Chapter 48: A Second Chance


One Week Later

"I have to get a mortgage?" Eren asked Ai.

"Well, if we plan to buy a house." Ai said. "We could also rent, which would be more expensive on the short term, but we can move at any time after our contract is up."

"So, we need a loan from a bank?" Eren asked.

"Yes, plus utilities, like electric, water, and gas." Ai explained.

Eren felt like his head was going to explode. There was so much that went into just getting a house. You need a loan from a bank to buy one if you don't rent, which can take decades to pay off. You also need internet, electricity, water etc.

"Can't we just bring water from a river to fill up our baths?" Eren asked.

"We're not living a rural lifestyle." Ai glared at him. "Besides, that would be so unsanitary. What if we get parasites?"

"We can use alcohol to sterilize it." Eren said.

"Or, we can pay for running water and buy a filter for the sink. Plus, how would we use the restroom?"

"I just grew up with a bucket that you'd dump out every few days." Eren shrugged.

"That's disgusting!" Ai yelled out. "I knew you were rural, but that's much more rural than I've ever seen."

"It's really not that bad." Eren shrugged.

"I'm not having our children live in a house with a bucket full of poop!" Ai yelled out. "After living in that apartment for so long, you never wondered why you had running water?"

"Sergei handled most of that when it came to payments." Eren shrugged. "I never realized so much money went into these kinds of things."

Eren was glad Gan'an was not only paying him to go to a higher education, but also beginning his salary. As he put it-

"In the short term it'll cost me money, but considering your skills, I see it as a long-term investment. The potential good you can do for Japan will outweigh the initial loss early on."

The only issue is that he's not going to pay Eren's actual salary until he starts in four years. So, Eren and Ai will live counting their money for those first few years. While they will be able to afford most necessities, it still amazed Eren just how quickly their money drained with all these purchases.

"Plus, we'll need to start buying furniture, baby supplies, food-"

"We have furniture." Eren said. "From our apartments."

"We don't own those." Ai said. "Once we leave there, we can't bring the furniture."

"Then why was it so expensive?" Eren asked.

"Didn't you pay rent where you grew up?" Ai asked.

"No." Eren said. "Everything was largely free, as long as you built everything."

"Yet you needed to go to the river for your bath and drinking water?" Ai asked.

"Or get sticks for fuel." Eren shrugged.

"And dump waste from a bucket?" Ai asked.

"I get it, that's all pretty much necessary here." Eren said. "It's still expensive."

"Don't worry, I can help with the managing the bills. After all, I won't be able to work for a while, not until all this controversy blows over." She said. "But that's ok, I look forward to be a stay-at-home mom. I was always sad when I had to leave Aqua and Ruby. Plus, this little guy will need some loving too."

Ai gently put her hand on her belly, which was now just barely showing noticeable signs of a bump. She was sad her career was over, but she saw this as a new opportunity to truly feel loved.

She always believed that the love her fans gave her was what love was supposed to be, even if it was a lie. But after the past two months, she learned that it wasn't real at all. It was an obsession, something that was conditional as long as she met their expectations. Now, she knew what love truly felt like. The love of her children, and now her soon to be husband.

"Plus, I want to be with Aqua after what happened." She said sadly.

"You said he killed someone." eren said.

"Yes, with a weird knife he found. I don't even know where he got it." Ai said.

"He probably swiped it from a guard or something." Eren shrugged.

While Ai noticed Eren wasn't entirely being truthful, she disregarded that thought since there's no way Eren would know how Aqua got the knife.

"It's just... after Ryosuke, Kamiki, that Yakuza guy, and now Yoshida... I'm so worried about him. I'm honestly terrified at how he'll end up." Ai said.

"He's a strong kid." Eren said, knowing that it would be easy for Aqua to process those emotions since he is an adult. "I think he'll be fi-"

"No!" Ai yelled out, trying to stop from crying. "He's an innocent little baby and never should have had to do that. It's my job to protect him. And twice now he fought a Yakuza guy to protect me and Ruby. What is wrong with him? Why can't he be a normal boy who hides behind his mother?"

"Because he loves his mother." Eren said as he hugged Ai. "Trust me, I was as much of a foolish boy as him. Even when my mother tried to protect me, I still tried my hardest to save her."

"Still, I made up my mind. Kaguya said she knows a therapist that could help him. Apparently, he's the husband of one of her teachers." Ai said.

"What is that?" Eren said.

"Someone who can talk with you and help you come to terms with your emotions." She explained. "It'll be a bit expensive, but Kaguya said he'll give us a discount considering the situation."

"Then you shouldn't worry." Eren said. "Trust me, Aqua will be fine."

"How can you be sure?" Ai asked.

"Because all of my rage started at my mother's death. With you alive, I doubt Aqua would go down the same dark road as me. He has no reason to seek revenge and no hatred from the loss of his family. I think he'll be ok." Eren said.

"Still, I'm getting him the sessions. He needs professional help." Ai said.

"Well, if you're sure then I'll support it." Eren said.

"I hope so, you're the only one making money now." Ai giggled.

"Though I may have to prioritize these bills over-" Ai glared at Eren. "I'm joking." He chuckled.

"No jokes about our baby." Ai said.

"Our?" Eren asked.

