Glaring at her own reflection in the small and old bathroom of the abandon house she now spent her days in, Maya's eye twitched ever so slightly. With teeth slightly faded yellow from the lack of brushing in the past few months, plus her mess of a hair and deep dark blue bags under her eyes, she knew she was reaching a tipping point.
Each day she looked in that mirror, she watched herself slowly regress into a horrific monster. Well, in her eyes that's what she saw. But to all others it was the ongrowing amount of depression and guilt. If she believed in gods, she would thank the Oum Brothers for letting Valentine not be in control at the moment.
Her life would become even more of a hell.
Being raised by Valentine was something else. She was brutal, unbelievably brutal. She was so cruel at times, it almost seemed as if she wasn't even human. The pink haired witch was more of a spawn from hell if nothing at all. And if she was in control, she would be raising all sorts of things with Maya for letting something as simple as the death of two boys bring her down.
Maya had been raised from day one to believe that innocent people must die to bring about change. Doesn't mean she ever agreed with that deep down.
Right now, with the death of Fid and Fif, her very soul was being eaten away. She was warned not to grow attached, but who couldn't learn to love those three boys. They were amazing, caring, kind, brave, truthful... they were everything she wasn't. And now, two of them were dead as the third would probably never speak to her again. The only thought of meeting Prac again was him trying to kill her to avenge his brothers.
Gritting her teeth, Maya gave off a quiet groaning scream, gripping the edge of the sink right. She leaned over, letting her tangled hair fall around her face as she gave off a much louder scream. Staring down at the drain, her brown eyes flicked before swelling up with tears. She quickly shut them, standing up straight as she rubbed her palms against her eyes.
"This is your fault..." Her voice trembled as she slowly slid her hands down off her face, glaring back at the monster in the mirror. "Your fault!" She snapped, jerking around as she gripped the sink again.
With her teeth grinding together, she slowly looked up, jaw tight as she glanced at a pair of scissors on the shelf below the mirror. She reached over, snatching it up quickly and holding it. She remained still for what felt like an eternity before she shut her eyes, tossing the scissors into the bathtub with a soft whimper.
"You're a coward! You can't even deal with the inevitable!" She snapped to herself, stepping back until her back hit a wall. She slowly slid down it, pulling her knees up into her chest as her arms wrapped around them. She lowered her head into her knees, quietly whimpering. "You coward..." She muttered, not even flinching as a knock came on the door.
"Maya? Got a minute?" Nihilus voice came from behind the door, followed by a few more knocks. "There's uh... something important I need to speak to you about."
Sniffing quickly, Maya quickly lifted her head. She rubbed her eyes and nose a bit before standing, continuing to rub her nose. "Yeah... hold on. Let me finish up in here. I think that food you made last night had too many spices." She muttered, reaching over and flushing the toilet which had nothing in it before she went to the sink, turning it on and splashing cold water on her face before shutting off the water and stepping towards the door. She took a deep breath, grabbing the doorknob and slowly pulling it open with a gulp. "Yeah...?"
Stepping back a little, Nihilus gave her a slow nod. "Yeah, um... How do I put this..." He rubbed the back of his head. "I'd... like you to head somewhere. It's rather, let's say, imperative you go there, trust me."
"Im...perative...?" She reached up, rubbing her right eye with a small yawn. "What do you mean it would be imperative of me?" Her brows raised slightly as her bloodshot eyes slowly blinked.
"I mean like..." His hands went up momentarily before they went back into his hoodie pockets. "Look, you need to trust me on this one... This is something you'll probably thank me for. Probably not." He corrected himself.
She blinked slowly, a confused look appearing over her face before she shook her head. "O...Okay." She finally gave a nod, sticking her hands in her sweatpants' pockets. "Where... what am I doing exactly?" She took a deep breath. "And where am I going?"
"You're going to that restaurant down on 12th. The one with the outdoor tables." He explained. "You'll know which one when you get there. Oh, and..." His head tilted to the side. "Yeah, you might wanna..." He pointed to her hair before it was suddenly neatly brushed.
Maya blinked several times, raising a hand to move her hair in front of her eyes. Now, the mess of a bird's nest which was her hair felt like silk. "How did-" She stopped herself, slowly nodding. "Right, you stopped time." She sighed softly, glancing up at him. "You want to time stop again and dress me in nice clothing too?" She joked, the corner of her mouth twitching upward ever so slightly.
He shook his head and chuckled under his breath. "Even if you actually wanted me to, it would cost me more seconds than I can pull off. Now, you get going. Maybe grab breakfast before my sister eats it all."
She gave a slow nod, stepping around Nihilus. "Yeah... alright." She inhaled deeply. "Will do." She stepped into her room, completely unaware of who exactly she was going to meet.
Walking through the streets of Vale, the four MACE girls were preparing for their journey ahead. A trip all the way to Natus at this time would take a major amount of guts. Or stupidity. Either way though, these four would find their way there. Well, the four girls plus one extra companion...
