get it sister, you like mayo, you can calm down now"
While Oberon did like mayo, he wasn't a fanatic like his sister and he often thought to himself that her claims were extremely exaggerated most of the time, while she has good taste, she doesn't know how to praise food without making it sound some form of religious act.
Meanwhile, Beatrice was watching them from the side, happy to see their relationship being so healthy and with no signs of in fighting. While the sight delights her, Beatrice quickly redirected their attention to the food, that has been forgetted in the banter between siblings.
"We should start eating, in fact. Valentine put all her efforts in this food and we shouldn't waste it, I suppose, you two can talk while we eat, in fact"
Exchanging glances, the two kids nod to one another before responding.
"Yes, Auntie Beatrice"
"Yes, Aunty Betty"
After sitting in the chairs and start eating, they continued their casual talk, sometimes Beatrice would make some commentary or remark, until suddenly something in their conversation reminded Talitha of something.
"Ah, Aunty Betty, before I came we received a letter from Uncle Kari, apparently Natsumi and Izar will arrive tomorrow in the morning, I have the letter in my baggage if you wish to see it"
"There is no need, Betty doubts that you would lie with something like this, in fact. If they arrive in the morning that would be the best, I suppose, we could start recalling the past in that instant, in fact"
"Sooo~ Oberon, little brother, do you have any ideas about was this family gathering is about? Becase I don't, my parents keep refusing to tell".
"Mine too, but I was able to learn something from some old papers in the library at the main house, it said something about learning about the past and the truths that were lost to time, if my memory doesn't fail me, then Auntie Beatrice saw me and took the rest of the papers from me".
"You weren't supposed to see that, in fact. But what you learned was enough, you'll spoil the surprise".
While that was true, Beatrice had other reasons for taking away the papers, those were some pages of a diary of one of the many children she has telled the truth, they contained a truth that the kids are not meant to learn before adulthood, Return by Death.
Oblivious to the thoughts of the great spirit, the par continued talking.
"She made me promise that I would tell any of my siblings, and you know how promises are sacred".
As if noticing and opportunity, Talitha's eyes wide for a moment before a devilish smile appears on her face.
"What type of promise Oberon?".
"A pinky promise of course".
"A pinky promise, how cute, you are such a big boy my brother".
Blushing brigthly, Oberon realised what he said, having snapped out of her thoughts, Beatrice couldn't hold back her laughter anymore, but she quickly regained her composture. Talitha was delighted with Oberon's reaction, since a child Oberon as put of a front of a nice, mature noble, but he often makes childish things that tend to be brought up to remind him he doesn't need to put such persona between family and he doesn't need to be ashamed.
Meanwhile Oberon cooled off his head from the embarassement, Beatrice took the opportunity to ask something that caught her attention.
"Talitha, is nice seeing you in a dress rather than a track suit, you look lovely, but not as cute as Betty, in fact. You should wear them more often, in fact".
Beatrice puff her chest and puts her smug face on, while she is honest, there is no way that she can lose her position as the cutest. Talitha was already aware of the thoughts of the great spirit so she didn't take the words badly.
"Aunty Betty, I can wear dresses too, I just prefer the coziness of the track suit, but the ocasion required me to wear one dress"
"You were forced by your parents, didn't you?"
"..." Talitha tried to mantain a straight face against the face of Beatrice, but after some seconds she admitted the truth.
"Yes, you are right, but I think this is not so bad, the dresses we have are not so stuffy as I thought and having experience wearing noble clothes will be useful when I go to meet other nobility".
"The clothes of this household barely reach the standard for a noble, I suppose. They lack a good amount of ornaments or other noble extravagancies, in fact".
"I think I speak for everyone in the family that there is no way we can wear something as the normal aristocratic wardrobe".
"That's true, I suppose".
Maybe it was because Subaru wasn't a noble nor was him from this world, Emilia only spent 5 years studying how to act noble before actually reaching nobility, and she rarely wore noble clothing, Rem was a maid and Meili spent her childhood as a feral kid. But neither of them ever wear something remotely close to the fashion of the rest of the upper society. This tendency was passed down every generation without apparent motive other than "When I was a kid this is what I wore and I'm more comfortable this way" when Beatrice asked.
They still have some clothes fitting when they have events and reunions with other nobility but those are not used often. Of course there have been some children that preffered the usual noble attire, but are so few that can be counted with a hand.
And so, The Natsuki Family had another peaceful dinner among kindred.
