2

Chapter 2

Six years ago:

Ruby glowered at the ground, kicking a loose stone in her anger, sending the small rock skipping along. Her eyes tracked its progress as it bounced further along the path before coming to a stop. Her eyes narrowed and she felt another surge of anger. Walking up to where it landed , she kicked it even harder, sending it bouncing along. This time, one of the stone's surfaces hit the ground at an odd angle, causing it to suddenly change direction and bounce off the edge of the path and into the surrounding foliage.

Ruby stared at where it had been for a moment, irritated at being deprived the only outlet for her frustrations she had now.

"Sorry, Ruby. Mom doesn't want me to invite you. She says you're sweet, but she just can't deal with your dad."

That jerk, Ruby thought furiously. It was bad enough that her father refused to allow Uncle Qrow to teach her. It was bad enough that he denied her any chance to enlist in any combat classes, not even something as tame as a self-defense course. It was bad enough that he had categorically denied her any chance to become a Huntress, so that she could have a "normal life." Now his damn micromanaging was even taking away her so-called "normal life."

Sleepovers, a staple of children the world over, had once been her main solace, a night she could spend without her father looking over her shoulder, checking to make sure she wasn't trying to research how to make a weapon, or looking up combat teachers that might take her on the sly. It was a time she could spend with her friends, some of whom were lucky enough to have parents that would allow them to get combat training. Some of them were even already making plans to enroll at Signal Academy, where her father taught, for crying out loud. She could spend time with her friends, talk about what she wanted to talk about, read exciting stories, watch action movies, talk about the coolest Huntsmen and Huntresses currently working, all those things.

But her father had to muck that up too. At first it had been innocent enough, calling a couple times a night to make sure she was doing all right, that she didn't need anything. Then, a week later, at the next one, the calls became more frequent. Then Taiyang started showing up at the door directly, wanting to check on her.

The poor parents of whatever friend Ruby was staying over with put up with it, at first. They'd tutted sympathetically, reminding each other, as well as the visiting children, that Taiyang was going through a hard time, having just lost his second wife. He was just dealing with her death by being a bit overprotective of his daughter by her. But, as his actions became ever more intrusive, they'd begun to get frustrated. At one point, her father had nearly started a fight with the father over one of her friends, when the unfortunate man objected to Taiyang almost forcing his way into the house in his desire to check up on her.

Ruby had wound up going home early that time.

She'd complained and Taiyang had brushed her complaints away. "I'm just worried about you. I don't want anything to happen to you."

He treated her like she was something delicate, like she was made of glass. But there was nothing wrong with her. She was physically fine. Nothing had happened to her, that day in the woods. Uncle Qrow had shown up and saved the day like he was supposed to. They'd gone home. Yang was grounded, and life moved on.

At first, it had even been a blessing. Before the incident, Taiyang had barely acknowledged her existence. Instead, it had fallen to Yang to do everything. She'd made meals for them, given Ruby baths, read stories to her, and tucked her into bed every night. All the while, Taiyang spent almost every evening slumped on the couch, a bottle in one hand, staring into space, acting to all the world as though he was the only one in the house, as though no one else had lost Summer Rose, as though he was the only one in pain.

But, after the incident, it was like someone had flipped a switch. Suddenly their father was attentive again. He gave up drink, and worked to take care of them. At first, Ruby had been happy to have her daddy back.

And then Taiyang had said she couldn't be a Huntress, that she wouldn't be allowed to attend Signal or go to Beacon, like she'd dreamed. At first he'd made excuses. She just wasn't suited to it. She didn't have the talent or the requisite strength. The fact that Ruby could obtain strength or make up for lack of talent was brushed off, Taiyang pretending she hadn't said anything.

Uncle Qrow, her cool uncle, the coolest person in the whole world to her, the one who'd promised to show her how to handle a scythe someday, came less and less. When he did show up at the house, he and Taiyang spent a lot of their time arguing. Ruby didn't need to eavesdrop to know that most, if not all, of those arguments were about her. The last time Qrow had come over, she'd stumbled on him and her dad yelling at each other, to the point she was afraid they'd come to blows. Qrow had stormed out after that, barely managing to slip on a pleasant mask to hide his anger and talk to her, not wanting to vent at her, before he was gone.

That had been three months ago.