"I don't see why we have to go to the stupid coffee shop." Kris complained, her hands behind her head with her eyes shut. "I'm ready to get this trip on with."
"You know..." Cheyenne raised a finger. "If you keep walking with your eyes closed you're going to run into something."
As the redhead scoffed, Elise stuck her hands in the pocket on Kagami's hoodie which the brunet was still wearing. "Why EXACTLY are we going to the coffee shop?" She asked her leader.
Smiling ever so slightly, the jade haired girl glanced back at her team. "Because, we're bringing someone else along."
"Huh?" Kris opened her eyes, grunting softly as her forehead struck a stop sign. She groaned, rubbing a bulging bump on her head before looking up. "What do you mean by we're bringing someone along..." She trailed off, blinking rapidly as their neared the coffee shop. There, sitting quietly and nervously was the twin of one of her best friends. "Oh hell no." She stopped her walk, crossing her arms. "No fu-"
"Kris! PG!" Cheyenne snapped, placing her palm over the redhead's mouth.
Grumbling, she pulled the Faunus' hand down. "Aero got to say it..." She complained.
"Well Aero is an adult." She crossed her arms. "And I'm older than you." Her eyes narrowed.
Elise blinked slowly, staring at Maya before slowly looking over at Kagami. "Are you sure bringing her would be a good idea."
"Yeah." She nodded back. "She deserves to go home just as much as Chey does."
Everyone was silent for a moment before Cheyenne gulped, slowly looking up at the two. "She deserves to see them more than me... if they're alive..."
"But guys..." Kris stared up at her friends before sighing. She slowly stood up straight, rubbing the back of her head slowly. "Fine." She groaned. "But I don't agree with this."
"You don't have to agree with something to do it." Kagami flashed a smile, continuing her walk towards the coffee shop, her friends not far behind.
Sitting at a table, Maya chewed on her lip a bit as she stirred a cup of coffee with a spoon, mixing in the creamer. She let out a shaky exhale, every nerve in her body on fire. She trusted Nihilus with her life, but just to listen to him blindly and come here was absolutely insane. She took a deep breath, letting go of her spoon just as a glimpse of green, brown, and red caught her sight. She quickly looked up, eyes widening as she shot to her feet.
"Maya..." Kagami said calmly, pulling her hands from her pocket. "We're not going to hurt you... alright?" She faintly smiled. To her left and a step behind her, Elise stood with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. She had faith in Kagami, but even sometimes faith could be wrong.
"Well..." Kris muttered, standing on her right and a step behind. She then grunted, feeling her team leader's elbow ram into her side.
"We just need to talk, okay?" Cheyenne spoke, gulping some as she slowly stepped towards the table. "Please... sit, okay?"
Maya's eyes darted between the four girls before she shakily sat back down. If this was what Nihilus had in mind, she was definitely going to have a very long talk with him when she got back to their hideout. "Wh-What?" She barely managed out, her voice trembling.
The four MACE girls all glanced at each other before sitting down at the table with Cheyenne's twin. The deer Faunus on Maya's left and Elise on her right. Kagami sat next to Elise while Kris sat down next to Cheyenne.
"Listen," Kagami took a deep breath, rubbing the back of her head a bit. "We're going to go on a trip. It won't take that long but... I honestly think you should go. And so does Nihilus."
While Maya gained a puzzled look, Cheyenne took a very deep and shaky breath. Slowly, she looked over at her sister. "We're... taking a break from Vale and we're going to take a small trip to Natus." She gulped a little. "See if... see how our parents are doing." She raised a hand, pointing over at her leader. "And she thinks you should come along. And I don't think it's completely a bad idea..."
"Are...you sure you want me to go?" Maya seemed hesitant, but a curiosity was growing inside of her. This could be a chance for something, what that was she was unsure about. As unsure of that as she was of if she deserved to see them, after what had happened. "W-What if..."
"None of us are going I force you to go, alright?" Kagami spoke in a hushed tone. "But right now I greatly advise that you do. I don't know how to persuade you... but I-"
"I know how to persuade her!" Elise suddenly grinned, holding up her hand with a soft chuckle.
Kris raised an eyebrow, slowly glancing over at her. "What have you done this time?"
"I haven't done anything." The brunet smiled back with a soft chuckle. "It's what Kagami is about to do."
"Wait, what?" The jadette quickly looked around with wide eyes, pointing at herself. "Me?"
"Yes you." Elise crossed her arms. "You're the only Kagami here."
"Wait... what is she doing?" Cheyenne raised an eyebrow.
She grinned again, suddenly pulling Kagami's book of poems out of thin air. "The one thing she always does to pull at heartstrings."
"Wait... were you carrying that with you?" Kris held up a finger, tilting her head as confusion filled her green eyes.
"Not the point." The brunet quickly shot back before shoving the book into her leader's chest. "Now write something nice!"
Kagami grunted, the air in her lungs being pushed out. After a second, she reached up and grabbed her book, snatching it away with a faint glare before softly smiling. "Fine. Give me... five minutes."
