So, I posted this announcement in my other story, but I should probably do it here. Right now, I'm in Orlando, for a friend's wedding, until the 31st. Because of that, my schedule is going to be a bit unpredictable, so I might not have the freedom to continue regular updates until I get back home. I'll try, but I can't make any guarantees, so this is a warning that updates might stall for a couple days.
Chapter 29:
"There," said Saisei imperiously, clapping her hands together as though dusting them off as her tails merged again, "I've fixed you up. It'll take a little while for the healing to set in, so don't strain yourselves. Some of those wounds were deeper than they looked."
Kyo, Keikoku, Shinrei, and Chinmei all nodded attentively, reminding Yang of how she and the others looked whenever they did something to catch Glynda Goodwitch's ire. Saisei's voice carried that same sense of authority.
"Really," said Saisei with a huff. "The only reason you boys are able to get away with this is because of my healing arts. You'd better be grateful."
"We are eternally grateful to you, Saisei-sama," said the four of them, bowing their heads as though it were a perfectly rehearsed response, which it was.
Yang couldn't keep a wry smile from her face as she watched them. "Wow...they really are good friends."
"You'd never think they were trying to kill each other a moment ago," added Jaune.
"They weren't really trying to kill each other, were they?" asked Nora, staring at the group dubiously.
"They weren't going all out," said Ruby. "But...those were all potentially lethal attacks."
Weiss nodded. "If any of them let his guard down for even a second, he would've died."
"It's crazy that they can go at each other like that," said Ren.
All of them thought the same thing. It's because Saisei can heal them afterwards...No wonder she's in charge.
"Good," said Saisei finally finished with her scolding. "Now that that's taken care of, you four can stop neglecting our guests."
"Yes, Saisei-sama," they all said in submissive unison, bowing their heads.
Kyo was the first to get up, going back to Yang. "Sorry about that," he said.
"It was fun to watch," said Yang. "So these are the friends that Saisei was telling me about?"
"That's right," said Kyo, turning and beckoning the other three young men forward. "On the left is Keikoku, then Shinrei, and then Chinmei. Keikoku is the Goyosei of Fire; Shinrei, Water; and Chinmei, Earth. Together with Saisei, these are four of the Five Shining Stars, the leaders of the Mibu Clan's military forces, and our Clan's chief protectors."
"Nice to meet you guys," said Keikoku, casually resting his spear over his shoulders and hanging his arms over the shaft.
"I'm sorry for making you all wait," said Shinrei.
"You must be some cool folks if you're friends with Kyo," said Chinmei, favoring them with a broad grin as he sheathed his sword on his back, so that the handle rose up over his right shoulder.
"Everyone, these are my friends from Beacon," explained Kyo, gesturing to Yang and the others. He began to introduce them, one by one, saving Yang for last. "...and this is Yang Xiao Long...we're dating now." His cheeks flushed pink.
The three young men of the Goyosei all stared at Kyo as though he'd grown a second head. "You have a girlfriend?" they asked in shocked unison.
"Damn! And she's a real looker too," added Chinmei, scratching the side of his head. "You couldn't talk to a pretty girl to save your life, Kyo. What've you been doing on the outside?"
"Totally," said Keikoku, nodding in agreement as he began to poke Kyo's arm. "You're hopeless with girls, Kyo. Did she just take pity on you?"
"Perhaps I'll show you how to be pitiable," said Kyo, a familiar, wrathful grin appearing on his face.
"Just you try it," said Keikoku, his fingers tightening around the shaft of his spear.
"Boys..." Saisei's voice was filled with the promise of pain as her Aura billowed around her like an angry storm cloud. "...behave."
"Yes, Ma'am," said Kyo and Keikoku in unison.
"It's nice to meet you," said Shinrei, ignoring Kyo and going straight to Yang, shaking her hand before looking at it. "Whoa! This is an Aura construct! Awesome!"
"Th-thanks," said Yang, surprised to be getting praise from someone so highly-ranked in the Mibu Clan.
"You can pester them with questions later," said Saisei, gently rapping the top of Shinrei's head with the tip of her tail. "Let's move on. The Taishiro are expecting us. So is the Crimson King.