"Well, yes. Ruby already see's you as her papa. And Aqua may not say it, but I think he sees you in the same way. So, they're your children as much as they are mine now." She smiled.

Huh... Eren was a father. He didn't really consider himself as one until Ai said it. Which is weird since he did have a child with Historia, though considering he thought he was going to die before he had the chance to be a father.

Why did his knees feel weak?

"Eren!" Ai yelled as Eren collapsed on the ground.

Eren caught himself and stayed in a sitting position for a moment before shaking his head. It was like the realization that he was going to finally see a child of his own hit him all at once. It made his knees go weak and made him lose his balance.

"Are you ok?" Ai knelt down next to him.

"Just got light headed." Eren waived her off.

"You know, Miyako-San said President Saitou reacted the same way when he realized he was going to be a dad." She giggled.

"I'm just thirsty." Eren said, standing up.

He didn't want to admit to himself that he nearly passed out from the shock of having a child.

Ai giggled at the event. He was such a kind man who cared a lot about his family. Especially his new one. Sure, he can be scary at times, but he has only ever been scary when it came to protecting the people he cared about.

"You should go let Aqua know the news." Eren said.

"About the therapist?" Ai asked.

"Yea, he might be upset if you wait." Eren said.

"True, I guess I should go talk to him." She said.


Ai walked over to her baby boy who was messing around on her phone. He was sitting on the bed in the room Ai stayed in, the one she's been in for the past two weeks. She will miss the lavish lifestyle of Kaguya's manor, but she was excited to get back to a normal lifestyle.

"Are you watching anything bad Aqua-Chan?" Ai asked, swiping her phone before he could react.

"Just the news mama." Aqua sighed, knowing that she knew and was going to be upset.

"What did I say about watching the news?" Ai asked.

"I was just curious about the articles on Eren." He said.

Ai looked at the articles and it still surprised her. CCTV captured Eren literally swinging around the dock and ship, using a combination of rocket launchers and detachable swords. The police got their hands on that weird gear but didn't release any information to the public yet.

It was a sight to see, though YouTube and Facebook heavily censored the images considering there were people dying in those videos.

"Aqua-Chan, you know this isn't good for you to watch." She said.

"I was just curious." He shrugged.

Aqua remained his stoic self, which brought some relief since he normally acted like that. She'd be worried if there was a massive change in his personality after what happened, though she'd wait for the therapist to come up with his diagnosis.

"Aqua-Chan, there's something I wanted to talk to you about." Ai said as she sat next to him on the bed.

"What is it mama?" He asked.

"I've scheduled some therapy for you." She said, choosing to just say it without beating around the bush.

"Therapy?" He asked. "For what?"

For what? Does he not realize why? After all the trauma he went through in the past two months, does he really need to ask why she would send him to therapy?

"Tell me Aqua, how are you feeling after what happened on the ship?" She asked. "Please, talk to mama. Let mama know your thoughts."

Know his thoughts? What did she want to know? It's not like it bothered him much. After all, Ruby and Ai were safe. That's all that mattered and what made him happy.

Although... was he not bothered? Aqua thought about the events that happened between killing Hikaru and that random Yakuza guard. As with Hikaru, Aqua felt nothing. No sadness or anything. Just the same desire to protect his family.

"Please Aqua-Chan. Please talk to me." Ai almost begged as she placed a hand around his shoulder.

"I don't know mama." He said honestly. "I honestly haven't thought about it much. The only thing I care about is that you and Ruby are safe I guess."

Aqua could tell Ai was worried. Thinking about it, he understood. Children don't just kill people and feel nothing about it. Especially at his age.

Luckily, him killing the Yakuza guard wasn't mentioned to the police, mainly because Ai was worried about any kind of legal action against Aqua. Was it a dumb fear? Maybe, but mothers aren't always rational when it comes to their children's safety.

"I know you have a desire to protect us Aqua-Chan. And I won't pretend to be an expert in psychology." She said. "But I want you to know that mama will always be here for you. No matter what you feel or what you do, mama will always love you."

Ai wrapped her arms around Aqua and gave him a big hug, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of her tiny son in her arms. She was so worried for his mental health, but Eren was right. He's a strong boy and as long as she's alive to guide him, he'll be ok.

"Do I really have to go?" Aqua asked.

"Don't argue with Doctor Ai." She joked.

"I'd have to see your credentials." Aqua said.

"All mama's are doctors, so I have your birth certificate to prove it." She giggled.

"It's a forgery." He said.

"Nope, I'll never forget the day you and Ruby-Chan came into the world. It was the most amazing day of my life." And the most painful.

Like, pain beyond imagining. Never in her life did she imagine such pain existed. They without a doubt came out of her. She will never forget that pain for as long as she lives. And she never wanted to go through that ag-

"Oh know..." Ai said to herself.

"What?" Aqua asked as he broke from her hug.

She's going to have to go through it again...

"Let's get some food before the appointment." Ai said cheerfully.

Yes, do something, anything to take her mind off of the inevitable pain that she is going to experience all over again. Hopefully this time she can request a C-section.


"Aqua, please come in." The therapist said.

Aqua walked into the room alone. It was a cozy little place, with a few seats and a couch that surrounded a coffee table with snacks and drinks, mostly soft drinks like soda.

"Want a drink?" The therapist asked.