The next five minutes were the longest of Maya's life. Each second felt like a minute itself, and the minutes feeling like hours didn't help at all. Giving a soft sigh, the jade haired girl calmly set a pen and her book down onto the table. She leaned back and quietly began to speak.
Long ago, before we even knew
There was something written true
We were bound together by fate
Though our lives grew at different rates
Our names were written on the same slate
Separated when we were young
You never knew our mother's song
Never hear our father's caring tone
When you scrape your knee on stone
Oum forbid if they're actually gone
But they're your family, not a con
You need to see for yourself, find the truth
Discover where you were born, under that roof
I know we're not them
And you're genuinely frighten
But you owe it to yourself
And if not then do it for their health
Because if they truly are alive
They would want to know you two have survived
Slowly gazing towards the ground, Maya silently thought to herself while swallowing air in her throat. She looked back up slowly, nodding once at her sister. "O-Okay..." She said and took a deep breath, "Let's go seem them."
Cheyenne slowly grinned, reaching up and rubbing her eyes a bit as she glanced over at Kagami. "Alright. Let's do this."
Up on the rooftops, Nihilus watched as the group of five girls slowly stood up. The corner of his mouth ever so slightly twitched upward as he lowered his head and shut his eyes. He nodded a bit, sticking his hands into his pockets as he turned on his heels, taking several steps before his eyes opened and flashed gold. A second later, he was gone, a gentle breeze blowing through the city.
On the outskirts of Vale, the legendary group of bandits known as the BBB still had their base camp set up. Most of the members were waiting for orders to either attack or leave at this point while others, others knew far more.
Stretching her arms out with a yawn, Jade slowly sat up underneath a tree. "Morning already..." She groaned, sticking her pinky finger in her ear and twisting it around in an attempt to clean it. She took a deep breath, pulling her arm down and wiping it on her jeans.
"I see you're finally awake." Her father's voice spoke up in the quiet sounds of the woods.
"Yeah, wish I could sleep more though." She yawned again, looking up. When she did, she blinked rapidly and tilted her head. "Dad...?"
"Yes?" Shinrin stepped towards her, his cloak swaying softly as usual. The only difference though was his hair. Rather it being the long and beautiful hair that Jade knew, it was cut short into a military high and tight style.
"What... happened to your hair?" Her tea green eyes went wide. "I've never seen it that short since... since mom..." She trailed off as he sighed.
"I know." He nodded slowly. "It's been several years since I cut it. I let her died. Her death was on me." He inhaled deeply. "It wouldn't have been honorable of me to keep my hair at that length after letting her die."
Jade blinked slowly, rising up to her knees before standing. "So... why did you cut it this time? What happened? Did someone in our group..." She trailed off again with a gulp.
Shinrin gave off a sigh, shaking his head softly. He glanced down at the ground before looking up at her. "I cut it because of what I'm about to do."
"What do you-" She was cut off, several hands grabbing her arms. "Hey!" She snapped, jerking around.
"Hold still!" A male bandit called out to her as several others started stripping her of the multiple blades she kept on her person.
"DAD!" Jade snapped once again, grunting as her back hit the tree she was resting under moments ago. The hands holding her pulled her hands behind the tree, metal snapping and binding them together. She gave off a scream, bringing up a foot and ramming it into one of her fellow brethren.
While he grunted and stumbled back, the other bandits around her all quickly stepped back in order to miss her rageful blows.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Jade shouted at the top of her lungs, her head thrashing as her hair wrapped around her face. As she slid down the tree, slowly sitting down with heavy breathing, she glared up at her father as he walked towards her.
"Listen, this doesn't mean I love you any less." Shinrin knelt down on one knee in front of her. "I am simply doing what is necessary. These people count on me for food and shelter and warmth." He motioned to the group of bandits around them. "And I will not allow your childish instincts to fight to get in the way of what must be done."
The young woman blinked a few times, letting the words process in her head. When they finally sunk in, she jerked against her binds. "I made a deal with Kagami! I lost fair and square! You can't go and-!"
"YOU made a deal with her! Not ME!" His voices roared in pure anger. And for the first time, Jade flinched back against the tree in fear. "I am not going to sit here and listen to your childish and idiotic promises! I have people I must take care of!"
Jade gulped slowly, glancing up at her father. "I made... a deal. Honoring my word is something you taught me to do."
"Why do you think I cut my hair?" His eyes narrowed as he put his hands on his knees and stood up. "This discussion is over. Later tonight we are heading into Vale and you are staying here. Understood, Jade?"
She gritted her teeth, her hands balling up into tight fist. "You can't do this..."
Shinrin took a deep breath, shaking his head as he turned on his heels and walked away. "I already have."
Walking down a path through the woods, Elise and Kagami were both carrying a backpack with sleeping bags on them. The two lead the group, staying in the front while trying to figure out the map they had in their hands.