"Right..." said Shinrei, rubbing the top of his head and glowering at Saisei when her back was turned.
"Let's go through the gates then," said Keikoku, stepping forward towards the metal gate that loomed ahead.
"What are these?" asked Ruby, staring up at the gate with awe.
"These are the Five Shining Gates," said Shinrei. "You could say that this our jurisdiction within Onmyo. There are five walls with five gates, with each of us taking responsibility for one as its guard."
"It's just a ceremonial thing really," said Chinmei, folding his arms behind his head and staring up at the wall. "'Cause our duties can take us all over the continent, we don't guard the gates constantly. Most of the time, they stand wide open so that people can come and go freely. But since we've got visitors from the outside, the Elders wanted to put on a show."
"What about security?" asked Weiss, staring at the gate incredulously. "If they're standing wide open all the time, what if someone dangerous tried to get in?"
"If someone's up to no good within the Palace, then best of luck to them," said Keikoku, resting his hand on the gate. It swung open at his touch without even needing him to push. "We just make sure the important sections are protected. If someone's stupid or confident enough to go after the King or Elders, then more power to him. It's not as though they need our protection."
"Do assassination attempts happen all that often?" asked Jaune.
"Once or twice a month, on average," said Chinmei as they made their way through the courtyard between the first two walls. This one was filled with greenery, an entire forest packed into the space between the two stone constructs.
Saisei came up to the next gate, which opened at her touch. "The Crimson King and the Four Elders see to their own protection," she said. "If an enemy was too much for any of them, it only stands to reason that none of us would have a chance against him."
"Besides, the King especially enjoys it when someone tries to kill him," said Chinmei as he led them across a narrow stone bridge that stretched over what seemed like a bottomless chasm that opened up between the second and third walls. "It's the only time he gets to play around after all."
Ruby gently elbowed Yang's side. "Your boyfriend has the weirdest family," she stage-whispered to Yang.
Yang rolled her eyes, though her smile didn't falter as she wrapped her arms around Kyo's free arm. "Don't I know it," she said with a small laugh.
After passing through the third gate, they found themselves in another tiled courtyard. This one was decorated by fountains set to either side of the door, which was decorated with rising and descending dragons. Shinrei opened this gate, which opened up into yet another courtyard. Like the one in front of the first gate, this one was mostly empty. The fifth wall was considerably lower than the four before it, with the gate being made of dark-stained wood, set within the bottom floor of a five-story pagoda that was built into the middle of the fifth and final wall, set atop a series of steps leading from the floor of the courtyard.
"Here we are," said Saisei. "Beyond this gate lies the Palace."
"So...if this is the last gate, does this mean that the last of the Five Stars is here?" asked Ren, looking around.
Saisei nodded. "The last of the Five is our leader, Taihaku."
A faint rustle of footsteps came from within the pagoda. A girl roughly the same age as Yang and the others (minus Ruby) emerged, brushing aside one of the two curtains that hung over the corners of the doorway.
"The visitors are here," the girl observed.
She was tall, easily topping six feet. Her long, platinum-blonde hair was tied back in a tail from the center of her head, a style not dissimilar from Weiss'. Her cream-colored kimono hid a powerful build. At her hip, she wore a simple katana, with no adornments of any kind. Her presence filled the air around her, saturating it. She gazed out at them with calm, bright-green eyes. When her gaze settled on Kyo, her face lit up.
"Kyo!" she shouted eagerly, descending the steps. "You're back!"
Kyo gently extracted his arm from Yang's grip and stepped forward to greet her, only to grunt in surprise as the girl threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. "Hello, Chika. It's been a while."
"You should come back more often," said Chika, pushing her lower lip forward in an adorable pout. "I get lonely when you're not here."
Yang stifled the urge to growl, her hackles rising at this strange girl being so familiar with her boyfriend. Ruby heard a small growl to her side and noticed that Penny was doing much the same thing as Yang.
Saisei gave Yang a sheepish look. "Oops," she said softly. "I forgot to mention that Chika has had a huge crush on Kyo for a while now, though it's been mostly one-sided."
"Ironic really," said Shinrei with a chuckle. "Back before we were in the Five, she was the one who wanted to kill Kyo the most. She used to hate his guts."
