8

Chapter 8:

Six years ago:

Ruby stared dumbly at the corpse in front of her, the corpse that she'd created. I...I killed a person. Just the thought of it made her sick to the stomach, and Ruby was on the verge of throwing up.

So wrapped up was she in what she'd just done, Ruby didn't notice when Sasame stooped to tend to the wounded soldier's shoulder, healing it in a matter of seconds, before coming up to Ruby herself, gently resting her hands atop Ruby's shoulders.

"Ruby-chan..." said Sasame softly.

"I...I..." Ruby turned and looked at her teacher with tearful eyes.

"Yes," said Sasame softly, her voice still warm, but also stern. "You killed her. There's no denying or changing that."

"I didn't mean to," protested Ruby.

"That doesn't change it," said Sasame softly, but still just as sternly. "It's true that it wasn't your intention. You merely struck as hard as you could, in order to finish this before she could hurt someone else. That's nothing to be ashamed of, Ruby-chan."

"B-but..." began Ruby, only to stop as Sasame gently pressed a finger to her lips.

"I'm not saying that killing her is anything to be proud of either," said Sasame. "In this case, that was merely the outcome of this, whether that was your intention or not. But...that's not to say that you don't have anything you can take pride in. If you just look the other way..."

Gently pressing her finger to Ruby's chin, Sasame turned Ruby's head. A wail of relief filled the air, and Ruby saw the little girl, the one that the bandit had taken hostage, the girl she'd saved, throwing herself at the woman who must have been her mother, and being hugged tightly with loving arms.

"That is what you were fighting for," said Sasame. "You were fighting to protect that girl...and you succeeded. If nothing else, you should take pride in that, Ruby-chan." Leaning in, Sasame planted a lingering kiss on Ruby's forehead. She then pulled Ruby into a comforting hug. Her tails divided once again, extending out to encompass Ruby, wrapping her in a warm, fluffy cocoon. Ruby basked in that warmth, the fear and guilt draining out of her.

"We'll talk a little more later, Ruby-chan," said Sasame, finally letting her go. "I have some work to finish. Just try to relax and take it easy for now."

Ruby nodded wordlessly, and Sasame turned away to finish tending to the few remaining wounded, including the guard who'd just been injured by the escaped bandits. As Sasame walked by, people pulled back away from her, regarding the diminutive fox-faunus with wary eyes. Ruby could understand. It was strange enough, the way Sasame's tails divided and moved like furry tentacles. But it was especially unnerving to watch her shrug off lethal injuries without the slightest trace of damage.

Still, Sasame seemed untroubled by their suspicion, and merely returned to her work, which was mostly done anyway. A few more wounded were brought in, and people soon had new reminders that Sasame merely had their best interests at heart as she effortlessly dealt with wounds that would have been potentially fatal, and repaired damage that would have taken days, if not weeks, to heal normally in a matter of seconds.

Ruby found a quiet corner and set herself down, hugging her knees to her chest, the handle of her broken sword still clutched in one hand. Even with Sasame's words of comfort, Ruby still felt numb and detached, thanks to what she'd just done. She'd hardly noticed when the other guards arrived, pronouncing that the bandits had been dealt with, and that the settlement was safe...or would be, once they got the fires under control.

What happened after that was a blur to Ruby's mind. She slipped into a kind of daze, barely noticing what was going on around her. She barely noticed when Kyo arrived. Kyo's eyes immediately took in Ruby's condition, before glancing to Sasame, who met Kyo's gaze, before flicking her own eyes in the direction of the corpse of the bandit woman, who'd been moved next to her equally-dead comrade. Kyo's eyes assessed the woman's condition, then went to the handle of Ruby's broken sword as he pieced together what had happened.

Wordlessly, he went over to Ruby and sat next to her. He then pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her, pressing Ruby's ear against his chest so that she could hear the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat. Finally, Ruby fell asleep to that rhythm.

When Ruby's eyes opened again, the first thing she noticed was that she wasn't in Town Hall anymore. She was warm and comfortable...and clean. There was no sticky sensation of dried blood clinging to her skin. Her travel clothes, feeling grungy after weeks on the road, were gone, replaced by the soft fabric of her pajamas. She was lying on a mattress, with a warm blanket draped over her.

Blinking slowly, Ruby sat up and took in her surroundings. She was in a fairly small room with a pair of beds, an inn-room of some kind, she supposed. The walls, ceiling, and floor were of dark wood, which gave the whole place a comfortable, restful ambience. The main light in the ceiling was out, but there was a small lamp on a table near the opposite wall that was lit, throwing out low levels of light. Seated at the table, Ruby could see Sasame, reading a book of some kind. When Ruby looked at her, Sasame looked up and smiled, closing the book and coming to the bed.

"How are you feeling, Ruby-chan?" she asked softly, pulling up her chair so that she could sit at the bedside.

