Cobbler
The train slowly tracked into the station, a quiet screech of metal on metal as it came to its stop. Pulling herself out the cushioned seat, Ashaki stepped by the people who were pulling their carryons out of the compartments overhead. She stepped off the train, wasting no time in heading straight for the exit.
Corazon station laid on the edge of a quaint little village. Though the village wasn't what attracted Ashaki's attention when she emerged from the station. It was the mountain range that laid just on the horizon.
If the maps that she studied were up to date, then there should be a pass at the foot of those mountains. On the other end of the pass would be a valley, and if her calculations were right, that would be where the legendary Pure Heart Spire would be located.
Scaling the mountains by the clouds in front of them, and taking the height of said clouds into account, she calculated the how tall the mountains were. From there, she took the height of the mountains and compared it to how tall they looked from where she stood. From that scaling, she found the distance of the mountains from the village.
For anyone else, this would've probably took five or so minutes. Ashaki however, estimated all this mid stride, as she started her trek towards the mountains. According to her calculations, she'll arrive at Pure Heart in the next couple of days.
"Almost there," Ashaki muttered to herself.
Mao Mao somersaulted through the air, landing on the cobblestone. Running back into the fray, he brandished Geraldine, the sun's rays bouncing off her blade was familiar, it felt right. He and Violet were scheduled to patrol today, and just like everyday, there was a monster attack.
The monster's shape resembled that of a turtle, its skin and shell were crystalline in nature. Every attack chipped away at the creature, but it was relentless, it wouldn't stop until there was nothing left to stop. It was times like this that Brunhilde's spear seemed like the perfect tool to get the job done.
Violet danced around the creature, avoiding its snapping jaw, and tree trunk thick legs. Drawing throwing knives from her hat, she swung her arm. The knives left her hand, hitting the monster, the blades stuck into the cracks of the crystal.
Running into the turtle's blind spot, Violet jumped up and kicked one of the knives, sending the blade deeper into the reptile's crystal skin. As cracks went along the creature's leg, it howled in pain. When the tortoise turned to snap at Violet, Mao Mao jumped and kicked one of the knives, digging it deeper into the creature.
The tortoise howled once more, deep cracks running along the creature's body. Violet pulled out a kusarigama from her hat, whipping the chain around her head, the iron ball at the end giving the swing weight to it. Releasing the chain from her grip, the chain flew around the tortoise's neck. Pulling the chain taut, Violet kept the tortoise from chasing her kid brother.
"Brother!" Violet motioned to the final knife lodged in the crystal tortoise. "The dagger!"
Mao Mao nodded, getting a running start, he jumped into the air. In response, the crystal tortoise tried to snap at Mao Mao's legs, but Violet tugged at the chain, pulling the beast's beak away from her brother. Landing softly on the creature's head, Mao Mao lunged for the final knife, slamming it with the side of Geraldine.
Cracks webbed across the creature's body, connecting with the previously formed cracks. Before the monster could begin to comprehend what was happening, its body began to fall apart, chunks of crystal falling to the ground.
Mao Mao jumped off the creature to Violet's side, assisting her with the kusarigama chain. As he watched the monster fall apart, it roared, whether it was a final testament to its resilience, or a death wail, it didn't matter anymore. As parts of the tortoise's throat began to fall away, it's roar died along with the beast itself, it's glowing orange eyes dimming into darkness. The beast, or what was left of it, collapsed onto the cobblestone, never to rise again.
Heaving a sigh, Mao Mao dropped to his knees, fatigue getting the best of him. Taking deep breaths, he took his time to get his strength back. Seeing no reason as to why not, Violet joined her kid brother on the ground. The fight had gone on for hours and the majority of it was spent wearing down the crystal so the could perform the 'Nail on the Head' maneuver from the Mao clan's Code book; the book that contained the collective knowledge of the Mao's of yesterday, as well as rules to live by.
"How is your arm?" Violet asked, looking on at her brother's appendage.
Mao Mao rubbed the spot on his arm where the Jade wasp had stung him weeks prior, sometimes he swore he could still feel the stinger digging its way through his skin and attacking his nervous system. "It's getting better everyday; it's almost back to normal now."
