My Reincarnation as a Chicken

“Want to go to the Karaoke place later today?”

“This ice cream is so good.”

“LOL, your hair’s totally out of trend. Change it.”

“Akira? I could never date you. I can’t believe you actually thought about that.”

“I don’t like you, Maya.”

“Ugh, you again? Stop bothering us, Maya. You’re too young for this.”

“B-But, Akane came along with you the last time.”

Voices echoed in her head, playing like a broken record over and over again, driving Maya insane. She held her head and screamed with as much strength as she could muster, hoping it would distract her a little bit from the pain.

It turned dead silent, prompting her to stop screaming and slowly open her eyes. She noticed she was on a cracked pavement with some symbols scribbled all over the floor. She looked around and noticed men in a black robes, holding books in their hands and muttering somethings. There were men dressed up as knights with spears in hands, standing behind the pillars of the place. Up, was a hole, leading to the sky where she saw birds flying across.

“Iksu creve nasi crox duk.”

A voice echoed in the room. She looked up, only to see three new people enter the room. They were so far back she could only make out their silhouettes. A man and two teenage girls. One of the girls approached Maya. When she got closer, her features became more visible.

She was a beautiful teenager, not much older than 12. She had blonde pleated hair with a tiara on her head and large blue sparkly eyes like a gem. Her face was so doll-like it was unnatural and her very presence carried the air of a princess. She wore a lovely yellow gown with rose designs at the bottom and a symbol – two swords through a crown - on the chest.

‘A kid?’

She stretched out her gloved hand to Maya gently.

“Je m’appelle Jeanne D’Arc. Qu’est-ce qui est a toi?”

“W-What?”

“Hmm? Je ne crois pas avoir deja entendu un nom comme Nenani.”

“Is that French you’re speaking? What’s happening? How’d I get here?”

“Hein? Quelle langue est-ce?”

“W-Where am I?”

The girl looked back and shook her head slowly. She retracted her hand then walked back to the man. In the man’s tongue, she spoke.

“I do not know what language she speaks. It is not the same dialect as mine.”

“Another one? Damn it…”

“But it does resemble the boy, Hiro’s native tongue. I believe you are fluent with it, sir?”

“The Imperial Language? Very well. Send her to her quarters for now. Put the binding spell on her, in case she is too dangerous.”

The men started to chant once again. The scribbles on the ground started to glow, forming weird tangible looking lines in the air. Too scared to move, Maya could only watch in shock as these lines came over her. They tied themselves across her neck and pinned her down to the ground, arcs of lightning kept dancing on her body.

It felt like she was being choked by actual lightning. Maya could not help, but scream in complete pain. The three who entered the room left without saying so much as a word.

_________________________________

After the whole incident from before, Maya was carried away to a room quickly. She noticed that she was being sent through large hallways with guards on each and every corner, large marbled floors and pillars, portraits and statues of people who looked like nobles, relics that were put on display on pedestals and flags which bore a symbol. A sword, a spear, a shield, a staff and a bow, all rounded up by a crown, with a wolf under it, like it was wearing it.

‘I’m in a castle!’

She concluded.

Next was the room they dropped her off in. The women dressed in maid outfits went to work fast. They changed her out of a white robe she found herself in; she had no memory of ever being in a white robe before. She was promptly put into a red and black Gothic Lolita dress, a choker across her neck to hide the scars from the binding spell, puffy sleeves across her hands with rose-like designs around the skirt of her dress.

As soon as they were done, they shut the door behind them and left Maya to simply stare at a mirror in shock.

She had to admit that they were good. So good she could not even recognize the person she was looking at in the mirror.

On the real, all jokes aside, who the heck was in the mirror?

It was a cute child. She looked to be seven years old, had short black hair with the bangs falling to one side and silver eyes. Maya raised her hand up and so did the person in the mirror. She touched her face and so did the person in the mirror. Her face was soft and squishy. She moved her hands forward so she could see them. They were small, tiny hands that anyone would want to grab.

“W-Who’s body is this? What happened to me? I’m suddenly cuter, but a kid? Oh no. Where am I? Is this one of those things where they’ll transfer my brain into a different body? Like some kind of body exchange stuff? Holy… that must mean there’s someone out there in my body. Well, they can keep it if they want. It’s not my life was going so well anyway. Besides, living in a castle? I’ll get to dress up anyhow I want and no one will bother me! This the best!”