"I don't know if mama will let me." He said.

"I asked, and she said it's fine. Afterall, you're here to relax." He said.

His therapist was an older man, probably around his age before he died. He was a skinny man with wrinkles that would be normal for a man of his age, with round glasses on his eyes. He was skinny, very skinny, but he seemed kind and soft.

"Normally I handle adults, but my wife told me about you so I wanted to take on this case." He said.

"Sure." Aqua shrugged.

Aqua sat down on the couch and relaxed a bit. He wouldn't be able to really be honest about himself, but it might be good to get some things off his chest. Although, he couldn't talk about the killings since therapists were still obligated to report crimes.

Only religious leaders had the policy of absolute confidentiality. You can tell a priest you murdered someone last night and normally they'll keep it confidential. Though, individuals may be different in how they approach that subject.

"What's your name?" Aqua asked.

"Raito." He said. "Though out of curiosity, do you prefer Aqua or Goro?"

"Aqua's fi-" Aqua widened his eyes.

"Surprised?" Raito chuckled.

"How-" Aqua said in astonishment.

"My wife told me about you." He chuckled. "She said her ex-boyfriend was reborn as an infant to an idol, and when Kaguya told her that Ai was looking for the therapist, she asked me to help. Which is why I decided to treat you even though I don't normally treat children."

"Please don't tell me your wife is Kuro..." Aqua said with a deadpanned look.

"You know, she said you'd react that way." Raito laughed.

"How do you believe me?" He asked.

"Well, I'm into the occult too. Plus, she never lies to me." He said.

"Considering you literally have her collared." Aqua said.

"Yes, our relationship is unconventional." He chuckled. "I know the mind very well and how it works. So, it was easy for us to be together."

"Her mind is a darkness I'd rather avoid." Aqua said.

"But we're not here to discuss my wife. Instead, we're here to talk about you. And I dare say that I am the only person qualified to deal with your situation." Raito said.

"I wasn't expecting to have to be honest." Aqua said.

"You still don't." Raito said calmly. "You don't even need to talk to me. Only share what you're comfortable with sharing. Nothing more and nothing less."

"Where should I start?" Aqua asked.

"Well, let's start with your father." He said.

"How much did she tell you?" Aqua asked in an annoyed tone.

"Not much." Raito said. "But I also read the news on the event and assumed that you're the one who killed him. After all, you're too old mentally to be tricked like that."

Aqua remained silent, not wanting to admit the crime to someone who could tell the police.

"If you're worried about me telling the police, don't. Considering the situation, I'll keep full confidentiality. Besides, no one would believe me." He said.

"True." Aqua said. "I mean, what's there to say? He wanted to kill Ai and I struck first."

"Yet as Goro, you never once even got into a fight." He said.

"No, no I didn't." Aqua said.

"You know, even if it's people we hate, most people hesitate to kill. Though between him and the guard on the ship, you showed no hesitation." Raito said.

"How do you know that?" Aqua asked.

"Your mother told me, since she wanted me to focus on that."

Ai really was hopeless sometimes. Did she not realize the danger in admitting he murdered someone. She's lucky Raito won't call the cops.

"Hikaru, my father, said he was a psychopath." Aqua said. "How he felt no empathy or emotions when he got people killed. So, he used Ai as a test to see if he would feel guilt over killing someone he cared for."

"Do you believe you inherited his psychopathy?" Raito asked.

"That's what he said, and to be honest, I felt nothing when I killed them." Aqua said honestly. "I know Goro would have felt bad, but Aqua doesn't. I don't know if biologically my brain is different, or if there is some kind of interference between my hormones and memories."

"True, you are essentially an adult in a child's body. Just as your muscles are weak, so to can your actual brain be different."

"It's just. I don't know what to think." Aqua looked down. "I know how I should feel. I even remember one time feeling bad because I ran over a deer on my way to work one time. But lately, I've felt nothing when I killed those men. In a way, it scares me."

"It's a difficult situation to be in." Raito said.

"I don't know what to think." Aqua said.

"Unfortunately, there's really nothing I have to help you in that regard. I can't even run tests since I'd lose my license if I tried to explain this. I could only publish this as a thought experiment and not a real one. So, our options are limited." He said.

"I know." Aqua said. "The other thing is that I don't know who I am. Whether the soul of Goro passed on or if somehow Goro's soul is in Aqua's body. I don't know how this works. Eren said it doesn't matter and all that should matter is who I decide to be."

"That sounds like good advice." Raito nodded. "However, maybe there is a different perspective."

"How so?" Aqua asked.

"I've heard about Eren, and he does seem like someone who has a lot of life experience. But we all react differently to situations. He doesn't strike me as the kind of person to have an existential crisis like this."

"That's true." Aqua chuckled.

"However, if you want my perspective, I'd say that you should focus on what you can and cannot control." He said.

"How so?" Aqua asked.

"You can't control how this rebirth works, so don't worry so much about it. Fact is, we'll never learn who you really are from a scientific point of view. So, you should focus on what you can control. Maybe you do lack emotions, or maybe you don't. We can't control that. But what you can control, is how you react to situations. Psychopathy doesn't mean you have no emotion at all. Some psychopaths' express emotions differently or are less affected by emotional stimuli. If you truly were emotionless, I believe you wouldn't care for Ai and Ruby nearly as much as you do."

