[Closed] The Loyalty of a Slave

[ShinobiTruth]

Strategy meetings. Large-scale training drills. Munitions order forms, numbering in the dozens. These were the daily burdens of the Honmaru Divison Commander. Unlike Tatsuo, Maru had no skill with the use of shadow clones, thus leaving him with only a single pair of hands to manage what Tatsuo or Mitsuo might have done with a small posse. Maru also wasn't particularly fond of the lack of transparency in his division before now. He wasn't about to betray village secrets of course, but there was no reason why his subordinates couldn't understand more about how the system they occupied worked. Thus, what Tatsuo solved with ninjutsu Maru solved with a different set of tools: communication and delegation. Maru also did away with mandatory honorifics for himself; as far as he was concerned, he was still just a simple soldier. The war he waged was now merely waged with a pen instead of a sword. Thus, he had a group of advisors, those with more experience in each separate department within the Honmaru than he did, and to them, he gave direct instructions and orders after receiving detailed reports and information. And if subordinates asked questions, so long as they weren't related to classified projects, they would answer. He himself also maintained an open door policy; he was never too busy to speak to someone who served under him (unless he was out of the office). Things would certainly be different, and there were some growing pains, but the changes had largely been received well.

The work had also, admittedly, served as a means to channel Maru's newfound motivation and energy into something productive, distracting him from more frustrating or unsettling thoughts. The revelation that he'd recently uncovered had shaken him to his core, and though they had granted him a measure of peace over the memory of his father, in a manner of speaking it also placed his principles and values squarely against that of his village and Daimyo. It was a secret he'd told no one, not even Sayuri. As strong as he tried to be, he could not overcome his fear of losing her. The insecurity bit down into him with a ferocity he hadn't expected. Slavery was not merely a social status. It held a shadow over the heads of those who bore those chains, physical or otherwise. Regardless of how they were treated, humans were not pets and they weren't property. Yet, despite how many changes there had been after the war, that's still what they were in the eyes of the law. For the crime of existing, they'd been stripped of their homes and cultures to be treated as second-rate citizens. He'd implemented a policy of giving slaves that delivered materials to their facilities a parcel of food to take with them. He cited the importance of slaves' health to their own consistent workflow, a statement that had made his stomach crawl as it left his lips. Sayuri meant just as much to Maru as the village itself. If he lost her... he wasn't sure what he'd do.

Maru had no idea the challenge fate had in store for him today.

In the markets, one of the constant reminders of this grim reality in Iwagakure was the auction houses. In most cases, these sales were often blatant, on display. It was especially true if a warehouse received a shipment of new or traded slaves, which often came with lucrative payments and exchanges. Some houses traded for quantity, others quality. The auction in the market near Sayuri's home was of the latter, and they'd just gotten a 'shipment' they were looking to sell, each of them standing atop a raised platform surrounded by guards and led by an auctioneer. The man calling out to the crowd that surrounded them was selling ten different slaves. It was extremely lucrative. These slaves were certified by private physicians to be healthy and full of vitality in every respect. There were mostly men, but this shipment held two women, both bearing the telltale physical traits of nomadic tribes indigenous to Rock Country of black hair, caramel skin, and powerful green eyes. One of the two women, her hair cropped short, was quietly sobbing. The other was silent, eyes not meeting the crowd. Her raven locks flowed down to her back and trailed in the light breeze, freckles punctuating her pristine visage along with traditional golden chains and jade fittings in the jewelry that adorned her head. She knew well what may happen. She was nearly of age, keenly aware of the lustful gazes piercing through the cacophony of noises and bodies, and she'd heard the tales of what some masters forced their slaves to do... or what they did themselves. She'd mentally closed herself off to the pain that, in her mind, she would certainly endure.

Slave GirlShow

The auctioneer quickly made his way through the eight men, all rapidly shipped off to work in factories, foundries, or shops. The auctioneer, an older stout gentleman with well-groomed clothes and facial hair, looked upon her with a grimace. Her dull face devoid of emotion simply would not do. Laws forbade him from outright physically assaulting the merchandise, but he could mentally torture her all he wanted. The first girl was quickly auctioned off, and now this silent young woman was all that remained. Roughly grabbing her by the wrist, the auctioneer started making calls for bids. "The final lot today is a most ravishing beauty, my friends! I do always save the best for last for my most esteemed customers, yes?" he joyfully cheered, which elicited a few enthusiastic claps from the crowd. "She is able-bodied, cleared by our top physician with a bill of sound health. She was extracted from the countryside shortly before the war and has served in our mess halls and dormitories as a faithful worker. What's more, she learned to tend to children at a young age. With the proper training and nutrition, she could even serve as a wet nurse! Whether she serves your home, your business, or some other fancy, this is the cream of the crop!"

Roughly yanking her arm up into the air, he secretly reveled in the wince he felt through her tensing muscles. "Where shall we start the bid? Do I hear ten thousand Ryo?"

[Willoria]

Sayuri was feeling exhausted. There had been a great deal of changes to make in the house, updating it to make it her own in the rest of it, areas she had left alone since her parents' death. It had taken a lot out of her, both physically and emotionally. She had set out to training hard for days after that, funneling the emotions it had all brought up into her physical labors while Maru had been busy with his new duties. Her body ached in so many ways. Over this time she slowly came to realize that between her own duties and Maru's, the home suffered. She couldn't keep it clean, she just wasn't a housewife. Now that she didn't live alone, Maru practically living with her, it seemed to need more attention more often. She barely had time to cook, and Maru had so many duties he was even busier than she was.

As she walked through the market, a small basket slipped over her arm and full of a few vegetables, shopping for groceries she asked herself again mentally if she was sure about what she was doing. She hated slavery herself, the idea of owning a person as property made her skin crawl. But as she approached the raised platform and looked at the people standing on it, treated like cattle, she told herself this was less about property and more about saving one life. Within the basket as well was a large pouch with a significant amount within it, a chunk of her savings.

A particular young woman caught her eye immediately. The way the men around her in the audience looked at her didn't escape her notice, it made her feel so sick, and the way the auctioneer treated her the moment he brought her up angered her as well. She hardly knew what she was doing the moment he asked for the bid to start and she quickly raised her hand to offer the starting bid.

And she'd go for every bid after that to ensure she won it.

'I can convert my weapon room into a space of her own... give her a home... teach her... she'll have a life, not a cage...' she told herself. Though the very core of it, that she had to buy this woman to do it, still made her skin crawl.

