38

Chapter 38:

Six years ago:

"So you don't know?" asked Natsuki, pausing to take a bite of her lunch.

"Not really," said Ruby. "We were only starting to get into the early history of Vale when I left. I don't know a whole lot about the Great War, except that it has something to do with why almost everyone in the Kingdoms is named after colors...or things that make people think of color."

"Huh?" Natsuki blinked, her violet eyes bright and curious. "But it's such an odd tradition. I wonder what started it."

Ruby ate from her own lunch, frowning. Then she winced as she heard a dismissive snort from a girl sitting at a desk behind her.

"Pfft! What a dunce. She doesn't even know her homeland's history?"

"Yeah. She really is a bumpkin," the girl sitting next to Ruby's heckler added.

"Oh!" commented a familiar voice, as a tall shadow loomed over the snide pair of girls. They both looked up and blanched to see Sensei leaning over them, a wide smile on his face. "Tell me then...are the two of you experts on the Mibu's history; Yuuko-kun, Akane-kun…?"

"N-no..." admitted Yuuko, the girl who'd spoken first. Beside her, Akane shook her head vigorously.

"I'd guess not, going by your scores on your last history quiz," noted Kyoichiro, straightening up. "Just as you have only really begun to learn the history of your own home, Ruby-chan had only started learning the history of hers. I should hope that the two of you would be more open-minded."

"Y-yes, Sensei," said Akane submissively as she and Yuuko bowed their heads.

Ruby blushed slightly and stared down at her desk.

"What's wrong?" asked Natsuki.

"I'm not sure Sensei should stand up for me like that," said Ruby. "What if they think he's playing favorites...or something?"

"Nah," said Natsuki, waving her hand dismissively. "Sensei really doesn't like bullies. Just because you're an outsider, it doesn't change that bullying is bad."

"I guess," agreed Ruby, feeling a bit better about the idea.

"Anyway, you said you were gonna tell me about this Barrowdown place that you visited," said Natsuki, leaning forward. "What's it like."

Ruby smiled as she began to describe the mining settlement she'd visited with Kyo and Sasame. Natsuki was incredibly curious about the world beyond the Mibu Clan's borders, something Ruby had noted was apparently a rare quality amongst the members of the clan. Few of the other students expressed an interest, save when the fact that Ruby had been traveling with Sasame and Kyo at the time came up. Otherwise, most of them seemed to find Ruby's stories beneath them.

Despite that, Ruby was glad to have Natsuki's interest, at least. School might well have been unbearable if she hadn't had at least one person willing to engage with her. She just wished she had more time to do it in.

"So...do you have training again, after school?" asked Natsuki as the end of their lunch period approached.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, I don't want to slack, not when Sasame-nee was nice enough to find a teacher for me."

"What style are you studying?" asked Natsuki.

"Right now...just the basics," said Ruby. "I'm learning how to fight with two swords."

"Ooh! You should try the Mumyo Saigyo Ryu," said Natsuki eagerly. "Their base form is a two-sword style. And Shinrei-sama is awesome!"

"Um..." Ruby had to stop herself from mentioning that Shinrei was the one teaching her. The fact that her trainer was one of the Goyosei was something that everyone who knew urged Ruby to keep a secret, the kind of thing that would definitely lend rumors of favoritism definite credence...not that Ruby could say that they weren't playing favorites to an extent. It certainly wasn't the kind of privilege that the average member of the Mibu would enjoy.

"I...I'm not sure that's the way I want to go," said Ruby instead. "Sasame-nee said I should try different things to find what works best for me."

"That makes sense," said Natsuki, nodding sagely. "It can be hard to settle on what style you want to use. I've heard that some of the Taishiro use their own special styles."

Ruby nodded, having heard that as well. She didn't know what kind of fighting style Sora used. But Sora herself had said that it was not one of the traditional schools taught by the Mibu, instead being one that she had crafted for herself in much the same manner she and Ruby's other teachers were urging her to explore her own development.

"Did you want to learn the Mumyo Saigyo Ryu?" asked Ruby.

"N-not really," said Natsuki. "I'd like to study Keikoku-sama's school, actually."

"Keikoku-sama?"

Natsuki nodded. "Keikoku-sama is the Fire of the Goyosei. I've always wanted to learn Fire-techniques."

"Fire..." Ruby rolled her eyes upward thoughtfully. She didn't know a lot about Shinrei's style, save that it was the main school of the Water Arts practiced by the Mibu...and that a lot of its techniques revolved around dragons...which was pretty cool, actually. That said, Ruby wasn't sure that she wanted to become a water-user. Natsuki's excitement about learning the Mumyo Homusubi Ryu, as the Fire Arts of the Mibu Clan were called, was slightly infectious, and made Ruby more than a little curious.

"So...do you know when you'll be free?" asked Natsuki.

"Um...tomorrow, I think," said Ruby. "Sh-My teacher said that I should have a day off to rest, so it's best for me to have a whole day, since I'm already splitting my training time with school."

Truth be told, Ruby had originally been hoping that she could spend all of Sunday on her training. However, Shinrei; along with Sora, Sasame, and Kyo; had insisted that she take the day off, given how full the weekdays were for her. Ruby had been reluctant, not finding her training with Shinrei to be draining. Oh, it was physically tiring, of course. But it was something she looked forward to, after school, everyday. The feeling of absorbing herself in her training and focusing on nothing but polishing her technique was incredibly fulfilling.

