119

Chapter 119:

"So...what do you think?" asked Jaune, settling across the table from Oscar.

Oscar sipped from the paper cup of spiced cider Jaune had bought for him from one of the festival booths. "It's good," he said, with a smile.

Jaune could have just gotten a couple of sodas from a nearby vending machine. But it seemed more appropriate to take advantage of the incredible variety of concessions being sold throughout the festival grounds, and get Oscar something that would only be available here and now.

Jaune smiled back, but that smile quickly faded, replaced by a slightly sad, even apologetic expression.

"I-is something wrong?" asked Oscar nervously, wondering why Jaune wanted to speak to him alone.

Jaune sighed, running a hand through his blonde locks. "It's just...there's no easy way to put this, but..." He took a deep breath, before giving Oscar a serious expression. "Look...Oscar...I know why you came to Vale."

"Y-you do?" asked Oscar, shifting nervously.

"Yeah," said Jaune. "It was pretty obvious. You like Ruby, don't you, I mean seriously like-like her."

Oscar sputtered incoherently, cheeks flushing bright red. "That's...uh..."

"Like I said," said Jaune, a rueful smile flickering across his face for a second, "pretty obvious." He sighed again. "That's why I'm going to go ahead and apologize to you right now."

"Huh?" grunted Oscar.

"I'm sorry, but Ruby and I..." Jaune averted his eyes, not sure there was a gentle way he could put this. "...We're already together. She's my girlfriend."

Oscar's eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly. "Oh..."

Jaune couldn't help but grimace as he saw the energy drain out of Oscar's face. He felt like a jerk for crushing Oscar's hopes so completely, like he was some kind of animal staking his claim and running off a rival.

"I...I don't know how to make this any easier," Jaune said. "I just wanted to be honest and upfront with you."

He could see that Oscar was struggling to hold back tears. Jaune could understand. After all, Oscar had really gone out on a limb. Traveling all the way from a farming town in Anima, across the sea to Vale, couldn't have been easy...or cheap. Jaune didn't want to think about just how much of his savings, or maybe even his family's money, Oscar had used to fund this trip to Vale, all to see and connect with a girl he liked, a girl he'd now learned was out of his reach.

"Don't worry, you'll find someone," or "There are plenty of fish in the sea," were such hollow reassurances in the face of such a crushing disappointment. Jaune felt that he would be an even bigger jerk if he tried to reassure Oscar with such rote words.

"Wh-why even tell me?" asked Oscar.

"Part of it is I didn't want you to get your hopes up," said Jaune. "I also wanted to make it easier for Ruby. It would have hurt her to have to shoot you down."

"Would she have?" asked Oscar, lifting his head, a slight competitive glint in his eye.

"I think she would," said Jaune. "I believe in what Ruby and I have, and that she wouldn't just throw that away for someone else." He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "If you really want to try, Oscar, I won't stop you. This isn't me threatening your or trying to block you off. I just...well..." He shook his head. "I don't want to come off as territorial, but...I love Ruby. And she loves me. We established that a while back, and we're happy together. I just wanted to be honest with you."

Oscar looked at Jaune, tears building up in his eyes. Sniffling, he ducked his head and rubbed them furiously. "Dammit!"

Jaune didn't say anything, feeling like he might cry a bit himself. He had a lot of sympathy for Oscar, and a lot of respect for the lengths the younger boy had been willing to go to, the chance he'd been willing to take. That kind of daring and determination were something he respected a lot, and it felt wrong for it to go unrewarded.

"Are you gonna be okay?" asked Jaune, leaning forward.

"I...I need some time," said Oscar, lifting his head up, eyes reddened. "Part of me doesn't want to accept it. Part of me still wants to try."

"I'll let you, if you want," said Jaune. "One thing I know about Ruby is that she wouldn't forgive me if I tried to run you off, just because you like her. I don't want to do that kind of thing anyway. I haven't known you very long, barely even half an hour, but I can tell you're a great guy, Oscar."

"You can...?" asked Oscar, blinking.

Jaune nodded. "Yeah. You came all the way out here, just on the chance that you could meet Ruby again, and maybe start something with her. It was a serious risk. But you took it. I can't even begin to guess what you had to give up to take this chance. Someone who tries that hard for someone like Ruby can't be bad."

"Thanks," said Oscar. "I guess it was stupid of me. There's no way she could love some farm-boy from out in the sticks, not when she has someone like you."

"Don't sell yourself short," said Jaune, "and don't give me too much credit. Seriously."

"What do you mean?" asked Oscar, looking at Jaune skeptically. "You're at Beacon with her. You guys are all the cream of the crop, right?"

Jaune couldn't stop himself. His body lurched as he snorted loudly.

"Me, the cream of the crop..." He sighed, shaking his head. "Oscar, I'm a massive dork. I'll be up-front with you. You, right now, are probably a better man than I am. I came to Beacon with no training, no idea of what it took to be a Huntsman, beyond knowing how to swing a sword around a little. I was a poser, a loser..."

Oscar stared at Jaune incredulously. "But that's...but you..."

Jaune glanced down at himself. "Don't let the outfit fool you," he said. "This is a recent addition. 'Armored hobo' was one of Ruby's favorite terms for how I used to look."