[ShinobiTruth]

The girl couldn’t understand much of anything being said. None of her previous masters had given her any training in the tongue of their people, and though she had gleaned bits and pieces over the years, her skills in common were infantile at best. She heard the clambering of the various voices calling out, their intent harshly grating against her ears. Given the circumstances, it was impossible to not start trembling. However strong she tried to be, she was afraid. She longed for the arms of her grandmother. Was she even still alive? We’re any of her tribe still here? Or had they been sent to the earth? Like her father and mother, who had fought to protect her?

Like a falcon quieting its prey with beak and talon, silence fell upon the group as a woman’s voice called out. It was firm, powerful, and her eyes looked up from behind her hair to see. Her hair made her stand out amongst the people. Many of them whispered words under their breath, but one of them caught the girl’s ears: shinobi. Whenever that word was invoked, it caused many changes. Some smiled, some cried, others bade their tongues be still. Regardless, they were agents of change. They were given respect by these people, feared by them. So this woman was one of them? Someone the same age as she was? What awaited her? She didn’t know. She was more scared than before, visibly shaking.

The auctioneer hadn’t expected this turn of events, but he would hardly turn down the often, well-pockets of a shinobi. She soon outbid the other participants. Though it was a sizable amount, Sayuri’s efforts would not leave her destitute. ”Sold! To the beautiful Enkouten shinobi in the back! Please come around to our office so we can process you, madam.” The giddy joy in his voice was hopelessly apparent, enthralled and ecstatic at such a lucrative payday.

She was unceremoniously led away into a building, where a collar and shackles would be affixed to her neck and hands, conjoined to a ring and a single chain. Sayuri would be handed a scroll to sign, confirming her receipt and ownership of the slave. The indifference and even casual mirth with which these people traded lives was just another weight on her shoulders. She’d managed to get her trembling under control as the chains were placed in Sayuri’s hands. She’d follow along without protest, her eyes boring into the ground in front of her feet.

The one thing Sayuri would note would be the brightness of her eye color. She’d only ever met one person with eyes like that…

[Willoria]

She should've anticipated it, but still Sayuri hadn't expected the sudden attention when she started to bid on the young woman. She also hadn't expected to see her fear increase. She had to force herself to take on the neutral and numb expression she took on for missions and training, an expression she hated to wear so close to home. But it suddenly felt necessary. She had to keep up a mask, wear the right face, in front of these people. Her feeling of illness didn't lessen when she went back to pay for her purchase or sign the paperwork. Taking the chain made her want to vomit right there. She had to fight the urge to unchain the woman herself, but instead she silently started to lead her back towards home. Her eyes certainly caught Sayuri's gaze, but she didn't comment on it for the time being. It was tucked away as a coincidence in her thoughts as the pair walked back to the house.

But once inside, Sayuri let out a breath as she set the basket of her groceries aside before turning to the woman. "Do you speak our language?" she asked her gently as she took out a key she'd been left with. She immediately started undoing the chains and shackles the girl had been left in, silently hoping she could communicate with this young woman without too much trouble. "My name is Sayuri... can you tell me yours?" she also asked, motioning towards the room's new couch in front of the redone fireplace in the hopes the girl would understand she was allowed to take a seat.

[ShinobiTruth]

Approaching the house, the girl was confused. She'd seen some of these homes that the shinobi possessed, and those she had seen were veritable castles and palaces. It was clear that they were the ruling class of this place, this strange prison she lived in. But this home was... well, more like a true home. It was still foreign to her heart home, the tents and canopies of her people, yet it felt much more modest. She expected to see much more lavish furnishings inside, but once again, she was surprised at the simplicity of what she saw. The owners of the slave auction had not been shy in flaunting their lavish lifestyles. This woman, was she somehow different? Or would her master with red hair simply treat her as some sort of mutt to be adored... or worse?

The undoing of the shackles wasn't enough to indicate that anything would be different, though she was internally grateful for their removal. No, it was the tone of voice that made her start to suspect that this was no normal purchase. The woman's words were kind, though largely unknown to her. She recognized one word, "name", noticing how her master directed her to the couch. There was no grabbing, no firm tone, just... speaking. Words, from one person to another. The years of treatment as a slave had sharpened her sense of criticism to a spearpoint. This could still be a trick. She asked her name. She would give the one she was assigned. "K-Kikyo," she said quietly, voice thick with her accent but soft like the song of the wind.

Still concerned that she would face reprisal from disobedience, "Kikyo" awkwardly moved to the sofa and sat down. She cradled her arms in her hands, clearly uncertain about the events of the last thirty minutes meant for her life trajectory. Her eyes flitted around the room, taking the changes it. Things were being built here, and it was not finished. But it was comfortable. A sliver of hope crept into her heart, but she stamped it down. There was no reason these people wouldn't treat a pet with some level of care. That's all it was. She didn't really see "Kikyo" as a person...

Right?

[Willoria]

Sayuri quickly realized the woman had only answered one of her questions. She seemed very stiff, unsure, she could only assume this woman didn't fully understand the things that Sayuri was saying. Still, she was glad to see her sit on the couch and she hoped the woman might start to relax a bit. Already Sayuri could see this might be a long process. She held up a hand to indicate the woman should wait a moment and left the room. When she returned from the kitchen she came back with a small tray of tea and set it on the coffee table. She poured into two separate cups from the teapot. First she picked up one cup and took one of Kikyo's hands in hers and gently placed the cup in her hand to indicate it was for her, nodding slowly when she was sure the woman would be confused by the action. Then she took the second for herself and quickly took a sip from it while looking at Kikyo, hoping to show her the tea was safe to drink.

She pointed to herself. "Sayuri." she said, trying her best to introduce herself before seating herself more comfortably on the couch, with space between the two women. "You're safe here." she told her, silently wishing, hoping the woman might understand her. 'Why would those men not make sure she could understand? Then again... I doubt lessons from them would hardly be caring or kind... probably thought she'd be sold for crueler purposes...' she thought to herself as she sipped her tea.

Somehow the situation suddenly felt more complicated. Sayuri had never had a slave before, her parents had never seen the point in them, doing all the work themselves. Suddenly she wondered if this was what her father had actually meant when calling them 'more trouble than they were worth'. Sighing heavily again the woman wondered how she might get the point across to the woman that she was safe in this home. 'I doubt I can even show her the spare bed upstairs without panicking her yet...' The woman frowned suddenly as she realized some changes would have to be made sooner rather than later. 'When Maru gets home I'll need his help moving things around... I need that office converted into her room by tonight I guess, at least having a bed put in and the weapons taken out...'

