60 Hide and seek?

Big bro, it's scary here." I tug at Aengus's sleeve while I take a look around. The room is dark and many technical devices are blinking and beeping all over the place. 

"I know Seria, but it's also exciting! How often do you have the chance to take a look at the lab of a mad scientist?" Aengus pulls me with him to explore the room. 

We are at the Cygnus property. Our parents -disposed- of us here. They had too much work to do after I told daddy what I knew about the void, which wasn't much. He ran off and wasn't seen since. 

Mom also wasn't able to keep an eye on us. Neither were our grandparents. Seems like planning an all out war is really time consuming. So Celes dropped us off at the Cygnus property for Margerie to take care of us. 

Celes's isn't of the opinion that we could be left alone. Though I believe it would have been more safe at the palace.... 

Right after we met Margerie, who really looks like a mad scientist, Aengus and I fled to inspect the big mansion. 

Margerie was busy with instructing an employee and we took the opportunity. 

It was really hard to evade all those servants and other people. It seems to be a busy place. Though we found a few deserted rooms which seem to function as a research lab. 

"Look! That device looks cool, doesn't it?" Aengus grabs something which looks like a mechanical spider from a table. 

"I wouldn't touch anything in here. It could be dangerous." I warn my brother, who seems a little impulsive to me. I know, I lost many of my memories and my parents think that I am childish. But I still have my head together! 

"Booh. Cheapskate. I can't believe I have a little sister like that...." Aengus puts the spider back. 

"To imagine that I would be called little sister... I am the BIG SIS!" It's humiliating! I am surely older than this upstart youngster!

"Oooh? But I am a year older than you!" Aengus answers high and mighty. 

"That's just physical. What's important is the mental age! And from that perspective you are looking at one of the oldest beings in the multiverse! Be honoured!" I refuse to give up an inch of my dignity! 

"Oh? Being that old doesn't really count if you don't remember much of it." Aengus makes a point. 

"I remember at least the important stuff! For example that you promised to help me if I would save you. So where is your respect to your saviour high and mighty hero?" I look up into my brother's eyes without flinching. 

"Urgh... you won that one, but don't overdo it!" -Aengus 

We continue to inspect the room, but there is just too much stuff here. It's more like a mountain of collected garbage. 

Suddenly the door flies open and Margerie storms inside. "Found you!" 

"Run Bro! Whoever gets caught is a slow turtle!" I storm up to Margerie, who tries to catch me, but I drop myself to the floor and slide over the ground. Margerie tries to grab me but she is too slow. Aengus uses the distraction to slip past her and the next second we are outside and on the run. 

"Hold it! No running in the corridors!" Margerie calls after us but she is too slow. 

Suddenly a big busted rabbit girl appears out of nothing before me and I collide with her leg. "Ouf!" I am thrown backwards and land on my ass. 

"So cute! It's a little version of Celes! Too bad that you don't have the horns and the tail yet." I get grabbed by the girl and hugged to her chest. What's wrong with those things! Does she have a little bit of cow in her genes too!? 

I try to fight myself free but then I realize that Aengus got caught by a cat-woman and dangles in the air, held by the neck. 

"They tricked us sis! This was a pre-planned ambush!" -Aengus 

Seconds later Margerie arrives at the scene, panting like dying any moment. "...Sandra..... Tanja..... good.... that..... you.... caught.... them." 

"Seriously Margerie? Why did you agree to babysit for people whose children have higher physical abilities than you?" Tanja complains about Margeries lack of forethought. 

"....but …. that's.... why ….. I …. invited.... you..." Margerie lies down on the floor to catch her breath. 

"Seriously! But it's still nice to meet the offspring of our old school comrades. They were so busy in the recent time. I would have liked it if we had seen each other more often." Sandra hugs me even tighter. 

"I always wanted to meet the goddess Seria. That's why I came." Tanja goes with the blunt truth. 

"I am not sure if I can really live up to that reputation." I answer with a concerned voice. 

"Aw... no problem. I am Sandra Andros and that's Tanja Morden. We are friends of your parents. Say? Do you want to play with my kids? They are a little younger than you, but they are also an active bunch." Sandra takes me under one arm and carries me off, without asking for my opinion. 

My captor starts to walk through the corridor while she talks about uninteresting stuff. After a few corners we arrive at the living room, where a blonde guy is waiting in a sofa. 

Five kids are playing cards on the ground. "Ah, I see you caught them!" 

We are put in front of the other kids, who stare at us..... 

Not being able to cope with the silence I try start a conversation. "Hi, I am Seria and that's my brother Aengus!" I introduce myself. 

"I am Yondus, and those are my brother and sisters Gustav, Monika, Evel and Sarah." One of the kids takes the lead. 

"Wow... Quite the big family already? Your parents must be hard workers!" Aengus bursts out. 

But Yondus drops his head while the others put on a disturbed expression. "That's what everybody thinks, but it's a trait of our bloodline to have many children. In fact mom got all of us in the same go. Though normally it's just twins or triplets." 

"Holy shit! Five at the same time! That must hurt like hell!" Now I burst out and everyone looks at me with a shocked expression. 

"What?" Don't look at me like that! 

"Oh, it's just that we had another image of the goddess in our heads. I am Sven by the way. I am Sandra's husband." 

"Haven't I seen you guys at my parent's marriage? So what are you guys doing now? The last time I saw you, you just graduated." The memory just came to me like a flashback. 

"Oh, Sven is in the army and in the process to work his way up. Tanja is doing something like spying and other secret activities. I am taking care of the kids while I manage my family's estate." 

Sandra explains in short words. 

"And your brother Margerie? I think I saw him too at the party. Wasn't he with a nice little wolf-girl?" -Me 

Margerie answers with a disdainful voice. "He dropped the whole family business on me and ran off with that bitch. It's hard on a family if the only heir doesn't want to take responsibility and prefers to live in the woods with his girlfriend." 

I nod. Obviously there is a more complicated story behind it, but Margerie doesn't want to talk about it. 

Then it hits me again and I point at Sandra and Sven. "Oh! Now I remember! I think I saw you guys at my parents marriage party! You were already so lovey dovey back then. I couldn't resist and blessed Sandra with fertility." 

I hit my fist into my open palm. 

Now everyone's mouth is standing open while they look at me. 

"What? I am a goddess of life and death. Doing stuff like that is my job." I smirk at Sven who started to mutter incomprehensible stuff to himself. 

Sandra grins at me. "Oh, I have to thank you then. If it weren't for the children, he wouldn't have married me." 

I give Sandra a thumbs up and smile at the quintuples, who are staring at me with big round eyes.