The hovercraft ride home was silent. Miku had spent the whole ride with a sketchbook and charcoal in hand, but she couldn't think of anything to draw. Rin, who sat across from her, didn't even pretend to read. More than once Miku opened her mouth to start a conversation or ask Rin a question, but each time she stopped herself. It seemed that Rin was so lost in thought that even if Miku shouted Rin's name, the Juliet would not respond.

I wonder what is weighing so heavily on her mind.

Upon the return home, Miku and Rin carried their bags to Miku's room without the aid of Alices. It was odd, Miku thought, that neither of her parents wanted to meet her outside to welcome her home, but she thought little of it. With everything going on, Miku was more than grateful for the space to breath without hearing yet another comment about her weight.

After they had returned to Miku's room, unpacked, and changed into something comfortable, Miku and Rin sat on the foot of the bed. Rin, closing her eyes, leaned backwards until she lied with her arms stretched out. On the other hand, Miku felt queasy in her stomach. Something was wrong. As unhappy as her parents might have been with her, they never would have Miku be home for nearly an hour without finding her and asking how the trip went.

It was as Miku stood from her bed, walked towards her desk, and retrieved her tablet to call her parents that she saw a message from her father.

Send that Juliet away before you turn on the news. You need to see this. That Juliet does NOT.

Brows furrowed, Miku said softly, "Hey, Rin, look at this."

Frowning, Rin sat upright and leaned closer to Miku as the Cinderella stepped forward. Rin read the message and deepened her frown. "What could be going on that Mr. Hatsune doesn't want me to see?" she questioned, eyes still locked on the tablet.

"I don't know," Miku began pulling up the news, "but we're about to find out."

Again Miku sat on the foot of her bed, and Rin crawled closer so that she watched the tablet over Miku's shoulder. For a moment, Rin's body heat radiating from her washed Miku with a sense of comfort at having Rin so close. Then the news feed loaded, and the video played automatically, and Miku forgot all about Rin's warmth as her blood drained from her face.

Both girls were too stunned to react. Juliet Riot In Ambrosia Square read the headlines. Footage showed a large number of Juliets carrying torches, shouting at anyone who wasn't part of the crowd, and breaking glass and setting fire to buildings.

Miku sucked in a shaky breath. As much as she wanted to see Rin's reaction, her eyes were glued to the screen. She had never seen anything like it before.

There were shouts and screams and cries. Things were being destroyed. If chaos was a picture, this would be it.

Signs were also being held up high into the air. They looked poorly written, as if the authors were not used to writing. There were a lot of messages on the signs, but there were three that showed up most frequently.

Fight for what's right.

Choose your destiny.

Bow to no one.

Alongside the words was another thing held high up in the air by most of the rioters: A sketch of Ruby.

"This is insane," Rin whispered.

Finally able to tear her eyes away from the tablet, Miku pulled away from Rin just enough to look at her. Rin's gaze was locked onto the screen. All color was drained from her cheeks.

"What do they think this senseless violence will accomplish?" It as was if Rin was shrinking into herself. "Do they have any idea what this is going to do to the rest of us Juliets?"

A part of Miku knew she needed to turn the tablet off, yet she found she didn't want to miss anything happening on that small screen, as violent as what played may be.

Before Miku could ask Rin what this riot would do to Juliets, blaster shots fired. Both girls jumped high into the air, and Miku dropped the tablet while Rin fell off the bed. Realizing the sounds came from the tablet, Miku lurched for the device.

As soon as her eyes landed on what happened within the screen, Miku wished she had turned the news off. Rin scrambled back onto the bed, saw what Miku saw, and gave a strangled cry. It was no longer necessary for Miku to ask Rin what she meant.

Guards had finally made the scene and shot their blasters at random into the crowd. Some Juliets ran away, screaming. Others dropped dead. Others still did not stop their shouting and destruction. This riot was going to be silenced, and it was not going to be silenced peacefully.

