Chapter 13: Light Mist
Isabella hugged herself.
"Why is it so damn cold?!"
Isabella was wearing both her roses jacket and her Disciplinary jacket.
"My insides are turning into ice. But I need to buy ingredients for soup. Lambo said he was spending the night this morning."
Isabella speed walked to the shopping district. Not wanting to stay in the cold for too long. She thought October and November were cold. But December has them both beat.
She walked past the cake shop but stopped when she saw someone.
It was a girl in a school uniform she has never seen before. The girl's back was facing Isabella.
Purple hair.
Isabella completely turned towards her.
Maybe I can make a female friend this time.
Isabella still can't believe how things went with Kyoko.
"A-ano?"
The girl turned around.
Purple eyes.
"H-hai?"
"Umm, I'm Isabella."
"Nagi."
"Hi, Nagi-chan. Why are you standing outside the cake shop? Why not go in?"
"I …. I have no money."
"I could buy you something if you like?"
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"O-okay."
Isabella and Nagi made their way into the cake shop.
"You can pick out whatever you like."
Nagi ordered a slice of chocolate cake. Isabella decided to get herself a piece of chocolate cake too.
The girls sat across from each other.
"So, Nagi-chan, I've never seen you before. Do you live close by?"
"Iie. I live two towns over."
"Really? What are you doing all the way over here then?"
"I wanted to do something for my birthday."
"Birthday? When is your birthday?"
"Today."
"Today!? Well Happy Birthday, Nagi-chan."
"Arigatou."
"No problem."
The two of them ate their cake in a comfortable silence.
"Ano, Isabella-chan?"
"Hai?"
"Why … why are you so nice?"
"Well, it cost nothing to be nice to someone. Just because I don't you, doesn't mean I had to be rude to you. Besides you look like you needed a friend," Isabella said with a smile.
Nagi smiled back at her.
"Do you come to Namimori often?"
Nagi nodded.
"And you come here all alone?"
She nodded again.
"How long does it take you to get here?"
"Three hours or more. All depends."
"And do your parents wonder where you are?"
Nagi looked down. She fidgeted with the tablecloth.
"When you walk home, is it in the dark?"
Nagi nodded.
What kind of people doesn't worry about their daughter?
"So today, you would be walking home in the dark?"
Nagi nodded.
"How about you spend the night at my house instead of walking home in the dark. Then tomorrow morning I can walk you home or school whichever you want."
Nagi stared Isabella in her eyes.
Tears began to well up and roll down her cheeks.
"Arigatou."
"No problem Nagi-chan. Now let's finish up our cake so I can go shopping for tonight's dinner."
They finished their cake and headed out.
After the initial shock of their meeting, Nagi and Isabella really hit it liked Italian food and found it exciting that Isabella was from mentioned she lived by herself and Nagi found it weird someone so nice lived said she loved to draw and Isabella thought it was amazing.
"WWell, y father sent me here. He's still back home in Italy."
Nagi hugged Isabella.
Nagi couldn't' explain it but she felt a connection to Isabella.
The two of them were now walking to Isabella's house. The sun slowly setting.
"My friend is going to spend the night as well. I hope you don't mind," Isabella commented.
"O-oh. Are they nice?"
"Lambo is only five. I would hope him spending time with me influences him to be a good person."
Nagi nodded.
Isabella's house was in view. Someone was standing in front of her house.
Who's that?
As they got closer, Isabella realized who it was.
"Lambo."
"Amore Mio."
Nagi stared in confusion.
Lambo stared back in surprise.
"Introduce yourself, Lambo."
"Uh oh. Fulmine Lambo."
"Nagi."
Isabella opened the door and the three of them went in.
"You said he was five," Nagi said.
"It's kind of a long story. I'll tell you over dinner."
She nodded, watching Lambo.
"You look familiar," Lambo muttered.
"You've seen Nagi in the future?" Isabella questioned.
Lambi shrugged.