Looking up, Ruby saw the house. It was a pleasant looking place, its wooden construction evoking a rustic, log cabin feel. It was more than large enough for the family of three. At one point in Ruby's life, the sight of her home, after a long day of school, would have filled her with elation. But now...she found herself wondering if she could put off her return a little longer.

With a sigh and a glower at the door, Ruby decided to just get it over with. She was done with this. She opened the door and slammed it shut behind her, stomping across the wooden floor.

"H-hey, Ruby." Yang Xiao Long stuck her head out the door of the living room.

"Hi, Yang," grumbled Ruby, stomping past her sister with barely any further acknowledgement.

Yang Xiao Long's lilac eyes narrowed slightly and she frowned at Ruby's dismissive greeting. "Are you gonna come to dinner tonight?" she asked.

"No," snarled Ruby. "I'm going to my room."

"What's the matter?" asked a way-too-cheerful voice from behind her as her father emerged from the kitchen, a little down and across the hall from the living room.

Anyone who looked at Ruby and Taiyang would have been hard pressed to peg them as father and daughter. Taiyang's close-cropped blonde hair was nothing like his youngest daughter's black locks. He was a tall, muscular man, with a tanned complexion from years of work out in the elements...as a Huntsman. He had a cheerful smile on his face, either not having a clue about how much he was ruining Ruby's life...or not caring. Ruby wasn't sure which.

His question prompted her to whirl around and glare at him. "You're what's the matter!" she shouted. "My friends don't want me to come over anymore because you won't stop bugging their parents!"

"Listen, Honey, I'm just worried," said Taiyang, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Anything could happen to you over there."

"What could happen!" snapped Ruby. "I'm in a house, with my friends, and their parents! It's not like we're out in the woods with Grimm."

"I know, but...there's just no telling with people," said Taiyang.

"You seriously think someone would do something to me?" asked Ruby, completely flummoxed by her father's train of thought.

"Look, it's just fine," said Taiyang. "You're better off anyway. I'm not comfortable about you being over with those kids, having them fill your head with ideas."

"What ideas?" growled Ruby, the ferocity in her voice making her father backpedal. "What ideas?"

"This Huntress thing," her father blurted out. "I know you're still sore about that Ruby. But you need to give it up. It just isn't for you."

"Why isn't it for me?" snapped Ruby.

"You're just not suited for it, Sweetheart," said Taiyang.

"But it's just fine for Yang," noted Ruby, throwing a glare at her sister, who quailed beneath Ruby's frustration.

"Yang's different," said Taiyang. "She's tough. I know she has what it takes. But you're not like her, Ruby. You're..."

"I'm what?" snarled Ruby, her eyes narrowing. "I'm delicate. Is that it? Is that what you think, that I'm made of glass?"

"N-no! Not at all," protested Taiyang.

"Then why the hell not?"

"Ruby! Language!" admonished Taiyang.

"I DON'T CARE!" Ruby screamed, her cheeks flaming with rage as she glared at her father, tears running down them. "You're trying to trap me in some kind of box, lock me up like a princess in a tower...you think I care about language?"

"I am not about to let you go out and die like your mother did!" Taiyang shouted back, his temper fraying as well.

"Oh! But it's perfectly okay if Yang goes out and dies!" Ruby snapped back. "I guess you don't care about her as much!"

"Ruby!" gasped Yang, visibly hurt by her remark.

"That's enough, young lady!" snapped Taiyang, his eyes blazing with fury. "Go to your room right now! You're grounded."

"So what?" Ruby snapped back. "I was going up there anyway. And I've been grounded for the past four years. What's another weekend?"

She stomped to the stairs and stomped up them and stomped into her room, slamming the door shut behind her, ignoring the pained look on Yang's face. Well, it served her right. Not only did Yang get to go out and become a Huntress, while Ruby was locked away like some kind of china figurine, but she always took Dad's side.

The worst part was that Ruby had admired and envied Yang. Not only was Yang beautiful, strong, and popular, everything Ruby wished she could be, but she was also kind and nurturing, as evinced by the fact that she'd taken care of Ruby, when their father had been lost in his depression after their mom's death.

But now, all Ruby felt was resentment. She unslung her backpack and hurled it against the wall, not caring if the textbooks within were damaged. She threw herself onto her bed and cried.

