Authors Note1: I decided to write the silly slice of life chapter later, instead I will change the emotional one into two chapters. This is number one.
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"Hmmm...hmmm...hmmm...what to do...how do...I talk to him..."
Loki sat at her desk and looked out of the window, holding a few sheets of paper in her hands.
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About two weeks earlier.
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"So Loki, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"
Freya leaned back in her chair and looked at the other goddess, both sat in Freya´s room with a few snacks and tea on the table between them.
"I will come straight to the point, Freya. You have seen the stageplay as well, right?"
"I did."
"Then you surely have seen what Bell did to my children...this strange magic."
"Oh I saw it...and I remember seeing it before."
"Then you know who used this magic before."
"Hera´s ridiculous strong mage, Silence."
"Exactly, and I guess you are as confused as I am."
"You mean the fact that our mortal children normally don´t develop the magic of others."
"As we know there are exceptions."
"Like the copy-cat elf of your Familia."
"Copy-cat? Well yeah my adorable, cute Lefiya can use the magic of other elves."
"It would be interesting to see if the can use Hedin´s magic as well..."
"Well back to the point, you and I know the other exceptions."
"That sometimes blood relatives develop similar skills or magic."
"Exactly."
Freya smiled.
"I try to shorten your explanation. Here."
Freya turned to the right and pulled something out between a few sheets of paper.
"I already awaited your visit for this special topic."
"Oh?"
The silver haired goddess put a picture on the table in front of Loki.
"This is from the documents I have from Hera, or rather a copy of the original."
"What happened to the original?"
Loki´s eyes widened when she looked at the picture, seeing two women with white and silver hair...one of them holding a toddler.
"I sent it to Bell."
"Huh? Why would you do that?"
Freya smiled. "Oh Loki please, even I am not heartless enough to withold this picture from him. You probably have the same guess as I, that this baby there is Bell."
"Did you...tell him?"
"I have no proof, I just sent him the picture...his reaction was quite interesting."
"You watched him?"
"Only out of curiosity, he looked really surprised by the picture...and cried."
"So...he knows?"
"I doubt it, but the bond between parents and children can be very strong, maybe it just feels very familiar for him. I mean there aren´t many people with white hair..."
"Yeah, the first one that comes to my mind is Zeus."
"Well Zeus is an old man."
Now Loki stared at Freya´s hair.
"How rude of you!"
Freya pouted.
"My hair is natural silver, it is not because I am old!"
"I didn´t meant that, but except from Dian Cecht´s saint there comes nothing to my mind with hair like this."
Freya smiled lightly. "You don´t know Helun, I guess?"
"Helun?"
"A child of mine, she works in the Hostess. She has heterochromatic eyes too, but from a different color than these two women here."
Now that I think about it, could Helun be...no...her eyes were black before she received my blessing and her magic...
Helun being related to Bell would surprise Freya more than just a bit, but it wasn´t the case. Later the goddess would shock Helun with the blunt question what she would think about if Bell would be a blood relative, making later clear that she was just joking.
"Oh? I never saw her."
"She isn´t there around the evening, at least not often."
"Do you think one of them could be related to Bell?"
"Hmm."
Loki and Freya looked at the picture.
"For Amid I would say no, while her hair is silver...hmm well she has violet eyes...Bell´s are red. And if he really is that baby, look...Silence has heterochromatic eyes...as well as her sister."
"Sister?"
"Yes, I found it in the records of the Familia members, Silence had a twin sister, a non combatant member of Hera."
"Hmm...so Bell´s red eyes might not be natural...or f-HOL´ UP!"
"Loki?"
Loki pulled sheets of paper out of her large bag.
"Freya help me for a minute, I need to look something up!"
It were records from the Zeus Familia, records of his children.
"What are you looking for?"
"Bell´s eyes! His eyes! How many people do you know that have red eyes?!"
"Well Amid has violet and I-"
"I don´t talk about violet or purple, but red like a rabbit!"
The two goddesses looked through the papers.
"Why the Ze-"
Freya stopped when Loki raised a sheet of paper. It was the official status of a member of the Zeus Familia...a pretty weak one...with a picture nearby...the man had red eyes. Loki and Freya had similar records of their children, the pictures were products of magic items.
"Loki you are kidding me, you can´t imply that..."