"So, I do have emotions?" Aqua asked.

"True emotionless feelings is functionally impossible. Many people are psychopaths without being diagnosed and live good and moral lives. Psychopaths who commit crimes are no different than any other criminal. Many who do resort to crime do so because of traumatic experiences like everyone else."

"Hikaru did mention he was molested by an adult woman when he was a kid." Aqua said.

"Psychopath or not, many people would resort to murder if they don't learn to process their emotions from such a traumatic event." He said. "I'm sure Hikaru did feel emotions, he just never learned to recognize it. After all, he wouldn't be so affected by that event if he truly felt nothing."

"He said I could be just like him." Aqua said.

"Or you could be different." Raito countered. "It's not how we feel that determines what we do. It's how we react to those emotions. By reacting appropriately and learning to process your emotions correctly, you can avoid many negative thoughts."

"I've tried, I really have." Aqua said. "It's just, lately I've cared less and less about my own safety. I'm basically having a near death experience weekly at this point."

"Yet each time was to save Ai." He said.

"Of course, she's my mother." Aqua said.

"We both know that as far as how you view her, she's not your mother." Raito said. "You may have learned to accept that fact overtime, but you knew her before you were reborn. It's not a simple relationship."

"True." Aqua nodded. "In some ways I see Ai as like a daughter, someone who I helped care for while she was pregnant. In other ways, I see her as my mother, though that was more recent. It's complicated."

"Are you obsessed with her, as an idol I mean." He asked.

Was he? Aqua had to think about that for a moment.

"I don't know." Aqua said.

"If she did die, what do you think you would have done?" Raito asked.

"Honestly... I don't want to live in a world without Ai." He said.

"Sounds more like an obsession." Raito said.

"It's just..." Aqua began, thinking about how he really felt about Ai. "Ai was introduced to me by a patient of mine. A girl named Sarina." He said.

"Who was she to you?" Raito asked.

"Sarina was a young girl, barely a teenager who was terminally ill. Cancer." He said sadly. "I cared for her when she was abandoned at the hospital. She was so innocent and kind. I can honestly say I loved her, much in the same way a father would love his daughter."

"And she died." Raito concluded.

Aqua slumped back into his chair.

"I couldn't save her. No matter what treatment we gave her, all we could do was make her as comfortable as possible."

"And you blame yourself?" Raito asked.

"I know I shouldn't... but we can't control how we feel sometimes." Aqua said.

"Sarina was obsessed with Ai, wasn't she?"

"Yes." Aqua nodded. "Ai always reminded me of that innocence that Sarina had. Almost like there was a piece of her still alive within Ai. I guess I grew obsessed with Ai because she reminded me so much of Sarina's innocence and passion."

"And to lose Ai, would mean losing that one thing that connected you to Sarina." Raito concluded.

"You know... I never thought of that. But it feels like it makes sense." Aqua said. "Even Ruby reminds me a bit of Sarina, though that's normal since she's so obsessed with Ai that she imitates everything she does."

"Is that why you care for Ruby as well?" He asked. "Does she remind you of Sarina."

"Not really." Aqua shrugged. "I love Ruby. She is basically my sister. But she's not much like Sarina. Sarina always was cheerful and kind around me. She was sweet and innocent. Ruby is a brat to me half the time and always makes trouble for me." Aqua chuckled. "Honestly, her being a brat is endearing."

"I see." Raito said. "Having love for family is normal, but you have an obsession over them for things outside of their control."

"What do you mean?" Aqua asked.

"You see Ai more of an extension of Sarina, instead of seeing Ai as her own person. I know you're technically an adult, but fact is that Ai is her own person. She's not Sarina and to obsess over her because of someone else can lead to unhealthy habits."

"Like saving her life?" Aqua asked.

"I won't fault that, after all, you are an adult. But to admit that you can't live without her is going too far." Raito said. "Before you were reborn, Ai was just a patient. Maybe a friend, but for all intense and purposes, a patient that you treated. A stranger in some ways. There should be no need to end your life over that."

"And then when you were reborn, she is your mother. It must be hard for her to see you defend her so much when it is her job to do so. But even then, you still have that obsession with her that it can lead to self-destructive behaviors. Such as being prone to violence and even suicide. These are not normal reactions."

"I swore I'd protect her." Aqua said.

"And yet you admitted that you can't live without her." Raito said.

Aqua turned away.

"It's normal to grieve over people we lose and even to fear losing people we care for. But you can't have an obsession over someone to the point that you lose the will to live if they die. Fact is, life can be hard, and people die. People can die at random at any moment."

"But... I can't lose her." Aqua said.

"Tell me, if she died, what would you be more destroyed over. Ai's death, or the loss of the last thing that connects you to Sarina?"

Aqua had no answer.

"Do you think it's fair to hold Ai to a standard she could never be?" Raito asked. "She isn't Sarina. She has no connection to Sarina. It's not fair to base your life and obsession over something that she has no control over."

Raito noticed that Aqua placed his good hand over his face, trying to hold back tears. He began to struggle to breathe as he did.

"I just... I couldn't save Sarina." He said sadly. "I know I couldn't, it was out of my control. But still... I felt so useless. At least with Ai, I could keep a part of her alive."