"Better," said Ruby a little uncertainly.

"You worked hard and tired yourself out," said Sasame, reaching over and brushing her fingers through Ruby's hair.

"I..." Ruby's mind went back to the dead bandit and her stomach roiled.

Sasame sighed and gently pressed her hand to Ruby's forehead. A warm wave gently flowed through Ruby's body, and her nausea subsided.

"There's no point in dancing around it, Ruby-chan," said Sasame. "You killed a person. It was an actual person, not a soulless monster, like the Grimm. She might have been a bandit, who lived by preying upon those weaker than her, but she was still alive. She probably had hopes, dreams, possibly even aspirations, and you took them from her."

Tears welled up in Ruby's eyes and she sniffed. She wanted to look down, look away, look anywhere else, but Sasame's hand gently cupped her cheek, forcing Ruby to continue looking into her eyes.

"You can't avoid it," continued Sasame. "You can't run away from it. You have to accept that what's done is done. There is nothing that will change the outcome of your actions. But Ruby-chan…it's my fault as well."

"Why?" gasped Ruby.

Sasame frowned. "I noticed you approaching. I saw you readying yourself to strike. I was prepared to deal with the woman before she could hurt that child, but I saw you moving and decided to hold back, to wait. I decided to allow you to take up that fight. After you freed the child, I could have ended it even more easily. But I chose to allow you to finish that fight as well. You may have killed that woman, but I was the one who let you."

"Why?" asked Ruby.

"To let you gain experience," said Sasame. "You've been practicing repetitive actions, drills, techniques. But they mean very little if you cannot apply them in the real world. I saw you readying, and I saw a chance to let you try to apply what you learned in the real world. And, to be honest, I don't regret it."

"You...you don't...?" asked Ruby, confused. "But I..."

"Ruby-chan, if you hadn't killed that woman..." Sasame's gaze suddenly became very hard and cold. "...I would have."

Ruby shivered, frightened by the stone-cold conviction in Sasame's eyes. "W-why?"

"Because she threatened my patients," said Sasame matter-of-factly. "When I act as a healer, I protect those in my charge with all of my strength. I do not brook threats to their wellbeing. I have no tolerance for any who would do them harm. I killed that woman's comrade and, had you not intervened, I would have killed her as well."

Ruby swallowed. But then Sasame's gaze softened and Ruby relaxed. "But that doesn't change the fact that murder is murder, whether it is you or me who does it."

"B-but they were bad people, right?" asked Ruby.

Sasame nodded. "That they were," she agreed. "But evil does not come to be in a vacuum, Ruby-chan. We cannot know how those people fell down the path of banditry and bloodshed. We only have the end result of their actions to go by.

"When I met you, you were but a few footsteps away from becoming a petty thief. Had I not intervened, you might have been caught, or you might have gotten away. But that latter outcome might have led you to continue committing more crimes in order to survive. Gradually, that could have led you to…other…actions as your desperation grew. There's no telling where you could have ended up, what you could have become, if I hadn't been there."

Ruby shivered to think that she had almost fallen onto that path. It was all too likely that, maybe, she would have lost her chance to become a Huntress, then and there.

"Many bandits have similar stories," said Sasame. "They find themselves in dire straits, at a loss for what else to do to survive. Small things snowball into larger matters and, before they realize it, they reach a point where they can no longer turn away from that path because, if they are caught by the authorities, they are faced with the threat of imprisonment, or even execution. For many bandits, that way of life is merely the least-bad of a plethora of bad options…with no good ones in sight."

Ruby swallowed.

"Which isn't to say there aren't some truly vile people out there," continued Sasame. "There are tribes, Ruby-chan, practically extended families, who raise their children in that life, and teach them that it is the right way to live; groups of people perversely proud of their willingness to take what others have made, and declaring it their right by strength of violence. At this time, we have no way of knowing if these bandits were those sorts of people or not…and we may not ever know."

Ruby sighed and lowered her eyes. However, Sasame's hand on her cheek forced her to look at Sasame again.

"But none of that matters now," continued Sasame. "For better or for worse, it's over. Killing that woman hadn't been your intention, but it was the outcome. What was your intention, Ruby-chan?"

"To protect that girl, those people," said Ruby.

"That's right," said Sasame. "That's what you need to remember most of all. More importantly, that's what you succeeded in doing."

"I…I just wish I'd found another way," said Ruby.

"The way you found was well enough," said Sasame. "As much as I wish we could put this behind us and call it an unfortunate accident…or whatever…the truth of the matter is that you will have to come to terms with what you have done, and learn to accept it. While this woman was your first kill, it's likely she won't be the last."

"What?" gasped Ruby. "Why?"

