Firecracker: The 99th Games Book One

District 13, Part 1

"Fuyu, we're here."

Fuyuko snorted as she was shaken awake, mumbling to herself. "...Five more minutes..."

"You sure you wanna keep your mama waitin' any longer?" Asahi's voice asked cheekily.

...Mama?

Fuyuko shot up, alert. Eyes bursting with excitement, she scrambled out of her seat and ran for the nearest exit from the train, grinning from ear to ear.

MAMA! Racing out of the train, Fuyuko scanned the growing crowd on the platform. She recognized Hinata and his siblings off to one side, yelling in excitement. Laurel had taken over another corner of the platform, shouting and sobbing in glee as she held a small, brunet boy close to her chest. Haruka was crying with a young brunette girl and two adults, clearly thrilled.

WHERE IS SHE...?! "Mama?! Mama!"

"Fuyukka?!"

There she was. Fuyuko whirled towards the sound of her beloved mother's voice and saw Tora standing with a crowd of other women, her hands over her mouth. Face contorting, pale as a sheet, Tora stumbled away from the other women and ran towards her daughter. Fuyuko bolted the rest of the way, flinging herself into her mother's arms. Tora barely caught her before they both tumbled onto the floor.

"Fuyukka!" Tora cried. "F-Fuyukka...Fuyukka, I-I was worried sick, I-I missed you so much...! Oh, Fuyukka!"

"Mama!" Fuyuko buried her face in her mother's chest, weeping. "I'm here! I'm back, Mama, I-I made it back to you...! I-I promised I'd be back...!"

Tora snuggled Fuyuko as close as she could, audibly crying. "I...th-the longer you were gone, th-the more scared I was...never again, alright, Fuyukka...?! Y-you can never, ever, ever leave me again!"

"I won't," Fuyuko insisted. "I-I won't, Mama, I won't..."

For a while, they both went quiet. Fuyuko hugged Tora as close as she could for as long as she could, desperate to confirm for herself she was finally safe, finally free. The rebellion had been staged. The message was sent. Her role was done now, right...? She could go back to being a normal kid. Or at least...

...Back to my semblance of normal. Her work wasn't done, was it...? It was never done. The longer she lay on the ground with her mother, the more strangely tired Fuyuko grew; she'd been rescued out of the fire, yes, but returning to the frying pan wasn't exactly comfortable.

But...I'm back with Mama. I have her back. I'm not dead, I made it home, and...

Frowning worriedly, she sat up at last, helping Tora to her feet and being immediately pulled back into a hug. She scanned the crowds for anyone who looked like her boys.

...The Ionicas did make it, right? Is--is their dad here? Is their mama here?

Are they even alive...?

Suddenly concerned, Fuyuko took Tora's hands and started back towards the train. Tora gripped her hands back, tugging her closer.

"F-Fuyukka, w-where are you going?" she asked shakily. "P-please, just stay here, I-I need you..."

"I know," Fuyuko assured. "You can come with me. I just wanna go check on the boys who helped me escape, 'kay...? They...they got really hurt, a-and I wanna know if they made it..."

"Boys?" Tora echoed, frowning. "Y-you met boys? More than one? W-were they good to you? H-have I met them? I swear, Fuyukka, y-you're just too pretty for your own good..."

Fuyuko blushed, shifting uncomfortably. Did she not watch the Games...? ...I guess she probably wouldn't have wanted to. She wouldn't have wanted to see me in danger. It woulda been too much for 'er.

"They're good boys," she assured gently. "You wanna meet 'em? I talked about you a lot, they'll probably be excited to see you."

Tora hesitated, glancing down at the floor. "I'm--n-not really prepared to meet anyone right now, F-Fuyukka. Y-you just got back. Can't you just...s-stay with me a bit longer?"

"I don't even know if they're alive, Mama," Fuyuko insisted, concerned. "I just wanna check on 'em. Please?"

Tora bit her lip, nervous. She squeezed Fuyuko's hands, not speaking as she considered the risks, but the frightened look on her face said everything.

Fuyuko sighed through her nose, squeezing her mother's hands back. "...Okay, Mama. We can go meet 'em later. I'll...ask Asa to check on 'em for me."

A look of relief instantly came over Tora's face. She nodded, pulling Fuyuko into a tight hug again. "...O-okay. Thank you, Fuyukka. You can tell me all about them in the meantime."

Fuyuko nodded. "...Were you okay?" she asked quietly. "Without me, I mean?"

"...I...am much better with you," Tora replied carefully. "S-Sachi and Tomomi did a good job of tending to me, but th-they are not my daughter."

Fuyuko let out a relieved breath, smiling to herself. "I-I'm glad they took good care o' you, at least. I'm back now, okay?"

She paused, drawing away slightly so she could look up at Tora. "...C-can you smile for me...?"

Tora stared down at her, eyes wavering. Chuckling slightly, she grinned down at her daughter, one of her rare, magnificent smiles. "...You're home, Fuyukka. O-of course I can smile."

Fuyuko beamed, laughing lightly. She nodded, squeezing Tora close again. Mama's smile. She...she's still got it. She can still smile...!

...Maybe it was better to just stay with Tora for a moment. She had been away for far too long; the Ionicas would understand if she wasn't there to greet them as soon as they woke up.

...I'm home, Mama.

We're safe now.