I do not own Mushoku Tensei, only the characters Asher, Ruby, and Paula.

Paula's Perspective:

Since I could remember, I had this feeling. This… feeling, that I don't know how to describe. I just know that I didn't like it. It happened when I was four. I was sitting on momma's lap in the living room, she was brushing my hair gently. Then my brother, and sister came in. They were yelling at each other, and they wanted momma to tell them who was in the right. I don't remember what they were fighting about, I just know that I was scared, and I wanted them to stop. When momma couldn't give an answer, Ashy-nii, and Rubi-nee continued fighting. I started to cry and momma told them to stop, but they didn't listen.

They kept yelling back, and forth. I couldn't bear it. Then, all of a sudden, everything just stopped. Ashy, and Rubi's movements, momma... everything was frozen. I was confused, I didn't know what was going on. Then, the next thing I knew... These red auras came out of my siblings. It was this shifting shape of light, a mixture between water, and flame. It oozed out of them in a dark red like blood gushing from the severed arm of a raging warrior. It was The kind of red splatter one would expect to find after a territory dispute between starving wolves; mangled bodies, chunks of flesh bitten out, the ground dug up where claws had missed their target, it was a whole animalistic rage that left both sides worse off than they came. I looked back at my mom, she had the same thing surrounding her except it was this ghostly light shade of yellow. This sort of quivering thing at the edges, vibration close to a shivering breath. I felt even more lost than before.

Then suddenly, once I looked back at Ashy and Rubi, these red auras came towards me. They surrounded my body, and that's when I felt it.

It was like I was covered in something. Something hot, and bubbling. It went inside me. I was soaking in it. I could feel my teeth biting down hard. My eyes were burning, and I was no longer just crying; I was screaming. I wanted to hit something and scratch around, tear something apart, and keep tearing.

But these feelings I had, Somehow, I knew they weren't mine- They were my brother, and sisters.

And as I stared at them, my view blurred. It was like goop started covering my eyes, or maybe goop isn't the right word. It was like my eyes were becoming blurry windows. Things began to bend and mix, blend, and change. Yes, the world around me was changing. It was like something new had come to replace the old. My eyes weren't my eyes... They were someone else's.

I could see Ashy-nii in front of me, or at least, at the time, I thought it was me. I felt taller for some reason, like…

That's when I saw myself on mommy's lap, crying. I realized that this wasn't my body, but my sister's, Rubi-nee's body. I couldn't move it, I could only watch as Ashy kept yelling at me, or that is to say, Rubi-nee. The outrage grew, and both of our voices rose with it (Asher, and Rubi's voices that is), until, Ashy tramping past me, I was shoved out of the way. He said "I've had enough of this! listening to someone who is always so wasteful? Who are you to tell me what's right, and wrong. You coward, You're just a lazy slob. You're the one who's always skimping out on life. You're the one who's always running away from responsibility. And you're the one who's deluded! Not me!... You're just a jealous loser." However, those words felt so wrong that an intense anger began surging inside my sister. It was this uncontrolled bitterness in the mouth like a charcoal goose that had spent too much time in an over fed oven, or the chill, and mayhem of a destructive storm like a tempest; a natural disaster that broke down thatched roof villages.

A water ball began forming in my hand, and I shot it straight at him at high speed. It threw him into the living room window, and out of the house- glass shattering, and wood splintering as he crashed through it. From Rubi's point of view, Ashy-nii looked battered with red bruises appearing where his arms met wood, and his back met ground. Cuts staining his white dress shirt in crimson blood, brown dirt digging into wounds and muddying it up, it was a horrifying sight. Then, before I was ready, it felt like I was being sucked out of the scene, and I was no longer seeing things from Rubi-nee's point of view. Everything went blurry, and turned red again. Before I could go, I heard momma scream Ashy's name.

The blurry vision faded again, but this time, I was looking at Rubi-nee. I must have been in Ashy-nii's body. But why was I looking at this scene again? Didn't Rubi throw Ashy out of the window?