After finishing dinner Beatrice send the kids off to their rooms because "Tomorrow we start in the morning, you have to be well rested, in fact. Betty still needs to do a bit more so you better go to bed and sleep, I suppose."
Oberon was in his pijamas tucked inside the bed, unable to fall asleep because he already napped a little before dinner. While trying to find a position that allows him to rest, he heards some knocks on his door.
"Can I come in little brother?"
Hearing the voice of his sister Oberon quickly lights the room with the lamp, goes out of bed and opens the door, meeting with red eyes that look mean at him. Knowing who the owner of those eyes is he doesn't even react, althought the first time he saw those mean red eyes in the dark when he was littler he was pretty scared thinking he saw a vengeful spirit.
"Yes you can, sister".
With a soft smile Talitha enters and sits in the side of Oberon's bed, she was wearing a teal nightgown and her previously tied hair now falls down freely on her back.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping sister?"
"I can ask you the same question, little brother"
"It seems neither of us can catch sleep at the moment, so why don't we have a little chat, don't worry, I'll sleep enough later".
"Later", that's probably her favorite word, it is rare for her not to say it at least once a day. She used so much that word that she ended up becoming "Sloth" because of it.
"If you say so sister, so, what do you wanted to talk?"
"isn't obvious? This gathering, there are some strange things that everyone refuses to explain to us, and since you arrived earlier than me, you may have more info. There is the matter of the meeting happening here rather than in our Mansion, you know? where we all live? Then there is the barrier that protects this place."
"The one with constellations all around the surface? Even though I tought it was strange, I didn't think much about it other than it was a barrier, it didn't even do nothing when I tried to pass it contrary to other barriers I have seen".
"You may not know much about magic barriers like this but as I have spent so long in the W Factor Institute of Research, I have seen some powerful protections and even learned a little, and only with that bit of knowlegde I can say how formidable that thing outside is, not even the stronger locks on the Institute compare. I thought you would think is was strange, we both are sensitive to the magic and that thing was stronger than most things I know of."
"Oh, now that you mention it, I did notice it, but I was under the ilusion that magic came from something inside, not the barrier itself, so, what it is keep here must be very important to place such strong security, I had my suspicions considering this is called "The archive of The Natsuki Household" but I didn't know what to expect about it, but after hearing you, it may be that something that I read before can be true".
"Oh? Nice, I knew I could count with you, that's why you are "The king of Fairytales", nobody knows more about the myths and folklore than you".
"Siiiiiisteeeer, please, stop with that nickname, even Auntie Beatrice calls me that now, you.. you nincompoop".
The rubborised boy plead to his sister, unluckyly for him, his pleas fall in deaf ears.
"Nope, too much fun, anyway, what did you read?"
"Something about it being the place where the sage inheritance is stored, but I tought that couldn't be true, it should be keep in our mansion or the Pleyades Watchtower, after all, when someone thinks about an archive, they don't think about a whole mansion".
"The sage's inheritance? That sounds like something worthy of this kind of protection"
"Then when I arrived after wander a little I reached a garden where Auntie Beatrice a miss Valentine where having tea"
"A garden, what's so rare about it? almost every manor has one"
"It's... I... I... I could tell you, but it wouldn't even come close to what I saw, I'll show you tomorrow, but is called "The Shadow Garden", Auntie Beatrice told me that the sage himself made it, something about conflicted emotions. When we go tomorrow, don't pay much atention to the shadows, you are gonna get a headache sister."
After a pair of seconds in silence, Talitha yawns and looks at her brother.
"I think that's enough little brother, I'm feeling sleepy now, I guess you too, so we should call it a day, and if for some reason Valentine or aunty Betty finds out I sneaked to talk to you, I may get in trouble, so I better go back now"
"Now that you mention it, I feel ready to sleep too, well, Goodnight sister"
"G'night little brother"
After the departure of Talitha, he deactivated the lamp and laid on his bed, now ready to sleep, before falling sleep he remembered that he forgot to tell her that Emilia's image was the most warped, but it wasn't so important, so he quickly ended sleeping peacefully.
It was early in the morning when Oberon heard the sounds of knocking in his door alongside the singing of birds.
Sheepisly going on to see who was calling at his door he barely keeps himself awake. In the other side of the door his Talitha, equally drowsy, it seems their night talk took a toll in both, or maybe it was because it is so early in the morning (while it is the normal time for others to wake up and start their days, this pair tends to sleep a pair of hours more).
"G'morning little brother"
"Good day sister, why are you waking me up so early?"