Oscar snorted himself, hands going up to stifle the laughter that threatened to break out.

"Yeah," agreed Jaune. "I was not what you'd call a 'hot commodity'."

"But how did you...?" asked Oscar, waving a hand lamely.

Jaune glanced upwards, smiling wistfully. "I can really understand your feelings. Ruby changed your life, didn't she?"

"She did," agreed Oscar. "Grimm attacked our town. Mom and Dad were killed." He sighed, averting his eyes for a few seconds, before smiling again. "I was in the cellar of our house, hiding. But they knew I was there. I could hear them digging for me. Then they just went quiet. At first I was afraid that they were trying something else. But then the doors opened, and there she was...

"After that, she and her sister did everything they could to help me. Ruby was there, the whole time I was grieving over my parents. They came with me to see my aunt, even though they had to go out of their way to do it. When I learned she was training to be a Huntress, I...I thought it was amazing. And I thought that I'd be willing to do anything to be by her side."

Jaune found himself smiling at that. "Yeah, that sounds like Ruby all right. Even before she came to Beacon, she was already living like a Huntress."

Oscar nodded. "At first, it seemed impossible. I was just a parentless farm-boy. Auntie Em didn't have the money to send me to Combat School. I thought my chance was gone. But then Ms. Maria showed up, and I found my chance."

Jaune nodded. "Ruby changed my world too," he said. "Truth be told, I was such an idiot that I had no idea what I was in for. If Ruby hadn't been there on the day of initiation, I would've been dead."

"Really?" gasped Oscar.

"Yep," said Jaune. "I didn't even have my Aura unlocked when Ozpin launched all us off a cliff. But Ruby noticed, and she was there to catch me. After that...After that..."

Jaune shook his head. "She took an unbelievable chance. She offered to help me, to train me, so that I could become a real Huntsman. She worked me like crazy, and it actually worked. Ruby gave up so much of her time, put so much of her energy into helping me...it's hard to think how I couldn't fall for her."

Oscar nodded, enraptured by Jaune's story.

Jaune looked across the table at Oscar with a serious expression. "If our positions had been reversed, I think you'd have had just as much chance to be with her. Heck! You'd probably have an even better chance. In the end, though it's hard to put it like this, I guess it just came down to luck of the draw. I was the one who lucked out, and got to spend so much time with her, bonding with her, until we actually decided to be more than just partners."

"Time, huh..." mused Oscar ruefully. "I guess that makes sense. You know...after that interview, I thought about sending her a letter, but I chickened out. Part of me was afraid that she'd think I was someone latching onto her, after she got all famous for fighting Pyrrha Nikos to a draw."

"Well, she did get a lot of mail during that time," noted Jaune. "And we were having a hard time sorting out the fan and hate-mail from everything else, so..." he shrugged.

Oscar nodded, then sipped his cider. "Thanks, Jaune. I'm...I'm glad you did this."

"You are?" asked Jaune.

Oscar nodded again. "You're right. It's better that I just accept it, and I'm glad that you told me the truth. I could've just carried on, not knowing, and had Ruby shoot me down herself. That would've hurt both of us."

"That's good," said Jaune. "Even if you and Ruby can't be together, you can still be friends."

"I'll try," said Oscar. "It's not as though I can just drop feelings like this overnight."

"Feelings that drove you to travel to an entirely different continent?" asked Jaune rhetorically. "I'd think you were crazy if you did."

"Thanks," said Oscar.

"So...ready to join the others?" asked Jaune.

"Yeah," said Oscar, looking up at him. "You know, do you think we could be friends too?"

Jaune grinned. "As two guys who fell for the same girl, I think we already are."

The silence that fell over the office, following Natsuki's revelation, was broken only by the low clicks of the gears perpetually churning around everyone. Finally, it was Ironwood who spoke.

"H-how!?" he demanded. "How could a Mibu be a Maiden?"

"If I recall, there is nothing that dictates a Mibu would be ineligible," said Sasame in a teasing tone. "If a Maiden dies without a successor in mind, or their chosen successor is ineligible, then the power goes to someone else at random, correct?"

"That is correct," agreed Ozpin.

"That is what happened," said Sasame simply. "After all, it isn't as though the Mibu Clan is short on young women. There was every chance that one of them would have become a Maiden sooner or later. Given the averages, I'm rather surprised that a Maiden didn't appear amongst our number before Natsu-chan."

Ozpin nodded. "As much as possible, we have tried to ensure that proper candidates were prepared, when a Maiden passed. However, there have been...lapses..."

"Yes," said Sasame, her tone darkening and her expression becoming more serious, "...lapse is indeed the word I would use, Ozpin-dono."

Natsuki and Ruby found themselves edging away from Sasame slightly, watching her nervously. Sasame's Aura was gradually becoming agitated, like water coming to a boil. The look she was giving Ozpin was just shy of a glare.

"And what lapse have I committed?" asked Ozpin earnestly.

"It would seem that, while you set a maximum age limit for those who are eligible to receive the magic, you forgot to set a minimum one," said Sasame, resting her hands on her hips, her tone scolding. "Natsu-chan was barely a month old, when the power came upon her. If it weren't for Makoto-sama's quick action, her life would have been considerably more difficult, because of that."

