It took Shintaro another hour and a half to reach Amy's house, and when he finally stepped into the condense, almost non-existent clearing, seeing the house was like breathing in relief that he hadn't been able to feel for a while. It wasn't the kind of relief his heart was searching for, but at least it was some. He hoped that when he walked into the house, someone would realize that he was exhausted and tell the others to leave him alone. He didn't want to have to answer a million questions all at once, and he certainly didn't want to have to tell them who he had come across. 

Sluggishly, Shintaro walked up to the door and reached for the handle, but before he could open it himself, it swung open widely. Startled, Shintaro blinked and found that who he was looking for was not as tall as he was thinking. He looked down and found Nanami, the young girl whose father had been killed by Moon, standing in the doorway with her small hand on the doorknob.

"Hello," she said quietly, and Shintaro forced himself to offer her a small smile of greeting. She was only a child, and he didn't want to upset her by showing her that he wasn't in the mood for children right now. 

Thankfully, Nanami was a young girl who seemed to know the expectations and emotions of others, and respected their quiet time when they needed it. She, most of the time, was having quiet time to herself, either finding a children's book to read, or simply sitting on the floor in the living room and fiddling with her hands. 

Shintaro didn't usually do well with children - or like them, for that matter (unless they were his children) - but Nanami was acceptable. She never invaded on anyone's space, and wasn't unnecessarily loud all the time. 

"Miss Linda told me to slap you when you got back for being late," Nanami said bluntly, "but I'm not going to because that's mean." She sidestepped out of his way, her pigtails bouncing as she did so. 

"Good, thank you," Shintaro replied without much heart behind it, stepping into the house with a small sigh, then catching himself before he finished sighing. Whenever he sighed, he thought of Thorn, and he didn't really want to think about Thorn. There was not much to think about, but he didn't want to overwork his mind on things he didn't need to worry about. 

"You're welcome," Nanami said politely, innocently, and closed the door behind him. "Mister Falte told me to tell you that there's food in the kitchen if you want some." She followed Shintaro into the living room as he walked tiredly toward the couch. 

After he sat down for a little bit, he would shower and eat maybe a little bit. But after that, he wasn't sure what he would do. He couldn't try to sleep, because he knew that would get him nowhere. He would have to wait until he was actually mentally tired to settle. 

As soon as he sat down, Linda was standing in front of him, her hands on her hips. Gabriel was sitting on the floor behind her, a book in his hands; but he was watching with a wary look to see what Linda was doing. 

"You're late," Linda said roughly, tapping her foot on the rug floor. 

"I never gave a specific time that I would return," Shintaro answered, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose tiredly. Maybe he was more exhausted than he thought he was. 

Linda huffed in annoyance, then backed off. Thankfully, she didn't slap him on the way back. She sat down on the floor beside Gabriel, sighing shortly through her nose and peering over Gabriel's shoulder.

Shintaro leaned back against the cushions, resting his head and closing his eyes with a sigh that he didn't bother to suppress. Before he knew it, he was dozing off.

~

Shintaro woke slumped against the arm of the couch, his hair pooling in a halo around his head. He grunted as he shoved his arm under himself and pushed back into a sitting position again. Confused, he realized that he'd fallen asleep, but hadn't had any dreams at all. That probably meant he hadn't slept long. 

"Good evening, Sleeping Beauty," came Amy's voice from the kitchen doorway. She was poking her head out of the kitchen, watching him with an expectant look. Expecting what? 

She stared at him for another moment, then gave him a tiny smile when he realized what she'd just called him. "Dinner's just finishing up if you want to have some." She disappeared back around the corner. 

Shintaro rubbed his face with his hand, pushing away any sleep from his eyes. Rolling his shoulders to stretch them, he stood and ran his hands through his tangled hair. Abby had appeared, though he wasn't sure where she'd been before; she was sitting on her sleeping bag with a journal and pencil in her hands. Shintaro couldn't see what she was doing, but he knew she wasn't drawing - she herself admitted that she was bad at drawing.