Sasame finally lowered her hand from Ruby's cheek. "You're a protector at heart, Ruby-chan. You're one who will always seek to help others, to turn fear and despair into joy and hope. You'll see people crying…and seek to change the meaning of their tears. And that is a wonderful thing to aspire to.

"Unfortunately, as you saw today, not all the things that threaten the innocent are soulless monsters. People have the capacity to be just as, if not more, monstrous than the Grimm. Your desire to be a hero will undoubtedly lead you into conflict with those monstrous people. Depending on the outcome, you will likely kill again."

"D-do I have to?" asked Ruby.

"If you really want to get down to it, no, you don't," said Sasame. "You will never have to kill someone. But it does mean that not killing someone could instead lead to them killing you…or those you're protecting. That being the case, your choice not to kill will become a betrayal of what you truly aspire to be."

Ruby shuddered and a tiny whimper escaped her lips.

Sasame moved to sit on the bed next to her and pulled Ruby into a hug. "Shh…It's all right, Ruby-chan."

"W-will it get easier?" asked Ruby.

"Sadly, it will," said Sasame. "The truth is that anything becomes easier with repetition…even taking a life and dealing with the aftermath. But that isn't something to aspire to, Ruby-chan. I hope that taking a life never becomes as easy for you as it is for me and Kyo. What you should seek is to have the capacity to do what you need to, in order to protect those who depend on you, to not look back on situations like this with regret."

"So should I be proud instead?" asked Ruby.

"Not of the killing," said Sasame. "But, like I pointed out before, you should be proud that you protected those people. That little girl is safe with her family now, because you were there for her. That's something to take pride in. I know that you made me so very proud of you today."

"Th-thank you," said Ruby.

Sasame kissed Ruby on the forehead again, then held her. "Whatever else, this just proves that you're still the same Ruby-chan that we love."

She felt Ruby suddenly still in her arms, her muscles seizing up. Then Ruby began to tremble. "Ruby-chan…?"

"Y-you love me?" asked Ruby, looking up at Sasame with tearful eyes.

"Of course I do," said Sasame, her tail curling around to gently brush away Ruby's tears. "So does Kyo. We've both come to love you dearly, Ruby-chan."

"L-like a family?"

Sasame nodded. "Yes."

"S-s-s-s-so...we c-could be like...sisters?" asked Ruby, her eyes full of hope.

"You want me to be your big sister?" asked Sasame.

Ruby nodded eagerly. "I...I miss having a big sister."

"You still have one, you know," said Sasame softly.

"No," said Ruby, a dark frown appearing on her face. "She's not my sister anymore."

"Yes she is," said Sasame, brushing her tail across Ruby's cheeks. "However much you may resent them for what they did to you, the fact remains that they are still your family. Kyo and I can't and won't replace them."

Ruby opened her mouth, a dejected look appearing on her face.

"But..." said Sasame firmly, cutting her off, "...there's nothing saying that you can only have just one sibling. I can still be your sister and, someday, when you reconcile with your other one, you'll have two. Is that all right?"

Ruby didn't think she could ever bring herself to reconcile with Yang and her father. But Sasame's willingness to be her sister filled her with a warm happiness that overrode her trepidation at the idea of having to face Yang again, someday. "Yes."

Sasame squealed and hugged Ruby all the tighter. "Ooh! I've always wanted a little sister!"

Ruby giggled and hugged Sasame back as the older girl kissed the top of her head. "Thank you, Sasame."

"Ah," said Sasame, something appearing occur to her. "If I'm going to be your big sister now, I want you to call me Sasame-nee."

"Sasame...nee?" said Ruby, looking questioningly at her new sibling.

"That's right," said Sasame.

"Sasame-nee," said Ruby with more certainty. She was rewarded with the happiest, most radiant look she'd ever seen on Sasame's face.

Sasame squealed again, making Ruby giggle as the two of them hugged each other tightly.

It was around that moment that Kyo entered the room. "Well, it seems things are going just fine in here," he said.

Sasame let go of Ruby and turned to look at Kyo, her expression sobering a little. "How did it go?"

"The work is done," said Kyo, running a hand tiredly through his hair. "But we'll stay around a few more days, until morale improves."

"What were you doing?" asked Ruby.

"Helping to bury the dead," said Kyo, "both theirs and the bandits'."

Ruby felt her stomach sink again.

Now Kyo sat on the side of her bed and stroked her cheek. "I kept track of which grave your opponent went into. I'll take you to visit her before we leave."

"Should I?" asked Ruby.

"I don't think it's a matter of should or shouldn't," said Kyo. "But it's what you feel you need to do, don't you?"

Ruby nodded. Then she looked up, her silver eyes meeting Kyo's crimson ones. "Kyo...do you remember everyone you've killed?"