Glynda gasped softly, while Ironwood was floored, sputtering in shock.

"Y-you've been sheltering the Summer Maiden for fifteen years!" he exclaimed.

"Sheltering implies that we were hiding her," said Sasame. "In a sense, I suppose we were. However, our aim was to ensure that Natsu-chan had as normal a childhood as possible, before we allowed her to choose whether or not to embrace her status as a Maiden."

"You could do that?" asked Glynda. "But how? Becoming a Maiden is permanent."

"It is," said Sasame. "However, immediately after Natsu-chan was empowered, Makoto-sama, our Chief Physician, placed a seal in her that kept it from bonding with her Aura. If she chose to forgo that responsibility, then Makoto-sama would have been able to exorcise the magic, and send it on its way to the next host."

"Yet, it would appear that you have chosen to embrace that magic," noted Ozpin, his gaze going to Natsuki. "May I ask why?"

Natsuki looked down at her feet. "I...I''m not like Ruby-chan," she admitted. "Ruby-chan wants to fight for and save other people. I've never really had that motivation. I was never interested in being a hero. But...I was never against it either.

"If Makoto-sama exorcised the magic, then it would have just gone to some other girl, someone who'd have to deal with suddenly having a strange power, and being hunted by Salem. I couldn't do that. I could've just let Makoto-sama keep maintaining the seal, while I lived out my life. But just sitting on that power and doing nothing with it didn't feel right either. So..." Natsuki looked at Ozpin and shrugged. "I'm still not sure what to do with it, to be honest. But I'll figure something out."

Ozpin smiled. "I'm grateful," he admitted. "I am sorry that you were forced to confront such a decision at such a young age. It is my oversight." He bowed his head contritely.

Sasame's Aura calmed down into its usual tranquil Temper, and she nodded, accepting Ozpin's apology, even though it had been directed at Natsuki.

"Now then," she said, "onto practical matters. Natsu-chan made her decision a little over a year ago. However, Makoto-sama removed the seal only a few months ago, so Natsu-chan's control over her magic is very nascent."

"Why not remove the seal immediately?" asked Ironwood.

"Natsu-chan was training in the Mumyo Homusubi Ryu," explained Sasame. "Since she was still building her proficiency in her chosen Manifestation, we did not wish to...muddy the waters...so to speak. Even now, after unlocking her magic, Natsu-chan's training has been primarily centered around utilizing one or the other, so as to ensure that she will not accidentally draw upon her magic, when she is intending to use her Aura."

"A novel approach," said Ozpin. "Certainly one that only the Mibu are presently equipped to take. And what then?"

It was Natsuki who answered. "After that, I was going to work on how I could use my magic and Aura together," she explained. "But, in order to do that, I'd need to know what magic can do. So...that's why I'm here."

Ozpin smiled. "Indeed, I can instruct you in the use of your magic, Ms. Shinomori. On top of that, there is another here, whom you can learn from, and who could learn from you as well."

Ruby gasped. "Amber!" It hadn't even occurred to her to introduce Natsuki to the other Maiden she knew. Ruby was sure the idea would have come to her sooner or later, since she would have introduced Amber to her friends from home at some point. But Ozpin had broached the idea first.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Glynda, giving Ozpin a dubious look. "Having two Maidens in the same place is a serious risk."

Ozpin's gaze lowered. "It is," he admitted. "But it is a risk we may need to take."

"And why is that?" asked Sasame.

Ozpin gave Sasame a sorrowful look. "You mentioned my lapses earlier," he said. "It is to my shame that I have yet another consequence of my lapses to report, namely that the power of one of the other Maidens, the Spring Maiden, has found its way into a rather unsavory host, and it may be best if the power of the Maidens who are allied with us were marshaled against her."

"And who is that?" asked Sasame.

"Someone whose path you've crossed before," said Ozpin. "Her name is Raven Branwen..."

Jaune and Oscar had returned to the main group, by the time Ruby, Natsuki, and Sasame caught up with them. By that time, the day had waned. Soon, it was time for Maria and Oscar to catch the next flight into Vale, and return to their lodgings. Jaune still felt a little guilty for shooting Oscar down, realizing that getting a hotel room during the festival had to have been expensive.

For his part, Oscar was silent and pensive on the flight back. Maria sat beside him silently, not asking a single question. They walked in silence all the way back to their hotel, until they reached their room. Finally, there, behind closed doors, Oscar's control began to slip, and he shuddered, letting out a soft whimper.

"I can imagine it wasn't an easy thing to learn," said Maria, resting a hand against Oscar's back.

Oscar didn't bother asking how Maria knew. It had probably been just as obvious to everyone else in the group as his feelings had been to Jaune.

"That's the sad thing about life," said Maria. "Sometimes you have the courage to take a tremendous risk...and it doesn't pay off. When you roll the dice, your number doesn't always come up."

"I know," said Oscar despondently. "I know dwelling over it won't do me any good, but I can't let go...not just yet."

"That's only natural," said Maria, her tone darkening. "To live is to lose...things, people...learning to let go is difficult."

Oscar nodded, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve.

