NANA

"Nana! Oh my goodness it has been too long!"

Aiko hugged me speaking in her heavy Japanese accent.

I smiled and patted her shoulder. Getting out my bike from oversized baggage I rolled it along the aisle until we were outside. Aiko got on her motorcycle and I tried my best to peddle next to her. I had tied my hoodie around my waist securely since it was quite hot.

Tokyo had changed a lot. Buildings were getting taller and honk of cars and trucks was a lot louder. I found it mesmerizing that Aiko and somehow I could too weave in and out of traffic like that. My hair flew in the breeze behind me and I did a fake smile since everything seemed happy then I should be too. I looked up to find a helicopter flying up in the air but focused my attention back to the road.

Drivers were staring at me as a Meif'wa on her little bike was pumping her muscles as much as she could to keep up with an electronic version of her vehicle.

Eventually after five or ten minutes I smelt the smog that hung in the air after the fire. We were getting close and that's when I saw it.

The top four floors of the parking lot were completely destroyed and in ruins, the bottom three barely taking the weight. There extremely visible cracks within the concrete columns, even at one hundred meters away.

The condominium was no better. There was shattered glass ad metal poled were showing through the walls. What used to be light grey concrete was now blackened ash and the whole left side of the building next to the parking lot was blackened and crumbled, since the flames lick the side.

I remember recalling that our apartment was three levels above the top of the parking lot. I could see it from my bedroom in fact, and beyond there the coast of the churning ocean was rippling towards the shore.

I loved this place, and now it's gone.

Looking up I saw that one of the windows had a mess of wires hanging from it that were connected roughly and hung until the ground level. They continued towards underneath to the ground floor of the parking lot. There were a few devices like a old stained washing machine and an old oven. Around it were many blankets acting as tents set up. Women were washing clothes in basins filled with salt water from the ocean, and the children were kicking a soccer ball speaking in childish Japanese accents.

"I know. Terrible. Do you think this is what people in places like Africa and Afghanistan face?" Aiko commented next to me.

I nodded slowly and she grabbed my hand and led me to a larger shelter near the back.

Having eleven siblings, but now sadly ten, we had a bug shelter, and even had a few tents from camping trips. Daisuke was hammering in a peg smashing the pebbles when he looked up.

"NANA!" he yelled.

All my siblings who were there looked up, and after a brief phase of shock, they ran towards me and hugged me tight.

I was being squished by six sets of arms.

After wrestling out, I counted them.

"Where's Akemi, Cho, Ryo, and Ma?"

"They are by the ocean Nana. Cho is at school though." Sadao, one of my brothers, replied to me.

I nodded and dropped my bag on the ground and after yanking off my socks slipped into my flip-flops. I walked along the concrete towards the sand, my sandals clapping to every step.

I saw a group of four Meif'wa, one getting buckets of water, and one more cooking with on a campfire, which I was guessing was trout.

The last one was staring out into the ocean, her dark black hair with strawberry blonde highlights peeking through the black locks. She was staring out into the ocean, her ears and tail twitching from the icy ocean breeze.

Mother.

"MA!" I heard myself say.

She turned around, her caramel coloured eyes looking straight mine.

"Nana? My sweet seventh child?" she looked at me, fifty meters away.

I ran to her, throwing my arms around her, crying into her shoulder.

"Ma, I never wanted to leave. I could've been there! Do you know what I have been through?"

My mother squeezed me tight and replied, "You and your friends were all over the news globally. Friends with the Ultima himself; my baby girl has seen things." she squeezed tighter and I had to pull back from the pain she was causing my scar.

"Nana? Is everything okay?" she looked at me up and down and the end of my scar was showing since I was wearing a short pink belly button length tank top.

"Oh my dear Nana! Please Daisuke help her back to our shelter. We must have tea and talk after Ryo fries the fish. We will talk and drink tea. Do you want green tea Nana?"

A few minutes later the whole family was kneeling on cushions around a low circular table, drinking tea and eating fish pieces from a wooden basket meant for Mushipan. (Steamed bread in Japanese)

"What happened to you Nana?"

Cliffhanger!

I bet you all hate me after that. I am so sorry for not posting in a while. I had exams and family issues I had to deal with.

Well I hope you enjoyed! This chapter may be republished with a picture.