Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Date a Live.
Rinne's POV:
"Papa. Mama."
Huh? Who said that?
Opening my eyes, I find myself in a beautiful field of flowers under a strange pink sky. Yeah, I'm definitely dreaming. The question is: what kind of dream is this?
"Rinne?" I hear a familiar voice next to me and see Shido a few feet away.
"Shido?" I'm confused. Why is Shido in my dream with me. Hoping for some answers, I walk up to him. "What are you doing here?"
"I don't know." Shido answers, just as confused as I am. "I was asleep in my bed, and then suddenly I was in this flower field." That lines up with my point of view.
"Shido. I think we're in a dream."
Shido looks at me with surprised. "Eh? But... how are we having the same dream then?" That's what I want to know, too.
"Papa. Mama."
That voice again. From the sound of it, it's a little girl. Who is she calling "Papa" and "Mama", though?
Shido looks to his left, and his eyes widen in surprise, making me look where he's looking, and my own eyes widen as well when I see a familiar vine tree behind me.
"That's... Eden." I say, recognizing my own Angel. "Did it connect our dreams together? How is that possible?"
I had a few questions, but before I could think of any answers, a silhouette of a little girl forms in front of us.
"Who... are you?" I ask the silhouette. I can't see the girl's face, but... for some reason... I feel a special connection with her.
The silhouette floats up to me and Shido and hugs us both, and then it speaks, "Papa. Mama. I can't wait to meet you."
I find myself waking up with a start, my eyes wide open with a gasp.
I sit up and look around to see that I'm back in my room. So, that really was a dream...
But...
"Papa. Mama. I can't wait to meet you."
I still remember that little girl's words before I woke up. She... She called me "Mama", and she even called Shido "Papa".
Is that girl... our... our daughter?!
The thought of having a child with Shido makes my heart race, as I never once considered us having a kid together. Not to mention, Yoshino is the one who leads the harem.
Yoshino... Maybe she can help decipher that dream.
"So, you two are telling us that you both shared a dream last night?" Kotori asks after Shido and I tell everyone about the dream we shared.
"Yes." I confirm. "It's likely that Eden linked our dreams together, which is odd because this is the first time this has happened."
Yoshino holds her chin in thought. "It may have to do with the silhouette you both saw." She deduces. "You said it was a little girl, right?"
"Yeah." Shido confirms.
"And she called you two her 'Papa' and 'Mama', right?"
"Y-Yeah..." Shido again confirms, far more meek this time. I join him as we both blush heavily on the topic of us being parents.
"...Then it's exactly who I think it is." Does Yoshino really know?
"I'm guessing it's someone important?" Kotori-chan asks.
"Yes." Yoshino nods. "To be honest, when I talked about the remaining Spirits, there's one that I didn't mention, because this one wasn't directly by [Deus]."
This surprises everyone. "A Spirit that wasn't created by [Deus]?" Shido asks. "Are you saying... that Rinne and I met that Spirit?"
"You did."
"Who is she, then?" I ask, wanting to know the Spirit's identity, and why she called me and Shido "Mama" and "Papa".
Yoshino takes a breath. "I'm not gonna beat around the bush, you two. That Spirit is your daughter."
...
...
...
"Our..." Shido starts.
"DAUGHTER?!" I finish with a scream, unable to hold my shock.
Everyone else looks at Yoshino with utter shock and disbelief, their minds now registering her words. "Hold the fucking phone, Yoshino!" Kotori exclaims. "Are you fucking serious?!"
Yoshino gives a look that says she's not joking. "Completely serious. That little girl, named Rio Sonogami, is a child Spirit created through a mixture of Shido's and Rinne's Reiryoku. By the same logic that makes the Pure Spirits the daughters of [Deus], that means she really is their daughter."
At this point, my face was completely red with embarrassment and steam was coming out of my ears. Shido and I canonically had a daughter... without even having sex...
"So... if Rio really is my daughter with Rinne..." Shido speaks up, "that would explain her being able to Eden to link our dreams together."
Yoshino nods. "As Rinne's daughter, that means she has access to Rinne's powers, but isn't as strong as her. Still very strong for a child, though."
"So, does that mean that Rio is... my niece?" Tohka asks a surprising question.
"Y-Yes, I suppose that does make you an aunt." I answer.
