Sister

Hesitantly, Akaeru pushed the door to his new room open, revealing the spacious guest room. The room was sparsely furnished, with a double bed covered in a milky white sheet, a dresser with a few drawers for clothes and what-not, and a large window overlooking the city.

Having a room of his own was a luxury he'd never had before. He wandered over to the window and peered out, the bright and populated atmosphere of the city below. It was like black and white from the cramped apartment he used to share with his parents. Well, his previous parents now.

Suddenly, glint sparked in his eyes. He focused on a tiny scratch on the windowpane, and slowly, a green light materialized around his hand, swirling like an emerald tornado. The scratch vanished, leaving behind an unscratched surface. A satisfied hum came out of his mouth.

He spent the next hour looking around the room he finally started to feel comfortable in.

Every so often, he'd experiment on minor imperfections, like a loose thread on a pillowcase, or even a slight wobble on the nightstand. Each time, the faulty item returned to its original state, the green light growing slightly brighter with every attempt. He could feel his quirk gaining more power with every imperfection fixed.

As he once again peered outside of the window, a loud creak from the doorway behind him startled him.

He turned around only to be met with the sight of a girl with peri-winkle hair standing in the doorway. Her bright eyes sparkled with curiosity and veiled excitement.

"Hey there!" she chirped, tilting her head like a curious bird. "I'm Nejire! What's your name?"

Akaeru remained silent for a moment, his mind processing the sight before him. This girl, with her vibrant hair and free, was suspiciously good at socializing. Finally, he mumbled a hesitant, "Akaeru."

A dazzling white toothy smile erupted on the girl's face. "You must be my new brother, right?" Her voice bubbled with curiosity as she skipped into the room playfully, her presence both overwhelming and strangely bright. "This is your room now? Awesome! We're right next door to each other!"

Akaeru stood still, unsure of what to say. He'd never had a sibling before, let alone a 9 year old curiosity-monster of a sister. But there was a genuine kindness in Nejire's eyes that made him feel safe.

He was glad she was crazy good at introductions, because otherwise, their relationship would most likely just be awkward.

As Nejire found herself exploring Akaeru's room as if it wasn't completely the same as before, she let out a whoop of delight and practically bounced onto the bed.

"We should have an awesome party, little brother! Do wanna go get some snacks?" Before Akaeru could even answer, she was already grabbing his hand and pulling him excitedly towards the door.

As they nearly flew down the stairs, Akaeru's chest felt warm for just a moment. Maybe this wouldn't be as unnatural as he thought it would. With the help of both Asami, who he'd start trying to call mom, and Nejire, the social butterfly, this was much better than he had thought it would be.

He had a quirk, a strong one based on the other ones he had seen on TV, and a newfound sense of life. The journey to becoming strong like the heroes he saw on TV might be a long one , but for now, having a sister and a place to call home was good enough for him.

He squeezed Nejire's hand, surprised at the sudden urge for connection, something he hadn't had until now. She squeezed back, a wide grin splitting her face. They burst into the kitchen, Nejire announcing their arrival in a flurry of excited chatter.

Asami, a kind woman with eyes that crinkled at the corners when she smiled, turned from the counter, a whisk in her hand.

"There you two are! I was just about to make some snacks. Did you have a nice time exploring your room, Akaeru?"

Akaeru mumbled a small "mm," his gaze flickering between Nejire's sparkling eyes and the warm smile on Asami's face. He'd never experienced such a welcoming atmosphere before. It felt weird. Not normal.

Nejire, oblivious to his internal struggle, launched into a rapid explanation of Akaeru's "super cool" room, details filling each sentence like she was oblivious of her mother already knowing how the room looked.

Asami just listened patiently, her gentle smile unwavering.

"-And then, Akaeru fixed a crack in the wall with his quirk! It was like magic!" Nejire declared, her eyes wide with excitement.

Akaeru lightly flinched. He didn't think she actually saw that. His quirk wasn't exactly a secret though, so it didn't matter much. Asami's kind eyes held no judgment, only curiosity.

"So what exactly is your quirk, dear?" Asami asked curiously as she looked at Akaeru.

