27

Chapter 27:

"Well well, the three of you are coming along quite nicely," noted Sasame, as she observed Ruby's teammates practicing their Temper. "I can see you've been practicing regularly."

"Well, it's such a simple exercise that it's easy to find time to practice," commented Pyrrha.

"Yeah," agreed Jaune. "It's the kind of thing that you can do while you're waiting in line in the dining hall, on the airship flight into Vale...or in Port's class."

Weiss shot Jaune a half-glare before Pyrrha elbowed her to remind Weiss that she too had begun practicing her Temper during the long-winded professor's "lectures."

"Indeed," agreed Sasame.

"So this what you guys have been working on every night, on the roof," said Nora, squinting as she scrutinized them. "No fair! I want to learn super-cool Aura-techniques too."

"Super-boring is more like it," muttered Jaune, receiving his elbow in the ribs, courtesy of Pyrrha again.

Sasame laughed. "Very true," she said. "The basic techniques are often the most boring ones. That probably won't change, no matter what art you choose to study. But it becomes the foundation for all else you ultimately come to learn." Her eyes narrowed studiously. "By my estimation, the three of you are ready to move on to Suppression. Ruby-chan probably wanted you to practice Temper a little longer though."

"Huh? Why?" asked Jaune.

"Well, it is her first time teaching," noted Sasame. "So she doesn't quite have the knack for reading when a student is ready to move on to the next level. It's to her credit that she's erring on the side of caution, rather than trying to rush ahead. Even though she has remarkable talent, Ruby-chan's natural studiousness, when it comes to learning techniques, is a talent in its own right."

"Ruby, studious...?" Weiss frowned. Granted, Ruby wasn't exactly flighty when it came to her schoolwork and, indeed, she was the one who proposed doing their homework on the afternoon of the day it was assigned, rather than wait until the last minute. But she did sometimes get distracted or led off on tangents, nor was she the best listener in class.

"When it comes to practical matters," said Sasame. "Academics were another thing entirely, definitely not her strongest suit. But, when it came to techniques, she would practice even the most basic ones continuously, until she was ready to pass out from exhaustion, if we didn't stop her. If anything, it frustrated her to learn new techniques, because it meant she couldn't devote as much time to practicing the ones she'd already learned."

"That sounds a little silly," said Blake.

"Well...she's not wholly wrong," said Sasame. "There's an old saying that was supposedly coined by one of the greatest martial artists of an ancient age. It's been tweaked over time, but the gist is the same."

"What saying is that?" asked Ren.

"One should not fear the fighter who has practiced a thousand techniques," quoted Sasame. "What you should fear is the fighter who has practiced a single technique a thousand times."

"That's...an interesting way to look at it," said Weiss.

"Some of the deadliest warriors in history are said to have learned only a single technique," said Sasame. "Yet they mastered said technique to such an extent that they were able to adapt it to any situation and use it, even if an opponent already knew how it worked. Granted, Ruby-chan isn't quite that narrowly-focused. But she has always striven to completely master every skill she's been taught."

"It's a good habit to get into," noted Pyrrha. "I can see how she earned a place here, two years early."

"Indeed," agreed Sasame.

"So...can we learn these Aura-tricks too?" asked Nora eagerly.

"I don't see why not," said Sasame. "The three of you, Yang-san as well, I assume, have already discovered your Semblances, which might limit your ability to develop a Manifestation. However, practicing these exercises will enable you to cultivate your Auras and improve their effectiveness."

"This Manifestation thing sounds weird," muttered Nora. "Who would've thought you could make your own Semblance."

"Aura is, itself, a manifestation of your soul," said Sasame. "A Semblance could be said to be a Manifestation of your tendencies in their rawest, most unrefined form. From the perspective of our methods, you essentially skip to step-four of training, before you've even learned step-one."

"But what is a Manifestation then?" asked Blake. "I mean...we've all seen what Ruby can do."

Remembering how Ruby had used a special technique to cut a massive Deathstalker in two, the others nodded in agreement.

"Ruby-chan's Manifestation is a bit special, even by our standards," said Sasame. "Most of our students study a particular school to develop a general form their Manifestation takes. From there, they can add their own personal tweaks. Ruby-chan, however, is in the process of building her style on the basis of her own personal tendencies. It isn't yet complete. However, you can see her natural tendencies in its apparent form."

"You mean her petals, right?" asked Pyrrha, thinking back to the petals that Ruby seemed to scatter whenever she used her Aura to accelerate, which she also ignited at times to produce her lightning.

"Exactly," said Sasame. "In a sense, that's just a side-effect, a natural product of her Aura in its raw state. But Ruby-chan has learned to work with that, and shape it to help build the form of her style, creating something that's uniquely hers."

Sasame examined each of the six students carefully. "As for you...it's hard to say. I've never worked with a student who discovered a Semblance. If you get that far, my best advice would be to look to what you can already do, then seek to refine that. However, that's a bit far in the future. For now, it's best to look at continuing to master the basics. That's what's important."

"So you can teach us, right?" asked Nora.

"I certainly can," said Sasame. She looked to Ruby's teammates. "If the three of you could continue to demonstrate for me."

"I'm not sure I'd call what we're doing demonstrating, but sure," said Jaune wryly.