Compared to that, school was far more draining for her. The material wasn't hard, for the most part. When she'd first come to school, Ruby had been worried that she would find herself taking classes on obscure things she could scarcely imagine. However, it was something of both a surprise and a relief that the majority of the classes she took in the Mibu's school were the same she would have taken back in Patch. There were all the classics, mainly Mathematics, Language Arts, and History, as well as Physical Education.

History, naturally, was a bit of a rough patch, given that it was, somewhat predictably, focused on the history of the Mibu, which Ruby had known almost nothing of, until now.

Physical Education had the slight wrinkle that, along with the usual warmups and stretching that were part and parcel to such a class, the students were also required to perform the Three Exercises, the first thing Sasame had taught Ruby after unlocking her Aura. Given that Aura was such an indispensable part of life amongst the Mibu, Ruby supposed that was only natural to expect. She'd wondered if there would be classes on the more involved parts of how Mibu used Aura for things outside combat, however it seemed that much of that was reserved for upper-year classes, with more specific teaching and training being reserved for vocational schools.

If there was one class that Ruby could truly call herself woefully unprepared for was Old Tongue Linguistics. Ruby not having any schooling in the Old Tongue whatsoever left her working on the basics of the language, while the rest of the class was building up their vocabulary, which was a little frustrating.

What really made her feel so tired was the constant sensation of being scrutinized by her peers; hearing them scoff if she got a question right, or snicker derisively if she got a question wrong. Natsuki's smile and warm personality were really the only things she had to look forward to, during the day.

"Oh! Would you like to get together?" asked Natsuki, her interest piquing immediately.

"Um...sure," said Ruby, wondering what they might do. She had no idea what the Mibu did for fun, for the most part. Back on Patch, she and her friends might spend the day at the movies or over at one another's house...or at least they had, before her father had started butting in ever more intrusively.

"Cool! We'll have so much fun!" Natsuki promised.

"Sure," said Ruby.

"Pfft! Do outsiders even know how to have fun?"

Ruby didn't bother looking around for the source of the voice. It wasn't Akane or Yuuko, but one of the boys in class. Once again, she brushed it off, letting her mind jump ahead to her after-school training. Shinrei was having her practice the katas she'd learned so far, working to synch them up with her Aura's Flow.

It was strange that Natsuki was so friendly with her, when everyone else was so apathetic. Ruby couldn't tell what set Natsuki apart from the others, save for her remarkably sunny personality. What was more, Natsuki's own position in the class was somewhat nebulous, as far as Ruby could tell. She half-expected Natsuki to become a pariah simply for deigning to associate with her. However, most of the other students simply seemed to overlook their friendship, but not ignoring Natsuki to the extent that she became an unperson. It made Ruby curious. But she was uncertain if it was something she should ask about.

I'll ask Sasame-nee about it, thought Ruby to herself.

"Sasame...have you given any thought to your family's good name?" demanded her father in his most severe tone, a tone that had, long ago, lost its power to intimidate her.

"Not particularly," said Sasame simply, drawing a start from both her parents.

"Of course," said her mother, with a haughty sniff that expressed her opinion perfectly, even before she started speaking again. "After all, you spend your days galavanting around the outside world with the Demon Child. It's clear you don't give much thought to the mud you smear on our reputation."

"Well then, if you knew that already, then why are we even having this conversation?" asked Sasame playfully.

"We are having it because adopting an outsider into our family goes beyond the pale," declared her father with an imperious tone.

"I have done no such thing," replied Sasame. "I have merely taken Ruby-chan as my ward. She is perfectly attached to her own name, so she hardly has any reason to be interested in ours."

"So you say, but what do you think other people will say?" asked her mother.

"Oh, plenty, I'm sure," said Sasame with a shrug. "I just choose not to listen to it."

"Do you realize that this move could jeopardize your future?" demanded her father.

"No, I did not," replied Sasame, "namely because it doesn't. As far as my progress goes, Makoto-sama's opinion is the only one that matters. And I know for a fact that he would adore Ruby-chan just as much as Sora-sama already does." She giggled. "And Saisei-sensei is just bitter to be bitter. She still wants me to succeed her. Adopting Ruby-chan as my sister has not changed that."

"And what of us?" demanded her mother. "You would drag our reputation, the reputation of this family, through the mud, just for the sake of an outsider brat."

Sasame sighed, standing up. "If you are so thin-skinned as to perceive Ruby-chan's presence as an insult, then there's nothing I can do. If you wish to salvage our reputation so badly, and so unnecessarily, then I have no suitable advice. I have made my decision on the matter."

"We are not done with you!" snapped her father, glaring at Sasame as she headed to the door.

"But I am done with you," said Sasame. "You two are the ones with no grounds to be offended. If Ruby-chan is such an insult, I encourage you to think about who leads the Mibu Clan...and where our own family comes from, for that matter. Once you do, I think you'll realize your foolish hypocrisy. That is the end of this discussion. If you two are so desperate to talk to me, find a more appropriate topic, next time."

With that, Sasame left to the indignant protests of her parents. "Honestly," she said with a sigh. "I really do love them, but they get so silly sometimes."

"From the sound of things, your parents weren't happy with your choice," observed Kyo, who'd been waiting for her outside the door.

"No question of that," said Sasame. "Honestly, they get so worked up over Ruby-chan. I guess they've forgotten that we are descended from an outsider."

"Well, that was many thousands of years ago," noted Kyo.

"Yes, but then they have the temerity to insult Sora-sama by proxy," added Sasame.

"In their defense, most of the clan seems to forget that fact, when it suits them," said Kyo. "Do you think they will actually reflect on what you told them to?"

"I doubt it," said Sasame. "When those two believe that they are in the right, no amount of proof will move them. That's what makes them such a chore to deal with." She shrugged. "I allowed them to have their say. That's the end of the matter. Now it's time to pick Ruby-chan up from school."

