Chapter 4. Under Star..
Flames flash out of my fists as I send them hurtling into the heavy bag. Just relentlessly slamming my fists into it with tails of flame bursting out and lashing the bag with tongues of heat and light. My arms bandaged from all the burns so far. My hair still has embers falling from it but not much progress when it comes to my quirk. Just the embers and the tails of flame. Just things that I think about when I train whirl and waft through the air on the heat I generate around me.
Just things about Mom and I or things a ways off. Like if I'll ever have a girlfriend or kids or even a house. If I'll be a hero or if I'll just change my mind and go into something else. Just thinking about how the maybes will come and the never weres will follow. I look up towards the neighbor's house. The old facade cracked and worn from all the years standing in an empty field without our house here. It's taken care of but at the same time the shabbiness never really goes away.
Still, slugging away at this never gets old. Walloping the bag always feels good. A kind of cathartic release. It's really hard to move it too. My fists slam into it over and over with my body aching and bones creaking. Relentlessly slamming my fists and moving around it. Trying to stay light and fast. My embers stoke and I blitz the bag. Keeping up the momentum and drive. Slamming myself back into a really hard road.
I always wondered why I kept on thinking of Ibara. How boring her life at home has to be because of all the regulations. How she seems so peaceful but at the same time not really. I kinda didn't want it to end up like a Yramus and Thisbe situation where the minute we get to see each other again a random lion comes to kill me. Or I get choked out by her roided out dad. Either way she's really cool. Her quirk is really cool and pretty as well! I might as well just continue training or go say hi.
I huff and wipe the sweat away from my face. Grabbing my water bottle and drinking from it liberally. Just trying to cool off. I rub the frayed ends of my bands in concern. The huge walls next door didn't help with my mood at all. I get out to the edge of the driveway with my shirt bunched around my waist like a kilt in a way. Going on a walk always calms me down. So I did just that. My overheated body is enjoying the soft chill of fall.
In terms of the tournament. It's only a few more weeks off. Then after that is the entrance exam to UA. My skin cools and my body drinks it all in. Since I started training I've begun getting much more muscular. I flex gently and feel my shaking begin to start. I break into a run with my music thumping through my earphones. I just run with my jabs coming naturally to me. Throwing crosses and jabs and all that. Trying to train a little better.
Mostly because I wanted to win that tournament. I continue my run with a smirk on my face. Just going at the running with gusto. I put my shirt back on and continue to train. My eyes on the way ahead. Just a little ways down the road I notice something strange. A person was being held at knifepoint. I don't know how to disarm someone but they need someone's help! But suddenly I see the blade go flying and the person binding them in vines.
"Ibara?" I ask. She whirls around and blushes as the mugger hangs from the streetlight. He groans a little as she gently lowers him and sets him against the wall. He's definitely out but did I just see her throw a right hook with a lot of power behind it or was it just the light?
"Oh. Renaru. Did you… see that?" she looks at me with an odd crimson light in her eyes.
"Yeah! It was so cool how you just went… BLAMMO!" I yell with a jab. Flames cheerily flare out of my fist and fade away as fast as they got here. Ibara chuckles and falls into step with me. I notice and keep up with her.
"So what're you doing out so late?" I ask.
"Well… I always walk home around this time." she reasons as she hides the real reason behind her back. I smile and just turn back around.
"You wanna walk back to your place together?" I ask. She shyly looked away and began to walk next to me. I suddenly feel something warm and dainty but still strong wrap around my own hand. I feel her grip on it tighten a little. She's nervous. I squeeze back gently.
"Renaru?" she asks, "Are… are you ever scared?"
I snicker. "Yeah. I do get scared. Why?"
Ibara tucks some of her vines behind her ear with her fingers twirling them around. Her cheeks are crimson and she clears her throat.
"I'm… frightened…" she mumbles, "Frightened of the feelings I have." I cock my head at that.
"Lemme guess. It's some kinda sinful thing because your dad never taught you how to mete out those feelings so you bottle them up? Kinda the same thing my mom used to do." I said. She shrugs.
"I am unsure. But I'm sure I'll find the answer." she answers as we walk. Her hand still holding onto mine. She rubs my knuckles a little. Her eyes full of concern as I jolt and wobble.