"Who knows?"
"Nagi you can sit down if you like. I'm going to start dinner."
She nodded and sat down on the couch.
Poof!
"I have candy!"
Back in October, Isabella decided to start tutoring Lambo. He was at the appropriate age for school but she didn't know how he would she decided to kind of homeschool him.
"Lambo introduce yourself!"
Nagi blinked owlishly.
"I'm Lambo-san."
"Nagi…?" she said confused.
Isabella looked into the living room and caught sight of Nagi's face.
"As I said, long story."
Dinner was interesting.
Explaining that the two Lambo's were the same person and how they were able to see him. Was interesting explaining.
"So if you're hit by the bazooka, you'll switch places with your ten years older self?"
"Hai."
"Weird."
Isabella giggled.
"I know right?"
Isabella glanced at her phone.
"We should probably get ready for bed."
Nagi nodded.
"I think I have a big shirt you can sleep in. We can put your close to wash and make sure they dry before morning. I think I have a pack of underwear that might be able to fit you."
Back during her growth fiasco and she bought a lot of stuff. There were a few things she kept for emergency reasons.
"Ok."
"The guest room is next to the bathroom. Let me grab you a towel."
Isabella quickly went to her room then returned with the shirt and underwear. She grabbed a towel from the closet and handed the load to Nagi.
"Here you go."
"Arigatou." Nagi went into the bathroom.
"Now for me to take a bath."
Isabella was braiding her hair when she heard a knock at her door.
"Come in."
Nagi was dressed in the shirt with the towel and her clothes in her hands.
Lambo was passed out on Isabella's bed.
"You can just hang the towel behind the bathroom door. I'll put these to wash."
Isabella walked passed Nagi and headed put the clothes to wash and headed back upstairs.
"Are you all set to sleep?" Isabella asked.
Nagi nodded.
"Goodnight," Isabella said.
"Goodnight."
The two of them went their separate ways for the night.
Isabella got into bed. Lambo cuddled up to her.
I can't believe I have a friend over. This is great! I hope she stays by often.
It was Friday and the final bell sounded.
"Nagi-chan is staying for the weekend!~"
Isabella had walked with Nagi early Wednesday morning to make sure she got to school. Nagi suggested that she stay the weekend and Isabella was beyond excited about it.
"My new friend is coming over!~"
Ding
From Gokudera: Do you wanna hang out this weekend?
To Gokudera: Maybe on Sunday. I have a friend coming into town.
From Gokudera: Ok
"That's a little sudden of Gokudera-kun. Whatever maybe dinner opened his eyes."
Gokudera rarely texted do text each other to make sure they got home alright though.
"Friendship is truly a beautiful thing," she murmured.
Christmas was only five days away and she still had a lot to do.
Nagi was spending Christmas at her house. Isabella couldn't have found that more telling about what type of parents she was wrapped up in a blanket in her backyard.
"Stars above why did I do this to myself."
She was making several of the gifts for her thankfully only had one more to make but she also planned on making cookies.
"Why am I so generous?"
She made Tsuna a ring. Made Gokudera a satchel to hold his dynamite. She stitched Takeshi's name onto the back of a glove. She bought Ryohei some yellow wrappings and a boxing-related t-shirt. She made Kyoya some new tonfas. And made Nagi some special drawing that was left was some new horns for Lambo.
Currently in front of Isabella was her trusty cauldron. She used it to melt placed her bladeless sword under the cauldron.
Knock Knock Knock!
"I'm in the back!"
She lit her sword. Orange flames surrounded the cauldron.
Creak
"Hi, Gokudera-kun!"
Gokudera had wanted to hang out. She never did hang out with him a few weeks ago.
"Hey. What are you doing?"
"Making a Christmas gift."
"What is it and who is it for?"
Gokudera came over and sat down next to her.
"It's going to be a new set of horns for Lambo."
"What are you melting it with? The flames are very orange."