They began to walk together, Kyo glancing sidelong at Sasame. "Has Saisei been giving you trouble as well?"

Sasame sighed, her expression falling. "Well, she has been saying...things."

"Do they trouble you?" asked Kyo.

"A little," admitted Sasame. "As much as it irks me, Saisei-sama is...more-right...than my parents are." She perked up. "Still, it's nothing to bother yourself over."

The two of them followed the path from the Mitarai Family home down towards Ruby's school. They arrived just as the bell signaled the end of the day. A minute later, a chorus of happy shouts filled the air as the students poured out of the building, heading home or to some after-school activity or another in small groups or singly. Ruby was one of the last two children to leave the building, along with her new friend.

"Sasame-nee!" shouted Ruby, waving and breaking into a run.

Sasame laughed and held out her arms, catching Ruby, the pair hugging each other tightly. Kyo looked on, laughing cheerfully. All around them, departing students looked on with a variety of expressions. There were some of annoyance and condescension, while others stared on with resentment or naked jealousy. Sasame brushed off those looks without a second thought, while Ruby's senses weren't yet refined enough to pick up on them.

"Wow, you really are sisters, aren't you?" asked Natsuki, coming up behind Ruby.

"That's right, Natsu-chan," said Sasame. "It's good to see you again."

Natsuki bowed politely. "It's good to see you too, Sasame-sama." She turned and bowed to Kyo as well. "You too, Kyo."

Ruby's mouth dropped open slightly. Seeing Natsuki address Sasame respectfully was no surprise, as, according to Sasame herself, her family name and her position as the personal apprentice of the clan's Chief Physician gave her a great deal of status. However, to see Natsuki address Kyo with respect, even if she didn't use an honorific with him, was a shock, considering the negative attitudes most Mibu seemed to hold towards him. What was more, it appeared that Natsuki knew both Sasame and Kyo.

"You're going home for Ruby-chan's training, right?" asked Natsuki. "Can I come part of the way with you?"

Sasame blinked, looking a bit surprised and confused by the request, before her eyes went wide and she gasped softly in surprise. "Oh! I completely forgot about that. You're going to get your checkup from Makoto-sama, aren't you?"

"Uh huh," said Natsuki, nodding cheerfully.

"Hmm..." Sasame's expression became slightly more inscrutable. "You really like Ruby-chan, don't you, Natsu-chan?"

"That's right," said Natsuki, her smile widening. "She's really nice."

Ruby blushed furiously. She was uncertain why Natsuki liked her so much. However, as the one person in class, so far, that had reached out to her, Ruby had accepted her friendship readily, even though it still confused her.

"Hmm..." hummed Sasame again. "Do you think you can keep a secret?"

"Yes," said Natsuki, her eyes sparkling.

"Then I think you can accompany us all the way," said Sasame.

"Huh?" Natsuki blinked in confusion.

"You'll see," Sasame, smiling enigmatically. "Let's be off."

They began to set out on the path that Ruby knew would take them back to the palace. Her heart began to pound as she wondered what Natsuki would think, once she learned that Ruby lived there.

"Why are you going to see Makoto...-sama?" asked Ruby, her voice hitching as she struggled to remember to add the honorific to the Elder's name. She was still getting used to using honorifics automatically. Kyo and Sasame were easy, particularly because their honorifics were specific to them, and Ruby had referred to them that way throughout most of their journey to Onmyo.

"I have to get regular checkups from him," said Natsuki, her expression softening slightly. Despite the fact she was still smiling, there was also a sense of melancholy to her look now.

Sasame gently brushed her tail over the top of Natsuki's head, before draping it over her shoulders. "Natsu-chan has a unique condition that requires Makoto-sama to see her regularly." She sighed. "It's rare for a condition to exist that Makoto-sama couldn't completely treat in a single session, much less one that requires regular visits to him."

"What condition is it?" blurted Ruby, before realizing what she was asking. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I probably shouldn't ask." She imagined that it was probably something extremely private to Natsuki, something Ruby wouldn't be privy to and had no right to ask about.

"It's okay," said Natsuki. "I don't know what it is myself?"

"Huh?" Ruby blinked in surprise.

"Makoto-sama won't tell me," Natsuki continued. "He said it's something I'm not ready to know yet. As far as I know, Makoto-sama, the other Taishiro, and my parents are the only ones who know what it is."

"As does the Crimson King," added Sasame. "So do Kyo and I, for that matter."

Ruby opened her mouth almost automatically to ask Sasame about it, only to stop herself. If it was such an important secret, it was something they wouldn't tell her. Besides, she still didn't have any right to know.

Sasame apparently noticed and smiled approvingly at her, which made Ruby's heart lift.

"Makoto-sama says that he'll tell me at some point," said Natsuki. "But he hasn't said when."

Ruby noticed Natsuki looking down. There was a slight trembling in her throat, a quiver to her eyes. "Are you scared?" she asked.

"Y-yes," admitted Natsuki, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head. "Makoto-sama and the others always say that it's nothing to worry about, that I can live a normal life. But..."

Ruby reached out and gently took Natsuki's hand in her own, squeezing it reassuringly.

That apparently gave Natsuki the strength to continue. "But it's scary. Even when they say it shouldn't be...If it's something so harmless, why would they keep it a secret from me? If it's something that only a tiny number of people besides the Taishiro know, then it must be something really important..."

Ruby could understand that. If such important people were keeping Natsuki's condition a secret from her, then it must have been secret for a reason. For some reason, they did not want to trust Natsuki with the knowledge of what was going on inside her own body, which was frightening in its own right, no matter how benign or harmless the condition turned out.

