A/N: ...I need to stop leaving stories to hang for so long. Apologies for the wait. Anyways, some have noted that there was a fair amount of time jumping in the last chapter. That's going to be fairly standard, at least early on; there is a lot of time I need to cover here.

Also, there will be a couple minor characters showing up here created by Gleam, just to go ahead and give credit now.

In the last vestiges of night, Tsubaki stared up at the winking stars overhead, mind focused on words spoken some time ago. Words she had been given little time to ponder due to the rigors of her training, but now couldn't evade after waking up a full two hours early. That the Librarium had wrecked Ragna's life and set him on his course…it was unfathomable. The NOL existed for the purpose of keeping peace; he had to be mistaken about that man being an agent of theirs. And…was this brother of his the same Jin that she knew? She couldn't be certain.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes. She needed to sleep, she knew. Tomorrow, she would be in danger, a Librarium noble in Ikaruga. Trust no one, speak to no one, stay near Ragna and Jubei at all times…commands drilled into her. She had no idea if she would be capable of holding her tongue should the rebellion grow too vocal in their disdain for the Library's peace, but…

A rough hand shoved her shoulder and she opened her eyes to Ragna smirking down at her. With a groan, she sat up. "Nnh…Ragna? What's up?"

"Not much. Just wondering if you're feeling adventurous." He crouched beside her. "Cat's asleep, so I was thinking we go scout out the town border a little. Wanna come?"

"Mm…" After shaking her head, she blinked at him. "…Huh? Why would we…?"

"I'm bored as shit and can't sleep. Come on, let's go."

As Ragna extended a hand to her, Tsubaki rubbed her eyes. "…I guess…"

"Cool." Without waiting, he grabbed her hand and pulled her up. His gaze flickered up to the sky, to the half-moon wreathed by clouds. "Too bad it ain't brighter out, but hell. We should be fine. Not like there's a damn thing that can hurt us."

"Considering the array of animals that have succumbed to seithr mutation, I would have to disagree there." Tsubaki shook her head, but Ragna's boneheaded confidence spurred her onward after him. "Seithrdogs, rock-coated cats called maolites, steelrams…"

"Eh. Long as we don't run into a mutant bear, we should be fine." His free hand shifted to his sword, virtually taped to his back with an Ars. "Like I said, long as you're with me or the cat, nothing'll hurt you, Tsu."

Shaking her head yet smirking, Tsubaki increased her pace and placed a hand on Ragna's shoulder. "Hold on a moment, let me just…"

She incanted a spell, drawing in the surrounding mass of seithr as she did so. A dim ball spawned before where she stood, only visible by what meager light refracted from it. "Alright, I can activate that as a beacon if we get lost on the way back. And one more thing…"

After another inaudible chant under her breath, she stretched a finger forward. A beam of light emitted from it to act as a flashlight. "Alright. Let's go."

"Mm, Good idea." Ragna looked her over the best he could. "…You armed?"

"I have a short sword with me. Don't know how effective it would be, but…" Taking the lead, Tsubaki trudged through high, wiry grass that tried to tangle around her calves. "I've been meaning to ask something."

"Huh? Shoot."

"Well, a couple questions, actually. You're…certain that the Librarium had a hand in Saya's kidnapping?"

"Jubei and Rachel are. That's good enough for me." Ragna's jaw set at the mention. This was what he feared with Tsubaki; that she was so zealously loyal to the Library she would not accept that they could be less than the guardians she took them for. And since there was little doubt in his mind he would eventually head out to dismantle the NOL, would she become his enemy? He shuddered at the thought. "Besides. They're screwing around with the Boundary, too. Whatever that's about, it can't be good."

"…Right. Still…no, never mind." Tsubaki shook her head as she nearly tripped over a particularly thick cluster of grass. She snarled; if only she had Izayoi already, she could cut through this hindering vegetation. "Well, anyways. Is…"

"Look out!" A blur of motion that glittered in the soft rays of sunlight creeping over the horizon was all the warning Ragna got. A monstrosity of a sheep, standing taller than him, bore down on Tsubaki from the side, horns glittering in the faint predawn with irregular chips and spikes of jagged metal. On instinct, Ragna dived forward and tackled Tsubaki out of the way. The steelram's foreleg caught his lower leg. The creature's brambly, metallic wool sheared his pant leg, cutting through to his flesh. Grimacing, he pulled himself up to his feet. "Alright, you son of a bitch! Let's go!"