Sasame began to walk Blake, Ren, and Nora through the basics of developing their Temper, condensing their externalized Aura around their bodies. It was interesting to watch someone who had actual experience teaching teach the same things that Ruby had taught them. Jaune, Weiss, and Pyrrha could definitely see that Ruby had been imitating her own teacher.

"So...we just keep it like this...all the time?" asked Nora, after Sasame pronounced her satisfaction with their regular Temper.

"That's right," said Sasame. "Maintaining it will continuously strengthen your Aura over time. It's a slow process, but one that you can work continuously, ultimately even while you're doing something else. After enough practice, it becomes so natural that you can maintain your Temper, even when you sleep. Just like anything else, it's a matter of dedicated training, practicing, until you can do it without thinking."

"So it ends up like walking," noted Ren. "It's something that you have to learn and practice, but you eventually become able to do it automatically."

"Correct," said Sasame. "How long it takes will be down to the amount of practice you put into it, combined with your natural tendencies. Some people will be slower at it than others. Don't get frustrated if it winds up taking longer than you think."

Sasame then turned her attention back to Ruby's three teammates. "Now then, I normally don't try to preempt another teacher, when it comes to their students, but I don't think Ruby-chan will mind if I move you three ahead. You're more than ready for the next step."

"Suppression, right?" asked Jaune.

"Correct," said Sasame.

She proceeded to instruct them in containing their Auras within their bodies, completely shutting off the outward flow. For the three of them, having come to be quite familiar with the act of controlling their Auras through Temper, were able to get the basic gist of it down fairly easily. In its own way, it was much simpler than Temper. The tricky part was making sure that the flow was completely shut off, and that there was no Aura leaking to the outside of their body. It required full physical awareness of one's own form. Fortunately, their training in Temper had helped them to develop that.

"Yeesh...I gotta say, it's pretty boring," admitted Jaune with a frown.

"I'm afraid so," said Sasame. "The first two exercises are like that. Projection is more involved, and drains you faster, so it feels like something more akin to traditional exercise. As for Suppression, I'm not quite sure that you'd care for the method I used to help Ruby-chan refine it, back when she was nine."

"I think she mentioned that once," said Jaune. "You played Hide and Seek with her, right?"

"That's right," said Sasame fondly. "If Kyo or I caught her, we'd tickle her until she couldn't stand up afterwards."

That got a laugh from the students. "W-well, I'd rather avoid that," admitted Pyrrha. "I'm a little too ticklish for my own good."

"That only makes it a better motivator," said Sasame, grinning mischievously as she raised her hands, fingers twitching, making Pyrrha fall back, her eyelids twitching. "But I won't subject you to that. I imagine that, for people your age, it's not as entertaining as it is for nine-year-olds."

"I don't know..." said Jaune playfully. "Seeing you tickle the living daylights out of Pyrrha sounds pretty entertaining to me."

"Jaune!" exclaimed Pyrrha, whirling to glare at him. "And I suppose you don't mind being tickled."

"I don't, actually," said Jaune, with a proud smirk. "I lived with seven sisters. I've developed an immunity."

Pyrrha's eyes narrowed, and she and Jaune both turned to look at Weiss, who flinched back at the collective attention she was receiving.

"What about you, Weiss?" asked Pyrrha.

"Wha-what about me?" stammered Weiss.

"Are you ticklish?" asked Jaune.

"O-of course not!" protested Weiss, her cheeks coloring. "I assure you that I am above such...such...mundanities."

Pyrrha and Jaune shared a sidelong glance with each other. "I don't know," said Pyrrha. "What do you think?"

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much," quoted Jaune.

"Maybe we should find out," said Pyrrha.

"Hold on-!" protested Weiss.

"For science," agreed Jaune.

"Now wait just a minute! That doesn't even make sense!"

Weiss began to retreat...but was a step too late. Abruptly, Pyrrha tackled her to the ground and slipped her fingers inside the hem of Weiss' jacket, running her fingertips up and down the heiress' ribs. Weiss squealed and thrashed, but Pyrrha pinned her effectively. Then Jaune, a positively malicious smirk on his face, managed to catch Weiss' legs and slide her boots off, before proceeding to give the soles of her feet the same treatment, making her laugh all the harder, her body practically spasming.

"Ooh! That looks like fun!" exclaimed Nora, grinning widely. She turned to look hopefully at Blake, who regarded Nora with narrowed eyes.

"Don't even think about it," said Blake firmly.

"I'm not helping you," said Ren loftily, when Nora turned a plaintive look on him.

"Aww..." groaned Nora, slumping in disappointment.

Sasame, in the meantime, watched the antics of Ruby's teammates with fond amusement, her hands resting on her hips.

Finally, Jaune and Pyrrha relented, letting Weiss go. For a few minutes, she simply lay on the ground, panting for breath, her cheeks thoroughly flushed, her hair and clothes now rumpled and wrinkled from her earlier struggles. Narrowing her eyes, she glared at both Jaune and Pyrrha. "I...will...never...forgive you...for this," she growled, her gaze going to Jaune in particular, even though Pyrrha had been the one to take the lead.

Jaune looked at Pyrrha, who beamed back, before shrugging. "Eh...Worth it."

Weiss groaned and slumped back down to the ground, while the others laughed.

