So here we are, falling through the void, or whatever the fuck it is, and I'm screaming my nonexistent lungs out, again. But this time, I'm not alone. [Do you really need to keep screaming like that Valerie? I don't feel anything, so you shouldn't either.]

Ah yes, my best friend/sister. Also newly discovered Demigoddess. But none of that mattered at the moment. {Oh please! I can Feel your anxiety from here! Wherever here is!} And it was true. I knew she was anxious, maybe not as much as I was since she was older and a bit more mellowed out-

[I feel like you've just thought something worth smacking for.]

{Wait, did I think that last part out loud?}

[Hmm? What part? tell me and I'll correct you if you did so.] Immediately, warning sirens were blaring in my mind. it was a trap!

But that got me a card to play of my own! {Just thinking about how you're deflecting from the anxiety I'm getting from you.} And that was enough to steer her away from the dangerous thoughts she'd have if she knew what I did think.I was still young, but a kid called me old once, and I was midway to the almighty chancla. It was only because I hadn't actually been wearing any at the time that stopped that little shit from learning not to call a young woman like I was, old.

Anyway, I could still tell she was anxious, but it was lessening with our banter, and I wasn't screaming loud enough to raise the dead anymore. Did she do that on purpose? Probably. Do I care? Nope. She always did stuff like that, so having her do it again calmed me down even more. [Anyways, any ideas on what the world might be like? We're going to get some information about it anyway, but there's nothing wrong with taking time to guess.]

She had a point. Even though it could be anything, guessing would pass the time till we're there. {I'm guessing an anime world.}

[Of course you would you closet otaku. Especially after choosing to look like an anime character.] Shit. She had me there, but so did I!

{Oh hush you! it might've been to spite me but you have no ground to speak on either ms 'Make me Irene!' You just wanted to keep your MILF status didn't you!}

It was like she buffered, but mentally. I just knew that if she could, she'd be giving me a 'I can't believe you just said that' look. [Firstly, we have no ground at all, but I'll concede the latter point. And I'm not going to deign that second one with a response.] That was Maria speak for 'you might be right, but I won't tell you if you are.' [Moving on, why not a book? We met a Greek goddess, and I've been called a Demigoddess, so that Percy Jackson book may have had some water.]

Did she just... {You did not.} The smugness is rolling off her, I don't even need to rely on our link. I can just tell by knowing her.

[Yes. Yes I did. What're you going to do about it Valerie?]... I was so tempted to go on a tirade of shitty jokes, but trying to think some up, I realized I was lacking in the creativity department at the moment, I was still too spent after everything that had happened, so I'd have to wait till I could start cranking out shitty jokes/puns.

After figuring that out, I moved on, and addressed that Percy Jackson reference. {I'm getting you back for everything later. Just you wait Maria. Anyway, back to that Percy Jackson comment, wasn't that book like, a decade old? Before... Before.}

She obviously noticed how hesitant I was to mention the issue, and easily sidestepped it. {Yes, and? it may have come out when we were kids but if you think about it, things match up to the events in both the book and our world.} She may have had a point... But I never read the damn things, so I wouldn't know!

I couldn't read a book to save my life. I always fell back on her to help me when we had a project or homework like that. it's the reason it took me so long to piece it together. Hell, I might not have put it together if Hera hadn't given us her name. But that did get me thinking. if Percy Jackson was real, then who wrote it? And if that was real, then what else?

It could've been one of those situations where anything that was fiction, or maybe certain things like books only, were real. Did Light Novels count in that? Or would it be only Manga? Would it be both? I didn't know how long I went down that rabbit hole, but after what felt like me getting whacked on the back of my head, I re-focused on Maria, and I could feel her annoyance at me from our link.

[Are you done? I've been watching your emotions jump from one train of thought to the next like a rabbit on crack.] Not entirely sure why she compared me to a cracked out rabbit...

Though I was curious about the other thing she mentioned. {How are you even doing that by the way? I mean, I've figured out the whole sending emotions part, but how are you seeing my emotions for you to compare them to a rabbit on crack? And why that specific analogy? Where the hell did that come from? And how'd you hit me?} Ok, I might've been a bit more annoyed at the rabbit comment then I'd like to admit.