"Is this your leader?" asked Weiss, looking to Saisei.
Saisei shook her head. "No. This is Chika. She's Taihaku's apprentice and designated successor. She will join the Goyosei after Taihaku retires."
"Don't let the fact that she's not a member fool you," said Keikoku. "She's just as strong as us, if not stronger. She's been called the "Sixth Star" because she's strong enough to take the post already."
"It's good to see you too," said Kyo, gently hugging Chika back, then letting her go quickly.
Chika leaned to the side so that she could look past Kyo at the visitors. "You brought so many people back with you," she noted.
"That's right," said Kyo.
Yang stepped up and took Kyo's arm again. "Hi," she said with all the forced cheer she could muster. "I'm Yang...Kyo's girlfriend."
Chika reeled back as though she'd been slapped across the face. "What?" She whipped her head around to look at Kyo. "Is this true?"
"W-well...yes," said Kyo, blushing and rubbing the back of his head. "We've been going out for a couple of months now."
Chika's eyes narrowed and her friendly demeanor all but evaporated as she fixed her eyes on Yang, who stared back with all her strength. Neither of them had the wherewithal to glare openly at the moment, not with Kyo being right there with them and so many other people around. But there was a definite tension in the air.
"Well...this is gonna be interesting," Chinmei said, leaning over to whisper to Jaune.
"You said it," said Jaune. "I really hope Yang doesn't pick a fight right now."
"Eh, it might be fun," said Keikoku, "like watching fireworks."
Meanwhile, Kyo was trapped between two very fiercely possessive girls, both of whom were glaring angrily at each other. Saisei, for once, looked to be at a complete loss as for what to do to defuse the situation.
"Welcome," rumbled a deep voice from within the pagoda, sounding like distant thunder.
All the tension in the air vanished in an instant. Chika stiffened as though she'd been jolted by electricity, before stepping back away from Kyo and Yang, adopting a composed, neutral expression of the utmost formality, lowering her head and closing her eyes as she stepped back, moving to flank the steps as a new figure emerged.
A towering mountain of a man, nearly seven feet in height, emerged from the building. He wore a simple pale-green kimono, similar in design to his apprentice, but worn much more loosely so that his powerfully muscular arms and equally well-muscled chest were on full display. His hair was white with age, flowing down to the level of his shoulders, while he also sported a beard that extended about six inches from his chin. The beard, flowed upward to meet his thick mustache, the two together framing his mouth. His skin was weathered and browned from exposure to the elements. Over his broad shoulders, he wore a simple, dark-purple shawl.
The man's presence, instead of feeling overpowering, felt quiet and tranquil. A sense of peace settled over the courtyard, the building tension between the two girls vying for Kyo's affection all but forgotten.
The man descended with slow, deliberate steps, walking leisurely until he reached Kyo
Kyo gently untangled his arm from Yang's and stepped forward. Then, to the amazement of all Kyo's friends from Beacon, he bowed low to the man. "Taihaku-sama...it is good to see you again."
Taihaku favored Kyo with a warm, relaxed smile. "Kyo," he rumbled, "I am glad to see you well. The outside world has been kind to you."
"That it has," said Kyo, raising his head and beaming up at Taihaku.
"Wow!" whispered Jaune. "I've never seen Kyo act so...respectfully."
"Taihaku has that effect," said Saisei. "He is the current leader of the Goyosei. His strength far exceeds ours. Thus, just as his apprentice is unofficially known as the Sixth Star, Taihaku's strength has earned him the unofficial title of the Fifth Elder, as his strength rivals that of the Taishiro."
"Does that mean he'll be promoted?" asked Weiss.
Saisei shook her head. "It's unlikely," she said. "The very reason he has waited so long to relinquish his position in the Goyosei is that he has no ambitions beyond it. Entering the Taishiro is not merely contingent on one's strength, but on one's commitment to governance. Taihaku has no interest in that."
"Oh," said Ruby.
"The Old Man's a warrior to the core," said Chinmei with a chuckle.