Frowning a little, Shintaro stepped around Abby to head to the kitchen. Falte and Amy were the only other ones in the kitchen, both busying themselves. Amy was scooping remains of spaghetti into a round container, and Falte was emptying the dishwasher, bustling around the kitchen to put the dishes away. Shintaro found a separate plate of spaghetti on the counter closest to him.

"That's yours," Amy said from beside him without looking away from her work. 

"Thanks," he mumbled, picking up the plate and fishing through the nearest drawer for a fork. He nodded politely at Falte as he passed by to get to the dining room, which was through the rest of the kitchen. 

But before he even sat down, a shout from outside had him rushing through the kitchen back into the living room, leaving his food behind. "What was that?" he asked as he skidded into the living room, where Abby had ditched her journal and gotten to her feet, stepping toward the front door. Shintaro stuck out his arm and caught her shoulder, stopping her gently. 

Gabriel and Linda had gotten to their feet as well, and Amy and Falte had come walking out of the kitchen in confusion.

Another shout echoed through the forest, this time closer than before; but not close enough to make out any words. Out of habit, Shintaro stepped in front of his daughter protectively, eyeing the front door with caution and listening intently. 

"I KNOW YOU GUYS CAN HEAR ME!" a female voice screamed from the woods, her voice rising above the trees and reaching everyone's ears. "GET YOUR SORRY BUTTS OUT OF THAT STUPID HOUSE AND HELP ME OUT HERE!"

Shintaro angled his head to the side curiously, recognizing the voice as Moon; but she sounded much more annoyed and desperate than normal. 

What is going on with all the enemies? Shintaro couldn't help but think. When did they become so desperate and ... strangely not searching for evil? When Moon had been kept captive by Shintaro, she hadn't once mentioned Brethren's name, nor did she speak much at all. 

Amy frowned in annoyance, which was a strange sight for all of them, crossing her arms over her chest. She eyed her newer friends with uncertainty and questioning. "Is someone going to head out there to see what's going on? If anyone is," she added before the crowd could say anything, "I would suggest two people who can either defend themselves or make an escape quickly. Or both. I don't trust that woman, and I don't want to head out there without caution." 

Shintaro nodded in agreement, listening again for Moon's voice, but she didn't cry out again. 

"I vote Shintaro and I go out there," Amy suggested. "He's got magic and knows how to fight, and I can get out of there quick if I need to, and I know how to fight." She cocked her hip and looked over her friends again. "If anyone objects, say so now, because I'm ready to head out there and see what the heck she wants." 

"You need to chill out for a second," Falte said from behind her. "I get that you don't really like her, but you're scary when you're mad. I'm getting a taste of my own medicine, I know, but I like you better as Cheerful Amy." 

Amy turned and gave him a "Seriously?" face, then made a show of pumping her fist dramatically. "Alright, let's go be super happy about one of our enemies showing up!" she said in a mock-joyful tone, then after shooting a glare at Falte, who backed away with his hands raised.

Shintaro rolled his eyes and started for the door, but Linda caught his arm. He turned slightly, expecting her to tell him that he was going to stay here, that she didn't want him to get hurt - but she simply told him, "Be careful." and let go. 

Smiling slightly to assure her, he nodded and turned toward the door again. Amy was on his heels as he opened the door and strode out. 

Moon was near enough to hear the door open and close, because her voice cried loudly from their left, "OVER HERE, YOU SNAILS!! HURRY UP!" Her voice reached a desperate pitch that Shintaro had never heard her use, and Amy raised one eyebrow at Shintaro in confusion. 

Together they moved cautiously toward her, standing side by side and silently telling each other to be ready for anything. Moon was a clever woman - she could have been planning many different things. She could lure them into a trap and take them directly to Brethren, or she could lead them toward her and have her fun with them. 

But what they found was not what either of them were expecting. 