[In order. it feels natural, if I feel or think like I can do it then I can. You can probably do it too if you thought about it. I can't exactly see anything so I'm focusing on you, and mixing that with the first part lets me see your emotions. Marcus like saying strange phrases he found on the internet and I stopped questioning where exactly he got them from years ago. And refer to the first answer for the last one.] Huh. That makes a lot of sense actually. I've been more focused on where we're going to really pay attention to our link, but I'll probably work on that with her later. I still found it hilarious that her son said weird shit like that, I knew some of it since he was there when I saw her life, but I didn't hear him say a lot of things like that. Anyway back to the conversation. Well we would be back to that, if it weren't for the weird feeling I was getting.

I turned to where I was feeling it, and I swear I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. When she saw it, I could Feel Martha's mortified fascination flow through me. [Oh dear. Please don't let this be what I think it is.] Huh?

{What do yo-} I couldn't get any more out before I was YANKED outwards. it didn't help that I heard an EXPLOSION of sound the moment afterwards either. I think I may have made a mistake. Dragon Slayers were trained to have a dragons senses, and the anime may have pointed that out with Natsu's sense of smell and his motion sickness, but actually BEING a dragon and experiencing shit like that was unbelievably different. I swear I could hear and smell people THROUGH THE WALLS AND FLOORS. I couldn't understand anything, either because it was a different language, or I was too distracted by all the noise to figure out what was happening.

[Valerie! I need you to focus on me! Nothing else matters, listen to my voice and only my voice. You can do that, I'm right here besides you.] Oh, at some point Maria ended up next to me. I couldn't notice because of everything else, but through our link, I could tell she was LITERALLY right next to me. Wherever we were, we were so close that I could probably reach out to her.

And I did. I moved my tiny? Little fingers, and eventually my hand, and she grabbed onto me. The reassurance that she was there was what helped me calm down. I could still hear almost everything, but slowly, very slowly it was getting quieter. I didn't even notice, but at the start I was crying, and Maria calmed me down in both ways. I was getting control over my senses and I wasn't crying anymore. I could feel someone pick us up, but I didn't want to risk opening my eyes and getting sensory overload, so I kept them closed.

[That's good Valerie, your doing great. Do you want me to tell you what's going on around us? Think that will help?] Maria was a godsend... Was that literal now? I'd probably be screwed if I was on my own, but with her here?

{Yes, please. I can't figure out anything. I can hear people talking but I can't tell what they're saying. Can you?} Maria was quiet for a bit but I could still feel our hands connected to each other, so we were still fine.

[Well... if it's any consolation... They are speaking japanese. BUT, that might not mean anything! We may still be in a book world!] I felt vindicated about that, and only the fact that I wasn't fluent in the language like she was, kept me from saying 'I told you so' in said language over our link.

Though, I could tell what she's doing this time, but it's still working. {Uhuuuh. A book that stars in Japan... De Nile ain't just a river in Egypt Mar Mar.}

Using her childhood nickname made a surge of nostalgia rise in the both of us. [Weeb.] Oh we were doing this?!

{Nerd.}

[NEET.] I was not a NEET! I exercised and went out often... So what if I would dedicate a day to just relax with my body pillows and anime/manga? Everyone did something similar for THEIR hobbies! Totally... I wasn't in denial!

I needed to get back on the assault for this. {Paper muncher.}

[I was 2 at the time you Cringy Chuuni!] Her mom and dad told me about a time they caught her eating a picture of a pineapple, because she wondered if it would taste like it.

{Book beater!}

[Shitty Shojo enjoyer.]

{You say something smut princess?} She paused, and I could tell she blinked at that. Maria would never admit it, and I only knew because I walked in on her once, but she would always keep some smut hidden in her room, or on her phone. I even spent a few hours searching for the smut books, and only managed to find a single one, which was kept INSIDE A DUMMY BOOK. Like, the fuck?! That was the day I found how just how serious she was about keeping her porn to herself.

[... Anyway, we're in a hospital.] HAH! Got the bitch... Though I was pretty sure she let me win that... I'd figure it out later.

