<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s just too weird!\u201d Hatemi said after Dionne had finished telling the others what had happened the night before. Hatemi Summers was the sehashi warrior known as Fate. She went to the same university as Dionne, but they had very few classes together. She and Cory Davis, who went by the codename of Shield, formed the other half of what had come to be known as Team Archer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really odd. They look kind of like us, but no one\u2019s seen them before,\u201d Hana added. She went on to describe their white uniforms in detail, going right down to the style of the women\u2019s hair and color of their eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhite<\/em> uniforms?\u201d Cory asked, her eyes wide.<\/p>\n Dionne frowned. \u201cYeah. They were simple, but elegant. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n Cory shook her head. \u201cPeltoren said something about white uniformed sehashi a few years ago. They\u2019re supposed to be really powerful.\u201d She snapped her fingers. \u201cGuardians! That\u2019s what they\u2019re called.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat would a group of super strong sehashi be doing here?\u201d Hatemi asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, but they seemed to be on our side,\u201d Kousei said.<\/p>\n Yan snorted. \u201cThat\u2019s a nice change. The last few sure weren\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a collective moment of silence as they recalled their last encounters with more powerful sehashi: Draco, Monoceros, Ophiuchus, Phaeton, Eridanos, and the five Ssu-Ling.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s just hope they stay that way,\u201d Cory said.<\/p>\n \u201cI assume that, like all sehashi, they had codenames? What were they?\u201d Jin Ae Song asked. She and her boyfriend, Corentin Blair, had joined the others for this meeting, along with Jin\u2019s older sister, Hyun, and Dumia Heart. In uniform, Jin, Corentin, Hyun, and Dumia became Team Typhoon: Typhoon, Storm, Vega, and Silence.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo of the girls were called Starfire and Starleaf, but we didn\u2019t get the name of the third or the boy\u2019s name.\u201d<\/p>\n Dionne fingered the emerald green pendant around her neck. Once it had facilitated her change into her sehashi identity but she no longer needed its help. Her pendant served a secondary purpose, however, allowing Laira to travel with her.<\/p>\n The long-deceased sehashi now known as Laira was her spirit guardian. She usually resided in the mirror on her vanity, but occasionally followed her around inside of the pendant she wore on a chain around her neck. She wasn\u2019t there at present, as the crystal was cool and dull and not the warm glowing green it would be if she was there. Since the defeat of the Ssu-Ling, Laira spent more and more time in the vanity and less time guiding the sehashi.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re clearly not local, that much is for sure. When I went to that big meeting a few months ago, I saw a lot of sehashi from all over the world. Except for the Olympiads, all the uniforms were like ours. I didn\u2019t see anything like the ones they wore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLife\u2019s going to real harsh really soon,\u201d Hatemi said, sighing. \u201cSo much for a social life!\u201d<\/p>\n Yan rolled his eyes. \u201cAs if you had one in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne thing’s for sure, I hope they’re really on our side. Those things we fought don\u2019t think too much about our powers,\u201d Dionne said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the meantime, though, we should just carry out our patrols as usual,\u201d Hyun told them. \u201cThere\u2019s no sense in letting this interfere with our lives until we really know what\u2019s going on. Just keep your eyes open and contact the rest of us if you find anything or learn anything new.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *~*~*<\/p>\n It was a nice day out, a perfect fall day. The dark-skinned girl found a quiet spot under a tree, leaning back against its rough bark with her eyes closed. The subject matter in her classes hadn\u2019t been difficult to understand\u2015far from it, actually\u2015but the stress of dealing with her situation was exhausting mentally and physically.<\/p>\n She opened her eyes to find that a short girl with grey hair had joined her. She smiled. \u201cHow did your morning go?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAwful,\u201d the other girl grumped, pushing her dark lensed glasses further up her nose before taking a bite of her meat filled sandwich. \u201cThese people are noisy, nosy, and they smell<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe knew there\u2019d be some quirks to adjust to when we came here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we get home the database needs to be updated to mention the stink <\/em>they put off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSurely you\u2019re exaggerating just a little?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not.\u201d Another girl joined them, her nose wrinkled in disgust. \u201cMy nose isn\u2019t as sensitive as Hunter\u2019s, but they still smell funny. I\u2019ll grant you they aren\u2019t as irritating to my nose as the vast majority of the raishuten, but it’s still bad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks for having my back on this one, Ember,\u201d Hunter said.