Kyo closed his eyes and sighed, before looking down. "I don't," he admitted. "When you kill enough, it's only natural that the number of lives you take begins to outweigh your ability to remember them. I don't even remember all the people I killed in this battle alone." He looked up at Ruby. "But, if it's any consolation, I don't think you'll ever reach that point, Ruby-chan. Though Sasame and I are teaching you to fight, I believe that you will walk a very different path from us."

Ruby nodded slowly.

"You will probably find yourself in a position where you need to kill again," said Kyo, gripping Ruby's shoulder and squeezing it. "What's important is that you remember the reason you fight...and don't hesitate." Pulling Ruby out from under the covers, he seated her on his lap again. "Tell me, Ruby-chan, in any situation, who is the first person you need to protect?"

"Whoever's in the most danger?" asked Ruby.

"Nope." Kyo chuckled and shook his head.

"Whoever I can help the fastest?" ventured Ruby.

"Nope."

"Uh...Whoever's the...easiest...to help?"

"Nope."

"Then who?" asked Ruby, beginning to get a little exasperated.

"In any situation, the first person you need to protect is yourself," said Kyo, gently tapping the tip of Ruby's nose.

"Myself...? But isn't that selfish?"

"It is and it isn't," said Kyo. "Suppose there are three people in need and you sacrifice yourself to save two of them."

"Then at least I've saved them," said Ruby, looking down.

"But what about the third person?" asked Kyo. "If you sacrifice yourself saving the first two, then there's no helping the third person."

"What if I sacrifice myself to save all three of them?" Ruby wanted to know.

"Then what about the people who come after them that need saving?" countered Kyo. "Or the people after them...or even further down the road? Will you throw your life away, saying that it's all right, because somebody else is sure to save those people...even though you have no way of knowing that there will be somebody else?"

Ruby looked down, her gaze pensive.

"That's why you need to protect yourself first," said Kyo. "It's not only your life that rides on your sword, but the lives and fates of all those that depend on your protection, now and into the future. That's why you shouldn't forget the importance of a life, especially not your own. For someone like you, if you wind up having to kill, your guilt could make you forget the value of your life. But the dead cannot save the living, Ruby-chan."

"A-all right," said Ruby softly.

"Good," said Kyo, kissing the top of her head. "Now then, what's going on here that has the two of you so happy?"

"Sasame-" Ruby jumped as Sasame coughed insistently. "Sasame-nee..." she amended, to another delighted squeal from Sasame, "...said she'd be my big sister."

"I see," said Kyo with a laugh. "She's certainly the big sister-type."

Ruby looked up at him plaintively. "Kyo...do you love me?"

Kyo chuckled and lightly tapped her nose. "As a matter of fact, I do. Does this mean you want me to be your big brother?"

"Uh huh," said Ruby, nodding eagerly.

Kyo grinned like a fool. "Well, that title would be one that I'm glad to hold."

"All right, Kyo-nee," said Ruby.

The room went abruptly silent, and Kyo went so still that Ruby thought he'd become a statue. Then, a second later, a snort broke the silence...then followed by another. Finally, Sasame keeled over as she was assailed by gales of laughter.

"Uh...did I say something wrong?" asked Ruby, blinking in confusion.

"Ah...it's just that '-nee' is gender-specific," said Kyo. "So you basically called me your big sister."

"Oh," said Ruby as Sasame rolled over onto her back, kicking her feet in the air and continuing to laugh uproariously. "What should I call you then?"

"Keep calling him 'Kyo-nee!' Please keep calling him that," begged Sasame, managing to sit up.

Kyo cleared his throat. "Ignore her," he said pointedly. "If I'm to be your big brother, then you should call me Kyo-nii."

"Kyo-nii..." Ruby sounded the term out on her tongue, and looked up at Kyo to find him smiling approvingly.

"That's right," he said.

"Aww...but I think you'd make a wonderful big sister, 'Kyo-nee,'" teased Sasame, managing to get upright again.

"You're not going to let that go are you?" asked Kyo in a deadpan tone.

"Nope," said Sasame, before snorting and nearly doubling over again. "I can't wait to tell your mother about this."

Kyo sighed, even as Ruby giggled on his lap. Then the moment was interrupted by a low rumbling, a sound emanating from Ruby's stomach. She blushed and both her hands went to her empty belly.

"Well, it has been a while since you last ate...and that meal wasn't very substantial," said Sasame, recovering and helping Ruby off Kyo's lap. "Shall we see if we can find something for you to eat?"

Ruby nodded eagerly.

The next few days were quiet. There was no festival this time. However, Sasame and Kyo remained, Kyo's Aura keeping the Grimm away, and giving the people a rare chance to mourn those lost in the bandit attack. Even though they were all immensely grateful for the lives that Kyo and Sasame had saved with their intervention, they also regarded the pair with a substantial wariness that came from seeing them in action, Sasame in particular.

