Mending Sisters

Miyu had been walking for over a few hours now, and finally reached the mountain peak. The cat assigned to guide her a stalwart compass to her destination. Getting a portion of the ration Satori gave her out to a little ball she kneeled down and handed to the cat, her other hand tenderly scratching it behind the ear.

"Thank you so much for your help, you really are a cool, noble kitty. Can you do me a favor and let Atlas know I love her, and will be waiting till she's ready? I don't want her thinking I ran away from her and left her after all that's happened."

Miyu never really understood if the felines of the clan really understood her, but they were far more intelligent than normal cats. And usually knew what she was getting at, the black calico rubbed it's sides against her leg and slinked off into the dark forest as the last rays of light started giving way too night.

Miyu sat in the clearing, and gave herself to her extrasensory sight. Seeing the flow of nature, and letting her mind be immersed in the sensation. Following creatures living and dying. Of hunting and being hunted. Of the countless flows and ebbs of chakra around her. And just surrendered.

These moments for Miyu were what she imagined cooking was to Midori. Utter freedom, and letting go of everything as one became one with the moment.

There was no endless desperation to fix something she wasn't given the tools to fix; no worries about if she was making a difference; no fear of seeing Midori grow beyond her level to help; just an utter tranquility that suffused her and pulled her into something beyond herself.

A sacred feeling envelopment of all the constant life and death around her as nature danced in its endless cycle. And she would stay lost in that outside of a few moments to eat, drink, or use the restroom. Till she was given a sign.

[1]

In the distance, at one of the training grounds near the base of the mountain, a single star would rise out of the forest like a firework. As it slowed down and reached the height of its arc, it would then explode, dying the landscape in a lime green light. A few moments later, another would rise into the sky, this time a thick beam of pure chakra and rage. Midori was venting like no other… and this was just about the only way to safely do it anymore without wrecking the landscape, although she had done a fair amount of that too with her fists.

Right now she had two Pylon Clones gathering Nature Chakra as well while Midori wore herself out a bit, and they would be spawning Combat Clones to fight her. She would continue to fight them until either she was unconscious or until she felt like she had vented enough, but it would be hours in the making. Fighting helped, a bit anyway, but nothing was going to change unless she was absolutely certain that she didn’t feel the way she did right now. Exhaustion was a good distraction to pain.

Miyu would be up on the mountain. She knew exactly where she was because she been informed by Satori that she would be up there. How long had it been? The sun had fallen… and then was on the rise again. She had done everything she could do, and was absolutely spent… she still was hurting, but it was manageable now. It was time to process… and so, she asked a friend to go and fetch her for her.

Up on the mountain, an hour after the last of the ‘fireworks’, a large snake wound up slithering around Miyu and encircling the small woman. Being over twenty feet in length and thick enough around to consume her if it had intended to, it could have be perceived as a threat if this wasn’t one of the ones that frequented their home. The snake gave her a gentle squeeze, an obvious hug, and then slithered away towards where Midori was.

It was time.

[1]

Miyu didn’t know how long she had spent following the pulse of chakra in the area around her, time had seemed to lost its sense of meaning and in a way that was a welcome distraction from everything that had happened both before and after the series of events that led her to regaining herself. Minutes, hours, days, it didn’t really matter to Miyu now. She was part of the pack of wolves that had just killed the deer and were dragging it to their den; she was the deer with it’s family in the final moments, she was the birds overhead and in the forest, she was the insects that they were feasting on.

And everything in between, and she would have stayed there longer if not for something entering the boundaries of her perception, a truly massive snake. A part of her recognized it’s chakra signature, but as with all of Midori’s friends, being wild and free to roam as it would. Didn’t make it an exact oddity, but she’d never once tried following the day and life of one of them. So she was content to passively follow it as she fell back deep into her meditations.

It seeming to fade into the background with the rest of the pulse flowing around her. A promise of something deeper and more immersive like always just out of reach, caressed the edges of her awareness. It was that same feeling she got when she dived too deep, and Midori would force her out of it, she didn’t know what it was. Just that it was there, a thread of mist intertwining all that she was sensing and experiencing.

