Chương 134: Chapter 127 – Best Birthday Ever!?

Chelsea saw the class evolution notification for half a second before the locket from the love goddess pressed hard against her skin. It didn't hurt, but there was a firm pressure just beneath the base of her throat. Chelsea looked down just in time to see the silver locket melt into her chest. The chain followed, sinking through the fabric and into her. She sucked in a breath and grabbed at the place where it had disappeared. A small voice came from behind her.

"Thank you Miss Chelsea." Chelsea turned quickly toward the voice. A little boy had spoken, but no one was there.

"Whoever sent us the sweets, thank you." The second voice came from somewhere to Chelsea's left. It sounded like another child. They were slightly older maybe. Chelsea turned again, but the platform remained empty.

"Thank you…"

"Thank…"

"I love you Miss Wixx."

"Please protect Miss Chelsea."

"Thank you for sending us Miss Wixx."

"... and please always keep Miss Che…" Chelsea dropped to her knees. It wasn't just sound. She felt them. She felt every small thread of gratitude, every piece of affection sent out into the world by children who had warm beds, brand new clothes, full plates, and caretakers who were less stressed due to worrying about things like repairs. The voices poured through her filling places in her chest she hadn't known were empty. Tears of joy poured from her eyes as she smiled up at Freya and giggled through it all.

The voices continued pouring in. Chelsea listened to every single one. She didn't want to miss any of them, even the broken little pieces that faded before a full sentence formed. Each one had belonged to someone who had gone to bed safer because Chelsea had happily thrown money at a problem. Freya stood over her quietly, letting her have the moment. Chelsea had to be listening for five minutes before the voices slowed and stopped altogether.

"Thank you Freya," Chelsea whispered. Freya watched her enjoy the last echoes of the prayers, her expression gentler than Chelsea could remember seeing it.

"That was incredible. Could you hear them?" Freya shook her head.

"No. I do hear others when I bathe though. Asking me to return someone home safe. Things like that." Chelsea nodded. Freya helped her up, and Chelsea stood on shaky legs. The world seemed a little brighter than it had before.. She wiped at her face with the heel of her hand and drew a careful breath.

"Before the voices, I was asked if I wanted to evolve my class." Freya sighed.

"That's bittersweet. It means you've gotten more powerful, but it also means you'll no longer be a Valkyr. Wait, no… not that that means it's bad. Just that we won't have a Havoc anymore. At least not until another rises." Chelsea nodded slowly.

"I could just not evolve…" She paused and leaned into Freya.

"Betrothed."

"Stop being so cute. You're going to hurt my hard battle badass thing I have going on in front of the other gods," she replied with a laugh.

"No, you have to evolve. But maybe not yet. Let's head to your manor in Junstruce." Freya's expression shifted.

"Adriane?" She asked in surprise. Chelsea looked around the platform.

"Here?"

"No, in Valhalla. Let's get back and see what she needs." Freya pointed at a spot in front of them and moved her finger in a short pattern, drawing power into the air. Nothing appeared at first. Then she closed her hand, and a magic circle formed above the ground, hovering about an inch over the stone. She guided Chelsea onto it as her body changed back into her larger Freya form. One heavy stomp later, the waterfall vanished, and they were outside the main hall of Valhalla. They both ran inside.

Adriane stood in the middle of the hall. A table of Virtue, Law, Duty, and Justice sat nearby, all of them watching her with varying degrees of caution. Adriane looked too urgent for this to be a normal visit. To the point everyone else's existence didn't matter.

"Chels!" Adriane exclaimed.

"We need your help. Come quickly to the manor." Chelsea didn't know what sort of help her mother wouldn't be able to handle, but she nodded and pointed to the teleporter.

"No," Freya said. She pointed at the floor in front of them and made a new circle. They stepped onto it together, and it took them right outside the manor.

"Freya, thank you!" Adriane exclaimed.

"Quickly inside." They ran in, and everyone was there, but not for some kind of surprise party. The manor was too… disturbed. People stood in the hall with pale faces and screaming came from upstairs. Chelsea looked around and saw Fiona's parents, both of them stressed. Chelsea understood what was happening before anyone said it.

"Fiona's having the baby!?" Chelsea yelled.

"Yes. There is a complication though," Adriane yelled as they climbed the stairs two at a time.

"Why isn't she at a birthing center?" Chelsea asked as they ran down the hall. Freya answered, "Einherin, that's why. Maidens don't believe in it. Births are to be done in their own home." Chelsea looked back at Freya with a questioning look.

"Not my doing." Fiona screamed as they opened the door.

"Chels! Hey look Chelsea is here." Bea tried to soothe Fiona while Fiona crushed her hand. Chelsea heard the bones breaking. Bea's smile stayed fixed on her face.

