Familiar Fire

Chapter Nine

Aurora woke up a few hours later. At first, she couldn't remember anything that happened as if the flashbacks were nothing but mere nightmares. Pain spread through her head as it all came back to her. It was all real. Part of her was grateful for remembering. Yes, she remembered the pain and suffering of her past but she was reminded of who she was and who she could be again. She went through more suffering in her childhood than anyone should in their entire life, but she survived.

Yes, a part of her wanted to give in to the pain she felt. To stay laying in the bed until the end of time. But a larger part of her wanted to carry on despite it. She wanted to live in spite of the people who tried to kill her. She wanted to live in spite of the people that tried to make her life a living hell. She wanted to live on for her family.

Aurora carefully stood up from the bed. Her bones felt as if they were full of lead. She stumbled over to the dresser across the room. She was still wearing the same outfit from the fighting festival. It was torn and stained with her own blood. She opened the drawer, hoping to find something else to wear. The drawers were full of the pink shirt and black pants she was already wearing. In the bottom drawer, she saw a flash of silver. She pushed the pink shirts to the side and saw a blue and silver outfit. She carefully pulled it out, her eyes widening as she did so.

This was hers. She didn't know how she knew it but she did. There was a black strapless fitted jumpsuit with a deep neckline. She quickly put it on. A part of her felt like she knew who she was just by putting it on again. Next, she grabbed the blue cape. It had silver hems and accents. It was long-sleeved and had a hood. She quickly slipped it on. The cape was open in the front and fell to her mid-calf in the back. She grabbed a black corset belt from the drawer and put it on over the cape. She grabbed the black boots from the drawer and slipped them on. They fell right below her knees and had a slight heel.

As she turned to leave the room, the mirror caught her eye. She looked into it, and for the first time, she felt like she wasn't looking at a stranger. She pulled the hood off of her head so she could better see herself. Her wavy red hair fell around her and her blue eyes had a light she had never seen in them before. She didn't know everything, but she knew it would be okay. She had enough information to know what she was fighting for.

She casually walked down the stairs, no longer feeling weak. For some reason, something as simple as an outfit that she used to wear made her feel like herself. She could hear people yelling drunkenly from outside. She rolled her eyes and walked out of the tavern, watching from the side as her friends conversed. She noticed someone new. He had pink hair and golden eyes. She looked back over to her friends and saw them all smelling King. She sighed and walked over to them as King switched into his other form. They all looked at her as if they were about to get in trouble.

"I wake up from a long nap and you're all acting like lunatics. You guys are lucky I like you." They continued to stare in shock, no one moving a muscle. Aurora rolled her blue eyes playfully. "What? I change my outfit and you all forget how to speak?" Ban was the only one to move. He charged toward her menacingly. She didn't move a muscle and just watched as he approached. Once he reached her, he gently wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her in a circle. He laughed loudly as he still held onto her, holding her a foot off the ground. She giggled quietly.

"Ban, what are you doing?" Meliodas asked as he walked over.

"She's herself again!" He said as he placed the redhead back on the ground, placing his hands on her shoulders. She raised an eyebrow at him and looked at Meliodas. She rolled her eyes and looked back at Ban.

"Well I don't remember everything yet so calm down." Ban wrapped his arms around her again tightly. "Jeez, you're going to kill me, Ban." He loosened his grip but didn't let go. She ignored him and turned back to Diane, Elizabeth, and King. "So why were you all smelling King?" He went red, remembering what had happened.