Sighing, Sasame squeezed Natsuki's shoulders with her tail. "It's not harmful," she promised. "However, learning about it will change your view of the world. More importantly, when you do learn, you will have an important choice to make."

"When will I learn, though?" asked Natsuki anxiously.

"I don't know," said Sasame. "Makoto-sama is the one who will decide that. As far as I know, he has not picked a date yet."

"Oh..." said Natsuki, looking down.

"Don't get so glum," said Sasame. "You have a full life ahead of you, I promise. Now, chin up. We're here."

Natsuki blinked and looked up. Her eyes widened in surprise to see the first of the Five Gates looming over them. "The palace!"

Sasame giggled. "That's right," she said in a teasing tone. "You were coming to see Makoto-sama after all."

"Y-yes, but..." Natsuki turned and gaped at Ruby, beginning to put two and two together. "Wait! You mean, Ruby-chan..."

Ruby blushed furiously and looked down at her feet. "Y-yeah," she said almost inaudibly. "This is where I'm staying."

"You live in the palace?" gasped Natsuki. "That's so cool!"

Despite her reservations, Ruby found her lips curling up in a smile.

"That is correct," said Sasame, looking as though she was about to break out laughing, before managing to calm herself down. "Ruby-chan is my sister. So I have made her my ward, officially. However, she is also Kyo's sister. As such, unofficially, she is a ward of the royal family as well."

"But why is she living in the palace?" asked Natsuki, confused.

"Because staying with my family would be bad for her," said Sasame simply. "My parents are, to put it bluntly, awful. They would not treat Ruby-chan properly at all. She's much better off with Sora-sama."

"Well...obviously," said Natsuki. "I mean...living with Sora-sama...that would be amazing!"

This time, Sasame did laugh, and loudly at that. "Yes," she agreed. She removed her tail from Natsuki's shoulders and stepped around to stand in front of her. Now she rested her hands on the girl's shoulders. "But, Natsu-chan, it's very important that everyone else not know about this."

"Huh? Why not?" asked Natsuki.

"Just as you said, most people would agree that living with Sora-sama would be a great privilege," said Sasame. "I'm sure you notice how others in your class have been treating Ruby-chan."

Her expression grave, Natsuki nodded slowly.

"Now, imagine what it would be like if they learned that an outsider, like Ruby-chan, got to stay with Sora-sama," continued Sasame.

A lump formed in the throat of Ruby's friend. A shiver ran through her body. Then she nodded again. "Y-yeah...that would be bad."

Sasame sighed. "It's true that this is a great privilege that has been bestowed upon Ruby-chan, one that she came upon largely because of luck."

Ruby looked down, an unsettling feeling congealing in her stomach, which eased slightly when she felt Kyo's hand rest on her head, his fingers stroking her hair affectionately.

"However, this was the only option we were able to find, if we wanted her to be looked after properly," continued Sasame. "In my opinion, Ruby-chan has more than earned the privilege she has, and I know she is not one to take it for granted. But we all know that your classmates are not likely to see things that way. Because of that, I need you to keep this a secret for us. Can you do that?"

Natsuki nodded fervently, her face still solemn.

"Good!" said Sasame cheerfully. "Now, chin up, and let's go see Makoto-sama."

"Right!" said Natsuki, her smile returning. The quartet made their way into the gates.

As usual, it was a trip that seemed strangely long for what was a regular part of Ruby's day. For all that her new family had shown her many shortcuts through the palace itself, the Five Gates were apparently the only point of entry and egress from the palace that led directly into the upperclass district, and the most direct route to school. There were other exits, but they emerged from the palace's flanks and back, leading out to different points along the mountain it was built into. As such, simply leaving for school and coming back felt like a much longer trip to Ruby than she thought it should have been...even if it was good exercise for her legs.

Fortunately, her day got brighter when they emerged from the darkness of the third gate and into the sunlight of the fourth, with its open expanse and the soft tinkling of water from the dragon fountains on either side of the broad courtyard. As usual, Shinrei was waiting for her there.

"Hey," said Shinrei with a grin, raising a hand in greeting, his eyes fixing on Ruby. "Ready?"

"Y-yeah," said Ruby, shifting awkwardly and glancing sidelong at Natsuki, who, once again, looked completely awestruck.

"You get to train with Shinrei-sama?!" she gasped, whirling around to look at Ruby with sparkling eyes. "I'm sooo jealous!"

"I th-thought you wanted to train with Keikoku...er...Keikoku-sama," said Ruby.

"Yeah! But..." Natsuki took a few breaths to try and calm herself down. "But you get to train with one of the Goyosei! How many people get to say they can do that?"

"Not many," admitted Shinrei, coming up and resting his hand on Ruby's head, rubbing it gently and making her smile despite her nervousness. "Ruby-chan impressed me with her guts and dedication. She works hard every day."

"Wooooow!" squealed Natsuki, grinning at Ruby. "You're totally awesome, Ruby-chan!"

"N-not really..." said Ruby. "I just practice a lot and...uh..."

Sasame giggled and moved behind Natsuki, resting her hands on the shoulders of Ruby's friend. "Natsu-chan, let's move on ahead. You still have your appointment with Makoto-sama."

"Awww..." whined Natsuki, slumping in disappointment.

"Well, you know Makoto-sama's checkups don't take long," said Sasame. "If we hurry, you can come back and watch the rest of Ruby-chan's training. Would you like that?"

"Yeah!" cheered Natsuki, her good mood returning.