"You've grown stronger," said Taihaku, looking Kyo over carefully. He then swept his gaze over the rest of their party, his eyes seeming to take in everything about them, both inside and out at a single glance. Yang shivered as his gaze brushed over her. However, his smile widened. "And I see that you have been blessed with excellent friends. On behalf of our King and Elders, I bid you all welcome." Taihaku bowed low to them. After a second's hesitation, Yang and the others returned the gesture.
Taihaku led them up the steps to the final gate, which opened at his touch. "Please proceed," said Taihaku, gesturing to the hallway beyond. "The Elders and King await you."
"Alas, this is where I must part with you," said Saisei, giving them all one last warm smile. "Kyo knows the way from here." Then, much to everyone's surprise, she took Neo's hands and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I'll see you later," she promised before letting go.
Kyo coughed politely and then gestured to the hallway. "This way," he said, leading the group onwards. Saisei and the other members of the Goyosei remained behind, watching for a while before Taihaku closed the door and cut them off from view.
"So...looks like you and Saisei are pretty close," said Yang, giving Neo a sly grin.
Neo merely smiled brightly and nodded.
"That's great!" said Nora jubilantly. "The two of you are the perfect size for each other."
"Nora!" admonished Ren as Neo glared at her.
"Actually..." said Kyo. "You haven't seen Saisei's true form yet so..." He froze in place as a deathly chill ran down his spine.
"What?" asked Yang.
"Never mind," said Kyo, looking shaken and nervous. "It's probably for the best if I keep my mouth shut."
Yang and the others were grateful that Kyo knew his way around the Palace. The vast complex had seemed maze-like from above. Walking through it, they now realized that its layout was positively labyrinthine. Corridors intersected one another at differing levels, often with no clear way to ascend or descend to one another. A seemingly straight path might require an irritating number of turns, ascents, and descents. They passed by beautiful courtyards and gardens, rooms full of art, as well as offices that were home to the Clan's various administrators.
"How on earth do you find your way through all this?" asked Ruby, her head spinning as she tried to keep track of all the twists and turns.
"Being born here helps," said Kyo. One of the reasons the Five are so lax about letting intruders through is because the structure of the Palace alone is enough to foil all but the most skilled infiltrators. It's a throwback to ancient times, where castles and palaces doubled as fortresses ,and their layouts were deliberately confusing, so as to make an invading force fight their way through a long path to make it to their objective."
They reached another intersection. At least, this time, it was of corridors that were laid out on the same level. Windows lined the walls on one of the corridors. Looking out one side, Nora let out a gasp. "Wow! You can see the whole city from here."
The others joined her at the window. It did indeed show a breathtaking view of the Palace they had already wandered through. Beyond it, they could see the wide open spaces and sprawling mansions of the upper-class district, and, beyond them, the sloped roofs that dominated the main part of the Clan's capital.
"It really is a beautiful place," observed Yang.
When Kyo didn't respond, she turned to look at him, wondering why he hadn't said anything. However, Kyo wasn't even looking at her or the view outside. Instead, her was staring back at the intersection they had just gone through. "Dougal-san?" he asked.
"Who?" said Yang, trying to see who he was talking to.
Then, the shadow cast by the corner wall on their side of the intersection deepened until it became pitch-black. A figure rose up from it, as though he were emerging from a pool of water. Before their eyes, the figure resolved into the figure of a man a little over five feet in height. His entire body was wrapped in what looked like black bandages, covering everything, even his face, save for his pale-gray eyes and his hair. Over the bandages on his legs, he wore a pair of loose hakama, but otherwise, was unclothed. His hair was smooth and pitch-black, reaching just down the top of his neck. From beneath it, extending from the top of his head, a pair of wolf ears rose up.
"Hello, Kyo," said the man, his voice soft and whispery, like the sound of silk rubbing against silk. "Sora will be happy to see you again."
"I'm looking forward to seeing O-Kaa-san too," said Kyo cheerfully. "Did you come to greet us?"
"I did," said Dougal, lowering his gaze. "However, I am also here on an errand. The head of the Taishiro requests the presence of you and your friends at the Water Pavilion immediately."
Kyo blinked. "Makoto-sama? Why would he summon us so soon?"
"I cannot say," said Dougal, lowering his head a little further. "I have merely been asked to convey the summons, not the reason behind it."