"Aunty told me to, for me I would still be sleeping, anyway, she says that we go to the dinning room to have breakfast, it seems Natsumi and Izar are here already, damn those early birds"
"Wait sister, I haven't dressed up! and neither you!"
Looking down at herself, she couldn't do nothing except nod in agreement. She still had her nightgown and hair falling on her back, a little bit tangled after sleeping. She came as soon as Beatrice told her to go and wake up her little brother.
"It seems... I forgor Teehee" She hits lightly her head with her fist, winks and eye and takes her tongue out.
"No, sister... That's Natsumi's thing, I preffer if you don't actually forget things so easily".
"Okay I get it, in any case I'm not as good as her, I don't know how she manages to look cute everytime she does it, maybe I'll have her teach me"
"Sister... No..."
"Welp, I'm going back to my room to change, wait for me here"
"Sure".
"..."
The only sounds heard was the soft steps that each one was making in their own bedrooms.
"..."
"Aaaaaaaaan I'm back, did you miss me? little brother".
"Sister you were gone for five minutes at most".
"I know! My hair was cooperative today, it seems it will be a good day"
"If you say so Sister, shouldn't we go now?"
"You are right, I also want to see Natsumi and Izar"
They both start making their way to the dining hall.
"You know Oberon? I would have thought that this building was filled with stars and star references as decorations, but why flowers? the colors are easy enough to understand"
"I have no clue either, maybe, no, surely Auntie Beatrice knows why there are these flowers, they are very pretty I must say, but I don't remember them being in the garden"
"I bet Izar would love these flowers, they seem like the type he likes"
"Hey, how do you ended up lost yesterday?"
Blushing to the tip of his ponty ears, the boy begs "Please, can you forget that?".
"No."
"H-hey look sister! We arrived!".
Deciding to drop the matter, she went and opened the door, in the table were a pair of siblings already eating their portion.
"Sorry for not waiting for you guys, we were really hungry, so we started without you".
The boy in the table responded apologetically at the newcomers, while the girl simply keeps eating her fill without a care in the world.
The currently eating youths were the other members of the current Natsuki generation.
They both were dressed in clothes suitable for traveling, something not unexpexted considering that they had just arrived most probably. They shared very similar features, since they were twins. Both had rather curly hair at the hair tips, with the color of dark purple in the roots slowly fading into a green at the ends, product of being the offspring of a Natsuki man and a Karsten woman. They already have 14 years and in 3 months more that would change to 15 years. The amber colored eyes was a gift from their father.
But, despite being twins they had some noticeable differences, Natsumi had the soft eyes and her hair short just barely reaching her shoulders. On the other side, the boy had the mean eyes of his mother, glasses to aid said eyes and also a bit of freckles near the nose. Normally Meili's descendants don't have the eyes often associated with the Natsuki surname because they never had the opportunity to inherit them, but since the Karsten Mother introduced them at the Meili's Branch, he is the first beast tamer with the eyes of the founder of the Natsuki Lineage
"Ahhhhh, I was staaarviiing, so nice of miss Valentine to prepare breakfast so fast... oh, hey sis! hi lil' bro!" Only after finishing her food at a velocity that should not be possible, Natsumi takes notice of the new additions to the table. (2)
"Only now you noticed us sis? We are less important than your breakfast?" Questioned Talitha, she wasn't hurt, upset or anything, she only wanted to tease her sister for her funny reactions.
"Yes?... No?... It wasn't my faaaaault! We haven't eaten in a whole day!" She first affirms slightly doubtful, then she negates not sure about this answer either, after all, her breakfast was more important to her at the moment, so she decided to refuse her fault when she realized her true feelings.
Then Izar comes to defend his twin from the teasing of his other sister.
"Yes Tali, we had to rush here, even skipping meals, we didn't think that our return would be delayed by an incredible sick part of our lands, we had to spent a lot of time seeing what was the problem and what could be done to fix it"
"Poor ol' Walter had to drive all night with the purpose of us arriving in time, isn't him great sis? lil' bro?". Natsumi looks genuinely prideful about their servant.
"Oh, then Sister Natsumi, Walter is here too? or did he left after dropping you here as miss Sophia (Talitha's dedicated maid) did?" Oberon asked.
"And why so much hurry reaching here at the time at the letter?" Talitha looked at Izar.
"The letter was sent before the problem was found, we thought we had enough spare time, we didn't want to arrive later, with what face would we face our unpunctuality?".