"But she's not Sarina. As far as she and the rest of the world is concerned, she's your mother." He said.

"Yea, I know." Aqua said, holding back his tears.

"Listen Aqua. It's ok to feel these emotions. Emotions are at times impossible to control. But how you process them and how you react to them are well within your control. But before anything else, you have to learn the root cause of your emotions."

Can he feel emotions? He certainly felt sad. Sad about thinking about Sarina for the first time in years. Sad about how he thought about Ai and used her as a surrogate for the patient he lost.

"Can we stop." Aqua asked.

"Don't worry, we have many sessions over the next few months. We don't have to get into the heavier stuff now. We can stop for today. ." Raito said.

Aqua stood up and walked out of the room, wanting to get away from Raito until he could think clearly.

When he exited the room and saw Ai and Ruby sitting in the waiting room, Ai perked up. She saw the sad look on his face and got a little worried about him.

"Go ahead Ruby-Chan, your turn." She said, patting her daughters back to get moving.

"Ok mama." She said as she took Aqua's place in the room.

Ai was surprised that as soon as Ruby was in the room, Aqua walked over to her while she was seated. He almost collapsed in her arms and buried his head in her stomach, a clear sign that he was upset.

"Are you ok Aqua-Chan?" She asked softly.

Aqua nodded his head.

"Do you want to talk to mama about it?" Ai asked.

He shook his head no.

"Ok. Right now, we can just hug." Ai said as she lifted him up in her arms and held him carefully.

For the first time in a long time, Aqua felt sad. He felt exhausted and mentally drained after coming to terms with his thoughts on Ai. Raito was right, Aqua is just as obsessed with Ai as any other fan she had before the controversy.

The only difference was that Ai was a surrogate he unfairly created due to his failure to save Sarina. He became obsessed with the idea of Ai's innocence, an innocence that reminded him so much of Sarina. He never stopped to think about the person that was Ai and blindly tried to throw his life away for her.

He knew he'd still fight to protect her and Ruby, but he also knew that he needed to come to terms with his feelings and bury his obsession over saving his connection to Sarina.

Ai though, she was actually happy to see this change in Aqua. She felt like he was finally acting like a normal boy. A boy who was sad at the traumatic events that happened to him and processing his feelings.

She'd rather have him cry in her arms than to bottle it all up inside. At least this way, he can release that pent up sadness and be safe and warm in her arms. She was glad she did this and that he was going to be ok.

"Mama loves you Aqua-Chan." Ai said. "She always will."


Ten Years Later

Ruby woke up to see a pair of purple and green eyes looking at her-

"AH!" Ruby yelled as she jumped up into a sitting position.

"Wake up OneeChan." The young boy said.

"You scared me Kawachi." Ruby said.

"OkaaSan said to wake you up otherwise you'll be late for school." He said as he turned around and went to Ruby's door.

Ruby sighed as he left the room.

In a lot of ways, Kawachi reminded her so much of her papa in terms of looks. He had jet black hair that was untamed half the time and his western and Asian features mixed in a way that was unique.

Though the main unique thing about him was his Heterochromia eyes. One eye, his left one, was purple like her mama's. While the other one was green like her papa's. Ai gushed over how beautiful they were when he was first born.

Although, his twin sister was much the same, though her eyes were reversed, with the left one being green.

The only current difference between him and his twin sister was that one eye had a bruise. He said he hit a door on Saturday at school and gave himself a black eye.

Yea, Ai had twins again. Something that caused the then five-year-old Ruby and Aqua a lot of confusion. They wondered if they were reborn as well, so they tested it.

"Ok Kawachi, Mikasa... are you two reborn?" Aqua asked the two infant babies in their playpens while Ai was doing the dishes.

"Yea, don't worry if you two are." Ruby said. "We're reborn too, so we'll understand."

Both babies didn't budge for a moment, looking confused. Though, their confusion didn't seem like the normal one of an older person. It was more of a blank stare that you'd expect from a baby.

"weeeh~" Kawachi started to tear up, causing Mikasa to tear up as well.

"Uh oh..." Aqua said.

"Waaaaahhhh!" Mikasa started wailing.

"Ruby, Aqua! Be nice to your baby brother and sister." Ai said as she walked over to the new borns to hopefully sooth them. "It's ok, mama's here. were your older siblings mean to you?"

"We were just talking." Aqua said.

"Told you mama doesn't have a magical womb." Ruby whispered in triumph.

"Can you please stop calling it that." Aqua said.

Yea, luckily both children were normal. At least as far as not being reborn, which was a relief to both Aqua and Ruby.

Though it wasn't a relief to Ai at all, since now she had to deal with real babies. She thought it was going to be easy since Ruby and Aqua were so easy. But she was in for a very rude surprise. As it turns out, real babies are very hard to care for.

Because Ai is always home, both children got upset anytime they were away from her. Even when they slept at night, Mikasa and Kawachi would constantly climb on her face or cry at night, making sleep impossible. Even when papa tried to sleep with them, both kids would crawl to Ai and rest on her face, waking her up.

It was the first time they ever saw an irritable Ai.

They're amazed Ai survived, though she still showed amazing patience and love to both children, no matter how hard it got to actually raise real babies.