A couple hours later, Ruby figured it was time to go down and get herself something to eat. If she was quiet, she could sneak past the living room and make it to the kitchen while Yang and their father were watching the network. She'd taken off her shoes, so she was able to make her way down the stairs without a sound. Careful, trying to not make so much as a creak on the floorboards, Ruby made her way along the hall, aiming for the kitchen.

"-what?" Yang's voice, coming from the living room, drew Ruby's attention.

"I'm thinking of taking her out of school," said Taiyang. "I'm not sure she's doing well in that sort of environment."

What? thought Ruby, her hands going to her mouth to muffle her gasp.

"I don't understand," Yang protested.

"She's only becoming more obstinate," said Taiyang. "Her attitude's getting worse by the day. I think those so-called friends of hers are a bad influence."

It's not their fault, Ruby thought furiously, grinding her teeth in silence.

"I'd feel better if I could keep her here, and keep an eye on her," said Taiyang.

And there it was, what her father really wanted. He really did want to lock her up, away from the world, isolate her from all contact, denying her even her friends, just so he could spend the rest of their lives looking over her shoulder.

"She won't like it," Yang protested. "Ruby loves her friends."

"It's for her own good," said Taiyang. "I need to keep her here, where I'm sure she can be safe." His voice suddenly became harsh. "You know what 'safe' means, right Yang? It's not like I'm loading her in a wagon and dragging her off on some kind of suicide quest."

"Y-yeah..." said Yang, her tone falling.

"Good, then you know that this is what has to happen," said Taiyang firmly.

Ruby swallowed back her fury, mercilessly quashing the impulse to rush in there, and cuss like a sailor at her father. Exposure to Uncle Qrow, before he'd started keeping his distance, had led to her inadvertently led her to learning some impressive four-letter words, words her uncle probably hadn't meant for her to learn. Still, Ruby stopped herself.

That does it! She was done with this. It was everything she feared and more. She wasn't going to put up with this any longer. She was gone. She'd get out and find some other way to become a Huntress. She'd find a way, even if it killed her. And if it did kill her...well...it served her father right in the first place.

With that, Ruby forgot about her hunger and returned to her room.

She had to plan carefully. Ruby continued to play the angry, stubborn girl all Saturday. She remained locked up in her room, only opening the door to collect the food Yang left in front of it. She ate and then returned to her work. She had to work quickly. As invasive as her father was, she wouldn't put it past him to look through her room and her stuff when she was gone at school during the day, which only gave her two days to work with.

First, she made a list of things she needed. Back when she and Yang had still been able to go on camping trips with Uncle Qrow, he had lectured them about the need to pack light and carry only the essentials. There were a lot of things Ruby wanted to bring, her favorite stuffed Beowolf for example, but she had to leave them behind to make space for the things she needed to bring.

Ruby had no intention of running off into the wilderness, so she wouldn't pack like she was going camping. What she needed was money. She had some cash saved up from back when she'd gotten a weekly allowance, before her father had taken that away, making her ask him whenever she needed money for something (which often led to an extended and bizarrely intrusive inquiry into why she needed whatever thing she needed money for).

She also knew that her father kept a sizable stash of money in a safe beneath his own bed, an emergency cache of cash. Well, this qualified as an emergency for Ruby. She needed to get out of this house before her father decided she needed to be chained to the living room couch or something. Getting to said safe hadn't been easy. Ruby had needed to bide her time, acting when Taiyang was out of the house, and Yang was playing video games downstairs. Fortunately, the safe wasn't locked, Taiyang having not been overly concerned about thieves, so getting the money out of it was easy.

Sunday night, having packed everything she could think of, that she actually had access to, Ruby made the decision to slip out the door. With Taiyang and Yang asleep, she was able to unlock the door and slip away. She didn't care that she was leaving the door unlocked. If thieves wanted anything in the house, they were welcome to it now. As far as Ruby was concerned, it wasn't her home anymore.

This was a mistake, Ruby reflected as her stomach growled for the umpteenth time.

The cash she'd stolen from home hadn't lasted very long. Worse still, it wasn't as though Ruby was able to book a hotel room, even if she'd been able to afford it. That meant cold nights out in the streets, practically sleeping with one eye open, lest someone try to take advantage of her. Ruby wasn't sure what her plan had been, once she'd taken the ferry from Patch to Vale. She'd only been to the Kingdom a couple of times.

