Chapter 37:
Yang had to admit, she thought the Mibu Clan's idea of a party was a little bit dull. Maybe it was because this was meant to be a more casual affair to celebrate Murasame's adoption of Penny, but she felt like the situation could have benefited from a little more spice and excitement.
The pavilion where they'd had breakfast was decked out with flowers to match those in the courtyard outside it. The table had been set up with a large buffet, holding a variety of foods for the partygoers to choose from. Otherwise, they wandered around the pavilion, courtyard, and the surrounding walkways, socializing casually.
Well, at least they have a good selection of liquor, thought Yang, swallowing down a nice mouthful of some local beer brew. The Mibu made good beer, at least. If what Kyo had said at breakfast was true, then the barley this beer came from had probably been genetically modified too.
Taking a quick look around, Yang made sure that Ruby was keeping to the non-alcoholic drinks. Maybe this was as good a time as any for Ruby to let her hair down, but Yang knew that their father would probably never let her hear the end of it, if she allowed Ruby to drink.
"Enjoying yourself?" asked Kyo as he came to stand next to her, holding a shallow cup filled with what Yang presumed was sake.
"Kinda," said Yang. "But you folks need to work on letting your hair down. This party could do with some music and a dance floor."
"Well, I suppose it counts more as a dinner party than anything else," said Kyo. "The important thing is that Penny and Murasame-sama are enjoying themselves."
Looking for her former-android friend, Yang smiled as she spotted Penny, standing alongside her new father, laughing happily as they chatted with Keikoku. Apparently, all of the Taishiro and the Goyosei had been invited. Over in another corner, Yang could see Saisei sitting with Neo, which didn't surprise her at all. Chinmei was chatting with Ren and Nora, apparently listening with amusement to some wild story that Nora was spinning. She even saw Taihaku, speaking quietly with a pale-blue-haired man, whom she assumed to be one of the Taishiro she hadn't met yet.
"That is Makoto-sama," said Kyo, following her gaze. "He's the Chief Physician of the Mibu, and the teacher of Saisei and Shinrei."
"Oh," said Yang. Reminded of the other member of the Goyosei, she cast her gaze around and spotted him talking with Ruby and Jaune. To Yang's surprise, there was a girl standing beside him, a dark-skinned girl with black hair and teal eyes...who looked more than a little familiar to Yang, despite being dressed in a kimono. "Is that...?" She began to walk towards them.
Ruby saw Yang coming and waved enthusiastically at her. "Hey, Yang!" she shouted. "Look! It's Ciel."
"I can see that," said Yang, coming to stand by her sister. She was shocked to see Penny's old teammate here, dressed in Mibu clothes and, if her posture and the way she leaned up against Shinrei's side was any indication, was more than just friends with the young water-user. "What on earth are you doing here?"
Ciel's smile faltered slightly. "It's a long story."
"She got in a lot of hot water back in Atlas for trying to help Penny escape," said Ruby, "so she ended up coming here."
Yang stifled a gasp, a shock of horror running through her. Even after hearing what had happened to Penny back then, they had never thought to follow up on her teammate. Ciel had been more of a liaison between them, Penny, and Ironwood, but they had counted her as a friend and ally. Yet, after Penny's "death," they hadn't bothered to check on her. Part of that was because they had been misled by Ironwood into believing that Penny's death had been Kyo's doing. But Yang felt more than a little guilty all the same.
"It's all right," said Ciel, divining Yang's thoughts from the uneasy look on her face. "I know you had a lot going on at the time. I'm just glad things turned out all right."
"You must be glad to see that Penny's alive," said Yang.
Ciel nodded. "I couldn't believe my eyes, the first time I saw her. I thought she was a ghost."
"So what are you doing now..." asked Yang, raising an eyebrow in Shinrei's direction, "...besides dating this hunky fellow?"
Shinrei and Ciel both blushed furiously. "Well..." said Ciel, "...I'm now a student of Makoto-sensei. I'm learning the Mumyo Saigyo Ryu."
"That's your style, right?" asked Yang turning to Shinrei.
"That's right," said Shinrei with a grin. "She's a natural at it. She's only been learning it for a few months, but she's already trounced one of our best students in a sparring match."
"After losing to her half a dozen times before that," said Ciel, blushing intensely as she elbowed Shinrei in the side. Her eyes widened as she suddenly noticed Yang's arm. "That's new. Is that your Aura?"
