41

Chapter 41:

Ruby sobbed in Sasame's arms, while Sora looked on with a sad expression. They were presently seated in Ruby's room, on her bed. In addition to wrapping Ruby in her arms, Sasame had divided her tails, enveloping Ruby in a fuzzy warmth. Ruby needed that warmth, needed to feel the affection behind the gesture. It was a balm that soothed the pain she felt in her soul.

It hadn't exactly taken Sasame long to explain the meaning behind Akane's little gesture in the classroom. Naturally, Sora had been horrified to hear that someone had done that to Ruby in school.

"I'm so sorry, Ruby-chan," said Sasame, before gently kissing Ruby's forehead. "You don't deserve such treatment." She sighed. "I generally appreciate children, but they always find a way to surprise me...sometimes not in a good manner."

"B-but...did they...did they really...does Akane-chan really hate me that much?" asked Ruby.

"I doubt it," said Sasame. "Children your age are still developing their emotional capability, particularly the ability to feel empathy. Akane-chan knows that her gesture hurt you, meant it to hurt you. But she doesn't realize how that actually feels, because she has not ever considered how receiving such a gesture would hurt her."

Reaching up, Sasame brushed some tears off Ruby's cheek. "If anything, it's amazing how powerful your sense of empathy for others is, Ruby-chan. I'm always amazed by your capacity to care. It's one of your greatest strengths, and easily the most beautiful thing about you...aside from your smile."

The teasing statement at the end managed to coax a watery smile out of Ruby.

"Do you feel a little better?" asked Sasame.

Ruby nodded. "N-now what?" she asked.

"That remains to be seen," said Sora, now stepping out of the door, and into the room. "My husband will make the decision, with regard to Akane-kun's punishment."

"How bad will she be punished?" asked Ruby warily, prompting an odd look from both of the women in the room.

"Depending on what my husband decides, potentially expulsion," said Sora.

"Um..." Much to their surprise, Ruby looked uneasy at the prospect.

"You don't feel she should be expelled?" asked Sora.

"I...I'm not sure," said Ruby, looking down. "I mean...I don't want to let her get away with it. But I don't want her thrown out of school because of me."

"Ruby-chan," said Sasame firmly, drawing Ruby's eyes to hers. "If Akane-kun is expelled, it will be entirely upon her, because of what she chose to do. You are not at fault, especially not because Akane-kun chose to take exception to the fact that you are a born outsider. Her punishment is one that she will have earned through her own actions."

"A-all right," said Ruby softly.

"You are such a kind child, Ruby-chan," observed Sora fondly, reaching between Sasame's tails to brush her fingers through Ruby's hair.

A shadow stretched out from the door, before rising up from the floor to resolve into the form of Dougal. "How is she?" he asked in his soft, whispery voice.

"She'll be fine," said Sora, turning to her Imperial Guard with a relaxed smile. "Ruby-chan is strong."

"That's good," said Dougal. "I've brought her a visitor."

"Huh?" Ruby blinked.

Natsuki peered timidly from behind the frame of the door. "Ruby-chan?" she asked worriedly.

"Natsu-chan!" Ruby jumped off the bed, pulling out from Sasame's tails.

The two girls rushed to each other, hugging one another tightly. They clung to one another for a few minutes, before finally pulling away enough that they could look each other in the eyes.

"Are you okay, Ruby-chan?" asked Natsuki worriedly.

"I'm fine," said Ruby, giving her best friend a teary-eyed smile.

"Thank goodness," said Natsuki, wiping her own eyes. "We were all worried about you."

"'We'?" Ruby canted her head slightly.

"Miyu-chan and Setsuna-kun," Natsuki reminded her. "They were worried too."

"Oh..." Ruby felt her heart flutter. It was wonderful to know that Natsuki had been worried about her. But to realize that Natsuki wasn't the only one, that there were other people in her class who wanted to know if she was all right, that made her realize why her family wanted her to make friends so badly.

"Sensei was furious," said Natsuki, giving Ruby a nervous grin. "I've never seen him so angry. It was the scariest thing I've ever seen...and I wasn't even the one he was angry at!"

"I'm sorry," Ruby squeaked, ducking her head.

Now it was Natsuki's turn to cant her own head. "Why? It's not your fault. It's Akane-chan's fault for being such a bully."

"B-but...if I hadn't been there..." Ruby muttered.

"Ruby-chan, I'm glad you're in our class," said Natsuki with intense conviction.

"Y-you are?" asked Ruby.

"Of course I am!" exclaimed Natsuki. "You're my best friend! I think the fact that you're an outsider is great. Makoto-sama and the others are always telling me how important it is not to judge people you've never met. Our classmates are getting to know someone who was born outside the Mibu, and that's important. If Akane-chan and Yuuko-chan can't handle that, then they're just jerks."

"From the mouths of babes," Sasame muttered softly, a fond smile on her face as she watched the two girls.

Ruby sniffed, already feeling much better. Truth be told, while it hurt to learn what Akane had meant by putting flowers on her desk, Ruby had to admit that she probably didn't feel it as keenly as someone born and raised in the Mibu probably would. She'd thought it was a gesture of encouragement at first, with only the other students', and then Kyoichiro's, reactions telling her that something was wrong.