Shinrei laughed at the lively girl's ups and downs. "She certainly rebounds quickly." He glanced over at Ruby. "Go get changed and we'll get started."

"R-right," said Ruby, startled into motion. She quickly dashed to the small room, adjacent to the courtyard, where her training clothes were kept.

Sasame leaned forward, practically whispering her next words into Natsuki's ear. "I know it probably goes without saying, but this is a secret too, for many of the same reasons as the last one, all right?"

"Right," said Natsuki nodding gravely.

Pulling back, Sasame patted Natsuki on the back. "In the meantime, let's hurry along," she said, gently urging Natsuki forward.

Needing no further prompting, Natsuki skipped ahead, barely managing to rein herself in to keep from breaking into a mad dash to their destination, having long ago memorized the route over the course of repeated visits. In the meantime, Kyo and Sasame followed along at a slightly more sedate pace.

Kyo glanced sidelong at Sasame. "You're suddenly entrusting her with some very important secrets," he said softly, so as not to be overheard by the girl skipping ahead of them.

A light titter worked its way out of Sasame's mouth. "I consider it a kind of training," she replied in a similarly quiet tone.

"Training?" Kyo raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Yes," said Sasame, fixing her eyes on the back of Natsuki's head. "For all that she's a sweet, loving child, with nothing but good intentions; the fact of the matter is that her enthusiasm makes her lips a little too loose for her own good. That tendency of hers is a major reason why she has not been informed about her...condition...yet. We don't know when Makoto-sama will tell her. But, in the future, Natsu-chan will have a very important secret of her own to keep. It's best to let her get experience in reining in her tongue, while she has the time."

"Ah, I see," said Kyo. "But still...to hazard Ruby-chan's wellbeing like that..."

Sasame sighed. "Admittedly, it is very risky for Ruby-chan. But I hope that their friendship will be an incentive for Natsu-chan to hold her tongue. If Natsu-chan does slip though...your father will be on hand to manage the consequences."

"You're certainly putting a lot on Tou-san," said Kyo with a laugh.

"Well, he can certainly handle it," noted Sasame. "Now, let's catch up before Natsu-chan leaves us behind."

Ten more minutes found them at the door to Makoto's examination room. Natsuki quickly knocked politely on the door.

"Come in." The voice was soft, yet also deep and resonant, carrying with it a sense of natural authority.

Natsuki quickly slid the door open and stepped into the room. It was a small room, laid out like the kind of examination rooms that were commonplace in hospitals both in the Mibu and out in the Kingdom territories. However, instead of sterile white, the walls, floor, and ceiling were simply light-colored wood, the examination table featuring a soft, cushiony surface that was designed for the comfort of the person sitting or laying on it. The wall near the table was dominated by a desk and chair. The man currently occupying that desk swiveled in his chair to face Natsu and her companions as they entered.

"Greetings, Makoto-sama," said Natsuki in her most formal tone, bowing deeply and politely to the man in front of her.

"You brought company, I see," said Makoto, Chief Physician of the Mibu Clan, and a member of the Taishiro, as his sea-green eyes fixated on the two people accompanying his patient. "Kyo, I see you're doing well."

"Likewise," said Kyo, bowing politely to Makoto, albeit not as deeply as Natsuki had.

Pale-blue hair streamed down from Makoto's head, tied loosely at the base of his neck, so that the resulting tail ran down past his waist, his sweeping, long locks curving over his round, but slightly-narrow eyes. His face was broad, with slightly-tanned skin, his cheekbones converging in at a shallow angle to meet at the point of his chin.

Getting out of his chair, Makoto's garments shifted around him. He wore a sky-blue kimono, with wide hems on its sleeves and collar of jade green, embroidered with the winding, sinuous forms of dragons in gold thread. It was tied with a plain, white sash, into which was tucked a tanto, with a pitch-black handle and sheath. At well over six-feet, Makoto towered over even Kyo. Despite that, his manner was gentle and accommodating, such that Natsuki, even as young as she was, felt no intimidation in his presence.

"Let us begin then, Natsuki-chan," said Makoto, a slight smile gracing his features. "Go ahead and hop up."

"Right!" Natsuki did as she was bid, climbing up onto the examination table and seating herself promptly.

Moving to stand in front of her, Makoto raised his right hand over Natsuki's forehead. The palm of his hand began to shine with the white-blue light of his Aura, which washed down over Natsuki's body. The girl looked up at Makoto, her eyes attentive as she observed his actions, her usual, bright and sunny smile replaced with a more contemplative look.

"And how have you been?" asked Makoto, his gaze staring off into space.

"Good," said Natsuki earnestly, knowing that, despite his seeming inattentiveness, the Elder was actually listening to every word she said.

"And your studies?" he prodded. "Have you been having any issues?"

"N-not really," stammered Natsuki.

"Not even with your math?" asked Makoto, his voice taking on a teasing quality.

"No!" said Natsuki a little more quickly than she'd meant to. "That advice you gave me last time really worked."

"Good," said Makoto.

Back and forth the conversation continued, even as Makoto bathed Natsuki in the light of his Aura. After about five minutes, Makoto pulled back. "It seems that everything is well," he said. "We're finished here, Natsuki-chan."

"Thank you, Makoto-sama," said Natsuki, practically bouncing off the examination table.

"By the way," said Makoto, making her hesitate in her steps towards the door, "you seem to be in even higher spirits than usual. Is there any particular reason?"

"Um...uh..." Natsuki blushed, her cheeks turning an adorable shade of pink.

"Natsu-chan's made a friend," said Sasame with a laugh. "It seems that she and Ruby-chan hit it off quite well."