And as if Midori was there beside her, she felt an embrace. It jolted her enough for her to focus on it to, notice that it was Midori’s snake friend, and that squeeze. There was no mistaking it, it was a hug from Midori. A silent sign that she was still loved, and even though they had much to discuss. She at least didn’t lose her. With a grateful and serene smile she languidly opened her eyes and shakily stood to follow the snake sent to guide her. With her senses opened she’d follow it. Down the mountains, and deep into the training area where she sensed Midori far before she saw her.

Exhausted, and hollowness were the emotions she sensed radiating from her. And when she saw her, her little heart broke at seeing her at that state. Abandoning all pretense of playing it cool, or waiting for Midori to speak first she felt tears leak from her eyes as she ran with all her might to Midori. Pouncing on her and holding her tight, trying her most to send her unconditional love to her, and letting her know how much she cared, [color]”Atlas! I’m so sorry for causing you this pain. Can you ever forgive me?”[/color]


[2]

Midori had waited, resting and recovering her expended Chakra and letting her muscles relax while she waited for Naga’s task, the snake she had sent, to be completed. Her senses picked the woman up as she entered the clearing, and she sat up in time to see her charging with a tearful expression on her face towards her. Not bothering to stand, as that would make Miyu’s hug less than successful without her actually jumping to reach around her neck, she just opened her arms and accepted the hug gratefully, holding her close. “Shhh Little One. It is alright. We live, we learn, we grow.” It really was that simple in Midori’s eyes, and she would hold onto the little woman as long as it took for her to settle down.

Naga slithered off, giving them some time alone to discuss things, but would be at the edge of the clearing in case she was needed, resting there and hoping some idiot rabbit would come along. Not much more than a snack, but food nonetheless.

Midori waited to speak again until she was certain that Miyu had recovered enough to listen properly before slowly relaxing and with her arms still wrapped around the comparatively tiny woman, reached into her shirt a bit and fished out a note, Miyu’s note to her, and showed it to her. “Got your note. Everything restored properly?” She had, after all, brought this situation to the place it was at because of her sealing away her memories on accident, something that Satori had been required to fix properly, and the green haired teen didn’t know if that was something they had pulled off successfully.

[2]

Miyu wiggled herself closer to Midori, getting into a more comfortable closer position as Midori held her, and basked in her presence as she released the held on bits of tension and sorrow at the pain of her actions. Yes, they had a lot to talk about, and quite a few things to clarify. But what was most important to Miyu was the love that she felt, and even without words, letting her know her recklessness hadn’t cost her that.

After awhile of simply resting together in the clearing, simply taking comfort in the silence and closeness, Midori spoke, letting her know she saw the note and wanted to know if everything had been restored properly.

Miyu responded by resting her head against Midori in lieu of a head tilt, ”I think so? I mean there are some hazy bits here and there. But I think it’s either restored properly and is simply healing while filling in the blanks. Or it’ll get fully there eventually.”

Miyu took a deep breath, and simply let her mind more deeply sink into the chakra around her, letting her mind, much like in the forest, touch the pulse of the world around her, as hundreds of thousands of interconnected lives went about their routines. Letting herself sink into a deeper relaxation, with a languid smile growing on her features as their really touched for the first time since the accident.

She’d turn to look at Midori with her smile growing warmer, and add, ”I’m at the very least well enough to be in touch with my empathy, and able to more easily sink into the pulse and flow of the world around me when I meditate. I forgot how much I missed those things you helped guide me through. And the few holes? The hazy bits? I’m sure we can fill them together, and with a little help from Satori.”


[3]

Hazy bits here and there was definitely better than just the outright sealed memories that she had prior to visiting Satori. The visit by Shimiko had only shaken her so badly because Miyu hadn’t been able to consider all the talks they had, and in turn, had felt neglected. Now that a vast majority of that was returned to her, she knew why she had gotten so upset in the first place; she had felt betrayed, Miyu attempting to abandon her outright, and that was terrifying and painful. Holding her now, in this moment, her forgiveness was plain, but this was not a pain that would be forgotten.

The little woman being empathic was known to Midori at large, and they had even used that bond and connection as sisters to help the green haired woman train herself to be better able to handle her Berserker form. She had been a huge part of Midori’s life, so her wanting to up and leave had hit home particularly hard. Outside of Satori and Riku, she was the third person that Midori had ever let get truly close to her and understand who she was on the inside. Her lack of social skills was something that they all could look past and understand the deeper side of who she was as a person. They were family.

