It had become part of Ruby's normal routine to go out into the forest on Mansion grounds and practice her some of her speed based moves. Emerald had taught her a few things about fighting based on your own strengths and weaknesses, which in the case of Ruby, her greatest strength was speed. Her big sister had been training her how to fight, using the basics so Ruby could come to the conclusion of what her own fighting style was like. Most of it was based on high speed attacks and dodges with equally quick retreats. Typically, Ruby would train in human form in the danger room but since it was such a beautiful day outside she decided to dart around the trees and try some of the exercises Em taught her in fox form.

That is until a large arrow nearly thudded into her tender paw if she didn't skillfully leap out of the way. She stared at the arrow for a moment, trying to calm down a little after nearly getting skewered by a giant arrow. Green eyes looked around for its shooter and saw no one in sight. It would appear to the fox that whoever fired the arrow ethier missed horribly or was trying to hit some bird of some kind. There were a lot of wild birds on the grounds that could have easilly been used as target practice. Large ears perked up when she heard a rustling in the bushes and without even thinking the fox took the arrow by the middle with her jaws and pulled it out of the moist, loose soil, darting off with it.

No one nearly hits a Lupin and gets away with it! Ruby thought, skillfully darting into the bushes.

It had become part of Mirror's normal routine to go out into the forest on Mansion grounds and practice archery.
It was a good sport, and useful, and all kinds of badass, and now that he finally found a bow that worked just perfectly, s/he spend many afternoons and mornings practicing. Not as much as s/he wanted to, due to the classes Sam signed him up for.
Oh well.

On this beautiful spring day Sir Gawain was out in the woods, doing target practice. He didn't really have a target, and he avoided shooting at living creatures, afraid one of them might turn out to be a mansion student. He just shot arrows into the steep side of a small hill, for now.

At least, until one of the arrows bounced off a rock hidde in the grass, and disappeared among the bushes with a hiss.

"Damn."

Gawain followed the arrow. These things cost a lot (if one actually bought them, which he didn't), and he didn't want to give them up so easily. Pushing some leafs anf branches out of the way, he found it.

In the mouth of a fox.

"Hey!" he yelled, more surprised than angry, as the fox darted away "That's mine, ya little... hey!"

For a split second, he reached for another arrow. Then he remembered his own rule. No shooting small animals. Right.
So, he settled for plan B.

He started chasing the fox.

The little fox easilly darted around the trees and bushes that were in her way, even taking a chance to do a few sharp turns to throw the boy that was chasing her off. The little fox knew that if she got caught she would likely get into trouble, but somehow she didn't really mind that. It was good to let loose every once and a while, besides she enjoyed causing occasional mischief in her own cunning way. Maybe it was just the fox in her or the old Lupin family way, but at least she was having fun with it.

The fox leap across what it seemed to be a normal patch of grass but Ruby knew better. It was a pitfall trap Emerald had used in her own training to teach her how to be perceptive. The grass disturbed and the leaves that laid on top of it weren't from around the mansion. The bottom of it was lined with pillows in order for the unfortunate person who fell in wouldn't get hurt, but the first time Ruby fell into it, she learned to observe more, even when she was running.

Question was, would Gawain notice it and Ruby decided to hide in a nearby bush, to see what would happen.

"Come back here!"

People don't usually yell at foxes at a fox hunt. And don't try to persuade them to give back the arrow.
Then again, people don't usually ride steeds that are also their friends. And toads don't usually turn into traitorous princes.
So, Gawain yelled.

"That arrow is mine, you..."

And then, the ground disappeared from under his feet.

Gawain let out a surprised... sound, and braced himself for landing on rock, or hard ground, or spikes, or something even worse.
He landed on pillows.

"Wha...."

All right, whoever leaves death traps with cusions around in the woods will get some serious talkin' to from a pissed off mirrorwalker...
... as soon as he gets out of the pit.

"HEY!" he yelled, boxing into the wall of the pit. It was not cushioned. "Ow."

Well...
... damn.

As to be expected the boy that was chassing her fell in the hole, causing a small, very human like grin to appear on the foxes face. She scampered her way out of the bush and made her way to the hole, gazing down at the young man with a smug grin on that little kits face. She spat out the arrow in order to bark at him playfully , walking around the edge of the whole with a confident stride. It was his own fault for not being observant. Besides it could have been much worse, if her oldest sister had set the trap it would probably be filled with acid or something like that.