"I see..." said Kyo. "Well then...I guess we'll change our course a little. We'll see you later, Dougal-san."
The man in black nodded, and backed into the shadow from which he had emerged, his form turning black and sinking down into the darkness, vanishing from sight.
For a moment, they simply stared at the space where he had been. "Who was that?" asked Ruby, turning to Kyo.
"Ah...That's Dougal Conrad," said Kyo. "He serves as O-Kaa-san's-that's what I typically call my mother, by the way-Imperial Guard."
"Imperial Guard?" asked Ren.
Kyo nodded. "They are the direct servants of the Taishiro, agents who serve to carry out their will in whatever way the Elder deems necessary. Despite their name, they aren't so much for protection as they are for support and enforcement. In Dougal-san's case, he is the head of the Mibu-clan's couriers, who maintain communication between the Clan's settlements."
It was Weiss who pieced together the realization first. "Wait..." she said. "Dougal?"
Kyo nodded. "That's right. He's an outsider. Father met both him and O-Kaa-san during his time traveling the outside world, before ascending the throne. They were two members of my father's Shiseiten. Afterwards, when Father returned to the Mibu and took the Crimson Throne, O-Kaa-san joined the Taishiro, and Dougal chose to remain as her Imperial Guard."
Blake thought it over. With loyalty like that, I wonder if there was more to the relationship between Dougal and Kyo's mother than just friendship or camaraderie, she mused silently. It must have been somewhat one-sided, if Kyo's mother had ended up marrying Kyo's father instead of Dougal. However, those were questions for another time.
Kyo led them through another few corridors when they emerged into another courtyard-like space. This one was impressively wide and, more impressively still, consisted entirely of a large lake, bordered on all sides with more hallways, some of which ran out over the edges of the water, held up by stilts. A walkway stretched out over the water, almost to the center of the lake. At its end was a fair-sized pavilion, easily large enough to hold at least twenty people.
Kyo led them out over the bridge to the pavilion. As he did, the others glanced over the sides, not able to see the bottom of the lake. Ruby was especially fascinated. However, then she saw a massive shape swim beneath the walkway, something larger than a fish in a lake this size had any right to be. She shuddered and pulled back, unnerved at the idea of hanging out in a floating pavilion with something like that swimming around beneath them.
Still, they made it out to the pavilion without incident. It was sparsely furnished, seemingly for casual gatherings. Cushions of various sizes were scattered about, generally around low tables that could be found at each corner of the pavilion, with another, larger table situated in the center. There seemed to be no one else here.
"I guess we got here early," said Yang.
"No. You're right on time," said a voice behind her.
Yang yelped and jumped, whirling around to face the source of the voice, almost activating Ember Celica on reflex. Luckily, she managed to check her reflexes to keep from doing so, and risk offending one of their hosts.
Behind the group, still standing on the bridge that connected the pavilion to the rest of the palace, was a tall, elegant woman. Her skin seemed almost ghostly pale, with just enough color to it to keep it from being completely eerie. It was hard to see the features of her body, as she wore kimonos in at least three layers, the outermost being a pale, sky-blue color. The second one, visible at the ends of her sleeves and the border of her collar, was cream, with the layer inside that being a pale, rosy-pink. The entire ensemble was held together with a dark-blue sash, through which a small fan had been thrust. Like Taihaku, she wore a shawl over her shoulders, this one decorated with feather patterns. Her face was round and full, her pale skin matching nicely with her almond-colored eyes. However, the most distinctive part of her appearance was the the headdress of colorful plumes that flowed down over the top and behind her head, reaching all the way to her waist, looking like chains of multicolored jewels. It would have looked gaudy on anyone else, but this woman made it look stately.
Kyo lowered his sword, setting it on the pavilion floor before standing upright. He then threw himself at the woman and seized her in a tight hug, which she returned with just as much enthusiasm, a radiant smile decorating her face.
"O-Kaa-san!" said Kyo excitedly. "I wasn't expecting you to be here."
Kyo's mother laughed and pulled out of the hug, only so that she could cup Kyo's face with the delicate-looking fingers of her elegant hands. "Of course I would be here," she said. "Did you think I would not show up to greet my own son?"