"You could still try, you know," said Maria, looking up at him with a smile. "But, if that girl was the kind to abandon someone, just on the chance she'd be better off with somebody else, then she'd definitely not be worth all the trouble you went through. You have good taste, Oscar. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise."

"Thanks," said Oscar.

"Go wash up," instructed Maria. "Then go to bed. Tomorrow, tackle this festival with a clean slate."

"Yes, Ma'am," said Oscar, giving Maria a grateful smile, before heading to the bathroom.

Maria hobbled over to the room's easy-chair, settling herself into it. Setting her walking stick down, she leaned it against the chair's arm, before leaning back, her prosthetic eyes whirring as she gazed dully at the ceiling. I still need to find a chance to speak to that girl alone, she thought. This is an opportunity I can't let slip past.

"You have a boyfriend!?" exclaimed Natsuki, staring at Ruby with wide eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You just got here," Ruby countered.

"She's not wrong," said Miyu with a small giggle.

"I'm glad to see that you and Jaune-kun are doing so well," said Sasame. "I knew he would be a good fit for you."

Ruby puffed out her cheeks, pouting at Sasame, who merely raised her fingers and pressed Ruby's puffed cheeks inward, prompting the trapped air to come sputtering out, prompting laughs from Miyu and Natsuki, while Setsuna chuckled quietly, over by where he sat.

Ruby looked between her friends and her sister, then sighed, lowering her head in defeat. Deciding to shift the topic, she raised her head to look at Sasame. "By the way, Jaune's been learning how to heal."

"Is that so?" mused Sasame. "I knew that was a path that was well-suited to him. I'm glad to see he's following it."

"There's more to it than that!" exclaimed Ruby. "Jaune has this amazing power. Kyo-nii says he's a Shaman."

"Really!?" exclaimed Natsuki and Miyu in unison. Even Setsuna looked surprised, staring at Ruby with wide eyes.

Ruby nodded eagerly. She quickly explained Jaune's unique ability to amplify the Aura of himself and others. Sasame listened raptly, her tail waving behind her, gradually moving faster and faster, betraying her eagerness.

"Well now, this changes things," said Sasame finally. "It's clear that Jaune-kun would definitely benefit from proper instruction." She paused, pinching her chin. "I was planning to do that, if he had decided to become a healer, but this information makes it all the more imperative. I shall have to speak to Ozpin-dono to see what arrangements we can make."

"Arrangements for what?" asked Ruby.

"To take him back with us," said Sasame, drawing a startled gasp from Ruby. "If Jaune-kun is truly going to apply his potential in that kind of direction, then tutoring him over the brief period of the festival is no good. I should bring him back to the Mibu and ensure that he can be trained intensively."

Ruby's jaw hung slack. Of course she'd figured that Sasame would provide some training to Jaune. But hauling him all the way back to Onmyo was the last thing she'd imagined her sister would do, and while Jaune was still a first-year student at Beacon no less.

"But he can't leave," Ruby protested. "We need him here."

"I'd give him back," Sasame countered, speaking of Jaune as though he were an object to be loaned out.

"Can't you come back?" asked Ruby. "You could visit again and train him then."

She was shocked to see her suggestion immediately wipe any trace of happiness from Sasame's face. Instead, her expression was placed by one of deep melancholy as she spoke her next words. "I'm sorry, Ruby-chan. But I'm afraid that this may be the last opportunity that I have to visit you. When I return home to the Mibu, it will be for a long while, possibly for good."

Ruby gasped, the bottom dropping out of her stomach. "What!? But...why?"

Sasame smiled sadly. "This is to be my last excursion to the outside world, I'm afraid," she said. "I've run out of excuses, and I can't put it off any longer. When I return, I will be taking on the mantle of Saisei of the Goyosei. After that, my duties will confine me to Leng for the foreseeable future."

Ruby shuddered, tears building in her eyes. "B-but...but..."

Her friends all looked on with saddened expressions. They had learned this before Ruby had, but had been instructed not to tell her about it. In a sense, they were glad, as only Sasame could be allowed to break the news to her.

"Oh, Ruby-chan," said Sasame, pulling Ruby into a hug. Her tail divided, the nine appendages wrapping Ruby up in a cocoon of soft warmth. "I know this is hard. Part of me doesn't want to go through with this either. But...you've grown into such a beautiful young woman, one who is moving forward in life, walking the path of her own choosing. Watching you led me to realize that the time has come for me to stop dragging my heels. It is time for me to move forward as well, and travel the path I've sought for myself."

She planted a lingering kiss on Ruby's forehead. "You'll be fine, Ruby-chan. You've grown so strong and beautiful. You've been blessed with wonderful friends, and the love an excellent young man. I know you're mature enough that you don't really need to cling to me."

Sasame pulled out of the embrace, moving her hands up to gently cup Ruby's cheeks, her thumbs working to wipe away the tears that glistened on them. "No matter what, even if we're far apart, you'll still always be my dear and precious little sister, the most wonderful girl in the whole wide world."

Ruby hiccuped, then sniffled, before smiling and nodding.

"Besides, if I have my way, it won't be forever," said Sasame.

"Huh?" Ruby blinked.

Sasame smiled. "Part of the reason I plan on accepting the name of Saisei is so that I can lend my support to Sora-sama. She has decided to openly campaign for the opening of our borders, so that we might join hands with the rest of the world. I want to give her my support, and the support of Saisei will be leagues more valuable than that of Sasame."

