Hey Mom,

Today is July 4th, right?

Back home, you and Dad are probably

having a big celebration. I'm a bit jealous.

Light up the sky, will you? If it shines brightly

enough, I just might be able to see it from here.

I'm serious. Love you, Taiga.

Three days prior: July 1st

Kagami's day had begun in a mundane manner. It wasn't until he had met up with Himuro for fossil hunting that his mood had been lifted. "Hey, Himuro!" he called out. "Look at this one!"

Sticking his shovel in the ground, Himuro went over to where Kagami stood, ogling over his find. "Would you look at that," Himuro stated in amazement. "It looks like amber, or something."

"Doesn't it?" Kagami asked, smiling eagerly. "I'd have to ask Blathers to make sure, but it's so exciting! I don't know whether I want to donate it or keep it for myself!"

"If you donate it, then everyone in Kiseki will be able to enjoy it," Himuro explained. "Don't you think that's a better way to go about things?"

Hearing Himuro out, Kagami nodded and agreed, "Yeah, you're right. I think I'll go to the museum to have it appraised right now! Do you want to come with me, Himuro?"

The childish sparkle in Kagami's eyes made Himuro's heart feel like it was beginning to sink. 'I have to tell him...' he thought. 'It won't be easy, but...'

When Himuro didn't answer right away, Kagami grew concerned. "Is something the matter?" he asked. "You looked like you remembered something really sad just now."

Sighing through the nostrils of his beak, Himuro shook his head and said, "Kagami, I don't know how to tell you this, but...I'm thinking about leaving Kiseki."

Kagami felt himself freeze. He could feel his heart skip a beat, and felt it as his eyes stung with the threat of tearing up. "What...are you talking about, Himuro? What are you even saying?" he asked.

"I'm moving, Kagami," Himuro affirmed. "On the 4th of July, I'm boarding the last train and I'm leaving Kiseki Village."

"Why?!" Kagami shouted. "Why would you leave?! Don't you like it here?"

"I do, Kagami, I really do, but...it's my time to go. I've already made up my mind, so please don't make things harder than they have to be-"

"Forget it!" Kagami interrupted. "If you want to go, then go. There's no one stopping you..."

"Kagami..." Himuro sighed. He placed his wing gently upon the boy's shoulder, "I know you're angry, and I realize now that I should have told you sooner, but this is something that's been on my mind for nearly a month now."

"A month...? You've been thinking about this for a whole month?" Kagami asked. At that moment, his throat had run dry.

Himuro nodded. "Please don't take this personally, Kagami. You and I, we're friends, right? It's never easy to say goodbye to your friends."

"If it's not easy for you, then why-"

Unexpectedly, Himuro spread his wings open and wide. It was a notion that sent feathers flying into the air. It was so sudden that it had even startled Kagami a bit. "Why is it that you left your hometown, Kagami?" he asked sympathetically.

Kagami knew that he could answer Himuro's question with one word only, and it was that alone that made him realize why he was doing this. "Adventure..." Kagami whispered. "I wanted an adventure."

"Exactly," Himuro smiled. "So please, won't you allow me the same freedom?"

"Ehhh?! Seriously?! Himurocchi is moving-ssu?!" Kise gasped.

"That's what I said, yeah..."

Kagami and Kise had crossed paths within the Kiseki Museum, and after a few words of greeting were exchanged, they decided to stop into The Roost and continue their conversation over a cup of coffee.

"It's such a shame..." Kise sighed. "Himurocchi has been living here for as long as I can remember. I wonder if Murasakicchi knows."

"He said that he had wanted to tell me first. After we parted ways, I think he was planning on giving the news to Murasakibara, who would then pass the information on to Akashi, then to Midorima, and so on and so forth."

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around this," Kise slumped. "What was his reasoning again-ssu?"

"It's a good reason," Kagami huffed, leaning back in his chair. "He wants to embark on an adventure."

"An adventure? But isn't that why you...?"

"Yeah..." Kagami chuckled wryly. "I guess it's the same reason I gave my parents in order for them to let me go."

Gasping so loudly and so suddenly that Kagami had nearly snorted his coffee, Kise slammed his paws down onto the counter and barked, "I have a plan!"

"Geez! What is it? Why did you have to shout like that?" Kagami scowled.

"Let's have a going-away party for Himurocchi! One where we invite the entire town-ssu! We can have cake and sing songs and-oh! We can shoot off fireworks!"

