Level Horizon

by nyxysabyss

In a perfect world, everything works out. His leveler would still have his wings. They wouldn't be separated from their families, entire lives abandoned. They'd never fight, never wonder over what they've lost, never fear the future. But Kageyama knows better than anyone that the world isn't perfect. He's also learned to smile in spite of that. Post 'Level Pair' (*not)drabbles 0.o

37. Epilogue Moirai's Promise

EPILOGUE Moirai's Promise

Life doesn't give you the people you want, it gives you the people you need: to love you, to hate you, to make you, to break you, and to make you the person you were meant to be. ~Walt Whitman

We are the story we tell ourselves. ~Jason Robinson

~Fifty Years Later, Summer's End~

Kiyoko steps out of the steaming kitchen into the late summer breeze for a moment, the breath of fresh air cool across her sweat streaked skin as a group of cats wanders by, excited for tonight's kickoff match to start the fall tournament.

She spies Yachi anxiously going over the team matchup schedule with a gull, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi hanging close. She can hear Kuroo barking at Bokuto because 'that doesn't go there, Bro! I told you, that one needs to go by ground net three'. She can see Kageyama and Hinata happily pumping up balls and making sure they are all the right pressure. She smiles softly and her eyes crease with amusement as she spies the red mark on the crow setter's neck when the redhead's gaze strays to it with a secret grin; she's pretty sure Feathers has no idea it's there or he'd be a lot more salty than that small content smile says he is. Beside them, Natsu plays with an infant crow who babbles incoherently, a happy accident only a few years old, born the first child to Ukai and Saeko.

The baby girl doesn't even have teeth yet, but her cute little wings make her surprisingly mobile, and the younger redhead sibling keeps an ever-careful watch over her until one of her parents returns to pick her up later in the day. Kiyoko's smile reaches up into her eyes, because those two as parents had been unthinkable even ten years ago; they'd only tied the knot a couple decades before and it had been almost comical when they'd discovered Saeko was pregnant. Both had looked so helplessly terrified at the very idea of a baby even as Tanaka had happily congratulated them.

But it had been precious to see them both look at their newborn with complete adoration, Ukai even reaching out to take the baby with infinite care and awe before looking back up at Saeko with the same tender expression. They'd proved to be wonderful parents if a little unprepared, and seeing either one of them with their fledgling daughter was almost murderously cute. The little girl is loved by everyone—even the ibis has volunteered himself and Yamaguchi for babysitting duty on occasion. The infant has enjoyed the company of the entire beach crew almost like a second family, and she can often be found in their care on busy days at Ukai's shop—like today.

Kiyoko idly pushes a stray damp lock behind her ear.

It's been fifty years since that first official match was held at the beach between themselves and the Grand King's team.

That first spring bout had been tense to say the least, the whole beach crew and even most of Sheru Bay on edge at their presence. It wasn't very often the small coastal port had even one sentry, and they'd suddenly been taken off guard with not only an entire unit, but the rookery leader himself along with his entourage. Really it was only some fifteen people or so, but Kuroo had been livid because 'they'd agreed on ten and no more, dammit.'

The Grand King had come ready to play his first match in five years according to Iwaizumi. The sentry leader himself had been promoted to heir apparent; a position the crow had had no small amount of dislike for and had never failed to inform the Grand King as such. The rookery leader had lined up as setter across from his son, Iwa's unit making up the rest of his team. For their part, it was mostly just the former first unit that made up Kageyama's team, the only exception being Tsukishima who helped fill the other middle position so they could use Noya in his element as libero.

The match itself had been exciting to watch, and Kiyoko had privately been relieved when it was over; she'd doubted her heart could have handled much more.

The Grand King was clever and sharp, attentive and focused, and within only a few volleys he'd been able to find the weaknesses with their rotation setup and had actively worked to exploit both them and the shortcomings of individual players. Kageyama's team had answered with its adaptability and their adamant determination to connect. They'd been practicing all through the winter to the point where they worked fluidly, a sentient system of gears operating smoothly to turn the plays; they weren't completely polished and seamless yet, but it had been enough. The final score had been Kageyama's team on top by three points.

The Grand King had stayed for a couple days more, engaging in more aerial scrimmages and watching their ground Volley matches with bright intrigue. He'd even had Iwaizumi's wings bound so he could try it out, much to the cow's sincerely salty opposition. It had been little surprise when they'd received a raven a week after the Grand King had left asking if they couldn't send a couple people back to the rookery to work with Iwa's unit so they could play the ground game with them the next time they came to Sheru Bay. He'd even made a point of specifically requesting Kuroo; the black cat had blanked when Kageyama had read the missive before doubling over in cynical laughter.

"I used to visit the rookery plotting to off any passing crow I saw, and now I'm being summoned for the esteemed purpose of teaching the first unit ground Volley. The universe definitely has a sense of humor." He'd groused.

In the end, the cat hadn't been moved and it had been Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and the owls who'd gone back to work with Iwa's unit. The prospect had nearly been enough to convince the black cat to join them anyway just for his own peace of mind; none of them had been entirely comfortable being in the rookery, invited or not.

But when the Grand King had requested another match in the fall before migration, they'd played both aerial and ground. After centuries of animosity, it had done wonders for breaking social barriers between the cats and the sentries, and they'd spent as much time playing ground as they had playing aerial. And the tradition had begun: a spring and fall tournament at the beach became almost a religion with more than just them and the Grand King's teams playing after only a couple years.

Since then, the tournaments have virtually exploded.

They'd expanded into a third tourney at midsummer that coincided with one of Sheru Bay's local festivals and just recently, a winter ground one. There are nearly two hundred participants for this year's fall herald tournament, and over twenty-five teams competing. It had grown so out of hand that they'd had to start charging admission.

The influx of people coming for tournaments had inundated Sheru Bay at first since the little port was still recovering from the earthquake and tsunami. Within fifteen years, the town had nearly doubled in size, it's small sea port becoming crowded to the point that it had needed to be expanded. Ukai's shop had become a favorite hangout after games and Saeko would grumble about the dinner rush before fetching her brother to help.

Since they ran both ground and air Volley brackets, they'd had teams from all walks request an invitation. Whenever they had a new team show up wanting to play, they were always referred to Shouyou for the final decision… which was virtually pointless as he generally welcomed everyone regardless.

A group of gulls that just wanted to play an exhibition air match?

No problem! We do a few before official tournament matches start if you want to get a feel for them.

The wolf group that showed up with only four people, but wondering if they were still allowed?

Sure! We always have extra people! You gotta be okay if they're cats, though.

Even when Bokuto had tentatively directed a standoffish group of inquisitive owls toward him?

Why not, Bokuto? Maybe you can start your own owl team!

It was rare that the bright little redhead ever refused anyone… but it did happen. When a group of snakes had showed up, he'd flatly refused, leaving them standing quite bewildered. Most of the snake trafficking network had been eradicated by that point thanks to Iwaizumi's crusade, but the memory of a pinioned sister and people in cages bound for slavery had yet to fade in Shouyou's head. In the end, it had been Natsu who'd overruled him, permitting them to play and penciling them into a bracket. She was probably the only person who'd have ever been able to get her brother to acquiesce on that particular matter.

The beach crew was always in the running for at least top five in either bracket, always a powerful opponent, and the team to beat as they were hosting. In fifty years of tournaments, Kageyama's team had only lost to the Grand King's eight times, three of them because they were missing one of the key players that made them so formidable.

When Noya'd broken his hand on a dive that had been far closer to the ground than he'd realized and Yaku had already been signed to two ground teams, they'd felt the loss of his powerhouse defense capabilities keenly. When Hinata'd injured the main extensor ligament in one of his large black wings less than a week before the midsummer competition a few years back, he'd only been able to play in the ground bracket and the entire aerial team had somehow lacked its usual fire. Tanaka's sister had chosen the day they'd played the rookery's first unit in the spring ground tourney to go into labor. And they'd had one real scare when Daichi had almost croaked with a wicked fever a month before and hadn't been back at one-hundred percent by the time they'd had to play.

So, kind of almost four times?

The strict Karasuno lineup had largely disintegrated in recent years as they'd integrated more tournaments, though, and more and more, they favored the quicker and more exciting ground games where momentum could swing from one side to the other in a single rally. It wasn't that unusual for the cats, owls, crows, and songbirds to all play on one team—particularly in the ground brackets. And as more and more avians from the rookery began participating, more and more of them had taken to the ground game which only made it that much more interesting; they'd actually had to instate a ref for the purpose of enforcing the no-fly rule with the repercussion of either sitting out the match or playing the remainder with bound wings if called for it. The Grand King had even joked that they'd corrupted the rookery youth because more kids had been more excited to learn ground volley than aerial in the last few years.

But while the teams frequently rearranged themselves, there were always certain pairs that never played apart. Bokuto and Akaashi had yet to play on separate teams since that match against Iwaizumi's unit, Noya and Asahi's names never appeared on the rosters anywhere except next to each other's, and of course, there was the freak duo who were virtually joined at the hip. Honestly, Kiyoko couldn't remember the last time Shouyou had hit anyone else's tosses even in practice.

