Chapter Text
Yahaba wasn't sure why Kindaichi was interrupting his meal with a more-than-slightly distressed expression, and he really didn't want to know, but he figured he should ask anyway.
"Calm down and just say it," Yahaba said calmly after Kindaichi had stumbled over his words for several minutes, trying to explain something to Yahaba. The only words Yahaba had been able to make out were 'Oikawa', 'gone', and 'tossed', which didn't really fit together in any way that Yahaba thought was good. Kindaichi took a deep breath, seemingly taking some measure of reassurance from Yahaba's calm demeanor.
"Iwaizumi took Oikawa," Kindaichi said. Yahaba raised an eyebrow, silently prompting Kindaichi to continue. "He just...tossed him over his shoulder and vanished. He said I'm in charge?" The last bit came out as a question, and Yahaba sighed.
"Of course you're in charge if those two are off somewhere. You're the highest ranking mage after Oikawa," Yahaba reminded him. Kindaichi didn't look pleased with that. The air mage had been Oikawa's third for long enough that he was used to leading, and it had been long enough since Matsukawa died that Kindaichi was also used to filling that void, but apparently the idea of being left actualy in charge was daunting for him. "You'll be fine, Kindaichi. Did Iwaizumi say anything else?"
"Just that you and Kiyoko would help me," Kindaichi replied. Yahaba nodded thoughtfully. As the head healer, Kiyoko was used to making decisions that would affect large numbers of people, or make the difference between life and death. And since Yahaba had been the only mage completely uninjured after the war, he'd been taking on more responsibility around the Guild Hall while everyone else recovered.
"Of course I'll help. Kiyoko will, too," Yahaba added. "Let's go talk to her." He stood, deposited his dishes at the counter where the mage trainees in charge of cleaning for the day would take care of them, and then walked with Kindaichi toward the healers' wing. "Where's Kunimi?" the earth mage asked, noticing that Kindaichi's familiar was nowhere to be found.
"He's asleep," Kindaichi answered. "The air has been really dry lately, so he gets tired more easily." Yahaba decided not to point out that the lake spirit was notorious for being kind of sleepy anyway. "What about Kyoutani?" Yahaba shrugged.
"Don't know. Haven't seen him today," he said. It wasn't unusual for his familiar to wander off, though usually he got permission first. A crash and a snarl, followed by a shriek that left both mages' ears ringing had them picking up their pace, Kindaichi's expression full of dread and Yahaba's twisted with resignation. They reached the healers' wing and found Kiyoko calmly standing between Yachi, who was on the ground in the corner, doing her best imitation of a puddle of terror, and a very large, very grumpy golden-furred wolf. Kindaichi paled, though he reached for his magic. He was nervous around the wolf, just like most of the Guild, but Kindaichi wasn't about to let that stop him from protecting their healers if he needed to. Yahaba put a hand on Kindaichi's arm and shook his head when the other mage glanced at him. Kindaichi tried not to look relieved as Yahaba approached the wolf, swatting the creature's hip firmly enough to get its attention. The wolf turned its head, glaring at Yahaba, who stared right back. "Quit intimidating the baby crow," Yahaba ordered, glancing pointedly at Yachi. She wasn't technically young enough to call her a baby crow, even though she had been a member of the forest's crow group before she became Kiyoko's familiar. The wolf followed Yahaba's glance, and then its ears flattened, and its tail drooped just the slightest bit. "Turn back," Yahaba said firmly. The wolf obeyed, shrinking into the human form of Yahaba's familiar. With the wolf no longer dominating the room, Yachi straightened, seemingly slightly less nervous.
"What happened?" Kindaichi asked, walking up to them. He was less nervous when Kyoutani wasn't in the shape of a wolf large enough to quite literally bite someone's head off.
"Yachi got scared," Kiyoko explained.
"So he attacked her?" Kindaichi glared at Kyoutani, who stared back sullenly. Kiyoko shook her head.
"Kyoutani, why were you injured?" Yahaba asked. He knew his familiar wasn't sick, so that left being injured to explain why he was in the healers' wing.
"There were some bandits nearby. That crow who's friends with Yachi mentioned them on his way in yesterday," Kyoutani said. Kindaichi frowned, about to ask what that had to do with anything, then paused, understanding washing over him.
"I asked who hurt him, and he told us," Kiyoko explained.
"I'm sorry!" Yachi squeaked. "When I heard, I got scared..." Yahaba smiled calmly at her.
"It's all right. You know Kyoutani wasn't going to attack you, right?" the earth mage said. Yachi nodded hesitantly, then got to her feet, though she stuck close enough to Kiyoko's side that if the mage wasn't used to similar behavior, she would have tripped over her familiar.
"Sorry," Kyoutani grumbled. Yahaba patted his familiar's shoulder.
"It's okay," Kiyoko said softly. "We should have remembered how strong your instincts are after a fight." She glanced at Yahaba, and the earth mage was sure the healer was remembering the aftermath of the final battle. She and Yachi had finished healing one of Karasuno's familiars - Yahaba couldn't remember his name - and were resting, recharging for the next patient, when the lower-ranked healers had come to them, begging for someone to please just make the wolf stop, because even though Yahaba hadn't been injured, he'd been too exhausted to move, and Kyoutani had refused to let anyone near him, snapping and snarling at anyone who came too close. Kiyoko, worn out from healing that suppressor demon whose name Yahaba couldn't remember, had practically glided over to Kyoutani and informed him that he was scaring Yachi and everyone else, and so he should stop growling so much. Kyoutani hadn't been entirely sure how to react to that, so he'd just kind of laid down between Yahaba and everyone else and reduced his protectiveness to giving glares to anyone who approached. An unfortunate side effect of that day was that the Guild members in general came to believe that there were three people in the world who weren't afraid of Kyoutani, and they were Iwaizumi, Yahaba, and Kiyoko, so any time Yahaba or Kyoutani needed healing, the healers sent them to Kiyoko.
"I'm assuming the bandits are taken care of," Yahaba said calmly.
"I'll send a patrol to make sure," Kindaichi replied. He left, and Yahaba glanced at Kyoutani, then turned to Kiyoko.
"How badly was he hurt?" the earth mage asked, because Kyoutani never admitted the full extent of his injuries if he could help it, but Kiyoko and Yachi would tell him.
"The worst of it was a bruised rib," Kiyoko answered. "What did you and Kindaichi want?" she added curiously.
"Ah, apparently Iwaizumi has kidnapped Oikawa and left Kindaichi in charge," Yahaba sighed.
"I'll help however I can," the healer assured him before he even asked. "I'm assuming Kindaichi requested your help, too?" Yahaba nodded.
"They left?" Kyoutani frowned. Yahaba turned and leveled a stern look at his familiar.
"Don't think that means you and I won't be having a long talk about you running off fighting bandits by yourself," the earth mage said firmly. Kyoutani avoided meeting his gaze, so the mage stepped forward and murmured in his ear, low enough so Kiyoko and Yachi wouldn't hear, "I mean it, Kentarou. Don't try to escape." Then Yahaba smiled at the two healers before leaving the room, wondering where Kindaichi had gone.