Kagami's eyes lit up at the mention of the latter. "Fireworks?"

Nodding eagerly, Kise said, "Mmn, mmn! It'll be lots of fun!"

"Do you think Himuro would like that?"

"We won't know until we see his reaction! We're going to make it a surprise!"

"Wha-! Really?" Kagami stammered. "Do you think we can pull it off?"

"Of course we can!" Leaning in close, Kise pressed his paw to the tip of Kagami's nose. "We've just got to make sure that no one lets Himuro in on the secret."

Present day: July 4th

"Aominecchi just told me that everything is all set up, Kagamicchi!" Kise giggled. "Everyone's waiting down by the beach. This is going to be so exciting-ssu!"

Kagami helped Kise hop across the rails as they crossed the train tracks. "It's bittersweet, though. After all, this is Himuro's goodbye party..."

"Ka~ga~mi~cchi," Kise sang, and patted the side of the boy's leg, "look on the bright side! When Himurocchi wakes up in his new bed in his new town tomorrow, he's going to have a really good memory of tonight and all of the times he's spent with us here in Kiseki!"

Reminiscing on some of those memories briefly, Kagami smiled and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Hey, and Kise?"

Kise's ears perked up and he looked over to Kagami. "Yes-ssu?"

Scratching the back of his neck, Kagami overcame his embarrassment and said, "You know...thanks for setting this whole thing up. I mean, Himuro's my good friend and all, so...I feel like it's something I should have organized, or at least helped with."

Kise shook his head. "Oh, Kagamicchi, it's nothing! Himurocchi is an important friend to all of us! It's true! I invited every single person that lives here in Kiseki, and they all said they would be there tonight."

"Even Kuroko?" Kagami had shocked himself by even asking such a question. I mean, asking about someone you hadn't even personally met yet? Wasn't that a bit...odd?

Kise paused the conversation to collect his thoughts. Looking at the expansive path before them, he smiled sweetly and answered, "Kurokocchi will definitely be there, too."

"Well, hello there, whippersnapper! Har, har! I don't think we've ever met before!"

"Um..." Kagami stammered, "no... I don't think we have, Mr. Mayor..."

"Of course we haven't!" the old turtle cackled. "I would have definitely remembered a youthful face like yours. Well, enough of that. I'm Tortimer, the mayor here in Kiseki Village. And you are Kagami, yes?"

"Yeah, that's me."

Tortimer nodded. "Good, good. So tell me, Kagami, who is it that you admire most? Your mother? Your father? Maybe even your very own mayor?"

'What a weird thing to ask...' Kagami thought. He could tell from the glint within Tortimer's aged eyes that he was hoping for the latter most of answers, but if he wanted to make a good first impression of himself, he had to be honest. "My mom. She's...she's the best. She was always there for me, when I needed her. She even taught me how to surf! Ah, that was the best-uh...?"

Something about the mayor's demeanor had changed. He looked distant, almost as if Kagami had trampled on his hopes and dreams, or something. Then suddenly, he spoke up again. "I see, I see. So you're a Mama's boy, yes?"

Kagami blushed a brilliant red. "Nah, I wouldn't go that far..."

"No need to be embarrassed, har, har! A boy who loves his mother is a boy with a gentle heart. Be proud of it, not modest."

A bit dumbfounded, Kagami merely agreed and said, "Sure...I'll remember that."

Suddenly, Kise started to make a ruckus when he began to shout and jump about. "He's coming, everyone! He's coming-ssu!"

Off in the distance, Himuro and Murasakibara could be seen descending from the beach's cliff. Murasakibara looked like he would rather be in bed, but Himuro wore a look of terrible confusion. "Murasakibara, what is all of this? Why is everyone all gathered like this?"

"Ha? You haven't realized it yet?" Murasakibara yawned.

"Um, no?"

"It's your goodbye party. Everyone is getting ready to say goodbye to you."

"My what-?!"

One, two, three...

"SURPRISE!"

Party poppers and confetti were burst into Himuro's face, decking his feathers out with glitz and glitter. Stunned, he stepped back a bit and shook his head to clear his beak of the streamers.

Practically bouncing out of his fur, Kise jumped excitedly around Himuro and asked, "Were you surprised, Himurocchi? Did we surprise you? Were you surprised-ssu?"

Himuro was speechless. "I..."

"You were totally surprised, right? Right?" Kise's tail was wagging so violently that Aomine has succumb to temptation and bent over and bit it. "Yowch!"