Her plans had originally been so ambitious too. First she had to find some form of combat school. But everywhere she looked, someone her age needed a parent or guardian consent form. No one was about to simply allow a nine-year-old to walk in off the street and learn to fight. And, of course, even if they were, her money wasn't enough to earn continuous lessons, and Ruby had no idea how to get more money. No one wanted to hire a nine-year-old either.

Now Ruby was feeling the pangs of hunger as she stared longingly at the loaf of bread sitting on a counter, just within arms' reach. The open front of the bakery was designed so that the owner could basically market and advertise her products to the passersby, without them needing to actually enter the store. It also, however, made her products a tempting target for someone who hadn't eaten in two days.

Ruby chewed the inside of her lip as she eyed the bread hungrily. If she did this, if she took it…she'd be committing a crime. Sure, she was starving, and she needed something, anything, to keep her going. But this was possibly the beginning of a slippery slope. Furthermore, if she was caught and wound up with a criminal record…her dreams of becoming a Huntress might become dashed before she even had a chance to begin. Ruby wasn't sure if the Academies took people with past criminal histories.

But she was so hungry. Ruby smacked her lips, just looking at the bread. It was just one. That was all she needed, something to take the edge off the pangs in her stomach that were beginning to grow outright painful. She watched, looking carefully, waiting for the moment the owner turned her attention away from the front, a chance to dash in and take what she needed.

Finally, the owner turned to inspect some of her other products, and Ruby took the first step towards her prize...only to be brought up short as something soft, yet strong, wrapped around her left wrist and held her fast. Ruby fought down the urge to shriek, and whirled around to stare at what had caught her.

Another girl stood behind her, only a few inches taller than the nine-year-old. Despite that, Ruby could tell, somehow, that this girl was considerably older than her. Her build was slight and quite dainty. Long tresses of auburn hair framed soft, rounded cheeks and a pair of big, chocolate-brown eyes. She was dressed in a pale-pink kimono, its edges tucked into a skirt-like garment that wrapped around her legs. However, her most distinctive feature was the one that currently held Ruby fast, a brownish-red tail, with a white tip.

"Are you hungry, Little One?" asked the older girl, eying Ruby carefully, her eyes full of compassion and concern.

Ruby swallowed and said nothing.

"It isn't wise to try and steal," the older girl continued, "not in the least because the owner of that shop noticed you some time ago. You were staring a little too intently for anyone not to notice."

Ruby swallowed, a shaky feeling that had nothing to do with hunger running through her body.

"She presented you with an opening in the hope of luring you in, and catching you in the act," added the older girl. "Had I not stopped you, the police would likely be on their way already."

That thought made Ruby feel faint. Being turned in to the police would mean the police learning where she had come from. That would lead to her being taken back to her father. And Taiyang likely wouldn't let her escape again. This was her only chance to get away from him, and she'd almost blown it.

"If you're hungry, please allow me to take care of it," continued the girl. "A growing girl like you needs a more balanced diet than bread anyway."

"Wha-what do you want?" asked Ruby.

"Well...in exchange for treating you to a meal, I want to hear your story, Miss..."

Recognizing the prompt, Ruby swallowed. "Ruby...Rose." Her mother's surname rolled off the tongue more comfortably than she thought it would. It helped that she'd given up all interest in bearing her father's surname. If Ruby Xiao Long couldn't be a Huntress, then Ruby Rose would.

The girl's eyelids twitched, narrowing by the tiniest of fractions, indicating something about what Ruby had said had caught her attention. But then the change passed, like a fleeting mirage. "It's nice to meet you, Ruby-chan. My name is Mitarai Sasame." She paused, her fingers pinching her chin. "Oh, right, in the Kingdoms, the given name comes first. So I suppose my name is Sasame Mitarai."

"Sa-Sasame," said Ruby, testing the name on her tongue. It sounded nice. "Why did you call me that?"

"Oh! Sorry," said Sasame with a giggle, her fox-tail releasing its hold on Ruby's wrist and curling around to her front, where she took it in her hands and began to run her fingers through its fur. "Where I come from, that's an honorific."