[ShinobiTruth]

"Kikyo" was presented with one confusing action after another, not because she couldn't understand, but because it flew in the face of everything she knew to be her reality. She was purchased. She was a slave. True, she didn't have to worry about being fed or clothed. Still, her insecurities were strong and pervasive. This had to be some sort of trick. It had to be. There hadn't been a single person that saw her as anything other than property. Even the simple teacup before her stood to reject her fears, challenging what she had come to perceive as her fate. Was... Was this real? Truly?

Her mistress's name was Sayuri. Her eyes bore a kindness she'd only seen from her own. One that was genuine, that acknowledged her person, her heart. Looking at the teacup in her hand, she paused before taking a sip. The tea was hot, tingling her lips with its heat... but it was good. It wasn't impossible that this was simply a ruse to earn her submission. For all of her years as a slave, her pride as a tribesman had never left her. She'd never stayed long with any owner because of that rebellious spirit. She'd become a good judge of character over the years and had been able to snuff out those ulterior motives. She could sense none here. She had no grand mansion to care for, no children to watch, nothing to clean. She would normally be put to work immediately. Now, this mistress sat before her, looking to simply... talk? "Kikyo" couldn't understand what she was saying, but her words carried a genuine kindness, not the insulting cheery tone that she'd been beckoned with before, like some animal.

"Kikyo" took another sip of the tea. She... She could trust this, right?

---

Maru was finally done. It had been a long day, to be certain, and he hadn't quite mastered his time management skills in his new position. He had been held longer at the office than he'd wanted to be, and he had also been noticing the strain arising between him and Sayuri due to the sudden distance and lack of time together. He was eager to get home, jumping across rooftops. They both had been working hard on remodeling the first floor. His promotion had been sudden and had disrupted those plans, making them go more slowly than either of them intended. But now, he was getting home earlier than usual since he'd been appointed as Division Commander.

He had already cataloged a list of different projects they could work on once he arrived. Perhaps they could finish the fireplace. They had the materials ready; they only need to assemble the parts. Yes, that would be best. Finally, after nearly a month of exhaustive work, they'd have some time together.

[Willoria]

Sayuri took a moment away from the woman, letting her relax on the couch alone while she went to look at her study again. She had already started packing some things up so locking away her weapons actually didn't take as long as she thought. At one end of the room was a couch which she quickly made up with sheets, blanket, and a pillow. The room still looked like a study with empty shelves, but with the bed and the attached bathroom with a shower it would at least be a start. When she came back it hadn't been too terribly long. She took the chains she had undone from the woman's wrists and such and set them aside on a table to hopefully discard later before beckoning Kikyo to follow her and leading her quietly over to the study. She'd do her best to motion to the bathroom, to the made up couch in the room, and the room itself before looking at Kikyo and simply saying, "Yours." She'd step aside to let the woman in the room before simply standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame with a sigh, her hands resting in her pockets.

"I'll get you some real things, proper things, when I can. But this is your space now. You aren't a captive here. You'll be treated well." She still wasn't sure how to communicate with the woman, realizing she'd have to find a way to teach her more about the language. Knowing the slave trade she doubted it was possible to learn more about the woman's language instead. She watched her, wondering if the woman would explore, if she'd be comfortable here at all.

She just hoped the woman wouldn't try to run. She could only imagine how scared she might be, but she couldn't give the woman a better life here, a chance, if she ran. '...this really is a double edged sword isn't it?'

[ShinobiTruth]

Another sign. "Kikyo's" arrival had not been planned. Her mistress left her without orders or direction and heard movement in the other room for several minutes. Her hands resting on the chains unsettled the girl for a moment, but they were merely cast to the side. The mistress motioned for the girl to approach, and with a sense of caution, she did. The words her mistress used after the fact meant little to her, but she did understand one phrase. "Yours." So these would be her quarters. They were certainly modest, but they were more than other accommodations she'd been given. In the slave houses, they often had to use communal showers. The fact that she was being given a personal bath was so outside the scope of what she had assumed would happen that she almost thought this was a sick dream, a trick her mind was playing on her. There was a sofa made into a bed. Her last master had not let her sit upon the chairs and instead required that she kneel on pillows or the floor, yet once already she'd been allowed to sit. By any other standard, the room would be considered meager, but in "Kikyo's" eyes, it was more than she could have asked for.

The girl felt her bottom lip quiver, which she immediately stifled. She'd only just arrived. This person would prove who she was through actions over time, not merely in a single instance. But she genuinely wanted to believe that things would be different here. She knew very little of her mistress's language, but she knew enough to show gratitude. Turning and bowing deeply as she'd been taught, her raven locks occluding the vision of her eyes, glazed with misty water. "Th-Thank you," she stammered, accent clearly pronounced as she gave thanks in a tongue foreign to her own. The door was clearly visible from where she stood. If she ever felt at risk, she could always take her chance and run. Still, for now, she would give her mistress a chance. There was a fable amongst the other slaves that those who were bought and never heard from again were either carried off to great ruin or were rescued by angels. Looking upon Sayuri, "Kikyo" wondered which of these she might be. The stories told of shinobi were often frightful and awe-inspiring. She simply hoped she would survive long enough to find out whether they were true.

---

The village's newest bannin took every shortcut he could possibly discover to make it home more quickly, and it still continued on longer than he wanted. One of these days he would develop a chain or wire system people could use to sling around throughout the village. It would make the transport of both small parcels and people more efficient. He wasn't sure what form that idea would take outside of that, but he was relatively certain it could be useful. It certainly would be useful to him, at least. He was eager to return home to the arms of his beloved, and those wires would make the trip shorter, to be clear. Less time traveling between home and work, more time he and Sayuri spent fixing and remodeling together, more time talking to one another, less time focusing on work, more time simply being with each other.

Hey, Maru never promised that some of his requests wouldn't be selfish.

He jumped over the market and landed on the street at the center of the square, jogging his way back up the road toward the house. It would still be a while longer for him to reach, as the road to her house from the marketplace was fairly long. But each step lasted too long for him. He wanted to see Sayuri, to smell her, feel her in his arms. She belonged right by Maru's side, embracing her, completing the empty half that made him whole. His mind was filled only with joy, unaware of the brutal trial he would soon be facing from that same beloved woman. He rushed home, not wishing to extend their time apart by any amount other than necessary.