"I can walk you to your door." She says. I shake my head no just before I stumble. I feel her vines around me quickly hoisting me to my feet.
She giggles, "Such a silly boy…" she sighs. I blush as she pulls me closer to her. She's so close and holding onto my waist with a few of her vines. It's sorta comforting. Her smile is small and gentle. With our houses coming closer she stops and unwinds her vines.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"My father would see us." she answers. Her expression looks scared. Eyebrows furrowed and her eyes on the way ahead.
"So? I don't really care. Let him see us." I shrug but she grabs my arm to yank me next to her. She looks terrified but I just lead the way. Mostly because Ibara is trying to get me away from her.
She sighs and accepts that I won't leave her until I get her home safely. She smiles a little.
"So stubborn…" she huffs. "Just like when we were little."
I smirk fondly, "I kinda remember when we were friends before." I say. "You always looked after me. Almost like a guardian angel." I feel a smile on my face. "I'm just really glad we got to do this kinda thing again!" Ibara turns beet red. Her eyes widen a little. Her vines billow about and I notice for the first time that being around her calms me down. How she seems to be serene and even. She smiles.
We walk to her house and I notice the big gate already being open and waiting for her to come back inside to her father's world. A world full of prayer and incense. But I also see a small bit of doubt in her eyes.
Suddenly, I hear a door open. Work boots clunk on the stone walkway. The soft but noxious smell of dogwood blossoms fill the air. A billowing gray coat and a swinging silver cross are the first things I see of him. The facial scar is the next thing I see. Cruel and jagged. In any other circumstance, I would've found it cool. It slices his strong face right on the left jaw. There's another on his neck. His golden hair billows around behind him. Long and flowing like leaves in the wind.
His eyes are nothing less than intimidating. A bright green and blazing into us from all the way on the porch. Now in front of us and glaring down towards me.
"Ibara. This wasn't outlined in the ledger. Ye said ye'd be back sometime round seven." he says. His voice is deep and rumbling deep from within his chest. Heavy and with something Mom called the Pirate Accent.
Was Ibara's dad a pirate?
Ibara bows her head. "Forgive my lateness father!" She squeals softly.
He strides forward and lays his hand on her head. "Ibara. I want you to go straight up to yer room. Say yer prayers." She nods and runs right by him. Ibara closes the door and in seconds I'm face to face with her father.
His eyes slowly turn from bright green to a blazing crimson. He glares down at me and the eyes burn into my soul.
"Boy. What are yer intentions with my daughter?" his voice growls. The rumbling sounding like an old tree. Creaking and bending in the wind. His eyes narrow and his arms begin to grow some kinda wood-like thorns.
I gulp down my fear. "I was just escorting her home, sir!" I exclaim. Trying to move away from him but he strides a little closer.
"Aye… so you say. Are ye aware of what she is?" He asks with his hand hovering over something in his coat. I suddenly feel my legs stall. I can't move. Whatever is holding me here is purely fear. The night sky cloaks him in darkness with his eyes being the only light other than his cross.
"N-no… s-s-s-s!" I stutter.
"I know what yer gonna do! Yer gonna take her away from me! You have no idea what it's like to lose, do ye boy?" he snarls. His eyes widen and his pupils become smaller.
He reaches into his coat and at that moment I lash out my fist bathing the way in front of me in fire. I break into a dead run hearing him roaring.
"YOU GET BACK HERE YE FLAMING BASTARD!"
I run right for my house. My feet smacking the pavement and my arms flailing at my sides. Trying my best to run the fuck away. My breath hissing out painfully from my lungs as I run in and bang the door shut with my hands shakily trying to lock it.
Mom comes rushing over, "Renaru! What's the matter baby? Are… you… oh my god you look like you saw a ghost!" She kneels and yanks me into her arms. I curl into her warm embrace feeling the stinging of tears fall from my eyes.
"Shhh…. Shhh… it's okay. Mommy's here… she's gotcha…" she sighs. Her hand ran gently through my hair. Her hair is ablaze and her eyes are closed. I can tell she's been wound up about something.
"M… Monster…" I mumble, "The neighbor… he's… he's a monster!"
Mom just carries me into the living room sitting down in the old cushy rocking chair. She rocks gently and wipes my tears away.
"I know." She says. "That's why I didn't want you near him."
"But… I like Ibara…" I mumble.
