Ember of the Starry Sky

A week had passed, and Yukari had been working hard surprisingly. Her control over her fire magic had improved, though she still couldn't summon anything nearly as flashy as Hinote. She could now keep a small flame alive in her hand without it sputtering out after a few seconds, and she'd also stopped accidentally burning her clothes. Small victories, but victories nonetheless.

Her reading and writing were coming along, too. She still struggled with some of the more complicated symbols, but compared to where she had started barely able to hold a quill she'd made real progress. Of course, Hinote never stopped teasing her about how slow she was. Every crooked letter earned a smirk from him, but Yukari had learned to brush it off. Well, most of the time.

Today, though, Hinote had something different planned. He was perched on a ledge inside the cave, lazily watching Yukari as she finished her morning practice. When she finally extinguished the flame in her hand, he hopped down and stretched his massive wings.

"We're doing something different today," Hinote announced, his fiery eyes gleaming with amusement.

Yukari raised an eyebrow, already suspicious. "What do you mean 'different'? I swear if this is another one of your 'surprise training sessions' where I nearly get eaten by something, I'm out."

Hinote snorted. "No monsters today. But you do look like a monster, so I figured it's time to fix that."

Yukari blinked in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The phoenix rolled his eyes. "I mean, look at you. You've been wearing the same raggedy clothes for who knows how long, and your hair looks like a bird's nest."

"Hey!" Yukari huffed, her hands instinctively flying up to pat down her wild hair. "That's rude!"

"Truth hurts," Hinote replied with a shrug, before flicking his talon, making a large chest appear out of nowhere.

Yukari's eyes widened. "W-What's that?"

"A treasure chest," Hinote said simply, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Yukari scrambled over to it, her curiosity piqued. The chest was old and worn, but the jewels embedded in the lid sparkled in the cave's dim light. She reached out, hesitating for a moment before looking at Hinote for permission.

He waved a wing lazily. "Go on, open it. It's yours."

Yukari didn't need to be told twice. She opened the chest with a creak, and inside were sparkling gems, the currency of their world. Her eyes widened at the sight of all the jewels. There were enough in there to buy... well, she didn't even know what yet, but it was a lot!

"W-What am I supposed to do with all this?" Yukari asked, looking up at Hinote in disbelief.

"You're going to town," he said, smirking at her shock. "Shirotsume Town, to be exact. You're going to buy yourself some proper clothes and maybe get a haircut while you're at it."

"Town?" Yukari's heart skipped a beat at the thought. She hadn't been in a town or anywhere near people since... well, since the whole "being shunned by my village" incident. Her face fell slightly, memories she didn't like to think about creeping into her mind.

"Yeah, town," Hinote repeated, ignoring the change in her expression. "You look like a beggar. You'll scare people off before you even get close enough to buy anything."

Yukari frowned. "I don't look that bad…"

Hinote gave her a deadpan look. "You do."

She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. The idea of going into town sounded nice new clothes, a fresh start but the thought of being around people again made her stomach twist. What if they treated her like her village did? What if they could sense the fire magic in her? What if they hated her, too?

But before she could voice any of these concerns, Hinote spoke again. "I'm not going with you, by the way."

"What?" Yukari's head snapped up, her eyes wide with panic. "You're just going to... drop me off there? By myself?"

"You'll be fine," Hinote said with a smirk. "Consider it a test. You're tougher than you look, right?"

Yukari wanted to argue, but his words stirred something inside her. She was tougher now, wasn't she? After everything she'd been through the training, the monsters, the endless teasing from Hinote she could handle a little trip to town... right?

Before she could fully wrap her head around it, Hinote had picked her up and tossed her onto his back like a sack of potatoes. With a powerful flap of his wings, they were airborne, soaring over the mountains and toward the town of Shirotsume.

The town of Shirotsume was nestled in the mountains, small but bustling with activity. The streets were lined with shops, stalls, and people going about their business. To most, it looked like a perfectly normal town.

To Yukari, it looked terrifying.

When Hinote landed just outside the town's gates and unceremoniously dumped her off his back, Yukari stumbled, her heart pounding in her chest.

"W-Wait! You're really just going to leave me here?!" she stammered, clutching the pouch of jewels Hinote had given her.

"Yep," Hinote said, already stretching his wings as if preparing to take off. "You've got everything you need. Clothes, a haircut, whatever. I'll be back to pick you up later. Or not. Depends on how long you take."

"Hinote!" Yukari called after him, but it was too late. With a single powerful flap, the phoenix was already in the sky, leaving her standing there, alone.

Yukari stared after him, her heart sinking. She turned back toward the town, feeling a knot of anxiety form in her stomach. You're fine, she told herself. It's just a town. They don't know you. They won't treat you like your village did. You're stronger now.

But as she stepped through the town gates, her mind raced with doubts. People stared at her as she walked by, their eyes lingering on her tattered clothes and messy hair. She hunched her shoulders, trying to make herself smaller, her face heating up with embarrassment.

They're just staring because you look like a mess, she told herself. Once you get some new clothes, you'll be fine.

She ducked into the nearest clothing shop, her heart pounding in her chest. The shopkeeper, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes, gave her a polite smile.

"Can I help you, dear?"

Yukari fumbled with her pouch of jewels, her hands shaking slightly. "Um, I need... clothes. Something... normal."

The woman nodded, seemingly unfazed by Yukari's awkwardness. "Of course, dear. We'll find you something nice."

Yukari relaxed slightly, following the woman through the shop. She picked out a simple outfit a tunic and pants that actually fit and hurriedly changed in the back. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she barely recognized the girl staring back at her.

For the first time in... well, forever, she looked like a normal kid. No more tattered clothes, no more dirt streaks on her face. Just... Yukari.

After buying the clothes and stuffing her old rags into her bag, Yukari wandered back onto the streets, her anxiety returning in full force. She hadn't gotten her haircut yet, and she still felt like every person she passed was judging her.

She ducked into an alleyway, her back pressed against the cool stone wall as she tried to calm herself down. It's fine. You're fine. They don't hate you.

But the memories of her village came rushing back—the whispers, the glares, the accusations of her being cursed. Even though she had gotten stronger, the trauma was still there, lurking in the back of her mind.

Yukari squeezed her eyes shut, taking deep breaths. You're not cursed, she reminded herself. You're strong. Hinote believes in you... even if he's a jerk about it.

With a deep breath, she opened her eyes and pushed herself off the wall. She wasn't that scared little girl from the village anymore. She was Yukari Hoshizora the kid with fire magic, and the phoenix's apprentice.

And she wasn't going to let a bunch of strangers scare her.