"I see," Violet nodded, tilting her hat to hide a small smile. "That is fortunate news indeed."
Once the siblings had caught their breath, they pulled themselves off the cool ground, and started their way back to Sheriff HQ. They didn't bring the Aerocycle with them for several reasons: 1) So that if Badgerclops needed it, he would have have it, 2) Violet didn't have an Aerocycle License, and 3) Mao Mao didn't have full faith that his arm wouldn't act up again mid flight.
Shortly after leaving the village's perimeter, the two sibling followed a dirt path between the trees, where the two eventually came up on the escalating platform. As the two stepped onto the cold metal, Mao Mao heard a short high pitched squeak. It sounded like it came from off to his side. When he looked over, all he saw was Violet, who had her hat down again, covering her face. It didn't look like she noticed the sound. Maybe his ears were playing tricks on him.
Pressing the green button on the console, the platform began to pull itself up the vertical tracks. By the time they traversed over the tree line, the sky was a blanket of darkness with glittering stars; it was a beautiful sight. Then, at the halfway point, the fragrant aroma of of food being cooked over an open flame wafted under their noses.
"The food smells amazing," Mao Mao said, filling the silence on the way up.
"Indeed, it's sure to be a bountiful feast," returned Violet.
After a seemingly long amount of time, the platform finally arrived at the top of the cliff. Hopping off of the steel plate, the heroes made their way over to the front door of Sheriff HQ. Gripping the door handle, Mao Mao slid the door open, with the welcoming sight of Tanya and Adorabat sitting on the couch, watching tv together.
"Well, look who decided to come home for dinner," joked Tanya, taking notice of the two cats.
"Mao Mao! You're back!" Adorabat hopped off the couch and flapped over to her teacher slash personal hero.
"Hey Adorabat," Mao Mao patted the child's head as she settled onto his shoulder. "How's dinner coming along?"
"Almost done!" Called Minori from the kitchen, where the clanking of metal and the bubbling of boiling liquids.
"Well that answers that question," Mao Mao sat down on the couch next to Tanya.
"How was patrol?" Tanya asked, resting her cheek on her closed hand, which she left propped on the armrest.
"Do you genuinely care?"
"No. But I'm certain the kid would like to know," Tanya gestures towards Adorabat, whose eyes seemed to glitter like the stars did.
Mao Mao proceeded to tell them (but mainly Adorabat) about the giant crystalline tortoise, and and how he and Violet spent the better part of several hours chipping away at its hard exterior, so that Violet could plant daggers into its body. With every sentence that left his mouth, Adorabat only got more and more elated. By the time he finished, Adorabat looked like she was going to burst from joy.
"You guys are so COOL!" Adorabat shrieked.
"Dinner's ready!"
Mao Mao and the others got up and entered the kitchen, where Minori and Badgerclops were setting the food that they've spent all day preparing. The table contained everyone's favorite food and then some: a Moroccan summer salad with crispy wax worms for Adorabat, a nice juicy steak for Tanya, and... cobbler.
Mao Mao steeled himself, as he sat himself at the table. A tiny voice inside him screamed, telling him that he couldn't go through with this; his sisters were literally standing next to him, what would they think? The family code dictated that heroes don't eat cobbler. It had been that way for generations. He once brought a cobbler home after saving up enough to buy one; his father didn't like that, and forced him to smash it with Geraldine while his sisters just stood there and watched. All he could remember after doing the deed was that he had cried for several hours afterward.
He shook the thought away, he had already faced these inner demons, and won. From here on out, he was a hero who ate cobbler. He no longer operated solely by the code, he would do things his own way, even if it meant doing things his family considered taboo. If they didn't like it... then he'll cross that bridge when he gets there.
Badgerclops and Minori passed plates and silverware to each of the individuals who sat themselves down.
Tanya wasted no time in putting a steak on her plate. Cutting out a piece, she popped it into her mouth. "Mm~, this is absolutely delicious."
"Thanks," Minori said, brushing off her knuckles on her gi. "I have a bit of experience when it comes to grilling Razorback."
"We still have Razorback meat in our fridge?" Mao Mao asked, pushing mashed potatoes onto his plate. "It's been almost two weeks!"
"What can I say, it was a big monster."
