Chapter 12:
Ruby had almost given into despair, when she rounded a corner and found herself staring at the wooden wall of a building. A quick glance confirmed that there was nothing for her to climb. Even if there had been, Qrow would have been able to practically pull her off the wall before she got higher than his head. On top of that, he could have easily jumped up to the roof and headed her off. She was trapped.
It wasn't fair. She could sense Kyo, just on the other side of this building. She'd thought she'd managed to find a more direct route to him, but now found herself cut off. She was so close. It was enough to make her want to fall to her knees and cry.
Then Qrow had ambled into the alley, ready to drag her back to her so-called family, so that they could lock her up in that house and make sure she never saw the light of day again. He said he'd help her, but Ruby had waited four years for that kind of help. She was free now, and she wouldn't give that up without a fight. She wouldn't go back to waiting for nothing again.
Her hand had gone to her sword, her wooden one. Ruby desperately hated the idea of going back, but she couldn't bring herself to draw her real sword against her uncle. She'd never allow herself to fall that far.
And then Qrow had jumped back and Kyo had landed in front of her. "Kyo-nii!" Ruby breathed in relief, feeling like a weight had been lifted from her back.
Kyo faced down Qrow for a few seconds, then turned to face her. "I thought you might be looking for me," he said cheerfully, crouching down to her level. Ruby sniffled, then threw herself at him, throwing her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly as she let her tears soak the fabric over his shoulder.
"You did well," said Kyo softly, kissing the top of her head as he hugged her back with his right arm.
Then Kyo lowered his arm and slipped it under Ruby's legs. Standing upright, he hefted her so that she remained resting against his shoulder as he turned to face Qrow again.
Qrow's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Get your mitts off my niece, pal," he said.
Qrow's words and animosity seemed to brush by Kyo like a light breeze, not even fazing him. "You must be Qrow Branwen, Ruby-chan's uncle. She speaks highly of you. I can see her praise is not undeserved."
Qrow's lips curled back, baring his teeth. "I ain't here to play nice, pal," he said. "I'm here for my niece. Let her go."
Ruby's fingers curled, bunching the fabric of Kyo's kimono as she held him tighter. "And I am afraid that she does not wish to go," said Kyo. "Furthermore, from the moment we took her in, Sasame and I promised not to force Ruby-chan to do anything. We can ask, we can suggest, but we will never make her do anything that does not want to." He turned to look at Ruby. "Ruby-chan, will you go back with your uncle?"
"No," growled Ruby.
"And there you have it," said Kyo amiably. "Ruby-chan has made her choice, and I will support her, as will Sasame."
"Look, kid," said Qrow, slumping with a soft sigh, "I had my doubts, but I can see your heart's in the right place. I can see that Ruby likes you too. But this ain't the sort of thing you can just...do. Ruby belongs with her family. That isn't just sentiment, that's the law. What you're doing now, from a legal perspective, can be called kidnapping."
Ruby felt Kyo's shrug through her body. "I'm fine with that," said Kyo with an earnest cheerfulness that clearly shocked her uncle. "Technically speaking, I'm already a wanted criminal. In the course of my travels, I've stepped on the toes of some very powerful people, and I believe I have standing bounties on my head in all four Kingdoms."
"Huh..." Qrow tilted his head. "And you think that makes me inclined to let you have my niece?"
"At this point, your inclination doesn't matter at all," replied Kyo congenially. "Ruby-chan has made her choice. She will remain with us. Should you persist in trying to take her against her will, then I will enforce her choice."
Qrow growled and his hand strayed to the handle of the large sword resting across his back. He leaned forward. Then suddenly, his instincts screamed at him to get back again. He jumped away, covering several meters in a single leap, landing off-balance and nearly falling over as he stared at Kyo, aghast.
Ruby blinked in confusion. She'd felt...something...almost like she'd been standing by herself, and a large object had come rushing right past her. She could even feel her hair being stirred by a nonexistent breeze. "What did you do?" she asked, looking at Kyo.
"It's a form of Projection, in a sense," said Kyo, turning his head to smile at her. "You aren't quite ready to learn this yet. Essentially, instead of Projecting my Aura, I Projected my intent at your uncle. Because his senses are so finely honed, he perceived my intent as an incoming threat and reacted accordingly."
"Wow," said Ruby.
"You aren't ready to do that just yet," said Kyo, tilting his head forward to playfully tap the tip of his nose against hers, making her giggle. "Keep practicing the basics for now."
"Aww..." Ruby groaned.
"I know," said Kyo fondly. "It seems like you'll be practicing them forever, and you will in a sense. Even as you learn more advanced techniques, you mustn't neglect the foundations those techniques are built on. Sasame and I warned you that, at times, it would seem like you would be working obscenely hard for very little gain. But you will only truly fail to make progress if you stop moving forward."
"Okay," said Ruby, smiling and leaning her face into his shoulder again.
"Uh...still here," announced Qrow in an annoyed tone. He was especially irritated by the interplay between Kyo and Ruby, almost like they were family. That wasn't how it should have been. Some random mook with red eyes wasn't Ruby's family...Qrow was. Yet here they were, acting like he was the bad guy.
"Go away," grumbled Ruby, glaring at him.
