Chapter: Arrival in Forks
Warmth.
That was the first thing Austin—now not Austin—felt.
A wave of memories rushed into him like a loading screen filling in piece by piece. His new name. His new age. His new life. Sixteen. Bella's younger brother. Quiet. Sleepy. A gamer who stayed up way too late every night. Soft-spoken, soft-featured, and apparently so cute that airport staff had tried to give him extra snacks.
He blinked awake as the plane shook lightly.
Bella sat beside him, earbuds in, staring out the window with that classic Bella Swan expression—awkward, thoughtful, somewhere between bored and existential.
Her eyes flicked to him. "You were out cold the whole flight."
His voice came out softer than he expected, gentle and still half-asleep. "'m a heavy sleeper."
"Yeah," Bella snorted. "I remember."
More memories clicked into place—childhood flashes, birthdays, shared holidays, the messy, normal life of siblings who liked each other but weren't overly affectionate. It all settled into him like it had always been there.
But beneath the human memories…
something else stirred.
Chakra. Spreading like roots through his veins.
The ability to melt into the ground, to create clones, to merge with nature itself. White Zetsu abilities humming under his skin like a second heartbeat.
He shivered.
Bella frowned. "You good?"
"Just cold," he mumbled—because what else could he say?
The plane landed with a jolt and a long screech down the runway. They disembarked, stepping into the gray, rain-damp air of Washington.
And there he was.
Charlie Swan.
He stood awkwardly beside his police cruiser, hands shoved in his jacket pockets. His mustache twitched the second he spotted them.
"Bella."
"Dad."
They did that stiff, Swan-family half-hug. Then Charlie's eyes landed on him.
"And… hey, kiddo. Good to see you." Charlie patted his shoulder like he wasn't sure how fragile the boy was. Given this new body's small, delicate appearance… understandable.
"Hi, Dad," he said quietly.
Charlie gave a tiny, relieved smile, like at least this child wasn't glaring at him.
Bags loaded into the trunk, they climbed in—Bella up front, him in the back seat. Charlie didn't really do small talk, so the drive through Forks was mostly the sound of rain on the windshield and Bella trying to fill the silence with occasional commentary about school, Phoenix, and the weather.
He leaned his head against the cold window, letting the scenery pass in green blurs. His new instincts hummed, sensing the forest, the moisture, the soil.
This world was alive in a way that made his new powers tingle.
Soon they pulled into the familiar driveway of Charlie's two-story house.
"Alright," Charlie said, grabbing one of his bags. "Bella, your room's the same. And for you—" he gave the sleepy teen a nod "—fixed up the guest room for you. Should be all set."
Inside, everything smelled like old wood, coffee, and rain jackets. Bella trudged upstairs. He followed, opening the door to what was now his room.
A simple bed.
A small desk.
A window looking straight into the forest.
He set his bag down.
Then paused.
Because beneath the floorboards, beneath the earth, beneath the house itself…
he could feel the soil like it was calling his name.
His chakra reacted instinctively.
Roots. Life. Growth. Camouflage.
Power.
He took a slow breath.
He was in Forks.
He was Bella Swan's little brother.
Sixteen. Sleepy. Innocent-looking.
And he was a White Zetsu in disguise.
This world had no idea what was growing beneath it now