Hello Mittens
After Mao Mao had wrapped up his daily rehabilitation with Camille, he went straight home. Just because he couldn't fight, didn't mean he couldn't be proactive.
While Minori, Badgerclops, and Adorabat, were out in the field, he would sit at HQ and inform them of the latest disturbances that were called in. Unsurprisingly, most of these disturbances were caused by the chaotic Pinky, or the town clown Chester Nuts.
Currently, Mao Mao was on the phone with a distressed Muffins, massaging his temples. "I-okay, calm down, I can't understand what you're saying. What is it Pinky's doing?"
"He's throwing all my baked goods into the street!" Muffins cried through the phone, the sound of Pinky and his disaster could be faintly heard in the background.
"Okay, I'll have Minori and the others en route to your location where they'll take care of things." Mao Mao said, attempting to reassure Muffins that everything would be alright. Crowd control was usually Badgerclops' forte, not to mention how Mao Mao had the lowest approval rating out of everyone in the kingdom.
"Please hurry, it won't be long before he goes after the cobbler in my oven!"
When the word cobbler was spoken, Mao Mao nearly leapt out of his seat. "They'll be over shortly."
"Hurry!"
After that the phone clicked, signaling that Muffins hung up. Leaning back in his chair, Mao Mao breathed a heavy sigh of exasperation. Up until now, Mao Mao hadn't realized how many small problems there were throughout the kingdom.
After Camille had chewed him out for fighting the Minotaur, despite her warnings, he worked out this new system with Badgerclops and Adorabat. Now the majority of his time was dedicated to filing paperwork and taking care of his bonsai trees.
Picking his phone back up, he tapped Badgerclops' speed-dial button. Raising the phone to his ear, Mao Mao listened as the phone rang twice before hearing a click.
"'Sup bro," said Badgerclops, his voice was muffled; it sounded like he was chewing on something.
"Are you eating?" Mao Mao asked, looking at the time. Seeing that the clock on the wall read 2:39, Mao Mao started to think if he should get something too.
"Yeah," replied Badgerclops, clearing his throat. "Me and Adorabat are at Sushi Hut."
"What about Minori?"
"Oh, dude, she took off a few minutes ago."
"Ugh," sighed Mao Mao, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Well, can you go to Muffin's Bakery? Pinky's wrecking the place."
"Sure man, let me just finish up here and we'll be on our way," said Badgerclops in his usual carefree attitude.
"No," said Mao Mao, clenching his fist over the table. "NOW!"
"Okay, okay, geez!" Badgerclops said, hanging up.
Mao Mao dropped his head on the table, his exhaustion catching up to him all at once. He didn't know if it was the stress, or if he was just anxious to get back out into the field. Pulling his head off the table, a glint of light caught his attention. Looking over to a small stack of papers, he saw the Amulet of Borflagon as it caught the light from the window behind him.
Reaching out, he picked up the amulet, flipping it open, he saw an image of him and Bao Bao. Upon seeing it, the only thing he could think of was something he said often to his dog companion.
I just love adventures with you Bao Bao, you're my best friend.
Where was Bao Bao now? Was he doing okay? Even after twenty years, he could still remember the day he met that troublesome shiba inu. The adventures the two got into over that summer, were the beginning to the numerous ones to follow.
At the end of the summer, when his father and sisters came back to pick him up, he had to convince the family to let him keep Bao Bao. It wasn't easy because Brunhilde was allergic to dogs, but with Hinata's aid in persuading the head of the Mao clan, they gained a new addition to the family.
Deciding he had spent long enough on memory lane, Mao Mao clapped the amulet shut. Placing it back on the stack of papers, he got out of his chair, making his way to the kitchen.
Rummaging through the pantry, Mao Mao pulled out a bag of bread, a jar of strawberry jam, and a case of peanut butter. Placing the assortment of ingredients on the countertop, he prepared to make himself a PBJ.
Remembering what happened last time he tried this, Mao Mao moved hesitantly, careful to not lose his grip with any of the items spread before him.
Halfway through making the sandwich, his ears twitched, catching the sound of the porch's boards creaking as someone made their way to the door.