Which wasn't to say attitudes were hostile. Once again, they were afforded free food and lodging in exchange for the peace that Kyo's presence brought them. Kyo himself was practically a hero to the men and women of the town guard, having seen him in action. Even though people seemed to, for the most part, keep their distance from Sasame, they still brought her patients from amongst the sick or injured throughout the duration of their stay.

On the other hand, attitudes towards Ruby seemed to be...confused. Many of those in Town Hall that had seen her fight were troubled to see a nine-year-old kill a grown woman in combat, for all that she'd been traumatized by it afterwards. However, others appeared to be extremely impressed by her maturity and determination, including her willingness to put her life at risk for an even younger girl's wellbeing.

Ruby was given a day's time to recover from the experience before her lessons resumed again. With her sword broken, she was left with basic physical conditioning again, as well as the basics of Aura control. It was there that Sasame actually explained the nuances of what Ruby had done during her fight.

"Words can't describe how proud you've made me," said Sasame. "It's not about killing that woman, but how you managed to bring what you learned to the forefront and apply it...and take the next step."

"The next step?" asked Ruby.

"I don't think we've taught you how to use your Aura to enhance movement," said Sasame with a cheeky grin. "That step you used, when you saved the child, was absolutely superb. You took what you already knew, and intuitively applied it to the situation in order to work out what you needed to do. You even realized that your rudimentary version would only work for one step, and took the time and care to make sure you were within that distance, before you committed yourself to the strike."

Ruby blushed furiously.

"And then there's the fact that you applied your Temper to your weapon as well as yourself," said Sasame. "On top of that, when you defended and attacked, you used Flow to channel more of your Aura into your weapon to make your strike more effective. If your control was a bit more refined, you would have been able to strike without breaking your sword."

"I'm sorry," said Ruby, looking down. "After you put so much work into it, and warned me to be careful, I went and..."

"You didn't do anything to be ashamed of, Ruby-chan," said Sasame. "You used your sword well, and for a good purpose. While it's not wrong to say it's your fault that it's broken, it's truly foolish to say that you are at fault for breaking it. I would much rather you shatter your sword in a situation like that, than do nothing, for fear of breaking it."

Ruby nodded slowly.

"We'll make you another one," said Sasame, patting her head. "You've more than earned it. Technically, with proper control of their Aura, a person could do what you did with an ordinary tree branch. However, it will take more work before you can reach that point."

"Okay," said Ruby.

"That was the primary reason I allowed you to fight," said Sasame. "Training is all well and good, and extremely necessary. But battle is a dynamic situation. You have to perceive the situation, and move according to the needs of the moment...and the moment past the moment."

"What's that mean?" asked Ruby.

"In battle, it's never good to simply react," said Sasame. "If you only react, you're a step behind your opponent, and you aren't likely to gain the advantage unless your skill is significantly greater than theirs. You have to learn to look beyond the moment you're in to see the next, anticipating future circumstances, the enemy's next move, and act in anticipation of that. Though your pace was slower during this fight, that was what you were doing with that bandit woman."

"How?" asked Ruby.

"You anticipated her pulling the trigger on her rifle, if you attacked," said Sasame simply. "You anticipated that the slightest jolt could lead to that child's death, so you aimed to knock the barrel clear before that could happen. You anticipated that you would need to close and strike incredibly quickly for that to happen, so you moved to within the distance where you could strike off a single step. You anticipated the need for much greater speed than you normally have, so you used Flow to channel your Aura into your feet in conjunction with your step to accelerate even more. The end result of all those anticipations was that you succeeded, and the child was saved."

Ruby nodded fervently.

Sasame continued. "Even after that, faced with the threat of fighting the woman directly, you anticipated the need to reinforce your weapon in some way, which led you to channel your Aura through it. Likewise, you anticipated the need to not take chances and put all your strength, both physically and Aurally, into the strike. It's true that it resulted in the woman's death, but the important thing was that you brought an end to the threat she presented and, thus, protected those who were depending on you."

Ruby's expression was sober. It still made her uncomfortable that she'd killed a person. But both Sasame and Kyo had told her that that it wasn't wrong for her to feel that way. She'd come to terms with it in time, but it was better if she didn't simply try to "get over it."

Sasame pressed on. "You were fortunate this time, in that your opponent was distracted and, therefore, gave you the time you needed to prepare and close in. However, I probably don't need to tell you that such a leisurely pace of battle is an extremely rare occurrence...and not one you should be depending on."

Ruby nodded again.

"So...what you need to do is compress that sequence of reasoning down," explained Sasame. "More than that, you need to be able to intuit your course of action without resorting to conscious thought, acting with the speed of reflex, but moving as though you've thought a hundred moves ahead. The techniques Kyo and I are teaching you will be like pages in a book. Which one you select, how it is used, how other techniques can be combined with it, all of that will affect how you control the flow of battle. Even as we expand that book, you must learn to become so familiar with it that you can select the appropriate page without even needing to look through it." Sasame blinked and frowned pensively, folding her arms. "Sorry...I think I went a little too far with that metaphor."