"Everyone," said Kyo, turning around to face his friends. "This is Sora, my mother."
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," said Sora, bowing to them. "Thank you for looking after my son."
"I'd hardly call what we did looking after him," said Jaune wryly, though he and the others bowed back, doing their best to mimic what they hoped was the appropriate gesture.
"I was expecting to see you at the throne room," said Kyo, turning back to her. "Did Makoto-sama summon you here too?"
"Makoto did not summon me here," said Sora. "Nor did he summon you. I was the one who asked Dougal to fetch you."
Kyo froze. "But...Dougal-san said..."
"He said the head of the Taishiro had summoned you," said Sora, picking out a cushion at the central table and settling herself down on it. "And so she has."
Kyo stared uncomprehendingly at his mother for another minute before what she said fully registered to him. "Wait! You?"
"Me," said Sora, a trace of amusement in her voice.
Kyo's jaw dropped. "O-Kaa-san! When did you become head of the Taishiro? Why didn't you tell me?"
"It happened shortly after the last time you visited," explained Sora. "Makoto appointed me as the new head and stepped down."
"So he retired?" asked Kyo.
"Oh no," said Sora, pulling out her fan, and using it to waft a breeze across her face. "He's still a member of the Taishiro, he's simply devoting his full work and attention to his position as Chief Physician, and to training his pupils.
"As for why I didn't tell you...Earlier, I didn't want you to feel obligated to turn around and come back when you'd just left. And, when you were coming back, I asked Saisei not to tell you so that it could be a surprise." Her smile widened. "And, from the look on your face, it was worth it."
"Congratulations!" said Kyo, settling down on a cushion across the table from her.
"Thank you," said Sora. "Your father is still in class, so he will join us here when he finishes."
"Kyo's Dad is still in school?" asked Ruby. "But I thought he was the King."
"He is," said Sora with a small laugh, beckoning the others to sit. "He teaches children at the elementary level. It's probably his favorite activity."
It seemed extremely odd to the others. But then they remembered Kyo' explanation about the nebulous nature of his father's position. If the Crimson King was not heavily involved in the actual governing of the Mibu Clan, then it probably made sense that he had found something else to do with his time.
Yang settled down next to Kyo on his right, while Ruby seated herself on his opposite side, Jaune sitting next to her. Neo sat next to Yang. Ren and Nora seated themselves around corner of the table from Ruby and Jaune. Blake and Weiss took seats at the side around the corner from Yang and Neo. Penny shed her cape and hat and seated herself to Sora's left. Sora, almost unconsciously, lifted a hand and gently rubbed the top of Penny's head, making her giggle.
"So, please introduce your friends to me," said Sora. "Penny-chan, of course, I already know."
"Of course," said Kyo. "To my right are Blake Belladonna and Weiss Schnee."
"Pleased to meet you," said Blake, dipping her head slightly.
"Charmed," added Weiss.
"Next to them is Neo Capello," continued Kyo.
Neo beamed and nodded politely at Sora.
"On the other side are Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie," said Kyo, skipping Yang for the moment.
"It is an honor to make your acquaintance," said Ren, lowering his head to Sora.
"It's so cool to finally meet Kyo's mom!" gushed Nora. "I'm super excited!" Her enthusiasm made Sora giggle in amusement.
"And next to them are Jaune Arc and Ruby Rose," said Kyo.
"Hello," said Jaune with an awkward grin, while Ruby simply giggled at him as she waved across the table at Sora.
"And, finally," said Kyo, taking Yang's hand in his. "This is Yang Xiao Long...my girlfriend."
Sora's face lit up like the sun, and her radiant smile returned. "Oh! That's wonderful. My little boy is all grown up! I can't wait to talk more later."
"I'm looking forward to it too," said Yang, surprisingly feeling no unease at the prospect of a conversation with Kyo's mother. She didn't feel the slightest bit threatened by the woman in front of her, only comforted by her presence. It was almost like she was Yang's mother too.
"So now, Kyo, why don't you tell me all about what you've been up to since you've left," she said. "You can start by telling me how you met all these wonderful friends of yours."