"You're really going to do it?" asked Ruby.

She wasn't the only one shocked. Her other three friends were just as floored by this revelation as she was, none of them having heard a hint of this before.

Sasame nodded. "It won't be easy. Many influential members of the clan are still heavily against such a thing. But Sora-sama and I believe it necessary, the rest of the Taishiro as well. We will make it happen and, with you as our emissary, we will reveal ourselves to the rest of the world."

"Me?!" exclaimed Ruby.

"I'm sorry," said Sasame, bowing her head slightly. "I...I don't wish to use you. However, with you following the path that you are, and the good that you have done, and will continue to do, what better example of what the Mibu can bring to the wider world could we ask for?"

"That makes sense!" exclaimed Natsuki, jumping back into the conversation with her usual gusto. "With Ruby-chan showing everyone how awesome she is, the Mibu would have no problem."

Sasame tittered, and even Ruby found herself giggling, the unhappy feeling at knowing this would be Sasame's last visit evaporating a little.

"Anyway," said Sasame, bringing her attention back to Ruby. "My objective then would be to get this through fast enough that I will have the freedom to attend your graduation, Ruby-chan."

"I'd like that," said Ruby.

"Good," said Sasame. "Now then...there's still the issue of how to convince Ozpin-dono to let me take Jaune-kun back with us. But I suppose we can worry about that later."

Ruby still didn't think that was a feasible idea, but she could see that Sasame was dead-set on it.

"Now then," said Sasame, her smile turning into a mischievous grin, "I don't believe you've yet told us just how the two of you got together. I intend to get all the details, Ruby-chan."

Miyu and Natsuki settled in on either side of Sasame, smiling dangerous smiles of their own, while Setsuna sighed and shook his head, beginning to edge towards the door, giving Ruby an apologetic look to match her pleading one.

This was girl-talk, after all, which meant that he, the boy, was free to make his escape. Ruby, on the other hand, was not so lucky.

The Vytal Festival was an affair that lasted a little over three weeks. It had officially begun on Saturday. Besides the commencement ceremony, which had been conducted in Amity Coliseum, and broadcast across most of the world, there weren't any special events until Monday, when the tournament commenced. As such, Sunday was essentially a free day for everyone, including the tournament participants.

In Ruby's case, being free didn't mean that she wasn't busy. If anything, the arrival of Sasame and her friends had cluttered her schedule up unbelievably. Her friends from home had to be introduced to the rest of the friends she'd made at Beacon, including the boys of Team SSSN, Team CPPR, and Ashley, who gladly took advantage of Beacon's now-open campus to visit freely. On top of that, Ruby needed to make the necessary arrangements to get all the right people into the right place, so that she could fully bring them up to speed on current events, mainly informing her friends about Natsuki being the Summer Maiden, as well as bringing Natsuki and Sasame up to speed on the conflict against Salem in Vale. To simplify things, and because they were well-trusted friends, Sasame and Natsuki made the decision to include Miyu and Setsuna, finally revealing the last secret that had lingered between them.

And, of course, it also meant introducing the Summer Maiden to the Fall Maiden...and revealing Kyo's relationship to Sasame, much to his utter mortification.

"Well well well well weeeeeeeeeeellllll..." teased Sasame, grinning slyly at Kyo, sitting across from her in the living room of his suite, "this is a wonderful surprise, Kyo. You're certainly doing a magnificent job of imitating your father. Imagine how Sora-sama will react when you bring Amber-san home."

Kyo's face glowed bright red, his eyes hidden by his bangs as he dipped his face down to keep from making eye contact with Sasame. Beside him sat Amber, her own cheeks reddening.

"Sasame...th-that's not..." Kyo hadn't felt this tongue-tied since his first meeting with Amber. Leave it to Sasame to leave me at a loss for words, he thought.

Standing off to the side, Ruby and Natsuki stifled giggles of their own.

"Anyway...we haven't really..." Kyo looked up. "That is to say...it would be presumptuous of me to call Amber-san..." His voice trailed off, and he averted his eyes again.

"Really now," said Sasame, raising an eyebrow. "Yet the two of you seem to be doing quite well together, to my eyes. Are you sure...?"

"Um..." Kyo fought to find a response.

"A-actually," stammered Amber. "I am."

"You are you?" asked Sasame, leaning forward. "And what is it that you are sure of?"

Still blushing, Amber looked at Kyo, who was watching her with a slightly confused and hopeful expression. She smiled. "I've decided...I'd like to stay with him, if that's possible."

Kyo's eyes widened, his mouth opening softly, a look of wonder on his face, as though he couldn't quite comprehend what he'd just heard.

"It's more than possible," said Sasame, smiling all the wider. Then she took a deep breath, regarding them with a sober expression. "However...this complicates things as well."

"It does...?" asked Amber.

Kyo's embarrassment disappeared, and he adopted a serious look that mirrored Sasame's. "I'm aware," he said.

"Then you're aware that Amber-san's life is in your hands, when the inevitable happens," said Sasame.

"I don't understand," said Amber, looking back and forth between the two of them. "What are you talking about?"