As the ram turned around for another pass at Tsubaki, Ragna dashed in and delivered a fierce punch to its flank. His hand sunk into several inches of wool and came back shredded from the blade-like coating. Wincing in pain, he drew Blood-Scythe and raised it just in time to block a bone-crushing buck from the beast's hind legs. "What the shit is this thing?!"

"A steelram." Tsubaki rose to her feet, not even bothering to brush herself off. Her sword in hand, she watched the steelram, ready to bolt in case it charged her down again. "A variety of seithr-mutated sheep that has evolved to process trace metals and excrete them into their wool, horns and hooves. A valuable substitute to mining since most mines are below the seithr line, but…very dangerous due to their ill temper. We need to get away from it."

"Wonderful." Ragna stepped close and, in a Herculean display of strength, swung all fifty pounds of his sword with his good hand at the sheep's face. The beast caught the blow on its spiral horns; the impact sent painful vibrations through the sword into Ragna's arm as he stumbled away. With a metallic bleat that rang in Ragna's and Tsubaki's ears long after it passed, the steelram started forward again.

"Alright, fuck off already!" Wincing, hardly able to see straight, Ragna swung his blade up at the beast's chin before it could gather speed. With this slash came burst of purple shadow, which corroded the beast's very soul and returned pure life force to Ragna, allowing his bloody hand to heal slightly. The blow was like striking plate mail, but Blood-Scythe pierced through the steelram's natural barding of wool. Disoriented, it bleated again and stumbled away in a retreat. Hunched over, Ragna watched the thing leave before dropping to his knees. "…Shit…that thing was built like a goddamn tank…"

"Ragna!" Tsubaki rushed over to him and knelt at his side. She looked him over, pausing at his hand. "Here…let me…"

"Nah, don't worry…" His protest fell on deaf ears as Tsubaki shed away the remnants of his gauntlet. Bloody trenches ran through his fingers and palm; she was surprised he could still twitch his fingers with such wounds. With a sigh, Ragna submitted. "Alright, thanks."

"Mm." Tsubaki held his hand between both of hers and muttered the words for another Ars. A light glow shined from between her hands, a healing aura meant to mend flesh and set bones. However, when she pulled her hands back to observe her work, Tsubaki found his hand hardly mended in the least. She sighed, hanging her head. "…Sorry. It seems I can't do much with this level of injury…"

"Nah, don't worry. Thanks for trying." Ragna placed his good hand on her shoulder. At the very least, the spell had managed to dull the pain. "And never punch one of those shitheads. Seriously."

A light laugh escaped Tsubaki and she looked up. "I'll take your word for it. But…we still need to do something about your cuts. If we can't heal it, then at least bandaging it would…oh, I know."

Tsubaki shifted a couple feet away from him and pulled her shirt forward. Her sword came out and sawed through the front of her shirt before working from side to side. She cut a swath as long as she felt was safe and finally ripped the strip of cloth off. It was only a shirt, and she could buy a new one tomorrow, after all. Ragna's wounds took priority. "Here, let me see your hand."

"Right…" Ragna knee-crawled closer and extended his hand, although his eyes were unable to leave the sliver of flesh revealed by Tsubaki's mutilation of her clothing. Yes, so he'd seen her in less before, but… He closed his eyes as Tsubaki wrapped the makeshift bandage. Once she finished, he flexed his fingers the best he could. The wrapping proved thin enough to allow for a decent amount of motion and still curbed the bleeding. "Heh. Thanks, Tsu."

"No problem." As she rose back to her feet, Tsubaki extended a hand to Ragna. "However, I believe we should end this excursion early."

"Yeah, probably." Ragna accepted the offer with his good hand and allowed her to pull him up. As they set back the way they came, Tsubaki leading with her lighting Ars once more, Ragna asked, "Oh, by the way, what did you want to ask me before that sheep attacked?"

"Oh, right." Tsubaki took a breath. "Your brother. Jin. Do you have any idea what happened to him?"

"Nah. Ain't seen him since the bastard cut off my damn arm. Haven't really cared to look, either."

"I see. I mostly ask because…well, I'm familiar with a Jin as well. He was adopted by the Kisaragi family about eight years ago, which seems to be about when..."

"You think it's the same Jin?" Ragna snorted, but decided to humor her. "What's he look like?"

"Blonde, green eyes, a couple inches shorter than you…"

"Tch." Okay, yeah, that sounded like him alright. "Might be, actually. He a friend of yours?"