Tohka has a contemplative look on her face before asking another question. "Will I be able to meet her?"
That one catches me off-guard. And before I could answer, the others start speaking up.
"I-I wanna meet Rio-chan, too!" Origami exclaims, raising her hand with a small blush.
"Kukuku, I'm very curious about my Servant's daughter." Kaguya smirks with interest.
"Request: I also want to meet this Rio Sonogami." Yuzuru says eagerly.
"Ah~, I'm sure Darling's daughter would be adorable~!" Miku gushes about Rio.
Everyone speaks their desire to meet Rio, and it's making me nervous since I'm not sure if I can. I mean, what if she can only exist within Eden?
"Given the circumstances of Rio's birth, it may be that she can only exist within Eden." Reine says what I was afraid of. "However, with our current set of abilities, it might me possible for her to exist outside of it." Wait, really? How?
"Reine." Yoshino looks at the Analysis Officer with wide eyes. "Are you suggesting what I think you are?" Reine gives her a nod, and Yoshino starts thinking. "Hmm, yeah. It should work."
"Do you and Reine have an idea?" Shido asks Yoshino. The Spirit of Chesed answers with a nod.
"Since Rio was created through a mixture of Shido's and Rinne's Reiryoku, it's actually possible for us to replicate that and create her now." She explains, our eyes widening in response. "However, for this to work, I'm gonna need you two to help me out."
I can't believe this is actually happening.
Shido and I are about to create a child Spirit; our daughter! One that we CANONICALLY have!
The thought fills me with so much anxiety and anticipation as we make our way to an empty location.
"Now, first things first: We need to make a Sephira Crystal, and it needs to be a vacant one for Rio to inhabit." Yoshino says. That makes sense. Without, Rio would just be a culmination of Reiryoku that gained its own conscience, much like I was.
"But, the last time you created a vacant Sephira Crystal, you were unconscious for the whole day because of mana exhaustion." Shido points out with worry.
"True, but this time, that won't happen." Yoshino says with a smile. "After all, I have Rinne to help me." That makes sense. Since I'm also able to use Pure Reiryoku, I can help lessen the workload.
She transforms into her Astral Dress. "I'll use my ice to create the base, and then she and I together will use our Pure Reiryoku to make it into a Sephira Crystal."
"Alright." I nod with determination and transform into my [Ruler] Form.
"You should probably set up Eden for this." Kotori suggests through the ear piece given to me. "The amount of Reiryoku that's gonna be put into this is definitely gonna trigger the alarms." I cannot deny Kotori's words there. At least within Eden, I can keep things contained so that my daughter won't be immediately exposed to danger.
"Eden, rise!" I call forth my Angel as it rises from the ground, and immediately create a barrier around the area.
Yoshino nods at the barrier forming and looks at me. "We'll need to go into Origin Mode before we can start. Creating a proper Sephira Crystal requires a lot of power."
"Then I'll go first." I say. That way, I can use Ain Soph to allow Yoshino to enter a Complete Origin Mode like last time.
Closing my eyes, I let my Reiryoku flow around me as I begin converting it all to Pure Reiryoku. Once the process was complete, I enter my Complete Origin Mode.
Opening my eyes, I notice that the surrounding area immediately changed to look like the Neighboring World. I guess Eden immediately ascended to Ain Soph when I entered Origin Mode.
"Ain Soph!" I immediately use Ain Soph to allow Yoshino to enter a Complete Origin Mode. Once the change has been made, I give Yoshino a nod, and she nods back and enters her Complete Origin Mode.
Yoshino then holds our her hand and closes her eyes, focusing her power into creating the crystal. Ice forms into her hand as she carefully molds it into the shape of a Sephira Crystal. Such mastery over her power... it's incredible.
Opening her eyes to inspect the crystal, she gives it an approving nod and looks at me. Now it's time for me to step in.
Holding my hand out to the crystal, I begin focusing my Pure Reiryoku into it. Yoshino does the same, and the crystal begins glowing as it accepts the power being given to it. As the process goes on, however, I begin to feel strain on my body, and looking at Yoshino, she's beginning to feel it as well. Yoshino did say that this was a strenuous process, and she certainly wasn't kidding.