There were also Kuroo and Tsukishima who didn't mind not playing with their respective other halves, but were ever careful to never wind up across the net from them. And then there were Daichi and Suga and Lev and Yaku… Daichi had remarked once, much to Suga's amusement, that they were adults and refusing to play on opposite sides was childish; Yaku on the other hand, had been far less benign about his reasons. He'd simply been straight up stoked to be able to shut his leveler down at any opportunity, the grey cat always more than game for the challenge.

Little Natsu had even started playing with the tutelage of her leveler, her brother, the avian heir, Kenma, and Noya. She was well rounded, but small, her power and jumping capability not nearly as honed as Shouyou's. It made sense; the redhead had been playing this game for centuries, so he'd had a ridiculous edge on her there. Instead, she'd gravitated toward Kageyama, Kenma, and Noya, and had frequently been playing in their little scrimmages as either a setter or libero. She'd rapidly progressed much like Hinata did, and she'd gotten quite skilled at blending in well with the team such that it was eerie to realize that she was actually only an adolescent playing with considerably older peers.

This year would be the first that she'd been placed onto a tournament team and Kiyoko could tell that she was as amped about it as the rest of the beach crew and none more than Tanaka; she would be the first girl to really start playing with them after all. Kiyoko and Yachi could bounce a ball around, had even joined in the occasional lazy light matches in the high heat of summer at the boys' prompting, but the younger redhead was as much a spitfire for the sport as any of the others. As Kiyoko heads for the bunting, she smiles once more as Natsu coo's at Saeko and Ukai's little girl with a happy grin, the baby laughing ecstatically.

"How's it coming?" She asks lightly and Yachi looks up at her with a sweet smile.

"Oh! This guy was wondering if we could still get another team into the aerial bracket. Yaku put that one together this year, so I was trying to figure out how he did it so I didn't mess it all up." She'd said and Kiyoko glances up at the gull beside her and Yamaguchi.

"Cutting it a little close, aren't you? First match kicks off tonight in only a few hours." She asks, an eyebrow rising slightly.

"So long as they aren't in that match, it shouldn't be a problem, right? That's the opening match and the only one tonight." Yamaguchi says looking up. Kiyoko considers before nodding, her eyes dropping to the bracket.

"I think he lined them up by last year's final ranking every other slot with the far left open for new teams… if you can find a place to pencil them in there, that would probably be best." She says and the gull smiles gratefully with a bow before turning away.

"We will have uneven teams then; someone will have a bye round." Yamaguchi says as he analyzes the bracket.

"It can't be helped." She murmurs; she knows that byes are an unpopular part of the bracket system because one team will enter the second round fresh while their opponent will have already played a full match, giving the team with the bye the advantage of full energy.

"Perhaps we can fix it." A deep voice says behind her, it's rigidity and flat baritone making her feathers prickle.

Apparently, she isn't the only one; Yachi jumps and Yamaguchi's head snaps up as she turns to face the new voice. Her head tips back. The man in front of her is almost as tall as lev but with olive eyes instead of emerald, his frame massive, his enormous white wings even larger than Hinata's.

Eagle.

This guy and the five people beside him are eagles. They are a ways from home, she knows, but she'd recognize the wings of the northern Sky King's race any day. It didn't matter where she was, she doubted she'd not be able to pick them out. He watches her with a flat expression before looking toward Yamaguchi.

"We've been hearing about these tournaments, and decided to come this year. We can fill your bye space." His address to the freckled crow over her and the bunting feels like a snub and her spine straightens. Tension curling in her gut, she clears her throat lightly and firmly meets his gaze when he looks back at her the way Kuroo had told her.

"I don't know if we've ever had eagles play before. You will have to check with Hinata if it's alright." She says.

"Oooh, do we have to pass a test?" A wild haired redhead that is nearly as tall as the eagle in front of her says from his shoulder with an unnerving leering grin. She mentally clamps down on her nerves.

"Not so much as you simply have to see if he's okay with it. It's just one of the things about our tournaments. I wouldn't worry too much. He rarely denies anyone." She says in a clipped tone before she turns and points toward the two siblings and Kageyama surrounded by balls.

"He's over there." She says before turning back to the bracket dismissively.

As the large man heads off in their direction after a pause, she lets out the slightest sigh. She had no fondness for eagles. They weren't the worst thing she'd encountered, but they always seemed to have an infuriating air of superiority in general and a tendency to be controlling in her experience. But then, her experiences were probably a very narrow worldview and she should probably try to let that bias go.

She draws a deep breath before picking up a quill and leaning across the table to fill in the opposing empty slot in the aerial bracket to the one from the gulls a few minutes before. She's halfway through the word when a sharp curse from Kageyama makes her jerk, smearing a large ugly streak of ink across two more bracket lines.

"No way in hell."

The quiet refusal leaves the Hinata's mouth in the silence that permeates the beach in the wake of Feathers' expletive.

Kiyoko blinks before whipping around to see what is wrong. She can't see the eagle's face, but she sees the maniacal fire in the redhead's, is positive that if she'd seen that side of him the first time she'd laid eyes on him—or even maybe in the first few days after they'd joined them, that she'd have quietly tried to slip away with Yachi during the night.

She and the bunting had been under pursuit when they'd happened upon two crows, a redhead, and an ibis in the busy market of a larger port town further north. Kiyoko had been desperate enough at the time to seek out their help—the assistance of four men, a complete gamble on their personalities. The one thing that had made her take that risk on them as opposed to anyone else was the way the redhead—who was, in fact, a grounded crow as they'd found out later, but not actually a crow as they'd found out since—had been pouting about having pork curry again in a far too familiar way with the scowly crow while the ibis had looked on with the occasional jab at their expense.

The redhead's expressions had been far too innocent and bright—like Yachi's… and she'd trusted Yachi. When she'd heard the freckled crow ask where they were going to stay and the blue-eyed grouchy one murmur something about probably somewhere south a few leagues, she'd acted, because that meant they were traveling and wouldn't be intending to stay. If she and Yachi could acquire a 'group' instead of being a 'pretty female crow and a cute little bunting', she'd hoped they'd blend in and be easier to miss—and their destination wouldn't be 'theirs', so hopefully much less predictable. She'd caught the redhead's sleeve, because he'd seemed by far the safest one to ask.

"My apologies, but I overheard that you are going south? Can we join you?" She'd asked only to find almond eyes blinking up at her in owlish alarm—because he was actually shorter than her. He'd pressed backward into the grouchy crow who'd abruptly adopted a hardline glare, his arm wrapping around him in a curiously protective gesture while the other crow and ibis had moved closer to them.

"I don't—"

"Why do you want to come with us?" The cranky crow had cut the smaller redhead off.

Her head had tilted, because the suspicion had seemed out of place; these guys weren't much older than herself, and she and Hitoka were two girls, what were they so nervous about? And that informal contact…an idea had popped into her head. She'd subconsciously found Yachi behind her with a hand, pulling her closer, determined to see if she could get them in with this group of avians.

"We're going in the same direction… I just thought it would be safer if we traveled with you instead of alone." She'd murmured, her eyes dropping demurely.

She was sure she'd pulled the look off flawlessly like they'd been trained, but it had failed completely in its purpose of getting them to drop their guard or even put them at ease. Instead the redhead had perked up and cautiously found Yachi pressed into her side, her face still shadowed by the travel cloak Kiyoko'd gotten for her.

He'd carefully pushed out of the crow's arms, his almond eyes darting up at her before fixing back on the bunting. Kiyoko had mentally apologized for letting the boy zero in on her like that, for using her to achieve the end goal of joining them, but she'd seen no other way. He'd cautiously peered up into her hood before a smile had bloomed on his face and he'd turned back to the salty crow.

"She's cute!" He'd said brightly, the compliment just that, no matter how Kiyoko had tensed and searched the tone and expression for anything more. He'd turned back to her with such a smile that it had made her wonder where he'd grown up that he was still so naïve to wear that expression.

"What's your name?"

The bunting had glanced at her nervously, but when Kiyoko hadn't offered any warning, she'd turned back shyly.

"Y… Yachi, Hitoka." She'd squeaked. His smile had only widened before he'd turned toward her with that dazzling grin and she'd almost flinched at the open look, the genuine curiosity almost scalding in its purity.

"Shimizu, Kiyoko." She'd managed.

His head had tilted and Kiyoko hadn't been able to hold his gaze for too long before she was looking at Yachi, the others, anywhere but that brilliant set of almond eyes, because if she had, she was sure he'd have seen the chaos behind her own. He'd turned back to the crow, his smile never fading.

"I think they'd be okay, Kageyama. They seem nice."

"Nice isn't necessarily safe." He'd grumbled.

"Aw, come on, moron. Yachi wouldn't be one and not every crow is a sentry—"

The ibis had pointedly cleared his throat, but she'd deduced just from that remark that they were also under pursuit. She'd had mixed emotions on that, but could hardly complain for their own situation.

