Frozen in time, Kagami stood with a firm grasp on the door handle. The busy and bustling sounds of the city around her all faded to a dull silence. Breathing in through her nose, her chest and shoulders both rose. The sound of her own heart pounding away in her ears like a drum.
Seeing her friend hesitate, Elise took a step forward but didn't get much farther.
Holding onto the back of her jacket, Baren met the young girl's gaze and softly shook her head no.
Blinking, the brunet let out a soft sigh and pulled back. Her brow furrowed as she looked back up at her leader.
Still having not moved a single inch, the jadette took another deep breath. Her fingers tightened around the handle to the point her knuckles turned white. Exhaling sharply, she took a step back while jerking the door open. Letting her fingers trail against the door, she walked inside with narrowed eyes.
"Hello." A woman at the front desk lightly waved as she looked up from what she was working on. "Welcome too..." She trailed off as she noticed the signature green hair and eyes. "How many are in your..."
"We can seat ourselves." Baren clarified while softly waving her hand. "Don't worry about us." She smiled as she noticed the woman wanting to protest but instead chose to stay quiet. Taking a deep breath herself, she followed after the group of girls.
Walking between sets of crowded tables with both visually stunning and aromatic plates of food, Kagami kept her focus ahead of her. Turning a corner, she went to step into a room where a bar was only to take a step back and pull herself to the side. Two familiar voices speaking along with one she hadn't heard in ages. Placing her back against the wall, she smiled softly to herself.
"This place isn't where I expected you to retire if I'm being honest..." A woman let out with a very soft chuckle.
Noticing the voice, Elise perked her head up and peaked around the corner. "Is that mama?" She blinked before her eyes widened. "That is!" She stared for a moment at the dirty blonde sitting next to a woman with long and straight green hair.
"I told you that I heard it changed." Turning her head, a woman with light blue hair smiled while holding a small cup. A light red blush stretched across her face as she took a small sip. "But you just wouldn't believe me."
"That's... Aero too." Kris blinked while leaning over the brunet's shoulders. "Are they drinking? Can I have some?" She smiled.
Grabbing them both by the arm, Cheyenne narrowed her eyes while pulling them back. "Staring is definitely not how you should spy on someone. And no, you can not. You're younger than all of us."
"Why nooot?? And what are we supposed to do then?" The redhead pouted while crossing her arms.
"Be patient and wait a moment." Baren held up a finger as she glanced into the room. Breathing out, she moved to the side. "Just wait a moment."
"Wait for what?" The Faunus glanced at her.
"Eleanor and Aero are about to get up and get something to eat." She eyed a clock and noted the time. "Midori is still in her work clothes. She's most likely on a break and took the time to sit with her friends for a quick drink. I'm betting it's nearly over."
Blinking, Cheyenne stared at the old warrior. With a furrowed brow, she thought to herself for a moment. Baren spoke the three women's names so casually. Like she knew them. Lowering her shoulders, her eyes slowly grew wide. Aero had mentioned before when talking about her now disbanded team that Midori dual wielded a set of katanas. Her gaze trailed to the pinkette's sheathed weapon and her single arm. It was an amazing feat to fight one handed with a weapon designed to be held by two hands. One would need a wise teacher who could do the same to learn. With the realization sinking in, she went to speak only for no words to leave her mouth.
Peaking around the corner again, Kris watched quietly as the two women stood.
"Well, we'll let you get back to work." Eleanor let out another soft chucke.
"Maybe try some of that food your husband makes..." Aero smiled while brushing her nose. Her body swayed slightly.
Reaching out, the dirty blonde placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "Or the hibachi grill. That's food and a show."
"If you wait till this evening, I'll be working on the grills." Midori stood while picking up the three small empty cups and a larger bottle. She flashed a smile. "It might not be my blades, but I'm still just as good."
Smiling more as she heard her mother's voice, Kagami's eyes glazed over with a soft expression. Hearing footsteps approaching, she took a sharp breath and stepped away a little more. The two women both walked around the corner before stumbling to the side as they were pulled.
Shaking her head, Eleanor blinked while looking over. "Hey! What's your-" She tilted her head. "Elise?"
"Hi, mama. Quiet please." She held a finger over her lips while holding onto her mother's wrist.