Violet kept silent as she picked herself some ratatouille with some creamy goat cheese polenta.
Minori pointed her fork at Violet as she spoke. "I will never understand your need to keep meat out of your body."
"I simply have no wish to devour meat anymore, that's it," Violet said as she kept her eyes on the food before her.
Mao Mao prayed that they didn't start a fight while everyone sat at the table. Grabbing a serving spoon, he scooped a chunk of cobbler out of the baking pan, and plopped it onto his plate. Using his eating spoon, he moved to scoop a piece into his mouth. Maybe he'd get lucky, Minori would stay annoyed at Violet, and she'd keep looking at the food to silently tell Minori she didn't care. Before the spoon was halfway to his mouth, the scream of his sister shocked a jolt through his system.
"MAO MAO! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Shrieked Minori.
Before he could register what was happening, a knife flew out of Violet's hat, knocking the spoon out of his hand, sending it clattering across the floor.
"Woah," Tanya said, confused about the matter unfolding before her. "We're the berries bad or something?"
"If only it were that bad. Mao Mao," Minori glared at Mao Mao, her voice still half raised. "You know what you were just about to eat?"
Opening his mouth, Mao Mao could already tell that his voice would quake. He dreaded this moment, but he always knew that when it came, he'd need to stand his ground. Gulping down his hesitation, he spoke. "Yes, I was going to eat cobbler."
Badgerclops and Adorabat looked at each other across the table. Worry, evident on their faces as the two Mao's stared each other down. Tanya on the other hand, went back to eating, enjoying dinner and a show.
"Brother," spoke out Violet. "Heroes don't eat cobbler."
"Well this one does." Mao Mao pointed a thumb to his chest, rising out of his seat.
"It's against the family code!" Retorted Minori.
"Well... maybe the code isn't worth the trouble," the statement shocked both Minori and Violet. The Mao siblings had grown up believing that they should live by the code, and now their brother stood before them saying that this belief was blasphemy. "It's just a bunch of rules that our ancestors made up."
"Mao Mao," said Violet, hopping out of her seat. "I suggest you stop before you say something you don't mean."
"Hinata would've supported me," he muttered under his breath.
"No, she wouldn't," Violet interjected. "She's been missing for almost ten years."
"W-what?"
"Wait, you mean Pops didn't tell you?" Minori asked, regret saddling across her face, if but for a moment.
Struck by confusion and disbelief, Mao Mao stepped back. His mind drawing a blank, he twisted on the ball of his foot and bolted for the door.
"Mao Mao!" Minori called after him.
When the door slammed, Minori placed her hands on the table, hanging her head. Curling her hands into fists, her claws dug small valleys into the table.
"I can't believe he would do this, that he's been doing this," Minori turned to look at Badgerclops. "How long has he been eating cobbler?
"I don't know a few months? What are you getting all worked up for? You watched me make the dish."
"I thought it was for you, and a few months! I can't believe this."
"Why don't you try some?" Adorabat asked cheerfully.
"What?" Minori looked at the small child, caught off guard by the fact that Adorabat would even ask that of her. Cooking cobbler was one thing, but eating it?
"Try some," Adorabat repeated. "When Mao Mao did it, he turned into this super flashy goldy form. He zoomed all over the place, beating up monsters, it was amazing!"
Minori and Violet looked at each other, eyes wide. They've heard of what Adorabat was talking about, there was a note that mentioned it within the family code: the Golden Truth form, the power bestowed on one in this form is said to be unrivaled; however, the key to obtaining this power is "understanding who you are", as it's stated in the code, which is a lot easier said than done. And Mao Mao unlocked this power... by eating cobbler?
"Tanya?" Badgerclops whispered across the table. "Aren't you going to say something?"
With her mouth full, Tanya patted her mouth with a napkin as she swallowed whatever bit of food was in her mouth at the time. "Hmm, what to eat next?"
"Are you serious?" Badgerclops couldn't believe that Tanya was just acting so nonchalantly. "Everything that just unfolded, and your thinking about food?"
Tanya reached over the table, and grabbed a bit of chicken that was set near Violet. Taking a bite, she chewed a few times before her eyes went wide. "Oh no," said Tanya, putting her hand to her cheek, her tone was of mock despair. "I just ate chicken, I guess I can't be a bounty hunter anymore."