"Yeah," said Yang. "My prosthetic got wrecked in a fight. But Kyo helped me figure out how to make this."
"It's amazing," said Ciel. She sighed. "Coming here has really been an eye-opener for how much we've been missing out on. Imagine what we could do if we learned to use our Auras like this back in Combat School."
"Yeah, I've been doing that a lot," said Yang.
"Well, with any luck, that'll be changing soon," said Shinrei.
"Right," said Jaune, "this whole Opening thing." He frowned. "I'm not entirely sure about this."
"Well...it's not like it's our place to say," said Ruby. "If the Mibu want to stop isolating themselves, they should be able to."
"Yeah...It's just kinda the way they're going about it that bugs me though," said Jaune. "It sounds a lot like you people are picking a fight."
Shinrei closed his eyes and scratched the back of his head. "In a sense, I guess you could say we are."
"Come again?" gasped Yang.
"Well...keep in mind where we stand in comparison to the Kingdoms," said Shinrei. "We don't yet compare to any of them in terms of technological capability. We don't even really have the means to communicate efficiently within our own borders, much less talk with foreign bodies. It's funny that the Mibu seem to think that outsiders are backwards, but to them, we're probably the backwards ones. So, in order to make an impression that sticks..."
"You need to demonstrate the power that you have that the other Kingdoms don't," said Yang. "Is that it?"
"Pretty much," said Shinrei. "The way that things are set up, Atlas in particular is gonna be pretty opposed to our emergence. It works to our advantage that Ironwood's so obsessed with military dominance, since we can use that against them to...advertise our strength...I guess."
"So you're baiting them," said Jaune.
"Pretty much," said Shinrei with a shrug. "Sora-sama said we need to handle things carefully with them. As it is, so long as Ironwood thinks it's all about military power, it'll be to our advantage. If Atlas realizes the real leverage they hold over us, things'll get real sticky real fast."
"Wait! What's Atlas' real leverage over you?" asked Yang, blinking.
"They have the one thing we need the most if the Opening is going to work," said Shinrei gravely.
Yang exchanged confused glances with Ruby and Jaune, wondering just what Shinrei was talking about.
"The CCT."
Yang and Ruby nearly jumped at the sound of Weiss' voice, having not even heard her come up behind them. Jaune wasn't nearly as startled, but even he looked surprised to hear her answer.
"What?" said Ruby.
"The CCT," said Weiss. "That's Atlas' real leverage in this situation. They're the Kingdom in charge of the construction of the CCT towers that link the four Kingdoms together and enable all communications between Kingdoms and settlements. That's what you're trying to keep Ironwood from realizing." She looked at Shinrei with narrowed eyes.
"Exactly," said Shinrei with a resigned nod. "Right now, that's the most important thing we're looking to gain from the outside world, the technology that would allow us to communicate with other Kingdoms and even communicate efficiently across our own continent. We don't really need much in the way of other kinds of technology, but we definitely need the CCT."
"And if Ironwood realizes that that's your real objective, he would have the total advantage," said Jaune frowning. "He could use it way more effectively than any threat of military force. Without the capacity to communicate with the other Kingdoms, your isolationism might as well still be in place."
"That's it in a nutshell," said Shinrei. "It's gonna be a high-wire act for sure. We need to antagonize Atlas, but keep them focused on the idea of subduing us through military dominance, while we build support with the other three Kingdoms that we can then use to force Atlas into supplying us with what we need."
"That's...really sneaky," said Yang.
Shinrei gave her a rueful smile. "That's Sora-sama's way of thinking for you. Right, Kyo?"
Yang turned to look at Kyo, who had been largely silent over the course of the conversation. "More or less," he said with a chuckle. "Mother can be quite the schemer when she wants to be."
Yang frowned. Given what they'd experienced in their brief meeting with Kyo's mother, it was hard to imagine Sora being so...manipulative. However, she supposed that one didn't rise to such a position of political prominence without having some capacity for scheming. Her father always used to say that even the good politicians were schemers, that they had to be if they wanted to succeed. It seemed that was true of the Mibu as well.
Yang glanced over, looking for Sora, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw that Sora was talking to Blake.
"I wanted to ask you something," said Blake as she approached Sora.
"How can I help you, Belladonna-dono?" inquired Sora, pulling out her fan and flicking it open, using it to screen the lower half of her face.
"I was wondering if you knew about something called the Mibu Reconstruction Project?" said Blake softly.