Ruby stretched in her bed and yawned, trying to wake up since she had a big day today. She got out of bed and checked herself in the mirror. She was dressed in some comfy pajamas since she just woke up and her hair was a bit of a mess. She needed to hurry up and get herself presentable for today.

After a quick bath she dressed in her middle school outfit, a blue sailor fuku with a blue shirt, white collar, and black skirt. She took her school bag and put a change of clothes for her audition later in the day, which was a pair of white shorts and a black low-cut shirt.

Hopefully the idol agency will like it.

After that, Ruby went into the hallway to head downstairs. She could faintly smell salted salmon being cooked and was getting hungry.

"Oh, Aqua." She said, passing by her twin brother who was walking out of his room in his own middle school uniform.

"Ruby, you're smiling more often today." He noted.

"Of course, I have an audition today!" She said happily.

"So, the entrance exams are not on your mind at all?" He asked in a bored expression.

"Oh, please oniichan." She waved off. "Why would I need to study when I'll become an idol? No one cares about grades if the interview goes well."

"And if it doesn't?" Aqua asked.

"You worry too much." Ruby said. "After all, I'm mama's daughter. I'll be just fine."

Aqua sighed as his twin sister practically hopped her way down the stairs with a smile on her face. He was worried about her future if she decided to completely abandon her studies and pursue a career field that was a gamble at best.

Ruby knew her brother was always such a worry wart. He was different ever since they were kidnapped by those Yakuza guys. His normally stoic and serious attitude, while still there, was often replaced by a more gentle and calmer nature. He still came off as quiet and serious, but there was a softness to it.

Either way, she didn't care about him right now. Today she was going to audition to be an idol. today was all about her.

"Mama!" Ruby greeted her mother, who was placing the food on the table.

"Good morning, Ruby-Chan." she smiled, dressed in simple black shorts and a long sleeve V-neck shirt.

Even after ten years, her mama really didn't change at all. She still basically looked the same age, minus just the smallest hint of crow's feet on her eyes. Even though she was no longer an idol, she maintained her appearance as one. For years she still maintained her skin care routine, exercise, and makeup.

Ruby remembered she asked why she tried so hard to be beautiful even though she was no longer an idol.

"Because I still have my fans at home that need to see a pretty mama. If I suddenly stopped caring about my appearance, all of you would stop too. I need to be an example to my biggest fans. Plus, I want to look good forever for your papa."

Her hair was shorter though. She got it cut recently, which now reached down to her shoulders instead of down her back. Right now, it was loose, but the side was done in a side ponytail style.

Ai basically stayed a stay-at-home mom for the past ten years. For the first year after her and Eren married, Ai basically isolated herself in their new home in order to let the controversy die down and let people move on from the washed-up idol that was Ai.

However, Ai learned that she loved taking care of her children and no longer had the desire to work anymore. She wanted to spend every single day with her children and make as many memories as she could with them.

"Were's papa?" Ruby asked.

"Finishing up his morning workout in the garage." Ai said.

Eren maintained a high level of physical fitness, especially since he worked in an intelligence agency as of six years ago. He still had to be physically fit, though he still completely overshadowed his coworkers in every physical event they did, winning quiet a few workout matches at his work.

"Kawachi, button up your uniform jacket." Ai said to her youngest son in a sweet but firm tone.

Kawachi walked into the kitchen in his elementary school uniform, which had a jacket with buttons going all the way up to his neck in a navy styled way. Every single morning Ai had to remind him to button it up.

"I hate it okaasan." He said in a low voice. "It feels like it's choking me."

Ai's heart broke a little bit a year ago when he stopped calling her mama, though she also found it cute as well.

She never said it out loud, but the way Aqua acted, how he was always so mature and stoic, always unnerved her. It was almost like he was an adult sometimes and it made her uncomfortable sometimes. It just didn't feel right for a child to be so mature.

Kawachi on the other hand, he was exactly how she imagined a young boy to be. He started to see himself as a man and not a boy, believing that showing affection was something only little boys did, and he wanted to be more like his father. He still didn't understand that being a man didn't mean showing no affection, but he was a child and still needed to learn those lessons.

So, as much as she was sad to see him try to be a man, she found it cute and adorable that her baby boy was trying so hard to imitate his father. Even if he still doesn't fully understand what that means.

"Also, how did you get the bruise on your eye on Saturday again?" Ai asked in a stern and knowing voice.

"I just walked into a door as it was opening." He lied.

"Oh?" Ai asked. "So why do I have a meeting with your homeroom sensei about you getting into a fight with another student?"

Kawachi looked down a bit, annoyed that he got caught.

Ai exhaled in a bit of annoyance. Eren said Kawachi reminded him so much of himself at that age, always picking fights. Though it was hard since both of her youngest children had difficulties making friends at school.

Ai and Eren agreed when they were born to let both children keep the family name Hoshino instead of Yeager. This was to hopefully maintain their Japanese identity since mixed children often found themselves struggling to be accepted in Japan due to being mixed race. So Ai, Aqua, Ruby, Kawachi, and Mikasa still were named Hoshino.

Ai did get sad When Eren added one more reason.

"I wouldn't mind if the Yeager name died out."

She never asked him to elaborate.

"Kawachi." Ai knelt down in front of her nine-year-old son. "Please understand that I love you, but you need to learn to temper your anger."

