Several years ago, Baren slowly made her way through the thick woods. Brushing aside a few branches, she stepped over a log before finally making it to a sandy clearing. "I thought I might find you here." She walked over, her sandals leaving small marks in the sand. "You shouldn't be out by yourself." She glanced down at the young girl sitting by the water's edge. "Your injuries are still healing too."
"I know..." A young Kagami watched the water ripple in the distance. "Why can't I swim back home...?"
"Well, first off you're hurt." She sat down beside her. "Secondly, you simply can't. Your gift was given to you by magical waters, and it is water that can be your undoing." She bent one of her legs and rested her arm over it. "It's not your fault. But someday..." She looked across the water at the distant island landmass. "Someday I know you'll return. Once you've figured out who you are."
"Then who am I...?" She glanced up at her. The sleeves of her hoodie covering her hands due to her small body.
"It's not about who you are right now. It's about who you'll become." She smiled. "Right now, you're just a lump of clay. But I can help mold that clay into whatever you want." She slowly stood up with a soft grunt. She then reached out with her left hand. "You want to protect people, right? Being a Huntress is the first step. Now come on, before it gets dark."
With her brow furrowing, she lowered her head while grabbing the one armed warrior's hand. "I don't know..." She quietly mumbled. "I just want to go home..."
Blinking, the pinkette let out a sigh as she began to lead the way back into the woods. "This is going to be a lot different than before." She muttered under her breath before glancing down. "Well we have to wait till you've healed fully before we can decide to do anything. It shouldn't be much longer, alright?"
"I guess..." She took a deep breath. "Does that mean you'll be teaching me how to use a sword?" She perked her head up slightly.
Grinning a bit, she looked away. "Not exactly. Not yet at least." She chuckled. "We'll get to that lesson in due time. But first, we have to go through a few other lessons.
"Like what?" Her head tilted.
Chuckling more, she glanced down at her. "You'll see. You will see."
A short time later, Kagami glared up with her hands balled into fist. "Why in the Gods am I fetching a stick?! I'm not some dog!" She snapped while taking a step forward. Gesturing her hand out towards the endless forest, her eyes narrowed. "How am I even supposed to find it?!"
"By remembering the details of it and closely watching your surroundings." Twirling a simple stick around in her hand, Baren smiled at her. "Your awareness is going to be a key factor in using your gift. So we're starting with something simple." Her smile grew before she suddenly chucked the stick through the trees. Soft and quiet sounds are heard before a thud followed by silence.
Staring up at her, the jadette's eyebrow twitched slightly. Taking a deep breath, she turned around and began to walk off. "I don't get how this will teach me to use a sword and fight..." She grumbled. Stepping over a few logs, she pushed aside a tree branch while scanning the ground.
After a while of waiting, Baren was sitting by a fire with a cup of tea. The steam rising up and filling her nose. Hearing footsteps, she glanced over. "It took you long enough."
"No thanks to you." The young girl huffed with a stick in her hand. "Here." She held it out towards her.
"Hmm." Exhaling, she set her tea aside and reached out to take it. Examining it for a moment, she suddenly struck Kagami on the top of the head with it. "Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice the difference?"
Letting out a small yelp, Kagami dropped to one knee while reaching up and rubbing her head with both her hands. "How do you honestly expect me to find the same stick that you threw?!" She closed one eye while glaring with the other.
Tilting her head, the old warrior stared at her before slowly standing up. "Alright. This is how things are going to go." She held the stick out in front of her. "You will not come back here unless you bring me this stick. Okay?" Placing the slim piece of wood in her mouth, she reached out and plucked one of Kagami's green hairs. Tying it around the stick, she then grabbed it again. "Here. This should help. A little." She grinned before throwing it.
Watching it fly through the air, the young girl's shoulders dropped as she watched it disappear then heard it land. Breathing in, her nostrils flared as she got up. Grumbling to herself, she stormed off. This time around though, she kept searching. The sun going from straight above her to it setting over the horizon while she felt like she was mindlessly walking in circles.
