Chapter Text
The tinted sky looms above the earth, filling with dark smoke. The smell of burning hellfire wafts through the air, acrid and unpleasant to those who gathered around to witness the grand manor burn to the ground.
The crowd whispered and murmured, some panicked while others merely stared, watching the embers dance through the air. It was an unfortunate sight to see such a lovely home get reduced to charred wood and hot stone, the memories and warmth held inside now gone into ashes.
"Papa!" A child wails out, cheeks flushed red and eyes glistening with tears. Tiny hands held onto the suit of their grandfather as he comforted them with his deep, rumbling voice, gently stroking his grandchild's hair. "It has been done, child," he spoke and held them closer against his chest. "You have done well."
Amidst the crowd a mother and her son runs to the house, only to be stopped by their neighbors. "Don't!" They warned, voices shaking with fear and helplessness. "It's too dangerous. The fire is too big—"
"My husband and daughter are in there!" The mother cried, desperately pushing away the barricade of people trying to prevent her from going further. The son, terrified and worried sick, tries to hold back his mother, his fists grasping at her floral dress. "Mama, stop it! We can't! You'll get hurt!"
Despite their warnings, the mother was persistent in saving her family. With a sharp tug, she successfully freed herself from the crowd's tight grip and ran to the front door. The rich mahogany, now a dark charcoal color, easily splintered from the weight of her body as she rammed against it and fell to the hardwood floor. She looked up, scanning the room through the dark smoke and bright flames until she spotted her husband.
"Desmond!" The mother yelled, scrambled to her feet, and reached out for him. His body was hot, unbearably so, and yet that didn't stop her from pulling him into her arms. "I'll get you outta here," the mother panted and staggered to the front door. The atmosphere was getting thick. It was getting difficult to breathe. But still, she continued, one heavy step at a time until she finally stepped onto the cement pavement—
"MAMA!"
She stopped. Her blood boiled as the flames engulfed her entire body as their home, once a safe sanctuary, collapsed into a burst of flames.
---
[Name] jolted awake as the truck hit a small bump on the road, causing her to hit the side of her head on the window.
"Aiyah, Bebè! I told you to stop leaning on the car window, didn't I?" Her Aunt Sherri warned as the woman reached out a bony hand and rubbed her head, feeling a bump starting to form. "Now, look at you. You have a bump on your head!"
[Name] sighed and gently brushed away her aunt's hand and turned to look outside the window, watching the buildings pass by. "It's fine, Auntie Sherri. It'll go away in a week, anyway." She replied, a hint of annoyance and boredom in her voice.
The truck slowed down before stopping in front of an apartment building, the tall structure casting a shadow over them. "Here's our stop," Soga, the one driving, called out from the front seat and turned to look at [Name], a frown on his face. "You seriously moving here, kid? It's... I mean, it's okay, but y'know..." He trailed off then glanced at the apartment complex.
It wasn't exactly the best and was definitely a downgrade compared to [Name]'s old home back in Naruhata. It looked cheap but decent enough for a small family to live in.
"It's better than living in that dangerous town," [Name]'s mother, Angeline, piped in and stepped out of the truck, clutching her purse close to her chest. "Come on, Bebè. Help me with the boxes."
[Name] nodded and followed her out of the truck. She heard Soga and Aunt Sherri chat as they helped Angeline unload the boxes of items from the truck bed. [Name] grabbed one of the smaller boxes with a yelp, not realizing that the contents would be a bit heavy for her.
Soga noticed her struggle and reached out to take the box from her. "Lemme handle that. Little girls like you shouldn't be carrying all that weight." He chuckled and turned away to enter the building. [Name] huffed and ran after him. "I'm no little girl, you green urchin! I can handle dumbbells bigger than you!"
"Yeah, if those dumbbells are made out of cotton." Soga retorted with a snort and stepped into the elevator with her. He pressed the button leading to the third floor and watched the doors close.