Fortunately, the news cut away from the live footage to a Cinderella news anchor in a navy blazer sitting safely away in a closed off room. She began to describe what was going on, but Miku barely paid attention. It was as if she was back at the fundraiser. At first, everything was normal. Then there was a bomb, killing an estimated dozen people. Then the Thorns flooded in, bloodlust in their eyes, and the killings grew by the second.

When she was finally able to get her fingers to work again, Miku turned off the tablet. She wanted to set it aside, but instead if fell from her grasp. This time, when it hit the ground, Miku did not reach to retrieve it.

Movement in Miku's peripheral caught her attention, and she saw Rin lie on her side and curl into a ball. The Juliet stared into nothing. There was no color whatsoever on Rin's face.

Following Rin's example, Miku lied on her side and curled into the fetal position. She lied down so that she and Rin could look at each other. Although Miku stared directly into Rin's beautiful cerulean orbs, eye contact was not being made.

"This isn't good," Rin said after minutes, hours, an eternity.

Miku didn't say anything.

"This isn't good," Rin repeated. Then, "Nobody is going to let this go. Juliets have a target on their backs now, even those that had nothing to do with this."

"Do you think that perhaps you might be worrying too much?" Miku suggested. "Yes, it's awful this is happening, but do you really think all Juliets are in danger now?"

"Maybe not all," Rin admitted, "but a great deal of us are."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I know what it's like to be a Juliet."

The response was like a slap in the face. Another stark reminder how different Rin's life was from Miku's. Juliets weren't people in the eyes of the general public. Even Miku, for a while, treated Juliets as living exhibits instead of fellow people. For Rin and girls like her, life was going to go from bad to worse if the riot just now was not a predicament of what was to come.

"I won't let anyone hurt you," Miku whispered.

Rin blinked, and it went from appearing as if she stared through Miku to looking right at her. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

"I won't let anyone hurt you," Miku repeated, strengthening her tone so that there was no doubt in Rin's mind that Miku had every intention of keeping this vow. "You have been hurt too many times already. I won't let anyone or anything add to that hurt."

Frowning, Rin closed her eyes and shook her head. "Getting hurt is a part of being alive."

"It doesn't have to be."

"Yes, it does. Miku, I appreciate that you care so much about me, but it's not within your power to keep me from getting hurt ever again."

Miku wanted to keep arguing, but she knew Rin was not going to be convinced. Instead she reached out and took Rin's hand in her own. Eyes remaining closed, Rin interlaced her fingers with Miku's and let out a deep, slow breath.

I will protect you, Miku thought, squeezing Rin's fingers. Nothing bad will ever happen to you again. Not while I am here.

For a while, the two women lied like that. Face to face, hand in hand. "I love her." Regardless of what Rin had meant, Miku knew that in her own way, she loved Rin. Miku loved Rin so much that she was going to do whatever it took to make sure no harm came to Rin, even if it meant taking the harm for herself.

A knock on the door jolted them out of the moment. Miku sat upright, and Rin jumped off the bed. Moving quickly, Rin bent over to scoop up the tablet. As Rin moved to put the device away, Miku called, "Come in!"

An Alice servant entered the room. Bowing her head slightly to show respect, she said, "Mr. Hatsune requests to see you in his office."

Brows furrowed, Miku slowly nodded to signal she understood. The Alice curtsied again and left the room. Miku then looked towards Rin, whose lips were pursed.

Without exchanging a single word, Miku stood from the bed and walked out of her room and towards her father's office.

The walk to the office was both the shortest and longest walk Miku had ever made. When she finally arrived outside the door, she knocked and stated who she was. Her father immediately replied with her permission to enter.

"What did you want to see me about?" Miku, heart pounding, asked as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Childhood memories began to resurface. Whenever Mr. Hatsune called Miku to his office, there was an incredibly high chance she was going to be lectured or even punished for a misbehavior.

"I'm sure you saw the news circulating just now," was how Mr. Hatsune answered. Miku nodded. "I'm also sure you ignored my warning to not show that Juliet you keep as a pet the news."