"Oh. I see." Mom says. "Well. Can't be helped. When you first saw her you tugged on my skirt and asked me if she was an angel."
But that just makes me think of if she has that same side to her. Mom just rocks softly in her chair with her arms protecting me. Just the feeling of fear in me turns to rage. How dare that blowhard think I would hurt Ibara!
"Mom. Do you wanna help me out with something?" I ask. "It's something to do with my training."
"What would that be?" she wonders.
"Just help me out." I say. "I'm gonna do an all nighter!"
Mom blinks before chuckling and shaking her head. "Just like me, huh?" She stands and lets me go. I stand in front of her as she beckons me to follow her to the garage. She digs around in one of the side cabinets and reveals an old pair of gloves.
They're threadbare and beaten to hell and back but she fondly dons them. "I guess it's just inevitable that you follow me down that way too." She beats them together and smiles. Her hair flaring as she takes her stance and does a few practice strikes. It's almost like she never left the ring. Mom takes her stance and faces me.
She suddenly closes the distance with her fist breaking right through my guard and nailing me in the chin. I skid back with most of it glancing off my fists. Mom is crazy strong! I dance around her and she takes a stance that I never saw before. One arm hanging loosely and the other back near her stomach. She hits me with a jab but I dodge out of the way at the right time.
Mom just rains jabs on me as I try to close the gap between us. With her reach and height being more than me I was more of an inboxer. She's trying to block me out. Mom then switches on me and smashes into me with her full body. I went flying and hit the wall. Mom looms over me with concern on her face.
"Renaru? You okay?" she asks.
I hop onto my feet and grin widely, "Oh my god! You're so cool! Teach me m- Mom?" She comes out of her stance and sobers. Her eyes flicking back to the box.
Mom took off her gloves and put them away. Digging through the box and pulling out an old photo. She looks at it with sadness in her eyes. Her shoulders slumping. I sit beside her and see it. It's Mom with shorter hair. Still glowing and she's smiling. To her right is a big guy with tattoos peeking through his shirt with smile lines and other small wrinkles with longish dark hair with streaks of molten fire. He's got his massive arm wound around her shoulders. He's grinning like he just won the lottery.
Her left belongs to a woman who looks almost exactly like her but meaner and with bright glowing azure eyes with flaming hair. She glares at the camera like she wanted to burn it. Even a picture of her made me feel a little unnerved. But then leaning into the shot with a big smile on his face is a boy with wisps of facial hair on his face looking kind of gawky with short red hair and brilliant blue eyes. Mom sighs and looks over at me.
She points at herself in the middle. "That's me." She says. Her voice sounded hollow and flat. Something that made her so happy one second made her really sad the next.
Her finger shifts to the man with dark hair and bright molten streaks. "That's your Granddad." I nod. She smiles fondly and lingers there for a second.
"He was the one always in my corner." She said. "My coach and my trainer."
"Cool!" I exclaimed before tapping the woman, "What about her?" Mom stiffens. Her eyes glare down at her with such hatred. Almost like she was willing it to burst into flames. Her hair crackles and flares.
"My spawn point." She snarls. Then she just leaves it at that. I don't know why Mom hates her mom so much but she's gotta be bad if Mom gets ticked about her.
Then she smirks at the boy in the picture. "That's your uncle. He was always a jokester. Well… when I knew him." she sighs, "I just don't know what I did wrong."
I look up at her and she's got tears in her eyes. It's confusing and wrong. Mom never cries. Mom never shows a bit of weakness but here she is crying. I find myself hugging her. I squeeze her and she squeezes me back.
"I'm just so glad I didn't mess you up," she mumbles. "Renaru… you're a good kid." she squeezes me harder.
"Don't you dare lose that. Don't you dare lose that blazing heart of yours. It's warm and kind and feisty. You just keep going and going and fighting. You scratch and claw and you make no apologies." she says.
"Mom…" I sniffle. "I-"
She smiles and dries my tears. "I know it's hard. I know this hero thing is important to you and this tourney is gonna help you with that. Mind your head and you'll get where you want to go." she then yawns and hoists me into her arms.
"Bedtime kiddo!" she exclaims before she kisses me on the forehead. I grin and settle into her arms. Everything kinda felt better after that scare. I just hope Ibara is okay…