It wasn't hard for Ruby and Yang to find the others...well...it was Ruby who did the finding. She was easily able to home in on her sense of Sasame's Aura, following it to another secluded corner of the campus, where she was surprised to see her teammates and Yang's teammates all practicing their Temper under Sasame's supervision.

Ruby abruptly noticed that Weiss was not looking her best, looking decidedly more roughed up than she remembered the heiress being. "What happened to you?" she asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," growled Weiss, throwing a petulant glare at Jaune and Pyrrha, silently warning them not to tell either.

"I guess it must have been some talk," said Nora, looking over at Yang. "That's quite the shiner."

Yang's fingers reflexively went up to her right eye, the skin around which was now a dark-purple color.

"Are things okay between you two?" asked Blake, looking at Yang.

"They're fine," said Yang, who paused before amending her words. "Well...not exactly fine...but we'll get there...someday."

"And that?" asked Blake, her eyes narrowing as she examined the black eye.

"Eh, I deserved it," Yang admitted, flashing a sheepish grin at Ruby who glowered at her.

Yang didn't cower, even though Ruby's cloak seemed to billow and swell before her eyes, its movements carried by the wave of Aura that rolled off her, betraying the raw anger presently surging through the younger girl at that moment. With a click, Ruby freed Akaibara, sliding the blade out of its sheath barely more than an inch. Just that alone was enough to change the atmosphere completely, Yang now getting a very real feeling that her very life might be in danger. Strangely, she swore she heard a ringing sound, not the kind of ringing that came from her ears in the wake of an extremely loud noise, but a ringing coming from somewhere else, almost as though someone was running their finger along the rim of a partially filled goblet.

Ruby was furious...and Yang didn't blame her. After confessing what she had done to Jaune, Ruby had fallen silent. Then...this happened. Her eyes glinted with unadulterated malice, which was focused on Yang with laser-intensity, provoking a fear so powerful that Yang's limbs had gone beyond trembling, and had simply locked into place, as though her muscles had set like concrete.

"After all that...you mean to tell me that you went after Jaune...behind my back..." growled Ruby.

Swallowing, it was all Yang could do to nod.

"Why?" growled Ruby.

A dozen excuses flew through Yang's mind. She remembered, all too easily, her own words about wanting to protect her sister, and keep her safe. But Yang knew that was all so much bullshit. The truth, plain and simple..."I was jealous," she confessed. "I...I wanted to tell you how wrong I was, but...I...you..." She looked down. "He was where I wanted to be, and I just..."

Yang couldn't bring herself to say anymore. Just trying to put her feelings into words left her feeling more pathetic and petty than she'd ever thought it possible for a person to be. Instead, she grimaced, closing her eyes, lowering her head, and resigning herself to her fate, whatever it was that Ruby decided to do with her. In the wake of what had just happened, Yang wouldn't have been surprised if their reconciliation was over as quickly as it had begun. She felt a tiny bit justified in her overall frustration, given that her previous efforts had been met by a complete stone wall, Ruby refusing to even acknowledge her, so that Yang wouldn't have been able to get out so much as a "sorry" over her previous behavior, everything she and their father had done.

But this...what she'd one with Jaune...this was her mess, and hers alone, and she was determined to own up to it. If that meant she and Ruby were finished, so be it. Yang knew it would be devastating. But, at this point, she had no right to complain.

The tension in the air rose...then Yang heard Ruby take a deep breath. The tension abated, and the hostility faded somewhat. The ringing subsided, and Yang heard the click of Ruby's sword returning the rest of the way to its sheath. A sense of relief rising within her, Yang dared to open her eyes.

That proved to be a mistake, as her vision was abruptly filled by the sight of Ruby's fist, coming right at her face.

Yang screamed in pain, Ruby's left fist connecting solidly against her right eye. The force behind the blow knocked Yang off her feet, and sent her onto her back. This had been no hasty, angry jab, but a full-on hooking punch, a punch Yang herself would have been proud of, the force of the blow enhanced by Ruby's Flow and Projection, smashing right through the protection of Yang's own Aura, leaving her writing in pain for a few moments, while Ruby stood over her, taking deep breaths to wrestle her own feelings under control.

Finally, Yang recovered enough that she was able to look up, though she still kept her eye covered, already well aware that a bruise was forming around it.

Ruby looked down at her with a frighteningly neutral expression. "You're lucky you did that before we had this talk, Yang," she said.

Her mouth dry, Yang couldn't move or speak.

Ruby closed her eyes and sighed. "I said I'd forgive you," she said. "You owned up to it, so I'll forgive you...once. But this is your last and only chance. You pull something like that again, whether it's with Jaune or anyone else, and it's over between us. No appeals...Got it?"

"Y-yeah..." said Yang, her voice still quivering.

"You owe Jaune an apology," said Ruby, pausing and thinking things over. "Blake too."

"I will," promised Yang.

Ruby sighed, the rest of the tension leaving her body. Then she smiled softly. "Thanks for being honest with me, Yang. I guess that means you're serious about this."

"I am," said Yang injecting every ounce of conviction she could dredge up into her voice.

Ruby bent down and offered her a hand up, which Yang accepted gladly. "I still love you," said Ruby.

"Thanks," breathed Yang.

"Come on...let's go find the others," said Ruby, leading Yang back the way they'd come.