But god, she was the best for doing that. Our back and forth helped calm me down, and get my senses even further under my control. Now that I was feeling better, I could tell my senses were now limited to the room. (Did I just need time to figure it out? Or was it subconsciously relaxing that helped me figure it out? Eh, fuck it. I'll take it.)

{Ok, I'm good now. What's going on?} Maria takes another moment, to get her barrings? Or to check if I was really ok? Probably both.

[It seems our 'Mother' is holding us. I can't figure out what she's saying... She seems to be-... Oh. Oh...] And then she's silent again. But this isn't the good kind. it's the 'I need to think about what to say next kind of silence.'

She only does that if things are bad. I don't like the fact it's coming out a few minutes after we were 'born.' [It seems she's... Dying.] Oh. That'll do it. [I don't know from what... But she seems to be hooked up to some machines... I think we were 'born' early, as in a few months early instead of weeks... From what I can see, she's frail, unnaturally so.]

Uh oh. Her tone's progressively getting worse, and from the feelings I'm getting from our link, she's getting depressed and I can feel a surge of guilt wracking her. She literally just said she wouldn't let herself lose anyone else, and what's the first thing she finds out after being reborn? Our mother's dying. If that isn't the biggest kick in the ass I've ever witnessed I don't know what is. It's like Eddy all over again, but this time we might never get to know her. {Ok so... Remember what I said about laying low? Fuck that, do whatever you can and want to save our new mom. Consequences can come later.} I got a shot of realization from her and a surge of determination that drowned out all the negative shit she was feeling. I sent her all the supportive feelings I could so she knows I won't change my mind no matter what.

[Thank you Val... I, I think I can do this. From what I'm hearing, the doctors aren't expecting her to live through the week. She's gotten permission to stay with us but we'll be put into chambers designed to nourish us due to our premature birth status. I'm forming a plan but I don't exactly know how to heal... Or even if I CAN heal yet. We were just born... Can I ... Can I do this?] The feelings of self doubt started to grow and I could tell her determination was failing her, but I kept sending her my confidence in her, because I knew her. Maria went through difficult situations all the time, you couldn't exactly get into MIT by lazing about all day.

{You got this, if there's anyone that can pull some miracle out of her ass then it's the Demigoddess that did something Hera didn't think was possible. What's a little sickness got on you huh? Nothing at all, you can and will do this Maria. We'll get to brag we saved our mom when we weren't even a day old yet.} The 'not really a joke', would hopefully help.

I could tell it was, when I felt out her emotions. Her self doubt was receding and her determination came back full force. [Yes. You're absolutely right. gods I missed it when you did that. I could've used talks like that when I was dealing with the kids rebellious phases.]

{Nah, you know I would've been right with them raising hell and getting on your nerves. I would've been the cool aunt that had them break all the rules.} A mental snort was the immediate reply I got to that.

[True. How very true... Did I tell you I wanted to name you their god mother?] And just like that, all my thoughts stopped once again. My brain seemed like it needed a reset, because I took what had to have been a good minute, just processing that. That bomb was so sudden that I reflexively opened my eyes and turned her direction. Which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. My senses were in the room so it wasn't like I could see every speck of dust, but it looked like 480p at best.

The sights momentarily kept me from addressing that but then I saw our mother. And damn was Maria right. She looked so frail that a strong gust of wind would've blown her outta Kansas. But the sight of her was still an eye opener, because as frail as she was, she was gorgeous. She had one of those builds that told you 'A little fixing up and she'd be a model.' She had these stunning blue eyes, it was like looking at the ocean. Then there was her hair, it was like the perfect shade of red. Not bloody and not too light, just perfect. She was looking at us and when I opened my eyes, she turned to look at me. When I looked into her eyes, I saw something I recognized from my parents. I saw that unconditional love that they had. And something screamed at me, maybe my instincts, that she was going to be an amazing mom. I just recognized it right away. And before I knew it, my free hand started rising up to her face.