"They were asking for it." Kawachi refused to look him mother in the eye.

Ai went to kiss her son on the top of his head, but since he was a "Man" now, he tried to back away from his mothers affection.

"No you don't!" Ai yelled out as she trapped Kawachi in a hug.

"Mama- Okaasan! Stop it!" He tried to escape her grasp as Ai relentlessly kissed him on the top of his head.

"Oh, you said mama!" She teased.

"Stop kissing me!" Ye yelled out, trying to escape, though Ai could hear a playfulness in his voice.

If there was one fun thing to having a son who tries to act like a man, it was that he was so easy to tease.

"Ok, get some food and get ready for school." Ai said. "And button up your jacket or I'll tell papa about your fight."

That got him to obey quick. The worst possible punishment for Kawachi was disappointing his father.

"Listen to okaasan." Aqua said as he entered the room as well, dressed in his middle school uniform.

"Tell me what?" Eren asked as he walked into the room, dressed in shorts, a workout shirt, and a flesh-colored belt around his waist.

Eren looked largely the same but a bit older. His once sculpted and defined muscles seemed softer after ten years of living a calm life. While he still was very strong and physically fit, a balanced and nutritious diet that wasn't vegetable stew allowed him to have a very small layer of fat that made his definition go down.

Granted, he was still muscular and defined, but not as much as before.

Though recently he started growing a beard, which was always cut very short and made him look a bit older, especially with his long hair swept back or in a bun.

Eren still had a heavy accent, but he was able to speak, read, and comprehend Japanese well enough to be understood. It took him almost a year or two, but he had the same level of comprehension as a native speaker, but just with a thick western accent.

"Nothing darin." Ai waved off his question. "By the way, have you seen Mika-Chan?" Ai asked.

Eren turned his body slight, and now that she was looking at Eren, she realized he wasn't wearing a belt.

On his back, with her arms wrapped around his waist, was their youngest daughter holding onto Eren upside down in her school uniform. Her skirt was falling over her hips and her legs dangled away from Eren's back. She looked at her mother and gave her the biggest open mouth smile she could.

She was very small and thin since she ran around all the time. Her long brown hair was almost always unkept and Ai had to struggle to style it since she'd always mess it up.

Ai was so glad that her school mandated that girls her age wear shorts under their skirts, otherwise her panties would be in full view. Especially when all she likes to do is explore and climb things, never taking into consideration that she's wearing a skirt.

Ai now practically mandates her to wear shorts under her skirt because of her explorative nature.

"Why is she upside down?" Ai asked.

"I was doing upside down sit ups on the bar. She latched on when I went down and won't let go." Eren said. "Can you get her off me."

Ai giggled at the display. Mika-Chan loved her papa and always annoyed him when he was home. Something Eren joked about but loved non the less.

Ai grabbed Mikasa's dangling legs and lowered her gently to the ground, allowing her to right herself and stand up. She smoothed out her uniform for a moment before smiling at Ai.

"Thank's mama." She said happily. "Can we eat now?"

"Yup." Ai nodded. "Go get a seat."

"Ok!" She held up a peace sign and ran over to her seat.

When the new twins were born, Eren and Ai discussed on what they wanted to name them. Eren wanted to honor his friends by naming them Mikasa and Armin, something that kind of upset Ai.

They decided not to name the boy Armin since Ai was worried about bullying, so they kept it as a Japanese name. With their duel-colored eyes, she couldn't think of a good name like she did Aqua and Ruby, so she more or less chose a name at random.

Mikasa though was different. She was upset at Eren mentioning his old love. In Japanese culture, you never bring up previous relationship in normal conversation. It's seen as disrespectful and rude to the person you're with.

However, Ai suppressed those feelings since as far as she knew, Mikasa was gone, and it would be unfair of her to get mad at Eren for still caring for Mikasa.

And since Mikasa was a common Japanese name, Ai agreed to the name. She was still a bit upset for a few days but knew that she was being unfair and simply let go of those feelings.

"I'll take my meal to go." Eren said. "I need to get ready."

"Ok darin." Ai said.

Around the dinner table, Ai and her children all talked about random things they were going to do for the week. Aqua wanted to get his entrance exams over with and refresh on his knowledge before taking it.

Kawachi wanted to watch some MMA fight, apparently there was a junior international league, and he was cheering for some German fighter named Sulze or something.

She remembered he saw his father practicing UFC styled moves with his older brother and instantly fell in love with the sport. He asked Eren to show him but Eren shook his head and wanted to wait till he was a bit older before teaching him to really fight. Especially with how worried Eren felt at teaching him.

"Until you learn to not pick every fight, I won't teach you."

Ai knew Eren was worried about how similar Kawachi was to him and was scared that he would go down the same road as he did.

"I'm scared Ai. Kawachi shows the same kind of aggression and desire to fight as I did at that age. I'm worried what would happen if he never learns to control his anger."

"Well, that's why it's best if he learns from you. He needs your example and guidance. I think you worry too much."

Eren agreed, but he still wanted to wait. A decision that upset Kawachi, but he'd never show any kind of disrespect to the man he looked up to so much.

Mikasa was a sweet little girl. She was an explorer at heart and loved to cosplay, watch animated shows, and play video games. Unlike her brother she was shy and did have a bit of social anxiety, but when she got used to people, she was the happiest little girl Ai ever saw.