Sora's eyes narrowed and, from the look in them, Blake got the impression she was now frowning behind her fan. "Just where did you hear that term?"
"I..." Blake hesitated, unsure if she should out Chika as the source of her question. She thought about it momentarily before deciding it was for the best. Chika was up to something and Blake wasn't sure whether or not Sora would approve of it. Given her attitude, Blake didn't consider Chika a friend...nor entirely trustworthy for that matter. "I met Chika in the archives. She has been researching it apparently."
"I see..." said Sora softly. "I wonder what drew Chika's interest to that topic."
"Do you know what it is?" asked Blake.
"I do," said Sora. "I know because of my husband, not because of my position as one of the Taishiro."
Blake shivered. That meant that, whatever it was, the Mibu Reconstruction Projected constituted a secret too important to be known, even amongst the highest ranks of the Mibu Clan, a secret known only by the Crimson King and those close to him.
"The Mibu Reconstruction Project is not some terrible thing in and of itself," said Sora softly. "I imagine that Chika has her own ideas as to what it is. But I doubt they are wholly accurate. The main issue is that learning about the project will ultimately lead the inquirer to the deepest secrets of the Mibu Clan itself."
"It's that important?" asked Blake.
"Yes and no," said Sora. "The Mibu Reconstruction Project was terminated, but you could also say that it was actually completed, as the project's primary goals were met. Because of that, the previous generations of Mibu, particularly the previous generations of the royal line, allowed the project to fade into obscurity."
"So...it's not a big deal?" said Blake.
"Not in and of itself," said Sora. "The problem is what the project reveals about the Mibu Clan and its origins. Some who have sought this knowledge were subjected to a crisis of identity that drove them into madness. It is the kind of knowledge that can be extremely dangerous, if the person seeking it lacks the strength of will to accept and understand its meaning."
"What should we do then?" asked Blake. "Chika made a lot of claims about the nature of the project. I don't think she will be easily dissuaded from looking into it."
Sora nodded. She folded her fan, a smile returning to her face as she tucked it into her sash. "Trying to dissuade her would only harden her resolve to learn about it. At this point, there will be no stopping her. So instead, I would ask that you do me a favor."
"What?" asked Blake.
"If you are willing, would you help Chika with her research? There is a path of information to follow that will lead you and her to the knowledge that she seeks." Sora sighed. "At this point, the only thing we can do is allow her to follow this path to its end, and hope that she will be able to accept the revelations that come as a consequence."
"And what will you do then?" asked Blake.
"That depends on how Chika reacts to what she learns," said Sora. "I assume you already have an idea of where to look."
Blake nodded. "The project was terminated by Saisei's ancestor. So I figured that the next thing to investigate would be any records that her family has about this ancestor and her doings."
Sora nodded. "Very good. You would have made an excellent scholar."
Black chuckled dryly. "I had a teacher who explained that learning history is essential to being an effective Huntress."
Sora giggled. "He sounds like a fine teacher. I should like to meet him someday."
"I'm sure that can be arranged," said Blake. She frowned and hesitated a little. "Are you sure it's all right to trust an outsider like me with this? This sounds like something very dangerous to know, if hardly anyone within the Mibu Clan knows it."
Sora's eyes drifted over to another section of the courtyard, where Chika was sitting, watching the proceedings with a neutral gaze. "I do trust you," said Sora. "You may be an outsider, but you are also one of my son's friends. I choose to believe that your heart will know what to do when you are confronted with the secrets of our Clan. I will know when you are getting close to the answer."
"And what will you do?" asked Blake.
"I may ask you to take Xiao Long-dono along, or I may bring her myself," said Sora. "Believe it or not, this information you are researching and the knowledge about the truth of the Crimson Eyes are very closely linked. So, if you do indeed uncover it, then Xiao Long-dono is also one of the people who should know about it."
Blake stared in surprise at Sora. It had never occurred to her that the knowledge that she sought would be critical to Yang's questions as well. "Are you sure?" she asked.
Sora nodded. "It's for the best."
"What about Kyo then?" asked Blake.
"Kyo needs to learn this truth from another source," said Sora. "When he is ready, all will be revealed to him. It will then be his decision where to go from there."
"That sounds...dangerous," said Blake.
"It is," agreed Sora. "It is very dangerous. The future of the Mibu, indeed, the future of the world hinges on how Kyo handles the truth, when he learns it. That is why great care is being taken as to when and how he learns it."