"Ah, I see," said Makoto with a chuckle. "I'm glad to hear that. She is very lucky to have a friend like you."

That praise made Natsuki break into a radiant smile. "Thank you, Makoto-sama," she said again.

"You also seem to be in a bit of a hurry," Makoto noted.

"Um...well...Sasame-sama said that, if we finished quickly, I could go back and watch the rest of Ruby-chan's training," explained Natsuki, shuffling awkwardly, clearly eager to do exactly that, yet not wanting to appear impatient in front of the Elder.

"Well then, I won't keep you," said Makoto with another chuckle. "Off with you."

"Kyo, please accompany her," said Sasame. "I need to talk with Makoto-sama for a moment."

"Very well then," said Kyo, taking Natsuki by the hand and allowing her to lead him off, back the way they'd come.

Sasame watched them go for a moment, before turning to face Makoto. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Makoto began. "So...it seems your new sister has made yet another connection. And I wonder when you will finally get around to introducing her to me. I'm beginning to think you're ashamed to show your master."

That drew a laugh from Sasame. "I'm sorry, Sensei. Ruby-chan is a girl in high demand, it seems. Besides, it's not as though you couldn't pop over to meet her on any given day. She is training with Shinrei after all."

"Yet, as your sister, it is only fitting that you be the one to introduce her to me," said Makoto, settling back into his chair, while Sasame moved to seat herself on the examination table. "I imagine your parents objected strenuously to your decision to make her your ward."

"That's putting it mildly," said Sasame blithely. "They are still as immaturely vain as ever. But, then again, it is a symptom of the same problem that dogs much of the clan. Hopefully, Ruby-chan's presence will be a wakeup call to at least some of them."

"We can only hope," said Makoto. "Still, even then, such changes may yet be long in coming. We've progressed quite a ways over the past century. The groundwork for our integration into the larger world was being laid, even in my predecessor's time."

"Considering how long ago that was, that is quite some time," noted Sasame.

"How else do you think we've managed the gradual shift to Common as our primary language?" asked Makoto, amused. "We can only hope that it will not lead to the Old Tongue becoming a forgotten one."

"Hopefully not," agreed Sasame.

"And...what is it that you actually wish to speak to me about?" inquired Makoto.

"Well...perhaps it is Natsu-chan's anxiety that spurs me to this," mused Sasame, "but I find myself wondering when you might be telling her the truth."

Makoto frowned and turned to look at his desk with contemplative eyes. "That is not an easy question to answer. Considering the scope of her situation...it will be very difficult to judge when she is mature enough to make her decision." He returned his gaze to Sasame and his eyes narrowed slightly. "On that note, if she knows about your sister's status, both as a resident of the palace and as a student of Shinrei, then you are testing her capacity to keep important secrets."

"I am," said Sasame.

Makoto folded his arms and closed his eyes, lowering his chin almost to his chest as he hummed thoughtfully. "Five more weeks..." he muttered to himself.

"Pardon?" Sasame tilted her head slightly.

"Natsuki-chan's birthday is the thirteenth of August," said Makoto, opening his eyes and looking up at Sasame again. "If she can keep your sister's secrets until then, then I think she will have demonstrated she is sufficiently trustworthy. I will tell her at the appointment immediately afterwards."

"My, even allowing for that kind of time-frame, that is rather sudden," noted Sasame.

"Well, you're not wrong to worry about her not knowing," said Makoto. "No matter how much we assure her otherwise, I imagine Natsuki-chan cannot shake the idea that she has some form of terminal illness, or something similarly terrible. I do not like causing her such stress anymore than you do. However, we want to ensure that her childhood can be as normal as possible. For the most part, I did not wish to burden her with the knowledge of her situation before she could enjoy her youth to the fullest."

He paused. "I get the feeling that it is not merely her anxiety that motivates you to ask," he noted. "What makes you so anxious, my apprentice?"

Sasame frowned darkly. "Within the Mibu, I often feel that time seems to stand still, especially compared to the outside world. And that is exactly the problem. Even as we Mibu advance at a snail's pace, in the world beyond us...the wheel turns. My fear is that, even if we do wish to allow Natsu-chan to enjoy her childhood...if we wait too long, it may be too late, and her burden will be thrust upon her before she can learn of it."

"A valid concern," said Makoto with a frown. "Yes, then...I believe that her tenth birthday is the best time to learn then. At that point, we will tell her of her burden. And then she will have to decide whether to shoulder it...or shed it."

Natsuki and Kyo returned to the sound of steel clashing when they reached the courtyard before the Fourth Gate. There, they saw Ruby and Shinrei moving back and forth across the tiles.

"Come on!" prodded Shinrei. "Don't let your feet stick!"

Ruby grimaced and shuffled back awkwardly, working her blades to defend against Shinrei's attacks. He'd reduced both his speed and power to a level that she could handle, even if the effort of keeping up with them had covered nearly all her body in sweat. However, the fluidity of his movements, the way he transitioned from one attack to the next, made them seem to come at her faster than they actually were.

Practicing kata was all well and good. But simply going through a series of rote-memorized movements over and over again wasn't the same as applying the notion to the dynamic situation of combat. In contrast to the fluid grace she was capable of when she practiced on her own, in an actual fight, Ruby's movements were still often halting, as she wrestled with the uncertainty of which of her techniques to choose from. Simply going through the same sequence of attacks her katas used would be predictable. In both offense and defense, she found herself hesitating.

That hesitation cost her, as the blunted edge of Shinrei's crystal blade clipped her shoulder.

"Quit thinking so much," he admonished her. "Watch me and see which way I'm moving. Let your body move the way it wants."