"What's an hon-honor…uh…that thing?" asked Ruby.

Sasame giggled again. "Sorry, it's a form of address, like 'miss' or 'mister.' Though ours are a little more nuanced than most. Hence, '-chan' is used for children, particularly cute little girls, like yourself."

"I…I see," said Ruby, not sure how she felt about that. However, there was something endearing about it, and there was no trace of condescension in Sasame's voice when she'd used it.

"Now then, let's see about food, and you can tell me your story," said Sasame, releasing her tail, and extending a hand to Ruby.

Ruby eyed the hand warily, but hesitantly reached out and took it. Sasame's hand held hers in a grip that was gentle, yet firm. Ruby got the feeling that, if she tried to force herself out of it, she wouldn't be able to get Sasame's fingers to budge. For all that Sasame was a girl almost as small as her, Ruby couldn't shake the feeling that there was something about this girl, something...different.

Sasame led her down the streets and to a small cafe. Ruby looked around nervously, seeing a number of other faunus sitting at the tables, but no humans.

"Well, this is a place that caters to faunus," said Sasame, noting Ruby's discomfort. "I've heard it's getting better, but not everyone seems to like having faunus eat at their establishments. This is just a nice place I found recently."

The staff, when they saw them, appeared to be more concerned about Ruby's clear destitution, her clothing and skin being dirty from living on the streets, rather than her race. Ironically, that made Ruby feel a little more comfortable. They certainly seemed willing to take Sasame's lien.

A few minutes later, a plate of pancakes, accompanied by a fruit salad, was set in front of her.

"It's a good start," said Sasame, pouring some syrup over her own pancakes. "You need something to fill you up, but you also need vitamins and micronutrients. We'll get you some protein later."

"Later...?" Ruby blinked.

Sasame giggled. "Sorry. I got ahead of myself there. Let's start with what a sweet girl like you is doing out on the streets. Where is your family?"

"They-they're..." Ruby swallowed. "They're dead," she said.

Immediately, the air changed, and Ruby felt a strange sense of pressure coming from the older girl in front of her. It wasn't threatening...but it was rather authoritative. "Ruby-chan...it's not polite to lie to someone who's buying you lunch." Sasame was still smiling, but there was a sternness to her expression.

"Wha-what?" gasped Ruby.

"Perhaps I should be more specific in my questioning," said Sasame. "Why did you run away from home?"

Ruby gasped. "H-how did you know?" she asked.

"When you gave me your name, you hesitated a fraction, before giving me your surname," said Sasame. "That strikes me as being because you are used to giving a different surname, the one you were originally recognized as having. However, you spoke your new surname with a surprising degree of confidence and conviction, suggesting that you associate yourself with it quite strongly, too strongly for it to be a mere alias…so...I suppose at least one of your parents is dead, but not the other."

Ruby's stomach churned. Sasame had taken a tiny cue, a minuscule pause in Ruby's speech, and discerned that much of her situation from that tiny hint alone. It was uncanny.

"How did you know I ran away?" asked Ruby, looking down.

"There's the state of your clothing first," said Sasame. "It's fairly new, but not overly worn. Its current condition is merely unclean because you've been living on the streets, but you haven't been living out here long. You're hungry, but malnutrition hasn't yet begun to set in. Juxtaposing the state of your health with that of your clothes tells me that you had funds, until not too long ago, enough to buy food for yourself, at least, meaning you stole the money from when you ran, but spent it all. Your behavior at the bakery showed that thievery is a line of work you were only just considering going into, when I found you, so it's unlikely you stole what money you had before through average larceny, but rather obtained it from a source you knew of beforehand, from someone who at least let their guard down around you enough for you to be able to take it and leave, before they realized what you'd done."

Ruby's throat tightened, the uncomfortable feeling increasing as Sasame continued to deduce these hidden details about her from the smallest of clues. Sasame had used a lot of big words that Ruby only had a vague idea of the meaning of, apparently talking to herself as much as the girl in front of her. But Ruby got the gist of things well enough...well enough to make her nervous.

"So...my guess is this," said Sasame. "One of your parents, presumably the one whose surname was 'Rose,' died recently. Because of that, relations between you and your remaining parent have become...strained. Was it abusive...?" Sasame's eyes narrowed as she rested her chin in the palm of her hand, her elbow sitting on the table. "No...not quite. You're not running away in fear. You're asserting your independence, aren't you?"