As they ascended slowly, [Name] idly scratched at her bandaged arm, fiddling with the fabric covering her wound. Soga noticed this and immediately stopped her with a flick on her forehead. "Didn't Pop tell you to stop doing that? You gotta let it heal." He scolded with a sigh. [Name] just stuck her tongue out and argued. "It's not gonna heal if it's already rotting."
Soga rolled his eyes just as the doors of the elevator opened once more. "Whatever."
He stepped out and walked down the hallway until he stopped in front of the door labeled '304'. With the key she held in her hand, [Name] leaned forward and inserted it into the keyhole of the doorknob, and with a twist, the door creaked open.
"Creepy," she commented, stepping inside the dark apartment. "It's dark in here."
Soga rolled his eyes and pushed past her to get to the living room. "Turn on the lights then, dingus." He replied while setting down the boxes he carried. When [Name] turned on the lights, Soga finally managed to see the insides of the apartment. Bare, white walls, wood floors, and a small kitchen attached to the living room. "Neat."
[Name] ran to the nearest bedroom and turned on the lights there. "Soga, look! My new bedroom!" She called out and pointed inside it. Soga went over to her to check out the room for himself and saw... absolutely nothing special. "What about it?" He asked, "It's just a room."
"Yeah, but look how big it is! It's so much bigger than my old room." [Name] giggled, going over to the closet and flinging the door open. "Lots of space for my dresses, too!"
Soga just chuckled and went back to the living room just as Angeline and Aunt Sherri finally got to the apartment. "Really spacious, Angeline," Aunt Sherri commented with an impressed smile on her face. "How'd you even find this? It's so cheap yet so nice and comfy."
Angeline shrugged and set down a box on the kitchen counter before she started to take out the contents: plates and utensils. "Mrs. Haimawari helped me find it online. She's the one we should be praising."
Aunt Sherri chuckled and walked over to where Soga was standing and patted him on the shoulder. "Well? What're you standing there for? Let's get a move on." She said, heading back to the hallway of the building. "We still have a whole lotta boxes to unload."
Soga snapped back to reality and nodded, immediately running after the old woman. "R-Right. Coming!"
---
In just a few hours, the four of them managed to unpack everything and put them where they need to be.
Soga and Aunt Sherri had long since left to go back to Naruhata, leaving [Name] and Angeline alone in their new home. While her mother was working in the kitchen, making their dinner, [Name] sat in her new room, staring at the farewell gifts her friends back in Naruhata gave her.
'Good luck with middle school, little lady!' Teruo, Ichimoku, and Jube wrote on a pink card. It was accompanied by a blank notebook, a Hello Kitty pen, and a picture of the three older boys smiling at the camera. [Name] smiled as she stared at the picture, tracing the frame of the polaroid.
The other gifts were from Kazuho and Koichi. One was a Pop★Step merch jacket and the other was a limited edition All Might hoodie. Their gifts came with a shared card reading:
'Stay safe in the big city. Don't forget to call me! -Big Sis Pop'
It was then followed by Kazuho's phone number.
[Name] set the card aside and grabbed the Pop★Step jacket, holding it close as she buried her face into the soft fabric. It smelled sweet and fragrant, Kazuho's perfume still clinging to the piece of clothing and bringing [Name] some comfort.
"I should've asked Big Sis Pop what cologne she uses," she sighed and flopped back on her bed, mismatched [Eye Color] and gold eyes looking up at the white ceiling. "It smells good. And pretty."
Suddenly, Angeline called out from the kitchen, announcing that it was time for dinner. [Name] immediately leapt from the comfort of her bed and scurried out of her room, the familiar smell of broccoli and ground pork wafting under her nose.
"Mama, is that my favorite?" She asked, hastily sitting at the dinner table and grabbing her spoon. Angeline nodded with a smile and sat beside her daughter. "Of course, it is. Thought that making something familiar will help us settle into our new home." The woman replied and reached out to ruffle [Name]'s long, [Hair Color] hair. "Eat lots and get to sleep soon. We'll be meeting new neighbors tomorrow."
[Name] nodded enthusiastically and dug into her meal, shoveling rice and the side dish into her mouth.