[Willoria]

Sayuri couldn't help a grin as the woman thanked her, nodding in response. "You're welcome." she replied, sighing quietly as she saw what she hoped she was interpreting properly as a glimmer of hope in the woman's bright eyes. "I'll need your help here, but not because I own you, because it is your home too now." she said, still feeling that sinking in her gut as she knew the woman probably wouldn't understand her. She leaned against the doorway a moment and thought briefly, the woman's name wandering through her mind again. The name just didn't fit the woman's face, it sounded like something from Iwa and it made her wonder if it was something given to her by her captors.

She walked over to the woman and gently took one of her hands in both of hers for a moment, trying to catch her gaze. "Are you really Kikyo?" she asked, pointing to her as she tried to make the question clear in her own expression, shaking her head slowly. "Or... did you have another name... before?" she tried to ask.

A thought suddenly occurred to Sayuri as she suddenly held up a finger and left the room, when she came back she had something in her hand. This she knew was probably the riskiest move she could make, but as a woman herself she could only guess this was probably the most meaningful gift she could give the slave yet. She took one of Kikyo's hands in hers and placed the small object into her hands, a short dagger in a sheath. Sayuri pointed to Kikyo. "You... are yours." she told her. "Your body? Is yours." With both of her hands Sayuri closed Kikyo's hands over the dagger to try and make clear to her that even the small dagger was hers, to protect herself and her body with.

She may have bought the woman as a slave, but she wanted the woman to understand that in this house especially, her body was her own. That the knife was her gift to her, her right to protect that with.

[ShinobiTruth]

“Kikyo’s” eyes roved the room more slowly this time, taking in every line, plane, and crease. This room, at first sight nothing more than the living space of a pet or underling, now presented different possibilities. If this woman was different from the rest, then perhaps she might find a life outside of the chains that had defined her before now. There had been rumors of some slaves finding kind masters, and their captors seemed to punish those who flagrantly abused their power. But this? To be given things? To be treated like one of them? She’d only ever known the life of a servant these last five years. It was a lot to process, to take in.

Sayuri’s next move was lost on the girl. She clearly recognized her name, but aside from that, the nature of the question eluded her understanding. She stared down at her hand held in Sayuri’s and slowly shook her head. She wasn’t certain why her name had come up again, but she was certain she was trying to tell her something.

A finger was held up before her, and her mistress momentarily departed. “Kikyo” had seen such a gesture enough to know that it meant for her to remain where she was, to wait. She did so, beholden to her mistress’s command. When she returned, it was not with anything that she expected. When she first saw the dagger her hands pulled away, and her eyes sharpened with fear. Her surprise was palpable, then, when her mistress proceeded to take her hands and close them around the dagger and push it gently toward her. Her words were still a mystery, but her actions made her intent clear. She was giving her, a slave, a weapon? She’d never heard of such a thing in her nearly six years in this strange place. She was giving a slave power. The power to protect herself.

Her lip quivered again, a little more visibly this time, though she quickly reigned the expression under control. She bowed again. ”Th-Thank you.”

Maru’s footsteps echoed along the buildings on the road leading up to the house. He felt himself decompress further with each stride he took toward that door. The role of leadership demanded that his strength be present on all fronts while in the presence of his subordinates and colleagues. But it was here, in his home, where he could put that veneer aside and let himself be vulnerable. The last handful of steps he toward toward the door couldn’t pass fast enough. His feet carried him up the few wooden steps that led to the door.

“Kikyo’s” keen ears caught the sound immediately, and she hid herself in the room, just behind the door, clearly startled by the presence of another person who she wasn’t anticipating.

Maru’s hand took to the door handle, and he opened it. ”Sayuri, my love, are you home?” he asked, a sense of relief washing over-

Maru’s eyes affixed to the sight of chains and manacles on the table. His chest tightened reflexively. What… What was going on here? ”Sayuri, is everything okay?” he asked, scanning the room before affixing to hers, seeking answers amidst his visible confusion.

[Willoria]

Sayuri turned her head towards the door as she heard Maru approaching, a smile crossing her lips before she noticed the way Kikyo responded. She quickly shook her head and made a downward motion with her hands. "It's okay." she told her calmly, bringing one hand up to touch her own chest. "He's with me." she tried to assure the woman before turning and going to the door to greet Maru properly. Seemingly unaware of his confusion the woman wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug, seeking a quick kiss of the man's lips before she took a step back from him to smile at him.

"Everything's fine." she told him, shrugging before her eyes followed his to the table and she couldn't help an embarrassed chuckle. "Oh, right, those." She motioned towards the study. "You and I have been so busy that keeping the house in any kind of state has been impossible so I figured I'd get us some help... though I'm a little out of my depth here already." she admitted, blushing lightly as she ran a hand through her hair before both hands moved to rest on her hips. "I think so far she understands that the study is hers now... and she's allowed her body to herself, that I'm not going to expect that of her... but she doesn't speak our language much. I'm not sure how to explain to her that she isn't going to be treated like a slave here. That I want her to have a lot more freedoms... this is home, not a cage."

Sayuri had absolutely no idea what she was really stepping into as she continued to ramble on.

[ShinobiTruth]

Maru stared hard at the chains, then at the study door as Sayuri began to speak, seeing the delicate fingers of a woman clasping at the doorframe. His mind started to rebel and panic at everything he was seeing. No. Please, no, not this. This woman he loved, she… she didn’t. She didn’t do this terrible thing, bought another life like it was property. He could not hide how unsettled he was, the anxiety creeping up from the deepest pits in the back of his mind. There had to be an explanation.

Thankfully, his ears were fully tuned in, and he heard the final part of her explanation. He felt the pressure release from within him, and his face visibly expressed his relief. So, she had bought her to protect her, to share their home. Good. He knew she would have questions; there was no way she wouldn’t notice how sudden and powerful his initial reaction had been. Desperation, fear, and sadness had all briefly flashed within his equally intense green eyes. But once she affirmed her intent for the girl, those fleeting concerns fell away, his confidence restored, love and admiration pouring from his eyes as he gazed upon Sayuri. She saw the beginnings of a smile at the corners of his lips, and if she didn’t know any better, his eyes were misted over. ”…Yes. In our home, there are no slaves. Only friends, only family,” he agreed. Turning his eyes back to the study, he called out, fluently, in her tongue, an ability Sayuri would learn he had only in that moment:

"لا تقلق. أنت بأمان هنا. أنت حر."
(Don’t worry. You are safe here. You are free.)
For a moment, there was silence. “Kikyo’s” hands visibly gripped the doorframe. Then:

"لسان قبيلتي ... كيف تعرفه؟"
(My tribe’s tongue… How do you know it?)
Maru nodded. He couldn’t blame her for being skeptical.

