Guess we shouldn't have been so surprised when things didn't turn out how we expected, but really, it was pretty clear things wouldn't stay cool forever. We were growing up, changing, you know, all that boring adult stuff started mattering and suddenly we weren't all just students at the academy; somehow we all one by one woke up and realized that life had to keep spinning on, you know? I guess the first time that clicked to really any of us was when Tsubaki left. She always was the most mature of us- in fact I wouldn't be surprised if her leaving wasn't intentional on her part, as a way to say 'it's ok' or something.
"Whad'ya mean you're going?" Black Star demanded, not able to make eye contact with the tall girl, his hands balled into fists.
"I'm sorry Black Star," Was her reply, he didn't have to look up to know Tsubaki was smiling. "I know you don't understand now but, you don't need me anymore. Your strong on your own now,"
"Listen Tsubaki," He began, struggling to sound tough and cool. He knew that the moment he stopped he'd just break down and cry, "I know I may be amazing and everything, but a meisters sheer awesome is only measured in how amazing the weapon he wields is. So while I can get how you can see how amazing I am all on my own- that's, that's..." He fumbled for the words now, tears threatening to fall, come on Black star, say it! Get her to stay; she can't leave, not now… "That's nothing compared to how awesome people see me when I'm with you."
"Oh Black Star… that's sweet. Really." Tsubaki replied gently, "But you forget that it's a weapons job to have her meisters best wishes at heart."
"So…? What goods a meister without a weapon, huh?" Black Star protested, "What good wishes are those?"
"The ones that will help you grow." Tsubaki replied, "Please don't be sad Black Star; you'll find a new weapon, one that can take you places I never would."
"But what about you? Where will you go? What about becoming a death scythe?"
"Don't worry about me, I've got my own life figured out, worry about you, please, just this once." Tsubaki pleaded.
"But what if- what if I'm not as amazing as I think I am?" Black Star managed, finally giving in to emotion.
"But you are, and you always will be. With or without me."
That was the last I heard of Tsubaki; I think she went back to her hometown and found a new meister. Some kid I sure never heard of. And Black Star, well, he of course didn't take her leaving to well. He stayed in Death City for exactly a week, moping around and being well, about as un-Black Star like as it gets before he upped and left. Off to find himself or something, to make sense of things I guess. Point is he was gone. And then we were five.
Dinner wasn't quite so cool with two empty places at the table, even Patty had trouble staying on the bright side of things. But well, you know the funny thing? We moved on. got used to not setting out extra places at the table. Got used to not meeting up during classes or around campus. Eventually things had changed to a whole new sort of normal. Not that that would last for long of course, things change. It's the way the world works. Like when a river digs it's way through the land; pushing and shoving at the dirt like it's the boss of things. Eventually well, it'll have pushed enough that it looks completely different than before. Heck, some of it might even get cut off and become one of those oxbow lakes Doctor Stein talked about in class before dissecting a heron. That's what Tsubaki and Black Star had done, become oxbows and you, me, Kid and the Thompsons were still part of the river.
The thing about rivers though is that people can build dams in them. Sometimes the river is forced to move a way it doesn't want to. We had a dam built in us all right, we had a dam built the moment that kishin showed up.