"You girls again...?" Aero stumbled more than her friend. Her red glasses fell unevenly across her face while her panda charm necklace dangled against her chest. Swaying, she blinked while eyeing Kris. "Why are you..."
"Aero. You know you can't handle sake." With a hand holding her arm, the old warrior helped her stand upright. "And fix these." She raised her left hand and pushed her glasses back up. "They need to be tightened again. They're too loose."
"B-Baren-sama...?" The bluette blinked a few times while swaying. She then jumped slightly as a hand was placed on her shoulder to hold her still. "Why are you here...?"
"Why are you here?" She asked back while raising an eyebrow.
"Uh..." She stared back with a clueless look in her eyes. "We are... here to see Midori...?" She slowly nodded before her eyes grew wide. "Ooh! You're here to see her too!"
"I thought you were going to Mistral?" Eleanor glanced at her daughter.
"We did." Elise smiled. "Nihilus and Thanaton's mother was still alive and they stayed there with her. We spent a little time there. Baren made Kagami fight in an underground fight club."
"I'm sorry what?" Her mother blinked rapidly. "You did what?" She shot a glare at the old warrior.
"What?" Baren shrugged. "Like I haven't done more dangerous things."
"We also went to Atlas." Kris interjected to stop an inevitable argument. "Well, Mantle really. And stopped a mad anarchist." Noticing the glare Eleanor gave her, she took a step back. "Oh, that didn't help..."
Still at a loss for words, Cheyenne slowly breathed out and looked over at her leader. Smiling at her, she then softly nodded. She reassured her silently before motioning her head in the direction of the bar.
Taking a deep breath, the jadette nodded once before narrowing her eyes and walking around the corner towards her mother. She paused for a moment, hesitating as she saw the unmistakable green hair. Breathing in, her nostrils flared as she regained her determined composer and stepped forward more.
Hearing footsteps approaching, Midori let out a very quiet sigh. "Sorry, I'll have the bar cleaned up in a moment. I lost track of time with my break. My apologies." She quickly wiped it down with a damp rag. Hearing a weapon being drawn, she rolled her eyes with an annoyed look. "Look. There's no need to start a fight." She turned around while wiping her hands. "I said I would..." She trailed off. Her shoulders dropped as her eyes widened.
Standing in front of her, Kagami let out a shaky breath. She swallowed, her eyes trailing to the uniquely crafted sword in her hand. Showing it off for a moment, she then brought it up and slowly slid it away.
"Kagami..." The older woman's voice trembled as she spoke. Taking a small step forward, she lifted her hand. Her fingers gently caressing the girl's cheek for a moment before she cupped her face. "You've grown... so much..." Her eyes began to water as she began to smile.
"Hi, mom." The young jadette barely managed out. Her breathing uneven as she tilted her head towards her mother's hand.
Breathing in, Midori suddenly wrapped her arms around her. Her body trembled as she held onto her daughter tight. She had to let go once before, she wasn't going to let that happen again. "It's been so long." She tightened her embrace. "I prayed everyday for you to come back..."
"And I have." Kagami shakily breathed in. Closing her eyes, she tucked her face into her mother's shoulder. Every uneasy nerve in her body relaxed as she hugged her back. "And I've brought some friends. I can't wait for you to meet them."
"Neither can I." She closed her eyes as tears began to swell in them. "Neither can I."
A short time later, the three women and four girls sat at the bar while Midori moved back and forth between the group and a few customers. Seeing Aero with another small cup of sake, Baren reached over and placed her fingers on the rim. With narrowed eyes, she slid it away from the bluette and in front of the small redhead.
Grinning, Kris went to snatch the drink only for Cheyenne to reach over and slid it to the other side of her. Though that spot wasn't much better. With the cup now in front of her, Elise went to grab it only to catch nothing but air as the Faunus jerked it in front of herself. Her arms lay around it like a wall of protection.
From behind the bar, Midori leaned over and quickly picked up the cup. Her long hair was now tied up in a neat ponytail. "None of you are even old enough to drink." She took a step over before smiling at her daughter. "Unless you want some?"
"Huh?" The young jadette's eyes widened. "What? N-No, no I don't. I'm mean..." She trailed off.