"No! It's okay," replied Ruby, her brow furrowing. "I think I get it...sort of."

"Well, 'sort of' is good enough for now," said Sasame with a giggle. "For the time being, we should continue focusing on the basics, though we can now incorporate exercises for the skills you've touched upon in your fight."

"What kind of exercises?" asked Ruby, her eyes sparkling at the thought of learning something new.

Sasame beamed at her little sister's enthusiasm. "Well, for starters, we'll work on that movement technique you used, but eventually work towards consecutive steps..." Seeing Ruby's confusion, Sasame quickly amended her wording. "Multiple steps."

"Oh," said Ruby. "Why?"

"Well, what if that woman had noticed you closing in before you were in reach?" posed Sasame.

Ruby paled at the thought.

"It goes without saying that there will be any number of occasions where your opponent will be outside the ground you can cover in a single step," said Sasame. "But, with training, you can learn to close the distance in multiple steps...with the interval of a single step. The basic form of this is sometimes referred to as Shukuchi, in our homeland."

"Shu...Shuku..." Ruby's tongue wrestled with the unfamiliar word, making Sasame giggle.

"The name isn't too important," said Sasame. "In Common, it means Reduced Earth. It's called that because a user can close the distance so quickly that it looks as though some kind of magic has been used to make the distance itself shrink."

"Oooh! That sounds so cool!" said Ruby.

"It certainly is," said Sasame. "The most basic form is to penetrate your opponent's zone, and close to within striking distance before they can react. But with further refinement..." Abruptly, she vanished from where she stood in front of Ruby, reappearing several steps back, seeming to almost teleport. "It's possible to move freely in any direction at that same speed." She vanished again. Ruby barely had time to blink before Sasame's lips were beside her ear and she whispered a playful "Boo!" from directly behind Ruby, making her jump and shriek.

And the fact that she executed a rudimentary version of it on her first try makes me think she has a particular affinity for this skill, thought Sasame as she began to walk Ruby through the steps of carrying out the proper version of it.

"This is it," said Kyo.

Ruby frowned. There was no marker, not even a simple wooden post, no sign that someone, or several someones, had been buried here, just a mound of upturned earth, a sign that would grow more and more indistinct as the years marched on, until it was just another part of the landscape. She supposed that it made sense. While the victims of the attack had been interred at the settlement's cemetery, the residents being willing to bury the remains of the bandits at all, rather than simply dump what was left of them in a random part of the wilderness, seemed like a substantial concession on their part.

Ruby's own victim was in there, just one of many bodies buried beneath this brown lump.

"I...I don't know what to do," said Ruby.

She'd never visited a grave before.

"You don't have to do anything, if you don't want to," said Kyo. "Like I said, I thought you at least might want to see it."

Ruby supposed he was right. Even though the vast majority of the bodies beneath this mound were his victims, there was no escaping the fact that one of them had been someone she had killed. This grave was a reminder of what she'd done, of her taking a life. She still wasn't sure how she felt about that anymore. It felt wrong, yet right. She hadn't meant to kill, but, like Sasame had said, she'd protected the person she'd wanted to protect by doing so. Did that make it like a trade?

No, she thought, shaking her head. She wasn't quite sure why, but she got the feeling that, if she started thinking of lives in that manner, she would be heading somewhere dark.

"What do you do?" asked Ruby, looking at her new brother.

"I pray," said Kyo.

"Pray for what?"

"For them to find some measure of peace," said Kyo. "I know some people would balk at offering such prayers for the souls of those like this. Many of their victims would rather pray for their suffering for what they've done. But I've never felt particularly enamored with that kind of prayer."

"Why?" asked Ruby.

Kyo rested a hand atop her head. "Because your prayers, even if they are offered to the dead, are actually for the living...for yourself."

"The are?"

Kyo nodded. "For the most part. What lies beyond the veil is beyond our knowledge and beyond our control, something we will only learn, once we cross that boundary for ourselves. Reward...punishment...the means of quantifying who has earned what...whether such things exist in the first place...all of that is unknown. Therefore, rather than concern ourselves with such things, I believe prayers exist to allow those who still live to accept this moment of parting, and continue with the act of living."

"People pray for the suffering of their tormentors to let go of their hatred. People pray for the repose of loved ones to gain peace for themselves. Ultimately, I believe prayers exist to help us, who stay behind, to continue on with the act of living."

He looked back out over the mound again. "I find it...wasteful...to cling to hate for those who are already dead. Whether or not they are punished for their lives is out of your hands. Clinging to hatred with no end...does not offer much in the way of comfort."