"What's the complication, and how can I help?" Chelsea asked. Bea looked at Adriane, who looked back to Chelsea. Adriane finally answered.

"We have no clue what we're doing."

"And you think I do!?" Chelsea yelled. Bea argued.

"You are the smartest person in the world. I'm sorry for assuming you knew the basics of fucking childbirth!"

"Well I don't!" Chelsea yelled back.

"I know how to do it," Freya said.

"Mind if I step in?"

"Please do!" Chelsea exclaimed. Freya stepped forward without hesitation, already looking over the room with focus. Fiona was sweating, exhausted, and furious, her hands gripping whatever was close. Bea's hand was not doing too well. Freya instructed Chelsea "Put on some armor for the strength. Going to need you to hold one of her legs. Adriane, I'll need you to hold the other. Chelsea did it at once. She quickly changed into armor, and the added strength settled into her body.

Freya directed her to one side of Fiona while Adriane moved to the other. Chelsea took hold of one of Fiona's legs and held it back, bracing herself against the bedframe. Adriane did the same on the other side.

"Holy shit," Freya exclaimed.

"How long has she been in labor?"

"It's been a while," Adriane said. Freya leaned in, checking carefully while Fiona panted and shook against the pillows. Whatever confidence Freya usually held, disappeared. She focused without looking directly at anything.

"Well the baby's head is almost through the cervix. I'd say now would be a good time to start pushing," Freya yelled over Fiona's screaming.

"I can't," Fiona yelled back.

"It's too much. I'm so tired."

"The pain will stop when the baby is out," Freya said over her.

"Push Fiona." Fiona gritted her teeth and leaned forward. A guttural growl tore out of her as she pushed against both Chelsea and Adriane. Chelsea's boots slid an inch across the floor before she caught herself and held firm.

"I can see the baby. It's right there. I need one more strong push Fiona," Freya commanded. The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Fiona did it again. This time, the tiny cry that filled the room cut through everything else. Fiona's screaming stopped, replaced by harsh, exhausted breathing. Bea stared with wet eyes, still holding her broken hand close. Freya lifted the baby carefully.

"Congratulations, Fiona. It's a girl." The baby was surprisingly large for a baby and very loud. Freya handled her with extreme gentleness, clearing what needed to be cleared before holding her out toward Chelsea.

"Hey," she whispered to Chelsea.

"Use The Eyes."

"Is something wrong?" Fiona asked, still out of breath.

"Please Lady Freya. Tell me she's OK." Chelsea took the baby, switched titles to the inspector, then used The Eyes.

[Status] Name: Amber Wixx ▸ Race: Human - Einherin Class: — Profession: — Title: — Level: 1 Attributes Physical Strength: 0 Dexterity: 0 Constitution: 1 Stamina: 0 Mental Intelligence: 3 Wisdom: 1 Psyche: 1 Social Charisma: 0 Luck: 17 Abilities Passive Mana Manipulation Chain Reaction Casting Active (Racial) Berserking Rush Enhancements Reincarnated [soul-marked] Ailments N/A Chelsea's eyes bulged and her mouth dropped open.

"Please," Fiona said.

"What."

"It would seem," Freya started, "that your daughter is a reincarnation. Great things are in her future." Chelsea wrapped little Amber in a blanket, her hands moving carefully even while her mind raced. Amber Wixx. She was reincarnated. The name. The gods-damned name! What were the odds that it was her Amber? Who was she kidding? Of course it was. The gods were fucking with them again. Chelsea looked down at the baby's scrunched face and tried not to think too hard about what that meant.

If Amber had been reincarnated, then she had died back on Earth. The thought tried to take root, but the room was still moving around her. Fiona needed help. Everyone was watching her. Freya cut and tied off the umbilical cord, then removed the placenta so Adriane could help Fiona back onto the bed. Bea stood next to Freya and did some minor healing on Fiona, her own damaged hand already mending now that Fiona no longer had it trapped in a death grip. Something Earth desperately needed was healing magic.

Chelsea finished cleaning off Amber and handed her to Fiona. Fiona took her daughter with both hands and stared down at her with a joy so raw that Chelsea was reminded of earlier and the locket. Out of curiosity, Chelsea licked her finger and her eyes went big again.

"Uh… Freya. Save me the placenta?" Freya squinted at her with a grimace.

"Really?"

"What? Better than it being thrown out." Chelsea replied quickly.

"Fine," she groaned.

"I'll go find a bag." Chelsea pulled out her usual bag she used for organs and held it open.

"If you're that eager, then you put it in," Freya said, laughing.

"Fiona, do you mind?" Chelsea asked.

"Take it."

"You're my favorite aunt, Aunty Fi." She stared at Bea with a smirk as she said it. Bea glared back. Chelsea collected the organ and shoved it into her bag, then moved closer to Freya while Fiona settled Amber against her chest.