"Well then," said Sora. "If you're feeling better, Ruby-chan, then I think it's time for dinner. Why don't you join us, Natsu-chan?"

"Um...but...I should be getting home," said Natsuki, looking at Sora worriedly.

"Nonsense," said Sora. "It's getting a little late for that. I'm not sending you back out through the palace at this time of night, especially not after you came all the way here to check on Ruby-chan. In fact, you might as well spend the night here. I'll have Dougal inform your parents, and you can go back to school with Ruby-chan tomorrow morning."

"But my homework!" protested Natsuki.

"Something tells me that you'll be excused for that tomorrow," said Sasame. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

"Okay," said the girls in unison.

"Now then, Ruby-chan, go wash your face," said Sora. "We'll wait for you at the dinner table."

"All right," said Ruby, heading to the bathroom.

A few minutes later, they were all seated at the table, eating. Kyo had joined them, having left the task of consoling Ruby to Sora and Sasame. The topic of Akane's cruel prank was set aside, and they instead talked about more mundane matters. Sasame and Sora asked Ruby questions about her other friends, almost as though they were quizzing Ruby about how well she knew them. Aside from that, they asked Natsuki about how she was doing.

Natsuki reported that her parents had begun training her in swordsmanship. Given that she was only just starting out, they weren't going to enroll Nastsuki in a Manifestation-based school, until she had a better idea of what she wanted to do, even though Natsuki continued to express interest in studying the Mumyo Homusubi Ryu, under Keikoku. In the meantime, they could begin the process of developing her martial skills themselves.

Ruby was excited to learn that her friend was training too, and began to wonder if they could start training together, drawing a puzzled look from Natsuki, and amused ones from Sora and Sasame. Kyo chuckled behind his sleeve.

Around the time they were finishing up, the door to the dining room opened, and Kyoichiro entered. "I see things are just fine back here," he observed, smiling.

"Ruby-chan is a strong girl," said Sasame simply.

Kyoichiro noticed that Ruby was looking at him worriedly. "Yes?" he asked.

"Um...uh...I just wanted to know..." Ruby looked down at her plate, while tapping her index fingers together shyly. "Wha-what about Akane-chan? What are you going to do to her?"

Kyoichiro's smile faded, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He looked at Ruby intently, interested by her inquiry, mainly because there was absolutely nothing vindictive about it. Ruby almost sounded as though she was...worried...about her tormentor. "Her fate is...undecided, as of yet," said Kyoichiro.

"Why not?" asked Ruby, looking up at him in confusion. "Sora-sama and Sasame-nee said she'd probably be expelled!"

"Probably is not the same thing as certainly," Kyoichiro reminded her, studying her expression and her emotions carefully. "And would you prefer to see her expelled?"

"Um..." Ruby looked down, not looking certain at all.

Sora and Sasame watched the exchange with keen interest. Kyo merely smiled at the sight. Natsuki was baffled.

"But, Sensei," Natsuki protested, "after what Akane-chan did..."

"Yes, normally she would be expelled," Kyoichiro replied. "However, I have chosen to make a special exception here. The fact is that she still might be."

"But she might not," said Ruby, her head coming up, her interest rising, her manner piquing the interest of the rest of her adopted family. Ruby almost sounded...hopeful.

"Indeed," said Kyoichiro. "But it will not be my decision."

"Why not?" asked Natsuki.

"Because...it will be Ruby-kun's choice," said Kyoichiro, fixing his gaze firmly on Ruby, who gasped.

"Me!?" exclaimed Ruby, shocked.

"Yes," said Kyoichiro. "Tomorrow morning, you shall be the one to decide Akane-kun's fate. If you wish it, she will be expelled immediately."

"If I don't...?" pressed Ruby.

"Then she will still be punished," said Kyoichiro. "But she won't be expelled."

"I...I don't understand," said Ruby softly. While she didn't know how she felt about Akane being expelled, she did know that there were rules to be followed. So it seemed strange that Kyoichiro was bending those rules, under these circumstances.

"Let us just say there are...unusual circumstances in play," said Kyoichiro. "You needn't decide now. Your decision will be required before the first bell, tomorrow morning."

"O-okay," said Ruby.

Natsuki looked at her friend worriedly, but said nothing. She too was confused as to why their teacher would leave the final decision of Akane's punishment in Ruby's hands. Still, she knew better than to question their teacher too much.

"For now, don't worry about it, Ruby-chan," said Kyo, reaching over to hold her hand. "The last thing we want is for you to lose sleep over this. In the morning, just make the decision that feels best to you. Don't overthink it."

"A-all right," said Ruby.

After dinner, when the girls had been put to bed, Sora and her husband went through the process of their own preparations for sleep.

"You already know what decision Ruby-chan will make, don't you?" teased Sora, as the pair climbed into bed.

"It was written all over her face," said Kyoichiro with a chuckle. "She is compassionate to a fault. In the future, that will be something to temper. But, for now, it's a valuable strength to her."

"True," agreed Sora. "And it's a valuable opportunity for us."

Kyoichiro nodded. "Ruby-kun is an exceptional girl, but she has been her peers' first exposure to an outsider, so her behavior will shape their preconceptions towards other outsiders. If they can be taught not to paint with so broad a brush, then hopefully those children will will not be bound by the prejudices of their parents."