She yelled at the top of her voice and probed the room with excited eyes. There was the unbelievably huge closet that was filled to the brim with clothes. It was just as big as her room. The clothes were all of a sort of ancient style that intrigued her. Like the princesses from old times. She jumped out of the closet and went to the bed. It was large and comfy, with nice white sheets laid and a veil which had been drawn since it was day time. Several pillows were spread out on it. To the far end, there was a desk set up, but with nothing on it.

She looked out to the window doors that led to a private garden, a table had been set up with a tea party set. She wished to go check it out, but just then, the door leading to her room was opened.

From it, a maid came along with three children. A boy, and two girls – the blonde girl from before and another one. But Maya didn’t care about any of those. When she saw the boy, he was quite handsome in her eyes. He had silvery white hair, like hers, but with more luster. His eyes were a gradient crimson and his face, that of a young teenager about to peak. He was clothed in a fine tunic, under a sleeveless brown vest with diamond patterns and a crest to his left. His trousers were black and tight fitting, with brown shoes that had golden soles. And best of all, he looked Japanese.

Maya was only fifteen in her previous life, so seeing what looked like a fourteen year old still made her heart flutter. She had always told herself that she would like older guys, like those in universities, but she was ready to settle for the young man.

“Greetings. My name is Tatsumaki Hiro, of the Tatsumaki Clan. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

He swept his left hand in the air, kept his right hand to his back and bowed in a complete 90 degrees. Not a Japanese style of greeting, but one Maya would always see in western movies. Her heart kept thumping after seeing it. She almost couldn’t contain her excitement. He however cleared his throat and straightened up.

“Do you, understand me?”

The concern became visible on his face. Not wanting to make him feel bad, she immediately grabbed his free hand and nodded with a smile.

“Yes. I understand you. What a lovely voice you have.”

‘Urgh! Did I really just say that? What a lovely voice you have? That’s lame. Ah… why am I getting so flustered over a kid.’

Hiro grabbed her hands tightly and smiled innocently.

“Wonderful. She understands me. I’m so glad. You must have been confused, right?”

The ecstatic light in his eyes made Maya’s heart skip a beat.

‘I-Is this love?’

“Let me introduce you to my friends. This is Neburis.”

He pointed at the girl who was a bit shorter than him. She hard dark long straight her that touched her mid-back. She carried a scabbard to her side and had a menacing look in her black and white eyes. She was beautiful. Even with her eyes, Maya doubted her previous body would be a match for the girl. She also wore a tiara on her head unlike the blonde or Maya herself, she was in what looked like light battle gear with a symbol – a sword through a crown – on it. Her arms were crossed and her eyes scanned Maya like she were an object.

‘Dangerous! This one’s too dangerous!’

Maya found her hands shaking unconsciously. Hiro gripped them tighter to calm her down after noticing it. He then pointed to Neburis with a frown.

“Kiel radct sun mever ti.”

He said.

“Herhn? Sdut guls dain.”

Hiro then turned back to Maya.

“Don’t mind her. Neburis looks scary at times, but she’s actually very sweet.”

“Oh, so the tough big sister type.”

Maya accidentally said.

“Very much so.”

“Herhn? Elro dandi?”

Neburis asked a question.

“Nel.”

Hiro simply brushed it off and focused on Maya. Neburis kept poking his cheeks while he tried to talk to Maya.

“Next is Jeanne.”

He showed Maya to Jeanne. Jeanne waved at her and Maya internally grinned.

‘Keh… easy pickings.’

She said and waved at Maya. Jeanne got close to Maya and leaned in close to the girl’s ears.

‘More French? I don’t understand though.’

Jeanne whispered into Maya’s words.

“I will break all your bones, steal your soul and turn you into a lifeless husk if you dare to break up this perfect family.”

Jeanne said in perfect Japanese, causing Maya’s heart to sink.

‘S-She saw right through me.’

“Now act normally.”

Jeanne got back.

“Ok, so what’s your name?”

Hiro asked with an angelic smile.

“M-My name is… My name is… M-My name… name? I-I don’t remember. What was my name again?”