<\/p>\n Ember shrugged. \u201cDon\u2019t expect Indigo to understand things like this. Her people don\u2019t have noses like ours. At least the scarves I\u2019ve been wearing help to mask the smell a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n Hunter shook her head. \u201cHow did your Ancestors ever manage to survive with such weak senses of smell?\u201d<\/p>\n Indigo shrugged. \u201cBy not living on a world where the habitable zone is always dark or by being crazy enough to live in that frying pan Ember calls home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf we\u2019re knocking each other\u2019s home, then by all means let\u2019s talk about that endless puddle you live in,\u201d Hunter said.<\/p>\n Ember shuddered. \u201cHow about we don\u2019t and change the topic?\u201d she pleaded.<\/p>\n Indigo laughed. \u201cYou might want to hide that particular phobia of yours from the locals. I\u2019m pretty sure that a fear of water as severe as yours isn\u2019t normal here.\u201d<\/p>\n Hunter fiddled with the container her sandwich had been in before putting it back in her bag. \u201cNothing we would think of as normal is normal here,\u201d she grumbled. \u201cTake my sandwich for example. The bread was fine if a little on the bland side but the meat tasted dead.\u201d<\/p>\n Ember and Indigo exchanged a glance. \u201cBy definition meat is <\/em>dead,\u201d <\/em>Indigo said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t understand. It tastes like meat but there\u2019s no…substance. It\u2019s like someone who didn\u2019t understand what it\u2019s supposed to taste like made it in a lab.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI…think I understand what she\u2019s saying,\u201d Ember said. \u201cIt tastes fake, not like the fresh kills she\u2019s used to.\u201d<\/p>\n Hunter snapped her fingers. \u201cThat\u2019s it exactly! Everything here is exactly<\/em> the same. It makes my skin crawl.\u201d<\/p>\n Indigo sighed and shook her head. \u201cIt\u2019s only temporary; you know that, don\u2019t you? It\u2019s not so bad once you get used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n Hunter stood up and slammed her fist into the tree above Indigo\u2019s head. The bark snapped on impact. Her silver eyes flashed in the noon sun. \u201cI refuse to \u2018get used to it\u2019! I didn\u2019t want to come here in the first place! I just want to end this all and go home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCalm down. It\u2019s not like we can do anything about it,\u201d Indigo said, fiddling with the ends of her long black hair.<\/p>\n Hunter smiled grimly. \u201cNow, there\u2019s the irony. We can\u2019t, can we?\u201d She turned and walked away. She headed for a secluded grove of trees on the edge of the campus where few students went. She knew she could go there and not be bothered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *~*~*<\/p>\n A girl screamed nearby and Hunter ducked behind a tree. Cautiously, she peered around it and stared in shock. Waromik and Oshisalon. I should\u2019ve known! Well, this I can do something about.<\/em> After all these years it was a matter of seconds before her clothes melted away to be replaced by her pristine white uniform.<\/p>\n Starleaf walked out, but quickly ducked back behind the tree. It was that girl again, the one from before, the brunette who appeared to be in charge. The others from before were there, too, as well as some new people, sehashi that she\u2019d never seen before. They were being throttled by a lafodyu<\/em> and Waromik. Starleaf shook her head and jumped out from behind the tree.<\/p>\n \u201cEarth Healing Light!\u201d she shouted, sending a beam of leaf green light at the lafodyu<\/em>, returning it to its original human form. Pointing at Waromik, she yelled, \u201cDouble Snake Twist!\u201d The twisted beam of yellow and blue serpents shot out from her crossed wrists.<\/p>\n Oshisalon screamed in pain as the blue snake hit him. Waromik managed to dodge, but his arm was singed as the blue snake passed by.<\/p>\n Starleaf looked at Oshisalon. \u201cYou\u2019d better have a good explanation for this, Oshisalon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStarleaf? How are<\/em> you doing? We haven\u2019t chatted in ages,\u201d Oshisalon said.<\/p>\n Waromik howled, launching himself towards Starleaf.<\/p>\n \u201cNice to see you, too, Waromik.\u201d Starleaf grabbed his wrists and sent him flying towards the sky.<\/p>\n Archer turned. \u201cThanks for your help, Starleaf!\u201d<\/p>\n She bristled. \u201cLook, whatever your name is…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cArcher,\u201d she told the strange girl. She introduced the rest of her fellow sehashi.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever. Look out!\u201d she yelled, turning around. \u201cMotion Pause!\u201d She was aiming at Oshisalon who\u2019d begun to sneak up on the sehashi, but he dogged it easily, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cLusol Anie<\/em>!\u201d the tall, dark haired haired warrior said calmly, grinning, pointing at Starleaf. She fell to her knees, clutching her throat in pain.<\/p>\n \u201cPeridot Scream!\u201d Phantom yelled. Quiarinite shrieked and clutched her ears.<\/p>\n \u201cOpal Boomerang!\u201d added Fate<\/p>\n \u201cFrost Lightning Smash!\u201d The others stepped back, as Archer\u2019s attack was often unpredictable and could just as easily hurt friend as foe.