The two of us push through it, however, and eventually, the crystal glows so bright that we had to cover our eyes. Once the glow stops, we see that the crystal has become translucent, but still clear, and is now glowing softly from the power given to it.
"Did we do it?" I ask.
"Yeah. It's done." Yoshino replies with a smile. "The strain was still there, but it wasn't as bad as before, and neither of us are completely exhausted this time."
"That's the result of having an extra hand to help you." Kotori's right about that.
"So, what now?" Shido asks.
"Now is when you step in for me, Shido." Yoshino tells him, stepping away after giving me the vacant Sephira Crystal. "You and Rinne are gonna channel your Reiryoku into the vacant Sephira Crystal together, along with your love and a fragment of Ain Soph. If you can manage, that should allow the crystal to gain sentience and form into Rio."
I blush at her explanation, but it makes sense. A child is the result of the love between a man and a woman, so our love is what will bring Rio to this world.
I look at Shido as he walks up to me. "Rinne..." He calls my name, and I feel my heart flutter.
"Shido..." My veil disappears as I look him in the eyes. "When I was first created, I did not think there would be any future for me outside of giving you your paradise. To that end, I trapped you and your friends, and yet, you still reached out to me despite that. And... it was because of that, that I still continue to exist." Looking at the vacant Sephira Crystal that would soon be our daughter, I give a soft smile. "And now, the two of us are about to create a child together. It feels like I am living my own paradise right now."
"I get what you mean." Shido responds with a smile. "Honestly, I never expected that I would reach this point in my life either. But I'm very happy we were able to save you, Rinne. You've become such an important person to all of us, me especially. Having a child with you is a new experience, but..." he holds my hand as the two of us grasp the vacant Sephira Crystal, "I'm more than willing to take that next step together with you. That's how much I love you, Rinne."
Hearing Shido's confession, I can feel tears form in my eyes from how happy I was. My heart feels like it wants to burst out of my chest and into Shido's hands. This feeling... it's love. I truly do love Shido.
With our feelings resolute, we close our eyes and kiss.
Third POV:
As the two lovers kiss, their Reiryoku begin to react to their love, deep blue and pink auras surging around the two. Yoshino and everyone on Fraxinus look at the scene in awe, watching as they mix together in perfect harmony.
Shido and Rinne remain lip-locked as this is happening, and as the vacant Sephira Crystal in their joined hands glows, they both hear a voice... The voice of their daughter...
"Papa. Mama. I can't wait to meet you."
'Rio... I also want to meet you.' Rinne thinks. 'I promise to always love you, together with Shido!'
'Rio, I want you to be able to see the world with me and Rinne.' Shido thinks. 'The three of us can live together... as a family!'
The vacant Sephira Crystal glows brighter, reacting to their thoughts, and at that moment, the others could see a silhouette of a little girl forming from Ain Soph. The figure disperses into motes of light that flow into the crystal along with Shido and Rinne's mixed Reiryoku. The crystal then floats out of the lovers hands, making them end the kiss as they watch it float into the air, and then it emits a bright flash that makes everyone cover their eyes.
Once the glow dies down, everyone looks to see a little girl with long hair that reaches her legs tied with a single braid with a bow on top of her head floating gently in the air. The girl's hair color matches Rinne's in her [Ruler] Form, and her Astral Dress is a lavish pinkish-red dress with a gold emblem in the center, along with a large robe that reaches her feet.
"This is..." Tohka starts.
"Rio Sonogami." Yoshino finishes.
Rio gently floats to the ground, landing on her feet, and then opens her eyes, which also share Rinne's color. Looking at Shido and Rinne intently, she speaks. "Mama. Papa."
"Rio..." Rinne whispers gently.
A big smile forms Rio's face as she jumps and wraps an arm around them both in a big loving hug. "Mama! Papa!" She cheers happily. "Rio's so happy to finally meet you!"
The child Spirit's happiness proves to be infectious for the two newly-crowned parents, as they both smile and wrap an arms around Rio. "Yeah. We're happy to meet you too, Rio."
"Welcome to the world, our daughter." Rinne welcomes Rio, her happiness rising when she says those last two words.
Yoshino smiles from the side as the three embrace, proud that she was able to help bring about their bundle of joy. While on Fraxinus, the crew was crying happy tears for Shido and Rinne, while the Spirits look at them, happy to get to meet Rio.