"Yes, a…very close one." Tsubaki turned her gaze down to hide her blush, visible in the sunrise. "He's almost like a brother to me, really. But…he doesn't seem like the kind of person to…"

"N' just where the hell'd ya go off to?"

Both froze solid at the voice. Jubei sat on a log nearby, feline face inscrutable. Tsubaki squeaked and blushed. "M-my apologies, Master Jubei… We couldn't sleep, and…"

"Ya alright?" Jubei jumped down from his perch and headed over to Ragna to examine his hand. "The hell'd ya run into?"

"Steelram." Ragna rolled his eyes as Jubei pawed over his bandaged hand in examination. "Got it worse than it got me, though; ain't gonna let a stupid sheep kick my ass, no matter how bullshit the thing is."

"N' ain't ya proud o' winnin' a fight with a farm animal?" The dry reply drew a wince from Ragna. "That thing belonged to somebody. I'll have to track 'em down later n' have ya apologize. For now…make some breakfast, sheepshanker. N' yer little cohort can help, too. Dunno why the hell a bright girl like you went with this, Tsubaki, but…"

With a growl and a flick of his tail, Jubei turned back to camp. "We'll head into town after breakfast."

"Howdy, Hatchkin. Been a while, eh?" Jubei strolled into a shop, cradling Ragna's shredded gauntlet in his paws. "Good to see ya still kickin'."

"The hell? Jubei?" The scent of alcohol hung in the air as the aged man behind the counter spoke. As he gave a derisive snort, Hatchkin glanced over Ragna and Tsubaki, the latter of whom all but hid behind Ragna. "What'd you drag your ancient ass out here for? And who are the kids?"

"Couple students o' mine. That's Ragna, n' the girl hidin' behind him's Tsubaki." Jubei turned to them and mouthed to Tsubaki calm down. "Don't mind her, she's just a bit shy."

"Heh. Fair enough. Now, what'd you want, you codger? Ain't got time for social calls."

"Just got a little job for ya." Jubei placed the glove on the counter. "Ragna's. He n' 'Baki ran into a steelram yesterday; numbskull decided to punch it."

Ragna looked away, grumbling to himself as Tsubaki finally dared to step out from behind him. She tried to ignore the green and red of the Ikaruga flag pinned against the logs just past Hatchkin. If he, or any other Ikarugan here, learned she was of the Duodecim… "U-um…mister Hatchkin? We…um, kind of injured the ram pretty bad. If it belonged to anyone…"

"Eh, don't worry 'bout it, missy. If it walked off, it'll be fine. And no one here's gonna hold it against you for defending yourselves. Sons of bitches are useful, but god damn can their temper be an issue." As he spoke, Hatchkin lifted the leather rags and looked them over. He glanced over at Ragna's bandaged hand and snorted. "And I guess you're never punching a ram again after this. Don't know what you were thinking in the first place. Dumbass."

"That normally, wool is soft and shit. Not that it's made of goddamn needles." Ragna scoffed and leaned on a wall. "And hell no, I ain't punching one of those bastards again. So, can you fix it?"

"Mm. Ain't hard. Will probably come out stronger than before, too; you'd be amazed at the metals you can extract from the steelrams here." Hatchkin's bloodshot eyes shot up to Jubei. "1500 platinum dollars, and it'll take a couple days to patch up if business stays steady. You sticking around that long?"

"Ayep. Kids'll welcome it, I reckon." Jubei turned a soft smile at his pupils. "Ain't slept in a proper bed in a couple months now. But soon as yer done with the glove, we're gone."

"Back to training them to death, you mean." Hatchkin shook his head and gave a harsh approximation of a laugh. "Shit, Jubei, we could really use your help. Yabiko fell last month; damn Library's got the advantage. And we're still wondering what in hell's name they did to Ibukido. Hell, half this damn town's gone over to the Library's side. Exile the lot of them, I say."

Tsubaki's hand twitched and drifted to the sword at her side; Ragna calmed her by gripping her hand in his.

Jubei shook his head, tail twitching. "Sorry, Hatchkin. Told ya before, I'm stayin' neutral. Ain't a fan o' either side, to be honest."

"Right, we already had that fight." Hatchkin drew his finger across a scar on his cheek. "A shame, but you got a point. Wouldn't be surprised if both sides are prolonging this bullshit at this rate." He took the glove and placed it on a shelf behind him. "Right then. Might as well get started. You need anything else from me?"

"Yep." Jubei turned back to the fore of the shop, lined with various clothing. "Figure we might as well get some decent clothin' while we're here. Just give us a minute."