"Yes!" shouted Ruby, trying her best to do as she was told.

Seeing Shinrei closing in with a wide swing of his right arm, Ruby focused on it and raised her blade to block. However, she was caught by surprise when Shinrei's left sword whipped around to strike her torso with enough force to sting.

"Eyes!" shouted Shinrei harshly.

"Yes!" Ruby repeated, grimacing yet again as she forced her gaze back to Shinrei's eyes, trying to follow the movements of his body with just her peripheral vision.

Thus their exchange continued. Shinrei slackened his offense, giving Ruby a chance to change the flow of battle, and go on the offensive herself. From there, he continued to coach her with terse instructions, before taking advantage of another lapse and turning the tables back on her again. The whole time, Ruby had yet to land a single blow.

Meanwhile, Natsuki watched, her eyes wide with wonder. "Wooow!" she said, trying to keep her voice soft, so as not to distract Ruby. "She's amazing!"

"You noticed?" mused Kyo with a chuckle.

"Shinrei-sama won't let her hit him even once," said Natsuki. "But she's still going at it."

"And she'd go until she dropped," said Kyo with a laugh. "Ruby-chan refuses to let herself be discouraged. She knows, full-well, that if she were to land any blows on Shinrei at this level, it would only happen because Shinrei allowed her to, which she would not count as a true success."

"Is this why Shinrei-sama is willing to train her?" asked Natsuki.

"Exactly," said Kyo. He sighed. "It's not as though the Goyosei are too important to take students. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that they are often too busy to do so. Even if they are masters of their respective styles, as the Goyosei, they are active members of the military and, thusly, have many claims to their time. Shinrei has had to bend a great deal to make so much time for Ruby-chan."

"And he's willing to do that?" asked Natsuki.

"He is," said Kyo. "Ruby-chan has a great deal of talent, that much is true. She picks things up quickly. But she has an even greater, rarer gift, one that is a form of talent in its own right, the kind of talent that makes her a universally appealing student."

"What's that?" asked Natsuki.

"A natural inclination to persevere," explained Kyo. "Almost everyone, when faced with an obstacle that seems insurmountable, whether it is a technique you can't learn or an opponent you can't overcome, is affected with the impulse to give up, to surrender to apathy. Overcoming such apathy means facing and addressing your shortcomings directly. For almost everyone, that is an extremely difficult thing to manage."

"But Ruby-chan can do it?"

Kyo nodded. "With astonishing ease." He gestured towards the pair sparring in front of them. "No matter how many blows she receives, no matter how harshly Shinrei critiques her, she always tries to take his words to heart and continues to move on. She won't stop or give up until he ends the session. Until then, she will listen to every word he says, and try her hardest to follow his advice."

Watching Ruby, Natsuki winced as she saw Shinrei land a hit to her shin. "It isn't working too well," she said.

"On the contrary, it's working very well," said Kyo. "Ruby-chan's already come a long way."

"Really?" asked Natsuki.

"Granted, there is no denying that her movements are awkward," said Kyo. "But that is only natural. It's one thing to be told what you need to do in combat, and another to put it into practice."

"I guess that's true," said Natsuki, frowning.

"Let me put it this way," said Kyo, "do you remember how you learned to walk?"

"Um...no," admitted Natsuki, feeling sheepish about it for some reason.

"And even if you did," Kyo noted, "you would still find it hard to place the moment where you made the transition from your first, halting steps, as a toddler, to true walking. It's not simply a matter of standing up straight and putting one foot in front of the other. Walking necessitates standing, maintaining your center of gravity in a posture that is nowhere near as stable as an infant's, on all-fours. From there, moving requires adjusting your center of gravity as you step, and shift your weight from one leg to the other. For someone doing it for the first time, that's difficult enough. But then you factor in how you need to adjust your balance for moving up and down slopes, over broken terrain, or even transitioning from sitting to standing, and the mere concept of walking becomes quite complex."

"I...I'd never thought of it like that," said Natsuki.

"Because, by now, you can do it without even needing to think about it," said Kyo. "You've gotten so used to it that you no longer even think about how amazingly complex the 'simple' task of walking originally was, when you first attempted it, not to mention the time and effort it takes to develop such that skill.

"Combat is even more complex and dynamic. Your weapons, the techniques you employ them for, when and where to use them, what your opponent is doing, the conditions of the battlefield; all of those factors have to be taken in and considered, processed, often all within a fraction of a second. Furthermore, with walking, if you falter and fail, you probably fall flat on your face. But in battle; a moment's hesitation, a wrong choice, a faltering step; can lead to much worse, up to and including your death. Not only is it infinitely more complex and advanced than walking, the stakes are infinitely higher as well."

Natsuki swallowed, a trickle of sweat running down her forehead at the thought of it.

"Ruby-chan has only been training a few months," continued Kyo. "As such, she is still learning techniques and how to put them into practice. At this stage, there is no way she could move straight to the phase of bringing everything together into a cohesive fighting style, no matter how talented she is. It will take years to build everything up and reach the level where she can be called truly competent, much less say that she has mastered anything."

"That's incredible," whispered Natsuki.

"Do you think you could work as hard as her?" asked Kyo.

"I...well..." Natsuki looked down. "Well, I don't know. But, knowing Ruby-chan is working this hard, I don't think I could bring myself to give up."

"A good answer," said Kyo. "Well, Keikoku will probably be back soon. I suppose we could put in a word for you, and see if he'd be willing to check your aptitude."

"Really!?" exclaimed Natsuki, her eyes shining.

"Yes," said Kyo. "It won't be too hard. But it will be up to Keikoku to decide whether or not he's willing to take you as his student."

