"Do you really have to leave?" Kit very quietly asked as she watched Kris shove several small toys she had bought into a backpack. "Is it not nice enough here?"
"Well, I wouldn't mind staying. It's great here." She smiled while pulling her bag over her shoulders. "There's plenty of wannabe criminals to keep in check and this house and everyone is all I couldn't want." Her smile grew as she placed her hands on her hips. "But wherever Kagami goes, I go."
Frowning, the young blonde looked down. "But..."
"Hey. I'll miss you too." She patted her arm. "You're actually not an annoying little child."
"Thanks?" Kit tilted her head with a raised eyebrow.
"Will you stop??" Elise rapidly waved her arms around as she tried to take her backpack.
"Eleanor told me to make sure you're safe!" Aero smacked her hand away while taking several extra blankets out of the bag and replacing them with cans of food. "Now I don't care what you do, but she'll kill me if anything happens to you!"
"Ugh. But nothing will!" The brunet groaned while reaching for her bag. "So stooop! You're gonna make it heavy!"
"A heavy backpack is better than starving!"
"We're not going to starve!"
Chuckling to himself, Hisato walked over beside Cheyenne with crossed arms. "Have they always been like this?" He asked.
"Yes." The Faunus smiled. "And I don't think they'll ever change."
"They shouldn't." He flashed a toothy smile before holding out a small brown pouch. "Also finished these up for you guys. Don't use them all at once now."
"Wait, really?" Her eyebrows rose. Gently taking the pouch, she opened it up. Inside there were over five dozen green capsules. "And they work just like your tea?"
"Yep." He crossed his arms and pushed his chest out. "Your aura to go is ready to be consumed."
"Thank you." Cheyenne partially bowed her head before pulling the strings of the pouch closed and tying it up. "Very much."
"Make sure you keep them safe." Baren mumbled from the other side of her.
She glanced over her shoulder before smiling with a small nod. "I will." She tied the pouch into her hip.
"They're all reckless." The old warrior glanced at the others. "They need someone to keep them in check."
"Trust me. I will." The Faunas gave a reassuring nod.
Out on the porch, Kagami slouched as her father braided her hair and her mother patted down her clothes and straightened them up. "Mom... mom!"
"I'm just making sure you're ready." Midori furrowed her brow. "Maybe you should wait till tomorrow. That might-"
"Mom." The younger jadette placed her hands on her shoulders. "It's going to be fine. I'm going to be fine. We're leaving today."
She went quiet and lowered her head. Taking a deep breath, she reached up and grabbed her hands. "Kagami..."
"It'll be fine. I promise."
"But what if it's not?" She gripped her hands a little tighter. "Our ancestor is stronger than anyone you have ever fought, possibly anyone I have ever fought. He's not coming after us. We should just let him be."
"He's not coming after us yet." Her daughter corrected her while narrowing her eyes. "The Ancient Monomane knows he didn't kill off all of his family. He is crazy enough to come looking for us. Come looking for Gurin. Someone has to stop him."
"That someone doesn't need to be you though. You could just stay here." Midori pleaded. "Stay here with us."
"You know I'm not good at staying in one place." She softly smiled.
"Or listening." Aza added with a chuckle.
"Oi." She glanced back and mocked.
"Kagami..." Midori exhaled. After a moment, she stepped up closer and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "You're too much like me." She held onto her tight.
Kagami smiled and hugged her back with closed eyes. "I had to get it from somewhere."
"Whatever you do, wherever you go, please be careful." She tightened her hold. "You have to come back here again someday."
"I will. I promise." She nodded before grunting as she felt someone latch onto her legs. She glanced down and smiled when she saw her little sister.
"I'm gonna miss you!" Gurin buried her face into her thigh. "I don't want you to leave!"
"Hey. It'll be okay." Kagami pulled away from her mother and knelt down. "I'm just going to be gone for a little. I expect you to keep up with your training with Baren." She leaned in and whispered so her mother couldn't hear. "When I come back I want to see how badass you are." She nudged her.
Sniffling, the younger girl reached up to rub her eyes before smiling. She sniffled once more before quickly hugging her. "Next time we fight, Kit and I will beat you."
"I'd be happy if you did." She patted her back before standing up. Looking over, she eyed her father.
Rolling his eyes, Aza held out his arms. "Come here." He smiled as he hugged his daughter.
Kuro quickly stepped out of the house followed by everyone else. "You're forgetting something." He waved Kagami's green notebook around.
Kagami raised an eyebrow before glancing back at her mother. "I mean, I don't really need it anymore."
Midori shook her head a bit as she took the notebook from her son. "You should though. I'm sure Aero would agree that keeping something with you to write your thoughts down is helpful." She held it out.
"Well, I suppose." She took a deep breath and grabbed the notebook. Shifting her shoulder blade, she rubbed it against her sword. She gripped the notebook a little tighter before closing her eyes.
Once again, she had her hoodie, weapon and notebook with her and she was preparing to leave her home.
Swallowing, Midori stepped closer again to hug her. "Take care. I'll be waiting for you."
"Keep the kettle on for me." Kagami pulled away and winked. "You never know when I might show up for some tea."
"I'll set out a cup every time." She shakily smiled back.
With a nod, her daughter stepped aside. As she walked up towards her friends, she glanced at Baren. The two of them made eye contact before the old warrior gave a gentle nod and ushered her to go on with her wooden arm.
Watching the group of girls walk off, Midori barely managed to breathe in. She bit her lip hard and closed both her eyes.