"والدتي جاءت من قبيلة أيضًا. نتمنى أن نكون أصدقاء لك. من فضلك ، اخرج."
(My mother came from a tribe as well. We wish to be your friends. Please, come out.)
“Kikyo” hesitated. All of this seemed too unreal. First, she’s bought by someone who wanted to help her instead of simply using her for her own benefit. Then, the man she is with speaks her tongue? Was she dreaming?

Slowly, she revealed herself, clad in the deep brown, gold, blue, and green. At the sight of her, even with her bangs still covering her eyes, Maru’s countenance fell, the tension returning with a profound sense of dread. This woman… he recognized her. Willing herself to look up, “Kikyo” met his eyes, and they locked onto each other. Maru’s mind nearly collapsed with morbid recognition. Those eyes. That hair. Her face. There was no mistake.

It was her. It was the little girl from the carriage. He was the reason she was here, scared and unsure. He had put her in those chains.

Shock, confusion, and profound guilt all crashed over his face, and Maru visibly trembled. Similarly, recognition and surprise crossed “Kikyo’s” features. They both stood in silence. Then, in a broken whisper:

"من فضلك ... سامحني."
(Please… Forgive me.)

[Willoria]

Sayuri suddenly stopped talking as she looked at him and realized something was wrong for a moment. She saw the relief cross his face, the change in his expression. She rest a hand on his chest as she looked at him. "Maru... what is it?" she asked quietly, suddenly concerned. She reached up her other hand to touch his cheek gently before he suddenly turned and spoke towards the doorway in a language she didn't recognize. Sayuri blinked rapidly, taking a step back and looking between the two as she listened to them talk but didn't understand a single word. A small smile slowly crossed her lips and she suddenly sighed with relief. "You never cease to amaze, my Love..." she muttered, reaching up with a hand to run her fingers through her hair.

For a moment it all seemed like it was going to be easier. Helping the woman learn to communicate would be easier, perhaps Maru could even teach Sayuri to speak to her as well. But that was all too easy it seemed. A moment later as Kikyo came full into view. Sayuri turned to ask Maru if he could find out what her real name was when she saw all color drain from his face. She didn't know what he said to her in the end, but she could recognize the tone. She glanced at Kikyo to gauge the young woman's reaction as well for a moment before moving back to Maru's side again and reaching out to touch his face. "Maru... what's wrong?" She glanced between the two of them more than once as she tried to understand what was happening between the pair when she couldn't understand the words.

[ShinobiTruth]

Maru barely heard Sayuri’s concerned pleas. His mind was being assaulted by searing images of that day: the biting cold, the sight of those tribesmen in chains, that little girl’s face and her pleading voice, all of it quickly ripping his sanity into shreds. He felt his sense of reason slipping as his mind descended into panic, hyperventilation beginning to set in, and he had no clue what he might do. Sayuri’s safety was the one thread of logic that managed not to fray or snap; he instinctively knew that he was about to break, and he had no clue what would happen.

He needed to leave. Now.

”I… I can’t be here,” he choked, tears nearly cresting in his eyes as he pulled away, nearly through the front door. The moment his feet hit the ground, his muscles would torque as he launched himself into the air like a rocket, bounding from building to building, quickly shrinking into the distance. If Sayuri’s memory serves her well, she’d remember where he was headed: the buildings where they had first met.

“Kikyo’s” eyes were not so slow to tears. Even as Maru backed away and he walked through the door, he called out to him, her tone clearly signaling that she was begging him for something:

"انتظر! من فضلك لا ترحل!"
(Wait! Please, don't leave!)
She ran after him to no avail, skidding to a stop as he flew off into the sky, her arms outstretched grasping at air. She froze, sobbing as she watched him go, powerless yet again. But wait, she wasn't alone now. Turning to Sayuri, she fell to her knees, clinging to her legs by the fabric of her leggings, tears flowing like rivers from her eyes. Her voice was clearly panicked, urgent:

"سايوري ، يجب أن نجده! من فضلك ، يجب علينا! هو واحد منا! هو واحد من شعبي!"
(Sayuri, we must find him! Please, we must! He is one of us! He is one of my people!)
She knew Sayuri wouldn't understand her, but she was so desperate that she couldn't find the words through her unsteady sobs. After a few deep breaths and a clear frustration on her face as she struggled to try and say something her mistress would understand, she finally spat it out in her unique accent:

"M-My... people! H-He is.... my people!"

As she supplicated Sayuri, hauntingly familiar green eyes reached into hers, searching for any foundation upon which to place her hope.

[Willoria]

Sayuri had no idea what was happening. All she knew was one moment he was there, and the next, he was taking off. She followed him to the door as well, but he was already gone, and she could see plainly the girl was begging him to stay. Still staring in shock, she almost wasn't aware of the girl clinging to her until she started to speak. Sayuri's head suddenly snapped to look at her before she dropped to her knees in front of her as well to try and calm her down, cupping the girl's face in her hands. "Shhh shh shh.... it's okay...." she tried to assure her, nodding as the young woman managed to get the words out, and then got them out in a language Sayuri could understand. Her eyes went wide, Sayuri knew nothing of Maru's family it seemed. All the times they had spoken, he had never told her. Yet somehow a few things started to click in her head, and Sayuri nodded quickly.

"I'll find him." she told Kikyo. She pulled the young woman to her in a hug briefly to try and comfort her. "I know where he's going." She got up and went to the door, pausing for a moment before looking at Kikyo, pointing to the inside of the home. "Stay here. It's safe here. I will find him." With that she closed the door behind her and took off after Iwamaru.

She knew where he'd be, she just had no idea what state he would be in when she did find him. 'Why didn't he tell me?! Was he afraid to tell me? Didn't he trust me? Why did seeing her scare him so much?' A thousand thoughts ran through her mind as she ran, and most of them she buried quickly. She simply had to focus on finding Maru first, getting answers would have to wait.