Ruby knew the way she flinched gave away that Sasame had hit the nail on the head, without even needing her to say so.

"I see," said Sasame. "So your remaining parent has become overbearing and controlling, and you felt the desperate need to escape in order to walk the path in life you wanted to." Her expression softened. "Who died?"

"My mom...Summer Rose," said Ruby. "She was a Huntress. She died on a mission, a few years back."

"And your father?"

"Taiyang Xiao Long," said Ruby.

"All right," said Sasame. "I have the basic gist of things now. Please fill in the blanks for me and explain, as best you can, why you felt the need to put yourself through this."

"A-all right," said Ruby, sighing resignation. Lying was out of the question now. Sasame had seen right through her effortlessly. She explained what had happened: her mother's death, Yang's ill-advised stunt to try and find her mysterious biological mother, the abrupt change in her father's attitude afterwards, the controlling, the slow isolation from her friends...Finally, Ruby got to the part where she overheard her father's decision to pull her out of school to keep her at home.

"I see," said Sasame, once Ruby had finished. "I don't blame you for running away then. It's clear this wasn't a spur of the moment thing. Your father's behavior was definitely swaying towards the unhealthy. He could undoubtedly benefit from some distance…and so could you." Her gaze focused on Ruby and she tapped her chin. "But that leaves me with the question of what to do with you."

Ruby's jaw clenched, feeling as though she was standing before a judge, about to announce the verdict of the trial that was her life.

"Obviously, leaving you where you currently are is out of the question," said Sasame, making Ruby tense even more. "I couldn't live with myself if I left a child to fend for herself in the streets. However, it appears that taking you to the authorities is not a good idea either. That would just end up with you back where you were...and in even worse straits than before."

Ruby relaxed a little. Sasame wasn't going to turn her in. But what then? What am I going to do?

Then Sasame smiled again. There was something...different about this smile. It was still warm and caring, but there was a hint of eagerness, excitement even, to it. "You wish to become a Huntress, do you?"

"Y-yes," said Ruby. "It's all I've ever wanted to be."

"For what reason?" asked Sasame. "Huntresses seem to be famous and prestigious."

"To protect people," said Ruby firmly.

Sasame's smile widened. "A good answer."

"A-are you a Huntress?" Ruby ventured nervously.

"I'm not," said Sasame frankly. "In a sense, I'm nothing more than a traveler. I've been traveling Remnant with my friend for a while now. We do not have Huntsmen or Huntresses where we come from. Unfortunately, we cannot help you become a Huntress."

"Oh..." said Ruby, her stomach sinking. For just the briefest of moments, she'd been buoyed by the hope that, maybe, by the slimmest of chances, she'd found her way. But now those hopes were about to be crushed again.

"But..." said Sasame, her tone lightly teasing, a slight giggle in her voice, "...we can help you become strong."

"Strong?" asked Ruby.

"We can teach you how to fight," explained Sasame. "You could obtain the kind of strength that is virtually unknown in this part of the world, strength equal to or greater than that of any Huntress or Huntsman."

Ruby's eyes widened, and she let out the smallest of hopeful gasp.

"So...while we can't help you become a Huntress, we can help you become strong," said Sasame, "and what you do with that strength will be your decision. Perhaps you might catch the attention of someone from this Academy you fancy. Without any formal transcripts to recommend you, we'll have to ensure you can catch their eyes in a more practical manner."

"Really?" gasped Ruby.

"I believe so," said Sasame. "My friend and I do know a thing or two about becoming strong. It's the entire reason we've been wandering about in the first place." Her eyes narrowed. "I should warn you, however, that it won't be easy. If you want to become stronger, you'll need to work hard. It will be harsh, difficult, painful even. There will be times when your life will be in danger. Knowing that...are you really certain this is the path you want to follow?"

Ruby closed her eyes, thinking it over for a moment. Finally, she opened them and met Sasame's gaze levelly. "Yes," she said firmly.

"Well then," said Sasame, relaxing, "we've reached an agreement. Wonderful! Let's finish eating, and I'll take you to meet my friend."