"Are you sure that's what you want Ruby-Chan?" Ai asked.

"Yes mama. I want to be an idol like you." Ruby said with detirmination.

"It will be hard." Ai said. "Afterall, you saw what happened to my career."

"Well, all I have to do is avoid boys and dates and I'll be fine." Ruby waved her concerns off.

"Don't be so quick to abandon any chances of being happy with someone Ruby." Ai said.

"I'll have plenty of time after my career mama." Ruby said. "I won't need to date. I'll make sure to remain dateless and pure to avoid any controversies."

"It's not just that Ruby." Ai said. "There are many ways you can be hurt in a business like being an idol."

"I know mama, but I still want to." She said.

"Ok." Ai said. "But when you get picked, I'll help you avoid my mistakes."

After their meal it was time for them all to leave for school.

The family, to include Eren walked over to the door and began putting their shoes on. Eren was dressed in his normal black suit and tie for work, though his tie was still loose.

"One moment darin." Ai said.

Ai walked over to Eren and tightened his tie for him, making sure he looked professional.

"Careful." Eren said. "I hate how this thing chokes me sometimes." He said.

"Don't be a baby." Ai giggled.

Eren knelt down and gave Ai a kiss on her cheek.

"Itai!" Ai yelled out as his kiss made contact.

Ai reached up to his face and tried to grab his beard, though it was too short to get a grip and only ended up slightly annoying Eren.

"I hate beard." She said in an aggressive but joking tone.

Eren chuckled a bit but stepped back to get his shoes on.

"Ok, Mika-Chan first." Ai said.

"Ok mama." She said.

Mikasa went up to Ai. Since Ai was so short, her daughter already came up to her neck. Ai continued her tradition of kissing her children before they left for school, so she kissed her daughter on the top of her head.

Then there was Kawachi, who scowled and blushed as Ai kissed him, but Ai could tell he did love her. He just still had that dumb idea of machoism that many young boys had.

Ruby was tricky since she had to bend over so Ai could kiss her. Ruby was taller than her mother now, a fact that made Ai so sad. She can't pick her up any more like she used to when they were kids.

Lastly was Aqua, who because he was so tall, Ai had to slide out a small footstool she kept near the door just to get high enough. However...

"Aqua-Chan, you're taller!" She yelled out. "Stop getting so tall! How am I supposed to kiss you!?"

Aqua just sighed.

"Bend down so I can reach!" Ai said.

Aqua bent down so his mother could kiss the top of his head. Ai told herself that she needed to buy a larger foot stool since he's almost as tall as Eren now.

"You done?" Eren asked.

"Be patient, I'm kissing my baby's goodbye."

"They'll literally be back this afternoon, Ai." He said. "Same as every single day."

"Ignore papa." Ai said. "He's being mean."

"All these years, you still act like an idol." He said.

"Of course." Ai smiled and held up a peace sign.

Aqua assumed that Ai's idol personality almost became a part of her actual self in some way. You don't live a lie for eight years without it leaving some kind of habit that's impossible to get rid of. So even though she hasn't been an idol in ten years, Ai still very much acts like one.

"Mama, we're heading out now." Ruby said to the picture of Ai she always kept near the door.

"Ruby-Chan, I'm over hear." Ai said.

"Huh?" Ruby asked, turning to her mother.

Wait, where was the picture?

"Goodbye Ruby. Goodluck at your audition." Ai smiled, giving her daughter one more kiss.

"Thanks mama." Ruby said.

Ruby looked back to where the picture should be... but there was no picture. There never was one. Why did she think there was a picture? The only thing there was the shoe rack.

She must be tired. Regardless, her papa went out the door, followed by all the kids as they all began their walk to school. Ai waved goodbye to her family and mentally began thinking of what food she'd prepare for them when they got home.

Ruby was excited to finally start her new chapter in her life as an idol. Just wait and see.


It's a really surreal moment to finally finish this story.

Also, AoT ended. I am sad, but man, what a conclusion. MAPPA did amazing things with that animation.

But, it's finally done. Now onto the sequel.

Some interesting things, Kawachi was a post-dreadnaught era battleship in the IJN, which contrasts to the Mikasa which was a pre-dreadnaught battleship. I thought it would be fitting lol.

Now, for the sequel. When I write stories, I typically follow the butterfly effect concept. Theoretically, since Aqua is now going to be a different person, he has no need to become an actor. Thus, he should never meet Mem-cho and she'd never join B-Komachi, and he'd never meet Akane and she would sadly commit suicide.

Obviously, most people wouldn't like that, so for the sake of following the original story in some aspects, I'll be intentionally doing things that realistically wouldn't happen lol. So, to keep the original characters from OnK apart of the story, some things will need to happen as they did in the Anime, even if it doesn't entirely make sense.

Also, since Aqua finally got therapy, he'll be a very different character. While not entirely different in many ways, he'll act and be different. Probably still serious, but not entirely the way he was. This isn't a critisism towards the original anime but a necessity since his character has to change.

I'm nervous on doing a sequel, but I want to thank everyone for sticking with me through the story and I really hope you guys enjoyed. Thank you for your praise and criticism and for helping me be a better writer.

Please enjoy.