"Ruby, this has got to stop," said Qrow. "Even if Tai is off his rocker, and I can't get him to see reason, I can get you out of there."
"By putting me back in?" retorted Ruby petulantly. "No thanks."
"Ruby...please..." pleaded Qrow desperately.
"It isn't as though we're taking her away forever," Kyo said cheerfully. "Ruby-chan wished for training, so that she can become a Huntress, training that we have agreed to provide her. In a few years, she wants to return to Vale to attend Beacon. You'll be able to see her again."
"And why should I believe you?" growled Qrow.
"Your niece has been in our care for several months now," said Kyo. "If Sasame and I had intended to take advantage of her, there would be little reason to take so long and invest so much effort in training her. Furthermore, even as she is now, she does not have the strength to resist us, if we choose to force her into doing what we want.
"But we haven't. Perhaps my word is not good enough for you, but Ruby-chan's own development should be enough evidence of our intent, don't you think? It seems to me that you had a difficult time catching her."
Ruby could see that Qrow was wavering. He'd been committed to bringing her back home. Maybe he was committed to helping her get the training she needed to become a Huntress, but Ruby didn't want to risk the chance that he wasn't...or that he might not succeed. She clearly remembered Qrow backing down before, and she didn't think he truly had the means to force her father to let her do what she wanted.
She'd already learned so much from Kyo, and Sasame and she truly believed that there was more for her to learn. "Please, Uncle Qrow. Please let me go."
"Ruby...I..." Qrow looked down. "I can't. You're only nine years old. You haven't been through the kinds of things I have. You can't possibly judge people properly yet."
"I know I can't trust Dad," said Ruby. "That's good enough. And I know what I've been through. I know what they've done for me. I'm still going."
"You don't get to make that choice, Ruby," countered Qrow.
"As a matter of fact, she does," said Kyo blithely. "Since you are clearly important to Ruby-chan, I'd rather not hurt you. But if you force the issue...I will have no choice. At the very least, I can promise that I won't kill you."
"Kyo-nii..." Ruby gave Kyo a worried look.
Kyo smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't worry. Sasame will catch up with us. She will be able to treat any injuries."
"You've got a lot of confidence, pal," growled Qrow, his fingers closing around the handle of his sword. "Time to see if you can back it up."
"Very well," said Kyo with a sigh. "But not here."
"Huh?" Qrow blinked.
"If we are going to fight, I would rather not do it within the boundaries of the settlement," explained Kyo. "These people have been quite kind to host us for the time being, and I don't want to disrupt the festival either."
"Fine then," said Qrow, releasing his grip on his weapon. "Lead the way."
Kyo walked past Qrow, Ruby tensing as she came within reach of her uncle. But Qrow made no move to try and snatch her away from Kyo. Instead, he followed them down the streets, glaring at the back of Kyo's head. Kyo seemed unconcerned by the animosity Qrow was directing his way.
They'd almost reached the gates when they met up with Sasame, who watched them come up the street with her arms folded, lips quirked in a wry smile. "It seems trouble came calling," she observed.
"Ruby-chan's uncle, actually," replied Kyo, setting Ruby down so that she could immediately run to Sasame, who hugged her tightly.
"Ah, I didn't expect a pursuer to catch up with us so quickly," noted Sasame, even as she trailed her fingers through Ruby's hair. "He must be very skilled."
"So...you're the other one," noted Qrow, looking down at Sasame, not having expected to find her so...short.
"That I am," agreed Sasame, still holding Ruby. "You seem the flexible sort, so it strikes me as odd that you are being so stubborn about this."
"I got things I don't bend on," said Qrow. "My niece's safety is first among them."
"Is that so?" said Sasame. "Yet it seems this overwhelming concern for Ruby-chan's safety has come to override any concern for her happiness. In order for her to attain her happiness, some risks must be taken."
"Maybe so," said Qrow. "But I ain't about to let this be one of 'em."
"So be it," said Sasame, leading them the rest of the way out of the gates and into the space of cleared land outside the settlement walls. "Let's settle this then."
Stepping out into the open space, Sasame pulled Ruby off to the side as Qrow and Kyo faced each other down.
Kyo calmly and slowly drew his blade, before casting the sheath aside. Holding his sword in his right hand, he brandished it with ease.
Qrow grinned widely and reached over his shoulder to pull his weapon out. Flourishing it with an artistic twirl, he smirked as his blade extended, its length easily matching Kyo's, its width considerably greater. "Looks like mine's bigger," he said.
Kyo raised an eyebrow. "Really...and you were distressed about Ruby-chan accompanying me?"
Qrow grimaced, even as he heard Ruby giggle behind him. "Fine. Let's get to it!"
Qrow shot forward, swinging his sword with both hands, bringing it down in a powerful slash. Kyo raised his own blade in one hand, catching Qrow's descending strike, and stopping it cold. The ground beneath Kyo's feet cracked and groaned as the force of Qrow's attack pressed Kyo's feet down into the earth. Yet Kyo held firm, not even straining to hold back the force of Qrow's first attack.