"Yep lil' Oberon, Walter is here resting currently, he said our parents tasked him with checking the garden and see if everything is ~okaaaaay~, but since he didn't sleep in all the night, it wouldn't be good for him to work now, would beeeee?"
After hearing her answer Oberon was worried, he had been in The Garden and he experienced first hand that you can't focus in the surroundings lest you want to suffer a headache. Talitha noted the change in her brother, her curiosity about the place ever growing after her talk with Oberon.
"Will mister Walter be fine? I have been there and I know that you really can't look around"
Izar and Natsumi looked at each other with confused expressions.
"Mmmmm yeeeees? Why wouldn't he be, lil' bro?"
"Yes Oberon, he is just going to check on the trees and plants, he already has done this job before, or at least that's what he told us"
Oberon starts questioning if he is just weak or that he had bad luck and looked at the time where the place is the most chaotic.
Talitha, who has been monitoring the room uses this pause to ask for the missing person.
"Hey big sis, Izar, where is Aunty Betty?"
"oh yeeeees, where is she, bro? I knooooow she told us, but I was too focused thinking about the food"
"Seriously Natsumi, your tunnel vision gets worse every day. She said that she will be waiting for us in "The Archive" once we finish eating, and before you ask, yes, she told us... me, how to go there"
"Tee hee" Natsumi makes the same gesture that Talitha tried to imitate earlier.
"You see that little brother? How does she do it? I'm sure I saw sparkles coming out, and I know that she doesn't have Yang magic"
"No, sister, don't get dragged to the dark side" Oberon looks worried at the corruption of his sister by his bigger sister. He seeks an ally and only founds the deadpanned expression of his brother.
While Izar had grown used to Natsumi antics during his life, he would not survive another family member also "Forgoring" things, pulling up stunts or dragging him into social events were he doesn't fit even with glue. So, he plays his card to move the attention of his little sister from the sparkles of his sister to another thing.
"Ejem, since we have all finished eating and we have rested with this chat, shouldn't we keep Aunt Beatrice waiting anymore? Let's go."
Izar rings a silver bell and from a nearby door appears Valentine.
"We will be heading towards The Archive, I'll have to bother you to clean all this yourself Valentine, thank you for your services, we can't keep our Aunt waiting anymore"
"Understood, young master, I will be tending Walter and preparing lunch, Lady Beatrice said she will be finished by that time" with a bow, Valentine farewells her young masters before start cleaning the table.
Althought Izar wanted to ask about that last part, it was more important to save her little sister from developing a taste for the theatrics of his sister. A distraction was needed and the meeting was a good excuse, besides, they needed to go there anyway.
Since he was the only one who knew where to go, the rest followed behind and as the guide, he would make everyone one reaches the destination. This required him taking the hand of his twin and pulling her towards "The Archive" less he wants her to focus to much in the decoration of the place, which he found rather strange, so he can imagine how much her sister would want to examine it.
Oberon and Talitha followed behind on their own, they had already looked at the flowers earlier, but couldn't find much about them.
Natsumi tried to resist being dragged by her brother, but soon simply followed knowing she will have her chance later and that maybe her Aunt Beako will have some knowledge about the flowers.
"Ah yes, big Sis Natsumi, Izar, there is a strange garden here, Oberon was going to show it to me today, maybe we can go to see it later all of us together?"
"mmmmm, a gaaaaarden you say? I don't know if i want tooooo, we have just arrived from seeing looooots of dirt and plants... mmmmm, but then agaiiiiin, it's not your fault... Okay I'll go with you"
"And you brother Izar?"
"Sure, one more or one less ecosystem, it doesn't bother me... It seems that's the place".
Next to a door was a plaque that read "The Archive of the Stars". Reading the plaque Natsumi was the first to comment.
"I gueeeees is pretty tipical of this family to name this place something related to staaaaars".
Taking a step forward Izar knocks on the door.
"Can we come in?"
"You can, I suppose"
Opening the door there she was the great spirit, seated in a chair in front of a table with an old looking book and a strange device next to her. The room was brightly lit with the light of the rising sun. There were bookshelves and what looked like normal shelves covered with blankets. On the opposite side of the table were Beatrice was seated there were prepared four chairs, clearly meant for them.
While they were going for their seats, they couldn't help themselves from noticing how... normal, the place looked. Was this what required so much secrecy?
Breaking the silence, Beatrice closes the book with a 'Tump' and looks at every kid in the face.
"Now that you are all here we can start, I suppose".
