Rising Moon
Summary: A second chance wasn't something I, Aldrin Zevon, expected. I didn't expect to wake up in a five-year-old body in a forest, nor did I expect what would come after. A multiverse of possibilities has opened up to me, and I intend to take it for all it is worth. SI-OCxHarem, Fairy Tail/Multicross Story
This story is inspired by A Nascent Kaleidoscope by AStoryForOne. I HIGHLY recommend you go check it out. It's almost 1 Million words, still going strong, and definitely worth the read.
I'm also trying something different with this fanfic. Chapters will be shorter as a result, but I hope they'll still be entertaining. Also, this story is going to be posted exclusively on FF rather than on Wattpad or AO3. The reason is that it's actually fairly annoying to post on three platforms at once, so this story will be exclusive to FF. Should I change my mind down the line, I'll post it on the other two, and will inform you about it when the time comes.
Chapter 1
'God, my head hurts,' I couldn't help but think I slowly sat up, keeping my eyes closed as my head was in a huge amount of pain, my ears practically ringing. I covered my ears and began to take slow, deep breaths.
Inhale…
Exhale…
Inhale…
Exhale…
"Okay," I slowly uncovered my ears, my headache dying down just a bit after those breaths.
I opened my eyes and then immediately lifted a hand to cover them, closing them tight as the light overloaded my senses and made my head hurt again.
I was pretty sure it wasn't that bright; I could tell through my closed eyes that it wasn't as bright as my eyes were telling me. That meant my eyes were especially sensitive right now, but why was that?
I couldn't think too much right now, my head was flaring up just from trying… Instead, I took breaths again and this time I began to open my eyes slowly.
It hurt, but not as much as before, and my eyes slowly adjusted to the light.
Just like I thought, it wasn't bright out at all. In fact, it was the middle of the night. But the full moon hung in the sky, shining more brightly than I ever remembered it shining before, stars hanging around it as a gorgeous backdrop.
I took in my surroundings slowly, quickly identifying the place I was in as some kind of forest…
Why the fuck was I in a forest?
I frowned, trying to remember, but all it did was give me a headache so- for now- I decided to give up on wondering how I got here for now, I'd try later.
'God, I'm thirsty,' I thought to myself, now realising just how dry my throat felt since my head wasn't hurting as much anymore. I spotted a nearby lake and made my way over, reaching out and dipping my small hands in the water before I brought them towards my lips.
I paused.
Small hands?
I was a bit on the smaller side for an adult, but my hands shouldn't be this small…
I slowly peered into the lake to gaze upon my reflecting and let out a gasp that was far too squeaky for my liking.
What stared back at me as not the face or body I was used to seeing. Instead, I saw the face of a pre-schooler staring at me, maybe 5 years old if I were to hazard a guess. The hair was light blue, the eyes a startling silver that stared back.
"Is that me?" I questioned, squeaking in embarrassment at how high my voice sounded, and then paling as I realised the implications.
Was this some kind of isekai situation?
"That means I must have died then, right?" I frowned. "It's the only explanation… But I don't remember how I got here, maybe I'm wrong… Or maybe I've awakened memories of a past life abruptly…"
I hesitated but focused up for now, cupping the water in my hands once again and drinking.
Smooth, cold, refreshing.
I drank several more mouthfuls, feeling my stomach fill up and feeling much better, before I took a seat by the lake and began to think…
First and foremost, my name, could I remember that?
Luckily, I didn't have to focus too hard until a name came to my mind, one that resonated with me.
Aldrin Zevon.
Whether it was my name in my last life, this one, or just something that came to me randomly, I didn't care. It was my name now, for better or worse.
The question now was: where was I?
'Well, a forest of some kind, obviously,' I thought sarcastically to myself. 'But I don't know the area very well… And forests are dangerous, there could be anything out here. If this is an isekai situation, I need to find somewhere safe to rest, and soon.'
I frowned to myself as I stared out at the lake, staring at the moon reflected off the surface.
Right, time to sort through things, let me start with what kind of isekai this was.
Given how I ended up in a forest, there were a few possibilities. This was more likely some kind of Medieval world, but that was only a guess… I felt like if it was Sci-Fi, there would definitely be something futuristic, but I spotted nothing…
In fact, looking up at the sky, I was more convinced the world was Medieval. The stars shone far too brightly, that spoke of little light pollution by human hands, leaving the world untainted.