Qrow growled and disengaged, letting Kyo push him back. As soon as the Huntsman's feet touched the ground, he was a blur, circling around Kyo and launching a sideways slash. Kyo's own sword seemed to respond with a mind of its own, swinging up to counter Qrow's attack before Kyo even looked his way. Qrow disengaged again and launched a flurry of slashes, which Kyo matched, the two of them dancing back and forth, circling and flanking around each other, even as they traded countless blows, attack and defense blurring together amidst the endless ringing impacts.
Sasame watched them with amusement. Branwen-san is quite good. It's no wonder that Ruby-chan admires him so much. She blinked, then looked at Ruby.
All the anxiety and fear over her situation had abated. Instead, Ruby's eyes were fixed on the battle in front of her, giving it her complete attention as she watched every move, the look of focus on her face matching the one she showed during her lessons.
Sasame tittered softly. Well, aren't you something else, Ruby-chan? All this concern over your circumstances, and why those two are fighting in the first place…yet the minute the battle began, you've been watching them with the intent of absorbing everything you can. This girl might well have been born to fight.
In front of them, the battle's pace increased. Qrow unleashed a slash at Kyo's head, but Kyo stooped beneath it, his blade sweeping upwards in a stroke that threatened to split the Huntsman in two. Qrow grimaced and threw himself back. Now Kyo went on the offensive, closing the distance between them in a flash, forcing Qrow to throw his sword up to block. Though Kyo was only swinging his weapon with one hand, the power behind his stroke was unreal, and Qrow had to brace the back of his sword with his opposite hand.
For a second, they paused, straining against one another. Then Qrow smirked, pulling the handle back on his sword. The handle rotated until it was positioned perpendicular to the blade. At the same time, a pair of gun barrels rotated out so that they were now pointing at Kyo. Kyo leapt back as the shotguns built into Qrow's weapon fired, sending a spray of Dust-infused pellets through the space where Kyo had been.
Now that the distance had opened between them, Qrow aimed his guns at Kyo and fired several shots in succession. Kyo slipped to the side of Qrow's first shot, then accelerated abruptly as he closed in, sidestepping each of Qrow's other shots as well, making Qrow tense. His weapons used a form of scattershot that, within a certain range, actually became harder to dodge the further away one was, the spread of the pellets increasing to make evasion more difficult.
The kid's good, Qrow had to admit. In the face of such an attack, most people would have pulled back to try and get more time to react to his shots or, barring that, try to move out of his range entirely. In either case, it was something that could give him the initiative.
Kyo, on the other hand, hadn't hesitated to close back in, thus countering the ranged effectiveness of Qrow's guns. As Kyo's sword slashed at him, Qrow returned his blade to its original orientation in order to counter Kyo's swing with his own. They clashed, and the ground beneath them abruptly broke and cratered from the mutual force of their blows. Qrow growled, then strained, but was ultimately sent skidding back as Kyo's strength overpowered his own.
Kyo lunged after him with a downwards swing. This time, Qrow pivoted to the side, spinning about on one foot in a move almost like a ballet dancer's pirouette, allowing him to bring his sword at Kyo's neck. Kyo ducked beneath it then stepped forward, into the space Qrow had been occupying before he dodged. In the same movement, Kyo braced the back of his sword with his hand as he brought it back and around in a swift, upwards slash. Qrow reversed his grip on his own weapon and plunged it down, sinking the blade into the earth to brace it as he leaned it into the path of Kyo's sword, their blades connecting with with an echoing clang.
Once again, Qrow levered back his handle and brought the guns to bear. Kyo leapt straight upwards over the shots that issued forth, before descending like a meteor, forcing Qrow to jump out of the way as Kyo landed, his sword striking with enough force to split the earth.
Kyo moved to pursue Qrow, who kept on the move, their battle transitioning into a running one as they rushed along, side by side, their blades flickering, gleaming blurs around their bodies as they exchanged countless blows. Qrow turned his course, leading their battle across the cleared strip of ground in front of the settlement's wall, and back into the forest beyond it. Out here, Qrow figured he'd have the edge. The more broken and varied terrain would mean more variables, more ways his Semblance could kick in.
After all, while Qrow couldn't ever say that luck was on his side, he could definitely say it was never on his opponent's side.
"Shall we follow?" asked Sasame, squeezing Ruby's shoulders.
Ruby nodded wordlessly. Then she squeaked as Sasame's tails wrapped around her and picked her up, depositing her on Sasame's back, a couple continuing to wrap around Ruby to keep her in place. A second later, they were off, following the combatants.
Qrow and Kyo continued to pull their fight into the forest. Qrow dodged a slash from Kyo and ducked around a tree, emerging from the other side to try and catch Kyo from a blind angle. However, he found that Kyo had also stepped forward, keeping the tree between them. Then Kyo's sword came slashing through the trunk, the presence of of the tree not slowing his slash in the slightest. Qrow was unable to brace himself as he caught Kyo's sword with his own and he was blown backwards into the trunk of another tree, the wood crunching and splintering against his back as that trunk also broke.
The two trees fell with an echoing crash, cutting of the fighters' views of one another. However, Qrow smirked when he heard a branch break beneath a footstep and pivoted to catch Kyo, who'd apparently been trying to catch him off-guard after breaking his line of sight. If Kyo was surprised to have been caught in the act, he didn't show it though, instead again meeting Qrow's blade with his own, attack with attack. The two of them blew back away from each other.