As the sky turned dark, she pulled up her hood as a gust of chilly wind blew through. "This is ridiculous." She clenched her jaw as her stomach grumbled. "And I'm hungry..." She took a deep breath and reached up to rub her eyes with her sleeves. "This is dumb. I hate this." She lightly kicked the ground before freezing at the sound of rustling. Glancing over her shoulder, her eyes widened at the sight of glowing red eyes. With shaky hands, she slowly turned around while taking a single step away from a Ursa that emerged. "N-No... I was thinking negatively..." She gritted her teeth.
Before she could even move, a blur of pink rushed in front of her. Almost instantly, the Grimm began to dissolve while Baren slid her ninjato into its sheath. "Perhaps this is enough for today." She let out a small breath while walking over. "Come on. I made stew tonight." She held out her hand.
Trembling a bit, Kagami gulped before reluctantly grabbing her hand back. "But... I didn't find the stick you threw."
"No, you didn't." She smiled while keeping her close. "But you also never stopped looking. Which is another lesson very few ever learn."
With her brow furrowing ever so slightly, she glanced up at her for a moment before looking away. "I could have sworn it was over here..." She mumbled. Off in the brush where the creature of darkness came from, on the ground hidden underneath it all laid a stick with a single strand of green hair tied to it.
As the months went on, Kagami grew both stronger and wiser. But she still had a long way to go until she was ready to even consider attending a Huntsman academy.
Breathing heavily, the jadette stood up as straight as she could while keeping her hands behind her head. Her hoodie now fitting a little better than before. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let out a soft grunt as her side was struck by a sheathed blade.
Carefully walking around, Baren kept a close eye on her. "Your clothing may protect you from open wounds, but you still need to have a strong enough aura to take the force of the blow." Spinning her weapon around in her left hand, she stepped behind her before swinging it to strike her in the back.
Gritting her teeth, she stumbled forward while gripping the back of her head. Taking a few deep breaths, she planted her feet firmly into the ground and stood back up. "And I will..." She spoke up through her teeth.
Pausing for a moment, the old warrior let out a small breath of air. Eyeing the setting sun for a moment, she then looked back at the young girl. "Eventually, you will." Striking her other side, she didn't waste a moment as she swung a second time and hit her back. Quickly moving around her, she narrowed her eyes while jabbing her in the chest. "But not yet."
"G-Guah!" Kagami let out while falling onto her back with a heavy thud. Groaning, she laid there for a moment as her aura fizzled away. "Ow..." She rolled her head back.
"You're doing well, don't worry." She placed her weapon back on her hip. Walking over, she held out her hand. "Come on. The tonkotsu miso broth should be done by now. Why don't we go eat?"
Taking a deep breath, she stared up at her before sighing. "I am hungry..." She reached up and grabbed her hand. Being pulled back up to her feet, she very tiredly rubbed her eyes. "Can I have double pork?"
"If you must." Baren smiled with a nod. "You'll need to eat a lot of ramen to replenish your energy that you burned today. And we did a lot today."
"Well you make the best homemade broth and ramen noodles, so it's not that big of a deal." She smiled back at her. "I could eat half a dozen bowls if I wanted."
"Remember." She held up her left hand. "Eat in moderation."
"Yeah, yeah." The jadette rolled her eyes with a sigh. "And no inhaling the food you make me either. And never waste any of the broth." She mocked while waving her hand. "We drink it all here."
"Quiet or else you won't get double chashu with your ramen." The old warrior flashed a grin while nudging her. The two of them coming up to a small fire that had a simmering pot of broth on it.
Time quickly passed and with it, Kagami's exponential growth came. Standing on a series of logs that were staked into the ground, the young girl in training jumped from one to another while swinging a wooden sword around. Taking a few steps back, she stumbled slightly. Catching her balance on one leg, she took a deep breath and placed the other on another log.
"Watch your footwork." Baren spoke with her arm resting across her chest.
Whipping her head around in her direction, she let out a heavy huff of air. Despite the blindfold over her eyes, it was clear she was glaring. "Do you really have to mock me like that?" She cocked her head to the side.
"What else do you want me to say?" She flashed a toothy smile. "Back to it."
Letting out a scoff, she shook her head before taking quick steps forward and swinging. Keeping with her momentum, she stepped around in a half circle while swinging in the other direction. Flinching as she lost her footing, she clenched her jaw and quickly stepped back while holding her wooden sword in a defensive position.