"In any case, all that is left is to see what tomorrow will bring," said Sora, before pausing. "Oh...if you would please be so kind as to excuse Natsu-chan for not having her homework ready tomorrow. I can assure you she has a very good reason."

Kyoichiro laughed. "Of course," he said.

The next morning, Ruby and Natsuki had to get up early. Ruby was expected to give her decision before classes started for the day, so she needed to be there earlier than usual. While Natsuki had been given the option of sleeping in until the usual time, she opted to get up early too, explaining that it would be awkward to go after Ruby had already left.

After breakfast, they made their way through the palace's hallways, then across the upperclass district to their school. Sasame accompanied them.

Upon arriving at school, Ruby and Natsuki headed to their classroom, Sasame still following. Entering the classroom, they were not surprised to see Kyoichiro already there, seated at his desk. What did surprise them was the fact that Akane was present as well, as were an unfamiliar man and woman, whom Ruby and Natsuki assumed to be Akane's parents.

"Thank you for your prompt arrival, Ruby-kun," said Kyoichiro. At the moment, he was not wearing his glasses, leaving his Crimson Eyes in full view. His gaze went to Natsuki. "Natsuki-kun, would you please wait out in the hall."

"Y-yes, Sensei," said Natsuki nervously, stepping outside and sliding the door closed behind her.

"Now then, Ruby-kun," said Kyoichiro, turning his gaze upon Ruby, "I trust that you have learned the meaning behind what Akane-kun did."

"Yes," said Ruby, seeing Akane wince visibly.

From where she stood, behind Ruby, Sasame took in Akane's condition. Akane looked terrible. Her hair had been brushed to perfection, and her kimono was freshly-cleaned, and had probably been inspected meticulously by her parents, prior to their arrival. It was clear that they had wanted her to make the best impression she possibly could. But Akane's face betrayed her real condition. Her eyes were red, with dark bags underneath them. Sasame would not have been surprised if Akane hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night, too busy crying in fear and anguish over her impending punishment. Sasame also suspected that her parents might have had harsh words for her as well.

Even if they had approved of Akane's bullying behavior, and her efforts to drive "the outsider" out of her class. They would not have been happy about the fact that Akane's actions had drawn the Crimson King's censure. Now that they were faced with the, what they assumed to be inevitable, consequences of Akane's actions, they had most likely been incensed about the stain on their reputation that Akane's decisions would leave them with, and probably hadn't been shy about berating her for it.

Ruby looked a little tired as well. It was apparent to Sasame that Ruby, despite Kyo's advice to do otherwise, had dwelt quite a bit on what her decision would be. While she'd clearly gotten more sleep than Akane had, Ruby had still lost a fair bit of her own.

Now sleepiness was the furthest thing from Akane's mind. She was leaning forward, hanging onto every word being spoken in the room, her body trembling from nerves.

"Then we shall not mince words," said Kyoichiro. "Ruby Rose, should Tachibana Akane be expelled for her actions?"

"No," said Ruby, without hesitation.

Akane's parents gasped, her mother nearly fainting with relief. Akane's jaw hung slack, and she stared at Ruby as though the other girl had grown a second head, tears gathering in her eyes.

Sasame and Kyoichiro, however, merely smiled with satisfaction.

"Very well then," said Kyoichiro, marking something down on the papers that were apparently Akane's records. "Akane-kun, you shall not be expelled for this. However, that does not mean you are excepted from punishment. Instead, you shall receive an in-school-suspension of two weeks, during which time, I hope that you will reflect upon your attitudes and behavior, and strive to improve them."

"Y-yes, Sensei," said Akane, too stunned to formulate any other response.

"Now then, you two are dismissed," said Kyoichiro, looking up at Akane's parents, who were still too busy being stunned by Ruby's mercy. "I will have you notified of the particulars shortly."

"Y-yes, of course," said Daiki, quickly taking his wife by the arm, and leading her from the room. As they passed Ruby, Akane's parents gave her an odd look, clearly not knowing what to make of her.

"Akane-kun, please report to the disciplinary office," said Kyoichiro. "Your suspension will start today."

"Y-yes, Sensei," said Akane, still struggling to make sense of what had just happened. She headed to the door. As she passed Ruby, Akane paused. It was slight, for barely a second, but Ruby met Akane's sideways glance and, for the first time, saw something other than dislike or contempt in the other girl's gaze. She couldn't figure out what it was, but there wasn't time to build a better understanding. Akane broke eye-contact and was out the door before Ruby could think to do or say anything.

"Sasame-nee?" said Ruby, her eyes rolling back and up, as she tried to look at Sasame, who'd remained behind her, without turning her head. Needless to say, she wasn't successful.

"Hmm?" asked Sasame, her tail wagging slowly back and forth.

"Did I do all right?" asked Ruby.

"What do you mean by that, Ruby-chan?" asked Sasame.

Ruby frowned, then lowered her eyes back down, so that she could look at Kyoichiro, who was watching her with both amusement and interest. "Is that what you wanted me to do?" she asked.

"It is what I expected of you," said Kyoichiro. "Did you choose not to have Akane-kun expelled because you believed that's what I wanted?"

"No," said Ruby. "If I had said that I wanted Akane-chan expelled, then what would you have done?"