"You might have him whipped but you seem to be forgetting one critical detail, Shrimp." The salty crow had scoffed at the ibis' jab, and the redhead's face had puffed into a scowling pout.

"What, that you're still here?" He'd mumbled.

"You're still going to have to get this past Kuroo." The blond had said blandly and Kiyoko had had a moment of misgiving. This hadn't been their entire party? The redhead had huffed with mild annoyance.

"Kenma will say okay, so Kuroo will, too." He'd said before he'd paused. "Oh, but…" He'd turned back toward them and Kiyoko hadn't known what to make of that 'but'. "You'll have to be okay with cats." He'd finished with another enthusiastic smile.

She'd had so many doubts those first few days after joining three cats, three crows—one of them grounded, and a surprisingly snarky ibis. The one who'd easily set her on edge the most had been the large black feline, and she'd been uneasy at first with each new male addition since.

She knows now that she needn't have worried about any of them, the hunch on Hinata and Kageyama based on that first familiar touch between them confirmed before the day had been out. Despite the wariness she'd held onto around the others, she'd felt in her gut after seeing the redhead's leveler glow that she and Yachi could maybe… maybe be safe with these people.

The redhead had trusted them without question, and it had nearly floored Kiyoko that there hadn't been anything else behind that decision aside from blind trust. It was something that had resurfaced again and again with Hinata.

The cats, Kuroo especially, were safe, because Shouyou deemed them so. No one questioned whether Natsu was really Hinata's sister, because he'd said she was. Kageyama had bent and sent his father the invitation for the spring match, because the redhead had insisted that the Grand King was sincere. Perhaps one of the biggest examples had been the owls—a species reviled as unpredictably violent and often avoided by all other races, they'd welcomed Bokuto and Akaashi because Shouyou'd seen no threat.

It's something she's seen time and again. No matter what it is, if Hinata believes it, then it is so.

And because Shouyou believed it, so did they. They all bought in to his single-minded faith—whether to their benefit or detriment didn't matter. Hinata's vision was blind to differences, his tolerance on a level that defied reason. When Hinata evaluated someone, it was without bias… which often made his analysis of others more sound than even Kuroo's. It was that inherently open disposition that had taken all of them from cautious, wary individuals to the tight nit family they'd become.

It was Shouyou's brightly impartial and forward looking focus that had ensnared her and Yachi along for the ride of their lives. It had taken an embarrassing amount of time to realize who Kageyama and Hinata were and why they'd had sentries after them—really, it wasn't actually until the rest of their unit had shown up and she'd overheard them talking about the Grand King and 'your father' before she'd put two and two together and the enormity of it had hit her.

Somewhere in the fringes of her awareness, she'd picked up news along the way about the rookery heir having disappeared; she'd just been so worried about her and Yachi's plight that she'd never realized how close to that story she'd been. She'd never even picked up that they were former sentries at all.

But… she can see it now.

Hinata had been trained alongside Kageyama and the others in the former first unit, had seen very real violence and confrontation since. He stands straight now, shoulders rigid, stance set just wide enough to indicate that he's prepared for anything, his wings pulled to attention, his burning gaze fixed fearlessly up at the eagle that easily dwarfs him. What's more, Kageyama stands defensively between the large man and the redhead, his face holding nothing but singular ferocity. She and Yachi weren't with them in the snake nest; she's never seen them like this…

They're terrifying.

Gone is the sunny optimism from Shouyou and the annoyed frown has fled Feathers' face. In their place is nothing but cold calculation, systematic analysis of their opponent, and frozen expressions of supreme and serious wrath. They almost don't look human anymore, and certainly not like the Hinata and Kageyama she's come to know. Her muscles go weak when Hitoka leaves her side in a mad dash toward them, and she's instantly stumbling after her, her hand outstretched.

"Yachi—" She yelps, but the bunting darts forward around the eagles and snatches Natsu by the arm, the infant crow still in her grasp.

The blond tugs her to her feet and away from the tense standoff, Kiyoko's heart stuttering as she reaches them. She takes the baby girl from the wide-eyed redhead, and latches onto her shirt to pull her farther back, knowing Hitoka is right at her elbow.

"Frѐ?" She squeaks, but neither of the level pair even glance their way.

"Why the hostile reception? Why the refusal?" The large eagle asks, his tone hinting at annoyance. Hinata's chin rises.

"Why? Heh… white wings." He says, a curiously satirical smile splitting his face and Kiyoko's hair stands on end.

White wings.

The person who'd attacked Hinata and Kageyama… had had white wings.

"No way." Says one of the other eagles, his wings rustling in agitation as his jaw drops.

He's smaller than the leader, wavy black hair that reaches his shoulders his most defining feature, his eyes a bleak brown that carry very little expression at all despite the slight upturn of his mouth. The large eagle turns toward him with a questioning look.

"What?"

"No fucking way." He repeats, his mouth curling a little more. "Wakatoshi, this kid is the rookery heir."

The large eagle's brows rise, but it's the red haired one that whips back toward Kageyama and Hinata, his expression almost predatorily excited.

"Really? We could crush the southern rookery prince in a Volley match? Oh, that sounds like fun! Wakatoshi, fix it. I want to play!"

"Nice to see you haven't forgotten." Hinata's dead voice cuts through the air, sharp as a blade and directed at the longer haired eagle.

"Wait, if this is the crow prince, then you…" The guy steps forward slightly, his face creasing in perplexed confusion, his eyes straying to Hinata's wings, and Shimizu knows just by that glance that this was the white winged asshole.

Hinata was the center of the misfit beach group, the reason they'd all ended up here, whether he ever realized it or not. His welcoming openness had created the opportunity for them all to meet, his tolerance and kindness made it possible to live together. More than anyone else among them, he failed to see the differences between them, held no prejudice against anyone. Without him, she doubts any of them would have found themselves in the same place today.

And here was the man who'd threatened that. Here was the eagle who'd hurt that brilliant connection they all shared, the person who'd taken the sky from the redhead and nearly killed him, the reason Kageyama's wings were tipped white. He was the one who'd broken and dimmed their own personal ball of sunshine. Here was the person who'd nearly ended everything the beach crew has before it ever even had a chance.

"Yeah, I've got those back, too. Should we find out how good you actually are when you attack someone head on?" Hinata asks, his head canting. The large eagle turns back to the longer haired one.

"What's this about, Utsui?" The olive-eyed eagle asks and the guy's mouth clicks shut.

"This kid shouldn't have wings…shouldn't even be alive," He says looking between the redhead and the lead eagle, "Hey, Wakatoshi, they're a long way from home. This is the perfect opportunity—"

"I would slaughter that thought before you complete it if I were you." An icy voice cuts in, and Shimizu turns to find the black cat over her shoulder, his expression utterly black.

She almost wants to breathe a sigh of relief. Kuroo had a way of making everything just somehow 'work out', she wants to believe it will be no different this time. As every eagle turns to stare at him, he places a light hand on Kiyoko's shoulder as he steps around her, his eyes trained on 'Wakatoshi'.

"Yachi, send a runner for Ukai. Tell him he needs to come retrieve his daughter immediately. Then I want you to fly for the others in town." He tells the bunting without breaking eye contact with the large avian before he comes to a stop just ahead of Kiyoko and Natsu. The small blond leaps to comply, ducking away from them with a stumble.

"I would be very careful how you proceed, because you are not among friends here." The cat says and for a moment, Kiyoko blinks.

Her eyes dart around and she sees the way the entire beach has gone still, the other teams that were out for a light practice the night before the tournament began in earnest all staring, Bokuto and Akaashi dropping beside her with an unusual tension for them.

"It might also be of interest to you to know that the Grand King and an entire battalion are on their way here from the rookery as we speak. You are lucky they have yet to arrive or they'd have made a bid to execute you already—which would be a shame really; we have yet to taint our beach with some sap's blood, and it would be nice to keep it that way, especially in the spirit of a Volley tournament." He says evenly.

Wakatoshi turns toward him, sensing the automatically commanding air the black cat has about him.

"We are only here to play. It's why we came." He says and Kuroo's head tilts.

"See the only issue with that is Utsui is the one that was responsible for Hinata's losing his wings. It's a little tough to believe you are 'only here to play'—and Hinata determines who plays in any case." He says dryly. The large avian glances back at Shouyou with a frown before scoffing.

"I can see you are blind, so I will assume that is an oversight on your part; he clearly has wings. Utsui didn't do it. Unless you are saying he magically regrew them." He says, impatience creeping into his voice, but the cat doesn't even react to the slight.

"A process that took years…" Hinata bites out before turning and pulling his shirt off, "would you like to know how painful it was?" He asks, glancing back at them, that psychotic look only intensifying.

And there down his back are the twin scars from where they broke free of his skin, still glaring against the clear pale expanse of his spine and ribs. Kiyoko sucks in a breath, because Hinata might freely pull his shirt for the simple scrimmages and practices they do at home here when it's just them, but he rarely does in the company of people he isn't familiar with. For a long moment, the only sound on the beach is the waves crashing against the sand.