He smiled down at her. "So, if you would like to pray, I suggest you offer a prayer that brings yourself peace, and allows you to keep moving forward."

Ruby nodded. That sounded like a good idea. She turned towards the mound again, then brought her hands together, bowing her head over them and closing her eyes, in the manner that she'd seen people do on network dramas. I...I didn't mean to kill you, she thought sadly. I guess that doesn't mean much to you. I'm sorry that you're dead, and...I hope...you'll be all right, wherever you are. Whatever you're doing, I hope it's better than what you were doing before.

It was an awkward prayer, the words coming to her mind half-formed. She wasn't sure what her reasoning was. All she knew was that she hoped that things were better on the other side for her victim.

Raising her head, Ruby looked up at Kyo. "Did I do all right?"

"Do you feel better now?" asked Kyo.

"I think...I think I do," said Ruby.

"Then you did just fine," said Kyo, smiling and taking her hand. "Let's go back. It's almost time for dinner after all."

"All right," said Ruby, allowing her new brother to lead her away.

As she went, she spared one last glance back at the grave, still feeling a lingering unease at what she'd done, but also feeling that she'd found the strength to keep moving forward. She supposed that was what truly mattered.

They stayed a little longer in Barrowdown to give people more time to mourn. After a little over a week, it was time for them to leave. Kyo and Sasame said their farewells to a particularly grateful mayor, before leading Ruby towards the gate. Ruby couldn't help but notice the long, narrow bundle Kyo had slung over one shoulder as they walked, which led her to wonder if he'd already begun work on her new wooden sword.

They were about to open the gate and step out of the town's borders, when they were stopped by a sudden shout.

"Wait!"

The three of them turned, and Ruby gasped to see the child she'd protected standing there, her mother standing just behind her, hands on the little girl's shoulders. The girl looked down and scuffed her foot nervously, before her mother, smiling indulgently, gently pushed her from behind. The girl stumbled for two steps, before looking up, hesitating one more second, and making her way to Ruby.

She looked up at Ruby with admiring eyes. "Thank you for saving me," she said, before holding out her hands and presenting a small peach-colored rose. "Mama helped me pick it out," she said proudly.

Ruby sniffed, tears coming to her eyes as she accepted the rose from the little girl. "Thank you," she whispered softly.

"But I'm thanking you," the girl pointed out, innocent eyes blinking earnestly at Ruby.

"I know...thank you for thanking me...I guess," said Ruby.

"Will you come back?" asked the girl hopefully.

Ruby couldn't help but gently pat her on the head. "I'll try," she promised.

"I hope I see you again," said the girl eagerly.

Ruby nodded. "I do too," she said.

The mother came up and took charge of the girl, giving Ruby one last grateful smile, and nodding to Kyo and Sasame as they guided Ruby out the gate.

"It would seem that the girl's mother knows a thing or two," said Sasame, as Ruby examined the rose in her hand.

"What do you mean?" asked Ruby.

"A rose in that color symbolizes gratitude and appreciation," said Sasame.

"It does...?" Ruby looked down at the flower in amazement.

"There's a whole language of flowers," said Sasame. "What kinds, what colors, how they're combined and presented, they can all convey a specific meaning. If you're interested, we can teach you about that when we get home."

"I'd like that," said Ruby.

"Our specific language of flowers differs a little from the rest of the world," added Sasame. "But we do have knowledge on the other languages of flowers there are."

"Okay," said Ruby.

"But we'll focus on your training for now," commented Kyo with a chuckle. "On that note...I have something for you as well, Ruby-chan."

They stopped, and Kyo unslung the bundle he'd been carrying. Ruby gasped in shock as Kyo unwrapped it, revealing it to be an actual sword. It was contained within a sheath of black lacquer, with a handle enclosed in rose-red wrappings. The guard was a rather simple, circular piece of metal, but Ruby could see etchings in a flower petal-like pattern on it.

"For me...?" gasped Ruby, taking the weapon in trembling hands. It was considerably heavier than the wooden sword she'd grown accustomed to carrying, but she found she could heft it without much trouble.

"A smith in town forged this for me. This is called a kodachi," explained Kyo. "It's longer than a short-sword, but shorter than a full-length katana. For adults, the kodachi has special nuances and techniques to its use. However, it is also a suitable length for a student your size to learn the basics."

It was a modest piece. The smith in question was not a true swordsmith. However, he had been able to realize the design Kyo had asked for, and the materials he'd used had been of excellent quality, the smith's own gesture of gratitude for what they had done for the settlement. As a true Huntress' weapon, it might not have been quite up to standards. But, for a child's training blade, it was more than enough.

"Okay," said Ruby.