"I don't think they know where we're going." Kris chuckled, the hilt of Kagami's sword sticking out from underneath her long red coat.
Cheyenne glanced up at the two, standing next to Elise with a small shrug. Across her back, along with her own Atlas rifle, was Elise's air compressed rifle. "I'm sure we'll find our way. Natus isn't THAT far away."
"How... far away is it?" Maya spoke up quietly, gulping some as she rubbed her arms.
Her twin glanced back at her, smiling softly. "If we keep walking and don't stop, we should get there maybe three hours before nightfall."
"Ugh." Kris complained, her arms dropping. "That means we'll be walking for like..." She counted on her fingers. "Like eight hours!"
"Yep." The Faunus reached over, smiling as she patted her shoulder. "Hope you're ready for your exercise."
As the redhead complained and grumbled, Maya glanced around the surroundings as they walked on. In the distance, hidden between the trees, she spotted a family of deer. There was a large buck, one of his antlers seemingly broken from a previous fight he had with another. To the side of him was a doe, her body slim as could be. She gently rubbed her antlerless head onto the buck, giving him well deserved affection. Walking underneath their legs was a baby buck with small antlers, just growing in, and a young doe. Maya couldn't help but smile at the family. She then blinked, straightening as her brows furrowed. Slowly, she glanced over at her sister.
"Hey, Cheyenne?" The Faunus' twin quietly spoke up.
"Yeah?" Said girl glanced back with raised eyebrows. "What's wrong?"
"You're a female... deer Faunus, right?" She hugged herself a bit more.
"Yes..." Cheyenne slowly nodded back. "Why do you ask?"
Maya glanced around before slowly reaching up and rubbing her head. "But... female deer don't have antlers... so how do you have them?"
The deer Faunus blinked several times, suddenly stopping in her walk. She quickly reached up, crouching down as her hands went to the sides of her head. "My whole existence is a lie..." She muttered quietly, a dark cloud of gloom coming over her.
"Oh boy." Kris waved off the darkness, picking Cheyenne back onto her feet. "Come on. We have a place to be and no time to waste." She urged her on forward.
Hours later, after endless footsteps and a never ending road, team MACE along with Maya walked through the rough streets of Natus.
"I heard that Natus was a rough place to live in," Kris looked around, sighing softly. "But this place looks awful."
"It's honestly not that bad." Cheyenne smiled softly, looking around the small town which she grew up in. "It's actually gotten better in the years that I have been gone."
"Oh..." The redhead blinked, trailing off.
"So this is where your parents live?" Maya gulped some, hiding herself inside the group of girls.
"Where OUR parents live." The Faunus quickly responded. "If... they're not..."
"I'm sure they're fine." Kagami reassured, looking back with a smile. "They are fine."
"It's just... the last time I saw them they were beaten into a pulp..." Cheyenne gulped.
"Doesn't mean they're not alive." Elise smiled back at her with a chuckle. "If they're anything like you, then they definitely be a fighter. Both of them. Now show us the way to your house."
"Right, right." She took a deep breath, stepping up towards the front of the group. As she did, a Faunus of raggedy clothes stumbled past him. His hair was a dark red, claws etching from his fingertips.
"Huh?" Kris glanced up at him as he bumped into her. "Hey! Watch it, buddy!" She snapped.
"Eh?" He glanced up at her, his maroon eyes swaying back and forth like he was either on some type of drugs or drunk. Though, he didn't reek of any type of liquid. His eyes then perked up, like he was just now processing the girl in front of him. "Oh, heh, hello there little lady." He whistled.
"Oh no..." Cheyenne glanced back, sighing deeply. She reached up, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Kagami herself immediately tensed, going to reach for her sword only to pause and blink as she remembered Kris was carrying it. She growled deeply, taking a step forward before she felt a hand go on her shoulder.
"Let me take care of this." The deer Faunus smiled. "This is my turf now." She grinned a bit, patting her leader's back as she stepped forward.
"Um... okay?" Kagami blinked, glancing back at Elise who simply shrugged back.
"You know, you're a sexy little thing." The wolverine Faunus chuckled, poking at Kris' cheek which went red. Anger suddenly flickered in her eyes as she started to reach for her weapons.
"H-Hey Kris... I don't think fighting would be a good idea here..." Maya bit her lip, holding her arms tight.
"Like I give a-" The red head stopped herself, eyes widening as her body went stiff.
"Come on, Jaykob. Why don't you leave my friends and me alone?" Cheyenne smiled, leaning over Kris' shoulder. With her arms under Kris' arms, the Faunus' hands gentle cupped the redhead's small breast. "This little one here is mine." She giggled just a bit, squeezing her softly.
Kris' eyebrow twitched ever so slightly, her face going as red as her hair. Her entire body was as stiff as a board. Though, the feeling wasn't entirely bad. Not that she would ever admit that to herself.
"Eh? Don't tell me all of them are with you..." Jaykob took a deep breath, sighing with a groan. "Damn it!" He shouted, throwing his arms around as he walked off. "Oum damn it!"
