Chapter Text
The last thing Gorou thought he would see would be the face of his killer, a brief flash of his life, maybe the cliff face and the rocks that would be finishing the stalker’s job for him. Gorou, in his last few seconds, would regret not being able to see Hoshino Ai’s children; an operation that was supposed to be happening that night. Would never get to see the ultimate liar glow with genuine joy one more time.
Only, that wasn’t the last thing he saw. Sure, he remembers a blackness when he finally hit the ground—but it was like he just blinked, for in the next instant he would see Ai looking down at him, tired and exhausted in a way that Gorou had seen plenty in his life. He would try to rationalise what he was seeing, maybe there is an afterlife and his was seeing his idol’s joy, maybe his brain was trying to make up for the trauma of a fatal accident, maybe—
But his brain was sluggish, thoughts moving as if through a syrup, a feeling he hasn’t experienced since his years as a medical student. He knew his body felt weird (is this not a dream?), but he couldn’t place why. Ai looked so much larger than she had just an hour prior, looking down, down , down at him like he was small—
“Hoshino Aquamarine, my precious gem…” Ai spoke, the words registering far too slowly in Gorou’s brain. “Sensei was right, twins… two shining stars, all for me.”
…No, this has to be a dream. That would be the only thing that would make sense. Or, or he’s hallucinating, making up for the last moments of his life. Maybe—
“My adorable little girl~”
…Huh?
Gorou—Aqua could feel his, her?, vision fading before they could try to begin processing… whatever was happening.
Aqua— Gorou – Aqua is not proud to admit that it took her him almost a full year to accept what was happening. It felt like a bad sci-fi, or one of the YA novels that could be found at the small bookstore across from their apartment; rebirth. They she he had been reborn, reincarnated as Hoshino Ai’s daughter—somehow, and for some unknown reason.
Now that their brain didn’t feel like it was moving through thick molasses to try to process basic thought, the side effect of an adult soul being shoved into a newborn body with a newborn brain (they assume), they could finally start to accept the reality they’re being faced with, and also the implications that it leaves. They’ve had over a year to accept that, yes, they had been born as a girl, and how little that concept seems to grate against the perception of reality that they have.
(Though the use of she/her pronouns haven’t quite stuck, they’ll blame that on their inability to speak. As it is, Aqua Aqua Aqua can thank their mother and caretakers for reducing their name from ‘Aquamarine’ to ‘Aqua’. Aqua loves Ai, has for years and probably always will, especially now that she’s their mother. But it wouldn’t be a lie to say that she’s less than intelligent in certain topics.)
And if herTHEIR hunch is correct, they weren’t the only member of their family that had been reborn. Aqua’s eyes moved over to their sleeping brother. Their inability to talk has made it a… challenge to determine whether Hoshino Ruby, their sibling, had been reincarnated as well. But given their reactions to certain things, and the way they act, Aqua is fairly confident in their assumption that her twin was reborn.
Aqua found themselves wondering if reincarnation like this is common; it can’t be, or more people would know about it. The concept of reincarnation would have to be more mainstream. That the soul exists , and contains an individual’s memories? That alone would be more medical breakthroughs than Aqua had even considered possible.
And therein lies another problem—Aqua can comfortably admit how little they knew about gender identity. It wasn’t a topic much talked about, even among endocrinologists. But ever since Aqua could actually maintain conscious thought, they’d found themselves thinking about it more. How couldn’t they? The idea of the soul alone shatters what little about gender identity most established academia believes. Is the soul gendered, how does the soul affect brain chemistry or physiology, does brain chemistry and biology affect the soul?
The door to their little apartment opens; Aqua knows they’ll need to think more about this eventually, how their sex is going to affect their sense of self, how they’ll handle the societal expectations placed on them for being born a girl, but.
”Ruby~ Aqua~ Mommy’s home~”
…For now, they’ll let themselves sink into the thoughtless oblivion of infant-hood and spend time with their mom. Gorou never quite had a mother, and carried that guilt with him for his entire life. Aqua’s going to spend as much time with their mother as they can.
Even if seeing a seventeen year-old girl’s naked chest makes them feel like some kind of creep.