Suddenly the light that was entering throught the big window disapeared leaving them shrouded in darkness, before anyone could react the room abruptly was illuminated once again. They looked around trying to find the source of the light but couldn't find anything.
"Don't worry I suppose. It just a little trick using yang magic, in fact" Beatrice was smiling seeing the reaction of this generation, while the trick has grown old for her, she still enjoyed seeing at the face of a person who experienced this "air-born light".
While the rest seemed to relax with the words of the great spirit, Talitha was still confused about something.
"Why did the light suddenly turn "off"? It's not like there was nothing blocking the sun". She then turns back to the window only to find a black void outside.
"W-Wha...?"
"A-auntie Beatrice, is this safe?" Oberon followed the gaze of her sister only to meet the void, it didn't feel right, and that was making him uncomfortable.
"Yes little Oberon, it is ~Okay~, in fact. The thing is that we are in a pocket dimension, so the sun that was outside no longer reaches us, in fact". She began to lecture them as if this was the most basic thing.
"Wait wait a moment Aunt Beatrice, you can make pocket dimensions!?" Izar sprung out of his seat as soon as he heard Beatrice explanation. The other 3 were surprised at both the answer and the reaction of the usually composed Izar.
"Silly boy, this is not a pocket dimension that I created, in fact. Although I could make one, I suppose".
Calming down, Izar sits back. "Apologies, it just that I was taught that pocket dimensions were possible, but there is no one with enough mana to do it, I found amazing that you could Aunt Beatrice, but it seems I was mistaken".
"And you are right Izar, in this moment, to my knowledge, there is no one with the capacity of mana to make a pocket dimension from scratch, in fact."
"Then, what about thiiiiis place then Aunt Beako?"
"This was a normal room converted in a separated space using Yin Magic, making it a pocket dimension technically, it took inspiration from one of my Mother's designs, in fact" Beatrice mood seemed to decay a little at the mention of her mother, but she quickly moved forward.
"This room serves to protect from eavesdropping, in fact"
"But Auntie Beatrice, why go to such lengths?
""What Betty's going to tell you is considered family secrets, at least some parts, I suppose. But the room also serves as a storage to things that shouldn't be lost, in fact, being that the memory of the past and the relics the pass of time left behind".
Then Beatrice points at the book she was previously reading.
"This is a diary made by my contractor, it has descriptions of the events of the past" While it was true, she would not admit it tells some embarassing moments of her life, like the first time she was asked to help clean up the mansion and she almost passed away, it would ruin the image the kids have of her.
"Can we look at it Aunt Beakooooo?"
"No."
"Awwwww, whyyyyy?"
"This is... This is... Not what you have to focus at the moment, in fact" She hurrily puts the book in a bookshelf and returns to her seat. Natsumi will remember that.
Oberon raises his hand and Beatrice nods at him, signaling he can speak.
"Auntie Beatrice, what's this comtraption?" He says pointing at the machine that laid on the table.
"Ah, that is a tool that will help Betty show you some things, in fact. What cannot be described, can be shown, I suppose".
Struck by a realization Izar ask.
"Isn't that the device used on the most dangerous criminals to look at her memories? I thought only the royal family had one"
"COUGH COUGH, Yes, it is, I suppose. But it's original purpouse was not that, in fact. Subaru gifted it to me saying that if Betty wanted to reminiscent something, she could use this, I suppose. And it's not another copy of the device, there only exists one, in fact. I only acepted borrowing it to the kingdom when there was an especially nasty criminal and they were uncapable of determining their identity, in fact. Betty still lends it to them if the case is grave enough, but it is Betty's and Betty's alone"
"How does that work Aunty Betty?". Talitha ask while holding it and rotating it to see every part.
"It peeks into your Od, in fact".
"Isn't that dangerous and a violation of privacy Aunt Beatrice?". Izar looks worried at her Aunt, the Od is a vital part for every living being and it should not be treated lightly.
Knowing that the children are worried about her she says in the most confident and reasuring way "Dangerous? No, In fact. A violation of privacy, I suppose yes, but it was never meant to be used on the unwilling. That's also a reason why is the last resort when doing an investigation, in fact"
"And what abou-" Izar immediatly closes his mouth once he sees Beatrice making a cross with her arms.
"That's enough I suppose, we have gotten side tracked, in fact"
"..."
"As you know, from birth you have been granted some gifts, I suppose. This is what Subaru ended up calling "Bloodlines", or characteristics transmited to the descendants of certain individuals. This is different than normal genetics since Od Laguna works in the "Bloodlines" ensuring the heritage of some characteristics to every descendant. This is not something new, in fact, anybody can remember one and some characteristics of the more known ones?"