I didn't understand, it was scaring me.

But this time, Rubi spoke before onii-chan did. She said " Pointless… absolutely pointless. Why do I have to deal with a child deluded in fantasy? You're just a fool chasing an unachievable dream while pretending to be someone he's not. Is this the path in life that will make you happy? Do you think doing this will make you worth something? You're an idiot. The trouble is… You can't even see it." She turned away disgusted, and fed up. Again, I felt this anger. Thoughts emerged from inside me, like bubbles out of tar.

"Who does she think she is?" - "You're wrong, I'm not worthless." - "She's the idiot!" - "Someone needs to set her straight."

As soon as onee-chan was about to walk away, Ashy summoned a small blast of wind. The magic unseen, but deadly like a snake, blew at her leg ready to trip her up. Her right leg was swept from under her, and along with it, her balance. She fell back, hands in the air like they were clawing for something to grab onto, but there was nothing there to stop her fall. Smack* Wooden corner of the end table by the couch, trajectory of fated tragedy, gravity overtaking body, She hit her head hard as she fell. Then, Ashy began to move, and rushed over to where Rubi was. From what we both saw, Rubi-nee's head was split open and she was bleeding.

Instantly there was guilt. "I-I I didn't mean to go so far. I just wanted… No… I just wanted to teach her a lesson, but I didn't want any of this to happen."

Again everything went blurry, and I could hear momma, and onii-chan screaming Rubii-nees name.

Once more, the feelings, the sights, the words, these… visions that overtook me, they left my body, and I was myself again- a crying toddler in my mothers lap, staring at her two older siblings still quarrelling in a heated face off. At the time I didn't know what I had seen, or what any of it meant, but I knew I had to stop them somehow. I got up from my mothers lap, still crying, and ran head first into my brother, who's hand was preparing for something. I clung on to his pant leg, wailing, and begging him to stop. "Stop! No more! No more! Stop!"

Asher stared down at me, at first shocked, then frantic from some sort of realization, and now, remorseful- face colored in guilty eyed shame. He lowered his hand, then rubbed my head apologetically. "I'm sorry for scaring you Paula, I'll stop. It's ok now."

Some shifting sounds at my back prompted me to turn around, and say the same thing to my sister. "No more Ruby! No more. No more. No more..." I was still crying, and my voice was a whiny mess that started off large, but slowly shrank quieter and quieter, like a train running out of fuel.

I could see a small sliver of protest in her eyes, but my continued low drone of please had killed it, and brought to life the same look of regret my brother held. Of course there was a tad bit of frustration still mixed in, but the deflated breath showed the shame she was feeling from thoughts she knew were not ok.

She stood in place for a second, letting out a long drawn out sigh. It was like all the built up steam was leaving, and I could feel the tension in the air disperse.

Finally, momma got up from the couch and went in between the two of them while pulling me closer. Her eyes looked between onii-chan and onee-chan disapprovingly.

"Sometimes it feels like we have all the reasons in the world, but usually it's never good to fight amongst siblings like the way you're doing now. You might end up doing something you'll regret, and never be able to take back," she lectured. "There's a lot of important battles you'll have to face some day, and there're a lot of mistakes you're inevitably gonna make. But this... don't make it one of them… We're family, how are you going to face each other afterwards? "

Lastly, she told them to never fight in front of me, as it was making me sad. "Look how much she's crying. Look how terrified she must have been." Ashy-nii and Rubi-nee looked embarrassed, and guilty when she said that. She demanded they apologized to me this instant, and they did so…

"I'm sorry Paula-chan! I didn't mean to make you sad. I promise, big brother will never do that again." Ashy-nii said while bowing his head.

Rubi-nee looked away from me, she had guilt in her eyes. "I-I'm sorr-"

"Look into your sister's eyes when you apologize Ruby." Mommy said.