"Of course," said Kyo.
He began to relate the story of how he met RWBY and, later, JNNR, with members from both teams supplying extra details or even taking up the narration as the story went on. Sora listened attentively, occasionally asking questions for the purposes of clarification.
"...and then we came here," said Kyo, at the conclusion of the tale.
"My, you've all certainly been through a lot," observed Sora, unfolding her fan in front of her mouth, "especially you, Xiao Long-dono."
"Well, I wouldn't say I've been through that much," said Yang.
"You might not think that way in the future," said Sora. "I can tell you now that, if that boy is anything like my husband, he will always be a magnet for trouble. You will not have a peaceful life if you stay with him."
That made Yang laugh. "Well...peaceful isn't exactly my thing." She grinned widely. "If it was, then I probably wouldn't have wanted to become a Huntress."
"Very true," said Sora. She glanced sidelong at Nora, noticing that the bubbly member of JNNR was staring at her rather intently. "Is something on your mind, Valkyrie-dono?"
"I was wondering where those feathers you're wearing came from," said Nora.
"Yeah," said Ruby, rubbing her head. "It's a really cool headdress."
"Headdress?" Sora looked confused. Her eyes rolled up, as though she were trying to stare up at the feathers on her head. "Oh...Kyo, you didn't tell them, did you?"
"Tell us what?" asked Yang, looking at Kyo, who looked slightly confused himself.
Blake was the first one to clue in. "Wait!" she said, her eyes going wide. "I don't think that's a headdress. I think those are her feathers."
"Her feathers?" gasped Weiss, whipping her head around to stare in shock at Sora. "But that would mean..."
"Kyo's mom is a faunus," said Jaune.
"Yes," said Kyo, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Is that important?"
"Uh..." Everyone seemed at a loss for words.
Yang's mind went back to that afternoon when they'd stumbled upon a bunch of first-years tormenting Velvet. She had thought that Kyo's anger had been unusually intense at that time. Now she understood why.
Weiss was especially shocked. She was recalling what Kyo had told them during their seminar with Oobleck. He'd mentioned that, because the current Crimson King tended not to exercise much authority, the true ruling power of the Mibu Clan was the Taishiro.
And Kyo's mother is the head of the Taishiro, thought Weiss. That means that the most powerful member, the effective ruler of the Mibu Clan...is a faunus.
"Ah...you all look so unnerved," said Sora, once again screening the lower part of her face with her fan, although her eyes, which looked over the edge of the fan, narrowed slightly. "I forgot how different things can be in the outside world."
"So it's true," whispered Blake, hugging her arms. "There's no prejudice here."
At that, Sora threw back her head and laughed. "Now that is a leap in logic. I'm sorry to disabuse your notions, dear. The Mibu Clan has plenty of prejudices. Kyo has experienced plenty of them himself."
Kyo nodded as Yang looked at him. Yang remembered what Saisei had told her on the flight over.
"It's nothing so miraculous as that," continued Sora. "It would be more accurate to say that, of all the prejudices the Mibu have, prejudice against the faunus isn't one of them. I've never fully understood why that was." She lowered her fan. "Would my status be so inconceivable in the outside world?"
"Probably," said Ren. "Technically, only Atlas currently has laws in place against faunus holding higher offices and government positions. However, it is currently all but impossible that faunus would ever get elected or hired for such positions, even in nations that don't have those restrictions, except maybe Vacuo."
"I see," said Sora. Then, to their surprise, she smiled slightly. "That may work to our advantage then."
"What do you mean?" asked Blake.
"I assume this has something to do with the invitations that Saisei gave Professor Ozpin," said Ren.
"You would be correct in that, Ren-dono," said Sora. "The upcoming Water Festival is a major day of celebration for the Mibu Clan, one of our most important holidays. This year, I have invited dignitaries representing the Council and Academy of each of the four Kingdoms to attend."
"Why?" asked Ruby, leaning forward.
"Because...this is the year that our Clan's isolation ends, once and for all," said Sora. "No longer shall the Mibu hide in the shadows. Instead, we will step out and announce ourselves to the world. I suppose you could say that we intend to be recognized as the fifth Kingdom."