Ruby looked down at her food, then up at Sasame, a sense of unease welling up again. "How do I know I can trust you?" she asked. It was definitely generous of Sasame to treat her to lunch. But Ruby had to admit, even if she was only nine, she knew better than to just blindly trust someone, particularly if that someone was conveniently dangling the very thing she wanted right in front of her face, all for the sake of enticing Ruby to come with her.

"Hmm...that is a good question," noted Sasame. "Though you're a little late in asking it. That should have come before you agreed. Granted, we haven't signed some kind of contract or anything, so there's no obligation for you, but you definitely should have settled that question before agreeing to anything."

Ruby nodded, feeling a shiver pass through her.

"I suppose you have no reason to trust me," said Sasame. "I'm glad you're wise enough to understand that me treating you to a meal doesn't automatically make me trustworthy. You're also clever enough, despite your age, to realize that my offer has the marks of something 'too good to be true.'" She scratched her head. "It's definitely difficult for me to offer a genuine assurance, save for this..."

Suddenly Ruby felt a tremendous pressure on her, pressing her down into her seat, making her chest seize up. She was completely unable to draw breath. Sasame had done nothing, but the air around her had changed completely. Her presence was suffocating, overwhelming.

"You certainly feel that, Ruby-chan," said Sasame, an edge to her voice that was genuinely intimidating, frightening, and threatening. "This is my power. Faced with this, I have the capacity to drive you to your knees with nothing but the force of my will. If I truly had ill intentions for you, I have the means to act upon them, and you have no way of stopping me. I have absolute power over you. I can make you do anything I want."

Ruby shivered, on the verge of passing out. But then the pressure was gone.

"But I won't," said Sasame, her normal demeanor returning. "If you truly decide you don't trust me, Ruby-chan, then I will allow you to walk away. It troubles me to leave a sweet girl like you to your fate on the streets, but I won't force you into doing something you don't feel right about."

"R-really?" asked Ruby.

"Yes," said Sasame. "As badly as I want to help you, I need your trust first to do that. Forcing you into something, even if it is for your own good, would be detrimental in the long run, particularly because the reason you're out here in the first place is because you ran away from being forced into something 'for your own good.'"

She reached across the table and took Ruby's hand. "For what it's worth, I will never try to force you into anything, Ruby-chan. I will offer you choices. It will be up to you to accept them. But I will never make you do something you truly don't want you to do. If you agree to train under us, I will instruct you to do things. If you don't want to do them, that will come with the consequence of you not realizing the gains you seek. But that is the whole of the matter."

There was a powerful earnestness in Sasame's voice. Looking into the girl's eyes, all Ruby could see was a warm, caring, nurturing person, who truly wanted to help her. Sasame wanted what was best for her, but she didn't want it the way Ruby's father wanted it. She would allow Ruby to make her own choices, even if it wasn't 'best' for her.

"All right," said Ruby.

Sasame sighed, her posture relaxing and Ruby realized that the older girl had been scared after all, scared that Ruby would distrust her and turn her down, forcing Sasame to let Ruby return to the streets, and whatever uncertain fate awaited her there.

"Good," said Sasame. "Now, let's eat."

Ruby's stomach answered for her, and she blushed as her new friend giggled in front of her. Giving in to her hunger, Ruby tucked in with a gusto.

After lunch, Sasame led Ruby through the streets of Vale, until they reached the Kingdom's perimeter wall. There, she was surprised when Sasame led them out through one of the gates, the guard barely even glancing at them as they passed. It seemed that the military were more concerned about people coming in than going out. Ruby gripped Sasame's hand nervously as they entered into the wilderness. Even without her father trying to dissuade her, Ruby knew enough from her basic schooling to know what dwelt out here...the Grimm.

Patch was supposed to be safe, as places went. But even there, she and Yang had nearly died at the fangs and claws of a Beowolf pack, before their Uncle Qrow had saved them. Outside the Kingdom proper, this was dangerous territory, where the Grimm reigned supreme, preying upon anyone foolish enough to stumble into their domain.

"Don't worry," said Sasame, giving Ruby's hand a reassuring squeeze, "the Grimm won't bother us, so long as my friend is around."

"Huh?" Ruby blinked in surprise, wondering what Sasame meant by that.

They wandered through the forest for what seemed like hours to Ruby, until they reached a small clearing. There, seated on a log by a small campfire, was an unusual boy.