Rubi-nee complied, and turned her head back to look at me. She stared at me for a bit before opening her mouth. "I'm sorry Paula, I should've composed myself. You must have been really frightened, and I shouldn't have done that forgive me." She slowly bowed her head.

Momma looked at the two of them again, pleased. "That's better, but I think the two of you have forgotten one last person you need to be apologizing to."

Both of them stared back in confusion.

Mother was firm however. "I know that sometimes it can be hard to get along with your sisters, and brothers. That's just how families are sometimes. But at the end of the day you're still family. If you're going to be spending the rest of your lives together, you should try to get along, and apologize when you hurt one another. Make steps to amend things,"

The two of them were finally understanding

"And besides, hating your sister, or hating your brother, doesn't that just sound terrible. That's a lonely way to live. Having spent so much time together, it's a sad thing to know that relationship is stuck on rocky ground."

Finally, both Asher, and Ruby faced each other. They were both experiencing hurt pride, and a sense of guilt. Given the choice of liking your sibling, vs not liking them, the choice of being able to laugh with them instead of living in never ending yelling matches, The choice of being able to count on their support or always holding a grudge… They knew which one was the right answer. But youth can be stubborn sometimes. And it's hard to admit that you're wrong.

But they must've swallowed whatever pride they had, because they began to walk slowly to one another. Once they were a foot apart, both looked away from each other. Holding out their hands, ready to shake…

"Look at each other you two." Mommy said, with a slight chill in her voice.

Both of them jumped a bit when momma spoke.

As they were told, they turned their faces to each other. With complexions glowing as red as… as red as… Well, I guess any embarrassed child who has to do something completely out of their comfort zone. Both of their mouths opened…

"I… I'm sorry I called you a loser. In fact you're brilliant. You're not a waste. I-I shouldn't have said that. I was just really frustrated. I've been working so hard, and… I... I don't know. I know you think it's pointless, but this dream is something very important to me. But I know that doesn't make what I said ok."

"Sigh* I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I called you an idiot. You're not. And I'm sorry I attacked your dreams. I wouldn't want to downplay the effort you're putting in. I just felt like there was something really important I wanted you to see, but even if I don't agree with it, You've got your own goals in life, and I should respect that. You have been working real hard, and… honestly all things you can do… it's nothing short of amazing. I'll be more careful with my words next time."

They both shook their hands and called it even…

"You should stop eating so much though."

"And, You should get a girlfriend."

They looked at eachother, stone faced, but they couldn't hold it for long. Someone finally cracked, and they both began laughing.

Although they couldn't agree on everything, they both still cared about each other, and after that incident, their relationship finally felt like it was taking a turn for the better. The boat was still a bit shaky sometimes, but important patches had been made, and whatever water leaked in, could be thrown under the bridge.

But on that same day, there was an important change happening on my end. The voices, the visions, the feelings, the lights, the scenes… they kept coming. That day, it felt like I had opened something, or rather, it felt like something had finally awoken inside of me... Something I didn't like. It was something I didn't really understand. What was happening to me? Whenever my parents brought me out into the crowds, or any drama happened, I became someone else. My thoughts were no longer just my thoughts, and my feelings were no longer just my feelings. I felt possessed. It was slow at first, but as time moved on; Random triggers here, and there, kept me on edge. I couldn't control it. Were they spirits?

At the time, I had no idea, and my family was even more lost than I was. One minute I was happy, and the other I was raging mad. It all came crashing against me like waves of an ocean, ebbing in, and out. But one clear trigger stood out. People. Always people. Whenever others were around, something flew into me. I could taste their emotions, swallow it up, and make it a part of me. On, and off, they came. One feeling after the other, like a coat I was being forced to wear.

I didn't like it. I hated it.

Every passing month, the incidents just kept happening sooner, and sooner…

To Be Continued.

The sequel to Mushoku Tensei Sibling Affair and Twins is here! I hope you enjoy and stay tune for the story of Asher, Ruby, and Paula. Please, let me know what you think. I'll see you next time on Mushoku Tensei: Tales of Three

-JJ