Chereads / Ninjago: Path of the Realms / Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Birth of a Hero?

Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Birth of a Hero?

When Xavier regained consciousness, he wasn't quite able to grasp what was going on, his brain only able to understand some of the information it was taking in. He found that he couldn't move or speak, at least not the way he was used to. His body felt small, weak and limited, and around him, he could barely make out shapes and faces of other people around him. He didn't remember how he got here, and panicking under the confusion, Xavier began flailing his arms and legs: only when the unfortunate reincarnate heard a familiar androgynous voice, did he remember what was going on.

"Hope you're having fun, Xav. You're in a new world now, so you have to start over from scratch. You'll get to keep your consciousness though, but it might take you a bit to adjust."

Xav tried to turn his head towards what he assumed was the orb, but found his neck muscles weren't strong enough to keep him moving from any which way, and being reminded of his death and subsequent humiliation in the void didn't do much to assuage his panic. As he tried to talk and move, only a loud wailing noise came out, and his addled brain finally got a grasp on what was happening: he had just been born as a child! He supposed it wasn't that unexpected, considering that he was being reincarnated into a new world, but he had been hoping that it would be one of those versions where he was put in directly with his body and mind intact, not a complete do-over, especially in a world where he didn't understand what was going on. As if reading his mind, the orb seemed to respond to his thoughts almost directly.

"You won't fully get a grasp on what's happened to you for a while, since your body and brain have to adjust to your soul, but because of our contractual obligations, we can ensure that your consciousness will persist regardless of the effects or rules of whatever universe you come in, including this one. I am curious to see if you'll handle this as violently as you tried to in the void though, that's got to be a real riot."

Xav could only cry more as his anger welled up inside him, and the people he couldn't quite place before now became visible and comprehensible to him as midwife and a couple of assistants, now trying to rock his small body a bit and put him to sleep. It took a while, but eventually, the strong feelings of anxiety, anger, and confusion subsided, leaving him only with a tired ache. Without the voice there to guide him, Xav knew he had no chance of changing things right now: his only option would be to wait, and try and find a way to negotiate and potentially get back when he saw the orb again, or at least, try and negotiate for a better deal with it if he could. Right now though, he had no power to speak of.

Now that he had calmed down, Xavier was able to more accurately get a look around the room, and he saw that the leading midwife passed him over to the woman he assumed to be his mother from this world. Though everyone here had eastern clothing and the room seemed to be furnished in the same style, his new mother also had bright green eyes and red hair, with a splash of freckles across her nose, an uncommon combination in his home world. Her face seemed full of energy despite having just given birth, and she gave Xavier, who in her eyes, was nothing more than her newborn child, a beautiful smile of joy.

"It's such a relief to see you come out alright….. I was so worried something would go wrong. Thank you so much for helping me out, Lara."

One of the midwives nodded, and Xavier guessed she'd have to be a friend of hers.

"Well, I'm glad that everything went well, but aren't you forgetting something rather important? What's this boy's name going to be?"

Xavier saw his new mother smile, and before revealing a thoughtful expression.

"Hmmm… well, I guess there was one name I was considering. Xavier seemed to be just right for him now that I get a look, don't you think?"

Xavier would have counted his lucky stars he at least to keep his first name, but something told him that this was probably part of the deal, or the system, or whatever it was that this reincarnation mess ran on. Still, the familiarity let him relax a little, and the baby Xavier began to feel a grogginess come over himself. He sighed internally; his young body couldn't handle all this crying and flailing on top of the general excitement, and he was feeling the weight of the situation on himself now. His mother couldn't help but notice this, and began to rock her son to sleep gently. He supposed he could spare some rest for himself, considering everything he'd gone through, but Xav couldn't get that thought out of the back of his head.

"I'm stuck as a baby, I don't know anything about the world I've been put in, and on top of all that, it seems like I may not be getting any special bonus in this world… if I want to get respect in this world, and not end up a useless lowlife like I did in my first life, I'm going to have to find ways to change that. Whatever sick game that orb is playing with me, I promise I'm going to win."