"I don't know. I can make things go back or forward is what the doctor guy said."

"Back or forward?" Asami mumbled as she put her hand up to her chin in thought.

"In time I think," Akaeru explained, which caused Asami to widen her eyes.

"That's crazy! You'd make an amazing hero, Kaeru!"

"Maybe," he responded, uninterested at the thought.

"Come on! You can be a hero like me, Akaeru," Nejire said as she looked at him expectantly.

Akaeru sat in silence for a moment before responding with, "Alright then."

Nejire, bouncing with boundless energy, practically vibrated with excitement. "Yes! You're gonna be the best hero ever, Akaeru! We can be together and become the best team ever!"

Asami chuckled, a warm sound that seemed to calm the room down. "The best team ever, huh… Sounds impressive. But before you two become heroes, you need to learn to control your quirks, right? Maybe you can show Akaeru what yours can do after we eat?"

Nejire's eyes lit up, stars practically reflecting in them. She grabbed Akaeru's hand, practically dragging him to a stool. "Alright! Witness the power of… Sparkling Blast!" She declared, striking a dramatic hero pose.

Akaeru found himself caught up in Nejire's theatrics as he looked towards Nejire, a small light of expectation filling his heart. He watched, mesmerized, as Nejire pointed a finger at a crumpled napkin on the counter.

A burst of sparkling golden light spiraled down her arms, launching towards the crumpled napkin, causing it to fly across the room.

Asami clapped her hands in delight. "Good job, sweetheart! You're getting better at controlling your quirk!"

Nejire beamed at the praise, her chest puffing out with pride. "Now it's your turn, Akaeru. Show us your back and forward magic!"

Akaeru hesitated for a moment before finding something to use his power on. He looked towards the whisk Asami had set on the countertop.

He took a deep breath, focusing his energy. The familiar green light swirled around his hand, pulsing with a comforting warmth. He reached his palm out towards the whisk, and decided to practice speeding time up a bit since he had only been reverting it lately.

Suddenly, both Nejire and Asami noticed that it started to rapidly rust, until it eventually turned completely brown with rust. But still, Akaeru continued, and as the whisk started fall apart, Akaeru finally stopped.

"Alright, I'll fix it now."

With those words left in Nejire and Asami's already surprised minds, the whisk rapidly started to put itself back together, with the rust disappearing, until eventually, the whisk was back in its original state. No, it was even better than it was before. It looked brand new.

The air grew thick with a heavy silence. Nejire's eyes, wide with a mixture of awe and curiosity, darted between the restored whisk and Akaeru's impassive face. Asami, ever the nurturer, was the first to break the tension.

"Wow, Akaeru," she breathed, her voice tinged with wonder. "That's… incredible! So that's what you meant by 'back or forward'."

Akaeru shrugged, a flicker of something akin to pride crossing his features for a brief moment. "I guess."

Nejire, ever the bouncing ball of enthusiasm, squealed with delight. "See, Mom! I told you he was amazing! We're gonna be the best hero team ever just like I said!"

Asami chuckled. "You weren't wrong, honey. But maybe 'time warp' or something is a better name for your quirk rather than 'back or forward,' Akaeru."

The suggestion played in his mind. "Time Warp," he mumbled, testing how it would sound when he said it. It felt powerful, like the swirling green energy that crackled around his hand. A massive improvement from the "back or forward" the doctor had used.

"Time Warp," he repeated, this time with conviction. It felt much better.

Asami's eyes sparkled with pride at finding a name Akaeru liked. "See, Kaeru? That's a hero's name for a hero's quirk!"

Suddenly, Nejire's stomach growled, breaking the tension with a comical rumble. Her face flushed bright red, and she sheepishly rubbed her belly. "Hehe, looks like all this hero talk made me forget about snacks!"

Asami chuckled, the sound warm and inviting. "Well, that's a good thing then! I was just about to start making some cookies. How does that sound, you two future heroes?"

"Yay, cookies! I love you mom!" Nejire shouted out, bouncing up and down in her seat.

Akaeru had only ever had expired cookies from the gas station, so despite his apprehension at showing it, the seven year old boy was also excited.