[ShinobiTruth]

Just when the bannin had thought he'd finally made peace with his past, he was put face to face with the personification of his sin, his error. His head pounded, his skin felt hot and tight like it was ripping from within, and his heart was being crushed in a vice of his own making. Maru didn't understand how, but everything hurt. He felt a pressure building inside of him that threatened to burst, his eyes flitting around looking for something, anything, he could find to unleash his misery upon. He kept it contained within, heading further and further away to a place where he was certain there'd be no one who could get hurt. He landed roughly, stumbling over clumsy footwork as he finally arrived where he had intended. This was the place they had met: this labyrinth of abandoned buildings, desolate and festering in their squalor. Wasting little time, he walked forward and threw all of his strength into striking the central support pillar for the closest building. A scream ripped from his lips with the crumbling of the concrete and the whining shrill of twisting metal, the sheer force of his strike collapsing the far wall. Though the building trapped the scream within its walls, they echoed endlessly within it, capturing and replaying his agony countless times.

Not even moments after his assault against the building had commenced, he stopped himself, the pointlessness of this "penance" obvious even to his addled brain. The weight of his guilt brought him low to his knees, the floodgates finally opening as he began to quietly but violently sob. The building would not go quietly. The sounds of cracking cement quickly began to echo and reverberate through the abandoned floors. A not insignificant part of him questioned whether he should even move. Maybe there was some lucky piece of shrapnel here that might finally rectify his crime against his fellow man once again for all. How could he have been so naive? Did he somehow think that he'd never see the result of his failure? Did he try to make himself forget that the suffering he had caused had a face, a name? Had he been praying like some child to whatever god would hear him, hoping that maybe they might have decent lives as the playthings of a people so ignorant that they'd never considered how they'd feel to have chains around their necks? That somehow, all the good he had done would simply excuse the evil he had inflicted?

Large chunks of the floors above began crashing around him, clamoring to the ground with resounding thuds and cracks. The walls of the decrepit building audibly shook as they crumbled, yet he didn't move. He didn't want to die... but was there really a means for penance in life? He was one man. What hope did he have to right a wrong imposed by his village, his nation? Despair still clung to him like a straightjacket, and he almost let the floor above fall and crush him. It was only the images that flashed through his mind at that moment that drove him to move:

"You can be the one who spearheads it and moves it along once you pick yourself up... But you gotta pick yourself up, Maru."

"You still have so much room in your heart, Maru. I can see it as clearly as I see you sitting next to me."

Shizuo would lose a comrade. Eriko would lose a friend. And...

"I love you, Maru."

Sayuri would lose her beloved. No matter how little he thought of himself, he'd never forgive himself in this life or the next for making her cry.

Getting to his feet and dashing forward, lightning coursed through his veins with the sound of the structure collapsing behind him. Damn it. What was he doing?! He hurt... and he just wanted it to stop. But what would that fix, exactly? Sinking to the ground, he flipped the hood of his jacket over his head before he drew his knees into his chest and wept in the space between. For all of his accomplishments and all his strength, he was still just an orphan, crushed by his guilt and fear and unable to forgive himself.

[Willoria]

She tore across rooftops like the house of the Oni themselves were on her heels. She had to find him, something wasn't right and it left a tightness in her chest she wasn't accustomed to. The day her own father had walked out of her life had been so long ago, but the longer it took her to find Maru the more it started to sting like that day again. The woman buried the thoughts of the little girl as she pressed on, her expression slowly hardening to that of the shinobi she had become as she went. She knew he wouldn't be hard to locate once she got there. Sure enough, as she got close she saw the plume of smoke and debris, heard the cascade of rock and wrenching steel of a falling building. Fear slowly replaced with anger, she pressed on. She skipped across the top of the shattered pieces of the falling building like they were rocks across a river, kicking off the last one to flip forward and come down hard.

She landed hard, earth cracking under her as she landed on one knee and lifted her head to stare at Maru. Her eyes were practically glowing with the rage that had built up in the run to find him, the fear that had swallowed her as she moved, terrified that she might not find him, that he might be gone. But the moment she laid eyes on him it was gone. It was washed away in an instant.

She stood up straight and sighed quietly as she looked down at him. The warrior she had fallen in love with, stalwart and unshakeable, sat like a broken child weeping for something she knew nothing about. She walked around behind him and knelt, wrapping her arms around him and resting her forehead on his shoulder. She knew if he wanted to confide in her, he would. Until he did she would just be present in the moment.

She didn't speak a word.

[ShinobiTruth]

Maru didn't hear Sayuri approach, but he felt her hands slip around him. It didn't take long for one of his hands to slide down and clasp over hers. There was no avoiding this conversation now, yet even now he was still afraid to speak. He didn't even understand why it scared him to say what he had to say. Was it because he was afraid she wouldn't understand? Maybe. Or perhaps it hurt that his parents hadn't told him. That he'd lived a lie. That he could have used his position to do more for his people before now if he had known. He didn't know, but no amount of conjecture or knowledge removed the fear. He was stuck in his own head, and it was hard to get himself out.

For a time, they would sit together, silence the pair's only companion as his sobbing slowed and the well of sadness slowly drained from his eyes and his chest. He would give his beloved's hands a light squeeze. Even now, after running away, probably scaring her half to death, Sayuri still was here with him. It was no longer a matter of holding on tightly lest he might lose her. No, she was a part of him now, inseparable from himself. If there was anyone in this village that would understand, anyone who cared and who gave a damn, it was her. Swallowing hard, he took a deep, shaky breath. "It's her... It's really her," he breathed, the stark tranquility making certain that even his whispered confession was audible to his darling.

It was cryptic, yes, but those words were the stopper that had been pulled from the barrel. All Sayuri needed to do was tip the barrel and he'd spill forth the truth like coveted spirits from within.

[Willoria]

She stayed with him in the silence, unsure when he might calm down enough to tell her what was going on. But she knew she wasn't moving until he was ready to, and she wouldn't speak until he was ready to either. Some part of her was worried about leaving Kikyo alone at the house already, but she knew that concern couldn't take her focus right now. Maru needed her more in this moment. Once he finally spoke the woman took a deep breath and let it out slow. One hand reached up to gently pull his hood back as she turned her head to look at him. That same hand gently reached towards him, two fingers gently caressing his cheeks, one at a time to wipe away the tears that had fallen. "Who is she?" she asked quietly. She knew he had to be referring to Kikyo. It wasn't until he saw her face that he reacted the way he did. She wasn't sure how the sudden sight of a slave had drawn such a reaction out of him, but it had. It was the only 'her' that Sayuri could think of however.