"That Bell is the offspring of Zeus´ and Hera´s children?"
For a moment both goddesses said nothing.
"It simply cannot be, I never heard about this man before...and which mortal man in their right mind would try to flirt with one of Hera´s girls? I mean...really?"
"I guess you are right...but then on the other hand there is this picture here of Silence and...Me...te...ria...oh right, Meteria."
"Let us drop the fact about Bell´s possible father. What proof do we have that this is really Bell´s mother...and his aunt? Didn´t he came from outside of the city?"
"He said he lived with his grandfather in a village, until his grandfather died."
They looked through the records of Hera again.
"Hm, Silence was younger than I thought...if the other woman is her twin...and counting backwards...taking Bell´s age into count. Then...yes...the age would fit...this baby...could be Bell."
"That would explain why his magic is so similar to her...so it is very likely that even when Bell´s father isn´t Zeus´ child...that at least his mother is from Hera´s Familia."
"And what do you plan to do with this information?"
"Tell him about it."
"Is there a special reason why are you suddenly doting on Bell so much, Loki? I thought you didn´t liked him in the past, for being an item with your wind girl."
"He makes my little Ais truly happy, and I expect many children from them in the future!"
Loki grinned.
"But my main reason is something else. I asked him out of curiosity once, and he nearly doesn´t know anything about his parents. Only that he got his haircolor from his mother and his eyecolor from his father...and that they loved him."
"So...you want to give Bell a chance to find out who his mother was?"
"He deserves to know it."
"Loki...while you surely are a kind...and very sheming goddess..."
Loki showed her famous trickster smile to Freya...they knew each other for a veeeery long time.
"My guess is that you want to do something good for him...to make up for what you and I have done, right?"
"As if you haven´t done anything, Freya."
Loki waved the picture around to make her point clear.
"Whatever do you mean with that, Loki."
Freya showed her queen-like smile, openly she would never admit what she had done for Bell and Ais...she told herself it was for her personal amusement.
The talk of the two continued for a while.
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Back to present.
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"Argh come on...it had been two weeks...how hard can it be to talk with Bell about that?!"
Loki decided, when Bell would come over later this day, she would absolutely talk to him!
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"Good day, Ma´am. What brings you to Orario?"
As usual the gates of Orario were guarded by a few members of the Ganesha Familia. Most of the time they greeted the people that came to the city more than they checked on them.
"Good day, dear guardsman. I came to deliver a package to Orario. I really hope you can help me with finding the right person...but I doubt that you know every person in this big city."
The guard smiled. "Well I guess I can´t know everyone, but please tell me the name and I will see what I can do."
The cat-woman in front of the guard of the Ganesha Familia pulled the package out of her backpack, together with a note. She opened the note and read the name on it.
"It says...Bell...Cranel...strange name."
"Bell Cranel? Oh I know that one quite well, I think everyone in Orario does."
"Is he famous?"
"Kind of." The guardsman smirked.
"So is there a possibility that it can be delivered to him? I have to deliver other packages to other cities too."
"Are you some kind of post woman?"
"You have to earn your money somehow."
"You can leave the package here, I promise it will be delivered to him."
"Can I really trust you?"
"Of course, I am from the Ganesha Familia!"
"Alright, my client told me I can trust the Ganesha Familia."
The cat-woman handed the guardsman the package and put her backpack onto her back again.
"Now then, I have to go."
"Don´t you want to visit Orario for a short time? It must be your first time here."
"I don´t have time for that, I still have a far way to travel and want to go home as fast as possible."
"Allright, then have a nice day and safe travels."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Guardsman!"
The cat-woman winked and blew him an air kiss."
It had taken the new captain of the Hera Familia a long time to travel one time around Orario, and now she had to do it again, so that no one would see the true direction she was heading to.
You really work your children hard, lady Hera... Next time Achilleus can go! It took me over a week to get here! And all that because they are doting on their grandchild so much...you sure are lucky "big brother".
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Bell knocked carefully on the door and waited.
"It is open, come in."
He opened the door and went inside, Bell visited the Miach Familia since the god had asked for his help. Daphne and Cassandra were somewhere in the city...recently they seemed to admit that there were feelings between them.
Except from Miach and Naza...Amid was also there, as she was often on her days off...not that she had many of those. Out of curiosity and because his senses weren´t able to miss it, Bell noticed how Amid and Naza acted around each other. Those two had become good friends...they were just too shy to show it openly.