I couldn't reach it, 'cause you know, baby arms. But when she recognized what I was trying to do, she raised me up just a little higher. it was close enough that I could reach her cheek, and when I did, I saw it. That love, that happiness. I wanted to protect that. And I could swear, in that moment, that one short moment, I heard a roar of agreement from somewhere. I was too busy looking at our new mom that I didn't notice Maria watching or even the little green spark that was slowly coating her hands. I don't even think our mother did, that was how intense our focus was. But Maria did. She saw that spark and immediately put her tiny baby hands on our mom. That got her attention, and the gaze was broken. But as she watched Maria, I could swear she started to look a shade healthier. it wasn't much, hell, I could've been imagining it. But Maria confirmed it.

[I think... Yes. it's working. I don't think her illness is actually fatal. I think it was just the pregnancy straining her body which made it harder for her to fight off whatever this sickness is. From what I'm feeling, I seem to have given her a boost to her natural healing, so as long as she doesn't strain herself, and eats well, she SHOULD be fine.] The confidence Maria had when she told me that let me know she 100% believed she was right. And if she believed that much, then I'd throw my lot in and believe her with all my heart. But then that brought me back to the comment from earlier.

{God mother huh... I know you didn't tell me that earlier... And from when I was watching, I remember you named my mom and dad their god parents. But what about a god father? if you named me god mom, it would've been weird if you named my dad their god father. Did you have someone else in mind?}

[No. You were my first and only choice. I only named your parents because I felt like it was something you'd throw a fit over if I didn't do. I swore I could hear you in my mind, 'Aww what do you mean you won't give them god parents? Who's going to grant their wishes then if you don't?' I just had to after that.]

If I could've done so, I would've done a spit take. That sounded exactly like something I'd do. Down to the reference and everything. {I love that I can SEE myself using that one too... Does that make Hera our god mother?}

Ha! I could tell she wasn't expecting that. Sweet payback is sweet. [G-gods no! Where'd you even get an idea like that?]

{Well, she gave and granted us wishes? She might not be a couple of weird fairies but she could totally have been the Cinderella type of god mother.} I could hear the mental groan she gave off. it was great.

[Remind me to ban you from all forms of cartoon and anime if this world has any]

{HUH?!} Shit, her smugness returned full force. I can't even retaliate since our mom started giggling and the beautiful sound distracted the both of us. I could tell, even Maria was enraptured by our mother now that she was LOOKING at her instead of diagnosing her.

Our mother started saying something, but I can't read lips and I don't know japanese, despite my ungodly hours of anime consumption. {What's she saying?} Maria looked over to me for a bit then looked back to our mom. I could tell she was putting her brain to work, but it was taking a bit.

[So far I've worked out. 'They're adorable' 'We have her hair' which should've been a given to us because of who we chose to be, and I believe we are being given our names. Ah I see.] See what? She just ended her thought there and didn't finish it?

{Well? Gonna tell me what?} And immediately I knew I fell into a trap.

[She's chosen Martha, after the saint, for me because it seems I've given her a miracle. She seems to have noticed my healing and dubbed it as such. For you, you're Tara for and I quote 'She looks like she'll be quite the trouble maker.' Such an fitting description wouldn't you say Val? Or should I say, Tara.]

Unbelievable! I've been here for under a half hour and I've already taken loses! How the hell?! I tried to use the hand we're holding each other by as means of retaliation, but my attempts at revenge are foiled by our mother. She must've seen the raw indignation on my face and let out this melodic laugh that just made me happy. I could still feel the smugness coming from Mari-Martha, but I could also feel the same happiness that I was feeling.

It'd take a while to get used to the new names, but we'd figure it out somehow. (Still... So this is what it's like to have a birth mother. I could definitely get used to this.) But it sounds like it wont last. I can hear some footsteps, but I can't turn to see who they're from. But Maria's got me.

[It seems like we have to be taken to the chambers now. The doctors are working out a schedule for when we'll be with our mother and for when we'll be in the chambers.] Ah.

{Makes sense. Though how much are you getting from them and how much is guesswork?} I knew she was fluent, but she hadn't traveled or used the language much when I was watching her life, so it probably degraded a bit.

[Hmm. 70/30?] Wait what?

