I felt a bit bad that I didn't knew this type of people existed in the world, apparently, after Ruby went into more details, she was a transgender, a person that transitions into the gender they weren't assigned at birth, but that they chose.

It makes sense to me now that I think about it, sometimes people would be born without really wanting to be a man or a woman, right? As she said, she was a girl at heart, and that's really cute.

"Thank you for telling us such a secret..." I said. "I'm very sorry if we made you feel uncomfortable before or something, it wasn't our intention, Ruby!"

"I-It's fine..." she sighed. "It wasn't as if it really bothered me... It's just that, aside from mom, nobody had ever said I was cute or something."

"Hm, well, dwarves do seem like some sort of stuck-up people, I bet they aren't really going around telling cuties they're cute," said Celeste.

"Yeah!" Celica nodded. "Or is there other problem?"

"Hm, well, maybe it's just my dad's thing, he did talk with his friends about me, and then his friends talked with others... You couldn't tell I was born a boy because you come from outside, but around the community everyone knows I was born a boy, so they treat me like a guy even when I tell them that I'm a girl... I-It's really annoying, but well, what else can I do anyways?" Ruby shrugged. "If they get rowdy with me I still beat them with my hammer."

"Hahah!" laughed Celeste. "I think I like you a bit more, Ruby. You're a strong girl despite acting all pathetic in front of the debt collectors."

"Ugh, shut up..." Ruby groaned. "They were like... a dozen against me, how else would I act?! Also that white fox dude... he was too strong, he could have killed me... He ended slicing my hammer though."

She glanced at the hammer resting over the table, which had been perfectly sliced into two halves. the interior showed a lot of jewels that powered it up, it was a magic artifact specifically made for Magic Smithing.

"It was a gift from mom..." she sighed. "You know? Mom and dad were both blacksmiths. They fell in love because of that... Back then dad wasn't like he is now, ugh. He was nice, before... before mom passed away."

"Oh..." I muttered. "I'm sorry to hear that, Ruby. It must have been hard..."

"It was, very..." said Ruby. "Everything changed after she passed away. Dad became an alcoholic, and when I finally decided to accept my true identity and tell him who I truly was, he started berating me and... insulting me... he blamed me for mom's death and... and he's so abusive..."

"What?!" Celeste screamed. "What sort of deadbeat dad is that? Should we go pay him a visit maybe? Beat some sense into him, physically."

"C-Celeste! Calm down..." I calmed her down, patting her shoulders. "I doubt Ruby would want that."

"Yeah... But I appreciate the thought, he's a piece of shit," Ruby sighed, lowering her shoulders. "Um, that's... about it? I mean... what else? My life has been pretty shitty until... until you appeared out of nowhere today. Yeah..."

"But aren't you a Hero?" wondered Celica. "Maybe you don't like being one but that blessing... Wouldn't it help you make better equipment? Back then, I felt like you weren't using it! Why?"

"Ah..."

Ruby suddenly fell silent, growing a bit nervous, then sighing.

"It's because... I promised to never use my powers after mom died..."

She gripped her fists tightly.

"It was my fault... It was because of those powers."

We glanced at her in confusion, we didn't get it.

"I-It's because... I..."

She looked more and more sad, her eyes about to start crying.

I quickly stopped her, patting her shoulders.

"It's okay, you don't need to say it if you don't want to," I smiled at her. "We just met after all, maybe wait until we know each other for longer? Until you feel more comfortable."

"Ah... thanks..." she sighed.

"Yeah, we're not like... interrogating you or something," said Celeste with a nod. "It's up to you if you want to say something, don't force yourself."

"I agree, we all have our secrets we would rather not share sometimes..." Celica sighed too. Ruby understood everyone here had their own secrets, things we went through that might have traumatized us one way or another.

Some more extreme than others but yeah, even I had a couple of them.

"But... I still have to ask this question," I said. "Ruby, do you hate the power you have?"

She remained in silence.

"Yeah... I think it's a curse," she said. "I think... I wish I didn't have it. Do you know of some way to take it away?"

"Uh..." I sighed. "Well, the only known method is... to die. Or perhaps make the gods extract it from your soul. But... Ruby, stop that. I know the Gods aren't really... what they say they are. if you have the blessing, you met them, right?"

"Yes..." she nodded. "It was one of the most traumatizing moments of my early childhood... A bunch of creeps telling me what to do... As if I was... a slave or something."

"Yep, those are the gods," I nodded, sighing. "But well, screw them! They gave you a gift, this blessing. And they can't easily take it away I think. Maybe it provoked a tragedy, maybe you think they're a curse but... I think the opposite. These blessings are a power you can use to save and help other people. Have you never considered it? If you train them, if you improve your manipulation of them..."

I gently held her hands, which were actually rather soft.

"I think you could do good," I said. "I'm not telling you to be a hero, nor trying to give you a responsibility but... If you once hurt someone with this power.... wouldn't it make you feel better if you could save others with it, one day?"

"Sylphy..."

Ruby glanced at her own hands in silence, her eyes glistening.

There were many emotions in this girl's heart.

She had a rough life.

And I wanted to improve it, even if a little.

But if she keeps running away from these powers, she will never truly move on.

"I know we've met for just a day but..." I sighed. "Can I use that debt you owe me to persuade you into allowing me to help you control those powers?"

She gripped her fists tightly, then sighed.

"Mom... I guess mom would want that too," she sighed. "She always said... my powers would make everyone smile. That they would make everyone happy... But... it only made us

Miserable."

We remained in silence as we listened to her words.

"But if you say that... they can actually help others..." she muttered. "That by helping others, I

Can make up for the tragedy they brought to me, I..."

And then, she started crying.

"Please, help me, Sylphy..."

I widened my eyes, as Ruby ran to my side, hugging me.

"Please help me..."

She continued crying on my shoulder.

"Ruby..."

There's no way one can run from a blessing; they stay with you forever.

So the best we can do, is learn how to use it.

"Of course!" I nodded. "Let me help you."

I smiled, caressing Ruby's blonde hair, and kissing her forehead.

"No need to cry, Ruby! You're prettier when you smile!"

"O-Okay!"

She cleansed her tears and tried to smile.

"See? You're very pretty!"

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