Not having a reply, Miku tried to swallow but found that her throat was suddenly dry.

Sighing, Mr. Hatsune shook his head. "Miku, you have to understand this isn't the first time Juliets started to revolt. This is merely the first instance that made international breaking news. I can confirm for you now that Juliets have been rebelling against their masters for months. Your mother and I didn't want to say anything that might scare you while you were away at the academy, but the Zhang family had been poisoned by their Juliets. Nobody died because the dosage wasn't high enough, thank the goddess, and the Juliets have since been executed for the crime, but this is just one of many instanced leading up till now."

Miku could barely speak over the lump in her throat as she asked, "What are you trying to tell me?"

"I'm telling you that you need to get rid of that Juliet," Mr. Hatsune answered. "If their kind wants to fight against the destiny the goddess has set out for them, then we cannot bless them with servanthood. There is no choice but to cast them aside as the rejects they are until they are reminded of their place."

"But Rin has done nothing wrong!" Miku argued, surprising even herself that her voice rose to a shout.

Mr. Hatsune stared at Miku for a moment or two, possibly as thrown off by her outburst as she was. Taking a deep breath, Mr. Hatsune calmly replied, "That is what she wants you to think. Trust me, Miku, she is not to be trusted."

"Rin took a blaster shot for me. She would never betray me."

"Open up your eyes and see the world for what it is, Miku. The blaster was not set to kill. Another Juliet was the one who fired the blast. For all you or anyone else knows, it was all a grand scheme to get you to trust this Juliet and bring her back here, inside our home. I have full confidence that this Juliet is waiting for the perfect time to strike, and you are allowing her to bide her time in peace."

Shaking her head, Miku stated, "You don't know Rin like I do. You don't know all the things she went through inside the academy. What proof do you have that she will turn on me?"

"What proof do you have that she won't?"

Miku opened her mouth but soon closed it without a word. There was no response to be had. It was with great confidence Miku believed Rin would never betray her, but Miku also knew there was no tangible proof she could give her father to convince him of such.

"I expect her out of the manor by the end of the week," Mr. Hatsune said in a tone that made it clear he was not going to argue the subject. "If you fail to take care of her on your own terms, your mother and I will do the business ourselves."

With no other reply save a stiff nod, Miku walked out of the office and began to march down the hall. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to walk somewhere far away from the conversation she just had. Before long, Miku found that her destination was none other than the greenhouse.

Miku had not been in the greenhouse since before she joined the academy. Many days were spent hidden here, painting till her heart's content. Due to her mother's distaste for the warmth and her father's allergies, it was the only place Miku could go to hide from her parents' influence. Why they had a greenhouse in the first place, Miku never knew. However, the Alices grew exotic plants Mrs. Hatsune had no issues showing off to visitors every now and again.

Sitting on the lone bench in the greenhouse, Miku pulled her knees to her chest. She hugged her legs and threw her head back. There was no way Miku was going to be able to get rid of Rin, but she had to think of something before her parents took action.

The only problem was Miku had nowhere safe for Rin to go, and it didn't seem as if anywhere she could find would be safe either. Miku was not going to break the promise she just made to Rin. One way or another, the Juliet was going to stay safe no matter the cost to Miku.

With that thought in mind, Miku began to plot.

Meiko watched as Ona cursed throughout the process of adjusting her leg brace. If Ona was going to convince everyone at the academy that she had suffered a serious injury at the attack in the last academy, the brace was more than a necessary tool. Ona had already worn the brace a few times and practiced walking with a limp, but that didn't mean she had figured out the easiest and most efficient way to get the brace on and off every day.

"Why must this contraption be so difficult to use?" Ona growled as she fumbled with what appeared to be the last strap. "Being crippled is bad enough. Why rub salt in the wound by making these braces so damn hard to use?"

"Because you haven't suffered enough," Meiko answered as she remained lying on her back on the bed. "The lame have to be constantly reminded how terrible their life is. If you think you can be happy without two working legs, that brace is here to tell you to think again."