Well it was to be expected that they are at least friends when both of them are Lord Miach´s wives.
Bell was still amazed about the fact that the handsome god had two wives...mortals on top of that. He himself had dreamed about a harem in the past...but "handling" more than one woman seemed Bell too much.
"Good morning, Lord Miach, Naza, Ms. Amid."
"""Good morning, Bell/Mr. Cranel."""
All three smiled lightly, well for Naza and Miach this was normal...but lately Amid had started to smile more and more...she seemed to be really happy.
"You said there was something you need my help with?"
"Yes. Naza and Amid are working together to create new forms of potions. As you know my lovely Naza is the number one genius potion maker in the city."
Naza blushed by his words and her tail wagged.
"And Amid is the best healer and a true saint."
Even the angel of Orario fidgeted blushing by the words of her beloved.
He does that so smooth and easy.
"And what kind of potions?"
Both women coughed for a short moment to get back into business.
"An improved rejuvenation potion. It shall be able to replenish health, mental strength and fight fatigue. Also we try to add a few components of fruits, it should help a bit to get back some vitamins and salt."
"Like liquid food?"
Amid nodded but raised a finger. "I got the idea from the special hospital food, for patients with a broken jaw. You don´t have much time to eat in the dungeon sometimes."
"That sounds amazing! You two are truly brilliant!"
Both women smiled.
"And what help do you need from me? Get you ingredients from the dungeon?"
Naza shook her head. "No, we want you to test the first prototype."
"Ahm...why me?"
"Because you are a level seven adventurer Mr. Cranel. And I noticed in the hospital before, that you have a strong resistance against poison."
"So it is poisonous?!"
"It shouldn´t be."
"Shouldn´t be isn´t very convincing!"
"Don´t you trust us, Bell?"
Naza used her special puppy eyes...Bell was weak when women did that...especially since Naza was such a dear friend of him.
"I trust you, as I always did."
"And in case something goes wrong, you have the best potion maker and healer of Orario here."
"Okay, I will try it."
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Hmmm...I don´t feel weird at all.
After drinking the potion, Bell waited for half an hour, but since nothing happened he left, while the three were busy writing things down about the potion. He entered the Twillight Mansion, today would be something that the Loki Familia called "Cross training". While he was normally in a team with Ais, today was different.
Ais went to the dungeon together with Gareth, Finn and Bete, there was a special room in one of the upper floors, used by adventurers to train to the fullest.
Bell was supposed to train with Riveria, Tiona and Tione. It was a preparation for the Expedition in the future. In his mind he had to prepare himself for a training fight with Riveria. All three would fight him at once...but she was still a mage...and well...something like his future mother-in-law.
"Ah Bell, good morning."
"Good morning, Lefiya."
"A package came for you, I put it in Ais´ room and Loki wants to talk to you before you go to the trainings ground."
"Allright, thank you."
Not waisting any time, Bell went to Loki´s office. .
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"Ah Bell, come in."
"Good morning, lady Loki."
"I told you Loki is just fine."
"I´m sorry, but I can´t talk just like that with a beautiful goddess like you."
"Mmmmh."
Loki grinned happy, Bell was probably the only man that would flatter her honestly.
"Ah..Bell...your charming nature is so good for me, maybe it is a shame that I haven´t seen you before Hestia did...but who knows, maybe you wouldn´t be who you are today without her."
"I´m absolutely sure of that, Mylady."
Haaaa!
Bell had a very polite way to talk to gods, especially the female ones.
"So, lady Loki, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Right."
Loki got serious once again.
"Bell, I have thought for a long time how to talk to you about that, after my suspicion was confirmed."
"Your suspicion?"
"Yes, about the magic you used against Gareth and the twins."
"Oh, yes I got the chant with my level up to seven."
"And Ais also got stronger magic...but your magic is a bit...strange."
"Why that?"
"Bell are you familiar with the nature of magic? How each mortal develops their own magic spells?"
"Ahm..."
Loki explained to him the details, it took a few minutes.
"Okay, I think I understand, but why is my chant strange? Ms. Riveria and Lefiya also use magic from more than one element."
"I will say it to you directly, you are not the first person who used this magic spell."