{Are you asking me or telling me?} She's quiet for like, a second before she responds.

[65 guesswork and context clues, 35 from translating.] The hell? I wasn't a mathematician or anything, but that sounded suspicious!

{That went down!}

[I don't see you translating a foreign language after just being reborn, Valerie.] Shit. I didn't have a response to that.

(How the hell am I 1-3 already? We haven't even been here for a day!) I mentally grumbled at her, and let her have that point. I'd get her back for it... Eventually.

I couldn't get anything else in since the nurses picked us up and started to lead us away. That helped me get a better view of everything, and that included our mother. And with the better view I could tell she really was gorgeous, and that it wasn't 'baby love mama filter' influencing it. When we got our mom out of here and fed, she was going to be a menace. Hell, she looked not a day over 20, and she's a mother? Either she's young, or time's been VERY kind to her.

She could tell I'm looking at her, despite the fact it shouldn't really be possible, and gives me a loving smile and waves at me. Given that I'm a baby, I don't think she was expecting anything for it, but me and, from the corner of my eye, Maria, no, Martha, wave back at her. She blinks once, then twice, and just smiles wider. I can see the happiness in her eyes and that just reaffirms that I'm going to be happy to call her my mother.

Sure, I'm going to miss my adoptive parents, but through watching their, and Maria's lives, I was at peace with their loss. It also helped that I was a 'take em as they come' type of gal, so I accepted they were gone, but I was looking forward to being raised alongside my sister, with a mother I was actually related too to boot.

[it seems like the nurses are talking about us. The one holding you seems to be trying not to pinch your cheeks.] Huh? That broke me out of appreciating my new mom to look up at my nurse. This woman had a twinkle in her eye that I only knew because Maria/Martha just pointed out what she wanted to do to me. Speaking of Maria/Martha, the nurse holding her looked like an 'I need to take my job seriously' type, though I thought I could see her lips twitch when Maria/Martha looked up to her. And now that I'm actually looking at Maria, she's an absolutely adorable baby! And since we're twins that automatically makes me adorable as well! [They've noticed your eyes are still open. I think mine has asked if you've even blinked yet. So if you can either close your eyes or blink a bit, that'd be great Val..- Tara. Hmm... I need to find a new nickname for you now.]

{You know... I never noticed. it doesn't feel like I have to blink yet, maybe not at all? Or I haven't reached that point yet? Dragon eyes are weird.} But I still did what she asked. I closed my eyes and just went back to listening. I'm pretty sure I heard my nurse coo and make other baby noises at me but I'll deal with that later... And pretend that I wasn't more amused at those noises then was normal. {So, until we get out of here, what should we do? I can't exactly practice my magic or transform while we're here. I could work on training our link, but that's about it.} I heard her humming through our link, which was good since I didn't want to plan at all and this was Maria's stuff back then...

Now it's Martha's now. [Do you want a long term plan first or short term?] Now that was a good question. Short term would probably be until we were all out of the hospital. Long term would obviously be from now to our teenage-adult years. They might end up the same, though I know she's asking what to prioritize first.

{We should probably go for long term. Sure I said damn the consequences earlier, but now that I know mom's going to be ok, I can start helping you think. I might've jumped the gun but until we figure out where we are, we gotta lay low... Actually, where's our knowledge of the stuff here?}

[I know where. While I was trying to heal our mother, it's strange saying that considering I'm older then her by a large margin, I found a... Package? in my mind. I'm assuming that's what it is.] That got me looking. if Maria could find it then so could I. So I started looking, I didn't know where to look, so I kept searching and searching... And sear-... [Oh dear. Well, I'll just let her sleep... Hmm, now I'm tired too... This might get annoying.] I was already out before Maria spoke up, so I didn't catch any of that. I was taking the dream train to never-land.

