Touch the Sky

by Faulty Paragon

Mercury Black wasn't made in a day. Without a Semblance, his legs, or anyone by his side, the world taught him far too quickly that power was all it took to succeed- and Mercury would need all the power he could get. He'd reach the sky eventually. -Mercury's life in canon, from childhood until V6 and beyond, explored through 100 drabbles using the 100 Prompts Challenge.

28. Light

A/N: Update 3 today.

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Touch the Sky

28. Light

For the first time in years, he slept in a warm bed. His fever was taken care of, with someone wiping his forehead and administering medicine. Mama? he wanted to cry out. He wanted to beg and scream for her to hold him, for her to come back- for her to wake up in his arms again, that day when his Semblance had awoken and he had leapt with her up the hill.

He woke up cradled in Cinder's arms, ivory skin glowing in the lantern light of their inn. "Oh, is little Mercury feeling better?" she cooed, picking up the cold compress Emerald handed her.

Silhouetted in the light, Mercury felt something stir in his gut as he looked at the two. Cinder was achingly, hollowly beautiful in her confidence; Emerald, ugly in her jealousy. And as he realized that, for the first time since childhood, Mercury laughed.