Moon was crouching on the forest floor, her right arm wrapped under another woman's arms to hold her up. Her other arm was around the woman's torso, her hand covering a bloody section over the other woman's stomach. Moon looked bedraggled, while the woman beside her looked exhausted and close to losing consciousness, if she hadn't passed out already. Both of Moon's hands were covered in blood, as if she'd pressed both hands against the wound previously. The woman, though her face was hidden by her wavy, lighter brown hair, seemed oddly familiar to Shintaro. 

Amy launched herself forward with a new purpose as soon as she spotted the injured woman. She knelt immediately on the woman's other side, leaning forward to look past Moon's fingers. She touched the woman's leg gently, but she got no response.

Abruptly, Amy straightened and frowned furiously and accusingly at Moon. "Did you do this to her?" she asked lowly, dangerously. Shintaro had never heard her speak like that. 

"What?" Moon said in exasperation. "No! Why would I nearly murder a woman and them come to you for help, you idiot?" She frowned right back at Amy, but her silver eyes went straight back to the woman when she groaned lowly. 

Shintaro got onto his knees in front of the wounded woman, gently brushing her hair back away from her face and touching her chin with his other hand. He lifted her head and found that she wasn't looking at him - her eyes were squeezed closed in pain. 

"What happened?" Shintaro asked sharply, turning his eyes to Moon briefly. He was momentarily shocked at the possessive look she was giving Shintaro's hand. 

"A few Darks attacked her hometown," Moon replied shortly, "where I happened to be at the time." She didn't look over at Shintaro, and something told him that she wasn't about to say why she had been there. 

"So why take her here, Mrs. Nicety?" Amy asked hotly, leaning down again and lifting her hands toward the woman's wound.

"Don't touch her," Moon said harshly, giving Amy a protective frown and gently tugging the woman closer to her. "I took her here because I he" - she gestured to Shintaro with her chin - "can heal her." 

Amy frowned in annoyed confusion, shooting a "What the heck is this woman's problem" look to Shintaro. "We're going to have to touch her if you want us to help her, Moon. You didn't fully answer my question. Why would you take her here - to help her?" 

"Because she's my sister," Moon snapped roughly, spitting out the last word with gritted teeth. "I"m not about to let my little sister die, thank you very much. YOU don't touch her. Only Shintaro and I can. Believe me, Shintaro's very lucky I'm letting him lay a hand on her."

Amy blinked at Moon, obviously dumbfounded. "You have a little sister?" she finally asked in disbelief. 

"Yes," Moon shot back. "What's it to you, Speedy?" 

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Shintaro said sharply. "Both of you just shut up." He gave them both stern glares that made them clamp their mouths closed, then gently leaned the woman back to hoist her into his arms. 

Moon's arms slipped away as he stood up with the woman, and she gave him another possessive look, one that made more sense now that Shintaro knew their relationship with each other. 

The woman groaned in pain again, rolling her head back and clenching her hands. Shintaro squinted down at her for a moment, her face looking strangely familiar to him, but he wasn't sure how. 

"Be careful with her," Moon said softly, in the gentlest tone he'd ever heard her use. "She's already in a lot of pain." She wasn't looking at Shintaro. She was standing next to him, barely reaching his shoulders, running her hands through her sister's light brown hair. 

As Shintaro turned again toward the house, Amy and Moon close on his heels, the woman's eyes fluttered open, landing on his face almost immediately.

Shock and confusion and realization sailed through Shintaro as he gazed into her familiar green eyes. 

This was the woman who had talked with them about letting Nanami stay with them.

This was Moon's sister? 

This was Ruby.

~

OOOOOOOH, I brought Ruby back in!!

And SHE'S MOON'S LITTLE SISTER?!?!?!?!?!

WHAT??!?!?!?!

XD

I'm bringing so many surprises in this book, y'all, it's amazing XD. 

Ruby was supposed to be a kind of background character, and she still is gonna be kind of one, but she's going to play a bigger role in this book. You're going to see more of her personality, her relationship with Moon, and YOU'RE ALSO GONNA SEE MOON'S SISTERLY LOOOOVE TOWARD HERRRRR-

Ruby is officially Moon's soft spot. 

Well, thanks for reading this chappy! 

I hope you liked it! 

P3ac3!!!~~~