With a gleeful yip, Ruby made her way over to a different bush that was near a large oak tree. After a few moments of the bush rustling the little fox drug out a large thick rope by her teeth, dragging it all the way back to the hole, throwing it down for the boy to climb up. It was wrapped around the oak Tree securely so he wouldn't have to worry about no one holding it on the other side. Picking up the arrow in her mouth again, the Fox gleefully waited for the boy to climb back up, so she could resume her game. Though she made sure to stay as far away from the rope as possible, just in case if he decided to try to scoop her up as he climbed from the hole.

All right, that fox was definitely a person.
Real foxes don't bring ropes for the people chasing them.

"C'mon" the young knight growled, pulling on the rope, half expecting it to give away "Seriously?"

Once he was sure it was not another trick to make him fall, Gawain was out of the pit in no time, bow flung over his shoulder with the string across his chest. He sat down on the edge of the pit, glaring at the fox.

"So. Who the heck are you, foxy?"

Better be nice. The kit stil had the arrow.

With a tiny whimper the little fox trodded up the boy with a guilty look in her eyes. While she did enjoy playing her game, she didnt want the boy to be mad at her ethier, it was all in good fun after all. Ruby had far more of a fun time when he was chassing her than when he fell down the hole and it made her note silently in her head that he should learn about his surroundings more. Maybe if he got better at doing that he wouldnt fall into any pitfalls as much. With a small bark she dropped the arrow infront of the boy, the extremely fluffy tail curling around her body ever so timidly.

With big pleading green eyes she looked up at the boy guiltily, giving him such a wounded puppy dog look that her big sister Emerald would be putty in seconds for it. With flattened ears and a sorrow filled eyes she gave the boy the best. "Im sorry look" that she could muster.

Cute little animals with huge shiny eyes and bushy tails. Giving the arrow back.
Riiight.

Gawain looked at the fox, trying to muster up a look that didn't say DAWWW right away. Knights don't get maternal instincts. At least not on Gawain days. No. Just... no.

"Y'know it this was a movie ya'd look at me like that an' then bite my hand off." he smirked, reaching for the arrow and putting it away with the others "I didn't hurt ya, did I? I'm sorry, didn't see ya were in the bush."

The innocent little fox was gleeful to say the least as she leapt about, her eager little tail swishing back and forth excitedly. Her little ears perked up as the boy spoke, listening to his question that asked if he hurt her. She shook her little head before nuzzling his free hand a little, showing him that all was forgiven in the land of foxes. The tiny fox scampered over to the boys shoes, looking at them as if they were a terrifying villain that she had to take down.

She pounced on a loose lace, grabbing it with her teeth and pulling, just before rolling on her back. The kit looked like a mix between a playful puppy and a curious little kitten as she batted at the evil shoelaces. Soon the green eyed kit found herself tangled up in the shoelaces, causing her to whimper a little when she tripped while walking away, once again she looked up at the boy pleadingly, hoping he would free her from his laces.

If cuteness could kill, Gawain would have been in a critical condition by now. The kit was doing everything within her power to melt his heart.
But. She chewed the arrow.
(Gawain was grateful for that. A knight could loose his dignity, cuddling fluffy baby animals)

"Now look what ya've done. These things cost a fortune, y'know."

At least to people who buy them.

"Oh c'mon" he muttered, watching the kit tangle herself (himself?!) into the shoelace. He reached down, starting to untangle the fox-lace bundle of joy. He scratched the belly too, because his hand was already there anyway. "Tell me ya're not Calley, cuz that would just be weird."

Little Ruby looked at the chewed arrow with a confused look on her face, it wasn't that hard of a fix to fix one of those arrows. In her opinion the metal ones were better for shooting out in the middle of the woods, that way, if it got stuck in a tree it was less likely it would break. Whenever Ruby practiced, she had a habit of breaking arrows from occasional misfires as well as changes in wind speed, making it harder for her to calculate were the arrow was going to land.

Now though, she was getting her belly rubbed and Ruby was absolutely content with that, making her back leg move back and forth with glee. It was a weak spot for all of the Lupin women, even Sapphire, though she would never admit it. Rolling back over on her back Ruby looked up at the boy with those green eyes of hers, the coy fox like grin on her face.

"Nope, I'm Ruby Lupin, I'm the youngest of the Lupin sisters and your'e Emmy's friend Gawain and sometimes your Maya depending on the day," Ruby replied, her voice sounding higher in pitch than it was in human form but none the less sounded far more human than ether of her sisters when they were in animal form. "You also nearly skewered me with an arrow and if it wasn't for my agility training with Emmy, you would have had to tell her why her baby sister had a huge arrow sticking out of her paw."