“Together,” she affirmed, giving her another squeeze. And just like that, things were over. The trouble in her heart simply ceased to be, although it wasn’t like it had vanished outright. Simply put in a box, filed away, only every to resurface if something similar happened again; if it did, there would be no forgiveness. Midori only had a certain threshold for that sort of pain.

[3]

Miyu wiggled herself closer to Midori, getting into a more comfortable closer position as Midori held her, and basked in her presence as she released the held on bits of tension and sorrow at the pain of her actions. Yes, they had a lot to talk about, and quite a few things to clarify. But what was most important to Miyu was the love that she felt, and even without words, letting her know her recklessness hadn’t cost her that.

After awhile of simply resting together in the clearing, simply taking comfort in the silence and closeness, Midori spoke, letting her know she saw the note and wanted to know if everything had been restored properly.

Miyu responded by resting her head against Midori in lieu of a head tilt, ”I think so? I mean there are some hazy bits here and there. But I think it’s either restored properly and is simply healing while filling in the blanks. Or it’ll get fully there eventually.”

Miyu took a deep breath, and simply let her mind more deeply sink into the chakra around her, letting her mind, much like in the forest, touch the pulse of the world around her, as hundreds of thousands of interconnected lives went about their routines. Letting herself sink into a deeper relaxation, with a languid smile growing on her features as their really touched for the first time since the accident.

She’d turn to look at Midori with her smile growing warmer, and add, ”I’m at the very least well enough to be in touch with my empathy, and able to more easily sink into the pulse and flow of the world around me when I meditate. I forgot how much I missed those things you helped guide me through. And the few holes? The hazy bits? I’m sure we can fill them together, and with a little help from Satori.”


[4]

Midori had a much better idea to help her refill her memories in regards to her and Midori’s time together. “You have access to almost all of my journals. Easier than me retelling the past. I’ll even give access to… some of my personal journals.” That was an offer that she doubted the little woman could afford to refuse. How many, dozens, of times had she written something in a journal, shelved it in the ‘off limits’ bookshelf, just to turn around and see a pouting Miyu staring at her and the denied knowledge? She couldn’t recall a count.

A good old fashioned training session away from everyone and everything was basically a lure though, and Midori knew it, and she would probably bite at it every time. She didn’t care for crowds or people, loved training, and the offer was a deliberate call towards that side of her, and Miyu knew it. Wouldn’t stop Midori from taking her up on it, hook, line and sinker, but it was almost cheating, even as the green haired teen gave a nod of confirmation.

Her fighting style was a simple problem. [color=teal]“We will fight in the mountains. You will remember. Your body retains what your mind does not. You have always been a worthy opponent. You have freedom in many ways, but you wish to travel, which means you need to be a Jounin likely. Has been our goal together for some time.” Although Midori wanted Jounin so she could finally be recognized by other Ninja in the village as something other than a beast of violence, Miyu wanted it to be able to travel freely. Part of that hurt, because she knew that Miyu wanted to get away, but Midori knew that her roots were here in Kiri. She didn’t desire to leave.

[4]

At being told she’d be allowed in the “off limits” section. A part that Miyu remembered clearly as something that she craved to look at, but didn’t want to violate Midori’s trust to peek at. Miyu swooned and let loose a squee so loud the birds in the trees around them took flight, ”Really!? You’d allow me the privilege of seeing those? I promise not to violate the trust you put in me with those.”

And Midori would know just how much Miyu’s words meant. Miyu was very hard to wiggle a promise out of from most people, but much like any goal she put her mind to. When it came to her word, she’d do everything inhumanly possible to keep it. And of course Midori was one of the few people Miyu would readily promise almost anything too.

Upon hearing Midori agreeing to a long fight in the mountains. Miyu grinned ecstatically, and gave Midori the biggest hug she could give, and giggled happily, free of artifice or masks. Just a free, happy, and full of just giggle of raw joy, ”Yay! I look forward to relearning all the things my body has hidden away! And spending some quality time with you getting stronger. As for the freedom thing yeah. But I still want to take you with me on my adventures, and I always want Kiri to return to after I ate whatever library, or whatever culture I consume. And I want us to make stuff of legends, stories we can share with the clan and future generations.