"I would have expelled her," said Kyoichiro simply. "Truth be told, for the kind of infraction Akane-kun committed, that would be the normal penalty, unless there were extenuating circumstances."

"So why did you leave it up to me?" asked Ruby.

Kyoichiro's smile widened slightly. "Tell me, Ruby-kun, if it wasn't because you thought I wanted you to, why did you decide Akane-kun should not be expelled?"

"I...I just..." Ruby looked down at her feet. "I know I'm different. I...I haven't learned what's it's like to be a Mibu. It feels weird, when I think about it. Everyone else was so shocked when they saw the flowers. But I saw something different. But it was still the same thing."

Sasame smiled, gently squeezing Ruby's shoulders, encouraging her to go on.

"It hurt to learn what that meant, what Akane-chan was saying to me," said Ruby. "But...I thought that, maybe, Akane-chan sees me differently, like the way I saw those flowers. If that's the case...I want to try and find a way to help her see me the way Natsu-chan, Miyu-chan, and Setsuna-kun all see me. If I got her expelled, then...I wouldn't really be doing anything."

Kyoichiro's eyebrow went up. Then his gaze drifted over the top of Ruby's head, to the eyes of a beaming Sasame. "You and Kyo truly found yourselves a remarkable little sister, Sasame."

"Didn't we," cooed Sasame in agreement, hugging Ruby to her chest. Ruby squeaked in surprise, but almost immediately relaxed into the hug.

"In answer to your questions, Ruby-kun," said Kyoichiro, "your answer is what I expected, because I hazarded an educated guess that you were the kind of person I thought you were. I am glad to see that I was correct."

"Th-thank you, Sensei," said Ruby.

"You are kind, Ruby-kun," said Kyoichiro. "That is one of your strongest qualities. I wanted both Akane-kun and her parents to see your best qualities, because that makes you so much harder to dismiss, from their point of view. Having mercy on someone who wronged you so badly, when they themselves demanded expulsion."

"Huh? They did?" Ruby canted her head in confusion.

"When I first called them over to explain what happened, I kept my explanation vague as to who had done what to whom," said Kyoichiro. "I was a bit...deceptive...in my vagueness, in order to lead them to the belief that their daughter was the one who had been wronged. Naturally, they immediately demanded the defaulter's expulsion.

"Of course, when they learned that Akane-kun was the one to commit the infraction, their tone changed quite quickly. Had I simply told them straight out what had happened; and then given them the opportunity to explain how they would have handled it, had it happened to their daughter; what do you think they would have said?"

Ruby frowned. She knew plenty well how some adults could pretend to be nice, but still be jerks. Her father was one of the worst in that regard. "They'd say that they'd forgive the one who did it, and ask for you to go easy."

"Exactly," said Kyoichiro. "So I misled them, so that, when they learned the truth, they could not simply retreat behind the polite fiction that they would be happy to grant the mercy they themselves were begging for. Left with the fact that they had demanded their own daughter's expulsion, however unintentionally, I backed them into a corner. Then, I left it to you to give them a way out."

"Why?" asked Ruby.

"To make them think," said Kyoichiro. "Akane-kun didn't come to her views on her own. I certainly didn't instill them in her. Sadly, amongst the Mibu Clan's upperclass families, there are many who share negative views of outsiders. Part of that descends from the fact that we have a bit of an...unpleasant...history with some of the Kingdoms. But the other part is that, because we Mibu live apart from them, they believe that we are naturally superior. What you said about not seeing the same thing others did, I call a lens."

"Like for glasses?" asked Ruby.

Kyoichiro chuckled, pulling out his own glasses and looking at them with a fond smile. "More like for a kaleidoscope. You see a world that is distorted from how others see it. Just as your viewpoint is distorted in one way, Akane-kun's is distorted in a different way. How a person's lens changes what they see is shaped by many things: experience, personality, environment...for children, like you and Akane-kun, a major factor is your families. Akane-kun looks at outsiders, like you, in a certain way because that is how her parents taught her to see them, because they have grown up with that same lens."

"So...having me not have Akane-chan expelled...changes their lens?" asked Ruby, blinking.

"More like it makes them aware of the lens itself," said Kyoichiro. "I don't think I need to tell you that not all outsiders are as kind as you are."

Ruby nodded. She'd experienced cruel treatment from some people, while she'd been living on the streets of Vale, in those days before she met Sasame. She also remembered the bandits, and also Sasame's talk about why people turn out bad. Then there were Morgan and her pirates, who preyed on others because they enjoyed it, even more than because they needed what they stole.

"But that is as true for the Mibu as it is for outsiders," said Kyoichiro, his expression sobering. "We have a military and law enforcement for a reason, because, even in this clan of ours, that so many of its members hold as being above those who dwell in the world outside, there are those who turn to evil actions, for any number of reasons. Mibu and outsider...they are merely labels. Take those away, and all you have are people...good people, bad people, but still all people."

Ruby nodded.

"Granted, it might be a little much to hope that Akane-kun or her parents will be able to follow the line of reason that far," said Kyoichiro. "It's all too likely a possibility that, when she returns to class, Akane-kun will resume tormenting you again, not having truly learned a thing. It's likely that she knows better than to go as far as she did last time, but that is the extent to which she might think of it."

Ruby nodded.

