I think I should start by introducing myself. Hello! I am a soldier of the 34th Battalion of the Expeditionary Force, under the command of the Kingdom of Caelith, sent on a mission to establish an outpost for the Coalition forces in enemy territory. The mission was a complete failure. The camp was discovered and destroyed by the Empire's soldiers, forcing me to flee through the forest. But enemy troops found me, and after that... everything is a blur.
Now, you're probably thinking: "But soldier of the 34th Battalion of the Expeditionary Force under the command of the Kingdom of Caelith, what's your name?" Well… why don't you tell me?! Because this is the 202nd time I've retold this story, and I still can't remember what my name is!
Alright, calm down. Deep breath.
The last thing I remember after being chased by those soldiers is waking up to strange people staring at me like I was some kind of animal. Oh, and there's one tiny little detail I almost forgot to mention... I turned into a baby. Yes, you heard that right, a BABY! I'm not messing with you. A damn baby. And to top it all off, I have absolutely no clue where I am.
It's been two weeks since that bizarre transformation, and an old gob— I mean, lady— took me in. Well, if you can even call it that. She brought me to this isolated wooden cabin on top of a hill, which I'm guessing is her home. For the last two weeks, I've been confined to a crib, and don't even ask me how she manages to—
"Your milk is ready! Time to eat!"
'No! No! Get that bowl away from me! I'm not drinking that green stuff again! Let me go, you crazy old hag! Hel—'
"Gah! Gah! G—" Glug glug glug
"There, there, now burp."
BUUUURP
"Such a healthy burp!"
Ugh. That green slime you call milk is going to be the end of me! And now what? Are you just going to leave me in this crib while you go about your day?
...
"Hmm. It's been two weeks... Well, I think it's about time"
She picks me up with those unnaturally long arms, and I start squirming, desperate to break free from her grip.
'Good time for what? What are you doing? Why are you lifting me?! Put me down!'
To my surprise, she actually does. She gently places me on the floor beside the crib, pats me on the head twice, and walks away...
'???'
Who in their right mind leaves a two-week-old baby on the floor?! Well, I guess look more like a one-year-old, but still!
...
On the bright side... I'm free! That's what I would say if it weren't for these chubby little arms and legs. Seriously, how do babies survive like this? It's been two minutes, and I can't even move properly. Every time I try to stand—
Thud
Waaaaah!
Yeah, I fell. And now I'm crying. Being a baby really sucks.
After what feels like an hour of struggling, I finally crack the mystery of crawling on the floor! Muahahaha! Now nothing can stop me! Not even you, squishy little limbs! ...I haven't talked to anyone in ages, leave me alone.
Anyway, now that I can move, I can finally explore the place. It's not huge, but for a cabin deep in the forest, it's pretty cozy. A bit cluttered, though. There are things piled up from floor to ceiling. And the candles everywhere? That's definitely a fire hazard. Also, why isn't there an open window?
After crawling around for a while, I notice a large mirror and crawl over to it. For the first time, I get a good look at myself.
Yep, I'm a baby alright. Soft, chubby, and... well, there's not much to say. But since you insist, I'll add a bit more detail. My eyes are a deep, vibrant purple—no mistaking that. My skin is pale, like really pale. I have short black hair, and... wait, are those scales on my legs? And instead of feet, I have... hooves? Um, okay, let's just move past that.
There's also some kind of mark on my forehead, like a symbol or a letter. I try rubbing it off, but it doesn't budge. So, I guess it's here to stay. Not to brag, but overall, I'm a pretty adorable baby.
Thud
Suddenly, I hear something fall. I look to the right and see the old witch—uh, lady—sitting at a table, writing something. She hasn't even noticed the ink bottle that just hit the floor.
I crawl over, trying to get her attention. 'You dropped it! Here, take it!'
"Gah? Gah?"
...Right, babies can't talk. Fantastic.
At least my failed attempt gets her attention. She looks at me and says.
"Oh, did you pick up my inkwell, little one? Very kind of you. Come here"
Wait, no! I just wanted to help with the ink! I didn't mean for you to pick me up!
Despite my protests, she lifts me onto her lap and goes right back to writing. Watching her, I notice that the mark on my forehead looks similar to the symbols she's scribbling. Did she write this on me? But why?
Eventually, I get so tired that I fall asleep right there on her lap.
.
.
.
Six days have passed, and the routine is pretty much the same. I wake up, choke down that disgusting green goo, crawl around the cabin, and watch the old lady—who I've learned is named "Mama Huiya"—write for hours until I fall asleep. Life as a baby is... monotonous.
But one thing's been bothering me: I still don't have a name! It's been almost three weeks, and she hasn't called me anything other than "little thing." That's just unacceptable.