The second Qrow's feet touched the ground again, he kicked off, leaping straight up onto a tree branch. From there, he vaulted from branch to branch until he passed over Kyo's head, jumping into another branch, and planting his feet against the side of it, using his momentum to bend the branch back and shifting his balance so that, when the branch snapped back to its original position, it launched Qrow like a bullet from a slingshot.
Kyo jumped away as Qrow's sword struck the earth where he'd been standing. His jump allowed him to alight on the trunk of the tree he'd cut down, before he too launched himself upwards. Qrow immediately followed suit and the two of them took their battle into an arboreal phase as they used the branches of the canopy to add a dizzying new dimension to their combat.
Then it happened. Kyo's feet touched down on a branch. At first glance, it looked strong enough to hold his weight. However, it must have been damaged by one of the other falling trees. As Kyo's weight settled onto the limb, it bent and snapped beneath him. Kyo's body lurched as his footing disappeared. Qrow charged forward, launching himself off another branch to bring his blade down at Kyo's head.
However, Kyo hooked his foot under the broken branch and, with a kick, launched right at Qrow's face. Qrow's eyes widened in surprise and he brought his sword around to counter, knocking the branch aside. However, not only had that aborted his attack, it had also left him vulnerable. Kyo twisted, using the weight of his body and sword to pivot in midair, bringing his blade against Qrow's. Without anything to brace his body or the momentum of a charge or jump behind it, the blow couldn't carry all that much power. However, power hadn't been what Kyo was seeking.
Instead, as his blade met the flat of Qrow's, Kyo shifted its position, hooking it around the back side of Qrow's weapon and pulling sharply down. Given that he was in midair as well, Qrow had nothing to brace himself either. Furthermore, between his large weapon and his slightly greater body-mass, Kyo was able to lever himself upwards, even as Qrow was pulled downwards. Kyo disengaged their blades, spinning in the air and planting his foot between Qrow's shoulders and kicking off, launching Qrow downwards, even as he went flying up.
Qrow yelped as he was sent plummeting down. Lashing out with his weapon, Qrow sank his blade into the trunk of an adjacent tree, using it to slow his descent, as well as splitting the unfortunate oak in two. As the halves of the bisected tree fell away from one another, one of them happened to fall through the area where Kyo landed after kicking off his opponent.
Turning about, Kyo slashed his sword out, the force of his swing seeming to completely obliterate the incoming foliage. Qrow gasped, then grimaced as fragments and splinters of the tree came flying at him with the same kind of speed that projectiles left his gun with. Spinning his sword in his grip, Qrow managed to block the bulk of the debris, but a few small pieces got through to pepper the Aura protecting his body. That's at least twice now, he thought with no small amount of frustration.
It was the same thing that seemed to have happened with Ruby. Even though his Bad Luck was working as it should have been, Kyo didn't seem to be affected by it...or rather, he was countering it.
However, there was no time to worry about why his Semblance wasn't working the way it should. Instead, Qrow was forced to dodge back as Kyo landed in front of him, his body sinking into a crouch, not to absorb the impact of his landing, but to channel the full momentum of his fall into the descending swing of his sword. Qrow was just outside the reach of the blade, but he felt the danger all the same, and he dodged aside as a white flash sent a line cleaving across the land where Qrow had been standing, leaving a clean split in the earth from where it met the tip of Kyo's sword.
All right! Time for the kid-gloves to come off, thought Qrow, holding his weapon back behind him. As he did, a flick of his wrist triggered the mechanisms within. The blade folded over, segmenting and bending into a crescent-shape, with its original edge running along the outside edge, while a second edge of blood red extended along the inside edge. The handle telescoped out, curving slightly, forming a dark-red shaft with a pair of black grips along its length.
The shotgun barrels attached to the base of the blade rotated so that they were pointing back, opposite the direction of the blade of the scythe. As Qrow swung, the guns fired, accelerating the force his swing, his blade becoming a red and grey arc as it swept for Kyo's body. Kyo braced his own sword against the attack, his eyes widening in surprise as the force of the blow drove him back.
"I see," said Kyo, smiling as he recovered from the strike. "This would be the scythe Ruby-chan was interested in imitating. It does seem you can use it effectively."
"Why don't you see for yourself," growled Qrow, charging forward.
They charged at one another again, their weapons meeting with such force that a shockwave exploded out from between them, blasting away the debris at their feet. From there, they began to fight on the move once again, charging through the trees. Neither of them hesitated, despite the fact that the close quarters of the forest should have made wielding their long weapons difficult. However, both sword and scythe cleaved through wood effortlessly and the pair paid little heed to the trees themselves, leaving a trail of fallen wood behind them.
Kyo abruptly stepped in close, much closer than was wise, considering the length of the sword he was wielding. However, it made things even more difficult for Qrow, whose even longer weapon was more awkward in close quarters. He caught the swing of Kyo's sword on the shaft of his weapon and found himself blown backwards again. He was sent crashing through a heavy section of brush, branches tearing at his clothes and Aura before he was thrown clear, slamming, back-first, into the ground, before riding the bounce to flip back to his feet, sliding to a stop.