"Knowing that, do you think you might regret being so kind to Akane-kun?" asked Kyoichiro.

"No," said Ruby firmly, shaking her head.

"As I thought then," said Kyoichiro. Such a small and simple soul. No wonder she heard the voices of Murasame's blades so easily. Given the kind of life she seeks to lead, that kindness can be a hinderance, if it isn't tempered properly. All of us will have to do our parts to ensure she's raised right.

Sasame had let go of Ruby and gone to the door. Opening it, she grinned and waved Natsuki back into the classroom.

"Well then, you two," said Kyoichiro, raising his eyebrows at them, while sliding his glasses back into place, "it is my understanding that you didn't get any homework done, last night."

Ruby and Natsuki blushed.

"Of course, given your circumstances, your homework will be excused today," said Kyoichiro. "By the way, Ruby-kun, Miyu-kun made copies of her notes on the classes you missed for you. Be sure to review them before school starts today."

Ruby gasped, her eyes tearing up again. Behind her and Natsuki, Sasame looked on fondly, her expression one of pride.

Miyu was typically the first person to arrive to their classroom in the morning, which made it something of a surprise for her to find Ruby and Natsuki there already. However, even more surprising was the tight hug Ruby greeted her with, thanking Miyu for copying her own notes for Ruby to use. Miyu flinched, hesitated for a few seconds, then returned the gesture.

Though Kyoichiro never made any announcement, beyond the fact that Akane had been suspended, it eventually got out that Ruby had been the one to stop Akane from being expelled, something that caused many of her classmates' estimations of her to rise considerably. That, and her growing friendships with Miyu and Setsuna, led to the rest of the class taking a considerably more friendly view of Ruby. Even Yuuko had broken off her teasing and snide remarks, keeping to herself for the most part. With every day that passed, Ruby felt less and less like an outsider, and more like an actual member of her class, a part of the place she now called home.

About a week after the incident, Ruby found herself involved in another momentous occasion, this time being invited to Natsuki's tenth birthday party. It was odd that, in the course of her and Natsuki's friendship, this was the first time she'd ever been invited over to Natsuki's house, which resided at the edge of the upperclass district, marking Natsuki's family as one of those that hovered on the border between the Mibu Clan's upper and middle classes. The house was both modest in size and decor, but more than enough for the three people that called it home.

It was also Ruby's first opportunity to meet Natsuki's parents; a tall, taciturn man, with short, black hair, named Aoshi; and a lively woman, with her black hair tied into a long braid, named Misao. The pair both welcomed Ruby into their home, having a great deal of interest in finally meeting the friend their daughter talked constantly about. While Misao welcomed Ruby with a warm and cheerful smile, Aoshi looked at her carefully, almost as though he didn't know what to make of her. Said wariness softened as the evening wore on, and he grew more accustomed to Ruby's presence, which was helped by how obvious and firm Ruby's friendship with Natsuki was.

Ruby, Miyu, and Setsuna were in attendance at the party, along with a couple of other members of class, each of them bringing presents. Sasame attended as well, bringing along a present of her own, though she waited until all of Natsuki and Ruby's other classmates had left, before presenting the gift to Natsuki.

It was a kodachi, along with a note informing Natsuki of when Keikoku would be available to start her training. The shriek of excitement Natsuki released was almost deafening, though everyone took it in stride. Natsuki's parents thanked Sasame profusely for her and the Goyosei's generosity, which Sasame demurred by pointing out that it was Keikoku's generosity that led to him setting aside time to begin Natsuki's training...and that it would be up to Natsuki as to whether or not she could keep up with the kind of training Keikoku would put her through.

Following that, Ruby's days began to take on a pleasant pattern. She still trained with Shinrei, three days a week. The other days she spent time with her friends, learning more about them, and enjoying her time as a child. Her friends took her down into the main portion of Onmyo, where they would often spend hours wandering its streets, visiting shops and stalls, Ruby familiarizing herself with a wider portion of her new home. As August bled into September, Ruby finally worked up the courage to reveal the secret of where she lived, and who she was living with, to Miyu and Setsuna.

The pair were shocked to learn that Ruby lived in Onmyo Palace, with Sora herself, no less. However, they ultimately took it in stride, and their regard for Ruby didn't suffer, particularly after everything she had done to earn their respect. It was another shock to learn that Ruby was learning swordsmanship from Shinrei. Setsuna was openly jealous, but didn't fault Ruby for her right to study under Shinrei, particularly after he watched one of their sessions, and saw how hard Shinrei worked her, and everything Ruby took without protest.

So it was that, with Miyu and Setsuna now a part of the group that knew her secret, Ruby had two new friends to visit her in the palace on Sundays. The quartet spent their time exploring the many halls and passageways of the palace, always seeking to learn new things about the place, taking full advantage of the lack of concern Sora and Kyoichiro showed towards their wanderings. They stumbled into Murasame on a couple of occasions, which led to them spending time in his home again, which had Miyu and Setsuna starry-eyed.

September turned into October, the leaves beginning to turn with it, the tree-covered surface of the mountain the palace was built into turning into a riot of colors. Despite the fact that she'd now lived in Onmyo since July, Ruby was still learning new things about her home.