Ruby held the look for a few seconds, before sighing and shaking her head. "Just remember to do what you promised."

Looking at Yang, Sasame's hand twitched, her nature as a healer urging her to deal with Yang's bruise. However, after a moment's hesitation, she chose not to act. In a sense, that bruise is a pact between Yang-san and Ruby-chan, she thought to herself. It's best if I let that heal in its own time.

"Sure thing, Sis," said Yang. "Anyway...what are you guys up to?"

"Oh! Ruby's sister's been teaching us the neat Aura tricks Ruby's been teaching her team," explained Nora.

"Neat Aura tricks?" Yang raised her eyebrows, frowning slightly before taking in the group. They didn't really seem to be doing much of anything to her eyes. However, her gaze picked up a faint shimmering outline around each of them. Frowning and squinting, Yang narrowed her gaze and noticed that each student was subtly outlined with the color of their own Aura. "What is that?"

"Well, I suppose I have one more pupil to bring up to speed," said Sasame with a giggle. Then she looked at Ruby. "I moved your teammates onto Suppression. I hope you don't mind."

"N-no, it's fine," said Ruby, waving her hands placatingly. "I thought they might be ready...but I wasn't sure."

"That's fine," said Sasame, beaming proudly at her. "I must say, I'm impressed by everyone's work ethic. Your teammates have clearly been practicing dutifully, and it seems your other friends won't take long to catch up."

"I hope not," groused Nora. "I'm still mad that you kept us from learning something awesome like this."

"Um...well...I didn't really mean to keep it from you," said Ruby, blushing.

She hadn't really intended to teach the Three Exercises to all her teammates originally either, just Jaune. But then Pyrrha had started coming to their sessions, wanting to know what Ruby had been working on him with. Then she had brought Weiss into it. Before she knew it, she had three "students" working to learn the basic Aura exercises taught within the Mibu Clan. It had been something to help bring them together as a team, a place where Jaune could be on equal footing with elites like Weiss and Pyrrha, who were so far ahead of him in every other respect.

And, Ruby supposed, the fact that Yang was on Team RYNB might have been a factor explaining why she'd never considered teaching the Three Exercises to their sister team.

Of course, now that she and Yang had begun to patch things up, Ruby supposed there was no reason not to teach those exercises to RYNB. It would be a way for both teams to come closer together. She supposed that their rooftop training sessions had just doubled in size. She wondered if she should find a different venue for their training.

Nah, it's fine.

She and Sasame continued to coach the group through perfecting their Temper, though the nature of the exercise meant that there was very little "coaching" required, mostly reminding one of the practicing students when their focus began to waver, with much the same being done for Ruby's teammates as they practiced Suppression.

By the time they called it a day for dinner, they'd gotten a couple hours of practice in. As they headed to the dining hall, Ruby trailed back slightly. Sasame, sensing that Ruby had something to ask her, dropped back as well. Yang shot them a confused look, but Ruby waved it off before turning her attention to Sasame.

"Uh...Sasame-nee, how long are you staying?" asked Ruby.

"No more than a day or two," said Sasame. "I did promise a quick visit after all."

"Um..." Ruby lowered her head and began to fidget, tapping her index fingers together.

"What is it, Ruby-chan?" asked Sasame, raising an eyebrow. "I know that look of yours."

"Um...Do you think...that is, if it's okay...could you stay a little longer?" asked Ruby.

"Hmmm...?" Sasame examined Ruby closely. "Is it so that I could help you teach your friends a little bit more, perhaps give some more advice on where to go in the future?"

"Y-yeah," said Ruby. No matter how often Sasame did it, Ruby was still always amazed by how accurately the fox-faunus could read her intent and anticipate her thoughts.

"Hmmm..." Sasame frowned and turned forward, her eyes focusing on the back of Jaune. "Are you hoping that I can point Jaune-kun in the direction of his Manifestation, seeing as he hasn't obtained a Semblance?"

Again, Ruby nodded.

"Hmmm..." Sasame hummed under breath, walking silently for a long moment. "Well...I have no pressing matters at home. Even if I hurried straight back, Sora-sama and the others won't be expecting me for a few months. Kyo won't have made it back yet, and won't for a while longer too. Given the nature of this excursion, none of us were expecting to go back to Leng for another few months at least..." She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "As far as my commitments go, I could certainly afford to linger a week or two. The only issues I see are on your end."

"What issues?" asked Ruby.

"Well, seeing as I am not a student, nor a member of the staff, I doubt that the faculty here are willing to permit me an extended period to stay," said Sasame. "I don't have the money for lodgings in Vale. I suppose I could stay in the forest."

"I...uh...I could ask Professor Ozpin," blurted Ruby. "If I go up after dinner, I might be able to talk to him and see if he'd be willing. You could stay with us in our dorm room."

"Hmmm...You might not need to wait that long," said Sasame, giggling. "I was planning on paying the old wi-the old man-in the emerald tower a visit. However, it appears that he is coming to us."

"Huh?" Ruby blinked and looked around, then gasped as she spotted Ozpin standing near the entrance of the dining hall, pointedly looking at them, his expression inscrutable. "Somehow...I'm not surprised. I think I've given up on that, when it comes to him."

