Enlightening

"Melanie, why do ya cherish your weapons so much?" McCree asked.

After running from the mess hall, they made their way to Bastion's room. They were all sitting on the floor in a small circle. Melanie was in between Genji and Hanzo. Bastion sat next to Zenyatta, while he sat next to McCree who sat besides Hanzo.

Zenyatta nodded. "I too, wish to know why as well."

Melanie looked down, unsure. "I don't think I should tell you. My presence is bad enough, and you might not like the answer you get."

Genji shook his head, but then realized Melanie still couldn't see. "No, Melanie. We care for you too much to change the way we see you."

"I would never see you any different," Bastion added. Hanzo and McCree hummed in agreement.

"Fine," Melanie relented. "But you all have to keep this a secret. I fear that it could lead others to hurt me."

"We promise we'll keep it a secret," they all said in unison.

Melanie heard the sincerity in their voices, and nodded shyly. "I cherish my weapons because they are the only things that I can call my own other than the clothes I wear."

"I know that's not all," Zenyatta said. "You wouldn't hesitate if it were just that."

Melanie tensed before sighing. "Each weapon was given to me from my family," she said. "Genji and Hanzo are like my brothers who gave me my tanto for my birthday."

"What about the machine pistol?" McCree asked.

"That … was given to me by … my sister … Sombra." Melanie didn't have to see to know they were shocked.

"Then the two shotguns are from …"

"The shotguns are from … my daddy Reaper." Silence filled the room. They were quite shocked at her words. They would have never thought that Reaper would be father material.

The silence seemed to go on for eternity until Hanzo broke it. "What of the katana then?"

Melanie quickly looked up. "What about it?" Melanie asked.

"Who's the katana from?" Genji asked.

"About that," she started. "Sombra and Reaper did some digging and found out about my past and parents. Apparently, my mother used to be apart of a clan in Japan. The katana was passed down to the female heads in secret. Reaper found out that my mother left me that katana and gave it to me," Melanie explained.

"Do you know what clan your mother was from?" Hanzo asked.

Melanie nodded. "She was once apart of the Shimada clan!"

That earned gasps from everyone.

"What? Is it something I said?" she asked.

"So you are related to Genji and Hanzo. It makes sense with the red dragons and all," McCree commented.

Melanie looked surprised. "I'm really related to Genji and Hanzo? I have living relatives!? This is the greatest day of my life!" Melanie grabbed a hold of newly realized relative's hands, pulling them close.

Everyone's heart warmed at the smile on Melanie's face. It was the first genuine smile they saw since she got here. They were at least glad that she was comfortable with them.

This did not last as a thought came to Zenyatta. "Could you tell us about your past?"

Melanie turned to Zenyatta, then shook her head. "Reaper and Sombra didn't wish for me to know my past," she said looking uncertain. "It made them sad, disgusted, and outraged. Not to mention that it hurt them. They only shared things like my mother being a Shimada and my real name."

"Could you tell us your real name, darlin'? That way we could learn about you on our own," McCree suggested.

It was silent once more. Melanie's face went from uncertain to lifeless. She held no expression as she looked blankly at McCree.

"I can't," Melanie spoke up. "It hurt Reaper and Sombra. Plus, you might tell the others of Overwatch. It would influence those who don't really know me to instill pity and misplaced trust that could lead to problems," she added.

Genji tightened his hold on Melanie's hand. "Please, tell us."

"We are your real family. We have the right to know," Hanzo said as he followed Genji's example.

This time, Genji and Hanzo's aura's manifested first, turned into their respective color dragons. Their dragons circled them a few times. Then Genji's green dragon and one of Hanzo's dragons swirled around Melane, which brought out her own three red dragons that circled the opposite way.

Everyone watch in fascination. This confirmed Genji's suspicion that the dragons reflect their emotions and feelings. Currently this situation shows that they are trying to reach out to Melanie. They saw that she was very conflicted.

After a few minutes past, Zenyatta was going to say something, but the red dragons moved. One went to Hanzo, while the other two went to Genji and swirled around them.

Melanie tightened her hold on their hand. "I'll tell you. But once you learn of my past, do not do anything. It's a past that I can't remember, and it hurt to even remember my full name. My past is just that, and I doesn't define me because I don't remember it."

"We understand, Melanie. Everyone will not tell a soul unless you think that someone else is ready," Genji said.

"Okay," she said as she concentrated. "My … full name … is N-nawala Melanie … K-kako."

"Nawala Melanie Kako. What a unique name for ya, darlin'!" McCree compliments.

"Is it Japanese or something?" Bastion asked.

"Kako is Japanese Bastion, but I'm not sure about Nawala, though," Zenyatta said.

"Kako means the past," Hanzo said. "But what is Nawala?"

"Nawala … Melanie K-kako. Nawala means lost. The meaning to my full name is the lost, dark past. Which turns out to be quite fitting in the end," Melanie said.

'The lost, dark past,' everyone of them had it replay in their minds.

'But why give her a name with that meaning?' Genji wondered.

McCree, Bastion, and Hanzo thought the same thing. 'That's a terrible thing to name their child!'

Zenyatta was very mindful about her name's meaning. 'If her parents had given her that name, does that mean they knew the outcome of Melanie's life?'

"Changing the subject. Can you show me around? I would really like to know this place, and would hate to get lost." Melanie said.

"You are blind at the moment. How can you learn where to go if you can't see?" McCree asked.

"There is more to my fading ability than just teleporting out. In order to do so, I must know where it is I wish to go," she explains. "As long as I've been there or seen it, I could fade there in an instant. But, where I have been is different than seeing it. If I've been there, I leave a faded footprint. In other words, I could easily remember my way around without a problem," Melanie finishes.

"I see, then let's go!" Bastion beeped in excitement pulling Melanie away from the Shimada brother's hands and out the door. The loss of contact made the aura dragons to fade away.

"Ah! Bastion wait for us!" McCree yelled as everyone chased after the runaway omnic.