Even Reine, who is normally stoic, is smiling at the sight of her granddaughter entering the world.
Yoshino walks up to the family of three. "Welcome to the world, Rio Sonogami." She greets Rio, getting the child Spirit's attention. "I'm Yoshino Himekawa. It's nice to meet you."
Rio smiles. "Nice to meet you, Godmother!"
The three look at Rio, surprised by how she addressed Yoshino. "Um... What did you just call me?" The Water Spirit asks, caught off-guard.
"Godmother!" Rio repeats cheerfully.
Silence hangs around the area as everyone takes a moment to process that bit of information. "Well, I mean, Yoshino was a big help bringing Rio here." Shido says after a while.
"That's true." Rinne nods in agreement. "Honestly, I would trust Yoshino the most to be Rio's Godmother."
"You two..." Yoshino looks at the parents with surprise, and then her eyes widen when she feels Rio give her a big hug. Feeling Rio's love at point-blank, even Yoshino, who was declared the 'Strongest Spirit', cannot possibly resist, smiling as she embraces the child Spirit. "Alright. Yes, I'm your Godmother."
Shido and Rinne smile at the sight, happily welcoming Yoshino into the family.
Rinne's POV:
After we successfully gave birth to Rio, Yoshino and I exit Origin Mode, and I dispel Ain Soph as the four of us return to Fraxinus. Our efforts bore fruit as Rio is still around even after Ain Soph was dispelled.
"Hi! I'm Rio Sonogami!" Rio cheerfully introduces herself to everyone. "Nice to meet everyone!"
Many 'Aw's sound out as the females in particular gush at Rio's cuteness. Especially...
"She's so cute~!" Miku, who gives Rio a big hug as she rubs their cheeks together, which Rio doesn't seem to mind at all. "You're just the cutest thing ever~!"
"As expected of my Servant's daughter." Kaguya says, admiring Rio. "Truly, she is a gift descended from Heaven!"
"Gushing: She is adorable!" Yuzuru gushes.
"She's like a little angel!" Origami squeals.
Tohka nervously walks up to Rio. "Um, hello... Nice to meet you." She greets her.
Rio looks a her with a big smile. "Nice to meet you, Auntie Tohka!"
Tohka comically recoils back from Rio cutely calling her Auntie, and wraps her in a big hug. "You are just so cute!" My sister squeals.
"Talk about a family reunion." Mana chuckles, then walks up to hug Rio as well. "Hiya, Rio! I'm your papa's little sister, Mana, which means I'm your auntie, too!"
"Auntie Mana!" Rio cheers, hugging the Wizard back.
Kotori clears her throat, getting everyone's attention. "As much as I enjoy this family reunion, there's still one last thing we need to address."
"No need for that." Reine quickly says. "I did a quick scan on Rio and found that she's already sealed."
That catches everyone by surprise. "Rio's pre-sealed?" Shido asks. "Is it because Rinne and I kissed during the process?"
Reine nods and explains. "That's correct. The kiss caused Rinne's seal to extend to Rio. So as long as Rinne is sealed, then Rio is as well. Furthermore, the strength of Rio's seal is also dependent on Rinne's."
"Like mother, like daughter, I guess." Nagisa comments.
"Well, that works in our favor." Kotori says with a grin. "That means we're already done. Let's head back home, everyone."
"Back home we go!" Rio cheers, earning laughs from everyone.
"Sooo..." Yoshinon drawls. "Who's gonna tell the Director that he's now a great grandpa?"
Yoshinon's question causes us all to freeze up, as I realize this means that Shido and I just gave Woodman-san- err... Grandfather a great granddaughter.
"I'm gonna have to tell him in the report, aren't I?" Kotori groans, rubbing her forehead as if she's having a headache.
"I'll be there with you when you make the report, Kotori." Yoshino volunteers. "I am pretty much responsible for this."
"Appreciate it, Yoshino."
What? Did you think I would include Rio when talking about the Takamiya family tree and NOT bring her into the story? In my eyes, Rinne and Rio are a packaged deal. If you're gonna bring one into the story, you are obligated to bring the other in as well!
So, yep! Rio Sonogami joins the family!
Now with that done, it's time we move back to the actual plot!