"All right," said Natsuki, nodding fervently.

Kyo chuckled and rubbed Natsuki's head fondly.

In front of them, they saw Shinrei back away out of Ruby's reach. Ruby abruptly accelerated, her body becoming a blur to close the distance between them again. However, instead of trying to block or intercept her, Shinrei leaned back, stepped to the side, and extended a foot, tripping Ruby neatly and sending her sprawling across the tiles with a cry of pain as her face scraped painfully against them.

"Too much juice," Shinrei admonished her. "You need to judge the distance between us, and how much Aura to put into your step. You also need to remember to keep control. Lose traction and you won't need my foot to trip."

"Y-yes," grunted Ruby, her body quaking as she forced herself to her feet. She turned to face Shinrei and raised her swords.

Shinrei closed in again, their blades clashing once more as he forced Ruby to work them furiously. For the next couple of minutes, he pressed her ferociously, before finally hitting her with enough force to send her staggering back. However, instead of following through, he lowered his weapons and let them dissolve back into water, before evaporating that water into mist.

"All right," he said, "that's it for today. Go hit the showers."

"Y-yes," said Ruby, gasping for breath, sheathing her weapons with shaking arms and stumbling back towards the changing room.

Shinrei watched her go, a fond smile on his face. Kyo and Natsuki approached him. "So, how did it go?" asked Kyo.

"Same as always," said Shinrei.

"That good, huh?"

"Yep," said Shinrei with a laugh. He looked down at Natsuki. "And then there's you, Natsuki-chan. Thinking of joining us?"

"Um...well...I'm hoping I could train under Keikoku-sama," said Natsuki, tapping her fingers shyly.

Chuckling, Shinrei ruffled her hair. "Well, that might be a good choice for you. Keikoku's gonna work you hard."

"As hard as you work Ruby-chan?" asked Natsuki, her eyes going in the direction Ruby had headed.

"Only if you have the mettle to keep up with that kind of work," said Shinrei.

"I'm sure Natsu-chan will do just fine," said Sasame, coming up behind Natsuki and making her squeak in surprise. She hadn't even noticed the healer's arrival. "Having a friend to work alongside will only spur you to grow even more quickly." She sighed. "Unfortunately, that will be for later. Right now, I think it's almost time for you to head home, Natsu-chan.

"Aww..." groaned Natsuki, looking down.

"Come now, you still have your homework to finish, don't you?" asked Sasame. "You want to be able to spend all tomorrow with Ruby-chan, right?"

"Yeah!" said Natsuki sharply.

"Then we'll wait until Ruby-chan gets cleaned up and changed," said Sasame. "You can say your goodbyes, and Kyo will walk you back." She turned a look of faux-admonishment on Shinrei. "I'm sure you gave Ruby-chan plenty of bruises for me to heal."

"Yep," said Shinrei, not an ounce of guilt in his voice.

A few minutes later, Ruby hobbled out of the changing room, dressed in a fresh kimono, her movements pained, her expression tired but content. She approached the group and barely even noticed as Sasame moved to treat her, letting the pink light of her Aura bathe Ruby. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Natsuki.

"You're amazing, Ruby-chan," said Natsuki with an earnestness that made Ruby's cheeks turn a deep red. "I'm really impressed."

"Th-thank you," said Ruby, averting her eyes slightly.

"I'll be taking Natsu-chan home," said Kyo. "It's time to say goodbye now."

"R-right," said Ruby, looking back up. "I'll see you tomorrow, Natsu-chan."

"Yeah...tomorrow," agreed Natsuki.

Looking at them, Kyo paused. "Hmm..." Kyo frowned thoughtfully. "Actually, I just had an idea."

"You did?" asked Ruby and Natsuki in unison.

"Yes," said Kyo. "Since tomorrow is Sunday, and you both have it off...why don't we invite Natsu-chan to stay the night?"

"Really!?" asked Ruby and Natsuki in unison again, their voices rising in excitement.

"It won't be any trouble at all," noted Kyo. "You can join us for dinner. We have spare robes for you to use, and you two can spend the night in Ruby-chan's room."

"W-well...if you'd have me then...I'd be happy to stay," said Natsuki.

"What do you think?" asked Kyo, looking at Sasame, who was finishing up her treatment of Ruby's bruises.

"Well..." Sasame's pause ratcheted up the tension for a few seconds. But that was diffused quickly when Sasame smiled, showing she was just teasing. "As long as the two of you get your homework done first, I see no problem with it."

"Yes!" said the girls in unison, though Ruby's voice was considerably more tired.

"In that case, Dougal-san!" Sasame called out.

"Yes?" asked Dougal, rising out of Sasame' shadow and looming over her, making Natsuki gasp in surprise and take an uncertain step back. Ruby didn't even react, having already gotten used to Dougal popping up out of unexpected places.

"Would you arrange to let Natsu-chan's parents know she'll be staying with us?" asked Sasame.

"I shall see to it personally," assured Dougal. "It won't take but a moment." With that, he sank back down into the shadows and vanished.

"H-how did you know he was there?" stammered Natsuki, unnerved by Dougal's sudden appearance and equally-sudden disappearance.

"In a way, it's a rather mundane Aura technique," explained Sasame, "though tailored to Dougal-san's Manifestation. To put it simply, within the bounds of the palace, Dougal-san is always close at hand, so long as there are shadows, even if they are the ones you yourselves cast."

"Oh..." said Natsuki, blinking.

"Don't worry about it," assured Sasame. "Let's be off. You two have homework to finish if you wish to enjoy the rest of your evening."