Lightly chuckling, she shook her head while walking off. After handing another bartender the cup, she began to wipe down a few glasses with a towel. Setting those aside, she talked to a customer for a moment before refilling his glass. Giving him a small nod, she stepped away and grabbed a few things before returning to her daughter and her friends. "I'm guessing at least a few of you are hungry, hmm?" She smiled while setting down a tray with several ingredients, rice and nori. She then eyed the one arm warrior. "I know you're hungry."
Staring back at her for a moment, Baren exhaled while dropping her shoulders. "Fine. Alright. If you insist." Looking over, she raised an eyebrow as she saw Elise, Kris and Kagami all tilting their heads in her direction. "What?"
"What do you mean what?" The redhead placed her hands on her thighs while hunching forward. "You're letting someone tell you when you're going to eat? What next? Are you going to actually sleep in front of us now?"
Letting out a quiet laugh, Midori shook her head while placing a sheet of nori down. "I guess some things never change." She smiled while grabbing a clump of rice and spreading it across the seaweed.
"Huh?" Kagami let out while tilting her head slightly. "What do you mean by that?"
Shaking a few black sesame seeds onto the rice, she eyed the old warrior while raising an eyebrow. The two of them seemed to have a conversation without words before she grabbed the sheet and rice and flipped it over onto a mat with plastic wrap on it. "Nothing, nothing." She waved her off while placing stretched deep fried shrimp onto the sheet with the tails pointing out. "I'm just glad you're back. Your father will be excited to see you." She placed a slim strip of cucumber down before picking up an avocado and cutting it in half.
"Where... is dad?" She quietly asked as she began to fidget with her hands.
"Usually he would be in the kitchen running everything." She sighed a bit as she placed slices of the avocado down then began to carefully roll the whole thing up. "But, today he's doing some training elsewhere on the island. He should be home tonight though." She smiled while carefully setting the sushi roll aside.
"Right..." Kagami slowly nodded while taking a deep breath.
Noticing this, her mother let out another sigh. Taking the other half of the avocado, she peeled off the outside and set it down. "Don't be worried. He'll be more than happy to see you again. Trust me." She nodded before breathing in as she began to slice the avocado almost inhumanly thin. "He missed you just as much as I did." With it fully sliced, she pushed it over slightly and began to gently pat it down.
"I know, I just..." She sighed while dropping her head. "I'm just nervous. That's all. It's been..."
"Nearly six years. I know." Midori finished for her. Sliding her knife under the slices of avocado, she swiftly picked it up and smoothly laid it over the top of the roll. Grabbing a piece of plastic wrap, she placed it on top and gently began to mold the avocado around the roll. "I thought about you everyday. Wondering if you were hurt or struggling. If you made it safely after the Fall of Beacon... But I knew you were going to come back." She took a deep breath as she began to slice the sushi in ten pieces.
Blinking a little, the young jadette raised her head. Her brow furrowing ever so slightly. "You... didn't even know if I was safe?"
"How could I?" She looked up while placing the pieces slightly offset of a white rectangular plate. "You were out of my reach." Grabbing a bottle of a thick orange sauce, she put several lines across the roll before doing the same in the opposite direction with a brown sauce.
"You could have at least tried looking for me." Kagami sat up straight while squaring her shoulders. "What if I never made it to the shore? I can't swim. I would have drowned. What if Baren never stumbled upon me? Then what? I would have been eaten alive by Grimm!"
Taking a step back as her voice rose, her mother took a shaky breath while raising her hand. "Kagami... please..."
"What?" She snapped while rising to her feet. Her eyes narrowed. "You sent your thirteen year old daughter on a suicide mission and didn't even care, did you?!"
"Kagami!" Midori shouted with a crack in her voice. Seeing her daughter storm off, she stood still. Her hands trembled. Breathing in through her nose, she grabbed her rag and quickly wiped her hands off. Setting it down on the bar, she walked by the second bartender. "I need a minute. Hold everything down for me."
"Yes, ma'am." He gave a nod.
Watching the young girl run off, Baren went to stand only to stop as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Glancing over, she eyed Cheyenne.
"Not this time." The Faunus softly spoke. A look of concern filling her eyes as well. "You don't need to go after her this time."
Breathing in slowly, the pinkette softly nodded. Giving herself a moment to compose herself, she reached over the bar and grabbed the plate with a dragon sushi roll on it. "Very well." She reluctantly agreed while closing her eyes.