Effort

The girl ran silently through the night. She had to get there on time; she couldn't be late, not if she didn't want it to happen again. No, she wouldn't be late.

"Momma?" The young child peered down the shadowed hallway. "Momma, what's wrong? Where are you?" She called, her voice rising in pitch as panic flowed through her. Momma always made sure to let her know where she was. Why wouldn't she respond? "Momma!?"

Tears were pouring down her face now. Where was she? Could she have stepped out without leaving a note? Could she be asleep somewhere?...And why was it so hot here in their house? Momma never kept it this hot. And why – ?

The girl stretched to her toes to reach the doorknob and open the door, but recoiled back with a scream before she could do so. "Ow. Why is the door – ?" The female winced, pressing her burnt fingers to her mouth. She stared at the door and gave it a grudging kick. Why wouldn't it just let her through? Stupid thing.

"Momma?" She called again around the fingers in her mouth. Frowning, she glanced down the hallway again. No, she didn't think Momma was down there. This door was the one that gave her the strange feeling. Like something was hiding behind it, waiting to be found. But she couldn't open it!

The girl huffed in irritation. What was it her mother had told her before. Concentration, that was it, wasn't it? The girl smiled to herself with a nod, closing her eyes and focusing. The door opened with a click and she easily pushed past it.

As soon as she was inside she wished she could leave. No, not just wanted. She needed to leave, before those billowing flames surrounded her and blocked her exit. But she couldn't move, not with the sight that stood in front of her. "M-Momma?" Her voice quavered and she bit her lip hard, ignoring the metallic taste that flooded her mouth.

The thing in front of her was hardly human anymore, not with how the flames had consumed it. But that changed nothing. She could always recognize her mother, no matter what she looked like. Always…the flames fed on a piece of flowing red hair, making it black and distorted.

The girl sobbed harder, forcing her feet to move, to take her away from the horrid sight, away from the blinding heat, and away from the daunting grief.

Panting, she leaned against the trunk of a tree at the city park. He was here, somewhere, he had to be! And she would get there, before it was too late, she'd get there…

She passed a hand over her brow, wiping it dry, and continued off into the night.

"Did you hear what happened? Oh, it's just terrible. And you know what they say? That child was practicing her magic and set the house aflame. That little brat started it all!"

Whimpering, she buried her head in her arms, trying to block out all the voices not even bothering to whisper their contempt for her. What had she ever done to them? She wasn't to blame! …Right?

"She has nowhere to go, now." One of them said. She didn't bother looking up to get a face. "She has no more family, no one that would take her in."

"Who would bother? That girl has no magical prowess. She's a waste of time. Just throw her to an orphanage or something. Maybe they can find use for her, cleaning or something."

"Meg!" Another woman admonished, but there was a laugh in her voice. "Really, you can't sentence her to cleaning. She's a witch! Or she's supposed to be, anyway. Either way, you can't send one of our kind to deal with those peasant fools."

"What, you want her? I'd just as soon be rid of her and the trouble she brings with her." The first woman said again. "It's not like she has any magical talent, anyway. Just send her to live with them. She'll fit right in."

Her hair whipped against her face as she ran, looking desperately for the one she was seeking. Where was he!? He should be here! If she didn't get to him soon…

She saw a flash of white out of the corner of her eye and ran for it, hoping for her search to come to an end.

"Kuroba!" She screamed. It had to be him, it just had to.

"Koizumi?" A weak voice asked.

Koizumi Akako spun around until she found the source of the voice and couldn't hold back a gasp. The magician was severely battered and bruised, his face and suit bloodied and disfigured.

She flew to his side, pulling out the medical supplies she'd brought with her. "What happened?" She asked. She knew she had to keep him talking, keep him distracted from what she had to do.

"I don't know." He coughed, wheezing. She placed her hands over his chest, murmuring a few words and the pain eased slightly. "I was flying hone when something tore through the glider. It can't exactly fly with a hole in it."

"Where's the glider's remains?" Her hands now moved down his stomach, one of them grabbing an herb she had brought along and pressing it to a gash along his abdomen.

He winced, but answered, breathing easier now. "I don't know exactly, but I could've only been able to walk a few miles at the most. I came from the left, so it should be somewhere in that direction." He drew in a sharp breath when her hand brushed against a particularly bad bruise and he asked, "Why? Why're you helping me? How'd you even know I was hurt?"

"I've been practicing magic for many years, Kuroba. Prophesy is my specialty." Though that's about all I can do. She added bitterly to herself. She'd never had the talent for magic, after all, only the love of it. Still, she worked hard and was able to accomplish a few tricks, all of them in the dark arts area, of course.

"That still doesn't answer why."

Akako paused for a moment. "I…this world needs people like you, Kuroba-kun, people who can smile and give others strength. This world also needs people like Kid, a criminal fighting for justice."

"That's not an answer."

"Alright, fine. I needed to know that a certain magician would still be there tomorrow when I walk into school." She continued tending to his wounds, looking him in the eye. "Your smile has a lot of power behind it, Kuroba-kun, the power to make people happy. If that smile disappeared when I knew there was something I could've done to prevent it, I'd never be able to look our classmates in the eye again, especially not Nakamori-chan."

Kaito leaned back with a smile clearly on his face. "Thanks."

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Alright, I feel like I haven't said this in a while, so I wanna remind everyone that I willingly take requests and will probably get them out faster than I do the rest of the stuff. Hopefully.