"Even if that's true, it's in the past and you aren't missing them anymore. We heard the competition here was good. We came to play." He says, almost sounding disdainfully bored.

"Then maybe he'd consider letting you and the other four play and bar only the one." Kuroo says coolly. "I doubt you will get much more of a break."

The large avian turns toward the cat with a dark scowl.

"Bar one of our players, and then call it a victory when you win over five; how typical of a lesser species. It won't work—we can play just as well minus one. Volley is a sport for the strong, it was obviously a mistake in coming here." Kageyama scoffs, his glare dropping even more with fury.

"Keep your last person."

The beach freezes for a second time and all eyes turn to Hinata. He stares up at the large eagle brazenly, his almond eyes snapping with rabid ire. The eagle stares down at him as Kageyama looks at him sharply.

And slowly, the faintest smile tips Feathers' face.

"Kiyoko." Hinata says without looking away from Wakatoshi and she jumps. "Scratch the two teams kicking off tonight and inform them they will lead off tomorrow morning at sunrise." He says, his voice utterly devoid of anything except flat finality.

"O-of course." She stumbles.

"You get one match, best two sets out of three. If… you can beat us, I will leave the decision up to Kuroo on whether to let you compete in the actual tournament. But it won't matter whether you have five people or the full six team; there's no way we'll lose to you."

As her quill stops on the crisp page in front of her, Kiyoko sits back with a breath of content.

It's been two days since the final tournament match was held, and as exciting as the games are, she's quite happy for the peace and quiet. She idly skims the lines, her thoughts drifting. Kiyoko draws in a deep breath before quietly letting it back out.

The match against the eagles had been easily the most nerve racking game she'd ever experienced, agonizing in every facet. Keeping the two teams from trading threats both before and during had been hell for Kuroo—probably because there were plenty of his own that he'd have liked to throw at them, Kiyoko knew.

Tanaka and Noya had had to be restrained more than once, and even Asahi had seemed reluctant to collar them. Tsukishima had said very little when Hinata had asked him to play with them, his perfected poker face bored expression almost ingrained into his facial muscles even though his eyes had crackled with a dangerous focus like they didn't even see when he stood across the net from Kageyama. Daichi had maintained an austere civility, ever reliable to be the most responsible of them.

But the one that had set Kiyoko on edge had been Sugawara. The thrush hadn't said a word, just nodded when asked to back up Kageyama; his easygoing smile had been exchanged for a flatly focused look framing hard silver eyes. She'd been startled to realize that Suga was pissed. Daichi's leveler almost never even got annoyed, and there he'd been well past 'angry'.

Ukai had quickly taken his infant girl back home before returning, a dark look on his face as well and Kageyama had nodded to him in gratification. In the last five decades, the banded blond crow had become their de facto coach, always on the sidelines for every one of their matches, aerial or ground alike. It had been a morale boost to know that they'd had his backing this time around, too. Word had gotten out to the rest of the teams staying in Sheru Bay apparently, as well, because by the time the match had been set to start, they'd had a crowd.

The first set had gone… poorly. Wakatoshi hadn't lied; they were indeed very strong. When they were playing for best two out of three, losing their first set had been hard to swallow.

The large eagle was left-dominant and it had thrown them all off, most notably Noya. And he'd been scary strong; their blocks might've slowed his hits down, but they hadn't stopped a single one that first match. The tall redheaded center seemed almost whimsically off kilter, eerily disturbed or maybe even split personality-esque with his conversational remarks intermingled with idly cheerful yet dark singsong that put her feathers on end, but he was unnervingly good at predicting hits from their side. Their setter might not have been as skilled as Kageyama, but he was fluid with his team, knew them all inside and out almost to the point of blending perfectly as to be unnoticeable. Their outside hitters were good, their libero excellent; every player was well rounded and exceptional, even Utsui had been a force to be reckoned with.

It had taken them several rallies to adjust to the new elements and find a way to contend with the eagles' strengths. By the time Noya had gotten a feel for that wicked left side hit and Tsukishima had pinned down timing on blocks, they had sported too great a deficit to return from and they'd lost the first set pretty soundly.

It had taken until the start of the second before Hinata and Kageyama found a workaround for the redheaded blocker who'd effectively neutralized them and their quicks with his unreal guessing ability. Tsukishima had locked in the timing and gotten the others to collaborate and help block Wakatoshi especially, the ibis' own clever precision for that aspect of volley shining through when he'd finally shut down the large eagle for the first time. They'd subbed Suga in at one point to set to Kageyama a couple times just to throw them off.

Kiyoko had had to give the eagle team credit: they'd forced Kageyama's to adjust, to make changes, to utilize all of their strengths to the best of their ability, and to implement every skill and strategy they had in their playbook.

She'd watched the second set on her toes, Yachi and little Natsu both beside her holding their breath as much as she with how close it was. But the Karasuno team had seemingly found its stride; they'd kept up and then taken the second set by the two-point margin, even if the final score was well beyond the twenty-five point mark. The crowd of competitors that watched had drifted toward the hosting team, their support boosting their energy and determination.

They'd powered into their third match regardless of how they'd been starting to drag. And it seemed that while Kageyama's side had successfully adjusted and worked to minimize their weaknesses and maximize their strengths, the eagle team hadn't been as prepared to adapt. The final score on the third set had had Karasuno up by three points to win the match. It had been close the whole time, but the crows had hit their rhythm and connected, never losing their slim lead to that fifteen point mark.

They'd all crowded around Hinata after that last point had smacked into the sand off his hand, their euphoria manifesting as one big screech fest around the small redhead—even the ibis had drifted inward when Yamaguchi had tugged him forward in his excitement. Shouyou had stared for several moments before a bright laugh had erupted from him.

"I knew I should have offed you when I had the chance." The remark had been low, almost inaudible in the enthusiastic cheers form their side, but the crow setter hadn't missed it.

"Say what?" He'd asked, his entire frame stiffening and he'd turned toward Utsui where he'd paused just on the other side of the net, the blue-eyed crow's face set with a murderous glare. The eagle had shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm always getting strikes for dinking around on my missions… apparently, I should have heeded that this time, because this one really came back to bite me in—"

The larger white winged avian hadn't had the chance to finish before a flash of grey wings had cut him off, Sugawara ducking under the net with lightning reflex, his fist connecting hard enough with the eagle's jaw to knock him off his feet. The eagle had stared up at him with surprise as the entire crow team had pressed toward them, Daichi quickly moving to catch him by the shoulders.

"You should probably know that most of us have taken lives and that we can do it with ease when someone we care about is under threat. And right now, you are threatening Kageyama and Hinata. Know that when you threaten them, you also threaten their unit, the rookery, Sheru Bay, all of us, and the long list of allies we've gained in the last few decades. You would do well to exercise caution when you are surrounded by so many of them. There are enough of us here to subdue you, and I for one, would be fine removing your wings since you obviously have no idea what it's like being grounded. It sounds like it would be a good experience for you at the very least—we'll see if you can't figure out the secret to restoring them." Suga's voice had been freaky calm, the threat almost sounding like something he did every day.

Every eagle had turned toward them with wings splayed aggressively, both teams staring at each other with homicidal intensity. It had been a hair raising few seconds before the black cat had pointedly cleared his throat.

"It would probably be in your best interest to leave Sheru Bay; if the Grand King were to learn anything about 'missions'…" Kuroo had trailed off with razor sharp hostility before shaking his head once, "Your Utsui has a mouth that runs and if he's not careful, he might start a war."

The eagle had gotten back to his feet with dark insult at the cat's lackadaisical tone that positively screamed exactly how stupid the feline thought he was. The eagle's gaze had zeroed in on Kuroo, but Wakatoshi had caught his arm.

"We will be back next year." He'd said but Kuroo's chin had lifted.

"Brave of you. The choice to allow you remains in Hinata's hands… but Utsui will never be welcome, so you can leave him at home next time."

"I hope you come back; expect to lose every time you face us. Volley isn't just for the strong. It's for whoever wants to play. But if you want a real show of power, come back when you know how to play ground Volley. We'll bury you." Hinata had said.

"I don't like his tone. This sounds like a challenge Wakatoshi. I think we should do it and come back and break them." The redhead had said amiably. The large eagle had glared at them, obviously pissed, but he'd said nothing and the northern white winged avians had departed soon after.

Most of the beach crew's teams had been knocked out before the championship rounds even started. Kageyama's entire team had shelled themselves in the match against the eagles; their first against Iwa's unit the following morning had been their heaviest loss to the rookery since the games' inception simply because they were still exhausted from the previous night's efforts. Their ground team hadn't fared much better, only making it three rounds in before being defeated. To add to their woes, the cats' team had lost in the final prelim round to Bokuto's team of owls when Yaku had suffered a sprained ankle. That had left only two teams that made it into the finals on day two; Bokuto's… and surprisingly, Natsu's.