As soon as the door opened, the voice of his sister called out to him, "hey Mao Mao, you here?"
"In the kitchen," replied Mao Mao, finishing his sandwich. "And why aren't you with Badgerclops and Adorabat?"
"The Sky Pirates showed up, so I left to take care of them," replied Minori, walking into the kitchen, setting herself down at the table. "Why didn't you tell me you had Sky Pirates?"
"Ah, so you've met Orangusnake and his goons," said Mao Mao, sitting down next to his sister.
"Yeah, pretty interesting guy," confirmed Minori, leaning back in her chair. "What is he exactly? Is he a snake? Or an Orangutan?"
"Trust me," said Mao Mao, taking a bite of his sandwich. "You don't wanna go down that rabbit hole."
"Oh?" Minori said, a sly smirk sliding across her face. "You want to elaborate... Mittens?"
Pausing mid bite, Mao Mao's eyes widened, so many thoughts raced through his mind when he heard that word come out of his sister's mouth. The dreadful thought that two parties he never wanted to meet, might've just gone and done so. "W-where'd you hear that name?"
Almost as if to answer his question, a sultry voice rang out from the silence that followed his question. "Hello Mittens."
Waltzing into the doorframe that divided the kitchen from the living room, were the only woman that could give him a migraine just by flirting, and even more surprisingly, his ever so stoic sister, Violet. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it, or if her hat was adding to her height; whereas Minori was only a few inches taller than him, Violet was about a foot and a half taller than him.
"T-Tanya? Violet?" Mao Mao stuttered, barely able to gather his thoughts. So many questions had risen, and in such little time. "What's going on here?"
"Long time no see, little brother." Violet stated.
It had been ten years since Mao Mao had seen any of his sisters, now they were showing up one after another. That's not to say he wasn't happy to see them, just that this is all so sudden. Was there a family reunion coming up? No, the next one is scheduled a little more than a year from now, so it couldn't be that.
"Let's skip the boring chit chat and just say it was a fortunate convening of circumstances," replied Tanya, striding over with Violet in tow, sitting down at the table with the other two members of the Mao clan. "You told me you're family was big, but you never mentioned how many sisters you had, it's no wonder you knew how to treat a woman."
"Yeah Mao Mao," chimed Minori. "How come you never told us you had a girlfriend?"
Heat began to rise into Mao Mao's face, this was exactly why he didn't want Tanya to meet his family, to avoid this exact scenario. "She's not my girlfriend."
"Oh?" Tanya queried, raising an eyebrow. "Then tell me Mao Mao, what am I to you?"
"W-w-well y-you see," stammered Mao Mao. "Y-you're a dear f-friend, not to m-mention a va-valuable ex-p-partner-in-arms!"
"Is it that cold in here?" Joked Minori, chuckling at her own joke.
Burying his face into his palms, Mao Mao let out an aggravated groan, muffled through the fabric of his gloves. This was worse than he could imagine; it was one thing when Minori told Badgerclops and Adorabat stories from his childhood, but Tanya as well? She already teased him enough, now she'll be getting more ammunition to work with if Minori and Violet are in contact with her.
"Oh come on little bro, you know we're just teasing."
"Well, you are," specified Violet.
Minori stuck her tongue out at her elder sister, unappreciative of her clarification.
"Can you just tell me why you're here?" Mao Mao begged, desperate to change the topic to literally anything else.
"Am I not allowed to spend quality time with my little brother?" Violet asked.
Tanya tilted her head at Violet's answer. That wasn't what she said before: that she came to apologize for something. So why not rip the Band-Aid off?
"As for me," began Tanya. "Your sister hired me to bring her here. Although it might be more accurate to say I was 'coaxed' into it, with a bit of violence mixed into it."
"Hold up," interjected Minori, having trouble to put some pieces together. "How do you have money?"
Reaching up into her hat, Violet produced a sack of Diamond coins. Placing it on the table, she slid the leather pouch over to the bounty hunter, which Tanya gladly took.
"If you must know, every once in a while, I do a few jobs for a professional moving company," began Violet, going into a detailed explanation. "By placing precious goods in my hat and transporting the across the continent (and sometimes abroad), they save thousands that they would've spent on the gas and security otherwise; in turn, a portion of that money is given to me."