"Wooooow...look at all these books," said Natsuki, staring around the shelves that lined the walls of the long, somewhat narrow room in awe. Some were standard bookshelves, but others were honeycomb-like structures, built to house rolled up scrolls. A long table occupied the center of the room, running almost its entire length, leaving just enough space between it and the wall for someone to walk between them.

"Be careful," said Miyu, frowning worriedly as she looked around. From the layer of dust on the shelves, it seemed that no one had been in this room for a while. The scrolls and books looked very old, with many of them appearing to be in delicate condition.

"We should probably go somewhere else," added Setsuna, picking up on Miyu's caution. They both got the impression that there were probably valuable things in this room, which might be all too easily damaged through careless handling.

Ruby, however, appeared to ignore them, making her way along the shelves. There were titles on the spines of the books, and the cubbyholes for the scrolls were also labeled. But the labels were in kanji. Still having only just begun her education in Old Tongue, Ruby had only just begun learning a few of the most basic kanji, so hardly anything she saw was something she could understand. "What are the titles?" she asked.

Setsuna moved to peruse the shelves next to her. "Some of these are manuals," he said, frowning as he began to translate. Being only nine himself, Setsuna's Old Tongue vocabulary was larger than Ruby's by a substantial margin, but hardly comprehensive. "The Book of Five Rings...The Art of War...Komei's Tactics...there's a bunch of stuff here about martial arts and strategy."

"Oooh!" said Ruby, her eyes sparkling with excitement, prompting a resigned, but also amused, sigh from Miyu, while Natsuki giggled.

"What about this one?" pressed Ruby, pointing to one of the scrolls.

Setsuna stared that the label of the scroll's cubbyhole, his eyes narrowing. "Raikoken...That translates to Sword of Lightning."

"Sword of lightning..." Ruby's expression softened, going from excited and childlike to intensely interested. Moving very slowly and carefully, she reached up and pulled the scroll out of its resting place. The paper was set inside a sealed cylinder, presumably to keep it protected from the elements.

"Be careful!" said Miyu worriedly.

Ruby was careful, removing the cap of the scroll container, and gently fishing it out with her fingers. Taking her prize to the table, she pulled out a chair and sat down, not even taking notice of the layer of dust covering the surface she sat on, though she brushed away the dust on the surface of the table in front of her. From there, she, slowly and carefully, began to unroll the scroll.

It was completely indecipherable to her. Ruby knew she shouldn't have been surprised. After all, she had barely begun to learn the written language of the Mibu Old Tongue, so it was only natural that the characters that covered the pages of the scroll were so much gibberish to her. They were accompanied by illustrations, which seemed oddly simplistic.

"Can you read it?" she asked, looking over at Setsuna, who was peering at the document, over her shoulder.

"A little bit," said Setsuna. "It seems to be about a particular kind of Manifestation, one that uses lightning. I haven't heard of that kind of Manifestation before."

A slight cough caught their attention. Looking over, they saw Dougal, standing in a corner that had been unoccupied before. It was clear that he'd made a specific effort not to startle them, lest that result in the delicate, valuable scroll being torn.

"It is an extremely rare form of Manifestation," said Dougal, his own gaze going to the scroll. "Because it isn't amongst the Five Principle Styles, very few people have ever actually learned that technique. Lightning is an extremely advanced skill." His gaze went back to meeting Ruby's eyes. "Needless to say, you have a great deal of growing to do, before you should even consider attempting this technique."

"R-right," said Ruby nervously, wondering if she was in trouble for handling something like this, whether it was because she was looking into something she wasn't ready for, or because she was risking damage to a valuable piece of history.

"You aren't in trouble," said Dougal, a slight crinkling in the corners of his eyes indicating the smile that was hidden by his bandages. "If anything, your curiosity is to be commended. As you can tell, this room has not seen visitors in a while."

"Yeah," said Ruby, guiltily examining the sleeves of her kimono, blackened from wiping the dust off the table's surface.

"Of course, scrolls like this are difficult to manage in any case," said Dougal. "Obviously, command of the Old Tongue is necessary to understand it in any context."

"Obviously," agreed Ruby.

"But there is more to it than that," said Dougal, coming a bit closer. "At your level, even if you could read the words, what this scroll has to say would still only come off as gibberish to you, because you lack the sufficient level of understanding to establish the meaning of those words. If you are curious about what this scroll might be able to teach you, then you will need to be diligent in your training, both in your technique, and in the Old Tongue."

"All right," said Ruby, looking down at the scroll. "If it's all right, could I hold onto this, so that I can try reading it again someday."

"I'm afraid not," said Dougal, a note of actual regret in his voice. "I'm afraid, as delicate as the current state of that document is, that allowing it to leave this room would be a bad idea. You will simply have to come back to it at a later date."

Ruby would have liked to appeal that decision, maybe practice her puppy-eyes on Dougal. But she figured he wasn't likely to budge. Besides, he was right. If she took this scroll out of this room, and back to her own, there was a pretty good chance that she'd make a mistake handling it in the future, and wind up doing serious damage to it. That would be an unacceptable outcome.

Reluctantly, Ruby carefully rolled the scroll back up, and placed it back into its container, before placing it back into its cubbyhole. Sensing that it was time to take their leave, Ruby and her friends made their exit, leaving Dougal alone in the room. When the door closed, Dougal surveyed the shelves one last time, his eyes widening slightly, as something occurred to him. He quickly sank back down into his shadow and vanished.

