And Tears Yet Fall CH 7

The tip of Teresa's sword rested on her throat, as she failed, once again, to block her attack.

"Well, Lena, that was closer," the girl said with a wicked smile on her face. In fact, she smiled so much during sparring sessions that the other girls had come to call her Teresa of the Faint Smile. "You just have to move your sword a little faster."

"It would be easier if you would stop reading my Yoki aura," Ilena complained. Of course, she would get stuck with Teresa as a sparring partner. As much as she liked the other girl, it was torture to be beaten every day in front of the other trainees. They were already wary of her and kept their distance. She did not look like them, even after the transformation had drained their color, paled their skin. She was still paler than most, taller than most, lither than most. Her ears had reacted strangely to the Yoma blood, growing pointed and sticking out of her hair. And she knew that her great potential also scared them. She was better than them, so they all took great joy in watching Teresa easily beat her every day.

"But Lenie, you know if I do that, you'll win!" Teresa whined.

"I told you not to call me that." Lena, she could deal with, though she was not thrilled about that one either, but it would be a cold day in Hell before she let anyone call her 'Lenie,' even Teresa. "How am I supposed to be taken seriously as a warrior with a name like that?"

"Fine I-le-na," Teresa said, stressing each syllable of her name. "But I don't think they'll take you seriously anyway, what with you losing all the time." She swung again, and this time, Ilena decided to break out the new move she had been practicing. Reaching for her Yoki powers, she released some into her right arm only, increasing its speed and power. She easily met Teresa's blow, and quickly swung for the girl's right shoulder. Just as she was certain that she would make contact, Teresa somehow managed to bring up her own sword to meet the attack, surprise clear on her face.

"Well," she started as their swords ground together. "That's new." Knowing that she would not be able to beat Teresa with pure strength, Ilena pulled back, twisting and swinging again, faster this time. Teresa was forced to step back, though she still blocked the swing. "You've been holding out on me, Lenie!" The nickname cut through Ilena's control, and she lost her focus, the Yoki power slipping from her arm to the rest of her body. Fearful, she pulled back, thrusting her sword into the ground, trying to suppress her Yoma side again. She felt a hand on her arm and looked up to see Teresa standing close to her. "Pull it back, Ilena. You can do it." Her soft voice and her kind eyes gave Ilena something to focus on, and she was able to put the monster in her back to sleep.

"Thank you."

"What was that, Lena? I've never seen anyone move so fast."

"I don't have a name for it yet, but I've been trying to work on Awakening just my right arm, so that I can move it faster than any other warrior. It just takes so much control." She pulled her sword from the dirt, wiping it on her pants leg. "It, obviously, still needs a lot of work."

"Well, I'll just tell you that the only reason I was able to block it was because I could see it coming." She casually slung her arm over Ilena's shoulder, causing the other girl to scowl. "It's a good move, Lena. Really good. I'll help you control it."

"As if I need your help," Ilena scoffed. She shrugged off Teresa's arm, and took her fighting stance again. "This time, I'll move so fast you won't even be able to see it." Another grin broke across Teresa's face, and she took her position opposite Ilena. As the light hit the girl's face, Ilena's heart stopped just for a tiny moment. Teresa was beautiful. Quickly, she pushed the thought away. Now was not the time to be distracted by her growing feelings for Teresa. Ignore them, and they would go away, because, she could not be falling in love with her best friend. Could she?

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"Lena." She looked behind her at the sound of Teresa's voice, slicing through a Yoma as she turned. They were in the middle of ridding the town of Poria of their infestation. Over twenty Yoma had overrun the village. Ilena had killed six, knowing that Teresa had already taken care of an equivalent number.

"What, Teresa? I'm a little busy." She slashed through another monster as it tried to leap behind her.

"They're coming."

"Who're coming?"

"The Warriors." Ilena growled. When they had entered the village, the few humans left had informed them that a couple of Claymore were coming to take care of the problem. Unable to leave the town to the mercy of the monsters for even a moment longer, Ilena and Teresa had decided to go ahead and take care of it themselves. They had hoped to be through at Poria before the two Claymore sent to do the job arrived so that they could avoid any kind of confrontation. "It's not good, Lena. I can feel eight auras. Two full hunting parties."

"I thought the town leader said they had only called for two warriors?" The job really only required one warrior of high rank, but a novice might need backup. Ilena awakened her arm, cutting down two more Yoma. One more and she would be done with her half.