"Oh come on!" Minori whined in envy. "I can't make money with my legendary weapon! How come you get to?"
"I don't get to." Violet corrected, venom beginning to ooze into her leveled voice. "I can do so because I'm resourceful enough to do so. Which is more than I can say for someone as one-track minded as you."
"You want to try that again?" Minori placed her hand on the table, like she was getting ready to reach across the table and pull Violet to her side.
Mao Mao began to tense, out of all his sisters to stand before him. These two were the worst possible combination. Violet was calm and thoughtful, meanwhile Minori was outgoing and rambunctious. Looking at them was like looking at the sun and the moon. And it would appear that after ten years, they still can't stop themselves from fighting one another without somebody needing to intervene.
Unfortunately, none of his other sisters were present to lend them some aid. So should things appear to be getting dicey, would he be able to stop them?
As luck would have it, the door to the house opened once more, Badgerclops and Adorabat walked into the living room, covered head to toe in what seemed— and smelled— to be custard.
The tension between Violet and Minori dispersed as the two looked over, taking notice of the presence of the two deputies. As they walked past the door framed of the kitchen, the colors of purple and gold, and pinkish red with a hint of forest green in their peripheral vision caught the two's attention. They turned their attention to the group of individuals that were gathered around the table.
Confusion muddled Badgerclops mind as he wondered whether he should be anxious around Tanya, or formally welcome her into their home; as for Violet, seeing that she was a black cat with a golden hat, he saw it as a given that she was of the Mao clan. Adorabat momentarily tuned out Violet's existence, seeing that Tanya had finally returned, she smiled broadly, zooming off of Badgerclops' shoulder towards the bounty hunter.
"TANYA!" Adorabat screeched, flying into the the tanuki's arms. "You're back! Are you going to live with us after all?"
"Oh, sorry kiddo," replied Tanya, regretful that she'd have to break the Adorabat's heart right after she got so hyper. "I'm just here on business again."
As she referred to her job, Tanya gestured over to Violet. Looking over at the woman dressed in purple. Adorabat couldn't help but wonder...
"Is she a friend of yours?"
Tanya and and Violet looked at each other quizzically. On their trip to Pure Heart together, they did bond somewhat, but not enough for either of them to consider the other a friend. Besides, Tanya wanted to get to the bottom of whatever Violet was up to.
"Adorabat, this is Violet," Mao Mao said, giving a formal introduction to his protégée. "She's another one of my sisters."
"Really?!" Adorabat shouted, her eyes growing wide in amazement.
"Greetings, little one," said Violet, tilting her hat back to look the tiny bat in the eye. "If I'm not overstepping any boundaries, I would like to inquire about why you and your friend are covered in custard?"
"Oh, Pinky was making a mess over at the bakery. Thanks for leaving us with that by the way," said Badgerclops, looking Minori's way for the last bit.
"Sorry~," apologized Minori, rubbing the back of her head.
"So are you a hero like Minori?" Adorabat asked, so many questions to ask the Mao clan member, and so much breath in her lungs to give.
"Similar, but definitely not the same," Violet replied simply.
"Thank goodness for that," added Minori, leaning back in her chair.
"So these are two of your sisters, huh?" Tanya said, leaning her arms on the table. " I don't suppose you could tell me about the others, Mittens? There's supposed to be five, right?"
"Uh, well," Mao Mao replied, rubbing the back of his head. "Where do I start?
"Here," said Violet, digging through her hat. After about ten seconds of searching, she produced a purple binder. The front of it was labeled: Mao Family Photo Album 4.
"Isn't that one the family photo albums?" Minori asked, wondering why it was in Violet's hat, and not back at Mao Monastery, where it should be.
"A copy of it any way." Violet opened the book of family memorabilia, flipping through pages with dozens of Polaroid photos. On page twenty-three, Violet found the picture she was looking for. Slipping it out of its protective sleeve, she gingerly gripped it between her thumb and forefinger.
Minori walked around the table, to see which picture her sister pulled out of the album. The moment she laid eyes on the slip of film, her face lit up. "Oh, I remember that!"