"Huh?!"
"Do you remember our meeting?"
"I do."
"You asked about the name of the mage that dealt the killing blow to the Leviathan."
"Yes I did..."
"This mage here."
Loki put the copy of the picture onto the table.
"Huh?! Why do you have this picture?!"
"It isn´t your picture, don´t worry. I got this one from Freya."
"From lady Freya? Why? How?"
"After Zeus and Hera left Orario with what remained of their Familias, Freya and I got their notes and documents."
"Did you...I mean..."
"We didn´t stole them, but we needed the information about the dungeon and other things. I can´t explain all details to you, this is something between gods."
"I understand...I think."
Loki pointed at the picture, at the woman on the right with silver hair and heterochromatic eyes...well the other one had such eyes too, but from a different color.
"The one who used your magic before was her. Hera´s crazy strong mage, Silence, going under the name of Alfia."
"Huh?!"
"During the dark times she fought on the side of Evilus...well sort of...not really and yet she did, it was strange. My cute, little Gareth got hit by her unique short chant magic "Satanas Verion"."
"Irkh!"
Bell suddenly grabbed his head with his right hand.
"Bell?!"
"It´s okay...that name...I have the feeling I heard it before..."
Bell Cranel didn´t rememberred it for real, but every time he used his magic, their was a whisper deep inside his mind, so faint that he never really heard it.
"Are you really okay?"
"Yes...it is better now."
"Okay...don´t scare me like that. Anyway, I just told you about the nature of magic...and the fact with relatives."
"I am confused."
"Bell let me ask you one thing, how many people with natural white or silver hair do you know?"
"Ahm...lady F-"
"No gods."
"Okay...Ms. Amid...ahm...my grandfather..."
"Your grandfather was an old man."
"Right...so...just Ms. Amid."
"No one else?"
"I thought...I saw a waitress at the Hostess of Fertility with silver hair once...oh and Syr of course...but her hair is more gray."
"Right, there aren´t many people with such a haircolor and I doubt that you and Amid are related."
Bell nodded.
"So Bell...I hope this isn´t too much for you...but please take a good look at the woman next to Silence."
He had seen this woman multiple times, he always felt a bit warm when he looked at this picture, but never knew why...it was just a feeling."
"Her hair is more white than silver."
"Just like your hair..."
"Ye-...ahm...what are you trying to say?"
"Bell...look what the woman holds in her arms."
"A bundle."
"Look closer, please."
"Hmm...is that..."
"A baby...with white hair."
Bell went silent.
"Bell?"
"Are you...trying to say..."
"I made some investigations...this picture is as old as you are...exactly as old as you are. Silence...Alfia...and the woman next to her...her name was Meteria...were twin sisters...they were related."
"So..."
"I can only guess that this is very much...but Bell...there is a high chance...that this...is your...you know."
In silent he stared at the picture, took it into his hands and looked closer at the face of the woman with white hair...suddenly his view started to get blurry...his lower lip started to tremble.
"Mother?..."
Loki waited a few moments for Bell to calm down again, she saw tears running down his cheeks.
"According to my investigations, Meteria had a child, it was hidden in Hera´s notes. At some point...I couldn´t see exactly when...did the notes about her stop. There was only a tiny note that the grandfather of the baby took it with him."
The sheer chance of two cases like that existing was beyond low.
Bell looked up to Loki. "Eh?..."
"Bell...cute, little Bell...I think...this here are your mother and aunt...you are most likely an offspring from the Hera Familia...about your father...I have no direct informations."
Loki didn´t wanted to tell Bell informations that she wasn´t completely sure about.
Neither Loki nor Freya could know that another goddess had planned to do something, this special goddess wouldn´t tolerate that Freya and Loki tried to take the spotlight for her grandson.
"But I..."
Loki showed Bell a note from the Hera Familia, a list with non-combatant members. New tears flew down his cheeks when he read a name.
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"Meteria...Cranel..."
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Bell´s feelings and emotions were in turmoil, when he asked Loki if he could get some time alone, she agreed. Loki told her children to postpone the training for a while, maybe a few hours.
Since Ais wasn´t there at the moment, Bell went to her room...or rather their shared room. For a while he sat on the bed and looked at the picture in his hands. He always had a warm feeling when he looked at the picture...and now he understood why.
Mama...
