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"Aren't you going to say anything?" Mira stood just a few feet away from her sister's lying form.
"He has a good right," Royda answered, reaching up to her cheek. "Nobody had ever done that before."
"Because he's crazy enough to do it, and you're childish enough to answer him. You could have just walked away but no! Not you! You had to go after him."
"After he came after me!" Royda rose from the bed and looked at Mira. "Little sister, it's best that we leave that subject alone now."
"Please?" Kishin asked, Kala helping her. "My eyes may be closed but I can easily tell you where Royda is just because of that subject. It's making my headache worse."
"Okay, fine. We're supposed to be protecting these guys and you're out there looking for a fight with them. Figures. You are getting a little mellow there for a few minutes, why not get mad now with the perfect excuse?"
She didn't even hide the sarcasm in her voice. Royda looked at her sister, anger radiating from her again. Mira just stood there, defiantly starring her down. Royda was impressed, if not a little annoyed. Everybody was trying to challenge her lately.
"Are you done?" Royda asked. Anger left her face as they continued to stare at each other.
"Umm...Well..." Mira looked form Kishin to Kala then back to her sister. "Nothing else comes to mind at the present moment."
"Good. So, are you now going to help me patch myself up, or do I have to do that myself?"
***
"Why'd you even go after her, Kento?" Sage asked. He and Rowen were trying not to get in the way of his arms and legs.
"I don't know," Kento answered, pulling away slightly as they pressed something to his side. "She's just getting too irritating for me. I had to do something."
"Like go toe to toe with her?" Rowen asked.
"Hey, I didn't expect that to happen. I'm sure that I could have prevented that from happening somehow but right then, it seemed like a good idea. And besides, she could have backed off too, you know."
"I'm not even going to comment on that."
"Come on guys. Don't you think I feel bad already by picking a fight with a girl? Not that I was thinking that when we were fighting. She would have ripped my head off if I was distracted."
"And I ask you again, Kento, why did you even go after her?" Both Sage and Rowen looked at him, not really expecting an answer.
"I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out what it is about her that's go me all bothered."
"Maybe you like her." Rowen turned to leave.
"Now that's funny. Ha ha. Give me a break guys. I hate the girl's guts and you're thinking that?"
"It's just a thought Kento." Sage started to follow Rowen. "Get some rest and maybe then you'll be thinking clearly."
***
A floor above those two rooms. a couple is also busy discussing things. So much had happened already that they didn't know where to start. That fight could be a good place.
"I can't believe that she did that," Mia said. She laid down on the bed, fiddling with her hands.
"At least neither one of them got really hurt." Anubis laid down next to her and put an arm around her.
"I wish she could have just backed off. Or somebody should have stopped them."
"With what happened to Kishin, I don't think you're going to have a lot of volunteers."
"This day is just getting crazier." She turned away from him and leaned against him. They molded together, a perfect fit.
"Are you okay?" Anubis asked after a moment of silence.
"Why are you asking me that?" She moved slightly to look at him over her shoulder.
"Because you're different somehow."
"I do feel different. Something about before. I feel as if I am stronger somehow."
"Stronger?" He casted a doubtful look down on her.
"In this room are the two people that I love the most." She settled back down against him, wrapping his arms around her waist with his hands on her stomach. "With one I have yet to meet, it makes no difference to me. All I know is that both of you would need me to be at my best. If I were to feel bad, the little person inside me will know if and somehow he or she will tell you about it. I don't ever want to cause you or this baby any pain or sadness." She lightly placed her hands over his. "I promise you that if there was something wrong with me, you'd be the first to know. Until then, why don't we focus on something else, huh?"
"Like Kayura?" He placed his chin on top of her head.
"Now, there's a subject we could focus on. How's Cale taking all this?"
"I don't know, really. I saw him in his room when we passed by."
"I felt a lot of pain from him. That was what lost the control for me."
"If I were in his shoes, I would turn every rock to find you." His arms tightened a little around her, pulling her in. "He's changed a lot if he didn't do that."
"All of you have changed from what you were, to what you wanted, and finally to what you really are."
"But to change that much for a woman? I mean, I remembered when Cale used to be the only rational head in the group."
"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" She sat up and turned to him. "You've changed a lot. Although it wasn't entirely for a woman, you still changed a great deal. And in my opinion, I'm glad that you guys did change. I can't imagine living with a guy that had an ego as big as the house."
"Ego as big as the house? I wasn't that bad, was I?"
"You certainly sounded like it, but I'm glad that you changed." She settled down against him again and just stared out to space. "Cale's strong, honey. He'll pull through this with or without our help."
"If he is still himself, then he would never ask for our help. We'll just have to volunteer."
"Good. Saves me a speech about being a part of the whole. What do you think they'll do to Kayura?"
"I'm not really sure. The girls know more about how this Tyra's mind works. From what we just saw, they're willing to do anything to get her back."
"I still can't believe that she did that. She's usually calmer than that."
"Like you said before, her sister was taken away a second time. She didn't know how to deal with her then and 400 years hasn't changed her much."
"That is true. How about Kishin? Is she okay?"
"As far as I can tell. Those girls are the perfect nurses for her. Although it is just a black eye."
"Did you notice how they kept the right side of her face covered? Do you remember the reason why she covered her face?"
"A lot of my memories about them have been coming back, but I have this feeling that what happened to her face was something personal. She came to my camp along with the others already like that. I never did ask why."
"We have a strange managerie of friends, don't we?" She turned to him, rested her head against his shoulder, and wrapped her arms around him.
"And I wouldn't trade them for the world."
***
Down that hall, Cale sat in his room. He could hear the others come back from picking up all their luggage. He could hear the rooms downstairs come alive as people went down the stairs. He didn't pay much attention to that.
What game are you playing now Tyra? he thought. Why couldn't you just leave us all alone?
"Cale?" A voice stopped his thoughts. He didn't even have to look to know that Anubis was at his door.
"Leave me alone. I don't feel like talking to you."
"I'm coming in anyway." He entered and found Cale sitting Indian-style on his bed.
"What do you want, monk?"
"To talk and I'm not a monk."
"Obviously since you and Mia are rather close."
"We are, so what? Don't you feel the same towards Kayura?"
"So, that is a pity visit. Well, you can just turn around and walk on out if that's what we're talking about."
"Good, because I don't do pity visits."
"You are as stubborn as our girls, do you know that?"
"That's why we love them so much. I'm just here to get some answers."
"Ask away then. I'm not sure I can answer you."
"Has there been some activity here?" Anubis took a chair and sat in front of him.
"Like weird thing happening? Not that I know of. If Tyra was planning something, she must have been using the back door. She is Talpa's daughter so she must know a way to go in and out of here quickly."
"See, you're thinking clearly already." Anubis paused and thought for a second. "If there was a back door, where would it be? I haven't been here in a long time to really know."
"That could be a hard one." Cale paused and thought of something. "What is the extent of Mia's powers now?"
"Well, she hasn't had much time to practice with it much but I think it's for defensive purposes right now. She could repel just about every attack. Why?"
"Kayura told me the extent of the powers that Nasuti may have passed on to Mia. Yes it was mainly for defense but she also had telepathic capabilities. I was thinking..."
"Use Mia to locate that back door?"
"See, you're not so rusty after all."
"Thanks but...?"
An energy gathered and Anubis turned to his room. "Mia?!"