Aero noticed this and quickly placed a hand on her back. "Why don't we go watch a movie, hm?" She bumped up against her and smiled. "I'll let you choose one of those dumb Mistral dramas."
"I can make us something nice to eat too." Aza reached out and grabbed his wife's hand. "Come on."
Eyeing Gurin, Kit tapped her shoulder. "I know that look. Don't do it."
Furrowing her brow, the young jadette sighed and turned away. She could easily teleport and bring her sister back. Easily. "I'm just going to miss her. A lot." She frowned and took a deep breath. "I guess I'll just hang out with you more."
She smiled back and followed her. "Sounds fun to me."
Moving by the two girls, Kuro stepped up beside Baren and Hisato. "How are you doing?" He asked the old warrior.
Slowly breathing out, she eyed him. "I've been better. But it's nothing I can't get over. She was always meant to go on her own path. If she needs me, I will answer just like always. Until then..."
"Until then we continue to relax." Hisato chimed in with his hands on his hips. "Tea, training, more tea." He nodded. "The quiet life you deserve."
"Not sure about deserve," Baren looked back down the road where team MACE had gone, "but I'll accept it." She went back inside the house along with everyone else.
Team MACE was in an airship along with two pilots. The two of them were old friends of Hisato's. Sitting by a window, Kagami flipped through the pages of her notebook and the years of poems she wrote. Coming to the end, she blinked and leaned forward as she came across one she didn't write.
There once was a monster so horrendously vile
That the Gods used it as the ultimate trial
To test humanity and its determination
To always act without hesitation
Even when in utter annihilation
It was as tall as the sky and as big as the sea
And wanted nothing more than Remnant in misery
The Gods sent it out onto the islands of Vytal
And so began a vicious endless cycle
One by one great Huntsmen charged
Only to fall as it remained at large
It's blazing breath burned all ambition
All except for one addition
Alone and exhausted one warrior stood
Defending the island and all that was good
Never yielding, never bowing to an unbeatable beast
And managed to push it back into the sea
For raw strength alone may earn one a title
But there's no stopping the Dragon of Vytal
On the page next to the poem was a very neatly drawn picture of a cloaked figure standing on the roof of a ruined city. In the distance there was a giant Leviathan stepping on everything in its path.
Blinking a few times, Kagami faintly smiled before closing the notebook and placing it on her lap. She knew Aero had drawn the picture, but this wasn't her mother's handwriting.
She smiled more before reaching up and fidgeting with jade cat charm on her necklace.
She set her book inside her bag and leaned back to stare out the window. She furrowed her brow suddenly and moved closer towards the window as she saw something flying in the distance towards Vytal. Something large. It was a giant moth Grimm. Before she could say anything though, something larger jumped out of the water and dragged the flying creature into the sea. She let out a quiet audible gasp and glanced between the rest of her friends and the window. Elise was asleep, Kris was listening to music and Cheyenne was checking over their stuff.
No one saw.
Taking a deep breath, Kagami reached up to rub her eyes. She decided that she must have been tired and saw things. She didn't want to believe she just saw the King of Grimm drag down a giant bug like Grimm. She did not want to believe it one bit.
Glancing back out the window, she stared at the open sea for a moment before noticing that they weren't flying south. They were flying west.
She stood up and narrowed her eyes as she walked up towards the cockpit. After entering, she was greeted by two very young men with tanned skin.
"Hey." One waved.
"You should probably get back to your seat." The second said while keeping his eyes ahead. "It'll be a while before we make it to Vale."
"I know, I know." She moved a little closer. "How long do you think it'll take us exactly?"
The two pilots both eyed each other for a moment before the first once sighed. "Damn. You kids are just too smart. I was hoping you'd fall asleep first." He slouched back.
Bracing, Kagami immediately flashed her teeth. Seeing the second pilot get up, she flicked her wrist and brought the blade of her gauntlet around.
These guys definitely weren't Hisato's friends.
Calmly stepping up, the pilot blocked the blade. It cut through his uniform and revealed armor undeath. Reaching out, he quickly grabbed her face.
She felt a sticky substance push out of his pores and onto her skin and grimaced in disgust. She went to retaliate only to stumble back as her body suddenly felt weak. She tried to raise her hands only to collapse and fall to the floor. Taking several deep breaths, she tried to move only for her fingers to barely twitch before they no longer moved at all. Her left arm glowed faintly for a moment before it suddenly faded and she exhaled in exhaustion.
"Paralyzing venom." The pilot carefully wiped his hand clean and he stepped over her. "I know you can't speak so I'll do the talking for you." He smiled as Kagami glared coldly at him but couldn't do much more.
"I would like to take you to Miss Sanguine myself, but we owe some buddies in Vacuo some lien." He sighed. "The price on your heads plus the good standing they'll get with the Queen of the Underworld will put us in the clear. Sleep tight while I tend to your friends." He winked before his foot collided with her face and everything turned back.
Kagami started to regain consciousness when she felt the airship swerving around dramatically. Groaning, she blinked harshly as she tried to take in her surroundings. She and her friends were tied up in a closet and she could barely hear the faint sounds of yelling.
She managed to make out the word Ravagers and her eyes widened. She went to stand up only to fall back down as the airship began to plummet downwards.
They weren't going back to Vale anytime soon.
Alright then. Time for a new, and my favorite, arc. Gotta go rewatch both Magnificent Seven movies, Seven Samurai and Trigun too. Every excuse is a good excuse to rewatch Trigun.