“But … I know that you love Kiri. And your roots run deep … but maybe … someday. Not going forever, just a mission or two outside of Kiri, or a Vacation to somewhere we haven’t seen before? It’s just I had gotten used to being able to go where ever the wind took me, but I was a bird without a nest. Until I met you. You gave me a nest, you gave me a world where I belonged, you gave me a place that no matter what happens. My heart, and my everything is safe with you. It’s just sometimes I feel caged in, and a little stir crazy. I’m still not used to being trapped … no … restricted? Bound? Caged? Kept in one place for so long. It’s a little stifling.

“But I never NEVER want a life without you in it. I want to share my skies with you, and I can’t say that about anyone else. I love Big Brother, with all my little heart, but not in the same way as I do you, and I’d be sad if I lost him. I’d even avenge him a little. But it doesn’t hurt as much as the thought of losing you.

“I love Riku-chan. She’s family. But I don’t think about her as much as I do you or Big Brother. I’m constantly thinking about you too. Using you as a moral compass, using your words and your goals to point where I should go. Sure, when I see her. When we spend time together. It’s fun, and I’d end anyone who dared to hurt her. But she’s not a constant.

“Heck even Shimi-Nee. I felt a similar feel, that I now know was my Empathy, and a bit of the spiritual half of my blood line, to you. She’s a protector, and a warrior. But she’s not my nest. She’s my wind, I do feel that. But the wind can only carry a bird so far before it needs to go back to roost.

“And that roost. Is you. Not a physical location, not a conditional thing. You. Your hugs; you holding me as I sleep, so I know I’m real; your subtle smiles when I do good; your presence pushing me to go further than ever before.

“Without you in my life? If you were to be gone? If I were to lose you? My life would have no meaning. My existence would have no form. So please. Promise me you’ll know I will never leave you? That no matter what happens in our future. I’ll always need you in my life, and I’ll always want to share whatever adventures I get into with you.

“I can’t stand to see you hurt. And I can’t stand to think that you’d think that someday I’d simply fly away and leave you behind. I couldn’t stand losing you. I will never abandon anyone, or be abandoned. Even if I have to rape the rules of the world to make that happen.”

[5]

The squee of delight was something she had anticipated, but apparently the nearby birds had not, taking off and flying away at the sound. She nodded to confirm that she would be giving her access to some of them. She had been very specific with the wording because there was a few in there that were full of much more dark, and some embarrassing secrets that she wanted no one to look into, but having it down on paper made it easier to deal with. She doubted they would ever see the light of day, but that wasn’t the point of their existence. Perhaps she should burn them though, just to be safe.

Midori couldn’t lie and say that she too wasn’t anxious to get a training exercise done as well. It would take a considerable amount of time so she would need to make sure her plate was clear, but that was fine. It wasn’t like they couldn’t request time to go train, and even the village saw that as a benefit; she had enough power now to make most of the Genin in the village look like paper tigers in front of a hurricane.

Midori blinked though, twice, hard, as the realization of Miyu’s expectations came to light, an expression actually dawning on her face of surprise. So, she didn’t want to actually leave, but more like, stretch her legs? Midori actually chuckled as she felt the relief wash through her. “Missions outside the village is simple. We simply need to crush the Chuunin exams. But Kirigakure is our home, and I was scared you desired to leave it.” And it would be clear what the actual concerns were; leave and not come home.

The air finally clear in that regard, she gave her little sibling another squeeze of reassurance. “I love you too, Little One. I told you in the beginning I would always be here for you, and it would take a force stronger than Death to make me break that promise.” Large arms were wrapped around Miyu’s entire body and her legs enveloped her as well as Midori sat cross legged with Miyu in the middle, giving her a full body hug.

[5]

At the mentioning of crushing the Chuunin Exams, something floated up to the forefront of her mind and she cringed slightly, a movement she knew Midori would pick up on, ”Yeah about that … I might have forgotten that I am being brought in to serve the Kages’ their Four Course meals during the Chuunin Exams. So while you are crushing the competition, I’ll be blowing the minds of the village rulers. I mean … it is a huge honor to be the personal chef in such an event right?”