>>"Nope, I'm Ruby Lupin, I'm the youngest of the Lupin sisters and your'e Emmy's friend Gawain and sometimes your Maya depending on the day,"

Gawain froze. And stared. Did the fox just... speak?
Emmy's sister. Yeah. That made sense.
Reboot.

"Nice to meet ya, kit" the knight grinned, shaking his head in surprise "I knew ya were no ordinary fox."

>>"You also nearly skewered me with an arrow and if it wasn't for my agility training with Emmy, you would have had to tell her why her baby sister had a huge arrow sticking out of her paw."

Gawain scratched the back of his head. Yeeeeah. Awkward. He might as well jump off a skyscraper.

"I told ya, I'm sorry. I usually train out here so I don't shoot Mansion people." he smirked "Or foxes. I'd really hate having to explain somethin' like that to Ems. See, I like bein' alive."

The kid still looked adorable. And very wise.

"So, ya're the little sister." he grinned "I've heard about you. An' I take it ya've heard about me too..."

With a gleeful grin Ruby scooted away from the boy and morphed into her human form, the movement being fast and almost fluid. Once there was a fox, then there was a fully grown fourteen year old fox girl there with a lightening t shirt and cargo pants along with lightening sneakers.The diffrence between Ruby and other shifters was the fact when she morphed back she was fully clothed. Why? No one really knew why, not even the little scientific genius could figure out when she morphed back why she had clothes on, but it wasnt something she wanted to question.

"Yep! I've heard about you a bunch from my big sister, she says your'e really nice and that your'e dating Miss Twyla on both Gawain days and Maya days. You are like her knight in shining armor right? Except you don't try to mask your gender because of the rarity of lady knights back in those days." Ruby replied, her voice though still high pitched, in more of a human octave. She had a sweet innocent little voice and it tended to throw people off when she told them how old she was. "Emmy said you were really nice and you helped her at the spooky house with the Psychic people. My family tends to have bad luck with psychics"

Her ears drooped for just a moment, obviously not having a great experience with a psychic herself but she perked up a little at Gawain, not wanting to seem sad for to long. "Its okay Mr Gawain, My big sister is just sort of protective of me. She ripped a guys spine out once because he hit on me, but he was an older guy like around twenty something and Emmy called him a bunch of words I'm not allowed to say." Ruby informed Gawain of dutifully, though she was a Lupin and the Lupins did have a habit of keeping secrets, Ruby was by far the most open about the family. Though she knew what to tell and what not to tell.

>>"Yep! I've heard about you a bunch from my big sister, she says your'e really nice and that your'e dating Miss Twyla on both Gawain days and Maya days. You are like her knight in shining armor right? Except you don't try to mask your gender because of the rarity of lady knights back in those days."

Gawain watched the fox shift into a girl, and for a moment instinctively closed his eyes, mainly becase he didn't want to loose them when Ems found out he'd seen her sister naked.
Sh spoke. He peeked. She was not naked.
Calley should learn from her.

Gawain laughed.
"Ya really know a lot, don't you."

>>"Its okay Mr Gawain, My big sister is just sort of protective of me. She ripped a guys spine out once because he hit on me, but he was an older guy like around twenty something and Emmy called him a bunch of words I'm not allowed to say."

The young knight winced. "Yeah, that sounds like her."
Tell me ya're kidding.

"I heard about you a lot too" he smiled, gathering his things and standing up "So, Em's trainin' you to be like her? What's your special ability?Y'know, besides bein' smart."

He was not sure the fox had one. But since Em did, it was a safe bet the kit would too.

Ruby stood up when Gawain did figuring it would be best not to stay sitting down. On the question of Emerald training her, Ruby grinned a little, a bright, happy look in her eyes. It had taken some convincing for her older sister to teach her how to fight, for she was worried that she would get hurt. Ruby had convinced her though that in the long run it would be far worse if she didnt learn to fight than if she did. So her big sister had set up into teaching Ruby how to fight and though she didnt train nearly as much as her sister, she still was quite practiced in it. Old Training excersises from Fusion corp on agility and evasion came in handy for the young fox.

"Emmy is teaching me my own fighting style so I will be able to defend myself better in case of any more attacks on the mansion or if someone tries to jump me in the street," Ruby replied, nodding confidently. "As for talents, I can generate electricity from my body and control it. Besides the whole fox morph thing, I'm the fastest out of the Lupin sisters and the most acrobatic. Emmy helps me factor that in my fighting because she says that everyone has their own fighting style based on thier strengths and weaknesses. "

Ruby felt her ears twitch a little when she heard a bird flutter into a nearby tree. She looked at it for a moment, almost tempted to leap at it, but decided against it, she always had trouble catching birds when they were high off the ground.