Her other arm moved just as her body did. She shifted to sit up on her knees and more directly behind him, her arm shifting down towards the the middle of his chest to encourage him to lean back against her more that she might hold him. Yet her free hand still remained caressing his face to wipe away his tears. "I love you, Iwamaru." she assured him quietly. "Please... tell me, what's plaguing you?"

[ShinobiTruth]

Maru was putty in her hands. There was not a single motion nor a minute gentle tug or push he could resist. Before he even realized it, he was resting against her chest, her warmth and heartbeat comforting melodies in his distress. Normally stoic facial features were contorted and twisted in torment, those familiar, haunted green eyes looked up into Sayuri's gold for solace. The whispered reassurance of her love made him relax even more into her touch. The tension seemed to drain away like water from a stream into a river. Placing a hand over her own, giving it a gentle squeeze, Maru finally began to speak in full. "We never owned slaves as a child, and my parents always told me to treat them like I would anyone else. I didn't understand why until recently. There was so much they didn't tell me."

He pulled out the scroll that had been in his pocket for the past few weeks, ever since his trip to the ruins of the tribal camp his mother had been taken from. "She always called herself Shirayuki. My mom, I mean... And I just learned that wasn't even her real name," he choked, his voice still thick from anguish. "Her real name was Amani. She hid her name from me in the hopes I'd not be burdened by her past... the past of a slave. My parents never told me I'd have to put even more of her people in captivity."

It hurt to recall the memory of that mission that Tatsuo had taken him on. Even after many years, it was still so vivid, the emotional scar so fresh, and tears threatened the corners of his eyes anew. "Just before the war, I was taken on an incursion into the countryside to 'retrieve cargo.'" He would squeeze her hand again, trying to draw strength from her touch. Maru grit his teeth through the pain the past inflicted upon his fragile heart. "I'd just been promoted to jounin. I had no idea what they meant. Perhaps livestock or lumber. I was excited to perform... to be a loyal soldier."

He steadied himself with a deep breath, a volatile combination of pain and anger threatening to swell in his chest. "It was only when we got there that I found out that the 'cargo' was people." His lower lip quivered as he struggled to maintain his composure, remembering the pitiful condition he'd found the people in, people he now realized may have been from the same group of tribes his mother had come from. "They were shoved into a basement, Sayuri. It was the dead of winter, and they didn't have a single pelt or blanket between them, just the clothing on their backs. They were cold. They were hungry. They were scared. They never asked for anything that had happened to them. All they wanted was to live their lives as they wanted... and I led them away in chains for the sake of loyalty."

Maru's trembling returned and tears once again streamed down his face as he once again recalled the girl's face. "Sh-She was there, Sayuri. She was there, just a little girl... begging me in broken words to take her and her family home," he bitterly wept. "I had the strength to free them. I could have done something, anything, to help them escape, and I didn't. I-I brought them here as captives. My mother's people. My people. I'm the reason they can't go home. I'm the reason they live in shackles and cages... I'm the reason that she's here, having suffered all this time." His breath hitched as he began sobbing anew, setting his arm over his eyes to hide the sight of his pitiful, contorted face as he rained from his eyes.

"How? H-How am I supposed to forgive myself for that?!"

[Willoria]

Sayuri listened to him helplessly. Part of her was upset to only just be learning about this herself, and another part of her just didn't understand the burden of it. Certainly her own family had never owned slaves, but it didn't make her unfamiliar with the concept. Her parents had simply never had a need for them. She still saw them as people really, people who served a function. She didn't understand why so many mistreated them, being around them was an awkward unfamiliarity for her. But she couldn't understand the pain Maru was feeling in this moment. She simply held him, sighing quietly to herself as she tried to think on how to answer him, and after a few moments of quiet she moved her hand again to encourage him to uncover his face. "You start with the girl." she said quietly. "We can't change the past, and its useless to try." she told him, looking at him for a moment as she again tried to wipe the tears from his eyes. "As shinobi we'll always be called to do things others cannot, that destroy others, that others detest. If it wasn't this thing, it would've been another..."

Sayuri sighed quietly, reaching out to cup his chin in her hand to get him to look at her. "I can't pretend to know this pain... we've shared so much pain together already and this is one I don't share... but I can tell you this. When you left the house she didn't yell at you. She wasn't afraid of you. If anything Kikyo seemed afraid for you. So start with that. She may be only one slave in all of Iwagakure... but we can give her a comfortable life rather than the curse so many others live. We can go home and ask her what her real name is."

Sayuri looked at Iwamaru and smiled almost sadly. "Maru, from someone outside this pain looking in... you don't look like a man trying to forgive yourself, you look like a man trying to escape or change the past. That can't happen. Maybe instead try actually forgiving yourself, and start by talking to her, see if she forgives you first maybe?"

Sayuri stood up and reached out a hand, an offer to help the man up. "She's alone and scared in a new place... let's change that. Together."

[ShinobiTruth]

It wasn't what Maru wanted to hear, but it was what he needed. He hadn't thought about it as trying to escape or change the past before. It had always seemed like he had a responsibility to bear that guilt, to never forget it, to chain himself as he had chained others. That resentment had also projected onto the village, haunted by the trauma of the war and this great disgusting thing it participated in. He had no confidence that the village wanted to change. Even the measures they'd taken to give slaves a path to freedom seemed forced, not motivated by goodwill. So then if he didn't actively punish himself with the memory, who would? And what would make him want to redeem himself?

Her words were kind, if not firm. She didn't try to brush his pain aside. Rather, she helped him put that pain in perspective. All of this time, he'd tried to channel the frustration into something practical, but only in a physical matter. Those activities had really just been a vent, a valve to relieve the sadness that was constantly festering and building inside of him. His mother and father hadn't been present to help him learn to manage these emotions. Though he was hardworking and driven, he lacked the emotional maturity that his dear Sayuri had. They were very different people as this day had clearly shown them. But it was the kind of different that Maru needed, not just what he wanted.

He had already loved her before. Now, this moment just made him love her more.

Taking her hand, Maru got to his feet, quickly taking her in his embrace. "...I'm sorry for scaring you," he apologized, sniffling as he relaxed. "I love you so much."