"What... the... actual..." Kagami blinked rapidly, raising a hand before slowly lowering it.
"Uh... Chey...?" Elise raised an eyebrow, her face twitching slightly. "What just..."
"Huh? Oh." Cheyenne smiled, letting go of Kris and stepping back. "You don't want to cause fights here unless you're willing to deal with trouble." She smiled, pointing at herself with her thumb. "I know how to get out of any situation here without any violence."
"And that was..." Maya trailed off, still in shock with what just happened.
"Oh, that's Jaykob Bric." She rolled her eyes with a sigh as she started to walk again. "That idiot will go screw with any girl he can get his hands on. Surprised he's still alive here... he has twelve sons though. Only problem is he thinks lesbians carry diseases so he stands as clear from them as he possibly can. He's not that bad when you get to know him, he just has a few issues he needs to work out."
"What kind of crazy town are we in..." Elise trailed off, following behind Cheyenne to which Maya quickly began to catch up with her.
Kagami blinked, shaking her head with a sigh before glancing up at Kris. "Come on! We're going!" She called out.
The redhead simply stood there as still as she could, her face as bright as ever. "K-Kay..." She managed to get out, still completely flustered on. What just happened.
Coming up to a small and beaten up house that looked like it was a few years from completely falling apart, the group of girls all stood in place, staying on the sidewalk in front of the house.
"So this... is where you grew up?" Elise sighed some, feeling bad deep down.
"Y-Yeah..." Cheyenne's voice trembled as she tried to speak. "I-It is." She gulped. It was obvious she was terrified at this moment. She had no clue who was inside this house exactly. It could be her parents, or someone completely different.
"I'm sure it's nice on the inside..." Kris tried to cheer the mood up a bit, her nerves still shaken from earlier.
"It's o-okay..." The deer Faunus gulped some, looking back at her sister.
"This...was home..." She mumbled softly, just as uneasy as her twin. Glancing at her, she breathed in and nodded very slowly.
Kagami glanced between the four girls, looking up at the old looking door before back at her friends. She took a deep breath, shaking her head as she walked up towards the door. "I'll get the door then." She half smiled, reaching up and knocking on the door five times. She waited for a moment, several locks unlocking before the door slowly creaked open.
At the other side of the door, a male deer Faunus with a broken antler sat in his wheelchair. His brown hair was a mess, not to mention the bags under his eyes showing how tired and exhausted he was. His eyes slowly narrowed, one hand clutching the door while the other held his chair. "Listen..." He breathed heavily. "I told him I'd have the money by the end of this month... and I will."
"Um." Kagami scratched the back of her head, sighing slightly before she side stepped, holding out an arm to her friends behind her. More importantly at two of them. "I don't want your money. I just brought some people who would like to say hello."
"I don't know any..." The disabled Faunus trailed off and took a double take after rubbing his eyes. "Wait a minute..." He kept blinking in disbelief. "A-Are you really...?"
"D-Dad...?" Cheyenne gulped, her eyes swelling up with tears as she bit her lip. At the moment, she didn't know what to do. It was like her feet were glued to the concrete.
Theodore's eyes slowly widened before he opened the door all the way, wheeling forward a bit. "Dakota! Dakota! Come here right now!" He called
"What?! Theo! What is it?!" Said woman rushed out the door, her blonde hair swaying back and forth. Like her husband, she too had a dead sleepless look in her eyes. "Wha-!" She stopped herself, staring at the two twins before her. "W-Wait..." Her eyes went wide as her breathing hitched. "N-No... it's not... is it...?"
Something tore at Cheyenne's insides as she bit her lip, the tears swelling up in her eyes falling down the sides of her face. "M-Mom..."
Maya was at a loss for words, her eyelids fluttering with tears. Her mouth was open but nothing came out. These were her real parents. The ones who gave her away, but her own parents regardless. What was she going to say? 'It's great to see the you guys after giving me away!'? Nothing came to mind. After letting out a sigh with closed eyes, she finally mustered up the courage. "H-Hi..."
Theodore and Dakota stared back, both speechless. Finally, Dakota's eyes swelled up with tears as she began to cry. In a flash, she had Cheyenne in her arms, hugging her as tight as she possibly could. "I'm so glad you're alright!" She spoke, sobbing as she did so. She glanced up at Maya, her eyes only swelling more. She quickly pulled her close into a hug as well. "I-I never thought... I wanted better for you... and you had a chance being human..." She bit her lip, shutting her eyes as she held her two children, tears still falling.
Still in disbelief, Theodore slowly pushed himself forward, his wheelchair creaking. "Chey...Cheyenne... what happened... how did you... where have you..." He trailed off, unable to find his words.
The young deer Faunus glanced up, still holding her mother tight as she looked at her father. She smiled softly, taking a deep breath. "It's a long story..." She slowly pulled away from her mother, walking up towards her dad with a soft smile, brushing her tears aside. "But you should also explain how you're still here." She bit her lip, softly chuckling.