Violet showed the picture to Tanya, Adorabat, and Badgerclops. The picture consisted of six black cats, posing in front of a monster that had been brought down just moments before. Even from this single picture, it was evident that each one was, despite having similar characteristics, were very different from the others in personality.
A large cat, donned in armor with a blue cape that hung off her shoulders, stood in the center, brandishing her golden spear. A young Minori rode on the large cat's back, with both arms raised expressing their victory. Another cat with golden eyes and a green cloak, was slightly turned trying to walk away before the photo could be taken, but Violet held her forearm steadfast. Violet herself had her hat tilted back as she stared into the lens, however her smile was awkward and cracked. The fifth cat wore a yellow tube top and shorts, using her scarf to hover over her sisters. In her arms was a small kitten, raising a golden katana over his and the other cats' heads.
"Is that you Mittens?" Tanya pointed to the small cat in red overalls. "You're so cute. Who's holding you?"
Mao Mao's face heated up once again, being called cute wasn't exactly where he thought this picture thing was going. "That's Hinata, she would take me on flights through the mountains when she could still hold me like that."
"You and Hinata were practically attached at the hip if I recall," noted Minori.
"Well it wasn't like you were willing to hang out with me," Mao Mao reminded her. "You and Brunhilde were always training together, and you wouldn't let me join."
"Well it was a-"
"Sister Thing," Mao Mao said, cutting off Minori before she could say it herself. "I know." Back when Mao Mao was too young to join his sisters in the field, he would constantly ask if he could come with them. They would turn him down by saying it was a "Sister Thing".
"Just how long ago was this picture taken?" Tanya asked out of curiosity.
"Um," Violet took a moment to count the years since that battle took place. "If I recall, it's been almost twenty years now."
"Who's the giant?" Badgerclops pointed to the large cat donning a full set of armor.
"That would be Brunhilde, she's the oldest of us Mao siblings," replied Violet. Thinking it might be a good idea to elaborate, she expanded, "I'm the second, Ashaki, the one in green, is third, Hinata is fourth, and Minori is fifth."
"Assaki?" Adorabat said, mispronouncing the Mao's name, causing Minori to keel over laughing.
"Th-that's funny," chortled Minori. "But don't ever call her that to her face."
"Why?" Adorabat looked to each of the adults, looking for a hint as to why Minori was laughing. "What did I say?"
"Oh kiddo, do us a favor and stay pure," cooed Tanya, enjoying Adorabat's obliviousness.
"Watch her assault some and say that," retorted Mao Mao.
"So did you all dress like that intentionally," said Tanya, taking another look at the photo. "Or was that a happy accident?"
"What do you mean?" Minori said, tilting her head.
"Well," began Tanya, going into a long winded explanation. "Mittens is dressed in red, Violet is dressed in purple, Minori is dressed in orange, Ashaki in green, Brunhilde in blue, and Hinata in yellow. You are literally dressed up like a rainbow."
The three Mao siblings looked at the photo, scanning the clothing worn, back then, their heroing outfits was their everyday clothes. Tanya was right, they were definitely dressed up in all colors of the rainbow.
"I'm gonna be honest," Minori looked over to Tanya. "That was just a happy accident."
"You mean like it was when you allowed yourself to get captured by bandits?" Violet shot.
"How was I supposed to-" Minori stopped herself before she she could finish the thought. "I'm going to relieve some stress." Minori walked out of the kitchen, without another word.
The five heroes (and bounty hunter), sat in awkward silence. After a moment, loud grunts could be heard from the dojo, as Minori started to go to town on one of Mao Mao's training dummies.
"Well," said Badgerclops, unsure how to respond. "Have you two had anything to eat?"
"Thank you for your hospitality, but I'm satisfied at the moment," responded Violet, bringing her hat back over her face.
"I'll have some tea," said Tanya.
While Badgerclops moved to make Tanya her tea, Adorabat asked her, "So are you gonna stay a while?"
"Sure am." Tanya wore a wide grin, as she conversed with the blue bat. "I'll be sticking around a bit longer this time."
"Then that means you'll be here for the party!"
"Party?" Tanya asked, interested in what Adorabat had to say. "Now this I've gotta hear."