In another store not far from the tailor, Tsubaki leaned back against a wall, nose firmly in a book entitled Valkyrie Astraea. The world around her was just an afterthought; the first work of fictional fantasy she had encountered since leaving home two months prior captured her mind entirely. Naturally, not thirty minutes into her reading time, something boisterous had to cut in and ruin it all. A tall man, covered from head to toe in the green ninja garb of Ikarugan shinobi with a brown ponytail poking out the back of his hood, cut in. Quite loudly, at that. "Pardon me, miss. Are you waiting for your parents?"

"…Huh?" Annoyed with having her leisure shattered, Tsubaki held back from glaring at the man towering over her. An Ikaruga ninja; had her heritage and loyalty been discovered? No, that couldn't be possible. She was nowhere near that recognizable, and Ragna and Jubei would never rat her out. And besides, this man asked about… "No, I'm not. I'm not from around here, to be honest…"

"I see. So you are lost." The ninja pointed a finger down at her, voice booming like thunder, as far a break from the serenity reading brought as possible. "Worry not, young maiden! I, Bang Shishigami, virtuous ninja of Ikaruga, shall aid you!"

"…Um…" Tsubaki blinked up at him in utter bewilderment. Did he just jump to the first conclusion that came to his head? After setting the book down, she rose and shook her head. "No, really, I'm fine…Bang, was it?"

"Indeed!" Bang roared, loud enough that everyone within twenty feet jumped a little. "I am Bang Shishigami, fighter for justice! And it would be invalorous—nay, scurrilous—for me to leave a young lady lost in a land not her own, with no hope of help!"

He clapped his hands loudly, and a trio of dark-swathed figures descended behind him in like clothing. "Subordinates! Inform Lord Tenjou that we shall have a guest this evening!"

Tenjou? The leader of the Ikarugan resistance? He was here? Heart racing, Tsubaki pressed herself against the wall, trying to look past Bang. Where the hell did Ragna get off to? She fixed Bang with as annoyed a glare as she could. "Seriously, I'm not lost. One of my friends-"

"I shall have them retrieved as well and treated to my hospitality! My subordinates, spread out and search for -"

"Me?" A mild voice inquired. Bang blinked before turning around to spot a small beastman in a cloak standing nearby. Jubei smiled up at the larger man. "Glad to see ya found my student. Thanks, stranger."

"Master Jubei!" Tsubaki raced around to his side, eyes on Bang the whole time. How could she trust a man who simply ignored everything she requested, even if he wasn't an Ikarugan savage? "Thanks…this man was…"

"The hell's going on?" Hand on Blood-Scythe's hilt, Ragna stormed over to Tsubaki's side, narrowed eyes on Bang. "The hell were you doing to Tsubaki, you asshole?"

Tsubaki turned her glare on Ragna. "Where did you go?"

"Bathroom."

Jubei raised a hand up. "Take a breather, kids. No need to get riled. He's just tryin' to do right by ya."

Bang nodded, planting hands on hips. "Master beastman, I am pleased to see you have not abandoned you student!" The voice came as a roar, even though he stood right in front of the smaller-statured creature. Jubei's ears folded back at the volume. "My deepest apologies for causing her distress, fellow travelers, but I cannot leave a maiden untrammeled in this land of peace."

"Trammeled," Jubei corrected, voice mild. "Untrammeled means at peace, or undisturbed."

Bang paused. A lost expression flickered across his face. "…It does?"

"Yes, it does." A moment after speaking, Tsubaki seemed to realize she had and averted her gaze. "Um…sorry."

"Tch. You ain't got a damn thing to apologize for." Ragna wrapped an arm around her shoulders to settle her. The particular coloration of the Bang's robes and the symbol on them—two nails crossed before a phoenix emblem—told him exactly who this was. "Tell me something. What's Tenjou's personal guard doing all the way out at the border?"

"Hmm…is it permissible to tell foreigners…?" Eyes closed, Bang rubbed his chin in thought. Eventually, his blazing eyes opened and he nodded. "Very well, I suppose it would be in your best interest to know. A contingent of Library scum has set their eyes on this peaceful village, seeking to pillage its resources for its own gain and enslave the citizens. Lord Tenjou, in spite of the danger to himself, has elected to personally destroy this barbarian force to serve as inspiration not just for this town, but for all of Ikaruga!"

"S-such a great man!" Despite his fearsome appearance, one of the shinobi behind Bang sounded on the verge of tears from Bang's words. "Truly a hero to us all!"