"Same way we always had..." His breathing was shaky as a smile crept onto his face. He held out his arms, choking back tears. "Now come here. I've missed you... a single day hasn't gone by since then that I haven't thought of you and what I must have put you through..."
"Dad..." She trailed off, quickly leaning down and hugging him tight, more tears falling. "If that never happened I would have never met such amazing friends..." She sniffed, burying her head in his shoulder. "And it's not your fault... it's not your fault."
He coughed a bit, patting her back before holding her tight. Unable to hold it in anymore, he began to cry himself. Despite how much he didn't want to.
Still holding Maya tight, Dakota slowly pulled away from her daughter, staring into her eyes with her own teary ones. "S-So... you're Chey's sister...?" She asked, gulping as she rubbed her eyes.
Maya slowly nodded, shaking a bit. "You're...my mother..." She replied with a soft tone, blinking with now blurred eyes. "My real mother..."
"I am... I am." She bit her lip, quickly pulling the young girl close to her again with a tight hold. "I'm your real mother. And I'm so sorry for giving you up. I just thought... we thought you'd have a better chance... not stuck here..."
"You know, this is nice." Elise smiled, arms crossed.
"Yeah." Kris nodded, chuckling softly as she leaned onto the brunet. "It's really sweet."
Still standing by the door, Kagami had her arms crossed as she leaned up against the side of the house. She too couldn't help but smile at the family that was torn apart years ago. She lowered her head some, smiling a bit more with a soft chuckle of her own.
A while later, the group of them were sitting in the living room. Theodore in his chair with Cheyenne, Maya, and Dakota on a couch. The rest of team MACE calmly sat on the floor, listening quietly as the reunited family talked back at for.
And though Maya was extremely hesitant at first, she recalled the story of her growing up. Everything from being raised by a practical demon to the endless deaths she was forced to commit. She held onto herself, her jaw tight as she trembled. "A-And then... he told me to go this restaurant... so I went and met them and we came here..." She sniffed heavily, pulling her knees into her chest. She shook her head around, pressing her palms into her hands. "A-And now... I'm here..."
Theodore stared in utter disbelief and shock at his daughter's words. They had given her up for a better life, not that kind of hell. He lowered his head, his teeth showing as he clenched his fist. "D-Damn it...!" He snapped.
Dakota sat there with her hands over her mouth, a horrified look in her eyes. "M-Maya...how could that happen? Why would...anyone put a little girl through so much?"
"Because she's not exactly human... well, Valentine isn't human at least." Kagami quietly spoke up, looking up at her friend's parents. "It's... a long and complicated story."
"Plus... with her raising me... it felt like it was the only thing I could do... and that it was right..." Maya gulped.
"Wait, so who is Valentine?" Theodore looked up with a shaky breath. Team MACE each looked at each other before the three glanced at Cheyenne. The Faunus took a deep breath, rubbing the back of her head.
"Guess it's my turn to explain where I've been." She faint smiled. She then went on, explaining how she was saved by that White Fang and taken in under their wing and eventually ran away.
"So I decided to head to Beacon and learn how to save people and give them better lives... like I couldn't do with you..." She trailed off, shaking her head some with a smile. "But Elise then almost took off my head because she thought I was a freelancing deer."
At that, Theodore slowly looked over at the brunet, growling softly with narrowed eyes.
"Yeah, my bad." Elise chuckled softly, rubbing the back of her head with eyes shut.
The young Faunus then went on the explaining the adventures of the past year. Oh the madness and joy and utter pain of it all. Like her sister, she had to stop at a few points to regain her composer.
When she finally finished, Theodore took a deep breath, scratching at his antlers. "Oh boy... that's... the two of you." He shook his head, taking another deep breath. "I'm just happy the two of you are okay now." He nodded, smiling a little. "And that you have such great friends protecting you." There was still worry and concern in his eyes, but at least it had died down some.
"So much has happened without either of us knowing..." Dakota muttered and rubbed the tears from her eyes. "I wish we could've seen it. At least been there when things went south..."
"If... I may speak?" Kagami raised her hand before lowering it. She gulped some, rubbing the back of her head. "Since... you couldn't be for them earlier... why not atleast be there for them now?"
"Huh?" Maya glanced over at her, the jadette slowly nodding.
Cheyenne blinked a few times, looking between her parents and her sister. She took a deep breath, biting her lip. "As much as I would like to stay with you... my job isn't done in Vale yet." She softly smiled. "I... hope you understand."
Her father blinked a bit, scoffing slightly as he crossed his arms. "Always trying to do your best. You honestly haven't changed." He smiled.
"But... we just got you back and-" Her mother was cut off, Cheyenne speaking again.
"Mom, please." Cheyenne smiled back, doing her best not to cry again as she looked into her mother's eyes. "I'm eighteen now. Let me do what I need to do. What I want to do."
"Honey, come on." Theodore put an arm around her with a shaky breath.