Blake chewed on her lip, not sure that she liked this approach. Part of her felt that, if they knew something and it was so important, then they should just out and tell Kyo and be done with it. She didn't like the idea of deliberately keeping a friend in the dark. Still, Sora was Kyo's mother. So perhaps she knew best.
"Please trust me on this," said Sora. "The truth that Kyo must learn is one that my husband once wrestled with. It was a difficult time for him and it will be a difficult time for my son as well." Her eyes zeroed in on Yang, and Sora smiled. "But...I think Kyo may have what...or rather, who...he needs to learn this truth and remain himself."
"If you're sure," said Blake. "I suppose I don't really have a choice."
Sora's slender fingers came to rest on Blake's shoulder. "You always have a choice," she said. "I am not omniscient. If you judge it better that Kyo learn the truth from you, then that will be your decision. You might be right. I can only advise you based upon my own experience and knowledge."
Blake couldn't help but smile, moved by this woman's trust in her. "I...I'll try to do what I think is best," said Blake. "I hope it works out."
Yang had to admit that she was enjoying herself. Granted, this party wasn't exactly the kind of party that would normally be her scene, but she was having fun all the same, not in the least because she was getting the chance to meet some new and very interesting people. After talking with Shinrei and Ciel, Kyo had brought her over to meet Makoto of the Taishiro. Yang was eager to meet the man who was Saisei's mentor and superior, particularly since Saisei was with him when Kyo brought her over.
It shocked her to learn about the medical advances that the Mibu had undertaken over the course of their history. Even the topic of the possible regeneration of her arm had come up, though Yang now knew better than to think it was a wise idea. Makoto was happy to explain the details of the procedure to her. It had been interesting to listen to, though Yang wasn't any more inclined to try it after hearing more about it.
As she listened to Saisei and Makoto, Yang noticed that Kyo was apparently distracted from the conversation. "Kyo?" she asked. "What is it?"
"Sorry," said Kyo, turning back to them. "We have some new arrivals."
"Yes, I noticed them too," said Makoto with a chuckle.
Saisei blinked and closed her eyes. Yang felt her Aura expand, reaching out in flickering streams that reminded her of the movement of Saisei's tails. Likewise, Yang Extended her right arm, also trying to find out who Kyo was talking about. She and Saisei found them at approximately the same time. Two people were coming down the hallway that ran between the rooms that had been given to Yang and her friends. Just from the brush of their Auras against hers, Yang could tell that they were powerful, possibly on par with Kyo himself. More importantly, one of the Auras felt surprisingly familiar.
"Is that...Nigel?" said Yang, pulling her arm back.
"It is!" said Saisei excitedly, grinning as she too retracted her Aura. "And Hayate too! How exciting!"
"Ah! The gang's all here," said Kyo cheerfully.
Makoto chuckled, seeing their eagerness. "Go," he said. "Don't let an old man like myself keep you from greeting your dear friends."
"Come on!" said Kyo, catching Yang's arm and pulling her along with him as he and Saisei both rushed out of the courtyard and down the hall. Yang couldn't keep from giggling at his almost childlike eagerness.
Yang was feeling a bit of excitement herself. Nigel aside, she was eager to meet the last member of Kyo's group of friends who had once traveled alongside him. Hayate had been mentioned multiple times, but Yang had heard practically nothing else about him, aside from his name.
Her eyes widened as she saw the boy in question come into view. Hayate, if this was indeed him, was a lot shorter than she had been expecting. In fact, Yang estimated that he couldn't have been older than sixteen, roughly around the same age that Ruby had been when she had come to Beacon, maybe a little older. More importantly, that meant that Hayate had been much younger when he had been actually traveling with Kyo. How could someone that young be so strong? she wondered.
Her eyes took in Hayate's silver hair and gold-colored eyes, noting in particular the slit-shaped pupils that clearly marked him as a faunus. She also noticed the sword that he wore, hanging from his sash at the small of his back, with the handle projecting out to his right, the same way that Penny wore her sword, though Hayate's was much more slender, with its width not changing until it reached the tip.
As she observed this new arrival, Yang noticed something that also amused her. Hayate was pulling a cord, which was resting over his shoulder as he trudged along. Behind him, sliding along on the floor, with a childishly sullen expression, was none other than Nigel, bound tightly in the cord to keep him from escaping, his arms restrained so that they couldn't reach his sword, which was all but invisible, wrapped up in the cord's coils.