While I'm stewing over this, Mama Huiya suddenly stops writing and says.
"You're getting quite old, aren't you?"
Uh, what? I'm three weeks old!
"Gah?"
"And you're a bit chubby, too" She adds, poking my belly.
Excuse me?! You're the one stuffing me with that slimy goo!
'Gah! Gah!'
She ignores my protests, of course. Being unable to speak is the worst.
"Tomorrow will be a special day, so you'd better get some sleep tonight, little one"
'What!? I'm not ready for bed! You can't just— Hey!'
Despite my protests, the crib claims me once again, and that overwhelming wave of tiredness knocks me out.
'Curse this baby stamina...'
.
.
.
The next day finally arrives, and sure enough, something's different. Mama Huiya didn't come to feed me this morning. In fact, I haven't seen her all day.
Growl
And even though I ate a ridiculous amount yesterday, I feel like I haven't eaten in weeks. Stupid baby metabolism! Hours pass, and I start to wonder...
'Did she abandon me?'
A sudden wave of sadness hits me, and I can't hold back the tears.
Sniff!
Tears pour down my cheeks, soaking the blanket beneath me. Why am I crying? I barely know this woman! We haven't even exchanged words! So why do I feel so...
Sniff!
"Ow, did you miss me?" A familiar voice snaps me out of my sorrow. Before I can even react, a pair of large hands scoop me up.
"The preparations took longer than I expected, but everything is ready now," she says. After a few minutes, she carries me toward the door.
Wait, what? Are we leaving?
I know it's only been three weeks, but it feels like an eternity since I last saw the outside world. I can't help but feel emotional as we step outside.
It's nighttime, and the full moon illuminates the world enough for me to see that, to the left of the hill where Mama Huiya's house stands, there's a large village down below, with at least a hundred wooden and straw houses. But I don't think I'd need the moonlight to see the tribe, since it's completely lit up with lamps. Is it some kind of festival?
It seems I'll never know, though, because that's not where we're headed. Instead, we're going in the opposite direction, deeper into the forest. Mama Huiya says nothing, so I remain silent too, just watching the mystical scenery of the forest at night.
After a few minutes of walking quietly, we arrive at a clearing with a small lake in the center. To my surprise, Mama Huiya continues walking into the water and only stops when she reaches the very center.
"Little thing," she says slowly, catching my attention. I look directly at her face, sensing this is something important.
"You don't know, but today is a special day for the tribe. It's a day when families with young children bathe under the moonlight to receive its blessing, so the children may grow strong and healthy."
I'd noticed for some time now that, even though her eyes are clearly blind, they possess a glow I've never seen anywhere else.
"Normally, this would be done in the village with the others, but you wouldn't be accepted there," she explains, her tone tinged with melancholy. But there's something more—disappointment, perhaps?
"Besides, I'm too old to take on the role of a mother, but I can still be your guardian for a while."
I stare at her, confused, unable to understand what's happening.
"Very well. Let the moon and the beasts be our witnesses. From this day forward, and forevermore, you will be Phoebe,"
For a moment, the forest falls utterly silent. No crickets, no distant roars, not even the rustling of leaves in the wind make a sound, as if the entire forest acknowledges the importance of this moment.
"I hope now you can begin…" She pauses before continuing. "Listen carefully. When you arrived in that crib and I looked at you, I saw a deep darkness within your soul, a soul abandoned for far too long, even if you don't realize it."
She stops, giving me a moment to absorb her words, which seem to carry much more weight than they should. For reasons I can't explain, my eyes begin to well up with tears.
"I don't know what brought you here, little one, but I couldn't leave such a wounded soul to face its fate alone. I know you can understand what I'm saying, and I want you to know—you are not alone anymore."
She pauses again, this time to catch her breath, as if these words are the heaviest she's ever spoken.
"And that's why, under the light of the moon, I offer you a name, so you can be reborn and leave the wounds of the past behind. To begin anew"
The moment stretches out, feeling like hours, though in reality, only seconds have passed.
"Do you accept?" she asks, gazing deeply into my tear-filled eyes, as though expecting a real answer from a baby.
'I-I accept!'
Comically, the baby i'm question manages a answer. Even through tears and sobs, barely able to form a sentence in their mind, the message somehow manages to be conveyed.
"Good. No matter what happened in the past, move forward, Phoebe."
Mama Huiya embraces me as I cry. I must admit, I hadn't fully believed any of it—the whole turning-into-a-baby thing. I was treating it like some sort of dream, clinging to the hope that any moment now, I'd wake up back at the camp. But no. Now I realize this is far too real, and I have to accept that my old life is over, and something new is beginning now.
With that thought, I drift into the dream world, knowing that nothing will ever be the same again.
.
.
.