"Hey," she whispered to Freya.

"Can she already understand us and stuff?" Freya smiled and nodded back. Chelsea swallowed. The baby was crying more quietly now, tucked against Fiona and completely surrounded by people who loved her. Chelsea needed a moment without everyone else in the room staring.

"Can you take Adriane and Bea out?" Chelsea asked. Freya nodded again.

"Adriane, want to go grab the father?" Freya asked.

"And Bea, I have a question for you about your niece." She nodded at the door. Bea stared at Chelsea with a smirk of her own.

"Happy to answer anything embarrassing you'd like." The three left. Chelsea eased herself onto the edge of the bed beside Fiona and looked down into the adorable face of the newborn. Amber's eyes were barely open and her tiny hands curled against the blanket..

"She's a reincarnation," Chelsea said quietly.

"I think I might know her." Fiona looked up at Chelsea with joy in her eyes.

"Really?"

"Ask her if she recognizes my name. See if she reacts." Chelsea quickly said. Fiona looked down at her daughter with an adoring smile.

"Well? Do you recognize your new cousin? She might look a bit different from how she used to. But her name is Chelsea." The baby in her arms began moving just a bit. Chelsea's breath caught.

"No way," Chelsea said.

"Amber, is it really you? OK OK. So you can't answer. Listen. Umm… Don't worry about replying. You have been reincarnated into a world like one of your video games. There's Magic and other you type stuff. This lovely lady here is your mom. Her name is Fiona. She is one of my favorite people ever ever ever. She is going to take care of you. Your new dad is on his way up here. He looks… well he's kind of terrifying at first. He is one of the most kind hearted people there is."

Fiona watched Chelsea with wide, wet eyes, her attention moving between the demon beside her and the girl in her arms. Chelsea tried to keep her voice steady for Amber's sake, but it was hard. Her best friend was there. Her best friend was tiny and wrapped in a blanket, but she was there. Chelsea looked up to Fiona.

"When she gets a little older we should all take a trip to Valhalla. Freya has a way of actually talking to her soul. She took me in and I appeared as my old self. It was crazy. Never want to see that old body again."

"I wouldn't be opposed," Fiona said. Chelsea leaned over and kissed the large woman on top of her head.

"You killed it today. She's beautiful." The door clicked open quietly. Dewey stuck his head in. Chelsea quickly stood and offered her seat to him. Chelsea met him halfway and gave him a hug.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks Littlest Niece," he said with a smile. He continued to the bed, and Chelsea ducked out to give them room. On the other side of the door, she found Adriane and Freya waiting in the hall. Chelsea closed the door quietly behind her, holding the latch until it settled without a sound. Chelsea nodded with wide eyes.

"It's her."

"Her who?" Adriane asked.

"Amber Henderson. My best friend from back in my old world. She somehow is…" Chelsea gestured to the door.

"A baby." Freya leaned against the wall, her face full of emotion.

"That means Amber had to have died."

"Do you know her?" Adriane asked, confused. Before Freya could answer, Chelsea leaned into her, "Oh mom. Sorry. During all of the confusion, I never got to tell you. Umm… Freya and I… We're engaged. Or betrothed. Whatever the word is."

"You and… Freya!?" Adriane whisper yelled.

"Oh gods congratulations. Today really is a day for celebration." She threw her arms around Chelsea and pulled Freya in for a hug as well. Chelsea let herself be squeezed between them, still half overwhelmed by the baby in the next room and half floating from everything that had happened before they reached the manor.

"That's not all. The engagement necklace she gave me. It gave me the option to evolve my class." Adriane nearly choked.

"I beg your pardon? Past Valkyr?" Chelsea nodded.

"What sort of necklace was it." Freya replied, "It's classification was godly, and really Chelsea, you made it yourself if you think about it." They explained how it was made using literal love. Adriane listened without interrupting, her hand still resting on Chelsea's shoulder. By the time the explanation ended, tears had gathered in her eyes.

"I am so beyond proud to call you my daughter."

"Speaking of daughters," Chelsea said, reaching into her pouch.

"I'm going to let you have the honor of giving this to the newest Wixx in the family." She pulled out a red and white stuffy and held it out for Adriane.

"Are you trying to make me cry?" Adriane said. She gave Chelsea another hug and snatched the ugly little stuffed animal from her hand.

"Hey," Chelsea said, changing her tone fast.

"That little girl represents a new Era of the Wixx family. You will not, I repeat… not give her Wixx training until she is over sixteen and expressly requests it."

"Chels," Adriane said, giving her a really look.

"I mean it," Chelsea said, still in her stern tone.

"I let the thing with Passion slide because emotions were running high but you will not touch her. Yes?"

"Chels…"

"Yes?" Chelsea asked again, interrupting her.

