The campus was buzzing after the return of the field trip. Morgan and Xi had heard the news about Cecelia and Erica, but the school hospital was not admitting visitors while the girls healed from their mysterious wounds. So, the two second-years wandered the campus, discussing what had befallen their teammates until they could learn more directly from the stricken girls. "Do you think it's coincidence that Cece and Erica were hurt so badly so soon after we found out we were senshi?" Morgan mused. "I think we can't assume anything until we talk to them." Xi responded levelly. "We have no idea what happened to them on that trip, and as likely as it seems that they were attacked because of being who they are, it is just as possible they were hurt for some relatively normal reason." "Normal being...not senshi related." Morgan said dubiously. "But Xi, we have to figure in that, now, being a senshi *is* normal. Astraea said that it will be likely that we will see more battles that are far from 'normal'." "Well, I don't particularly care for what Astraea says." Xi snorted. "But you should!" Morgan protested in shock. "You're our leader, you should care the most out of all of us!" "You seem to be quite taken with your new position." "Most of us are, if you hadn't noticed." Morgan raised her eyebrows. "The opportunity to protect what we love and to make a difference in the world...it's an amazing blessing. Only you and Cece refuse to see it that way." Xi was silent for some time before she finally spoke again. "You're always an optimist, aren't you?" Morgan gave a huge grin. "But of course!" "You might be the only optimist I can tolerate." Xi said with a smile. ~Except Tira. But Tira's dead now.~ she added grimly in her thoughts. "Well, with the evil already here," Morgan started before seeing the look in Xi's eyes. She held up her hands. "OR on its way, we'll need as many positive thoughts as we can get." "I don't like any of this." Xi grumbled irritably, crossing her arms across her chest and looking out across the ever-present view of the ocean. "Why us? Why these people? I can't stand it!" She kicked a clump of dirt into the approaching waves. Morgan watched a moment and tucked a red curl behind her ear. "You must not be so judgmental." She soothed. Xi stiffened at her tone, but Morgan pressed on valiantly. "We have a new duty to embrace now, new troubles to work out, new bonds to forge...you may not like it, but there *is* a reason you were chosen. You have to force yourself to look on the bright side." Xi silently turned from her friend and stormed off. Morgan watched her leave in dismay, aware of the shine of tears in her friend's cool eyes. "What did I do?" she asked the empty air. Xi's mind churned as she left Morgan on the green. She couldn't take it any more. Morgan sounded too much like Tira. Her tone, her words of wisdom...Tira had been a sister, a kindred soul to Xi. How could anyone replace that? Much as Xi liked Morgan, she couldn't bear to let her replace Tira's spot in her heart. So she left, wiping the obnoxious moisture from her eyes. *** "You said there were no senshi!" Amazonia roared as she stormed furiously into Regina's laboratory. Mathus was still unconscious and had been laid out on a bed of obsidian rock. Regina was bent over him, weaving her dark magic into a black net over his body. Power could be seen traveling the threads of magic in deep purple pulses. At the sound of her sister's voice, Regina turned. "There were not." She replied. "Apparently they have just been born. They are still neophytes yet." Amazonia nodded, her temper easing down slightly. "Yes, that battle could hardly be called such. They both were so weak." She smirked, her hand traveling to her dagger at her side. "It will not be any trouble to destroy them once and for all." "Be wary, dear sister." Regina warned. "If we have learned anything from watching the Sol senshi, it is that they tend to come in groups. There is likely to be more than those two that we battled." "Bring them all on." Amazonia sneered, twirling around. "We shall crush them, sister." "Calm yourself." Regina ordered. Just then, the black weaving encasing Mathus faded away and he pushed himself into a sitting position. He blinked his eyes groggily a few times before looking at the Gorgons. "Princess, Highness..." he placed his hand upon his aching head. "What happened?" Regina immediately went into 'mothering-mode'. She sat beside him and gently brushed his green hair from his eyes and felt his forehead. "You were sick. I took care of you." She crooned. Mathus looked over the queen's shoulder at the princess. Their eyes met for a moment, and Amazonia turned away and went back into her chambers, leaving her eldest sister to tend over the lord. Upon reaching her quarters, she went through a smaller door to a dark room. In the corner of the room hung Tira, her body bruised and bloody. She dangled from chains attached to her hands and feet. As Amazonia approached, the gypsy painfully raised her head. "What do you want with me?" she demanded, her voice cracking. She coughed, and blood rose to her lips. She spat it onto the rocky floor, the dark color blending with the already dark stones. "Just to have fun." Amazonia smirked, drawing her dagger and running it like a caress down Tira's chocolate cheek. Amazonia leaned closely to Tira, who struggled to pull away. "You see, I'm going to have a lot of fun with you, sweetheart. You have no idea." "You're sick." Tira hissed, though there was fear in her golden eyes. Amazonia gave a feral laugh. "That may be. I always *did* enjoy a good torturing though." She ran her blade down the gypsy's skin, the cold steel causing the girl to shiver violently. This brought another laugh from Amazonia. "Now, where shall we begin?" She raised her blade and was about to injure her captive when a twittering giggle stayed her hand. Tira turned her gaze from her captor to see a young woman with short ragged blonde hair that looked almost exactly the same as the woman pressing her dagger into the young gypsy's body. "A rose! The rose is fading, and it's your fault Amazonia." The wild eyes bore into the others in the room. "How did you get in here?" Amazonia growled angrily, roughly pulling her sister to her feet. Iaia shied away from the grip and giggled again as she held her arms across her head protectively. "The stars speak of the rose." Iaia twitted. "You mustn't harm the rose. She must bloom to feed the bee the pollen of poison." Her gaze had locked on the hanging figure. Amazonia turned to look at her captive and turned back to look at her sister. Her gaze flickered between the two once more, and she hissed like an angry snake. "Why should I pay any attention to your stupid prophecies?" She snarled, shaking her sister hard enough that her head rattled. "The stars will bleed for you." Iaia slurred her response. Tira couldn't understand what she was saying, but apparently Amazonia did, and she released her youngest sibling with a shove. "Very well." She muttered. "I assume you would like a present for your troubles?" Iaia nodded childishly, biting her bottom lip eagerly. Amazonia went to a corner of the room and knelt down. Tira watched in interest, and a faint whine reached her ears. Startled, she looked to see her violent captor tenderly raise a puppy out of a kennel in the corner. The pup yipped and licked at her face, forcing a sincere smile to flash across Amazonia's face. She handed the small animal into her sister's eager arms. Iaia giggled happily and cuddled the animal to her chest. She then rose and kissed Amazonia's cheek, still stroking the yapping puppy. Amazonia pushed her away and wiped her cheek and turned back to Tira as her sister skipped from the room. "You should be thanking her." Amazonia sneered. "Because of her, I'm going to let you live a little while longer yet." In the corridor, Tira could hear Iaia's child-like laughter and the puppy's joyful barking. Then there was a sickening snap that seemed to echo forever in the cavernous room and there was a pained whine before the barking stopped abruptly. The next thing Tira heard wrenched her heart so much that she nearly screamed. Iaia's laughter drifted gaily through the halls. "Poor puppy! I sorry!" and then there was only laughter. Tira slumped forward in her chains and wept.