Unsweet Lemonade (Pixiv Fanbox)

The city had already burned three times that night.

By morning it’d be there again.

Amber watched as light danced along the little guy’s beady eyes. It looked cute, standing on his hind legs and holding out his paws

“No.”

The opossum wailed as Amber snapped the lighter shut, extinguishing the flame.

Every building repaired itself at once. Glass climbed out of the streets and fitted itself back into windows. Cars rolled backward out of collisions. Smoke funneled back from where it came. Bodies stood up. Sirens inhaled their own cries.

“You know what happens when I give you this! Just look at your tail.”

It looked back at its bare rat-like pink tail. It nodded.

Amber frowned.

“Animals don’t nod, stay in character.”

She looked away from her furry cohorts for a moment and stared out at the city, Forgery could be beautiful when she wanted to.

The opossum kept its hand out.

"You'll just do it again."

Another nod. The little guy seemed to grin.

Amber flicked the lighter open.

The flame leaned toward the opossum.

"Last time."

It opened its mouth.

Inside was another Forgery.

Tiny streets. Tiny buildings. Tiny people.

And somewhere impossibly far below, another Amber sat on another rooftop holding another lighter toward another waiting opossum.

She hesitated.

Then touched the flame to its mouth.

Every opossum in the city ignited at once.

They grew as they burned.

One hauled itself over the courthouse. Another climbed a radio tower. Fire spilled from their mouths and raced through the streets in branching orange rivers.

Forgery began screaming.

Amber watched.

The flames did not reach her.

Ash fell everywhere except on her clothes.

She looked down at herself.

"You've got to be kidding me."

No punishment came.

Amber waited.

Nothing.

"I didn't tell them to do all that."

The opossum beside her stared.

"I didn't."

In its paws was the lighter.

Amber did not remember dropping it.

It offered it back.

For a long time she stared.

Then she sighed.

"It shouldn’t really be up to me."

Amber took the lighter.