Miyu couldn’t believe she forgot about all of that. But she had been given a request to be the Ninja Chef for the upcoming Exams, and the chance to show the world the levels of cooking Midori had inspired her to reach. Was something she couldn’t pass up, It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that proved her cooking was levels above most if not all of the competition.

But Miyu would lean against Midori and shake her head, ”As for leaving for good? Never!t For a week? Maybe. A month or two at the most? Sure … possibly. But leave it for good? I’d rather gnaw off my own legs, than leave you. So no more worries about that okay? You mean to much for me to leave over something as stupid as needing to stretch my wings for a little bit.”

As Midori wrapped her in a full body hug, Miyu let a throaty purr of satisfaction. As her mind wandered back to the first day they met, and Midori had given her a similar hug all those days ago, ”Same here … one of these days, I’ll make sure that even Death can’t keep us apart, It’s one of the top three dreams I have for my future. But that day, that promise, this hug you gave me … it was the first time, since as long as I could remember when I felt anything resembling love, or safety. And I want to do everything I can to protect that, and save you some day … even if I’m the only one who thinks I need to worry about that.”

Miyu would then give in to the warm loving embrace, and just lose herself in the moment. Letting her mind and emotions soak up the experience. Worries, doubts, the future. She let them all be washed away in the hug.


[6]

Midori tilted her head and her eyes opened up slightly wider than normal; the expression she gave when something was both surprising and curious. Midori had been the one to teach Miyu how to cook, and while she herself was pretty good at it, she had to admit that the little girl had definitely taken her teachings and reached a new level. Granted, Midori just cooked to get the satisfaction on people’s faces and lose herself in the act of preparing the food, while Miyu turned it more into an art-form. She brought chemistry and the like into her food and had a mind that did laps around her own in that department.

A smile crossed her face. “I will just have to crush them for the both of us. So long as I make Chuunin, I can lead us as a ‘team’ out of the village on little missions. Give you some space to stretch your legs.” Finding workarounds was something that Midori actually was fairly good at, and as long as one of them made it, she would be fine. “Providing the food means they have recognized your talents. Congratulations Miyu.” She gave the woman a little extra squeeze, just enough to crush the air out of her lungs without doing any actual damage, something she had always done when Miyu had done something she was proud of.

[6]

Midori’s curiousness and surprise from Miyu. After living with Miyu for so long, Midori had become very hard to catch by surprise. Not just from trying to stop Miyu’s constant stream of shenanigans, but at times staying above the tide as Miyu pulled her into said shenanigans.

So getting that look was it’s own reward and brought an absolutely radiant smile from her. And she squeed with raw joy at knowing Midori was going to crush the competition, and be able to take her on missions, as part of her ‘team’. But that was followed by an even higher pitched squee of unbridled happiness as Midori complimented her being acknowledged by the Kage, and congratulating her on her accomplishment.

The crushing hug knocking the air out of her like a whoopie cushion. And glew all the brighter at the affectionate show of pride. Miyu was glad now though, the air between them cleared finally, Midori knowing within her heart of hearts where Miyu was coming from, and knowing without of a shadow of a doubt that she would never be abandoned.

Afterwards she’d ask, ”So Atlas, what to get some preparations and small stuff out of the way before we train? Or are we going to go with only what we have on our backs?”

//Thread Exit

Midori thought on the question posed to her for a moment, thinking about the allure of going with only what they had on them, but there were a few things she wouldn’t mind having with them if only because she didn’t like the idea of recreating a toothbrush out in the wild. Sure, they would probably manage, but clean teeth were something of a pet peeve of hers for one reason or another. Not that she couldn’t if she didn’t want to, but more like she just plain didn’t want to, and didn’t have to.

“A couple of things would be fine, but bare minimum. We live off the land just like before. I have techniques to master.” Already she could feel her more primal instincts coming to bear, that desire to be one with the nature she was so attuned with, to hunt, to fight, to survive and thrive. And to spend some quality time with the only family member she had ever chosen of her own free will. She didn’t need to say anything as she stood up and put Miyu on her shoulder in a single movement as though the small woman didn’t weigh a thing and started walking towards their home.

[7]

[THREAD EXIT]