"Do I want to know?" said Yang, doing her best to stifle a laugh.
"I bumped into Nigel on my way down from Atlas," said Hayate in a cool tone, as though this were a perfectly normal event. "He said that he was going to Onmyo. Of course, the instant I take my eyes off him, he starts wandering off in a random direction, so I just tied him up and brought him down myself."
"I knew where I was going," said Nigel petulantly.
"Sure you did," said Kyo, Hayate, and Saisei in perfect unison, the sarcasm in their tones matching one another perfectly.
Their response was more than Yang could take and she broke down into helpless giggles at their completely deadpan tones.
Kyo glanced at her sidelong and smiled crookedly. "Nigel has a terrible sense of direction. But he's also amazingly stubborn when he decides that he knows where he's going. It can be...difficult...to wrangle him into going the right direction."
Like Yang, Saisei had been beset by mirth. After a few more seconds, she mastered it and straightened up, resting her fists against her hips as she beamed at Hayate and Nigel. "Well...now it seems that we're all back together."
"I've been looking forward to a reunion," said Hayate.
"When do we get to fight each other?" asked Nigel, somewhat predictably.
"Later," said Saisei.
"We have to plan our trip first," said Kyo. "And I have a new friend for you two to meet."
"Is this her?" asked Hayate, gesturing at Yang, who flinched at the sudden attention on her.
"Not exactly," said Kyo. "Yang is actually my girlfriend, though I want you to meet her too. I was actually talking about a new member of our group."
"Oh, so you found a fourth," said Hayate, raising an eyebrow.
"That's right," said Kyo. "Her name is Penny and she'll be joining us when we go to Atlas together."
"Finally paying Ironwood a visit, huh?" said Hayate, raising an eyebrow.
"That's right," said Kyo.
"Good," said Hayate. Then his eyes narrowed as he looked at Yang. "Now what's this about you having a girlfriend?"
Yang blushed at the sudden inquiry as Kyo answered. "It's exactly what it sounds like. Yang and I are dating now."
"And they are so cute together," gushed Saisei, making both Yang and Kyo blush.
Hayate's eyes brushed over Yang before his gaze homed in on her right arm. "That was your Aura I felt with Saisei's, when she was looking for me."
"That's right," said Yang.
Hayate raised an eyebrow. "Interesting..."
Nigel, still bound in cords, looked over his shoulder, also observing Yang's arm. "Didn't I cut that off?" he asked.
"No," retorted Yang shortly. "You cut off the prosthetic I was using for the arm I lost over a year ago."
"Oh..." said Nigel. "What's that then?"
"It's an arm forged from pure Aura," said Saisei. "Kyo helped her to create it. It's quite amazing, in all honesty. Even Makoto-sama was impressed."
Hayate tilted his head slightly. "I thought your Extension felt like you were running fingers over me. That makes sense now."
"Sorry," said Yang. It hadn't occurred to her that, if she was using her arm as the focus of her Extension, that she was essentially using her hand to grope people over distances. She'd have to be careful where and how she touched others in the future when she did that.
"It's fine," said Hayate. "We use the advantages we're given. That's a novel way to utilize your Aura for sure. I didn't feel violated."
"Okay," said Yang, feeling a little bit relieved. She had to admit that she liked Hayate. He seemed nice and polite.
"Yang?"
Ruby's voice made Yang look over her shoulder and she saw Ruby, Jaune, and the rest of her friends approaching. She supposed her sudden exit with Kyo and Saisei had caught their attention.
"Hey, Ruby," said Yang with a wave. "We're just greeting some new arrivals."
Ruby looked past Yang at Hayate and Nigel. "Oh!" she said, before recovering her composure. "Hello," she said, smiling and waving.
"Hello," Hayate said back, tugging on the cord that held Nigel. The sight of the black-clad boy, bound hand and foot made Yang's friends burst into laughter.
"You can let me out now," said Nigel irritably.
"Only if you promise to stay put," said Hayate tersely. "Honestly, I'm amazed you even know how to travel in a straight line."
"It's not that bad," said Nigel.
"I beg to differ," said Saisei. "You somehow wandered all the way to Solitas in time for Hayate to drag you back down here. Considering the distances involved, that shouldn't even be physically possible to do by foot. But it's a perfectly normal occurrence for you."