"Fine. Yes. I wont." Adriane held up her hands in defeat.

"Go on," Chelsea said with a smile. Adriane walked in and closed the door behind her. Chelsea and Freya turned away from the room and walked down the hallway in silence, their hands linked between them. The manor had quieted now that the worst of the panic had passed. Her birthday had become too much. Chelsea opened the door to her room, and they entered together. Once the door closed behind them, Chelsea let out a stress sigh.

"What is she doing here!?"

"I don't know," Freya replied.

"Not that I don't want her here but the implications." Chelsea paced a few steps, then turned back toward Freya. Her wings shifted restlessly behind her, and her tail curled tight near her leg.

"I noticed her when I gave her the blessing."

"That was months ago," Chelsea said.

"She thought she was alone all that time?" Freya's eyes filled with tears.

"I really need to get her back to Valhalla. I want to talk to her so badly. She doesn't know it's me yet. I visited her in her dreams but I was too scared to say who I was."

"I know," Chelsea said, swooping in to wrap her up in a hug.

"We will. Obviously Fiona and Dewey will want to go with us. Is that OK?"

"Yes! Of course it is," Freya said with a smile.

"Those two will love it. Getting to see the Hall of the Valkyr. Then talk to their daughter?" She let out a small laugh.

"I just can't believe it's her." Amber Amber tried to blink her vision clear. Her eyes wouldn't focus. The world bent strangely at the edges, and everything beyond a short distance was a smear of color and motion. She wanted to get a better look at Chelsea. The voice was completely wrong. The way she talked was close though. She didn't sound like Chelsea, but the cadence was there. Apparently, this woman was her new mom. Right. She had figured that part out. Amber tried to shift enough to see the woman holding her.

That wasn't so difficult, since Fiona's face was much closer than Chelsea's had been. She still couldn't make out much beyond skin, hair, and the shape of a smile looking down at her with so much affection that Amber felt a bit weird. Chelsea was here, though. That meant Amber wouldn't be traversing this world alone. It also raised about a thousand questions she had no way to ask. How was Chelsea not a baby?

In every reincarnation anime Amber had ever watched, people either started as babies or woke up as small children with adult thoughts. Chelsea had clearly skipped part of the process. It didn't matter, she supposed. There wasn't exactly anything Amber could do about it.

"Congratulations," Chelsea said, breaking Amber out of her thoughts. A deep voice replied, "Thanks Littlest Niece." Niece? How was Chelsea someone's niece? Oh right. She was Amber's cousin. How though? A new person appeared in her vision. Amber tried hard to focus on him. He was large, bald, and had a beard. Even through her terrible newborn eyesight, that much was clear. Holy shit, Chelsea hadn't been kidding. He looked terrifying.

Amber reached out to the mana and confirmed he was the deep voice she had been hearing for months.

"Hello," he said. His voice had changed from when he spoke to Chelsea into something softer, though the size of him still made the attempt strange. Fiona looked over at him.

"Freya and Chels said she's a reincarnation." He moved quickly, and Amber lost focus on him.

"Just like my father. She is going to be as impressive as Adriane and Chelsea. I know it!" Chelsea was considered impressive? Sure, Chelsea was smart. Amber knew that better than anyone else. But thriving in a world with magic, and apparently whatever her dad was. How long had Chelsea been here to command that much respect?

"She hasn't cried much since coming out," Fiona said. He laughed, deep and pleased.

"A true Wixx!" Fiona shushed him.

"Sweetheart. Are you able to close your eyes?" Amber tried. To her surprise, it worked. Her eyelids lowered, and for one blessed moment the blurry world went dark.

"Good. That's very good. Chelsea called you Amber. Would you like that to be your name? Or would you like the name I was planning for a girl, Hanna? Open your eyes for Amber. Keep them closed for Hannah." Amber would have totally gasped if her body would let her. This woman was brilliant. It was the tiniest bit of communication. A real choice. Amber also hated the name Hanna, so she opened her eyes as wide as she could manage. Through her poor vision, she watched Fiona smile down at her.

"Amber it is."

"Amber? Why did Chelsea call her Amber?" her new dad asked.

"They are apparently from the same world and knew each other. Lady Freya said she has a way of making it so we can talk to her."

"Still ludicrous to believe those two are together." He replied shaking his head. Chelsea was dating someone? A lady someone!? What the hell had Amber missed? Then another realization caught up with her, and she understood where she had just been before the screaming. Before the cold air first hit her and hands grabbed her.. She wished she could shudder. Fiona looked back down at Amber.

"The situation is going to seem weird. But keep in mind, you are a newborn and I am your mother." Amber did understand the concept of being someone's child. Not exactly groundbreaking. She wasn't sure why Fiona was explaining it with that much care. Then Fiona unclasped her shirt and revealed her left breast. Ah. That was what she meant.