When I opened my eyes, everything was blinding and bright. I felt a surge of emotion from inside me. I wanted to cry, and, unable to control myself, I let it rip. "Uwahh, wah wahhh!" I cried. I was a baby. It seems the whole reincarnation thing wasn't a dream after all. And to top it off, Ariel hadn't lied to me. I really did have all the memories of my past life.

I won't screw it up. This is my second chance, and this world needs me. As I thought this and continued to cry, the woman holding me rushed over to hand me to another person.

She put me in the arms of another woman who was lying in the bed. She had black hair and cerulean eyes that were filled with depth. She was beautiful. Though not in the same way as Ariel. Then again, it probably wasn't that fair to compare her with a literal angel. She looked young but mature at the same time.

"Aww, hello there, my little boy. I'm your mom! Can you say mama?" she cooed. As she talked she stroked my head. I felt my crying subside, replaced by awe. Her voice was soft and sweet. One word came to mind, Precious. She was precious.

"Let me see the scamp, honey!" Another voice called from the distance. She handed me off to someone else and I felt my urge to cry come up again. The face I was met with this time was much less beautiful than that of the faces id seen ln before it.

It was that of a young man. He wasn't ugly by any stretch of the imagination. His features were rugged, however. You could tell even at a glance that he was strong and dependable. He had the same depth to his eyes that my mother contained. What is that I see in them?

"Oh boy, it seems you have gotten your mother's cute face, but don't you worry son of mine! I'll make sure you become a right strong man!" He was loud and his voice was deep. One word could describe him too, obnoxious.

I started crying again.

"Rynard, you dolt! You can't be all loud with him like that!" my mother said and suddenly I felt a chill down my spine. It was due to an air that exuded bloodlust. If I didn't know any better, I'd think I was a rabbit alone in the woods, with a wolf right behind me, waiting to lunge.

"I'm sorry about that honey, I am, I'm just so excited for my little man!" He gave me a look of desperation, one that had "Save me from your mother's wrath!" written all over it. You did this to yourself, obnoxious daddy! Don't come to hide behind me, you married the beast, so you deal with her! I'm too young to die damn it! I guess I was gonna have my work cut out for me on this one. Despite this scenario, I felt like my parents seemed like good people.

I wonder if I took the place of their child's soul... I thought to myself. It seemed unlikely given the explanation I heard, but it wasn't entirely impossible. I'll have to make up for it by doing my best to save this world. For Ariel! Her beauty had won my heart... I think.

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From then on, things were boring and time seemed to move at a crawl. Being a baby was a huge limitation, while I could understand what my parents were saying, probably due to my intelligence stat being so high, I still couldn't read or write. On top of that, I still needed to learn to walk. I wanted to get up in the middle of the night to crawl out of my crib and explore the house, but they always shut my door and the doorknob was too high for me to reach.

Damn these underdeveloped legs! I exclaimed. I also couldn't talk yet. Any time I tried it would just come out as incoherent babbling.

Soon enough though, I finally got myself walking and that night I knew it was time for me to conquer my first boss!

I waited till all the lights were turned off to finally make my move. Stealthily, I climbed out of my crib and landed on the ground, cushioned by a pillow I left there earlier that day.

Despite the darkness, I'd been through this dungeon before, and I knew all its twists and turns. As I approached the mammoth-like monstrosity that was my bedroom door, I quivered in anticipation. Realizing that just my standing height alone wasn't going to be enough, I grabbed the chair that my mother sat in when she watched me sleep during evening naps. I carefully dragged it to my door, and then clambered up it with all the guile of a rock.

As I stood up on the chair, beads of sweat formed on my brow. I was mere centimeters away from my goal, my excitement palpable. Just then, the knob turned.

Aw, crap. I thought to myself. My father pushed the door open as if the chair wasn't even there and just like that, I was toppled over, my tower completely ruined, and my spirits dashed.

As I fell, I heard a man's voice cry out "What the" getting cut off as I hit the ground with a soft thud. Damn it, I can't die here not like this!

But it was too late my consciousness was fading. I'm sorry Ariel, I have failed you... To my surprise, though, nothing happened. The fall hurt, sure, but I felt fine. My dad had entered the room, tearing everything I had built till now to shambles. Damn you, Obnoxious One!

His face was a ghastly white until he realized I was fine. Then he laughed. "Bahaha, that's my son alright! Tough as nails!" he exclaimed as he slapped his bicep with his hand while flexing. Oh god, here we go. Perhaps I should sic mom on him. Yes, ill do exactly that. Feel the burning flames of my revenge! I looked him dead in the eyes, then began wailing.

"Oh no, nonono, shhhh daddy's here, Alex, daddy's here. Please don't wake your mama, she'll kill me!" he pleaded, but it was too late.

We both felt that all-too-familiar aura. But this time it wasn't directed at me. "And just why, exactly, do you think you deserve to die?" she called out to him, rhetorically. Then she shoved past my father and I made as much of an effort to look as hurt as possible. I win this round, Obnoxious One!

"Oh my! Alex! Are you hurt, what happened? Don't worry, mom's got you now!" She glared daggers at my father. "What did you do to our precious child, you oaf!"

"How was I supposed to know he'd be waiting right behind the door? He built a whole chair tower and everything! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, Alex! Please forgive me!" he begged, prostrating himself.

My mother took me to my crib and set me back down gently, then kissed me on my forehead and left the room, dragging the chair in one hand, and my father's ear in the other. Note to self, never get on her bad side. I thought to myself. With my attempt to escape thwarted and my chair removed, I had no way of getting back out there. Exhausted already, I drifted to sleep...