"Huh?" Yang, looking to Kyo for an explanation.
"Basically, Nigel has a gift for getting lost that can even defy the laws of physics," said Kyo.
"Whatever, I'm here now," said Nigel. "I'm not going anywhere."
"You'd better not," said Hayate with a sigh, his right hand descending to the handle of this sword. He unsheathed it. Then his arm blurred, the flash of light being the only other indication that he'd moved it at all before he slid it back into its sheath. The cords binding Nigel fell away and Nigel stood up, brushing himself up.
"Well, it's good to have everyone together again," said Kyo, clapping his hands. Turning around, he addressed the group from Beacon. "Everyone, this is Hayate. Hayate, these are my friends that I made at Beacon."
"Pleased to meet you," said Hayate, bowing slightly to them.
Kyo began to introduce them to Hayate, one by one. When he got to Weiss, Hayate's eyes narrowed and Weiss felt a chill run down her spine at the expression on his face. However, the feeling passed so quickly that Weiss wasn't sure she'd felt it at all.
After introductions had been made, Kyo and Saisei steered everyone back to the party, where Kyo took Nigel and Hayate over to meet Penny. However, Weiss noticed that Hayate often glanced in her direction, something that made her somewhat uneasy. She decided to excuse herself from the others, and found a quiet corner of the courtyard to sit, getting the feeling that the boy had something to say to her specifically. She already had her suspicions as to what they would be talking about. Finding a bench, Weiss settled down onto it and waited, her hands fidgeting nervously with the fabric of her skirt.
About ten minutes later, Hayate came to her. "So," he said softly, "you're Schnee's daughter, huh?"
"Yes," said Weiss. "I'm guessing you're the one the news has been calling the Lightning Lord."
Hayate rolled his eyes. "I almost wish I could do interviews, so I could talk them out of that corny title...not that it would likely do much good. Alliteration is catchy like that."
"Very true," said Weiss, allowing herself a tiny smile.
"You know," said Hayate, "if you figured out who I was already, I was kinda expecting more hostility, considering that I've spent the past few months of my life wrecking your dad's company."
"My feelings on the matter are...mixed," said Weiss, her smile taking on a wry quality. "I'm not necessarily happy that the company might be ruined, but...I can't accept the direction my father has taken things." Her fingers clinched, bunching up the fabric of her skirt. "But, instead of accepting responsibility and actually working within the company to try and change things, I made excuses and ran away to Beacon...twice now. Instead, I've saddled you with the burden of cleaning up my father's mess, because I don't have the spine to stand up to him myself."
Hayate blinked and then settled onto the bench next to Weiss. "That wasn't what I was expecting to hear," he said.
"What were you expecting to hear?" asked Weiss.
"I'm not sure," said Hayate. "I figured you'd be more angry about me ruining your company."
"I...I don't have any right to get angry over that," said Weiss. "There was a time where my entire life was oriented around someday taking over after my father. I had grand ambitions about what I would do. I would help the faunus my father was exploiting. I would improve the company's image. I would foster peace. But...after Beacon fell, Father brought me back to Atlas and I realized just how powerless I was to change anything. I was only another tool to him, someone he could use to improve his company's standing. I wanted to fight him, but...I just...couldn't."
She lifted her eyes up to look at Hayate. "So, after I heard about what you were doing on the news, I started praying that you could do it, that you could force my father to change. At the very least, I was glad you were able to help the people I couldn't. Thank you."
"So what will you do now?" asked Hayate.
"I don't know," said Weiss. "I've been thinking a lot about that. Part of me still wants to try and go back to the SDC and change things. But it might be too late for that now. The damage has been done. I...I just need to think things over more."
"Okay," said Hayate.
They sat in silence for a moment before Weiss broke it again. "What happened...to the faunus you rescued?"
"I brought them to the Mibu," said Hayate. "We set up an arrangement. Kaito and Sasame were the ones who were the biggest help. I would liberate the camps, then bring the refugees up to the northwest peninsula, where Kaito would take them across the strait. Then the Mibu would help them make new homes and lives for themselves."
"So...they're all right?" asked Weiss.
"They're doing as well as they can, now that their lives are back in their own hands," said Hayate. "I haven't had the chance to follow up on them, but they aren't prisoners, forced to work in Dust mines and quarries day in and day out. I'd like to hope that they're settling in well, but I also know that it can be hard for outsiders to integrate with the Mibu at times. Kaito tells me that the Elders are using their agents to keep tabs on things to make sure they're going well."