<\/p>\n The three attacks were aimed at Waromik who had appeared behind Starleaf, shaking from the effects of Oshisalon\u2019s attack. One of Archer\u2019s lightning bolts hit Starleaf on her right cheek. A thin red line appeared, followed by a thin trickle of blood.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be back for you!\u201d Waromik called as he and Oshisalon vanished.<\/p>\n Fate applied a cloth to Starleaf\u2019s cheek. \u201cAre you going to be ok?\u201d<\/p>\n Starleaf stood, still a little dizzy. Her face had a sickly cast to it. \u201cIt\u2019s just a scratch. It\u2019s the effects of the poison that I need to worry about. Thank you. I\u2019ll return this cloth next time I see you.\u201d Starleaf leaped up into the trees and vanished. The sehashi watched her go.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that was interesting,\u201d Shield said after the green-haired guardian disappeared. \u201cHow did she know their names?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI get the impression that they know each other from somewhere,\u201d Balance said.<\/p>\n \u201cOne thing\u2019s for sure, she seems to be on our side,\u201d Phantom said.<\/p>\n \u201cSeems is the right word, Phantom,\u201d Balance warned. \u201cWe can\u2019t be sure that we can trust her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t stay here and debate the issue. Some of us have class to get to,\u201d Phantom said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *~*~*<\/p>\n Hunter was late getting to her next class. When she arrived, she handed Doctor Davies a note. He read it and nodded, indicating that she should take her seat.<\/p>\n \u201cHey?\u201d Dionne whispered. \u201cAre you ok?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm? Oh, you mean this?\u201d Hunter asked, fingering the scratch. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of dumb, but I got hit in the face by a low hanging tree branch on my way back from the health center. I wasn\u2019t feeling well. Must have been something in my lunch. The cut started bleeding, so I went to clean it up as the bell went,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Well, I\u2019m glad you\u2019re ok. I\u2019m Dionne, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n Hunter hesitated a moment. \u201cYou can call me Hunter.\u201d<\/p>\n Dionne seemed satisfied and turned her attention back to the lecture.<\/p>\n Well, at least the last part of my story was true. It\u2019s way too easy to pull one over on these humans.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n *~*~*<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to you? You\u2019ve been quiet since lunch,\u201d Ember said, sounding very worried, getting off the bus near the apartment the girls shared.<\/p>\n \u201cDo the words Lusol Anie<\/em> mean anything to you?\u201d she asked in a frosty tone.<\/p>\n Shocked, Ember stopped in her tracks, feeling a sudden chill. \u201cYou confronted them without us?\u201d<\/p>\n Hunter turned around, walking backwards. \u201cWhat choice did I have?\u201d she snarled. \u201cThese sehashi don\u2019t have a chance against the Dorensha Jelushadaar. Ancestors, the lafodyu <\/em>alone could\u2019ve taken them all out. I saw the battle and changed. There was no time to think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Ember hurried to catch up with her tiny friend. Short Hunter may be, but she could move fast when she wanted to. \u201cSo, what\u2019s with the scratch?\u201d<\/p>\n Hunter laughed. \u201cActually, it\u2019s real,\u201d she said, showing Ember the cloth Fate had used to stop the bleeding. \u201cThe one called Archer provided that during the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow kind of her,\u201d Ember drawled. She shook her head. \u201cI don\u2019t trust these sehashi.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt could be worse. You might want to look behind us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d Ember asked, turning anyway then rolled her eyes and kept walking. \u201cAre they following us?\u201d<\/p>\n Hunter shrugged. \u201cIt\u2019s likely. I\u2019m pretty sure they don\u2019t live near us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s something about those three that just…rubs me the wrong way.\u201d She shuddered. \u201cEven Indigo thinks they\u2019re weird, and you know how trusting she can be.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n *~*~*<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is with <\/em>you lately, Kousei?\u201d Yan asked, rolling his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst Dionne, then Emmy, then that one we won\u2019t discuss, and now her,\u201d Teir added.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s just something about her that\u2019s driving me crazy. Besides that, she\u2019s gorgeous.\u201d<\/p>\n Yan rolled his eyes again. \u201cHere we go again. Kousei, just talk to her and get it over with and spare us this time, ok?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re no help,\u201d Kousei said, offended.<\/p>\n \u201cSo stop acting like a love-sick puppy. Don\u2019t talk about her, don\u2019t even think about her if that\u2019s all you\u2019re going to do,\u201d Teir said, impatiently.<\/p>\n If only it were that simple, <\/em>Kousei thought glumly, looking across the street at Ember and Hunter as they looked back at them talking quietly. All I see are her eyes, her endless, brown eyes. Who are you?<\/em><\/p>\n