"Probably a wise frame of mind to adopt," said Sasame with a giggle.

Ruby's friends were a beat slower in noticing Ozpin waiting for them. "Oh! Hey, Professor," said Jaune, waving a greeting as the group came to a halt before Ozpin.

"Mr. Arc, working hard, I trust," said Ozpin calmly, nodding incrementally in Jaune's direction.

"Y-yes, Sir," said Jaune.

"Good," said Ozpin. "I hope you all enjoy your day off tomorrow. Rest is an important aspect of training as well."

"Yes, thank you," said Pyrrha, bobbing her head in acknowledgment, along with Weiss. The others imitated the gesture a few seconds behind them.

"What brings you out here, Professor?" asked Blake, already having a good idea of what the answer was.

"I came to observe how things were going," said Ozpin. "I can hardly properly ascertain the state of affairs regarding my students by remaining in my office all the time. It also offered me the opportunity to greet our guest." He nodded politely to Sasame, who smiled and inclined her head in return.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Professor Ozpin," said Sasame, her smile taking on a sly quality. "I am Mitarai Sasame, Ruby-chan's adoptive older sister. I've come to see how she was settling in here, seeing as her admission was quite the surprise for us."

Ruby flinched in surprise, confused by why Sasame hadn't amended her name order to conform to the standard used by the Kingdoms. Normally, she was a little particular about that, if only so that people didn't get her given name and surname mixed up.

"Understandable," said Ozpin. "I apologize if my offer disrupted any plans you had for her."

"Nothing we are unable to adjust for," said Sasame frankly. "Ruby-chan was at the self-refinement stage of her training anyway. There is nothing that says she couldn't accomplish that here."

"That is good to know," said Ozpin.

"In any case, it's convenient that you've decided to come to us," said Sasame. "Ruby-chan was just wondering if I could extend my stay in order to advise her on certain matters."

That got a surprised reaction from Ruby's friends, particularly her teammates, who looked at the pair in confusion.

Ozpin was silent for a moment, his eyes closing. "I don't see why not," he said with a chuckle.

Ruby gasped softly. The fact that Ozpin hadn't made any inquiry about Sasame's reason for staying seemed to indicate, not that he didn't care, but that he already knew why Ruby wanted her to stay longer. Once again, she was reminded that Ozpin was apparently just as capable of reading her as Sasame was.

"Do you require any special accommodations?" asked Ozpin.

"I do not believe so," said Sasame. "I believe I can stay with Ruby-chan and her team without much difficulty. I don't take up much space after all."

"Quite true," said Ozpin, nodding sagely. "I will permit it. However, I would very much like to speak with you, after your dinner, perhaps."

"I expected as much," said Sasame, her smile widening. "I have to admit, I was looking forward to speaking with you as well, even before Ruby-chan made her request."

"I expected as much," said Ozpin, matching Sasame's intonation precisely. "In that case, I will see you shortly. I suspect you already know where you can find me."

"Indeed, I have a good idea," said Sasame, her eyes drifting to Beacon Tower, which was visible from their position, jutting up from the lower buildings around it.

"Very well," said Ozpin, trading one last nod with her. He looked at the other students. "A good evening to you all." With that, he walked off.

A confused silence followed in his wake as everyone except Sasame traded confused glances. "Okay..." said Yang finally. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing of great importance," said Sasame with an amused giggle.

They filed into the cafeteria to get their food. They were just taking their places at their chosen table when a familiar voice shouted over the general din of the room.

"Ruby!"

Ruby looked up and broke out into a smile as she saw Velvet approaching them. "Hi, Velvet. Still waiting for your team?"

Velvet nodded as she picked her seat and sat down. "I just got a call from Coco, though. She says they should be back by tomorrow."

"Oh, this is the friend you mentioned earlier," noted Sasame.

"Um...Yeah," said Ruby. "Velvet, this is Sasame, my adopted big sister."

Velvet looked at Sasame, her eyes going wide. Perhaps she hadn't expected Ruby's "big" sister to be so short. "It's...um...nice to meet you."

"Likewise," said Sasame cheerfully.

For the remainder of the evening, Sasame got to know Ruby's friends a little better. Before long, they had all dropped their guard around her, Sasame apparently knowing the best way to talk and act in order to get past people's natural barriers. Once again, her ability to astutely assess people wowed Ruby's friends, particularly when she managed to discern a great deal of Ren and Nora's history through a few basic observations. Ruby noticed that Sasame avoided doing the same for Blake, possibly out of respect for Blake's secret. Sasame would have been able to tell that Blake was a faunus at a glance, regardless of the bow.

The most unusual part of the evening was when Cardin came in with his team. Ruby noticed immediately, as she'd become wary of Cardin's presence lately, not wanting him to ever get the drop on her, for whatever reason he might want to. However, when she looked his way, as discreetly as she could, Ruby noticed something was off.

Cardin looked shaken, as though he'd had a close call recently. He was putting up a front to try and keep his team from cluing in, though Dove didn't appear to be fooled, from the way he scrutinized Cardin's actions carefully. But Ruby could tell from the stiffness of Cardin's posture and the overblown nature of his swagger. Something had either frightened or disturbed him deeply.

