Summary[]
"Towards that Eventual Fate" is a pair of threads from Season 4, March 8, 2015, in which Kiri finishes her business in the village, visits Lillith's grave, attends a feast, and then bids her parents and the village goodbye.
Full Text[]
Part 1[]
Kiri walked up to the stone marker, gazing at the name. There were flowers there; someone had placed them there recently. Possibly a relative or another friend.
She quietly knelt down and placed the ornamented dagger before it. Her job was done, Lillith was at rest. It was time for her to approach her own fate.
"I heard you were planning to leave soon."
She spun and blinked as Master Ryoko strode up, straight, not bothering with the charade of an old crippled woman.
"Yes," she replied, bowing quickly. "I’m - I have to go. The Rebellion I am allied with, the coming witch, Ragnarok… my visit home was only a quick trip, after all…"
"And you accomplished so much while you were here," Master Ryoko stroked her chin. She glanced at the stone marker - a memorial to a lost girl whose body no one ever found. "You killed a witch, ended our threat, dealt with a stranger and possible threat to the village… still, that was very strange," she mused. "But judging from what Chihiro found out, that Judge Donz man was a horrible, horrible character. He will certainly not be making any deals with him."
Kiri only nodded, not sure what else to say. She looked back at the stone marker.
"Just in case, I see," Master Ryoko said again. "You two were nigh inseparable back then."
"Sometimes I miss those days," Kiri replied, remembering. Playing around the village, pranking the statues, running around the training grounds at night, laughing in the tea house. "They were so much simpler. I would have preferred them to stay that way, even if it meant I remained weak and sickly."
"Only in body," the elderly woman smiled fondly. "And look at you today. You are still here."
She paused briefly.
"You do not grow to my age without losing friends to the toils of accidents or war," she spoke. "You must learn to continue forward. Walk on your own two feet. But never forget the ones who did not make it. Even to your dying day."
Kiri nodded, though she did her best not to choke. She now had a final conversation with Lillith, one that would keep her going through those last moments.
"Never forget them."
It was a simple mantra to live by.
Master Ryoko nodded, then gently took Kiri by the hand. “Now come. The village wants you at the victory feast. It is only fair for one such as you, now.”
Kiri smiled back. “All right. It’ll be good.”
A last feast with her home village, a quick trip to see the sights again. The witch hunters should have made it to the main fortress by now. Everything was set.See you soon Lillith. You won’t be alone for too long.
Part 2[]
"Everyone’s Walkabout is different. Yours led you on some strange paths, didn’t it," her mother quipped, smiling.
Kiri turned back from where she was tying the last bag of supplies over Dagger’s back. “Stranger than I would’ve ever guessed,” she shrugged. “I’m stronger for it though.”
"And that’s why we have this village tradition," her father strode in, holding a package. "Here - it’s not much, but everyone loves sweet cakes and mochi."
Kiri burst out into mad giggles as she accepted the package. “Otousan, you really didn’t have to!”
He held up his hands defensively. “Hey, it’s not just from me, Watanobe added in more there too. They still miss you at the tea house.”
Kiri smiled. “It was good to be back, it really was.”
"Don’t eat all of it at once."
"I’m gonna save some to share. It’s hard to get mochi outside of the village."
"Oh, we know," her mother held up a finger. "Our Walkabouts were so dull without such sweets."
She laughed again. It was good to laugh.
Then she sighed. She supposed it was time.
"Well, guess I should be going," Kiri shrugged. "You still have that book? You’ll copy it, spread it around?"
Her parents nodded. “Of course. It’s important information after all,” her father replied. Then he tilted his head. “That’s your handwriting, I noticed. But no author? Wouldn’t you want everyone to know it was your work?”
Kiri blanched slightly. “I - well - maybe not,” she cringed. “I put a symbol up in the corner of the title page though - it reads as my name…?”
Her parents looked at each other. “Ah, that makes sense,” her mother nodded. “It’ll remain a small secret then.”
She paused for a long moment.
"Kiri," she spoke. "We’re proud of you. The entire village is."
Kiri smiled, gazing back at her parents. Something hurt in her throat again.
"Thanks, Okaasan. Otousan," she looked towards her father. Then she rushed forward to embrace them.
I’m sorry…
They were there for a lingering moment, one that Kiri wished didn’t have to end. Then they released, gazing at her with pride.
"Fight well," her father saluted.
Kiri saluted back. “Will do.”
Then she hopped onto Dagger’s back.
The dragon released one crowning roar and leapt to the skies. Kiri leaned back to wave to her parents and any others who were watching. She kept watching as Dagger flew away. Her eyes never left the village until she could no longer see it. Then she turned, collapsed over Dagger’s back, and let herself cry.