"Kyo has mentioned him to you, hasn't he?" asked Sasame.

"Him...?" Amber blinked. "Wait! Are you talking about Jester?"

"So that's the name he's using now," said Sasame, frowning darkly. "Of course it is..."

"What about him?" asked Ruby, stepping forward.

Sasame gave Ruby a sober look. "Kyo has told you about him, of course. The reason we Mibu have never interfered with Salem is because he stands between us and her."

"I've met him," said Ruby. "The Ennui's driven him completely mad."

"What's going on?" asked Natsuki. "Who's Jester?"

"An existence beyond that of men, beyond that of gods or demons," said Sasame.

"And one who can keep the accumulated power of the Mibu at bay," added Kyo.

"But what are you talking about, with Kyo and me?" asked Amber.

"We speak of Jester as though we have an agreement, a treaty of sorts, with him," said Sasame. "The truth is that everything is entirely at his discretion. However, he has his rules, and he abides by them, as far as we know."

"But what does that have to do with me?" asked Amber.

Sasame sighed. "Because Kyo starting a relationship with you, and taking you under his protection, means that he has crossed that line. He now stands directly between Salem and her objective, opposes her, in other words. And that means that it will be Jester who comes for you next time, the one person in the whole of the world that Kyo is unable to kill."

Amber shivered, directing a frightened look at Kyo, who stared down at his hands, resting on his knees, bunching the fabric of his kimono.

"I had no idea..." whispered Ruby, realizing that she had a hand in this. After all, she had been the one to nudge the two of them together in the first place. Had she known that encouraging such a relationship would exact such a heavy toll, would she have still done it?

She honestly didn't know.

"You are in a similar situation, Natsu-chan," added Sasame, now looking at Natsuki.

"I am?" Natsuki straightened nervously.

Sasame nodded. "You are a Maiden, yet you are also a Mibu. From what we know of Jester, he views you as having to choose between one or the other. Had you chosen to simply act as custodian of the Maiden's magic, or allowed Makoto-sama to exorcise it, he would not take action against you. But you have embraced the magic, chosen to serve as the Summer Maiden, which means that you have now stepped outside the demesne of the Mibu. If we shelter you from Salem, we cross that line as well, and Jester would come for you, by going through us."

"Why?" asked Natsuki, her eyes tearing up. "Why didn't anyone tell me this? If I go back, I'll be putting everyone in danger, won't I?"

Sasame sighed. "I'm not sure. Makoto-sama insisted that Jester not be treated as a factor, when it came to informing your decision. My best guess is that he didn't want you to be afraid for our sake. After all, regardless of Jester's 'rules', if he comes for you, we will stand against him, regardless of the outcome."

She shook her head slowly. "And, in that sense, he may have already begun."

"How?" asked Natsuki.

"Adam Taurus," guessed Ruby.

"Huh?" The others all looked at her in confusion.

"Jester took Taurus from the White Fang," said Ruby. "He says that he's been training him. I think that has something to do with it."

"I see..." said Sasame, her frown deepening. "That does make sense, considering what happened back home."

"What happened?" asked Ruby.

"It wasn't all that long after I got back to Onmyo," said Sasame. "There was a theft. Murasame-sama's vault was plundered, and one of the clan's Treasure Blades stolen."

"WHAT!?" shrieked Natsuki, shooting to her face. "When?! I never heard anything about that!"

Ruby covered her mouth, unable to fully mask the look of horror that washed over her face.

Amber looked around, having no idea what was going on.

"I'm sorry," said Sasame, turning an apologetic smile on Amber. "I should elaborate for you, Amber-san.

"Murasame-sama is a member of the Taishiro, our clan's leaders. For simplicity's sake, you wouldn't be wrong to think of them as our equivalent to the Kingdoms' Councils. However, he is also the Mibu Blademaster. He is the overseer of our clan's weapon and armor smiths. He himself is the greatest swordsmith in all the clan. However, the Blademaster has an additional duty. He is the custodian of our clan's Treasure Blades, the relics forged by previous Blademasters. Treasure Blades include the likes of Kyo's Tenro."

Amber's eyes darted to the sword that rested on a rack, over by the door.

"One of Natsu-chan's kodachi is also a Treasure Blade," added Sasame.

"Huh?" Ruby looked at Natsuki, who blushed, one hand going to gently brush against the handle of the shorter of her two kodachi.

"That kodachi is actually the last creation of the great Muramasa," continued Sasame, prompting Ruby's jaw to drop. "It was ranked as equal to the four great Demonblades that he forged before it, including Tenro. And though he never bestowed a name upon it, in the years after its creation, people would come to name it after the person he forged it for...Yuya."

"And this Jester...stole one of these swords?" asked Amber, glancing between everyone else int he room.

Sasame nodded. "He is the only one with the skill to steal into our midst, and walk out with one of our most precious treasures, without us having the slightest inkling of anything going on," she said. "Murasame-sama didn't even notice there'd been an intrusion until days later. The sword he stole is called Hakuya. It was a creation of Muramasa's own teacher, Julian."

"Hakuya..." said Ruby, testing the name with her own tongue.

"It is a large, broad blade," said Sasame. "Though both large and heavy, if mastered, it has the potential to be the fastest blade ever forged. Its name means 'White Night' because it is like the light cutting through darkness."

