~𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢 ℌ𝔞𝔰 𝔑𝔬 𝔅𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔡𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔰~ (Tokoyami Fumikage X Reader)

Chapter 24 (Truth Untold)

The hustle of the night had slowly faded as the exhausted students returned to their tents. The air was thick with the weight of the attack and the unsettling silence that followed. Inside the dimly lit tent, Niko sat hunched over, her mind swirling with the revelation from Dabi. The fear and confusion of the evening still gripped her, making sleep impossible.

Beside her, Tokoyami sat quietly, his dark form a comforting presence in the small space. He rubbed her back gently, his normally stoic face showing rare concern.

“Niko… we’ll get through this,” Tokoyami said softly, though the usual confidence in his voice faltered. He wasn’t sure what to say, but his touch was warm and steady, offering her some solace in the overwhelming chaos.

Niko remained quiet, lost in her thoughts, her eyes fixated on the ground. The shock of Dabi’s words still echoed in her mind—our mother—and no matter how much she tried to shake it off, the weight of it was undeniable. Her whole world had shifted in a way she hadn’t expected.

Suddenly, the curtain of the tent was pulled open. Both Niko and Tokoyami looked up, startled. Standing in the entrance was Hawks, his wings ruffled and singed from the flight through the forest. His usual carefree demeanor was gone, replaced by a serious look that Niko had only seen a few times before.

“Niko,” Hawks breathed, relief evident in his voice. Without a word, Niko leapt to her feet and rushed into his arms. She buried her face in his chest, her hands clutching onto him as if he were the only thing keeping her grounded.

Keigo wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close in a protective hug, his wings lightly folding around her like a shield. “You alright, kid?” he asked softly, his voice filled with concern. “I got word the League was heading to the forest, so I came to check on you.”

Niko held onto him tightly, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. The reality of what she had learned weighed heavily on her, and she wasn’t sure how to process it. “I… I’m fine,” she whispered, though her voice trembled.

Hawks leaned back slightly, brushing a strand of hair from her face as he looked at her closely. “You sure? What happened out there?”

Tokoyami stood off to the side, watching quietly, his eyes narrowing with concern. He wasn’t sure what Niko would say—whether she’d tell Hawks everything or keep some things to herself. But he could tell from the look on her face that she was barely holding it together.

Niko took a shaky breath, her hands still clutching Keigo’s jacket. “It’s… Dabi,” she whispered. “He… he said something weird. He said I looked like his mother.”

Hawks’s eyes flickered with recognition, but he stayed quiet, letting her continue.

“He said… ‘our mother.’ And I don’t know why, but I—I felt like he was telling the truth,” she confessed, her voice trembling as the words tumbled out. “Who am I, Aniki? What does this mean?”

Keigo’s face softened, and he let out a long sigh. He had hoped to avoid this conversation, to keep the truth from her a little longer. But it seemed fate had a way of catching up, no matter how hard he tried to protect her.

“Niko,” he began, his voice low and serious. He gently guided her to sit back down, his hand still on her shoulder. “There’s something I need to tell you—something I’ve kept from you because I didn’t want to overwhelm you while you were still adjusting.”

Niko’s heart skipped a beat, her pulse quickening as she sat back down next to Tokoyami. She glanced at him, and he gave her a slight nod of encouragement. Whatever Hawks was about to say, she could handle it. She had to.

Keigo took a deep breath, his hand resting on Niko’s shoulder as he began to speak. “You’re not just anyone, Niko. You’re… you’re the daughter of Rei Todoroki. Your mother had a life before she married Endeavor, before the Todoroki family.”

Niko’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening in disbelief. “W-What?”

“Your real father… his name was Daichi Sakura. He and Rei were together before Rei was forced into that marriage with Endeavor. But something happened—Rei couldn’t stay with Daichi, and she had to give you up. That’s why you’ve been raised without knowing the truth.”

Niko felt the ground beneath her shift again, her entire identity crumbling under the weight of these new revelations. “So… so I’m not…?”

“You’re not just anyone,” Hawks said softly. “You’re the half-sister of the Todoroki siblings. That means… Shoto, Fuyumi, Natsuo… and Dabi. They’re all your half-brothers and sister.”

Niko felt her world spin. Half-sister… to Dabi? To Shoto? Her mind couldn’t make sense of it, her pulse pounding in her ears as she struggled to process the news. She wasn’t just Sakura Niko—she was part of the Todoroki family.

Keigo’s expression was somber as he watched her take it all in. “I didn’t want you to have to deal with this so soon. I thought… you’d be safer not knowing. But with Dabi involved, and everything happening now, you deserved to know the truth.”

Niko stared at the ground, her mind racing. Everything she thought she knew had been shattered, replaced with a reality she had never expected.

Tokoyami, sensing her inner turmoil, reached over and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Niko-chan…” he whispered, his voice soft but firm. He didn’t have the right words, but his presence was steady—grounding.

Hawks ruffled his wings, the somber air thickening around them. “Look… I know this is a lot to take in. But I’m here, alright? You’re not alone in this.”

Niko nodded slowly, her eyes glazed over with the weight of it all. “So… I’m Endeavor’s step-daughter. Shoto’s half-sister. And Dabi…” Her voice trailed off, the name stuck in her throat.

Keigo gave a faint nod. “Yeah. Dabi… is your brother.”