"By the way, who is Kaito?" asked Weiss. "Is that Shinrei?"
"That's right," said Hayate. "Kaito was his name before he joined the Goyosei. It's too much of a bother for me to refer to him by a different name so I just keep calling him that. It's the same with Sasame."
"Saisei, right?" said Weiss.
"Yep," said Hayate.
Silence fell over them for a little while. Weiss was at a loss about what to say...so she opted not to say anything. If anything, the silence was comforting. Hayate clearly didn't expect her to say anything to fill in the silence. He was clearly as comfortable with not talking as she was. Instead, they both sat and listened to the sounds of the party as it continued on into the night, though it seemed that things were beginning to wind down.
Finally, Weiss sighed and shifted her weight, getting ready to stand up. "I should go," she said. "I've stayed up late enough as it is."
Before she could rise to her feet, she was surprised to feel a warm hand over her own. Hayate exerted no pressure, but the mere touch was enough to hold Weiss in place. "If you want to talk some more, I'll be staying through the Water Festival," said Hayate.
Surprising even herself, Weiss smiled. "I'd like that," she said.
Hayate raised his hand, allowing Weiss to stand up. She set off down the path through the courtyard, heading to her room. As she did, she cradled the hand Hayate had touched, amazed to feel her heart beating faster. Considering who he was and what he had done, Weiss couldn't help but be confused about the warm feeling she'd gotten from Hayate's touch.
Meanwhile, Hayate remained sitting on the bench. Lifting the hand he'd used to touch Weiss, he held it up in front of his face, turning it over and eyeing it curiously, as though he were examining it.
"What's this now?" asked Saisei as she came up behind Hayate. "Does our little Hayate have a crush?"
"I don't know," said Hayate. "I just met her. She wasn't anything like I thought she would be." He smiled a little. "I certainly can't say I dislike her."
Saisei let out a small sigh as she settled onto the bench next to him. "You could make this a bit more fun for me," she protested. "Let me tease you a little."
"Nah," said Hayate. "It's more fun to hear you grumble when you can't get a rise out of me."
"Piffle..." muttered Saisei under her breath. "What do you think of her?"
"She reminds me of myself a bit, back when you and Kyo first found me," said Hayate. "I was so broken, I didn't even have the capacity to hate the people who'd taken everything from me. I was completely lost and had no idea where to go or what to do. You and Kyo were the ones who actually gave me a direction."
Saisei smiled fondly and reached over to gently ruffle Hayate's hair. "Well, Weiss-san certainly does seem a bit lost herself," she said. "But she isn't in as bad a shape as you were."
"No," said Hayate. "But I can still identify with it."
"You want to help her find a direction?" asked Saisei.
"If I can," said Hayate, lifting up one leg and hugging it to his chest so that his knee rested in front of his face. "She does look very nice when she smiles," he said softly, almost to himself.
"Then you should endeavor to make her smile as much as you can," said Saisei with a giggle.
Hayate said nothing in response to that. But, hidden behind his knee, his lips curled up in a smile of his own.
As the night wore on, the party gradually ran down, with the guests departing individually or in small groups. Yang decided to stay until the very end, watching as the others departed. She'd helped herself to more than a little of the liquor on offer, as she didn't see much else to do. Meeting and chatting with so many different people had been fun, but she preferred her parties to be a little more...lively.
"Do you think you've had enough?" asked Kyo as he took a seat on the bench next to her.
"I'm just getting sssstarted," slurred Yang, taking another gulp from her glass. "You Mibu sssssure know your booze."
"I think you've had enough," said Kyo, gently prying the glass from her fingers. "I get the feeling you're going to be miserable in the morning."
"Ehh...worth it," said Yang, giving Kyo a drunken grin.
"We'll see if you still feel that way when you wake up," said Kyo, carefully helping Yang to her feet and keeping her steady, helping her to totter her way back to her room.
"You know," said Yang, her tone and volume undulating with each word, "you don't have to go back to your room tonight. The party doesn't have to end for ussss." She placed a sloppy kiss on his cheek.
"I think you may be drunker than I thought," said Kyo, blushing and smiling, even as he used a sleeve to wipe the excess saliva that Yang's kiss had left.