"Can it be used for an Iaijutsu style?" asked Ruby.

Sasame nodded. "In fact, many of those who have employed it in the past, including its original wielder, used it in such a fashion.

"I thought so," said Ruby. "So he must have stolen the sword for Adam to use, and he's been training Adam in Mibu-style techniques."

"The next time he appears, he will be stronger by an order of magnitude," said Sasame.

"So that's the balance he struck," said Kyo. "We trained Ruby-chan in the Mibu's Manifestation arts, and then allowed her to go to Beacon, so he did the same for one on Salem's side."

"But what about now?" asked Amber. "What do we do?"

"Only one thing," said Kyo, meeting Sasame's eyes. "One way or another, we bring about Jester's end...for good this time."

"How?" asked Amber. "You said it was impossible, that even god-slaying techniques couldn't be able to win against him."

"We'll just have to find a way," said Kyo, Sasame nodding her agreement. "If it is impossible for us to do now, we will find the path to making the impossible possible. However, as I said before, both Tou-san and O-Kaa-san believe that Ruby-chan is the key to making that happen."

"Yes, but why...how?" Ruby wanted to know.

"About that...I may have an answer," said Sasame. "Though it is only a partial one, I'm afraid, as I do not know what to make of it either."

"What is it?" asked Ruby.

Sasame took a deep breath, looking carefully at Ruby. "Ruby-chan, you are a very special girl, in more ways than one."

"What...how?" wondered Ruby.

"Because...you have Silver Eyes."

Vale's airport resembled a hive of insects. Airships of a variety of shapes and sizes were landing or lifting off at any given time. They ranged in variety and type, from long-range intercontinental cruisers, designed to ferry hundreds of passengers across the distance between Kingdoms, to smaller, personal models, many of which were designed to fly to and from much closer locales. Normally, the airspace around Vale's airport wasn't so crowded. But the arrival of the Vytal Festival had brought with it a dramatic increase in traffic coming into and going out of the Kingdom, especially the former.

Of course, the airport wasn't unique in this situation. The docks and rail station were just as crowded, as trains and ships brought in visitors from all across the four Kingdoms. They were also the primary hubs, through which much of the cargo needed to keep the festival going was brought in. Agricultural settlements were sending in tons upon tons of food to meet the orders of the restaurants and other purveyors who had taken on the task of feeding those who had come to attend the festival. Other places supplied vast numbers of the countless other consumables that the attendees would go through during their stay. And, of course, there was the Dust.

The docks were practically clogged with freighters, packed to the brim with the vital resource, much of it earmarked for use in Amity Coliseum, keeping the massive structure aloft, while also fueling the biome generators that would be used in the arena during the matches. With the White Fang having given up its Dust-thefts, and the trade routes now free of the threat of piracy, things were running like clockwork, and the near-crippling Dust-shortage of a few short months ago seemed like a distant memory.

In the midst of all that hustle and bustle, it was easy to miss the presence of a single airship weaving its way through the skies of Vale, slipping around its larger cousins, while carefully skirting the flight paths of those more its own size. The simple bullhead swooped down towards Vale's airport, its wings switching to its hover configuration as it slowed to a swift stop over its designated landing pad with near pinpoint precision, before lowering the final few feet onto the pad.

As its engines wound down, the passenger bay doors slid open, and the air was filled with several high-pitched voices as a gaggle of six young women spilled out from within, all chattering excitedly with one another. Anyone who looked at them would have, correctly, assumed that they were related, seeing as they each sported the same set of blonde hair and blue eyes, though their body types and builds ranged between them, along with their ages.

The bullhead's cockpit door opened, while the passenger bay doors closed. From within the cockpit stepped and older woman, sporting a head of short, grayish-black hair, its tips curling upwards, giving it a slightly messy look. She stepped down onto the tarmac, her sea-green eyes taking in her assembled family.

"All right, girls," she said cheerfully, "don't go wandering off yet. Your father is still shutting things down. Mari, Daisy, Citrine, stay with your big sisters, okay?"

"Okaaaay!" chorused the three younger girls in almost perfect unison.

"Oriana, Aurea, Xanthe, remember that you're the responsible ones," added Sapphira Arc.

"Yes, Mom," chorused the three older girls in unison.

A couple minutes later, Sapphira's husband emerged from the cockpit, closing and locking the door behind him. "All shut down," he declared. "We're ready to head into town."

Blaine yelped as his wife swatted the back of his head. "That was for pulling that stunt with your landing," she said. "I don't need you being a daredevil of a pilot, not when our daughters are onboard."

"Yes, Ma'am," said Blaine meekly, rubbing the top of his head. He had obtained some renown as a skilled Huntsman, but his wife was always quick to remind him that she had once been a successful Huntress herself.

In front of them, their daughters giggled and laughed at the couple's interplay.

"All right, all right," said Blaine, getting back on track. "Let's get going. Saphron and Terra are meeting us at the hotel."

"And when are we gonna see Jaune?" asked Marigold, the youngest Arc daughter, her golden hair a mass of curls.

"It's going to be a bit yet," said Blaine. "The boy's gonna be busy as all get out."