As usual, Cardin's eyes were on the move as well. Even if Ruby had warned him off of picking on faunus, she could tell that the habitual bully was always on the lookout for a new target of opportunity. She carefully averted her gaze slightly, not wanting to meet his eyes. With his eyes roving around, it was only natural that Cardin's would pass on their table at some point.

Then the true strangeness occurred. Whenever Cardin looked towards Ruby and her friends, he was always on the lookout for an opportunity to catch Ruby on her own, often giving up and looking elsewhere when he didn't see the opportunity. But, this time, as his gaze slid across her and the others, Cardin blinked, then his gaze snapped back to Ruby...or rather...the person sitting next to Ruby.

Suddenly, Cardin went completely rigid, his posture seizing up so tightly that he nearly dropped his tray. As it was, the plates on it were clattering loudly and liquid splattered from his glass as his skin blanched almost pure white. Even at the distance they were at, Ruby could have sworn that she heard his shrill whine from the other end of the hall.

Then Sasame noticed the pressure of Cardin's eyes on her and turned to look at him. She beamed at him and offered a cheery wave. The gesture made Cardin flinch, his glass tipping over completely and flooding his tray. Cardin didn't even notice, turning about and rushing away at a walk that was almost a run, going to the furthest corner of the dining hall he could find from where Ruby and the others were.

Ruby blinked, staring after him for a second, before turning to Sasame. "Sasame-nee, did something happen between you and Cardin earlier?"

"Huh?" grunted Jaune as the others threw surprised looks at Ruby.

"He did just look like he'd just seen a ghost," noted Blake with a frown.

"Yes. Something agitated him severely," agreed Velvet, nodding.

"Oh...the young man with the red hair in the armor?" inquired Sasame. At Ruby's nod, she smiled brightly. "Ah, so that's his name. Asking for it completely slipped my mind, when we met."

"Y-you met him," sputtered Weiss, seemingly horrified by the thought. Expressions around the table indicated that the sentiment was mutual.

"Yes," said Sasame pleasantly. "I bumped into him when I was looking for Ruby-chan earlier today. He took exception to me being a faunus, silly boy. I tried to withdraw gracefully, but he insisted on being a brute."

"Oh..." said Ruby, not sounding terribly surprised.

"I'm so sorry," gasped Pyrrha.

"Please don't apologize," said Sasame. "It's not your fault and you are not responsible for him or his behavior. Besides, I disciplined him thoroughly."

"So that was what I sensed earlier," said Ruby, a low groan to her voice.

"What do you mean?" asked Jaune.

"I knew Sasame-nee was here because I could sense pulses of her Aura," explained Ruby. "Normally, I wouldn't have sensed her Aura at much of a distance...unless she was actively using it." She frowned and looked at Sasame. "How many?"

"Let's see..." Sasame tapped her chin. "I think he made it to thirteen before he gave in."

"Ugh..." groaned Ruby.

"Uh, wanna explain what you're talking about?" asked Yang.

"That's how many of Cardin's bones Sasame-nee broke while 'disciplining' him," explained Ruby. "Sasame-nee's one of the nicest people in the world...if you don't get on her bad side."

"Come now, Ruby-chan," said Sasame loftily. "I have no bad side."

"You mean she broke thirteen of Cardin's bones!" exclaimed Nora, her eyes going wide as she gaped at Sasame. "But he looked just fine-Oh!" The same light that dawned in Nora's eyes dawned in the others' as well. "Healer...riiiiiight..."

Now, suddenly, everyone paled at the implication.

"Your other big sister is scary," Yang whispered to Ruby.

"It's hard to make her mad," Ruby whispered back. "But when she does, she gets mean."

"You know I can hear you both, right?" asked Sasame teasingly, making Yang and Ruby squeak in unison.

"You could get in trouble for that," noted Weiss darkly.

"Now why would I?" asked Sasame, taking a dainty bite of her food. "After all, it's not as though that young man..."

"Cardin Winchester," said Ruby, recognizing the cue.

"...Winchester-kun has anything to show for it," continued Sasame. "If anything, I left him in even better condition than I found him in. Perhaps experiencing what it is to be a victim will encourage him to develop empathy in the future."

"That's a long shot," said Ruby. "But I guess we can only hope."

"It probably hasn't done his feelings towards faunus any favors," Blake noted sourly, Velvet nodding her agreement.

"There's no helping that," said Sasame. "When someone is that predisposed to hate another class of people, whether the differentiating factor is race or something else, it is very hard to get them to change their opinion. You can't really reason with them, because such opinions are rarely rational to begin with."

"True enough," said Velvet.

"Well, they're out of our hair, at least," said Jaune. "So what are we gonna do tomorrow?" he asked, looking around.

"Oh! Let's have a group trip into Vale!" suggested Nora eagerly.

"Uh...actually..." Ruby grinned shyly. "Yang and I were gonna go into Vale together." She looked at Sasame. "Would you come with us, Sasame-nee? I guess I want to spend the day with both of my sisters."

"My, planning sibling outings already," noted Sasame proudly. "I'd be happy to accompany you two. I really want to get to know Yang-san better."

"That sounds great!" said Yang, grinning with excitement at the prospect. For all that her and Ruby's previous conversation had gone well, she felt more secure with the idea of having Sasame come along as a mediator...at least until their reconciliation was on more secure footing.