I don't know how long I slept, but I felt great when I woke up. it took a bit for my brain to understand why I was looking up through glass, or why I could hear a bunch of other babies either move, or breath. But eventually I was 100% caught up again. I instinctively looked for Maria with our bond, and found her in the chamber next to me, which put me at peace. But then that got me thinking. I knew I wasn't this clingy with Maria before, but now I feel unsettled if I don't know where she is. I had no ide- never mind. The loud ass dragon roar in the back of my mind let me figure that out quick. Makes sense. Dragon's are territorial as fuck, family must set that instinct off faster then anything else. Might have to be another thing I have to work on. I know Maria's not fragile, hell, she's the strongest person I ever knew, if I treated her like she'd break apart with the slightest touch, then she'd beat the shit out of me.

I probably should've made adjustments to my dragon wish, damned hindsight. Oh well, we'd figure it out. For now I'd just settle with knowing she was ok, and to start working on my dragon senses. Even if my senses were staying in this one room, my nose was itchy because of the hospital smell. And if you thought that shit was annoying with a normal nose? God I was suffering! I must've been blocking out the smell before, but now that I actively thought about it, I was under attack! it was horrible. I spent who knows how long trying to stop paying attention to the smell, my only saving grace was when it was time to eat. I got my mind away from the smell long enough for me to no longer notice it. But now I was at a loss. What to do now? I could try to look for the information in my head, but I might conk out again. I could try to talk to Maria, but she went right back to sleep after eating. And I thought dragons were meant to sleep a lot!

I debated my options in my head, not knowing what to do, but eventually I said fuck it and went back on the hunt for knowledge. And if I could get it first? I could lord it against Maria. it was perfect! Now I just had to find it and NOT go to sleep this time... Which is difficult since I'm a baby and not doing anything leads my body think "nap time", but I was getting there, I think. it wasn't 'till I was very close to sleeping that I found it. I wasn't going to question why it looked like an Amazon package, I was just going to open it and move on. And boy was there a bunch of shit to unpack in there. Hah! So let's see what we got. Hmm... Angels, Devils and Fallen oh my. Now if only I knew where the hell I recognized that setting from. Let's see what else we got... Big war, dead satans... Satan(s)? As in plural? The fuck?! Sacred Gears? Where is that damned bell? it's ringing something fierce but I'm not getting it. Ooh, yokai. Cool. Aha! There ARE DRAGONS! Let's see... The heavenly dragons Ddraig and Albion?

If I wasn't hearing bells going off in my mind earlier, then the goddamn sirens going off in my head would've gotten me. I only knew those names because of how cool I thought dragons were. And hearing someone say there were these two badass dragons that said 'fuck this war, we're too important to give a shit', But put all that shit together? I knew exactly where we were! Fucking problem was I dropped this anime! I only knew certain shit about this world because of guy friends we had in our teenage years. Pretty redhead with a massive rack, which I was NOT envious of whatsoever, an annoying pervert that was bullshit because of plot armor, adorable nun that needed to be protected and given all the headpats, and a loli cat girl? That was damn near it! {Son of a bitch! We're in a goddamn HAREM ANIME!}

[Omake - How wonderful. Martha's POV 5 minutes later.]

When I understood we were going to be reborn into another world, I was highly intrigued into just WHERE that would be. My interest in anime had waned after Valerie died, and even though my children enjoyed the medium, I hadn't really cared as much anymore. So, a point of contention regarding the 'rebirth' business was we would be dropped into a world neither of us knew a single thing about...

I was slowly but surely starting to wish that was the case. [Let me see if I understand you correctly.] My sister, and wasn't that a joy to properly think again, stopped ranting, and allowed me to 'speak.' [You know where we are?]

{Yeees?} Obviously, she was confused about why I asked about something I already knew.

But I didn't let that deter me. [You also remember a small bit about the plot and characters, correct?]

{Uhhh... Sorta? I remember a bunch of girls with big tits and an annoying brat, but that's pretty much it.} I had to withhold a sigh at that, and mentally counted down from 10.

When I was done, I asked my next question. [But you remember HOW the series begins, correct?]

{Yeah?}

[Then that'll be enough. Now go to sleep, and refrain from shouting into my mind. I do not, and WILL NOT, be woken again by a megaphone going off inside my mind. Are we clear Val?!] I got the impression of rapid nodding, and I huffed. [Good. Goodnight.] And like that, I returned to the land of dreams, too exhausted from my earlier healing to do anything else.