Maigo- A BNHA OC Story

Reunion

This chapter will be very sad. I'm not going to spoil anything, but judging from the title and this warning, I think we can all guess what's going to happen here.

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   "Hey."

   She nuzzles further under the blanket, further into the pillows, further into the mattress. It is so warm, so gloriously warm. She drinks it all up, savoring it, praying that it never goes away.

   "Hey."

   She turns her head so her ears are submerged under the sea of fluff and cotton, her nose burrowing into the belly of one of her stuffed animals. Which one? She can't tell with her eyes closed.

   "Maigo."

   It is so warm, so beautifully warm. She wants to keep sleeping, just for a few more minutes.

   "Maigo, wake up. You have to wake up."

   Her eyes creak open. It is bright. She groans as the light assaults her eyeballs and brings an arm up to shield them. Strong hands help her sit up, but don't do much more than that. She stops and waits, expecting whoever it is to come back and finish picking her up. When they do not, she becomes annoyed, opening her eyes to glare pointedly at whoever it is that disturbed her precious slumber.

   The man crouches down in front of her so their eyes are level. His eyebrows are arched and furrowed, and he is frowning. She looks at his eyes, confused at what she sees there. They are filled with something she has never seen in anyone's eyes before. She can't quite place it, but it disturbs her. She breaks her gaze, forcing herself to look at the rest of him. He is in a black suit, a little crumpled but clean-looking. She cocks her head at his shiny dress shoes, her reflection gazing back up at her with a puzzled expression on its face.

   "Maigo," the man murmurs. His voice is hoarse, as if he hasn't seen a glass of water in forever. It shakes slightly, and he needs to force the words out of his throat. Maigo's head hangs lazily. "Come on, you gotta get dressed. We're going somewhere."

   She finally raises her head when she hears footsteps approaching the two of them. It takes a while to discern the slow clunk, clunk, clunk, of the blond man from the methodical click-clack, click-clack, click-clack, of the dark-haired woman. The man is also wearing a black suit, and the woman is wearing a black dress. Maigo looks up at both of them, the smile dying on her lips when she sees their faces. They, too, have the same unidentifiable expression of the dark-haired man. Maigo begins to shake, small whimpers building in her throat. She jumps when the dark-haired man touches her arm.

   "It's okay," he whispers. "You just have to get dressed." He takes a deep breath, swallowing shakily and turning away. When he turns back, his eyes and face are red. "We're going to see your mother."

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   She can't believe it, how lucky she is. She has lived in a paradise for so long now, been given food and water, clothes, shelter, and warmth. She has been surrounded by people who pay attention to her, who look out for her, who stay with her.

   And now, now they have found where she belongs.

   Her feet swing in the car, bumping into the underside of her seat. She eagerly looks out the window. Where are they going? Where is she? How did they find her? Does she look different now? Surely she must. Maigo has definitely changed, so she must have too. Will she be happy to see her again? Or sad? How will she feel about her name? She has waited so long, so tremendously long. She is ready to see her mother again. She is ready to go back to where she feels she belongs. Maybe now, she can be proud of her.

   The car stops in front of a huge old building. It is made up of towers and parapets, balconies and colored windows. She has to crane her entire body all the way back in order to even glimpse the top of it. The dark-haired man gently ushers her up the stone steps and in through the gigantic, dark, wooden doors. The blond man and dark-haired woman shuffle in behind them. Maigo is shaking with anticipation. This is it.

   There are wooden benches everywhere inside the giant room. She slowly spins herself, trying to take in all the splendor that surrounds her. Light collides with the colored glass to create magnificent, illuminating mosaics on the walls. Tapestries hang from the ceiling, curtaining the room and adding to the musky scent that fills it. There is a gap in the benches that forms an aisle, and at the end of it is a small stage with a table on it. Behind the stage is a statue shaped like a lower-case t. It hangs from the ceiling and there is a stone man hanging off of it. The image makes her feel uneasy. The man gently grasps her hand and guides her closer to the stage. When they are a few feet away, she notices something that makes her freeze.

   In front of the stage is a long dark box. It is so big it can fit an entire person. The wood is stained a dark auburn. Shiny silver handles poke out of either side of it, and it is held up off the ground by two wooden stands. The closer she gets to it, the colder she feels.

   Her core sucks in on itself, leaving nothing but a dark, empty void inside. She begins gasping for breath, staggering around and grabbing onto the side of a bench. The other three dart over to her, but don't touch her. There is worry in their eyes. Her own grow to the size of dinner plates. She cannot blink. She cannot breathe. She cannot move.

   She does not want to be here anymore. She does not want to get any closer to the box. She does not want to see what is inside.

   A hand appears on her shoulder. It startles her so much that she falls backwards. She would have hit her head on another bench if the man hadn't caught her.

   "Maigo," his voice is gruff. She looks up at his face. His eyes are still red, but they aren't glowing. They look raw and painful, and it takes all her effort to keep a steady gaze. She eventually gives up, slamming her skull into his stomach, wrapping her arms around his abdomen, burying herself so far down into him, looking for warmth, looking for comfort, looking for anything that could distract her from the now.

   "Here," he whispers. "I'll carry you." He picks her up and walks toward the box. Maigo squirms, trying to escape. When he puts her down she tries to run, but is picked back up again by the blond man. She squeals and writhes in his hands, and he plops her back down, gripping her shoulders and forcing her to look at him.

   "C'mon, kiddo, it'll be quick," his voice is strained. "I know how sad this must be, but you gotta do this. You gotta be strong." He shakes her shoulders gently. Maigo tries to squirm away but he holds her fast. 

   The dark-haired woman places a hand on the girl's shoulder. "We're all right here," she whispers. "None of us are going to leave you."

   Finally, the girl musters up enough strength to stand on her own. The three grown-ups take turns gently pushing her toward the box. They help her climb up the small step onto the stage. They hold on to her as she peers over the edge of the box and looks inside.

   The woman's face greets her, her eyes closed and her lips sealed in a frown. Her cheeks are hallowed and her eyelids are dark. The veins on her face pop out against her pale skin. Her dark hair is placed so that is frames her head, fanning out in all directions on the stark white pillow. The woman is in a dark red dress that covers her whole body, and her hands lay crossed on her stomach. Everything about her is still and silent.

   Maigo jerks out of everyone's hands. She sprints toward the entrance of the building, waving away the cries of the other three. She crashes into the side of the car, frantically ripping the door open and scrambling inside. She crawls underneath the backseat, rocking herself back and forth and breathing heavily. She does not want to come back here, to this horrid place. She does not want to see it ever again, not the doors, not the benches, not the stage, not the windows, not the tapestries.

   Not the box.

   She turns her head just in time to let a stream of vomit to spew out of her mouth.