His eyes wandered to the beautiful woman next to his mother.
My aunt...
For an hour he just sat there and looked at the picture, until his eyes noticed the small package next to him on the bed, it was the one that Lefiya had talked about. Since he didn´t knew what to do at the moment, Bell unwrapped the package. There were a note and a small box inside the package.
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Bell Cranel.
I took care of the belongings of your grandfather, I don´t know what these things are, but since you are his grandson, they belong to you after the right of inheritance.
It wasn´t the whole truth, but Hera went as close to it as she dared.
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Carefully he opened the small box, there were two items in there, they looked like stones that were carved like clams. He had heard of these things before, it were magic items that could be used to record a short message...they were beyond expensive.
Grandfather? Why did you have these?
Maybe there was a message from his grandfather in one of those...Bell would love to hear his voice again.
At random he picked up one of the stones and held it in his hands...Bell didn´t knew that these special kind of stones were sealed by magic, only reaction to a blood relative.
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Two voices filled the room...very soft voices...one of them barely audible.
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"Is it recording?"
"I don´t know...wait...it looks like it."
"Thank you, Alfia."
"I will wait outside, Meteria."
Bell stared at the stone as he heard the female voices and looked at the picture again.
"Bell..."
Huh?
"My little Bell...my angel...my dearest...my sweety. You are so small...so adorable...you are my world. When I hold you in my arms like that...I feel happiness like never before. I never thought that this day might come, until I met your father.
He loves you as much as I do...you are our everything. And even when she doesn´t say it, Alfia loves you too...but this is our little secret okay? Ehe..."
The female voice hummed for a few moments.
"Ah...your tiny hands...you are so cute...and your eyes...as rubelite as your fathers...how I love them. Hehe... Your papa is busy at the moment, he is a member of the Zeus Familia after all, even when he is only a supporter...ehehe...but he is my supporter.
Hah...I just hope you don´t take the naughty side of your father...he is so much like god Zeus, do you promise me that, my little angel?"
Bell heard a sound like...kissing...a baby´s forehead. His hand wandered to his own forehead, while more tears went down his cheeks.
"There are many things I want to tell you...but I don´t know if I will see you grow up. So Bell...please always remember, your father and I love you, we will always. I only want you to live a happy life, maybe meet a nice girl in the future...if you do, treat her well okay?
There might be many dark and evil things in the world, but there is also hope, light and love. Like I found your father...or rather he found me...peeked on me...ehe."
The female voice took another deep breath and coughed lightly.
"Bell...I love you."
There were a few more lines, tips and wishes from a mother to her only child.
"Alfia, I´m done."
"Recorded everything?"
"Yes, can you change the stone?"
"Okay."
"You don´t need to speak so softly, Bell is asleep."
"Meteria..."
The record ended here and the stone went silent. Staring at it for a few minutes, Bell activated it again and listened to the recording a second time...and a third...and a fourth...and fifth.
After a the fifth time listening to the voice of his mother, Bell took the second stone.
No words came from the stone...just the sound of his mother´s voice while she hummed a lullaby...probably to lull him to sleep when he was a baby.
Bell lay down on the bed and listened to the soft voice of his mother, the tears slowly dried up. He felt immense warmth in his heart...and a strange feeling started to spread in his stomach.
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"Loki...do you really think we should disturb Bell?"
"I am worried...I just want to take a look at him, to ask him if he needs something."
Lefiya accompanied Loki to the room of Ais and Bell, she was also worried about him.
As an elf she had sharper ears than Loki, she heard a soft humming coming from the room...a female voice. Careful and as quiet as possible, Lefiya opened the door just a tiny bit and peeked inside.
"Wha-?!"
"Lefiya?"
Instead of answering, Lefiya opened the door more, so that Loki could look inside, her jaw dropped.
Bell slept on the bed...or rather...a child of about five years old, that looked exactly like a younger Bell, slept there in way too big clothes and held a small magic item in his tiny hand.
""Eeeeeh?!""
The boy on the bed mumbled.
"Mama..."
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Authors Note: Potions can have a strange effect, especially new ones. Next chapter will be as said for Blood of Zeus "Fox and Cat Date", then the second one about the for a short time shrunk Bell. Oh and just to make sure, no this won´t be a shota con chapter and no Chloe won´t get her hands on Bell.