Qrow blinked as he realized their surroundings. They had come full circle, returning to the section of cleared ground in front of Anduin's wall. Kyo emerged from the foliage at a more sedate pace, stepping out almost gingerly, his sword resting over his right shoulder. The foliage off to the side parted, allowing Ruby and Sasame, the former still riding on the latter's back, to emerge.
Qrow struggled to keep his breathing in check. He'd been fighting hard. It wasn't often he found an opponent who could keep up with his full speed in a battle.
"I think it's about time we brought this to an end, Branwen-san," said Kyo. "I don't suppose any of this has changed your mind."
"Like hell it has," snarled Qrow.
Kyo sighed. "Very well then. I suppose I should up the pace a little."
"Huh?"
The confused exclamation had barely left Qrow's mouth, before Kyo was suddenly right in front of him, his sword a silvery flash of light, slashing right at Qrow's midsection. Qrow braced his feet and barely managed to bring the shaft of his scythe up to meet it. The force behind the blow made his arms scream, but Qrow rode it out, spinning his weapon and bringing it around in a sweeping slash at Kyo's neck.
But Kyo was no longer there. He seemed to have vanished entirely. The only warning Qrow got was when his instincts screamed that there was danger behind him. Acting reflexively, he triggered the guns on his scythe, firing them to accelerate the swing as he spun the weapon around his body to catch Kyo's sword from that angle. Kyo's blade bounced back and Qrow turned to face him. Spinning his weapon like a baton, Qrow fired his guns repeatedly to accelerate the scythe's movements, shifting the axis of his spin to launch a series of rapid attacks from a bewildering variety of angles.
Yet Kyo made dodging look effortless. Hardly even moving his feet, his upper body bent like a blade of grass before the wind, and he shifted aside from each of Qrow's attacks, moving so swiftly that he appeared to be in multiple places at once.
What the hell is this? wondered Qrow, dropping into a crouch and sweeping his scythe low along the ground, skimming and slicing the tips off the grass. Qrow sliced clean through Kyo's ankles, only for him to vanish. What the-? He barely had any time to ponder before he was forced to dive into a forward roll as Kyo's sword scored the ground where he'd been standing. Coming up, Qrow turned at the same time, readying to counterattack, only to see Kyo's image shimmer and vanish. A faint breeze at his back was the only warning he got and he barely managed to brace the shaft of his weapon diagonally from his hip to his opposite shoulder to intercept Kyo's blade. Releasing his grip with one hand Qrow used his shoulder as a fulcrum to pull his weapon up and over, which caused the blade to slash upwards and across. But it only met empty air.
That was the last chance to counterattack he got. From there on, Qrow was forced completely on the defensive, whirling his weapon around him, intercepting a veritable blitzkrieg of slashes from Kyo's sword. Kyo appeared as a flickering whirlwind to his eyes, Qrow unable to track him completely, only catching fleeting glimpses of Kyo, sometime seeming to be in two places at once. Is this some kind of duplication Semblance? No! These are just afterimages. This is sheer speed! Kyo was a whirlwind, swirling around the beleaguered Huntsman, the pace of his attacks only increasing with each passing second.
No way! All this time, I thought he was keeping up with me. But I was the one keeping up with him. Except that Qrow couldn't keep up with Kyo anymore, not completely.
"What's going on?" asked Ruby, once again standing in front of Sasame, with the older girl's hands on her shoulders.
"Kyo is gradually raising the speed of his attacking pace," said Sasame. "Actually, he's been doing it throughout the entire fight. He started below Branwen-san's top speed, then slowly raised the pace with each exchange."
"Why?" asked Ruby.
"You could say it's a form of kumite, sparring if you will," said Sasame. "In sparring between equals, the goal is to perfect technique, by allowing people of even ability to face against one another. When a teacher is sparring against the student, it's all about raising said student's ability."
"So Kyo-nii is treating Qrow like his student?" asked Ruby.
"In a sense, yes," said Sasame. "The fastest way to raise the level of a person's ability is to force them to fight just above their current level. If you gradually raise your speed, the fine degree of increase will escape your opponent's notice, and he will automatically move to match it. If you continue to do that, you can technically force them to perform at a higher level than they normally would, which allows their body to adapt to the new speed that much faster."
"But why is Kyo-nii doing this for Uncle Qrow?" asked Ruby.
"He's actually doing it for you," said Sasame, gently ruffling Ruby's hair. "To help you become stronger and faster, these are the methods we will use. Kyo is showing them for your benefit."
"Okay," said Ruby, watching even more intently now.
In front of them, Qrow had had enough. Barely managing to duck another slash, he howled and swept his scythe around him in a complete circle. Kyo leapt back out of range, landing several meters away.
Qrow panted for breath, sweat covering his forehead and torso. "Just...Just what the hell are you?" he gasped.
"I am myself and nothing more," said Kyo. "It seems that you're going to be stubborn to the very end, so I will honor your determination, and end this as decisively as possible."
"Like hell you will," snarled Qrow. "I've got your number, kid. You might be quick and strong, but I know how you fight now."
"Do you?" asked Kyo wryly. "We've only scratched the surface, Branwen-san. What comes next...is the beginning."
"Huh?"