"Let the guy get two words out, idiot," Aomine growled.

"You're being noisy, nanodayo," Midorima input.

"With good reason," Akashi added. "After all, we're all very curious."

"I..." Himuro repeated, still unable to cope with everything that was happening. "I...don't know what to say..."

"Say you're surprised! Say you're surprised!" Kise yipped.

"I-I am," Himuro answered. "I'm very surprised..."

"I knew it!" Kise barked. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it-ow! Ow, ow, ow!" Again, Aomine had took a chomp out of Kise, but only this time, it was his ear that he was biting.

Surveying all of the friendly - and not-so-friendly - faces that were waiting for him to speak, Himuro gulped and asked, "This is all...for me?"

Stepping forward and towering over all of the others, Kagami smiled and said, "Yeah, it is. It's all thanks to Kise that we're here, too. He organized the entire thing."

Shifting his weight from foot to foot as he swayed bashfully, Kise chuckled lightly and murmured, "I told you that it was nothing, you know..."

"Don't call it nothing."

Kise's head snapped up at the harsh tone that Himuro had used. What he saw next not only made him worry, but it made everyone worry.

"H-hey!" Aomine stuttered.

"How unsightly, nanodayo," Midorima huffed.

"Muro-chin, why are you crying?" Murasakibara yawned, this being the second time now.

Flapping his feathers before his eyes, Himuro tried to dry his tears without actually having to touch them. "I'm sorry, everyone. It's just that this...this is...it's..."

"You can say it, Himuro," Kagami laughed amiably. "We won't judge."

"It's..." Himuro began again, "...it's the nicest thing that's ever been done for me."

The unanimous "awe" that came over the crowd was enough to make the usually firm-footed eagle feel flushed.

"We're not done yet, Himurocchi!" Kise giggled. "We still have one last surprise!"

"What? Another sur-?"

BOOM!

A burst of technicolor overtook the sky above, forcing all heads to eagerly turn towards the ocean. Another firework had popped, then another and another. The show was absolutely spectacular. For being relatively low budget - low budget meaning no budget - the fireworks display had lasted for a good five minutes.

"That was awesome!" Kise beamed. "It was awesome, it was awesome-ssu!"

"I have to admit," Aomine snickered, "it was pretty cool."

"It was mildly entertaining, nanodayo," Midorima nodded.

"The colors were positively captivating," Akashi agreed.

"Can I have cake now?" Murasakibara asked.

Looking to the empty sky while the others enjoyed their cake, Kagami sighed peacefully. He was in such a daze that he hadn't realized Himuro had been trying to get his attention. "Oh! Whoah! Sorry about that, man. Were you saying something?"

Chuckling at Kagami's reaction, Himuro said, "I was. I was telling you that I have something I'd like to give to you."

"To me?" Kagami asked. "What is it?"

"Here," Himuro offered, handing Kagami an 8x10 picture frame. "It's my picture. This way, you'll be able to remember me even when I'm gone. I even wrote a little message for you on the back."

Flipping the frame over, Kagami's eyes scanned over what had been written. He soon felt as if a lump had formed in his throat. "Like I'd ever be able to forget you, geez," Kagami scoffed, not even bothering to fight the tears as they began to bubble.

"Come here," Himuro smiled, opening his wings wide for Kagami to enter. After they shared their brief embrace, Himuro added, "I'll never forget you, either. You're my friend-no. You're my best friend. And Kagami, always remember..."

'Life is an adventure!'

After the festivities had dwindled to a close, and Himuro had taken his leave to catch the last train before it departed, Kagami met up with Kise to help him clean up the left over streamers and cake plates. "Hey, Kise?" he began to ask, looking towards the pup as he scampered about the sand.

Kise stopped what he was doing and turned his attention over at Kagami. "Hmm? What is it, Kagamicchi?"

"Didn't you say that Kuroko would be here tonight? I didn't see him at all. Did he change his mind about coming, or something?"

The baffled expression that Kise gave Kagami made him feel like an idiot. "Kagamicchi..." he whispered, "Kurokocchi had been here the entire time."

Hi there! Chappy here! :D

Another new chapter for Kagami no Crossing! I hope you're enjoying it! (:

Kuroko really is a mystery, huh? Or maybe he's just not the life of the party. :P

Thank you for taking the time to read! I can't believe that the next chapter is going to be chapter 8 already! :D

- Chappy