Medieval world then. That meant olden times, perhaps mythical creatures and magic were around. Scratch that, it was almost certain. If this was an isekai, magic was almost certainly involved in some way, shape, or form.
I let out a sigh, running my hand through my hair. God, this was gonna be a rough start.
Right, first things first, I should find shelter. I was near a lake, so maybe there was a town nearby…? If I got some twine, some thin wood, and dirt and water, I might be able to make a small shelter that could last a night…
I let out a sigh, splashing my face with water from the lake before I slowly got up, taking in my surroundings more firmly.
I was in a forest, lake was nearby, and it was the dead of night. A lot of animals were nocturnal, that meant I should be fine to try and set up a little camp site of sorts…
My eyes locked onto some fallen trees nearby, noting sticks of various shapes and sizes on the ground in the area…
Well, time to get to work.
.
.
.
Three days passed since my awakening the forest, and it wouldn't be inaccurate to say that I was feeling pretty miserable, but I was making the best I could of a bad situation.
Using some pretty shoddy survival skills I recalled from my memories, I was able to make a small wooden bottle that I filled with water whenever I could. I had two different sticks that I picked up and took with me as I made my way through the forest, trying to find a way out.
The first one was the sturdiest stick that I could find, and I made it into a spear, which I used to hunt fish for protein. I didn't really like fish, and I didn't know if any would have parasites, but I didn't really have a choice if I wanted to live.
My second stick was shorter, and it was what I used for collection purposes. It wasn't much, but at the very least it helped get the job done.
The night I arrived, I made a shoddy little 'tent' of sorts using my initial plan of sticks, some twine, and mud for a roof. It didn't smell great, but it was shelter that let me get a decent amount of sleep until the sun rose.
After the sun was up, I hunted a fish for breakfast. IT took some work since I wasn't used to it… But after a few tried I got it. I started up a fire- that was easier, I was lucky to find some flint nearby- and cooked my fish carefully. It didn't taste great, but it was sustenance, so I ate it up, and then began my trek through the forest.
It was not fun. My determination made it so I wouldn't stop until I came upon a lake or a river every day so that I'd be able to have food that I knew and could trust.
Also, if I needed any proof that I was living in a fantasy world, I certainly found it.
Giant, man-eating plants that I barely got away from.
Huge animals that I knew were certainly not that big back in my previous world.
Mythical creatures like wyverns flying overhead.
Yes, I certainly was not in Kansas anymore.
On the note of my previous world, I was still no closer to remembering my own death. My best guess based on stories I'd read was that my death seemed to have been rather traumatic for me…
Well, that sounded dumb when I thought about it. Of course, my death was traumatic for me. It was my death.
Anyway, my best guess was that I'd blocked out the memories due to the trauma and wouldn't be remembering any time soon.
My memories themselves were also scrambled, probably the process of reincarnation. Given I was roughly five, it probably took time for the memories to wake up too. Scrambled memories that would take some time to line up again properly.
AT the end of the third day, I let out a sigh of relief as I came upon a lake right as the sun began to set and give way to night. I didn't hesitate in tasting the water, and then shoving my head in and getting a few mouthfuls before I pulled my head out with a deep breath.
"Haa…" I groaned. "Much better…" I slumped onto my back, staring at the darkening sky.
I knew I couldn't get very far on my small legs, but this felt ridiculous. Three days of travel, and I still hadn't found any form of civilization, what the actual fuck?
Was this a world devoid of life except myself? Was I going to be stuck here alone unless I delved into some kind of alchemy and tried to create homunculi or something?
I wouldn't even know where to start with them and honestly, I didn't want to touch on the domain of the gods. If man-eating plants and huge ass mythical looking animals were real, I didn't want to potentially tread on the toes of any gods.
I groaned and covered my face.
So many possible 'what ifs,' and I had no answers. Probably wouldn't have any until I found civilization.
… Fuck, what if we didn't even speak the same language!?
Ugh! This was the most annoying fucking…
No, calm down, deep breaths. Getting angry wasn't going to solve anything, it was just going to make me waste my energy. Energy that I should be using to make things like a fire to stay warm and get to work on my little shelter.
I forced myself to get up, gathering wood and twine. I was pleasantly surprised by just how much twine I was able to gain access to- mostly just several stems from plants worked to hold things together, so long as you were delicate when tying it up.
I gathered some dirt and water and began to mix it up to create mud to, once again, create my little ceiling. After three days of making the same fucking thing over and over again, I was starting to get used to it and it was starting to look a bit more 'average' if I had to say.
