How she got her powers

It was during the fight with Rath/Krad that it happened. She didn't know how or what the feeling was, but it saved her life. She realized that the very pendant that her mother gave her before she died was growing! She also noticed that she was speaking, and yet it wasn't her voice! When the chant stopped, her pendant was now a deep bluish-purple staff with wings on the top. Rath/Krad went in for an attack, when her mind did something on its own yet again.

Her Tarot Cards, which were worn out from near-constant use, had begun to glow and spin rapidly. Rath/Krad came closer, but when he got to the edge of the spinning cards, it almost appeared as if the cards were repelling him away, like a barrier. One of the cards flew into her hand and she was mildly shocked at the fact that its name and picture had changed! It was once a picture of a queen carrying a scepter, now it had a pair of angel-like wings and read, Flight Card.

She was again caught off guard by yet another attempt by her enemy trying to attack her. Another card flew to her right as he hit the barrier. It also had changed, where it was originally the moon card, it now read Barrier Card. The moon stayed the same, there was just a strange sphere protecting it.

She had NO clue what she had to do, but her staff took control and showed her.

"I call upon the power of the waning moon; place a Barrier against those who threaten my life! KAI!"

The cards were no longer spinning out of control as the Barrier Card went into effect. Now they slowly spun, and another card came to her.

"This is almost like reading them…" muttered Ruth.

The card had also changed like the others, though she was startled when she recognized which one it originally was. It was her least favorite Tarot in the entire deck, The King with the scepter, who looked a little too similar to her father. Though the name and picture comforted her more than the original. It now read Flame Card, and there was a picture of a large black cat with wings and tail aflame. How she knew which one it was, she never knew.

She didn't know whether to use it or not; but her new staff made the decision for her.

"Oh Flame burning bright, I ask for your power so that I may defeat my foe. Kai!"

Her new staff spouted Flame's power, and Ruth didn't know if she could control it or not. But she let the power loose anyway, to stop his attack. Not only did he stop attacking; he met his demise at the fires of her broken heart! The staff returned to its smaller form, and returned to her. After she put it back around her neck, she suddenly felt very tired. It was almost as if the flame had used up her remaining energy. She collapsed and was found by Dark ten minutes later. He was relieved that she was alive. It wasn't until three days later that she realized that she needed to control her new powers.

Her father realized that she was still upset over Rath, so he thought that maybe he should find a new suitor for her. Bad. Move. Ruth was livid when she realized his train of thought! The last thing she wanted was a NEW suitor! It took her a few moments to realize that her pendant was glowing again. She didn't know how to summon it when she needed to, and there was only one way that she knew that would show her.
She almost used the same incantation that she used for her readings, but she stopped herself very quickly. If she summoned the spirits for something other than a reading, Death would be furious at her! It was then that the answer hit her. Why go through the spirits so she could talk to Fate? Why not see if Fate would come if she asked for its help?

"Um, Fate? Are you there?"

Luckily for her, Fate heard her and secretly applauded the girl for not going through the spirits just to talk with it.

"Yes little one? What do you wish to know that doesn't require the cards?"

Ruth was relieved it actually worked. She was almost afraid to ask, but she went and asked anyway.

"Fate, how do I summon the staff that grew from the pendant my mother gave me?"

"It's a good thing you didn't use the Tarot Cards, Death wouldn't have been happy. Why do you wish to know how to summon it?"

"In case the fools my father picks as suitor become violent. That and it'll mean I'd be allowed to go with Dark when he does his job!"

"Very well, I suppose I can help. Death won't like it, but this ain't his jurisdiction anyway!"

"So what do I do Fate?"
"Bring the cards out, and take the pendant off."

Ruth didas instructed and then looked at Fate.

"Place the cards down and hold the pendant between your hands."

Ruth placed her new Tarot Cards down and held her pendant at arms length in case it didn't go right. Fate approved the action.

"Now repeat after me, Wand of the Forgotten Heart,"

Wand of the Forgotten Heart,

"Power of Stars, Power of Fate,"

Power of Stars, Power of Fate,

"Reveal your true form to me, and let the Tarot Cards come to life! Kai!"

Reveal your true form to me, and let the Tarot Cards come to life! Kai!

The wand began to glow, and quickly turned into the staff once again. But something was different this time; it wasn't purple it was deep Blue!

"Now how do I use the Tarot Cards?"

"I'll tell you later little one. Right now you need to deal with the idiot coming to your room. I don't think there's anything against hitting him on the head with the staff…it might knock some sense into him!"

"Arigato, Fate! And thanks for the warning!"

Ruth waited beside her door until the suitor her father chose came to open the door. She jerked it open and…WHAP! Dark, who lead the guy there, fell on the floor laughing his head off! That was the funniest thing he saw his sister do all week!

"So, Sis, where'd the staff come from?" asked Dark when he was able to stand.

"See for yourself…" said Ruth as it quickly reverted to its smaller form.

"You've got to be kidding! That little pendant can transform?!"

"It saved my life the night that…"

"So Ruth, what you gonna do with this moron?"

"Why don't we send father a message by kicking his sorry ass out of the house?"

"You may be my sister, but I swear you have an evil streak in you. Count me in!"

Dark and Ruth quickly got rid of the would-be suitor, and their father was furious! He demanded to know why they threw him out!

"If he can't handle a surprise attack from her, what makes you think he'll stand a chance against Krad and the Hikari clan?!" retorted Dark, who was covering for his sister.

"You do have a point. But next time tell me before you throw them out!" griped their father.

This pattern continued for a month straight, and Ruth was learning to defend herself against fools quickly. Dark always got a kick when he heard the suitor get knocked out by a girl! Ruth also learned how to use and her Tarot Cards to attack and defend. Fate suggested that she also change her name, so that Death wouldn't complain so much about her training.

It took a while, but Ruth finally found the perfect name to replace her original one. She ran across a book about Runes on the Tarot cards, and thought that would be a great name!

And so Rune Niwa was born. It was a while before Dark and her family got used to calling her Rune. But for some reason, her new powers didn't deter her father's attempts at finding her a husband!