"Aww...don't be a wet blanket," groaned Yang, timing her words with a stumble that nearly knocked Kyo off his feet. He had to turn and wrap both his arms around Yang to steady her. The movement brought them face-to-face, barely inches apart. As he looked into her eyes, Kyo could see excitement in them, dancing like flames. "Stay," said Yang, her voice a sultry whisper.
"Well...I can manage that," said Kyo as he finally got her though the door and into her room. From there, he helped her to remove some of her clothes, though undressing her completely was out of the question. Yang wasn't in any state where she could manage to get into her pajamas, so Kyo settled for removing her jacket, shoes and socks before tucking her into bed, pulling the blanket up over her.
"Kyo?" asked Yang, her eyelids drooping.
"I'm here," said Kyo, gently brushing his fingers across her cheek. "Go to sleep."
Yang sighed softly and allowed her eyes to close. Kyo smiled and brushed his hand over her forehead, gently feeling her bangs before he settled back against the wall and closed his eyes.
As Kyo had predicted, when morning came, Yang was miserable. When she awoke, her eyelids felt dry and sticky. Even the tiniest of movements filled her with a sense of nausea as she turned her head to survey her surroundings. Any light that reached her would have sent stabbing pain into her head through her eyes and the tiniest sounds made her ears ache.
Fortunately, she awoke to both dark and quiet. The windows were shuttered and closed tightly, keeping light from getting in, while she heard practically nothing, both inside and out of the room, save for the soft breathing of the man sitting against the wall.
Yang wanted to say something, but her mouth felt dry and fuzzy. The aftertaste of all the alcohol she'd imbibed the previous night had degraded into a foul aroma that hovered in her mouth and nose, making her feel even worse than she already did.
Her vision was blurry, but the one thing she saw clearly was a pair of slightly luminous, crimson eyes looking at her. Their color was warm and Yang actually found herself feeling soothed by Kyo's gaze. Her body relaxed a little as she felt Kyo's hand gently brush over her forehead.
"Good morning," said Kyo, his voice barely a whisper, which was just as well, as it was about all that Yang could handle at the moment.
"K-Kyo..." said Yang. A second later, she realized that trying to talk had been a mistake as the slightest undulation of her throat made something start to rise up through it. Yang tried to swallow it down, but the effort made it only worse.
She was barely conscious of Kyo taking the blanket off and helping her to sit up before half walking, half carrying her to the bathroom. They barely made it and Kyo barely managed to clear Yang's hair out of the way with one hand while he steadied her with his other before Yang retched, vomiting into the toilet. Yang threw up again and again, completely emptying her stomach of almost everything she had eaten the previous night, and then some, continuing until there was nothing, but she continued to be beset by dry heaves. In the meantime, Kyo continued to hold her hair out of the way while he rubbed her back and made soothing noises.
It took some work on her part, but Yang managed to pull herself together enough to stand up on her own, shooing Kyo out of the bathroom and her room so that she could shower and change, then brush her teeth to wash the stench of vomit from her mouth. After cleaning herself up, Yang felt marginally better, enough that she was able to hobble out of her room and towards the breakfast table. Kyo was waiting for her there, smiling as he offered her juice and water to help offset her dehydration. After several cups of both, Yang felt good enough that she was able to eat again, after which she wolfed down a breakfast of sausage and eggs. By the time she was finished, Yang was finally beginning to realize how quiet everything was. The courtyard and pavilion were deserted, except for her and Kyo and she hadn't seen or heard anyone around her room either.
"What time is it?" she asked, finally noticing that the angle of the sun seemed a bit wrong for the morning.
"Almost noon," said Kyo cheerfully.
"Oh..." said Yang, sighing slightly. "Well...I think you get to say 'I told you so.'"
"I don't think I need to," said Kyo. "I'd just rather help you feel better."
Yang smiled and leaned against him, resting her head against his shoulder. "I feel better already," she said, her smile widening as Kyo wrapped an arm around her and began to gently stroke her hair. "Where's everyone else?"
"Off exploring," said Kyo. "Saisei came and offered to take them out to see the city." He paused. "Though I think Blake may have gone somewhere else. She mentioned something about a research project."
Yang rolled her eyes at that particular piece of information about Blake. Leave it to the bookworm, she thought in amusement. "So what should we do, today?"
"Well...if you don't mind, I thought it might be a good opportunity for us to go on a date," said Kyo. "I have a few ideas now on places we can go."
"That sounds perfect," said Yang, unable to keep herself from grinning.