"Is that supposed to be a jab?" Minori snarled.
"Try, making a point," Tanya corrected. "Mittens was right about one thing. Those rules are made up, as are all rules, that's why I don't believe they're worth following. And you two are some sisters, you know that. I'm going to check and make sure he's okay." Tanya pushed herself up from the table, and walked over to the front door.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Badgerclops tapped the table a few times before he got up himself. "Well, it's official, tonight's dinner was a bust. I'm gonna go work on the Aerocycle."
Adorabat pulled herself out of her high chair, and flapped after her friend, leaving only Minori and Violet in the dining room. Violet eyed the cobbler that sat on the table. The holes that Mao Mao had dug into it seemed like eyes that were staring back at her. Reaching out, she scooped a bit out onto her finger.
"Violet, what are you doing?" Minori asked, her hands up like she was silently telling someone to put down a weapon.
"Learning," Violet said, bringing the cobbler into her mouth. The mush molded as she chewed and swished the paste around her mouth, then finally she gulped it down her throat. "It's... actually not that bad."
Following suit, Minori grabbed herself a piece and ate it. She didn't know what she was expecting, she always imagined that if you ate cobbler, your heroic essence would leave your body, or something like that. But nothing happened, she didn't feel any different than she did ten minutes ago, or yesterday. Letting out a sigh, she said, "Hinata was so right about us."
Tanya walked out to the nice view of a starry sky. Mao Mao stood just before the edge of the cliff. "How you holding up?"
"I wanted to believe it," he answered.
"Come again?" Tanya asked, confused.
"They weren't always this... interested in my life. They were so devoted to becoming legendary heroes, so much so, that they didn't have time for anything else... or anyone else. So when they came here saying they wanted to be a part of my life, I just wanted to believe so much that they had changed. And now I'm here learning that Hinata has been gone for almost ten years, I just... between this and the injury to my arm, I feel so powerless."
"Hey Mittens?" Tanya said, getting his attention. When he turned to face her, he was welcomed with a set of knuckles to his nose, sending him recoiling as he brought his hands to his schnoz.
"OW! What the hell is the matter with you?!" Mao Mao exclaimed.
"What's the matter with you?" Tanya returned, scowling at the Sheriff. "I didn't travel a third of the way across the continent just to hear you wine and bitch about your family issues! The Mao Mao I know doesn't wine about his problems, he pulls himself off the ground, and does something about it. You feel powerless? Then get stronger!"
Taking a moment to reflect of Tanya's words, Mao Mao realized that she may be right. He usually doesn't break down into this state so easily, the only factor that's different was that his family stood there and scowled at him as it happened. He wanted to be his own kind of hero, but somewhere deep down, he still wanted his family to acknowledge and accept this.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I've got places to be," as Tanya walked back to Sheriff HQ, one thing ran through her head: no more playing around, it's time for answers, and Violet was going to be the one to give it to her, whether she wanted to or not.
It was a little after midnight that Mao Mao finally came back inside. All the lights were out in the house, except for the ones in the kitchen. Turning the corner, Mao Mao saw Violet and Minori sitting at the table, a majority of the food had been plastic wrapped; one of the dishes however, hadn't been, because there was nothing in the tin pan.
"D-did you guys eat the cobbler?"
"We need to talk," Minori said to Mao Mao. "We're sorry! We... we were insensitive."
"You have a right to be your own hero, with your own code," continued Violet.
Mao Mao's mouth fell agape, what happened to his sisters? "Uh, it's okay."
"No it's not," Minori said, her voice shaking in distress. "We wanted to be better sisters to you, but we're failing, terribly."
"I-I don't know what to say," Mao Mao stepped towards his sisters. "But, what made you change your minds?"
"Keyes," answered Violet. "She talked some sense into us."
"S-She did?" Mao Mao was confused, yet relieved. Tanya really went out of her way to do this?
"We'll leave you now," Violet placed her hand on Mao Mao's shoulder as she passed him. "You have some good friends in your company. I just figured you should know."
Mao Mao let a smile spread across his face. "Yeah, I guess I do."