"Well, I guess we'll find something else to do with our time," said Jaune with a chuckle.

Sasame took up her tray, getting ready to take it to the the washers. "Well then," she said, "if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with your Headmaster to attend to."

"Should I come with you?" asked Ruby.

Sasame smiled warmly at her. "No, stay with your friends, Ruby-chan. There's nothing that you need to hear at this point."

Ruby frowned, not missing the hidden meaning in Sasame's words, indicating that the content of Sasame's pending discussion with Ozpin might be important in the future. However, Sasame merely sent Ruby another smile, one loaded with her intent, that solidified the notion that the conversation between Sasame and Ozpin was to be a private one.

Ruby watched as Sasame walked over to take her tray to the dishwashers, her eyes following Sasame as the fox-faunus made her way out the door.

"I've gotta admit, this whole thing is kinda weird," said Yang. "Why would Ozpin want to have a private conversation with her?"

"Well, considering the radical nature of what she's taught us, perhaps he might have issues with her presuming to act as a teacher to his students," suggested Ren.

"I kinda doubt it," said Nora. "Wouldn't he not want her to stick around if he thought that way?"

"True," agreed Ren, conceding the point.

"Well, there's no real point in worrying about it," said Weiss dismissively. "If it has anything to do with us, I'm sure we'll hear about it in due course. My only concern is that I hope she can find her way to our dorm."

"Don't worry," said Ruby. "I'm sure Ozpin will tell her where to go."

"Quite the view," said Sasame, staring straight down into the gears that churned beneath her feet, through the transparent surface of the floor. "You seem fond of clockwork mechanisms. Perhaps it is an indication of your view on the nature of an ideal world."

"Maybe once," admitted Ozpin. "However, life has taught me that trying to make people into pieces of a conceptual mechanism tends to backfire terribly. I have learned that valuing the freedom of choice is, perhaps, one of the most important factors to affecting change in the world."

"A wise point of view indeed," said Sasame, looking up at Ozpin, her eyes narrowing slightly. "So life has taught you...or have your lives taught you?"

Ozpin's eyes narrowed back.

"Has Ruby-chan noticed?" mused Sasame. "No...not yet. Her senses are not quite that refined, though, I imagine she does get a vague...off...feeling about you. She probably isn't even consciously aware of it yet."

"I imagine not," said Ozpin. "I must say, you have done remarkably well with her."

"Save your praise for her," said Sasame dismissively. "Ruby-chan is truly a singular individual. At best, we schooled her in the basics, and gave her pointers and direction when she asked for it. But, otherwise, she has built what she has for herself."

"Does that include her sword?" asked Ozpin skeptically.

"Of course not," said Sasame. "I can say though, that it was her nature that inspired Murasame-sama to craft it, to revive...or reincarnate rather...the design of a lost sword, producing what he rightly considers to be his finest creation yet." She smiled fondly and shook her head slowly. "Of course, what inspired him was the quality of Ruby-chan's soul."

"I imagine so," said Ozpin with a chuckle. "Those with smaller, simpler souls often have the capacity to ignite a spark in others."

"I'm glad to see you have noticed that," said Sasame. "And what of you? Do you have any plans for this small, simple soul?"

"Vague ones," said Ozpin. "Better to call them hopes...or aspirations maybe. It is my hope that, in any situation, she will act according to her nature."

"While you stand by and give her the leeway to do so," mused Sasame. "Very telling."

"You disapprove?" asked Ozpin.

"I neither approve nor disapprove," said Sasame. "I wish for Ruby-chan to live her life as she sees fit, to live according to her convictions, to seek her own happiness. I am so proud of her for having such a kind, protective spirit. May I ask why you do not simply speak plainly with her about what is at stake?"

"I have discovered that it can be...counterproductive," said Ozpin sadly, looking down. "I have seen those with her spirit before. In the past, I had been forward about the war, about the foe we fight. But, for people like her, that often induces them to try too hard, to force themselves into affairs that they are not yet ready for."

"The same could be said of her being kept in the dark though," Sasame pointed out.

"True," said Ozpin. "However, I wish for her to grow into her role as naturally as possible, to seek it out for herself, of her own will."

"The light touch is best, I suppose," said Sasame. "We've all tried hard to remind Ruby-chan that her own life is important too. But, so long as you provide the guidance she needs, I see no reason to intervene, nor say anything too much at this juncture."

"I'm grateful," said Ozpin, bowing his head to her.

"The most important skill we provide to our students is the ability to reason and discover the path to the answers they seek for themselves," said Sasame. "I wonder how long it will take Ruby-chan to notice the nature of your soul though."

"Considering her growth...probably not long at all," said Ozpin. "You don't seem overly troubled by it."

"I pity both you and the host your soul reincarnates into," said Sasame. "However, who you become is not a matter of choice for you. Rather, it is determined by the nature of the person you reincarnate into."

"You've seen this before," noted Ozpin.

"Not me specifically, but I do know of something similar," said Sasame, her eyes narrowing. "In the distant past, we Mibu created such a soul ourselves. However, when it migrated from one host to another, it was nowhere near as gentle as you are. You merge with soul of your host. Our monster mercilessly obliterated whatever poor soul inhabited his chosen body. He plagued us over the course of millennia."

"A frightening notion," said Ozpin.