It was still a pain in the ass on my five-year-old body, given I wasn't supposed to be doing such strenuous things, but I needed shelter so my body would just have to deal with it.
What didn't kill you made you stronger, right?
UUUUUUOOOOOOOOO!
I froze as a violent wind gale, unlike anything I'd ever seen before, violently blasted through the area, the little house I was still in the middle of making only held in place by the fact I had buried it partially in the ground. The water crashed against the bank of the lake, and it rippled violently.
But the wind blast didn't have anything on that loud, powerful roar that made my body tense up and send fearful shudders down my spine.
Slowly, fearfully, I looked up.
I almost wish I hadn't.
Floating there, mighty wings beating, was a beast that could only be called a dragon.
It was a sleek grey in colour, reminiscent of steel, with a white underbelly. Its four limbs were long, muscled, strong. Its talons were coloured silver, like swords used to take lives. Its teeth were sharp, like spears used to deliver death. Its mighty wings were long and sharp, almost like a pair of scimitars, used to reap souls.
Eyes of gold stared down at me, almost as if the beast was observing me, judging me for merely existing.
UUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
It let out another mighty roar as it flapped its wings in place, another violent gust tearing through the forest. If my back wasn't pressed against my little structure, I would have been sent flying without question.
The dragon looked down at me once again… And spoke.
"Little whelp, you would dare step into my forest?" He growled. "Tread upon my land, my territory!? Do the people of your village dare mock me, you little humans!? Hear me, know me, fear me!"
"I am Kurnugi, the Sword Saint Dragon, Son of Selene, the Moon Dragon God! Now speak, whelp! Why have you come to my domain!?"
I stared up dumbly at the dragon as he all but threatened me and demanded answers, my body pale and shaking…
That was when his words registered within my mind.
Kurnugi.
Selene.
Moon Dragon God.
All at once, I suddenly knew exactly what world I was in… And faced with that information overloading my mind along with everything else that had befallen me, there was only one thing to do.
'I'm in Fairy Tail… And I'm about to die again.'
My body tilted to the side, my vision darkening as I passed out, helpless before my impending death.
.
.
.
'Did… I scare the whelp that badly?' Kurnugi thought to himself as he stared down at the pale, unconscious child by… Was this a shelter he was making for himself? A little small, but he was small, so it made sense.
He'd changed into his human form- a fair skinned adult male with silver hair and golden eyes- and he stared down at the boy that he'd just frightened into unconsciousness.
Honestly, he wasn't going to hurt the child or anything. He just wanted to have a little fun; he hadn't caused fear to humans in so long, ever since his mother asked him to stop bothering them. He just wanted to frighten the little one.
Honestly, he felt kind of bad. The whelp was clearly terrified and thought he was gonna die, so much so that he passed out.
He hummed as I took a knee and observed him more closely.
Based on his clothes and the dirt on his body, he'd been travelling through the forest for a while… A lost child of sorts? It would make sense, no child would be wandering the forest alone like this, nor should they be.
He was curious what the child's story was.
Abandoned by his parents?
Maybe ran away from home?
Anything was possible, but for now he did feel bad for scaring the child so badly, he just wanted to have a little fun.
'Hm…' Kurnugi frowned. 'Well, I can't just leave him out here. Mother always has a way of finding things out, she'll give me that look if she learns that I just left a human child out here to die. And, honestly, I don't want the death of a child- human or otherwise- on my conscience…'
The Sword Saint Dragon tapped his chin slowly, contemplating on just what to do…
Drop the kid off at the nearest settlement maybe?
No, probably not. Guiltina wasn't exactly a safe place, the wilds weren't the only things dangerous. Who knows what might happen to the kid of he dropped him off in a town?
'I could fly to Ishgar…' He shook his head. 'No, I can't. Acnologia is in Ishgar. If I leave Guiltina, he'll sense me and that will be it for me. I'm nowhere close to the Dragon Gods, and thus nowhere close to Acnologia…'
Gah, why was it so hard to find out what to do with one human child!? His mother would know what to…
'That's it!' It struck him like a bolt of lightning from his brother, Elexion.
He just had to take the boy to his mother! She loved humans! Surely, she would know what to do with the kid!
He nodded, grinning to himself as he lifted the child up into his arms, using transformation magic to bring his wings out before he soared up into the sky and began to fly towards his mother's home.
'Hope the kid doesn't react badly when he wakes up…'