Backed by Kenma, Kuroo, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi and her leveler, her team had been rounded out with—of all people—Iwaizumi. She'd originally been set to play with Kageyama, Hinata, and Daichi, but with them dragging so badly after their matches, they'd subbed in several others with Tanaka and Tsukki being the only ones to stick it out. The collaboration of songbirds, crows, cats, and the rookery's reserve heir had set a benchmark, a working symbol of their slowly improving relationship—even if the ibis and black cat had harassed the Grand King's second to no end the entire time.

Even so, it had been the first year where no beach crew team was playing for a championship match, the first where they didn't even finish in the top three in either bracket. The closest had been Natsu's which had ended up fifth. Small arms clasp around her neck from behind and she smiles just a bit at how Hitoka's unexpected touch doesn't make her flinch anymore. Instead, she leans into it as the bunting presses her blond head to Kiyoko's, her eyes drifting across the last words she'd written.

"Did you finish it?" Yachi asks softly, and Kiyoko can feel the happy, bubbly smile that presses into the side of her neck.

"I think so… but it might need another chapter after the last few days." She says before placing the last sheet on top of the others, the final lines still flashing at her sharply with not quite dry ink:

— Grand King smiles, a real one, deep and content. "Iwa...that is my son's hand. Tobio wrote that message."

"He's going to be disappointed at having to wait some more. He'll probably whine and then Iwa will put him in his place."

"He's the one that commissioned it; he never said how fast he wanted it done." She murmurs with a purse of her lips that betrays her amusement.

"Did you write about us?" The bunting asks, and Kiyoko's head cants.

"We're both in there… you even have your own chapter." She says, her gaze sliding to the side.

Yachi's read all of it, knows the depth and scope of everything in the stack of papers that has turned into a mountain on the corner of the desk the guys had given her when she'd taken the project on. It's been in the making for almost five years now, the task originally asked of Yachi because of her pristine writing. The Grand King had asked for the story… not just Hinata's grounding and his son's subsequent flight from the rookery, but all of it.

"I think Kiyoko should do it." Hitoka had said much to the pretty female crow's embarrassment. "My writing is boring compared to her beautiful spidering script. And she tells stories so much better than I ever could."

Somehow, the bunting hadn't let her talk her way out of it and over the next few years, it had become a priority. Kiyoko has loved talking with everyone to make sure the details were all correct, loved spinning the scenes to life, loved framing the emotions that had come with all the things that had happened, loved the sense of accomplishment she got when she closed a chapter with only a few discarded pages where her hand had slipped and she'd made a mistake. Perhaps when she's finished with this, maybe she will write down some of the old leveler stories Hinata and the others sometimes talk about. Hitoka's soft giggle hits her ear at nearly the same time as the brush of her lips.

"I suppose the last one should be Feathers'. End where we started—"

"The last one should be yours. You're the only one left." She says softly. Kiyoko huffs slightly before turning and meeting the bunting for a soft kiss. Yachi grins as she pulls away, her face pink.

"I put together a light lunch, you should come join us." She says with a sweet smile.

Kiyoko blinks, not having realized what time it was already. She stretches before rising and following the small blond outside where the others are all mowing down on yakitori skewers, and she utters a prayer of thanks to the universe for the other girl as her stomach rumbles.

She reaches for a plate and places a couple on it before neatly sidestepping Bokuto as he staggers when he's collared by Kuroo for grabbing the last three on the tray. The streaked owl scrambles to keep from dumping his plate, his wings snapping out for balance as he follows the pull of his shirt.

"Oi. There's a word for people like you, you know." The cat growls.

"What, brave or stupid?" The ibis asks flatly and Kuroo sends him a minorly annoyed glance.

"I was going to say rude, but bravely stupid works, too, I guess." He murmurs before fixing back on the wide golden-eyed look from the larger owl. "What if Shimizu actually wanted another? I don't feel like watching her starve on account of your stomach." Her mouth quirks.

"Kuroo, it's fine." She says easily, but Bokuto is already blinking in surprise.

He glances down at his plate and then at hers as if he's never seen either before. The streaked owl looks back to his own—and then he carefully selects one of the skewers off his plate and deposits it on hers. A collection of chuckles rise around them, Tanaka's and Noya's laughs echoing loudest, and she thinks she even hears Feathers huff in amusement. Unbidden, her mouth tips up into a full smile, her own lungs expelling a breath through her nose.

"Thank you, Bokuto." She says and the owl grins before seeking out his leveler who watches him with a nonplussed expression. She joins Yachi as the bunting settles beside Kenma, her gaze glancing around the circle much like the quiet golden cat's.

Suga sits quietly between Daichi's legs, his silver-eyed expression bright as he watches Yaku gripe at a smirking Lev. Seako has joined them today and easily starts up a conversation with Kuroo about whether he can spare someone to help at Ukai's shop over winter from her place beside Akaashi as she adeptly corrals her infant fledgling in her arms, the smaller owl gently teasing the baby girl. Natsu snatches one of the skewers off Tanaka's plate from over his shoulder while he cracks jokes with Noya, Asahi looking on with a fond smile. She notes that Yamaguchi and Tsukishima are sitting closer lately than they normally do, their legs brushing up against each other and the crow leaning in until their shoulders touch.

And of course, there are Feathers and Hinata, ever in contact and ever in sync. They've finished their meal in a rush like normal and Kageyama is tracing out volley lineups in the sand at their feet, Hinata more avidly attentive to the movements of his hand than whatever Kageyama is actually saying. The hickey from a few days ago has mostly worn off and Kiyoko is pretty sure Feathers never even noticed it no matter how many times the redhead had gotten distracted by it. Hell, she's pretty sure she heard the Grand King even make a wry remark that had obviously gone over his head. The small spiker laughs lightly when Kageyama pins him with one of his scowls and an annoyed 'are you even paying attention, idiot?' that is neatly undermined by the slight color in the tips of his ears.

But Hinata's easy smile fades just a bit as he looks away and catches sight of the small garter snake that lives under their porch, his eyes going distant. As he focuses on where it's sunning itself in the reeds at the edge of the sand, Kiyoko pauses. It's not a distressed look really… but it isn't his blinding happy one either. It's almost a look of pensive reflection, and she's reminded, not for the first time, that they each have their skeletons. It might not be very often, but they are all a little broken in some way, all have their own hell they are each prone to reliving on occasion, the pretty crow no exception.

Kuroo had been the first to figure her out, her quiet nature and frequently downcast expression giving her away. It was after she'd slapped Noya that he'd finally cornered her on it, but he'd probably known for months at that point. He'd walked into the house where she'd been cleaning fruit to go with their evening meal and sat down across from her, his own gaze cast to the cracks in the table.

"Heck of a day." He'd murmured and her heart had kicked up three whole notches.

"It was; I'm sorry. I didn't think before I did it." She'd said automatically, because while roughhousing and the occasional spat didn't faze the cat, unwarranted violence and fighting was taboo under Kuroo's leadership. They'd only been with the beach group for a matter of months at the time, and she hadn't been sure what to expect for retribution.

"Why would you be sorry, Shimizu?" She'd blinked in surprise.

"I made a scene."

"They needed to know where you stand and that you won't be pressed on it. Besides, you provided the others entertainment at our winged libero's expense for his poor judgement."

Her eyes had widened on the pear in front of her, the seemingly supportive remark the opposite of what she'd been expecting and a complete blindside.

"They all laughed." She'd half whimpered and Kuroo had leaned forward.

"It wasn't at you, Shimizu. If anything, the laughter was a verbal high-five for putting him in his place. But… I have to wonder." She'd paused her knife on the pear, her anxiety spiking.

"About what?"

"Where are you and Yachi from?" And then the trepidation had twisted her gut, almost instantly making her sick. She had never intended for them to know anything beyond 'they weren't going back', and here the cat was asking a prying question. He hadn't shown so much as even the slightest interest since they'd joined, so why now?

"That's really none of your business." She'd said with a touch of frost, the most she could manage to hurl at him. She'd flicked her own gaze up to find a black brow had risen.

"You're right, it's not… but you are also wrong. Between you and me, it might be good to know who I will need to send to hell when they come looking for you."

She could see his point of view, but she'd cringed inside. She'd been unable to meet his gaze in any way, having to concentrate to keep her entire form from shaking. She'd felt like her entire world had been crumbling under his quiet probing, and she'd felt like she were back in the misery she'd fled with Hitoka over a year before.

But Kuroo was still expecting an answer. And she hadn't been able to lie.

"Brothels don't send people across the country to retrieve their property." She'd whispered, fully expecting him to scoff at her.

"They do if the individual is valuable enough." He'd said and the knife had slipped from her fingers, because he'd been completely serious, never doubting her words.

Which meant he'd pieced it together. She'd pulled her hands into her lap against her stomach, terror settling in her gut; the only thing she'd been able to think was what would he do with that knowledge?

"I was deemed unsuitable as a courtesan and placed in the main house. A common jade doesn't have enough value to spend the money to track down." She'd said, the last even coming out with a touch of derision even as her knuckles lost color and her knees pressed together in front of her.