[Willoria]

Sayuri smiled as he pulled her into his arms, and she wrapped his around his waist. She rested her face against his cheek for a moment and sighed quietly. "I love you too, Maru." she replied quietly before looking up at him. "Now let's get home, hm?" she asked him, pulling back from him but taking one of his hands in hers as she did so. "We have a lot to do at home, including welcoming our new addition... I know it won't be easy for you now and I'm sorry for springing that on you. I should have talked to you first... didn't even occur to me to talk to you about it before I did it. I just went to the market and saw her face..." She sighed and shook her head. She still couldn't explain what was so different about the girl, but she'd caught her eye and felt like she just had to bring her back with her.

Taking Iwamaru by the hand however she'd turn to start the walk back towards home, her fingers intertwined with his. The woman still had so many questions, but it just seemed more important to wait and get home now.

[ShinobiTruth]

Maru simply nodded. The walk home would give him time to prepare for the inevitable conversation that was to come. The girl from his past. "Kikyo." If it was anything like his mother, that was probably an assigned name, as Sayuri had surmised. He was surprised that she'd had the forethought to even consider that possibility. Most people simply didn't bother to ask the question-

"M-Master!"

Well, so much for preparing. Maru and Sayuri would turn to find "Kikyo" timidly rounding the bend of some rubble. She had followed them all the way here. How long had he spent here in abject torment, blinded by his tears and swaddled in his own arms? Much to Sayuri's relief, she'd at least thought to bring the dagger with her, the weapon's scabbard looped through her sash. Her eyes first found Sayuri's with a sense of relief before looking to Maru with a much different gaze. Maru squeezed Sayuri's hand, clearly drawing strength from her presence to step forward and speak. Taking a deep breath, he managed to bring himself to walk towards his tribemate. She seemed equally uncertain, driven forward by the hope of seeing another of her people. "Kikyo" had not seen anyone from her tribe since she had been brought to this place. She'd never met anyone else but her tribesmen that had those same eyes. Now that he'd told her of his mother, she understood. She had likely also been brought her against her will. He was a shinobi, but he was also one of her people. If that alone had been the only thing that connected them, it would have been simple.

But it was the moment they met that electrified the meeting between them. Maru found it difficult to meet her eyes. The stillness hung between them for what felt like eons. Finally:

"أنا آسف. لا يمكنني إعادتك إلى منزلنا. لا يمكنني استعادة الخطأ الذي ارتكبته. عندما التقيت بك ، لم أكن أعرف أن هذا ما تفعله قريتنا. لقد كنت مسكونًا بذكرى ما كنت أفعله كل يوم."
(I'm sorry. I can't return you to our home. I can't take back the mistake I made. When I met you, I hadn't known that this was what our village does. And I have been haunted by the memory of what I did every day.)
"Kikyo" looked down at her hands, keenly remembering the events of that day, even though she had only been a child. She took time to formulate her response.

"... أعرف. جزء مني أراد أن يكرهك ، ويلعنك على كل ما فعلته. لكنني لم أستطع. أتذكر أنني رأيت عينيك. أتذكر أنهما كانا حزينين مثل حزني. في قلبي ، كنت أعلم أنه لم يكن خيارك ".
(...I know. Part of me wanted to hate you, to curse you for everything you'd done. But I couldn't. I remember seeing your eyes. I remember they were just as sad as mine. In my heart, I knew it wasn't your choice.)
Maru nodded slowly as she raised her eyes to meet his, his eyes still misty from his tears. He let out a deep breath, a wave of relief flowing through him as he realized he'd been granted her forgiveness. Though there were no words for a time, their eyes spoke volumes.

"سأعثر على المزيد من شعبنا. لن أترك إرث أمي يموت. لن تعيش حياتك كعبيد. سأساعدك لأنني سأساعد الآخرين الذين استولت عليهم قريتي. أعدك: سوف تكون مجانا."
(I will find more of our people. I won't let my mother's heritage die. You will not live your life as a slave. I will help you and I will help others my village has taken. I promise you: you will be free.)
Her eyes glazed over with tears, and her breath hitched as she gave way to tears of relief. Rushing forward, she hugged them both.

"الأرض أرسلتك لتحميني! لم أتخل عني! شكرا لك! شكرا لك!"
(The Earth sent you to protect me! I have not been abandoned! Thank you! Thank you!)
Maru had to resist the urge to burst into tears as she embraced them, a bit shorter than they were even though she was just as old as Sayuri. He'd never expected to ever see her again, let alone get the chance to finally make amends for a deed that had plagued his conscience for half a decade. Finally, "Kikyo" managed to get herself a bit calmer, she looked up at them.

"سأفعل كل ما بوسعي لخدمتكما بشكل جيد ، يا معلمة."
(I will do all I can to serve you both well, Master.)
Maru shook his head as the trio embraced.

"لا ، ليس" سيد ". أنت لست عبدنا أنت صديقنا ".
(No, not 'Master.' You are not our slave. You are our friend.)
She nodded, though it perhaps made her cry a bit harder, if not in joy. Finally, the bannin spoke in common. "Iwamaru," he said simply, finally properly introducing himself.

She did her best to smile through the tears. "Eman," she replied.

The cloud that had occluded his mind for so long had already been thinning bit by bit. Shizuo and Eriko had helped him with his trauma during the war. His father's journal and his memory had reconciled their grievances. And now with Sayuri's help, the final obstacle, the girl who had been the focus of his guilt, had forgiven him. Sayuri would watch his face change like a blooming flower. Sayuri would see Maru smile, truly smile, unrestrained. She well knew he still had more problems to face. But he had come leaps and bounds from the repressed mute veteran she'd met.

It turned out the Frostblood Titan was really just a big, friendly giant... with crippling trauma, of course.

[Willoria]

Sayuri couldn't help a laugh as Kikyo came around the corner. She could have been upset, she could have gotten mad, but honestly the sight of the young woman and the dagger secured in her belt just made her laugh. Everything couldn't have seemed more perfectly deemed by fate in that moment. This young woman might've been a slave, but she didn't behave like one. She hadn't stayed behind, she carried the weapon without question through the village. She only stopped laughing when she felt Maru squeeze her hand. When he finally moved forward towards the woman, Sayuri moved with him.

She couldn't understand any of the conversation that came next. But she watched the body language between the two. She could almost feel that there was an understanding here, a path to healing beginning even. And when the young woman hugged them both she smiled, knowing things could start to get better. She ran one hand over the back of the young girl's head, fingers through her hair almost the way a caring mother would. Her other hand ran down Maru's back to reassure him that everything would turn out alright.

Her smile only grew as she heard Maru introduce himself and the young woman give her real name. With a sigh she was glad that at least these moments had come to a conclusion. 'Another step forward...'