"Make no mistake," said Sasame. "Salem is a fearsome creature. Even Kyo and I would admit to that. But the Demon King we Mibu long ago crafted, a living weapon meant to rule the world as our clan's proxy, was just as bad. His power grew well beyond our ancestors' control. It was one of the factors that led to them realizing the error of their ways. Back then, the Mibu were amongst the first to discover the nature of Aura, and explore its full potential, leading them to develop the notion that they were gods. That spectacular failure taught them...otherwise."

"And this monster of yours is no longer a threat?" asked Ozpin warily.

"You need not worry," said Sasame. "The Crimson King of several generations past settled with him long ago. The Demon King was laid to rest for the final time. He will not return to trouble anyone, ever again."

"That is good, I suppose," said Ozpin. "So, what of the Mibu now?"

Sasame raised an eyebrow. "You wonder if we might take up the fight against Salem as well, perhaps join as allies with the Kingdoms?"

"Perhaps that is too much to hope for," said Ozpin.

"It is difficult to say," said Sasame. "When it comes to Salem, there are certain…arrangements…in place that prevent our interference. Besides, as they are now, I do not yet believe that the Mibu are quite ready to engage fully with the larger world. Our isolation has both worked for and against us. Sora-sama and the other Elders have debated the matter at length, and quite carefully, but have yet to reach a definitive answer. The general consensus is that the Mibu will have to stand on the world stage with the other Kingdoms at some point. However, they still are not yet certain as to how to achieve that?"

"And is that why you took an outsider under your wing and raised her to become proficient in your arts?" mused Ozpin, turning to look out the window. "And you did so, not with the intention of inducting her into your clan, but allowing her to return to her Kingdom, and become an influence here."

"Perhaps I am like you, Ozpin-dono," said Sasame coyly. "I have no wish to steer Ruby-chan through her own life, but would rather that she follow the path she wishes. To that end, I saw to it that she was equipped as best as we could manage to fulfill her ambition. However..." She shrugged. "...if that path leads her down a road that could lead to a bridge between the Mibu and the rest of the world...I certainly do not object. Neither do Sora-sama or the others. As to whether or not she can affect the kind of change that will enable us to make a difference in the current conflict...that is completely up in the air, nor do I intend to direct her towards that end."

"I suppose that is your right...and hers," said Ozpin with a small smile, shaking his head slowly. "I can see that having you here will be interesting, for however long it lasts."

"I don't intend to overstay my welcome," said Sasame. "I just intend to stay long enough to help Ruby-chan with her little...project." Her smile widened and her tail twitched a little. "I imagine you are looking forward to the results."

"A great deal," said Ozpin.

"Good," said Sasame. "I imagine the results that come from Jaune-kun's training must be particularly interesting. You have quite the devious mind, letting that boy in with little to no training."

"There are always such hidden gems and diamonds in the rough out there," said Ozpin. "I had a feeling that Mr. Arc was just such an individual."

"You see well it seems," said Sasame. "I have one final question though."

"And that is...?"

"What are the Silver Eyes?" asked Sasame firmly.

"So...you know about them," said Ozpin.

"That is a very broad term, 'knowing'," said Sasame. "We know that they exist. We know what they look like, which was how we were able to recognize Ruby-chan as one of the Silver-Eyed Warriors. However, what they are and what they do are lost to us."

"So not even the Mibu have that knowledge," mused Ozpin.

"You overestimate us," said Sasame with a rueful laugh, "or perhaps you could say you underestimate our self-interest. The history of the Mibu goes back farther than that of any Kingdom, thanks to the fact that we have outlasted all who came before those Kingdoms. But it is the history of the world that concerns the Mibu. So you could say that our history is...selective."

"Ah, I see," said Ozpin. "So what do you wish to know about the Silver-Eyed Warriors?"

"Everything," said Sasame firmly. "What they are capable of, how their power works, and how it can be used safely. We have had no historical dealing with the Silver-Eyed Warriors specifically...at least none that we've been able to discover in our archives...but we have dealt with Shamans of a similar stripe before. Such power is often a double-edged sword. Not using it properly can do as much harm to the one wielding it as it can to their enemies. If you inducted Ruby-chan into your school with the intent of eventually having her put that power to use, then I want to be assured that she can do so safely."

"An understandable concern," conceded Ozpin. "True, that trait of hers did draw my attention, much as it did with her mother. However, that alone was not enough to make me want her in Beacon this soon."

"That's good to hear," said Sasame. "But it doesn't answer my question."

The air in the room thickened abruptly as Sasame stared at Ozpin, bringing her hands together and popping her knuckles. "I will warn you...once...Ozpin-dono. I take my position as Ruby-chan's sister very seriously. If I believe that you are withholding important information that may mean the difference between life and death for her...you will be on your way to your next host much more quickly than you probably anticipated."

To his credit, Ozpin was undaunted by the threat, but appeared to take it seriously as well. "Very well," he said. "I will tell you what I know."

"Before you begin," said Sasame. "I do have one more question to ask."

Ozpin raised a silent eyebrow.

"You know full well about Ruby-chan's Silver Eyes," said Sasame firmly. "But...are you aware that her sister, Yang-san, has the Crimson Eyes?"

From the look of surprise that crossed Ozpin's face, the answer was "apparently not."