"We'll make another wooden sword for striking practice," continued Kyo. "We'll need to work a little longer on that. But you've earned the right to carry this." He suddenly frowned, his intense, crimson gaze drawing Ruby's full attention. Even when he'd held the weapon out to Ruby, he hadn't actually taken his hand off it, when she'd taken it in her own. "I probably don't need to say this, but I will. Carrying this blade is an even greater responsibility than a wooden one, Ruby-chan. Care must be taken, even for the most simple things, things you wouldn't have to worry about with a wooden sword. That's why we've insisted you treat a wooden sword like a real sword."

Ruby nodded, remembering them reminding her constantly to not hold her wooden sword by its blade, or to strike with anything but the edge.

"This is a heavy responsibility, Ruby-chan," said Kyo. "But it's one I think you're ready to bear. This isn't a reward for killing, but a gesture of trust, the belief that you now understand the weight of a life."

Ruby looked at her new blade gravely and nodded again.

"Then this is yours, from now on," said Kyo, releasing his hold and allowing Ruby to take the weapon in her hands. Sasame helped Ruby tuck it into her belt, so that it wouldn't risk coming loose while she walked or ran. Then Sasame took the rose Ruby had been given, and broke off a portion of the stem. She then carefully braided the flower into Ruby's hair on the left side of her head.

"I've used my Aura to make it last a little longer," said Sasame as she stood back. "But you look lovely now, Ruby-chan. I wish I had a mirror to show you with."

"It's all right," said Ruby. The flower hardly weighed anything, but she felt it all the same. It was fitting; a sword at her hip, reminding her of the weight of taking a life; a flower in her hair, reminding her of the fulfillment of saving a life.

"Let's get going," said Sasame. "We'll start running in a little bit."

"Okay," said Ruby.

The three of them set out. Outwardly, their dynamic seemed not to change at all. For all that Sasame and Kyo were affectionate, encouraging, and patient with her, they were still demanding teachers, expecting nothing less than her full efforts. And Ruby was happy to give her full efforts. However, inwardly, she felt happier and more fulfilled than ever. The three of them were a family. It felt good to be part of a family again. It felt even better to have a family that endorsed and encouraged her aspirations, rather than trying to lock her away from the world. It made Ruby feel so fulfilled that she rarely gave any thought to the family she'd left behind...which she was fine with, seeing as the thought of them put a bitter taste in her mouth.

The settlement of Dunedain carried on much the way it always had. The festival they'd thrown to celebrate Kyo's arrival had done its job, encouraging the people, their good feelings keeping the town from becoming a magnet for the Grimm. The occasional pack of Beowolves or Ursas sometimes threatened it. But they were enough for the town's regular militia to handle. Since Kyo's visit, nothing had happened worth calling for a Huntsman over.

However, the town now hosted another visitor, one they weren't even aware of. The people of the settlement went about their business, completely unaware that they were being watched.

With a rapid beating of wings, a large, black crow, with red eyes, alit on the roof of the town's pub and looked down on the streets, letting out a "caw," as it twitched its head to take in the sight of everything around it.

The crow called again, then fluttered down the side of the building, and into the alleyway that ran adjacent to it. A few seconds later, a human emerged from the gap between the buildings. He was a tall, almost lanky specimen, with spiky black hair, going slightly gray. His build was wiry, mostly hidden by his gray, long-tailed dress-shirt and black pants. A red cape fluttered behind him, resting over the profile of the large, broad sword holstered at the small of his back. His pale-red eyes took in everything around him with an air that was almost perpetually cynical. He huffed and turned, making his way into the pub.

Dunedain, being a small, agricultural settlement belonging to Vale, the pub wasn't exactly a hive of scum and villainy. It was mostly used by the men and women who worked the fields, and even catered to families. Still, as a place where people all over the town met and chatted as they ate and drank, it was still the best place to go when looking for information. The sword-bearing man weaved between patrons, waiters, and waitresses as he made his way straight to the bar. Thanks to the weapon he wore so openly, people generally tended to give him a wide berth.

Seating himself at the bar, the man immediately got the barkeeper's attention. The barkeeper came over. "What can I get for you, sir," he said. He was more accustomed to using a casual form of address, usually knowing most of his customers by name and face. However, the fact that the new arrival was clearly a Huntsman made him a bit more reserved and formal.

"Whiskey, on the rocks…" said the Huntsman, his voice a little low, with a faint growl to it, "…and some some answers."

"Answers to what?" asked the barkeeper, tensing slightly as he poured the man's drink order.

"I'm lookin' for someone," said the Huntsman. "She's nine, a little ways away from being ten; black hair with red tips, black dress, red cloak, silver eyes…"

The barkeeper's eyes narrowed. "And what makes you think she was here?"

Qrow Branwen's eyes narrowed back. "This is where the trail leads. Make no mistake, pal, the last thing I mean for that little girl is harm. I'm on the trail of my niece…and a couple'a kidnappers. So…seen anything you wanna share?"