Sasame's grip tightened on Ruby's shoulders, but not painfully. Leaning forward, Sasame placed her lips by Ruby's ear. "Don't blink, Ruby-chan. What you are about to see is Kyo's Manifestation, the potential end you are building towards."
Ruby nodded wordlessly, her entire focus falling to Kyo as he raised his sword, holding it horizontally across his chest, with the edge facing upwards. Kyo placed the first two fingers of his left hand against the flat of the blade, at the base where it met the hilt. From there, he traced them along the length of the sword's curve. A strange ringing noise filled the air and, as Kyo's fingers reached the tip, his sword blazed like a miniature star, light washing off of it in waves, a powerful pressure filling the air as Kyo returned his fingers to the middle of the blade.
"It's Aura!" gasped Ruby. "That sword has its own Aura!"
"That is correct," said Sasame. "That is Tenro, the Wolf of Heaven. Generations ago, it was forged by the great swordsmith, Muramasa. It is tens of thousands of years old. It is a sacred treasure of our clan, one that only Kyo and those born into his family line are permitted to wield. Though it is inanimate, in its own manner it is as alive as any person."
"It's...beautiful," said Ruby, her eyes wide with wonder.
Across from Kyo, Qrow was also gaping, unable to tear his eyes away from the spectacle before him. For the first time since the fight began, Qrow truly felt out of his depth, the realization that he was up against an opponent whose strength did not merely exceed his own by a wide margin, but completely escaped all comprehension.
Kyo raised his sword above his head. "Brace yourself, Branwen-san. This is the end."
Qrow swallowed and raised his scythe, tensing. "I ain't about to let you have this win, kid."
Kyo merely smiled in return. "Mumyo Jinpu Ryu: Mizuchi!" The air around him seemed to condense, swirling tightly around his blade, the atmosphere itself bending to his will and becoming an extension of the sword. Then Kyo dashed forward, his body a blur as he closed the distance between himself and Qrow. His blade descended and Qrow raised the scythe to meet it.
The air itself seemed to explode. Ruby felt a powerful warmth wash over and through her, as though the air was filling her from within, even as it blew by outside. The atmosphere itself seemed to turn white, and she saw Qrow silhouetted within it for a few seconds. Then Kyo was past and the winds dissipated. Everything seemed to turn to normal.
Qrow frowned and turned around. "I've seen better, brat."
"Have you now?" asked Kyo, raising his blade to rest the back over his shoulder. "However, if you spend too much time looking with your eyes, you will forget to use your ears. What you need to do right now is not look...but listen."
"Huh?" Qrow suddenly felt strangely lightheaded. There was an unusual sound, almost like a whistling or keening. At first, he thought it was coming from the air around him. But a few seconds of more listening made him realize the truth. The sound was coming from within him.
"You can hear it now, can't you?" asked Kyo, watching Qrow intently. "Kaze no Koe...The voice of the wind."
Blood flew through the air as countless lacerations erupted across Qrow's body. His eyes went wide and his mouth opened. But no sound issued forth. His legs giving out, Qrow fell, face-first, to the ground and lay still amidst a pool of his own spreading blood.
"UNCLE QROW!" screamed Ruby, horrified. She made to run to his side, but was brought up short by Sasame's grip on her shoulders.
"It's all right," said Sasame simply. "I will heal him. He's in no danger."
"A-are you sure?" asked Ruby.
"Yes," replied Sasame. "However, I shall need to begin promptly. Please stay back here, Ruby-chan."
"A-all right," said Ruby uncertainly, but remaining in place as Sasame strode past her to crouch at Qrow's side.
In the meantime, Kyo retrieved the sheath for his sword and slid it back into the scabbard. Approaching Ruby, he gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I scared you," he said softly.
"Did you really need to do that?" asked Ruby, looking at her uncle, now bathing in the warm light of Sasame's Aura.
"It was not strictly necessary to defeat him," admitted Kyo. "However, I thought that a decisive blow would make it easier to stomach his loss and accept your decision to accompany us. I also wanted it to be a lesson to you."
"To show me Manifestation?" asked Ruby. "Is that what you're going to teach me?"
"Ah...this particular style...no," said Kyo with a sigh. "The Mumyo Jinpu Ryu, is considered a sacred art within our clan. At any given time, only three people are permitted to learn it."
Seeing Ruby's crestfallen look, Kyo reached out and tousled her hair. "You will create your own Manifestation, Ruby-chan. It will be one perfectly suited to you. While I can't teach you my style of swordsmanship, I am certain you can look to it as a basis for at least some of the techniques you will wish to create for yourself."
"All right," said Ruby
Kyo stooped down and wrapped his right arm around Ruby's waist. Straightening up, he held her as Ruby clung to him. "Don't worry overly much. You will make us proud, I have no doubt." He turned so that they could watch as Sasame finished her treatment of Qrow. "Now then, let's see about making your uncle comfortable."
Qrow groaned, blinking blearily. Then his eyes slowly slid open. He found himself staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling made of light-colored wood. He was in a bed, with a blanket laid over him, tucked in and, otherwise, just made comfortable. He blinked sleepily and resisted the urge to run his hands over his body. Before he'd lost consciousness, he'd been all but certain that he'd been sliced to pieces. But he now felt that he was in one piece. He didn't even feel any tight lines or pinching along his skin that would have indicated the presence of scars.