Oberon raises his hand and Beatrice signals to him.
"The Lugnica royal family always has blonde hair and red eyes, the Astreas have Red hair and blue eyes, the Karsten have dark green hair, just to name a few"
Beatrice nods in agreement "That is correct, but you forgetted to mention the more "invisible" features of those "Bloodlines", in fact. Like the intuition of the Lugnicans, the "sword saint divine protection" of the Astreas or the wind affinity of the Karstens. Those are also things Od Laguna makes sure to pass down".
The great spirit enumerates everyone with her fingers then looks at the youngs in front of her. "You have also been born with those things, I think you are already aware of some of the ones you posess, like divine protections, you know it in an instictual level, I suppose. You are also able to use them from birth, that's why all of our staff needs to be combat trained, in fact, we considered it with the first daughter of Emilia that if you have to work around a toddler quarter elf with proffiency in ice-fire magic you have to be able to defend yourself, the poor maid had her feet trapped in ice when Chocorina left her. We finally made up our mind when Rigel the first Oni child manifested his horn mid tantrum."
"Betty's sure you all have embarassing moments with your blessings and stuff, in fact, I remember quite a number of them"
And with an impish grin, she started retelling embarrassing moments of every one of them.
"Little Oberon once froze her sister Natsumi in ice when playing tag" At the mention of that moment, Oberon lits up in a red color, since he remembers it clearly, since he thought that he had harmed his sister and cried the whole time, on the other side Natsumi started shivering from the cold of her memories, while she only left the ice with a cold, she didn't like being trapped in a cube unable to move. "But since we have accounted for that, your buttler Roland was able to take Natsumi out of the ice, in fact, too bad he couldn't save you from the scolding of your mother, I suppose".
"Then there is the first time that dear Talitha pulled out her horn, luckily she was playing with her father who is also an Oni, I suppose, so he was able to subdue her with a flick in her horn, not that did impede you of biting his hand leaving marks, in fact" Talitha looks at Beatrice a bit angry and another bit flustered "Aunty Betty, could you please not make like I'm not here?".
"Izar." When Izar heard Beatrice calling his name, he knew his time was up and he knew exactly what moment she was going to bring up, making him flinch.
"Do you remember the first time you learned of your "beast taming divine protection" and tried to "tame" Valentine's Mother because she was a demi-human?"
"Aunt Beatrice, you are having too much fun with this".
"Yes I am, in fact".
Izar tried to make the great spirit stop with her slaughter, but she simply shrugged him off.
"And Natsumi when she first learned to use wind magic to boost her speed, without knowing how to stop, in fact. You were cute crying in my lap while Betty healed you, I suppose".
Natsumi didn't react like the rest of her siblings, she was proud on her mastery of wind magic, and she was the first to admit that to reach that level she had to visit, many, many times her Aunt Beako to heal her after practicing.
Ending her fun, Beatrice straighs up her back and puts a serious face.
"Now children, Betty will tell you the origin of every quirk that you have... but since every one of you is unique in their own way, we will start with the common ground, I suppose. The Sage of the Stars, Natsuki Subaru, in fact".
Next Chapter: "The Sage, the biggest of fools"
Notes:
1 I was really tempted to have Talitha dressed in a pink dress since light blue and pink are complementary colors, but in the end I decided against it.
2 Only after re-reading this looking for errors I realized that I gave Natsumi the Roswald speech pattern, so is too late to change it, I already like it.
Author Notes:
Aaand, its done, I had planned to post this on Friday, but stuff happened and was unable to do so, but here it is.
So, lots of new characters today, I tried to give everyone a personality and showcase it a little, their personalities and interactions will be more fleshed out in the next chapters, so I hope to do a good job.
Speaking of next chapters, there will be a chapter for Subaru, Emilia, Rem and Meili. It won't be in that order necessarily but that's what I'm sure will be included, there is lots more of things that I want to show, but I can't say for sure where they will be.
Every kid has a pun name, but the only one I made without thinking about making it a pun name was Oberon, who I just randomly picked a star name and made it a joke once I noticed I made the elf kid a bookworm of fairy tales and Subaru calls Emilia a Fairy lots of times.
When I'm going to update again? I don't know, Re:Gusteko chapter 3 is tormenting me like a ghost haunting me, so I believe until I don't post that, this fic will remain at this point.
Without anything more to say, have a very good rest of your day!