"Perhaps not, but what about the bunting?" He'd asked and Kiyoko had flinched, her gaze snapping to his for an instant, wondering how he seemed to know everything before ducking back to her tightly clasped hands in her lap. Still…

"Yachi wasn't one of us." She'd tried, attempting to steer the cat away from the bubbly little blond. But Kuroo had zeroed in on that in an instant.

"So not a 'jade', but clearly valuable. She's the reason you ran, isn't she?" He'd asked and her stomach had plummeted on her.

Would Kuroo expect her to 'work' for her keep now? Would he force her into 'service' using Yachi as leverage? Would she and the bunting be able to escape? Had she traded one hell for another? A light sigh had broken her thoughts and she'd jerked again.

"Relax, Shimizu. You have nothing to fear from myself or the others." He'd said with clear disillusionment before shifting to get up from his place across from her. She'd pulled in a breath like a knife into her lungs, her gaze darting at him with panic.

But the look he'd worn hadn't been malicious or predatory or antagonistic. It had been angry—furious even, but more than anything, a pained expression had tugged at his eyes and mouth. He'd seemed caught more in his own thoughts than focused on her, and she couldn't explain why that look of sorrowful ire had loosened her voice and words had just come tumbling out.

"Yachi is still innocent… or as innocent as she can be; we were trained to please to any end. She always kept that sweet brightness though, and she was set aside early on. They'd sold her to a monster far worse than the walking hell that favored me. An up and coming young lord who had a reputation for breaking girls. There were stories that some of them even died at his hands. I couldn't let him destroy Yachi's smile." She'd said, her voice barely even audible and she'd caught Kuroo's ears flicking toward her carefully before she'd glanced away from him again.

"Wouldn't have happened to be a wolf, would it?" He'd asked and she'd jolted, her wide eyes locking onto him.

"How do you know that?" The black cat hadn't met her gaze, a hand going to his neck in discomfort.

"Be content, Shimizu; they weren't just stories. I ended up in his home at one point and one of his girls asked me for help. I refused because it would have blown my mission. The girl died two days later and I still wonder what would have happened if I hadn't ignored her plea." The cat had stood up across from her and she'd reached for him with panicky worry.

"Wait—" she'd squeaked, "Wait, you won't tell the others?"

"We all have things we won't voluntarily share, Shimizu, and your past is your own."

She'd nearly gone boneless, her body aching to just sprawl across the table in front of her as the tension had left her shoulders. The air had left her lungs, her eyes watering, and her shoulders slouching.

"Kuroo?" She'd asked, her eyes falling back to the table, that residual shame rising through her gut in the wake of her relief that the cat wasn't going to harm either she or Yachi, wasn't going to cast them out either. She'd self-consciously stared at her hands as the cat had paused to look back at her. "How did you know?"

"I haven't always been on the lighter side of grey… I've seen a lot of the darker side of the world. I noticed it after you hit me I think, and after that, I couldn't stop seeing it. The way you hang back in silence and won't usually meet anyone's gaze head on, the way the only person you will touch when you sleep—or at all really—is the only other female in the house, the way it could be blazing hot at the height of summer and you will still be in full cover… you are always around Yachi, and she's a fluorescent personality, so anyone standing next to her is usually less 'obvious' so to speak—unless it's Hinata. The others might not have realized it yet, but they'll pick up on it eventually; if you want to keep them ignorant, you might have to project more confidence."

She'd swallowed hard, her gaze never leaving the ridges of the wood in the table. The cat had sighed once more.

"There's an irrational part of me that hopes the bastard who chased your own smile off does come after you. I think we'd all like the chance to take a crack at him, and I'd personally relish strangling him with his own intestines. You are beautiful Shimizu, and you are worth fighting for."

"That's kind of you to say, but—"

"We each relive our hell over and over in the lonely silence of our own heads, Shimizu. I'm sure you are no exception, and that makes you brave. You'll be stronger for everything you've been through, and you'll face the world again someday without fear or shame or doubt."

"I think it will be a long time before I will see the world like you do again, Kuroo." She'd said softly. The cat had shifted before squatting down beside her until he was eye level with her.

"Shimizu, look at me." She'd frowned.

"What for?"

"Because I want you to." Her mouth had pursed and she'd felt a spike of unease in her gut, but she'd slowly looked up at Kuroo's dual gaze.

"What for?" She'd repeated, her gaze darting away again.

"No, don't look away, Kiyoko. Keep watching me." He'd said with firm encouragement.

She'd bridled under the soft command, and it was probably one of the hardest things she'd ever done, forcing herself to look back up at him and do as he said; the cat knew her background and it felt like she was more than just naked in front of him. She'd felt completely bare, her battered soul shivering under his intense stare.

"What for?" She'd croaked again.

"Practice. Because you will be stronger." He'd said, his focus never wavering, and she'd had to stop herself every moment from averting her gaze.

"But people will know." She'd whispered.

"They'll know you've struggled, but they won't know the depth or breadth of it. That's okay. That's a part of who you are now and it's not a weakness or a fault or something to be ashamed of. No, keep your eyes on me, Shimizu.

"You've known despair. Take all your pain, sorrow, fear, your determination to continue, to protect Yachi, to live… hold my gaze—and force me to look away."

Kiyoko's eyes had widened.

How was she supposed to do something like that? The cat was a natural born leader, she'd never seen someone force him to avert his gaze in submission.

She'd stared at him, utterly lost, her hands shaking in her lap, her heart breaking in her chest under the weight of the memories and emotional turmoil, her gut turning in fear, and she'd stared at him. She'd stared at the piercing golden eyes, frozen in place, her tongue sticking in her mouth, the air catching in her lungs, and her eyes watering.

A girl a century younger than her that she'd never met before being 'acquired'—who'd been by her side ever since. The nights spent in a room full of other girls, her silent sobs unheeded by all save a small blond who'd sat with her in the dark until they subsided, small hands pulling her awake in the mornings when she didn't think she could even move to get out of bed both from physical pain and the way her mind had been a buzz of static that didn't respond, petite fingers gently dabbing at a black eye and split lip as she silently stared at a wall, tears unable to even fall. The disgust with her own body until she'd nearly taken to harming it because perhaps if it was damaged enough, then no one else could possibly want it either. The only thing keeping her from more than that one line—the bunting's tears and her own blood on the smaller girl's hands as she'd bandaged the cut after stopping her with hysteria. The reason she'd resolved to continue.

Only Yachi knew the depth of her anguish, but she felt like that cat had been well on his way to matching her awareness with the way he watched her. This feline she'd known little more than six months, this person with a grey past, this clever, sneaky guy, this man… she'd trembled as she'd felt the emotions all rise, her heart racing and chest squeezing painfully. And then the cat's quiet voice had entered her head, calm and reassuring.

You have nothing to fear. You are worth fighting for. You are brave. All impossible notions… but she'd wanted to believe the words.

And for a moment, she had.

She'd swallowed a sob and looked back at him, her weathered heart and soul clinging to the whisper of hope that there would be a day when she would once more feel at home in her own skin instead of wanting to crawl out of it, wouldn't shy from all contact aside from Yachi's, wouldn't start in the mornings at the phantom feel of rough hands on her body. She'd watched those dual golden eyes, darker than Kenma's bright gilded orbs—more the color of amber, the murky overlarge pupil that no longer dilated under light in the cloudy one creating a curious imbalance in his overall expression.

And Kuroo had brought a hand to cover his mouth as it dropped before he'd looked away, his gaze finding the floor. The air had left Kiyoko's lungs, all her muscles quivering with tension, a tear slipping down her cheek, but in that moment, she'd felt the shadow of surprised elation, a moment of powerful pride at the edge of her awareness.

"Heh, just like that." The black cad had said with a small smile, his eyes lifting to hers for a moment before finding the floor again. "That was honestly terrifying. You are less than no one, Shimizu. Never forget that. If anyone ever makes you feel uncomfortable, raise your head just a bit and stare at them, just like you did to me. No one will ever be able to hold out under your gaze." The corner of her mouth had turned up just a touch.

"I don't know if it would work on anyone else." He'd smirked at her.

"Then it's a good thing we have a plethora of people who'd all be happy to be oblivious guinea pigs." He'd said with a chuckle.

In the months that followed, Kuroo had carefully coaxed her along in standing straighter, holding eye contact, and projecting quiet control—all things she could do, but usually more as an innate response to a situation rather than at will.

By the time Bokuto had speared himself, she almost didn't recognize her own voice and actions with how she fell into coordinating and directing everyone without even noticing it— at least until she'd realized how awful the streaked owl had managed to injure himself. But it had still been a far cry from frequently having to fight to keep tears back when they'd first joined the beach group.

It had slowly started to almost feel normal to pull on that quietly commanding presence that masked where it stemmed from; she never fielded more questions she couldn't answer without a firm rebuff if required. And she'd quickly found that it was actually far easier to don that mask and hold someone's gaze when she didn't know the person; the hardest people were those she'd come to trust and love, because the mask—though comforting to hide behind—was still a lie.