For the most part, he seemed normal. He wore a simple, black kimono that hid most of the lines of his body, but did display a little bit of the muscular features of his chest. His head was covered by a scruffy mop of tangled, black hair. There was little to remark on about him, save for his eyes. The boy's eyes were a brilliant, vivid crimson, seeming to shimmer in the light of the fire, almost as though they had a luminescent quality of their own. As his eyes drifted to Sasame, then to her, Ruby shuddered. They were strange, unusual...but also singularly beautiful.

"Hello, Kyo," said Sasame cheerfully, pulling Ruby closer to the fire. "I made a friend."

Kyo's eyes took Ruby in at a glance and his lips curled up in a gentle smile. "I can see that," he said, his voice surprisingly soft and gentle. "Care to introduce her to me?"

"H-hi," said Ruby, pulling away from Sasame to stand on her own, clasping her hands in front of herself. "I'm Ruby Rose."

"I see," said Kyo, shifting on the log that served as his seat. His hand reached out to clasp the sheath of a long, curved sword that had been resting beside him. Its design was similar to katanas that Ruby had seen illustrations of in weapon-reference books, save for the fact it was almost five feet in length. Kyo shifted the sword, transitioning it so that the base of the sheath was resting on the ground, while its length settled over his left shoulder, the handle extending up by his head. "I didn't expect you to bring back company, Sasame. What brought this about?"

"It's complicated," said Sasame plainly enough, a cheeky edge to her voice. "But the short version is that I figured Ruby-chan should travel with us. She wants to become strong, and I thought we could help her with that."

"Really now?" Kyo's eyes drifted to Ruby, who, for all that she tensed under that strange, luminous gaze, felt nothing threatening.

Ruby nodded slowly.

"I see," said Kyo, his smile widening. "Well, I certainly think we can help with that."

"I agree," said Sasame. "I figured now was a good time to turn back towards home. We can bring Ruby-chan with us. We'll work on the basics on the way there. By the time we get home, she'll be ready for more specialized instruction."

Kyo laughed. "You can't have met her more than a few hours ago, and you already have everything mapped out. That's so like you, Sasame."

"Well, of course," said Sasame with no small amount of pride, resting her fists on her hips and throwing back her shoulders, thrusting her modest chest out.

"Well then..." Kyo's attention returned to Ruby. "I certainly don't have any problem with it. We don't have a set schedule, so it's not as though we need to be worried about you slowing us down. I'm fine with a little extra company. I know Sasame well enough to know that she made it clear that this won't be an easy thing for you, yet you're still here, all the same."

"S-so...I can come?" said Ruby hopefully.

"You can," said Kyo. "My name is Mibu Kyo...er...Kyo Mibu in this portion of the world. Sasame is my friend and traveling companion."

Ruby looked between the pair of them. "A-are you together?"

Kyo and Sasame shared a glance between them, before turning back to Ruby. "No," they said simultaneously.

"I'm here to look after this fool," said Sasame, poking Kyo playfully in the side. "When all's said and done, he's an idiot who doesn't know anything beyond how to swing a sword competently. I keep an eye on him so his mother doesn't worry."

"So harsh," said Kyo, laughing sheepishly. "I can look after myself, you know."

"Sure you can," said Sasame with a cheeky giggle that Ruby found infectious.

Ruby could see a sibling-like dynamic between these two. It actually reminded her of how she and Yang used to be, filling Ruby with a sense of nostalgic longing. Sasame noticed and smiled warmly. "Come here, Ruby-chan," she said, extending a hand out to her.

Ruby took Sasame's hand, and found herself pulled into a tight, yet gentle hug. She felt something warm wrap around her and realized that Sasame's tail had also joined in the embrace. Ruby found herself leaning in, resting her face against Sasame's shoulder, the warm feeling making tears leak from her eyes.

"You're going to be okay," said Sasame softly. "Kyo and I will look after you, and we'll help you become stronger. You have my word."

Ruby sniffled and nodded. Sasame pulled away and leaned back in to kiss Ruby on the forehead. "Now then, we have some time until dinner. Would you like to get started?"

Her sadness disappearing altogether, Ruby nodded eagerly.

"Then let's start by unlocking your Aura," said Sasame cheerfully.

 .