The days passed, September flowing on into October. The days rapidly grew shorter and colder. Ruby's friends took her into town more often. Ruby watched and participated in festivals celebrating various holidays. She tried many of the different street foods her friends favored, from grilled squid on skewers to roasted sweet potatoes. Everything was always so new and different to her that she'd lost track of the passage of days. Before she knew it, her birthday was upon her.

Halloween was a fairly substantial holiday in the outside world. In the Kingdoms, and larger settlements, trick-or-treating had been a long, storied tradition amongst children, and even some adults. In the Mibu Clan, it appeared that such traditions were not observed. They still observed Halloween, but celebrations of it were a bit more contained, with families throwing parties for the children, instead of the children going from house to house to get treats.

Ruby had always been a bit sensitive about the issues that came with being born on such a popular holiday. When she had been younger, she'd often demanded extra treats, by virtue of it being her birthday, as well as Halloween. Of course, with all the activities and other parties going on, hosting an actual party on her birthday had often proven unfeasible, so it tended to be held a couple of days before or after, depending on what was more convenient.

Of course, that was before her father's overbearing manner had begun to push down the number of people who came. She still had bitter memories of him throwing out newly-opened presents, because he claimed they "encouraged recklessness" on her part, sometimes right in front of the people who'd just given them to her. Her most recent birthday had just been Taiyang, Yang, and a sullen Ruby. Qrow had dropped by for a few minutes, but quickly left to avoid another shouting match with Taiyang on his niece's birthday.

This marked the first birthday Ruby would spend with her new family and friends. She was excited and nervous about it. After speaking at length with Sora, Kyoichiro, Kyo, and Sasame; Ruby made the bold decision to invite the entire class to her party, at her home...in the palace…as good as stating that she was actually a ward of the royal family, practically the adopted daughter of the Mibu Clan's ruler. It was a difficult decision to make. Ruby had solidified her place in her class, forging growing connections with her other classmates, though she primarily spent her time with her three main friends. Even Akane and Yuuko had finally begun to warm up to her, Ruby's act of mercy, weeks ago, having managed to eat away that the pillar of resentment that shored up their beliefs.

It was a risky maneuver. Even if they swore Ruby's classmates to secrecy, the fact that so many children would know Ruby's secret practically ensured that the information would get out, sooner or later, particularly amongst the children's families. How such families would react to an outsider like Ruby, someone who rated as less than a nobody to the Mibu culture at large, being adopted by Sora, of all people, was a troubling notion.

However, Sora and the others agreed on principle. Ruby was going to live in the palace for years to come, and keeping the secret of her true residence for all that time was a difficult notion, to say the least. Sooner or later, someone outside Ruby's circle of secret-keepers was bound to find out. So it was better to reveal the truth on their terms, not simply have someone trip over it inadvertently. There was bound to be outrage and controversy, but Ruby ultimately decided to put her faith in her friends and classmates, hoping that they would be willing to stand with her.

All told, the party proved to be a substantial success. To say that her classmates were shocked to learn that Ruby lived in the palace, with the royal family, was an understatement. It had actually been easy to arrange the surprise, given that the palace; with its massive assortment of rooms, courtyards, and pavilions; was no stranger to hosting parties organized by people other than those who lived and worked there. But Ruby's guests had arrived to be greeted by Sora herself, causing many a jaw to hang slack, children and adults alike too caught up gaping in stupefaction to say or do anything for up to a minute or more. Ruby would have found it hilarious, if not for the fact that her nerves were taut with tension at how the revelation would be received.

The shock everyone was wrestling through managed to keep any outcry down, as Sora began to preside over the party; hosting its accompanying meal, supervising games and activities, while deftly stepping aside to keep the adults occupied with conversation; every bit the consummate hostess.

The fact that Shinrei and Keikoku stopped by was another stunner for all in attendance, Shinrei deciding that, if they were going to go all-in on the revelations, then they might as well establish that Ruby was his student as well, with Keikoku doing the same for Natsuki. Once again, their classmates were shocked. Between all of this, it appeared that their ability to be amazed had been numbed to the point that hardly anyone batted an eyelash when Makoto and, later, Murasame, put on appearances of their own; wishing Ruby well, before trading greetings and smalltalk with the parents of Ruby's classmates. The elusive Haruka never showed up, but that was hardly a surprise to anyone.

All told, the revelation of Ruby's home and family went down as well as they could have hoped. There would probably be other fallout afterwards. But the party itself went swimmingly, Ruby happily accepting the presents her friends and classmates had gotten her, amazed at how much thought many of them had put into their gifts. There were candies and treats, clothes and accessories, books and toys; all fairly standard gifts for children Ruby's age, both in and outside the Mibu. It was certainly the best birthday Ruby had celebrated in years, once again affirming the rightness of her decision to leave home, and impressing upon her how lucky she was to have been taken into such a kind and loving family.