"Good morning," greeted a familiar voice from his bedside.
Qrow turned his head to see the short, fox-faunus who had seemed so close with Ruby earlier. She was seated in a chair against the wall, watching Qrow with folded arms. Her name was Sasame, if he remembered properly.
"Am I dreaming?" he asked.
"No, you are not," said Sasame with a faint titter. "Neither were the events of last night a dream, though I imagine that this must all seem very surreal to you."
"That's...putting it mildly," said Qrow, twitching. He seemed to be in one piece, but his limbs could scarcely move. He wasn't sure that, even if he marshaled all the strength in his body, he'd even be able to lift the blanket off of him at this point. "What did you do to me?"
"Healed you for one," said Sasame. "It was actually quite a simple job. Kyo's skill with the Mizuchi ensured that none of your lacerations were too deep or hit anything serious. Granted, you still would have died from blood-loss, if you weren't treated promptly, but...I was there, so you were indeed treated promptly. Because the cuts were so clean, it was all the easier to close them."
"That why I feel as weak as a newborn kitten?" asked Qrow, twitching feebly.
"A little," said Sasame. "As much as possible, I use my Aura to stimulate the Auras of my patients to help them heal themselves, so to speak. It allows me to spread my efforts across a larger number of people. Fatigue after an intensive healing is natural. However...I did add a little touch to it."
"What do you mean?" asked Qrow, figuring he wasn't going to like the answer.
"To put it bluntly, I have used my Aura to fetter your own, as well as fetter your physical strength. The seal is designed to release gradually over the next few days, so that your strength will slowly return to you. You should be back at full strength in about two weeks."
"Why?" asked Qrow.
"Just in case you continue to insist on trying to take Ruby-chan back with you," said Sasame plainly. "Brute force alone probably won't be enough to change your mind. In the event you still feel obligated to try and retrieve Ruby-chan, I have ensured that you will not have the means to while she is still within your reach. By the time you've fully recovered, we shall be long-departed."
"You...!" Qrow growled, struggling to sit up. However, he stilled when Sasame held up a finger.
"Ah, please not so loud. You'll wake her."
She shifted her finger to point across the bed and Qrow turned his head to see Ruby, sound asleep, in the next bed over. Kyo was seated in a chair on the other side of that bed, also asleep, though his sword was tucked up against him so that the hilt rested against his shoulder
"In spite of our assurances, Ruby-chan was very worried for you," explained Sasame. "It took some time to get her relaxed enough to fall asleep."
Qrow turned to look back at Sasame again. "Why?" he asked. "Why do you want her so bad?"
"Well, I took a liking to Ruby-chan the moment I saw her," said Sasame. "There's a light in her eyes that no amount of hardship and oppression can extinguish. She's the most adorable little girl I've ever met, but within her is a core of tempered steel. Her mettle truly astounds me, time after time.
"Over the course of our time together, I've come to love Ruby-chan. She is unquestionably precious to me, to both of us. We've come to value her as a part of our family. Teaching her and watching her grow is fulfilling in its own right. What's more, I've seen the boundless potential she possesses. With the proper instruction, she would be capable of things that would surpass your wildest imaginings."
"Huh," said Qrow, blinking.
"I imagine you've seen those things too," said Sasame. "You've known for a long time how strong Ruby-chan is, how powerful her heart is."
"Yeah..." admitted Qrow. "I know well enough for it to scare me."
"Scare you?" Sasame tilted her head adorably.
"Ruby's probably told you about her mother," said Qrow.
"She mentioned that her mother died," said Sasame.
"It happened when she was five," said Qrow. "The scary thing is that she's just like her mother, inside and out. Not only does she look like Summer, she has her eyes, and her spirit. That's what scares me. Summer's spirit was so strong that she refused to back down, when others were in danger. She threw herself into the fight without a thought of her own safety. I don't know what happened on that last mission she was on, but I can imagine that that was what got her killed."
"I see," said Sasame soberly. "Yes...I can see that being an issue. But we are working to rectify that."
"How?" asked Qrow.
"When we realized Ruby-chan's nature as a protector, it was only natural that we teach her the importance of her own life," said Sasame. "As long as Ruby-chan understands that she cannot protect others if she throws her own life away, I doubt that what you suggested will be an issue."
"Thought of everything, have you?" asked Qrow.
"Almost," said Sasame. "There are wounds in Ruby-chan's heart, wounds that I have only so much power to tend. Those she once trusted and believed in have suppressed and oppressed her, trying to force her away from the future she wants for herself. While I don't doubt that she loves you, her father, and her sister dearly, the pain you've all caused her inhibits her willingness to express that love."
"We'd never hurt Ruby," scoffed Qrow.
"Not physically," said Sasame. "But you know full well how painful it can be to be denied the thing you want most, don't you, Branwen-san?"
Thinking back, Qrow remembered a a young woman, a woman who looked just like an older version of Ruby. He thought of how his heart had once longed for her. He'd looked on from a distance, watching as she played with the child she'd had with another man, longingly imagining that it could have been their own. But that dream had never been within his reach. So long as he had his Semblance, he could never allow himself to stay too close to the ones he loved.
"Yeah," he said finally.
