TBATE - Brother's Once More

A New Light Part 1

Alice Leywin

My boys have to be the most adorable babies in the world. I'm not saying this because I am a doting mother.

Definitely not.

Art and Jay, with their glowing patches of auburn hair, with those intelligent glowing eyes the both of them shared.

No, no. I'm not a doting mother, I plan to be strict and just, since I can't rely on my idiot husband. For God's sake, he tried to teach them how to fight when they just learned to crawl!

I knew both of those rascals would turn up exactly like their father. They become so excited when they see their father practice.

On the bright side though, they'd scurry off to the study instead of playing with the toys and stuffed animals. The complete opposite of their father.

The both of my boys were interested in many things. I just can't get enough of their turning heads taking everything in. Though, they were particularly interested in their father's practices.

Rey was a fairly competent adventurer back in the day, being a B-class at 28, which was actually quite impressive. Just acquiring E-class required taking a test to prevent us from sending eager yet ignorant adolescents to their deaths.

The higher ranks on the other hand, I had only seen a few in my years of work and I've still yet to see an S-class adventurer, assuming they even exist.

At the Adventurer's Guild, or the Guild Hall back then in Valden, I'd seen too many eager teens. I was surprised they didn't just float away from having such overly inflated egos get to their heads.

Well, at least they were ambitious.

Once, I was assigned to proctor a basic practical exam, where the examinee simply needed to demonstrate fundamental competency in mana manipulation, and before the test even begun, the kid fell straight onto his back because the sword he was carrying was too heavy for him.

And speaking of airheads, Reynolds came off as no exception back then. The moment he saw me in the Valden Guild Hall, his jaw dropped and he just stood there before getting elbowed by the guy in line to hurry up to which he moved along muttering to the receptionist to trade in the goods he'd gotten.

He'd eventually worked up enough courage to ask me out for dinner and the rest is history.

The next landmark in my journal is when Art first said "Mama."

I coerced him into repeating it just to make sure I wasn't imagining it, this caused Rey to sulk, as he wouldn't say "Dada".

I won... at least I thought so until Jay said "Dada" right after that. Now it was my turn to sulk.

But more confusing, it seemed as if they planned it out, seeing as how they smiled at each other.

In the end, they reversed roles, Art said "Dada," and Jay said "Mama".

After I got over the joy of being called "Mama" by both of my boys, I couldn't tell whether it was a coincidence or not.

Jayden Leywin

A little over two years have gone by now since I've started forming my core. I figured out Arthur was also forming his own mana core as well. Plus, he was about to complete it in just a few days.

But since I actually used my brain, I figured if I awaken and destroy a large portion of the house, and then Arthur awakens and he destroys it even more on top of that, we probably wouldn't even have a house to sleep in.

"Big Bwoda Arthur, come with me for a minute," I asked, locating him towards the study, all the while debating if the risks of revealing myself are worth what I'm about to do.

The chances of his being anything but reborn were low, so I took the risk.

I waited for a bit after arriving at the study before going through with it. "Does the word Ki hold any meaning to you?" I whispered, several times more fluent than a baby could possibly speak.

His face revealed just a sliver of surprise before being hidden. "How do you know that term?" He responded sternly.

"You're not alone, Arthur. But the real reason I called you here. How long until you finish?"

"...Maybe a week," he replied, clearing knowing what I meant.

"Try to do it in the backyard. If both of us simultaneously awaken, we'll obliterate the entire house and will have to rebuild it."

He agreed with a nod and then asked, "Who are you?"

I smiled. "Who we were before isn't important right now; who we are now is what's important right now. We're a family now, and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to protect it. I have a certain feeling you agree."

He returned a smile and hummed in approval.

The following week after our conversation, we both were ready to awaken, meditating in our backyard.

Then finally.

BOOM!