Watching her, the old warrior let her arm fall to her side as she stepped up. "Okay. I think that's enough for today. You're growing tired and losing focus."
"But I'm not." She protested.
"We don't need you getting hurt. Now get down." She stuck her hip out while moving her arm over her chest.
Groaning, Kagami lowered her shoulders. "Alright..." She breathed out before moving her head over her shoulder. Grinning, she back flipped off and landed on the ground with a soft thud. She then reached up, pulling her blindfold off and turning around. "Don't you think it's about time I actually use my sword?" She waved the wooden weapon around.
"I told you, not yet." Baren turned around while heading back to her campsite.
"Why not yet?" She quickly walked up beside her. "I've been doing everything you say for nearly two years. And you haven't ONCE let me unsheath it. I don't even know what it looks like."
"In time, in time." She waved her hand. "There's no need to rush."
"But-" Cutting herself off, she gritted her teeth. She stared up at her for a moment before letting out a sigh. "I know."
Later that night, Baren awoke with narrowed eyes. She shifted ever so slightly to stare at the front of the tent. Inhaling sharply, she pushed herself up. Hearing the young girl move around, she glanced back. "Stay here." She ordered while grabbing her weapon and stepping out.
"Huh...?" Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes a little before brushing her green hair back. She stared for a moment before slowly getting up to peek outside.
Slowly stepping away from the camp, the one armed warrior kept a close grip on her weapon. She narrowed her eyes, quickly looking all around. Breathing outward, she pushed her ninjato out slightly. The silver blade glimmering in the moonlight. Sliding her left foot back, she gripped her weapon tighter before pulling it out and slashing in a single motion. The blade slicing through and cutting a dark shadow in half.
Looking over her shoulder, she spun around and sliced downward to cut through a second grimly shadow. She narrowed her, glancing all around as an echoing howl roared. "Beowolves..." She took a deep breath before jumping away to avoid the claws of said creature.
Letting out a low snarl, the Beowolf that attacked her pawed at the ground before lunging forward. It went to bite down on her neck only to chomp down on nothing but air. It then let out a yelp, it's body disappearing into a smokey mist as its torso was impaled.
"Hmph." Baren slightly smiled as she went to cut down several more Grimm as they came closer and closer. The howling pack of Beowolves growing quiet. Decapitating another, she paused for a moment before her head jerked. Narrowing her eyes, she halfway turned around to see the last one lunging at her. She readied herself only to stop as she watched a blade slice through its torso.
As the Grimm disappeared into a smoke, it revealed Kagami who was standing with wide eyes. She took several deep breaths as her shoulders heavily rose and fell. In her grasp, she firmly held her sword with both hands. "I-I... I'm sorry. It was sneaking up on you and..." She grew quiet and held out the weapon towards her.
"Hmm." Sliding her ninjato away, she smiled while walking over. "I see." She nodded a little before lightly patting her shoulder. "Put it away and make sure to keep it close. I'm heading back to bed."
"Wait... what?" The jadette looked at her before blinking and looking down at her sword. Staring at her reflection in it, she softly smiled to herself.
Four years after her arrival, Kagami sat quietly by a fire with a focused look in her eyes. Her sword strapped tightly to her back. Taking a deep breath, she held her hands in front of herself. A black mist coming from her pair of black rings as she formed a set of tonfas. Half grinning, she let the constructs shatter before forming a short dagger.
"You're getting rather good with those." Baren eyed her while sitting down with a cup of tea. "They will pair well with your ability to copy semblances. You can copy their weapons too now. You can use their own technique against them and make it better." She nodded while taking a small sip of her drink. Breathing in the steam, she eyed the jadette again. "Are you ready for tomorrow?" She asked.
"As ready as I can be." She breathed out while shattering the dark dagger. "What is training at an academy like?"
"Different." Was her reply. "Far different than anything you've come across with me. But you will do just fine. I've already taught you plenty more about the history of Remnant than the average person would know."
"Right..." She took a deep breath and slowly nodded. "Is it normal for me to feel nervous?" She glanced over.
"Plenty." Baren smiled back "You'll learn more than you can imagine at Beacon. I still personally prefer Haven but," She shrugged. "Beacon will turn you into a wonderful Huntress all the same." She smiled at her. "And the friends you make will last you more than a lifetime."