"B-But what if... what if everything doesn't go right and..." She trailed off, biting down on one of her fingers nervously.
"I'd come back and visit, I promise." Cheyenne smiled as caringly as she could. "I promise."
"W-Wait am I..." Maya's eyes widened a bit as they started to swell up with tears again.
Theodore nudged his wife who slowly reached out, putting a hand on Maya's thigh. "I know I wasn't there before..." Dakota smiled at her daughter. "But I am now. And we might not have a perfect house or a great amount of money, but I'll be here. For you."
She blinked a few times before she began to cry again. She quickly shot to her feet, holding her REAL mother as tight as she could as she started to sob.
"Hey, you said you owed people money, right?" Kagami smiled a bit, looking at Theodore.
"Yeah." The disabled Faunus gave a nod. "What about it?"
With a grin, the jade haired girl looked back at Kris. "Think your little butler friend can help us out?"
Grinning back, Kris looked up at Theodore with a chuckle. "How much lien do you need?"
"No, no please." He shook his head. "It's far too much for you girls to pay for."
"Who said I was paying?" The redhead smile. "How much?"
Theodore gulped a bit, glancing around. "About eighty seven thousand lien still."
"Done and done." Kris shot to her feet with a smile. "I'll have someone bring it to you the day after tomorrow. Promise."
He raised an eyebrow at her, scoffing as he shook his head. "Whatever you say, kid."
"You know, Chey." Elise too smiled up at her teammate. "How could have you gotten with your semblance?" She eyes around the house.
The deer Faunus blinked once before smiling a bit. "If I pass out it's your fault."
"Pass out?" Dakota looked up, rubbing her eyes as she pulled away from Maya. "What do you mean pass out?"
Kagami softly chuckled, standing up as did Cheyenne. "Here, I'll help." The Faunus smiled as the two locked eyes. When the jadette blinked, her eyes were suddenly brown. "Ready?" She asked with an epic grin.
"Probably not, but we'll never know till I try." She smiled back.
The two knelt down on the floor, placing their hands palm side down as they began to glow. The bright and beautiful glow slowly spread across the floor and walls, even covering the furniture and everything else. As it faded, Cheyenne and Kagami both collapsed, Elise catching her leader as Kris caught the Faunus.
"Holy Oum..." Theodore looked around, his eyes as wide as they could go. The entire inside and outside of the house now looked... brand new. "How did you do that?"
"Chey can reverse the age of an object." Kris smiled, helping the Faunus to sit up.
"And Kagami can copy someone's semblance because she has magic in her veins." Elise chuckled a bit, assisting the jade haired girl.
"That's..." Dakota looked around. "That's amazing." As tears swelled up in her eyes again, she bit her lip and looked back down at the group of girls. "How could I ever thank you...?"
"You don't have too, mom..." Cheyenne smiled, rubbing her head a bit.
"Just... take care of Maya... alright?" Kagami glanced up with a soft chuckle.
"Will do." She responded, rubbing her eyes with a smile.
"Both of us will." Theodore added, smiling back as well.
Maya couldn't help but sniff, hugging her knees tight with a huge smile. She was finally home. Finally at a place she could call home. And while here, she could learn to get over everything that had happened to her. Here, she'd finally learn what it's like to have a real family.
Later that night, team MACE was curled up inside sleeping bags around a campfire which was starting to die down. While Cheyenne and Kris were dead asleep, Elise and Kagami were still awake.
Poking at the Fire a bit with her sword, Kagami coughed some while hiding inside her sleeping bag.
"You are taking care of that cut on your arm, right?" Elise asked, yawning some. "Because of you get sick all madness would break loose."
"It's probably just the smoke." She waved her off, coughing a bit more before sheathing her sword and laying down. She yawned herself, staring up at the stars and broken moon. "Just the smoke."
"It better be." The brunet stared at her worryingly for a moment before rolling over onto her other side. "Night, Kagami."
"Goodnight, Elise." The Jade haired girl responded, slowly shutting her eyes as she drifted off.
Back at Vale, at the same exact time, Jess was patrolling the rooftops when she spotted some movement in the distance. She stepped over to the edge, crouching down as she took out a pair of binoculars. "Now what's out there... don't tell me more Grimm." Her eyes narrowed, focusing on one person. It was then she noticed the three Bs tattooed on his hand. "Oh shit!" She shot to her feet, eyes wide. She then faintly smirked, crossing her arms. "I'll be damned, those little brats were actually helpful. But oh shit!" She scrambled away, heading back to the base as quick as she could.
The following day, the four MACE girls were walking the streets of Vale once again. And though they were exhausted, they still couldn't ignore the voices going around them.
"I heard some serious fighting last night. Didn't sound like any type of Grimm though."
"Yeah I heard that too, it sounded more like people versus people."
"I was told some bandit group tried to sneak on. Luckily the Atlas military was able to give us a hand."
"No wonder the news isn't talking about it. If word got out, all hell would break loose."
"That's so true though. It really would."