It wasn't easy; she'd learned that few things about emotional recovery ever were. She'd still had private breakdowns where the bunting would sit with her through the hysteria, it had still taken her another year to really sleep soundly against any of the others, another several months after that to even consider seeking out the simplest of physical gratification—a mere chaste kiss—from Hitoka without her stomach twisting on her. When Yachi'd been visually accosted by that scummy traveler at Miss Haruka's stall, she'd had no issue rising on the offensive with calm authority and an irate glare. When the earthquake had hit, she'd had no trouble treating injuries and assisting with movement and activities, things that required physical contact with someone other than Yachi.

And Kuroo had kept the promise he'd made to her so long ago: You have nothing to fear.

From that point on, he'd never sent her or Yachi anywhere alone, and they'd always had at least a couple others around for backup. He'd even placed himself ahead of she and Yachi when Iwaizumi had first shown up at the beach house. He'd never betrayed her confidence and he always gave her special consideration if he could see she was struggling. He'd been accommodating if she ever had requests or concerns, questions or help until she hadn't needed to lean on him and Yachi for emotional support or reassurance.

She has come so far from that decision to flee with Yachi so long ago. Every other step forward had been accompanied by one back and every bit of progress had been an internal battle. Even now, she still has moments where she has to remind herself not to look away from someone's gaze, still has days where all she wants is to be left in utter solitude.

But she thinks that maybe now, though… maybe she'd be able to stomach the rest of the beach crew knowing the hell she'd endured before finding this quiet haven by the sea, might even be relieved after having held it all in and suffered largely in silence for so long. She trusts them all so much, believes in them all, loves them all. She has faith that knowing about her struggles won't taint their view of her, won't change the relationship she shares with them.

And shedding the weight of that secret would be… freeing.

Like a bird spreading new wings again for the first time after having lost them, the support of the people she loves there to help her reach the sky again. Kiyoko's eyes drift away from Hinata and his leveler, her nearly black eyes rising upward.

The world is bright.

They no longer field the looming reach of the rookery as a threat. Kageyama is no longer barred from Sheru Bay; it had been impossible to keep his lineage a secret when the Grand King visited year after year. They haven't lost anyone or any pair along the way—though a few people did try their hardest at that. They've picked up a few more through their journey instead, and a number of allies as well. Everyone is in good health, everyone is content. And even the meeting with the eagles has finally placed a face and name with the events that kicked everything in to motion when Hinata'd been grounded, and they will know to exercise caution around them in the future.

She hasn't heard a whisper of the wolf who'd purchased Yachi like a common livestock animal half a century ago, hasn't seen a glimpse of the figure that still occasionally haunts her own dreams. She doesn't know if she could face either of them if she were to ever meet them again, but that's okay. The people she calls family can and will if given the chance, and with that promise, she is not afraid.

Like the vast expanse of blue above them, the possibilities seem endless, the future a burning challenge, a question to be answered. An infinite canvas to draw the passions, sorrows, joys, fears, and happiness across. A story to be written, and a picture to be painted of life.

The female crow smiles… because today she has no reason not to.

Tooru Oikawa closes the bound book with care, not quite sure how to feel.

The twinge in his gut whispers to the feeling of being very small in a large world, but it also hints to sorrow and joy. Like he's grateful just for the chance to draw breath, to wake in the morning, to have come this far, to have been able to connect with his son once more, to have had this chance to bridge the gap, to understand…

More than anything, he supposes, it's awe.

He doubts the words in the text in his hands even scratch the breadth and scope of everything that's happened, but when he'd requested the story, he'd never expected anything like this. The pretty female crow is a gifted story teller, her script perfectly elegant, but more than any of that, he's able to get a glimpse of what his son has seen and felt through her words. In a way, he'd felt closer to Tobio reading this book than he ever had in their real-life interactions.

His fingers run over the weathered leather covering, the soft gritty feeling he catches here and there ever a reminder of the beach where his son lives, the fish hook clasp a symbol of the town he now calls home. She's right, he decides; they are all indeed broken in some way.

The door opens and Iwaizumi walks in, pauses for several moments, and then his head turns to the south wall, finding his desk with a building frown.

"Sir." He says and Tooru can already hear the annoyance, but he's still half-overwhelmed by that odd feeling in his chest.

"Iwa, do you really think there's a leveler out there for each of us?" He asks absently and the sentry leader breaks off his impending sharp remark to look at him, his clear dark eyes focusing first on his face and then on the book in his hands.

Apparently, he doesn't look too lost in thought, because when Iwaizumi speaks, it's still colored with heavy sarcasm.

"Contemplating a spirit quest to find yours or something? Because I get the feeling you don't realize I'm not doing this to be a stand-in so you can take a sabbatical." He mutters and the Grand King cocks a brow at him in mock affront.

"Rude, Iwa. It was a rhetorical question." The crow across his desk scoffs.

"Then why even ask if you didn't actually want an answer?" Tooru's brows pull down and his mouth twists in a falsely accusatory pout.

"You've gotten far more bold since I made you reserve heir." He mutters petulantly and Iwaizumi's head cocks with condescension, and Tooru wonders if he's been spending too much time around the ibis that he's got it down that well.

"One of us has to be an adult. If it bothers you, you are welcome to recant the nomination. You've known Feathers' hiding place for decades so I don't know what's keeping you." Tooru scowls up at him.

"I'm appalled that you would even suggest I break my word, Iwa." He says reproachfully.

"I'm amazed you haven't found some loophole by now." He retorts just as quick and the Grand King's jaw slips just a little before he shakes his head disapprovingly at the other crow to keep the smile from breaking through.

He's unusually cheeky today; perhaps the three days of constant rain that's prevented them from practicing aerial Volley is rubbing him wrong. Iwaizumi might enjoy ground Volley, but Tooru knows he prefers the aerial game; and practicing for the last three days in the ground complex must be making him crazy.

"Whoever trained you should be caned because they're a terrible influence. Besides, there's no one else." He says, the last slipping out before he realizes it, but Iwaizumi seems to have missed the note of seriousness that had crept into his voice without his permission.

"That would be you and there's always someone else." He says, setting down the missive he's holding on Tooru's desk. The Grand King stares at him, his eyes softening just a little.

"There's no one else like you."

The amendment comes out quiet and level, Tooru knowing it lacks any of his bantering rib it would normally have. But Iwaizumi doesn't seem to notice as he thumbs through a stack of requests, and the rookery leader almost wants to take the straight edge guide and smack his hand; the other crow always messes them up after the Grand King had put them all in order just so.

"Because I'm definitely the person to lead this circus you've created. I can deal with the military just fine, but the private sector is lost on me. I have no grasp of decorum when it comes to navigating the social balancing act it takes to run this place in its entirety." He grumbles without looking up at him and Tooru smirks slightly. That is a skill often learned only with time and experience.

"Nonetheless… the rookery is yours Iwa, in the event that something happens to me. There's no one else I'd ever trust it to." He says, abandoning all pretense. The crow still doesn't look up at him and the rookery leader almost wonders if even that straightforward declaration failed to get his attention.

"Not even a leveler?" He asks with a quiet huff and Tooru pulls up short.

Iwaizumi had been listening closely the whole time despite his own agitated mood. Still, it's bugging him that the reserve heir won't look at him.

"I'm serious Iwa." He says bluntly and Iwaizumi frowns before glancing up at him, his hand still on the pile of requests.

"So am I. I'd happily shed this responsibility given half the chance." He says flatly and Tooru sighs lightly.

"I know. That's why you can't. And even if I did find a leveler someday, they couldn't be reserve because they'll kick off the same time I do." He says and Iwaizumi's eyes drop back to the pile of requests and he resumes flipping through them. Tooru is almost tempted to take them away from him, both to remove his object of distraction and to preserve their order.

"Would you really want to know who's on the other end of your rope? And quit talking like you're old and dying; you haven't even hit three-thousand years. You have at least a couple millennia left to get me out of the mess you've saddled me with." He mutters with a frown and the rookery leader blinks.

Would he want to know his leveler?

Tooru hasn't ever considered the idea, and he's surprised that it… frightens him.

He'd loved Tobio's mother more than life itself, would have traded places with her had he been able to. He'd do the same for his son now if it were ever required… and he'd also do it for Iwaizumi. He treasures the other crow as much as he does Tobio, never wants to lose him. Those first few months after realizing Iwa had been lying had felt just like when he'd lost Tobio. And learning the reason for it from the black cat had felt like the moment he'd received Tobio's message for their first Volley match. They both mean everything to him. He can't view a world without either of them, and he can't imagine someone else in that picture.

A leveler… could change all of that.

Another person could strain those relationships, even break them if he wasn't careful—the bond with Tobio was only just starting to recover, and Iwaizumi… he can bear the thought of losing the other crow perhaps even less than his son. If never finding out who his leveler is means he gets to keep things as they are, then he will be content; no world with a leveler but without either Tobio or Iwaizumi would satisfy, and he will never seek to risk that.

"…No." He says finally and Iwaizumi's hands pause for a moment before resuming their pointless search.