"She needs time and distance for her heart to heal," said Sasame. "She needs to gain her own strength, to affirm her convictions, and find the means to fulfill them. That is what Kyo and I aim to provide her."
Qrow frowned. "What are you teaching her?"
"You got a taste of it last night, didn't you?" teased Sasame.
"That trick your friend pulled...I've never seen anything like it. I can't think of what kind of Semblance could produce that."
"It is a Semblance, but it is not," said Sasame. "At least, not in the vein of what you understand a Semblance to be. We call it Manifestation, shaping how our Aura engages with the world. My healing arts are one form it can take. Kyo's Mizuchi is another."
"And you're gonna teach her that?" asked Qrow.
"That is our intention," said Sasame. "Kyo is not able to teach her the exact same style he practices. Learning it is...restricted...within our clan, for reasons I'm not fully informed of. However, he would not object if she purloined the basis of it and used it to create her own techniques."
"Hmm..." Qrow lowered his chin to his blanket.
Sasame made her way to his bedside and rested a hand atop his blanket, just above where his own hand rested. "Branwen-san, I can understand your desire to protect her, to shield her from the evils of the world. Kyo and I have traveled far and wide and seen the best and worst that this world has to offer."
"I doubt you've seen the worst," grumbled Qrow.
"If you're referring to a certain decrepit hag, Kyo and I are familiar with her handiwork, even if we've never met her directly," said Sasame, making Qrow's eyes widen.
"How...?!"
"Kyo mentioned that we've stepped on the toes of some very important and powerful people," said Sasame. "Speaking officially for our clan, if she has no quarrel with us, we have none with her. Still, she is an irksome existence all the same."
"That's not quite the way I'd put it," muttered Qrow.
"In any case, as I said, I can understand the desire to protect Ruby-chan. But her heart is too large to suffer being locked away simply out of fear of hardship. We wish to give her the strength and the will to live by her convictions. Ultimately, regardless of the risk, that is the best way to ensure both her health and happiness."
Qrow sighed.
"Branwen-san, Ruby-chan will be leaving with us," said Sasame firmly. "She will return to you in time. But, for the time being, for both her sake and yours, please do not let this parting become a moment of bitterness. She has enough of that within her already."
Qrow was silent for a long moment. Finally he nodded weakly. "Fine. You win."
Sasame sighed as well. "Thank you, Branwen-san."
Qrow groaned and rolled his eyes upward. "Now what the hell am I gonna tell Tai and Yang?"
"For the time being, I would suggest that you say you found nothing," replied Sasame. "Your search was a dead end."
"Well it certainly wouldn't be unexpected," said Qrow. "I can't say I'll be happy to break Yang's heart like that. But if this is the way it's gotta be..."
"I'm grateful," said Sasame. "We'll be here two more days, for the remainder of the festival. You have that time to spend with her, at least."
"I hope it's enough," said Qrow, glancing over at Ruby again. "I get the feeling this is gonna have to tide me over for a while."
It was a blissful two days that Ruby spent, hanging out with her uncle. She was glad that Qrow had come to accept her decision, however reluctantly. If anything else, it was nice to know that she had one member of her original family that was willing to believe in her dreams.
The two days passed pleasantly. Qrow got to see some of the training Ruby did under Sasame and Kyo, for all that he didn't quite understand how it was supposed to help her. Finally, the time came for Ruby and her teachers to depart. Qrow saw them off from the gate of Anduin's northern perimeter.
"I thought we were taking a boat," said Ruby as she followed Kyo and Sasame up onto the rocky cliffs that lined the coast north of the settlement.
"We are," said Kyo. "The issue is that the people, whose ship we've obtained passage on, are not exactly legitimate."
"Smugglers, in other words," said Sasame. "They technically operate out of Anduin. However, they do their actual work out of the sea caves just to the north of there, where it's harder for the authorities to spot them bringing their goods in."
"Isn't that...bad?" asked Ruby.
"It varies, depending on the kind of smuggler and what they carry," said Kyo. "Either way, it's a bit necessary, as no legitimate ship, whether carrying passengers or cargo, would ever take us to our destination."
"Why?"
"We are going across to the continent of Leng," said Sasame. "Amongst those who dwell in the Kingdoms, it is known as the Forbidden Continent, because no ships, whether airborne or seagoing, are allowed to travel there."
"I remember hearing something about that," said Ruby, dredging up memories of some of her geography lessons in school. "Why is it that way?"
"There are a variety of reasons given officially," said Sasame. "There are rumors of dangerous Grimm that make settling there unwise, confusion over the provisions over the Vytal Treaty, which technically promised the continent to all four Kingdoms in some form or another, causing disputes that they've never been able to fully resolve."
"But the real reason is that the continent has already been claimed," said Kyo. "It has been settled by another power, one that the Kingdoms don't wish to acknowledge, so they pretend it doesn't exist, and make up excuses to explain why."
"Who?" asked Ruby.
"Our people," said Sasame, squeezing Ruby's shoulder. "Leng is the homeland of Kyo and I, the place where our clan has dwelt since time immemorial. It is the home of the Mibu Clan. Out in the Kingdoms, amongst those who know of the Mibu, they are sometimes referred to as the Silent Kingdom."