"I still don't believe that he got into Beacon," commented Aurea with a dismissive air. The closest to Jaune in age, she had made a hobby of teasing him, when they were younger, a tendency that had been somewhat exacerbated by the dismissive manner her parents had treated him with, when it came to his aspirations to be a Huntsman. Despite her father returning home to inform them that Jaune had, in fact, been accepted into Beacon, and was doing quite well to boot, she remained stubbornly skeptical that such a thing was possible for her clumsy, accident-prone brother.

Seeing her reaction, Blaine let out a soft huff. While Aurea's skepticism was the most blatant, it was still shared by the three youngest daughters of the family, all of whom were younger than Jaune. Even the oldest girls were having difficulty accepting it. In fact, the only one Blaine had fully convinced of the truth was his wife, who'd immediately insisted on going back to Beacon to "save their boy, before he got himself killed." It had taken a great deal of work on Blaine's part to get her to stay put until the Vytal Festival came around. And even then, Blaine knew her first impulse upon meeting Jaune would be to try and convince him to come home, something Blaine knew would not go over well.

Thus, it was his hope to keep the women in his life from meeting up with Jaune before his team made their debut in the Vytal Festival Tournament. Hopefully, seeing Jaune in action would counter their worries and skepticism enough that they could engage with Jaune without talking down at him, and getting even deeper into his bad graces than they already were.

That would take some doing on his part. After all, the tournament matches were picked at random, and the first round took place across the course of four days. There was no telling which day Jaune's team would be selected, or what match they would fight in. On top of that, the festival grounds were at Beacon. His family would want to visit them as soon as possible, which meant that the chances of a run-in with Jaune were all the greater.

Silently, Blaine resolved to discreetly text a warning to his son as soon as possible, if Saphron didn't take care of that first.

Taking a deep breath, Blaine rallied himself, then called his family together, preparing to guide them through the city. It was going to be like herding cats, and he already had a feeling that his plans were just as likely to come crashing down as they were to be fulfilled.

Nearby, close to the rental landing pad, where the Arc Family had parked their bullhead, another airship was settling in for a landing, this one a commercial airliner from Mistral. This was no mere bulk-passenger vessel, with a cabin packed with rows upon rows of seats, all set together to hold as many people as possible. No, this one was a full sky-liner, a multi-tiered vessel capable of ferrying its wealthy clientele between Kingdoms in comfort and luxury, a veritable cruise ship of the sky.

Naturally, the Vytal Festival and its tournament attracted more than just the average civilians from across the four Kingdoms. It also attracted the elite from around the globe as well. The festival served as the perfect opportunity for them to mingle with one another, conducting business or simply enjoying the spectacle. Airships like this served to provide them with passage, ensuring that even the journey to another continent entirely need not be an unpleasant affair.

Passengers enjoyed high-class amenities that were unthinkable on lesser vessels, such as personal cabins, all lavishly appointed, restaurant-class dining in rooms with expansive windows, providing panoramic views of the sky, as well as the landscape passing below them. There were rooms for entertainment, and even a swimming pool. It was truly the way the privileged and elite would prefer to travel.

Even the manner of the vessel's arrival spoke of the wealth and privilege of its clients. The sky-liner docked at a private terminal, complete with its own staff for handling things like baggage and ground transportation, ensuring that the passengers wouldn't have to mingle with the hoi polloi at any step of their journey.

As the airship settled, a gangway extended from the terminal. The passengers disembarked with representatives of the ship's staff wishing them well in a final display of subservience. Individuals, couples, and the occasional small family made their way out, some of them talking cheerfully, others silently making their way to their next destination.

Amongst this gaggle of wealthy people, two made their way along the gangway, virtually unnoticed. A rather unassuming man in a dark-brown business-suit; accompanied by an attractive woman, wearing a conservative red dress that, nonetheless, highlighted her body's impressive figure.

"Well, we're here," observed Anatolius Nikos, his pale-green eyes sweeping across the terminal, taking in the shops, restaurants, and bars, all offering refreshments to those who had just arrived, after the long trip from Mistral.

"Perhaps we should take a little time to unwind," suggested Phoinix, his wife, her dark-red hair swaying behind her, eyes already being drawn to one of the bars.

"An excellent idea," suggested the woman who emerged from the airship behind them. "Please enjoy yourselves, and I will confirm the arrangements for transportation and lodgings."

"Thank you, Holly," said Phoinix, turning to beam at the other woman.

The woman, dressed in a gray business-style dress, with a conservative pencil-skirt smiled back, adjusting the glasses that rested over her wine-red eyes. She then bowed her head, making the curled locks of pale-green hair atop her head bob slightly. "After that, I will begin to make arrangements. I'm sure that the two of you are eager to see your daughter as soon as possible."

"Of course," agreed Anatolius. "Since she refuses to hear us out over the CCT, we will have no choice but to deal with her in person, so that she can understand the full import of what's at stake."

"After all, you can't hang up on a person who's directly in front of you," added Phoinix.

"Indeed," agreed Holly. "Please relax and enjoy yourselves. I should have everything arranged in about half an hour, but there's no call to rush. And, once we're settled, we will go and make sure that Pyrrha sees sense. Let's ensure that she is able to continue fulfilling her responsibility to you for a long time to come."