"Indeed." Bang's eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms. "…However, I suggest leaving this town, honorable travelers. Who knows what lows the Library may stoop to?"

"Right, gotcha. Thanks for the warnin', son. We'll just mosey on along, then." After casting a look at Tsubaki out of the corner of his eye—she seemed calm enough, thankfully—Jubei nodded and gestured to his pupils as he started to the store's entrance. "Or was there somethin' ya wanted to buy, Tsubaki?"

"Um…" Tsubaki cast a forlorn glance at the book resting on the ground. As much as she'd love to have it… "No, it's fine, Master Jubei."

"Alrighty. Take care, son."

"And you as well, master beastman." Bang pressed his hands together and bowed low; his subordinates followed suit. "Farewell."

Just outside of town, Ragna squawked as a massive paw descended on him, almost knocking him flat. "Ow! Hey, what the hell was that for?"

"What the hell were you thinkin', Ragna?" Jubei's voice was quiet, but no less consumed in rage for it. "I told ya to watch Tsubaki, and I come back to find her cornered by Ikaruga ninja. Have ya any idea what they would'a done if they knew who she is?"

"I was gone for a damn minute, geez!" Ragna rubbed his head, wincing. "What was I supposed to do, bring her into the bathroom with me?"

"Did ya tell her what you were doin'?"

"…No."

With a sigh, Jubei turned away, shaking his head. His eye found Tsubaki, who froze up under the scrutiny. "Yer alright, right, 'Baki?"

"Yes, I am." A meek nod broke the mold of paralysis. "Um…could you ease up on Ragna here, though? He only…"

"Do ya have any idea how much danger you were in, Tsubaki? Ikaruga's desperate; they ain't winnin' right now, that's for sure. If they learned ya were from the Yayoi family, you'd be dead or a hostage right now." Jubei sighed. "Probably the latter. They claim they follow honor and all that hogwash, but again, they're losin' this war right now. I ain't 'bout to place my faith in their chivalry."

A long silence hung in the air once Jubei finished. Finally, Ragna sighed, head drooping. "…Sorry, master. Won't happen again."

"The hell are ya 'pologizin' to me for? I ain't the one ya left alone. N' on that note…" Jubei turned to Tsubaki and, to her surprise, dipped his head in a bow. "I should apologize as well. For the same reason; can't afford to leave ya on yer own."

Apparently deciding to do Jubei one better, Ragna stepped forward to draw her into an embrace. "Sorry, Tsu. Ain't gonna happen again."

"…It's fine." Tsubaki hugged him back for a moment before stepping back out of his grip. "But what are we going to do? I mean, the most logical course of action would be to leave the village right now, at the cost of Ragna's glove."

"Can't afford to. Ain't a clue when the Library's supposed to get here, but we're stickin' 'round. Lotta stuff we need to do in town, and it's a few days to the nearest one. N' I reckon you'd rather not go deeper into Ikaruga." Jubei turned, eying the city. "Sure as hell can't sleep in town, though. Not if the Library comes at night. But if they come while we're here, I'll try n' mediate. Don't want no bloodshed here."

"R-right…" Tsubaki stared off into the distance. That ninja had to be exaggerating; there was no way the Librarium could perform such a heinous act. These were civilians, not military targets; they couldn't just… "…Master Jubei? If a battle does break out…"

"We're not getting' involved. The political hell that'd follow would ruin yer name, Tsubaki. Yer family's name. N' trust me, if me or Ragna did anythin' 'gainst the Library, it'd be traced back to yer family."

"And there's no goddamn way in hell that we're helping the Library slaughter this place." Ragna snarled, hand moving towards his sword. "Shit goes down, we're bailing out, got it?"

"Yes." Tsubaki gave a fierce nod, even as uncertainty burned inside her. If what Bang said was true, could she really just stand by and let it happen? …No, there was no way the Librarium would do that, she repeated to herself. She shook her head; she needed to stop thinking about this already. "Well, um…should we do some training as long as we're out here?"

"Heh." Jubei grinned. At times, he couldn't help but admire her endless work ethic, her resolve to become stronger. "Sure. Ya wanna do some more trainin' with polearms, or…"

His ear twitched and his muzzle set into a grimace. Without further warning, he raced up a nearby hill and crouched down at its crest, half-hidden by the tall grasses. Ragna took Tsubaki by the wrist, earning a surprised yelp, and raced after him. "Hey, master, the hell's going on."

"See for yerself. N' keep yer voice down."

Down in the valley, too far away to hope to spot the trio, several hundred blue-coated men marched toward the town.