"Kagami..." Elsie slowly looked up at her leader.
Staring down at the ground as they walked, the jade haired girl sighed and shook her head. "Yeah... I know." There was a clear sign of disappointment in her voice.
Kris blinked a few times, biting her lip. "Come on, we'll go talk to Jess and Julia. I'm sure they can explain it better." She urged them onward.
"You know that was a very dangerous and stupid move!" Julia went on, ranting as the four girls each sat on the floor with their heads down. "Why wouldn't you come straight to me when you found out literally one of the deadliest bandit groups were planning an attack! I barely had time to embolize my defenses!"
Kagami took a deep breath, slowly looking up with a gulp. "It was my fault... Captain Caesar..." She sighed and looked back down. "I thought... in my gut I thought I could trust her... my gut usually isn't wrong..."
"Well it was this time." Julia glared before sighing. She reached up, pinching her nose. "Listen, I know you are all still just kids, but you can't keep running around playing hero. You're going to get people killed." She sighed again, looking up at the four girls. "Just, consider yourself lucky no one got killed on our end. No soldiers or civilians. You are very, very lucky. Now, back to your room." She waved them off, rubbing her face. "You're on latrine duty until I say other ways. All of you. Every day." She crossed her arms. "Same for you Jess! I know you're listening! You're lucky I don't demote you!"
"Awww..." A voice came from the shadows. "But thank you, ma'am!"
Julia rolled her eyes, walking off as did the four young girls. They head back to their room, opening it up. "At Least, things went sorta-" Elise started to speak very being pulled into the room with a yelp.
Kagami immediately stepped in, clutching her sword handle tight. "Hey!" She snapped, her shoulders lowering as she let go of her sword. "Oh." She blinked a few times, seeing Eleanor swing Elise around in a tight hug.
"Oh I was so worried for you when I couldn't get a hold of you! I thought something happened!" Elise's mother cried out, squeezing her daughter tighter.
"Can't... breathe..." The young brunet groaned, her face turning red.
"Well how have you three been?" Klein smiled brightly, holding his three sons in his arms.
Kris blinked a bit, chuckling at Elise as Cheyenne looked up at the Giant of a man. "We were, just doing what needed to be done." She smiled a bit more.
"This is why you never have parents in any type of action thing where the kids are the ones saving the world!" Elise complained, trying to get free from her mother. "Someone help!" She demanded.
"Naw, I'd rather both." Kagami chuckled. "It's kind of amusing to watch."
"Kagamiii!" She screamed.
Outside Vale's walls, Jade glared harshly up at her father as the restraints on her were undone. She slowly stood up, standing in front of the man who raised her. She didn't faulted in her glare as she rubbed her wrist, red marks there from her struggling to get free. After a minute of silence, she pulled her fist back and drive it forward. "I hate you! You bastard!"
She grunted, his large and muscular hand catching her fist. It was then she realized the look in his eyes. There was then a loud smack, Jade's face going to the side as a bright red handprint appeared on her cheek. Slowly, she looked back up with a more concerned glare as she rubbed the side of her face.
"Shut up, you brat." He snarled, to which she stepped back.
The young woman glanced between the members of her group before she looked back up at Shinrin. "What happened?"
He gritted his teeth, glaring harder. "Those damn friends of yours clearly told someone. The second we stepped foot in Vale the damn military was on top of us." He grunted, crossing his arms under his cloak. "And you thought you could trust them."
"And they thought they could trust me with not attacking." She smirked. "Guess we were both smart." She then grunted again, her father slapping her once again.
"I said shut up!" He snapped, every muscle on his body flexing. "Because of your damn actions, one of us is dead!"
"D-Dead...?" Jade slowly looked up at him, all the rage and anger draining from her face.
Shinrin scoffed, shaking his head. "What? Now you'll pay attention? I don't know who the hell it was, but I know for a fact they definitely weren't military. I honestly don't even know if they were human with the way they acted..." He shook his head, taking a deep breath. "But I do know one thing. They had to have been some type of criminal."
Jade blinked slowly, glancing up at him before sighing and looking down. "We're going to war with the crime network in Vale, aren't we?"
"Until I avenge Franz Duke's death, we are." He said calmly, anger boiling up inside him. "Death by military or Huntsman is one thing, but death by a damn gangster is another."
Later that night, as the sun started to set, the one and only Eri Sin strolled in Sanguine's night club. The blonde couldn't help but smirk, blood staining her face and clothes as well as underneath her fingernails and hands. Without so much as taking note, she walked up to a table that the owner of the club was sitting at, tossing a severed head of a main with a rainbow mohawk.
Sanguine blinked a few times, pushing her playing cards and poker chips aside. "Did you just..."
Eri smirked, throwing a piece of flesh, tattooed with BBB on it, down on top a pile of poker chips. "Do I have your respect now?"
Blinking slowly, the older blonde stared in almost disbelief. She then began to faintly smile before leaning back in her chair with a slow nod. "You do. You do indeed."