"'No', you don't want to know, or 'No', you aren't letting me out of this?" He asks and finally, Tooru hears the hint of gravity in the question that's been missing so far, knows Iwaizumi is paying close attention and is asking in earnest. Tooru smiles slightly.

"Both." The crow scoffs and rolls his eyes.

"You really are an awful person." He says before straightening up and leveling him with a flat look. "Why is my desk on the south wall, Sir?"

Tooru's head tilts and he throws Iwaizumi a questioning look.

"I needed something to aim for after you took down the tapestry." He says, unable to keep the smirk away from the corner of his mouth as Iwa's eye twitches.

To be fair, it had actually been a lot harder to get that nice ring of arrow points around his inkpot without touching it than he'd banked on. It was fine to put divots in the wood surface, but breaking the inkpot? There were important documents on that desk that would have been ruined if they'd been soaked with ink.

"I took it down so you'd stop throwing those stupid arrowheads. Hearing them hit the other side of the wall is most distracting while going over scouting reports with other sentry leaders." He growls and Tooru gives up and just grins.

"See, that's the thing, I won't be hitting the wall now. Your desk is in front of it." He says as if it's the most logical solution to the problem.

"Yes, that's the issue. It's not enough that you are childish enough that you throw them in the first place—honestly, you're a king, for feathers' sake—but why do you insist on harassing me in the process? Seriously, it's like babysitting and that's not what I signed up for." Tooru's head cants, that smile threatening to take over his face.

"What exactly did you think being a ruler was if not babysitting, Iwa?" He says and Iwaizumi scoffs.

"I don't know, maybe ruling?" He says sullenly. Tooru's smile eases just a bit and he leans back in his seat, still focused on the reserve heir with quiet fondness.

"When a ruler must truly rule, then a situation has often grown dire. Be happy for the quiet days like this where it all seems like nothing but a joke, Iwa. These are the days you will look back to when times are dark and precarious and you will wish you could be here again." He says quietly and the crow's dark eyes cut to him once more, clouding with annoyance.

"You'd want to be here again?" Iwa asks skeptically and Tooru's smile turns serene.

"I wish here would never end, Iwa." He says, the words soft and filled with wistful happiness. The former sentry leader levels him with a nonplussed look.

"You're insane." He murmurs before turning and heading for his desk, grumbling just low enough that the rookery leader can't quite catch his words.

But he has that frown in place that he'd worn whenever he was legitimately curious about what the Grand King said or did or thought. He'd worn it when Tooru had been failing to keep up appearances after Tobio had left. He'd had it when the rookery leader had first opened up to him about that death match and Tobio's injury. The Grand King had seen it when he'd broached the idea of a winter med-camp for injured avians.

And Iwaizumi had looked just like he does now when they'd received Tobio's invite. He'd hesitantly asked—probably expecting no reply—what in all hell he'd written that he'd gotten Tobio to agree. The Grand King had looked back at his son's handwriting with a distant wistful look.

"His mother's tree is dying." He'd said quietly, something he knew Iwaizumi was aware of.

The beautiful mature sugi cedar that had been planted in his wife's and infant daughter's honor had caught a blight the summer before he'd found Tobio again, nearly breaking his heart once more. Its branches had slowly continued to wither no matter what he'd tried, turning first brown and then grey, and they didn't replant remembrance trees; once they died, the spirit of the person they honored was said to have departed to reenter the life cycle and be reborn. It had made him feel even more alone with only Iwa to mitigate that awful isolation.

"I told him I didn't need to know where he lived; I offered him free passage to come speak to his mother, no strings attached save the chance to see his face. Once his mother is gone, he will be all I have left of her, and I told him I didn't want to lose him as well. He denied me in his typical stubborn fashion just like his mother would have—though she'd have done it with a smile—and instead opted for a match that pits himself against me as opposed to grieving with me, even if it gave up their location. I quietly gave him two options, knowing which one he'd pick, and I didn't even have to tell him to choose one.

"His mother's passing always got to him more than anything else just like me; he has always borne pain largely alone and never came to me even then, so it made sense that it'd be no different this time when he learned of her tree. He will visit her on his own terms, not mine—although Shrimpy has always been there so maybe he wasn't quite so alone as I always believed."

Iwaizumi had stared at him wide-eyed before almost visibly sinking into deep thought. The Grand King hadn't been able to determine if the expression was for how open he'd been with his answer or the fact that he'd laid out the choice without Tobio even realizing he'd done it—something he did feel slightly guilty for, but he'd wanted to see his son. The brooding look Hajime wears now… Tooru wonders what he's thinking so hard about, and his sorrel eyes drop to the book still in his hands, his mind drifting.

So many things have changed in the last fifty years.

His people have grown comfortable in the new policies he's implemented with regard to the military and private sector. He doesn't use the race pits to enforce the sentry rules, was surprised to find that he didn't have to because they'd largely police themselves if organized under the right people. They do get restless on occasion… and with Shimizu's final chapter, he may have reason to fire them up now. He's never been fond of the eagles to the north, but to find that they were the ones that had brought the world to pieces not just for him, but for Tobio and his leveler—perhaps a strengthening of the rookery ranks is in order. And maybe a rotating contingent can be stationed in Sheru Bay indefinitely just for added deterrence.

Tobio may have reached some sense of peace since that awful day, but Tooru can't say the same; he's read Shimizu's story twice now, and both times, he's nearly thrown it in fury at the northern eagles, his fingers creasing the delicate parchment in a crushing grip. He can't decide if he wants to let it lie for use against them in the future should the need arise, or if he simply wants to start that war. It's times like now that he's grateful for Iwa's insight and counsel. His second has also read the female crow's work, was an integral voice of several chapters, and a steep advocate for the former. He'd spent enough time at the beach house speaking at length with Shimizu when she was writing his parts that he's all but an honorary member of their ranks—a bridge between the two groups.

It was through Iwa's efforts that the beach crew tentatively come and go as they please, the former first unit's families more than thankful to be able to see them whenever they like now. Ground Volley has taken the rookery by storm, and children flock anytime one of them shows up; really, it's become a novelty anytime one of the cats or owls visit and they are pretty much celebrities. The ground game had taken off so well that indoor complexes were soon repurposed for it any time it rained, and the talk in both military and civilian circles was always about the next upcoming tournament and how many rookery teams would go this time.

And the rookery leader now has a rocky relationship with his son. They rarely speak in earnest no matter how Tooru tries—Tobio is still often curt and dismissive, but they get along in each other's company as acquaintances and allies. Tobio had returned and spent a day among the dying branches of his mother's tree, his leveler keeping a silent vigil at its base until he'd finally come down again. He'd even grudgingly invited Tooru for dinner at Momma Yu's at Hinata's suggestion, something he'd declined but had been touched by all the same.

Tooru feels quiet contentment settle in his chest, a covert smile tugging at his mouth as he watches the sentry leader turned reserve heir pull up an embedded arrowhead and shift papers about in irritation. He hasn't felt this at peace since before Tobio's mother died; he mentally whispers a prayer to her memory, a silent hope that she can see where they've come, the potential and possibility that is the future as bright as their son's leveler.

Watching Iwaizumi with an equal fondness, he once more agrees with Shimizu Kiyoko: It's a good day to smile.

A/N: And there you are... how was it? Besides long, 15000 words = like 3 normal chapters for me lol. I purposely kept Kiyoko in the background the ENTIRE story just to give her this POV. And after I started Horizon, I always intended her to be the 'writer' for the leveler series. I also selected a 'noncritical' character from Shiratorizawa (Utsui) to be the one who grounded Hinata b/c I just had the hardest time forcing one of the mains into the role. OH, HEY, did you guys see? I even tried to write a short OIKAWA POV. The two quotes were both perfect for this chapter so they both made it in. My favorite parts were Bokuto snitching food and Iwa's desk XD

So... I apologize for the ridiculous delay in posting (srsly, like 10 days after I'd hoped). I could give you a bunch of reasons (still on 12 hr days and completely fried when I get home, possible/unconfirmed concussion and partial dislocation of shoulder/tricep pull/and deltoid strain b/c SNOWBOARDING, was asked to plan a 2 wk trip to Italy- ITALY- for may for 7 ppl and freaking out about deadlines, and traveling for valentines with the SO as well) but they all seem like weak excuses. i don't need my shoulder to type, flights to italy will still be there tomorrow, and I can write while traveling. Really, when I shove it all aside, my biggest issue was motivation. I REALLY struggled the last five chapters or so and I think it showed. I didn't even have 90% of the epilogue even on the page after the last chap and i had the most infuriating time focusing. It was so bad that I temporarily vacated the digital world (tumblr and AO3 are fantastic distractions) for a while and even had to switch all music over to soundtracks or music I couldn't understand b/c it was totally tripping my ADHD switch.

I hope the eiplogue makes up for the wait... I may or may not do a 'notes' installment like i did with pair, we'll see. If not, you all have been the best people to write for and I cannot thank you enough for the views, kudos, comments, and undying support. If I have another bout of inspiration for this fandom or any other, you can be sure I will be back to write for you. You are all the very best!
Take care you guys and have a spectacular night! :)