Seemingly unaware of the shocked expressions on the faces of his friends, Kyo merely smiled cheerfully. "So your side won out then, O-Kaa-san?"
"That we did," said Sora with a sigh, "albeit by a narrower margin than I would have liked. There are quite a few, particularly amongst the older families, who oppose the idea of ending our isolationism. However, the other Taishiro, and the Goyosei, have all given their support to my plan. Because of that, a majority of the general population approved of it, when it was put to a vote."
"So that's what this is all about," said Weiss. "But this could throw the world into total upheaval."
"It depends," said Sora. "But I would say that the world's position is more than precarious already. Despite having triumphed over your major enemy, tensions remain high between the four Kingdoms, particularly with regard to Atlas. And that's to say nothing about the state of affairs of the faunus. One wrong move, and you could descend into all-out war amongst yourselves."
"But what if coming out and declaring yourselves is that move?" asked Ren.
"It may seem callous of me, but that is a risk I am willing to take," said Sora. "Part of the reason things are in such a precarious state now is because of people clinging blindly to certain institutions, ideals, and assumptions. Those things have been challenged and shaken. But sometimes, that makes people cling to them all the more tightly. Sometimes a shock, a revelation that defies all conventional logic, is what is needed to finally get those people to let go."
"So you want to save the world, by revealing the Mibu Clan?" asked Weiss sarcastically.
"Hardly," said Sora, opening her fan with a snap. "If anything, I want to save the Mibu Clan by opening it up to the world."
"Huh?" Ruby blinked. "But you have everything you could want here," she pointed out. "Everything is so prosperous and peaceful. You have everything you could ever need. Why would you want anything more."
"Strange as it would seem, that is exactly the problem," said a new voice, coming from the direction of the walkway.
Everyone turned their heads towards the new arrival, seeing a man dressed in an elaborate, white kimono and hakama approaching them. His hair was black, like Kyo's, arranged in a simple bowl cut over his head. At his side, he wore a simple katana. However, the one thing that drew everyone's attention was the pair of thick glasses over his eyes, which caught the ambient light, making them gleam.
"Hello, O-Tou-san," said Kyo cheerfully getting up and approaching him.
"Well, I could hardly miss my own son's homecoming," said the man, giving Kyo a grin.
This guy's Kyo's dad? wondered Yang. He looks like a total nerd.
"Dear," said Sora with a small giggle, "you're still wearing your glasses."
Kyo's father flinched. "Oh! I get so used to them I keep forgetting."
"Do you have vision problems?" asked Ruby.
"No," said Kyo's father. "My eyes work just fine. However, they tend to unsettle the children. So wearing these glasses gives me a silly, more approachable air. It makes it easier to teach." He lifted the glasses off his face, revealing a pair of gleaming crimson eyes, identical to Kyo's. As Kyo turned back to look at the gathering too, the sight of the two of them, standing side by side, two pairs of identical eyes looking out, made their relation unmistakable. These two truly were father and son.
"Forgive me for not introducing myself sooner," said Kyo's father as he folded his glasses and stowed them in a pocket. "My name is Mibu Kyoichiro, though you've probably heard more people refer to me as the Crimson King."
So...strange as it seems, this is where we cut away from the main story and go back to the B-Story, with Ciel for a few chapters. It may seem like an unnecessary digression, but I promise that it will be important to the main plot later on. Anyway...
So, if it wasn't already clear, the Mibu basically speak anime-fansub English, using some of the original Japanese (or, as they call it, the Old Tongue) vocabulary, as well as Japanese honorifics. I honestly enjoy using Japanese honorifics, as they can convey an impressive degree of nuance in describing the relationship between characters, all based on how they refer to one another. Granted, my application of them is probably not the most accurate of them, but that can always be explained by the evolving nature of their use in a culture far removed from current Japanese society (remember, this story operates on the premise that Remnant is a distant-future earth).
That aside, I also wanted to coney the idea that Kyo has two modes of speech, depending on who he is talking to or about. When speaking with his outsider friends, he tends to the manner of speaking in the outside world, standard English, while using the Mibu's dialect (I think that's the proper term), when speaking to or about members of the Mibu. I hope it doesn't come across as too confusing.