"My bladeless sword or my Fiamma Sword."
"Flame Sword?"
"My sword is made from a dirty, cheap metal. However, when I melt it with my flames, it purifies it. The metal then helps conducts people's flames better. So all my gifts have Fiamma metal in them one way or another."
"How do you know about flames? When Tenth goes into Dying Will Mode he has a flame on his head but you have flames on your sword."
"As I said it's the metal. That's how I'm able to use my sword with flames. I've known about flames since I was young."
"How do they work?"
"You are very inquisitive. Which is expected for someone who wants to be the right-hand man."
Gokudera flushed.
"Before you get to flames there is an aura. Auras depend on the person. Your aura, in particular, flares up a lot, usually due to you being annoyed. Linked to the aura, is a flame. The aura comes from the flame. If you find your flame, you can strengthen it and in turn strengthen yourself. It can make you stronger or faster. Even more energetic. I don't know all the things the flame can do."
Gokudera was silently processing the information.
"Time to pour this into the mold."
She moved the mold right next to the cauldron. She slowly tilted the cauldron and filled the mold.
"Now all it needs to do is set."
"How do you find a flame?"
"Well, the way Lambo and I found our flames was through meditation. Kyoya found his by … fighting."
"Wait, so that stupid brat and that bastard both know how to use flames?"
"Finding your flames and knowing how to use them is two different things. I still don't know how to properly use my flames. Fiamma metal really helps though. All my gifts have Fiamma metal in them as I mentioned earlier. Including yours."
Gokudera's head snapped up.
"What? You got me a gift."
"I made you a gift."
"I didn't think …. I didn't get you anything."
"There's still five days left!~ Better get on it."
Gokudera nodded.
"Let's go inside. I would hate for either of us to catch a cold."
Isabella got up and trudged inside.
"What about the horns?"
"They're fine. They need to cool and the cold air will help."
Gokudera nodded and followed her inside.
"Would you like some hot chocolate, Gokudera-kun?"
"Call me Hayato. But only when we're alone. I don't want people getting the wrong idea about us."
"What, you don't want people to know we're somewhat friends?'
"Exactly."
"You're such a weirdo, Hayato-kun!" Isabella laughed.
Ba Dump
Isabella sighed loudly.
"Today was a long, fun day."
Isabella had given her friends their gifts on Christmas eve so they could open them on Christmas. She woke up that morning to Lambo jumping up and down on her bed. She made breakfast for all three of them. They opened their gifts and spent the majority of the day playing and watching Christmas movies.
She received several texts of gratitude from her friends including Kyoya.
From Kyoya: I know see why you needed my tonfas.
To Kyoya: Do you like them?
From Kyoya: They will be perfect for biting herbivores to death.
Isabella laughed loudly at that.
Nagi cried because of Isabella's around Nagi appreciated the fact that Isabella was her friend.
Isabella loved her gifts as well.
Tsuna gave her a keychain with a cupcake on gave her a figurine in the shape of a girl reading a gave her sushi and a book on making gave her some purple wrappings and a gave her some candy and a hand-drawn gave her a set of also gave her a hand-drawn picture.
She cherished both pictures. Lambo's picture was a depiction of the two of them. And Nagi's was a portrait of Isabella surrounded by lotus flowers.
Isabella was currently in bed getting ready to go to sleep.
Knock Knock
"Come in."
Nagi opened the door.
"Can I sleep you with you? I don't want to be alone."
"Sure friend! Just cuddle up with me and Lambo," Isabella laughed.
A smile came to Nagi's face.
She closed the door and got in bed with them.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Lambo's night light filled the room with stars.
I wish you were here, Father. You would be able to see all the friends I've made.
Tears silently rolled down her cheeks.
Having people you can trust and rely on is great. At first, I was sad about moving. But now….
Isabella looked at Nagi and Lambo's sleeping faces.
I couldn't be more grateful. I thank you and hope you're doing well this Christmas. I love you.