When she finally managed to get the brace on, Ona threw her head back and groaned. "I swear, I'm going to create a brace that does what it's supposed to do and make it easy to be put on and taken off. I'll be a hero to everyone who ever has and ever will have to wear a leg brace."

Meiko didn't comment. While the boy prepared the hovercraft, she and Ona were to change and pack the last of their essentials for the ride. Ona was going to start attending the academy as a transfer student, and Meiko was to be her right hand lady. The story was Ona survived the attack but suffered a serious leg injury and traumatic stress from the incident. To get Meiko inside the academy as well, Ona was given a very convincing doctor's note claiming she needed someone to be her emotional support at all times until further notice.

Although Meiko was not fond of being thought of as Ona's servant, she tried to not dwell too much on the guise. This was the only way she was going to get inside the academy and be of any use of this mission. Her only other option was to stay behind and listen to Big Al and Rinto debate for the hundredth time the best way to gut a fish.

In that case, Meiko was more than ready to be a maid if it came to it.

Standing, Ona walked around to test the brace for the umpteenth time. Her limp was very convincing. If Meiko didn't know any better, she would have sworn Ona's injury really was as bad as she made it out to be.

"I can't believe I'm doing this again." Ona plopped back onto her bed after she walked back and forth a few times. "Had I not suffered enough the first time?"

"I am curious," Meiko drawled, sliding a lazy eye in Ona's direction, "how did you get tangled up in Tonio's gang?"

Ona sighed. "My cousin's parents sold her shortly after she received her tattoo. I have spent the past fifteen years trying to find her again, although these past couple of years had better attempts than what my five-year-old self could accomplish."

Meiko rose a brow, and Ona took it as a sign to go into further detail.

"When I discovered that Aria had been sold as an elderly rich woman's maid, I hunted down the woman. Turns out she passed away ten years ago, but her son gave Aria to his wife's sister before she sold my cousin to the Cinderella Academy. I did the only thing I could think to do: apply to the school as a student. Although my application was as good as it could get, I don't exactly come from a family of influence. Master Tonio, it just so happened, was the one to interview me.

"Long story short, he saw through all my bull crud answers about why I wanted to attend the academy. I had nothing to lose, so I told him the truth. Then he promised me that in exchange for my help, he would help me find my cousin."

"Did he?"

Shaking her head, Ona whispered, "The deal was I helped him stop the rebellion before he helped me find my cousin. He knew I was desperate, so he took advantage of my accepting the job on such condition. The rebellion is still a threat, so he does not owe it to me to find Aria."

Meiko bolted upright on the bed. "That sonuva—! How dare he take advantage of your emotional state like that! Why are you still on his team?! I doubt after the attack on your school, he's in the position to help you find your cousin anymore."

"It is my own fault for agreeing to the terms without thinking them through first," Ona replied, sternly but not unkindly. "That is nobody's fault but mine and mine alone. Besides, even if I did decide to no longer fight, where would I go? I vowed my family I would not see them again until I found Aria. Besides, even if that were not the case, I still will not sit back and let Artemis fall into civil war, which seems to be exactly what is happening as we speak. Juliets are poisoning their masters. In turn, strangers are murdering Juliets on the street. If this senseless violence is not contained, it won't be long before even the continents become battlegrounds."

"Which, I'm sure, is exactly what the Benevolence wants." Meiko sat up. "We should take our stuff and go outside. If the hovercrafts aren't ready to board yet, they will be very soon."

As Meiko stood, she picked up her bag and made her way towards the stairs. However, she stopped when Ona called after her. Spinning around, Meiko asked, "What?"

Ona answered Meiko's question with one of her own. "Why are you here?"

Shrugging as if it didn't matter, Meiko simply replied, "My father fought in the war, and he vowed to fight a second time if the people from the stars ever tried to take control of Artemis again. When he found out we was dying, he named my brother as his heir to take his place in the fight."

"Then why are you here instead of your brother?"

Unable to look Ona in the eyes, Meiko walked up the stairs as she said, "Dead men make poor soldiers."