But the best gifts Ruby received that evening came from unexpected parties. The first, from Shinrei, was a matching pair of brand new kodachi for her. Over the course of her training and sparring sessions, Ruby's practice weapons had gradually worn down, especially the wooden sword that Kyo had carved for her. The kodachi she'd received in Barrowdown was in better shape, particularly since Ruby was careful to make sure she maintained it properly. But the pair that Shinrei had gotten for her had been subtly balanced and tweaked for two-weapon fighting, specifically tailored for the style she was training in. Shinrei had commissioned them from a smith in the city, as he felt it was too early to approach Murasame to have a sword forged for her. But their quality was still substantial. It was a gift that Ruby cherished.

Her other favorite gift came from Dougal, of all people. In fact, it would have been better to say that Dougal gave her several gifts. Ruby opened the large box he had presented her, finding several books and scrolls contained within. The kanji titles, despite being indecipherable to her still, were familiar, and Ruby realized she was looking at several of the texts from that hidden archive she and her friends had stumbled upon, all those weeks ago. They were all works pertaining to strategy and martial arts, with scrolls that described ancient techniques. And, at the very top of the small stack of scroll cylinders, was a cylinder containing a very familiar scroll within it, the one describing the technique Ruby had been so fascinated with.

They had all been transcribed onto brand new parchment, ensuring that Ruby could keep them, without having to worry about accidentally damaging or destroying the fragile originals. Of course, they had all been transcribed in their original Old Tongue, meaning that Ruby couldn't read them yet. Thus, it turned out that Dougal had given her both a gift and an extended homework project. Ruby would have to work hard to master the Old Tongue well enough that she could actually read what was on those pages, while also training her swordsmanship to actually learn the techniques many of them contained. It was a thoughtful gift that had Ruby's guests impressed with her dedication to her own training.

Ruby's tenth birthday turned out to be a tremendous success. As the news that Sora had adopted an outsider child continued to spread, there was outcry, but often by people far removed from Ruby herself. Her own classmates, even Akane and Yuuko, adapted to the idea easily enough, and Ruby was able to go through her school life with very little fear of harassment.

The fact that Ruby was getting personal training from Shinrei, of all people, created more of a stir. But Ruby's classmates were now able to accompany her into the palace, and watch her training themselves. Two of her classmates were actually inducted students of the Mumyo Saigyo Ryu, who had enrolled at Makoto's main school for the art. They were especially jealous of Ruby getting personal training from Shinrei. But they balked when they saw the intensity of it, and were quickly humbled by Ruby's unflinching willingness to apply herself to any task Shinrei demanded of her.

For her part, Ruby found herself blissfully happy with the turn her life had taken. She had found a home and family, even friends, people who were helping her become better and stronger. She no longer had to worry about a father and sister who tried to stifle her. This was a better outcome than she'd ever had any right to hope for.

Because of that, Ruby barely noticed when Natsuki's next appointment with Makoto came up. Even though said appointments were months apart, it was a regular event that Natsuki hardly even batted an eyelash at anymore. Because of that, there was no reason for Ruby to take any exceptional notice of it either. While Ruby was at one of her regular training sessions with Shinrei, Natsuki made her way to Makoto's examination room for her regular checkup.

"Please, have a seat, Natsuki-chan," said Makoto, gesturing to the examination table.

Natsuki hopped onto it promptly, looking back at Makoto. To her surprise, he didn't start with smalltalk. Nor did he approach and bathe her in the light of his Aura, as he usually did. Instead, he remained in his own seat, watching her carefully.

"I have thought this over carefully, Natsuki-chan," said Makoto. "In a sense, your learning about Ruby-chan's circumstances was something of a test for you, a test of your ability to keep secrets."

"Why?" asked Natsuki.

"Because of your secret," said Makoto. "Your condition is not some terrible thing, in and of itself. However, it carries implications that, depending on your decision, could have a substantial impact upon your life."

"My secret..." whispered Natsuki, her eyes widening. She let out a soft gasp. "Does that mean...?"

"Yes," said Makoto. "I have decided that it is time to tell you exactly why you have needed to come to me on a regular basis."

"Really?!" exclaimed Natsuki, still feeling a bit off-kilter at the realization that she was finally going to learn the secret that so many important people had been keeping from her.

Makoto nodded. "If you wish," he said. "However, before you decide, you need to know that this secret will greatly change your worldview. You will learn things that nearly the entirety of the rest of the clan does not. On top of that, you will become a keeper of that secret yourself, which is why Sasame and I tested you earlier."

Natsuki hesitated, blinking, trying to process all of this.

Makoto's expression was sober, yet calm. "So, Natsuki-chan, it will be your choice. You can agree to learn the truth now...or you can put it off until later. There is nothing wrong with choosing to not know it for a while longer. Indeed, I would prefer for you to have a normal childhood for as long as possible. But you have shown that you can bear the responsibility, if you wish to know."

Natsuki cast her eyes down. All her life, she had worried and agonized over what condition Makoto was continuously treating her for. Even though it had never hampered her in any fashion, and there was never any indicator that there was actually anything wrong with her, it remained a subtle worry, always tugging and nagging at the edge of her consciousness. On a certain level, she had always wanted to know, of course. But there had also been that nagging doubt, the fear of what it was that she would learn.

Looking up, Natsuki met Makoto's eyes squarely. "Tell me, please," she said.

Makoto's expression softened, and he smiled sadly. "Very well then," he said. "In that case, we must establish context. So, to begin with, I have question for you...

"...What is your favorite fairy tale?"