"That's what he said. They must be here for us. There are at least four who are strong enough to be in the single digits, and the rest are in the teens." Teresa sliced a Yoma in half, adding to her growing pile of bodies. "And Lena? One of them can feel me, too." After dispatching her final Yoma, Ilena turned to face Teresa, who was pulling her sword from the last of the monsters.

"You can tell that from her aura?"

"Yes. I think it's that girl you were talking about, what was her name? Galatea." Teresa wiped off her blade before sheathing it. "She's feeling along my Aura. She knows everything we're doing."

"How far out are they?" Ilena asked, returning her own blade to its place.

"A couple of miles."

"Do you want to stay, or should we leave." Ilena was in favor of leaving, but she would stand with Teresa whatever the other woman decided.

"They're moving quickly. They will be here before we can leave." Clare was holed up in the town's small inn waiting for them. If the parties were running towards them, going to retrieve the girl would slow them down enough for the Claymores to arrive. "We will wait to meet them."

"Alright." They both sat, waiting for the women to arrive. Soon, Ilena could also feel their auras. A few minutes after that, the group entered the town. The two renegades stood to meet them.

Leading the eight warriors was Galatea, her long hair swaying gently in the breeze. Ilena recognized her immediately. She had grown and matured since Ilena had seen her as a trainee, and her aura was immense. As the group approached, Teresa pulled herself up to her full height, though she still stood several inches shorter than Galatea. She put on her most confident face. "I'm afraid you traveled all this way for nothing. We have already taken care of the Yoma presence." Galatea stopped and smirked.

"Yes, I felt that, Teresa of the Faint Smile." She nodded to Ilena. "Good to see you again, Quicksword Ilena."

"Galatea. You have moved up since we last met."

"Ah, yes. It seems that losing numbers One through Six in a matter of weeks can help quicken the promotion process." She exuded confidence, looking at her two opponents through hooded eyes.

"Surely, though," Teresa said lazily, matching Galatea's proud tone, "there are too many warriors here for such a small Yoma problem." The younger warrior raised a brow.

"How astute of you, Teresa." She dropped the smile. "Obviously, we are not here for the Yoma. We are here to collect your heads."

"May we at least know the names of our executors?" Ilena asked haughtily. After a moment, Galatea inclined her head.

"You already know me, but I'll answer anyway. Galatea. I am the current Number Three." So Ilena had been right. They had given her a very high rank, indeed. One Ilena had held herself. "I am the leader of this little party." She indicated the gathering of warriors behind her. The next warrior stepped forward. She had short hair, swooped to one side.

"Kahlin. Number Four."

"Allie. Number Six," said the girl next to Kahlin, her long hair curling slightly. The next warrior, Ilena recognized.

"Tera. Number Seven." Ilena sighed.

"You've been promoted, then?" Teresa asked. "Congratulations, Tera. You deserve it. I always said you were better than Number Nine." Tera bowed her head.

"Thank you, Teresa." She gave a small smile. "If I do not die today, I will take the time to celebrate." Galatea shot her a glare.

"Your confidence is overwhelming, Tera."

"I am merely being realistic, Galatea." Tera had been on missions with Teresa back when they had both been of lower rank. Ilena knew that the warrior had seen Teresa in action, and would not make the mistake of underestimating either of them.

"That's only half your party, Number Three," Teresa reminded her. "I'd like to know the names of the rest of them, if you don't mind." Galatea's irritation vanished, as her haughty smile returned.

"Of course. Who am I to deny the former Number One?" She motioned for the rest of the warriors to step up. "Give her your names and ranks."

"Stella. I hold the rank of Eleven," said a warrior with shoulder length hair.

"Jen. Number Thirteen."

"Cameron. Number Fourteen."

"Fiona. Number Fifteen." Ilena surveyed the group, trying to ascertain how the warriors compared to the combined strength of her and Teresa.

"Well, I suppose I should feel flattered," Teresa chimed, letting her expression flatten into boredom. "To pull such high ranking warriors."

"Oh, that's not all of us, Teresa." The line of warriors parted, revealing a ninth Claymore. Teresa's brows snapped together, and Ilena growled. She had not, and still could not, sense the final soldier. It was as if her aura was completely suppressed. She had short, spiky hair and her left eye was scarred over. Galatea smirked again.

"Allow me to introduce the new Number Five, Rafaela. As I am sure you have noticed, she can completely suppress her Yoki aura, which will no doubt pose a challenge for you, Teresa."

"A Number Five, even one with such an ability, is no match for me, Galatea." She spoke with confidence, but Ilena could see that her mind was racing, calculating their odds. Rafaela chose that moment to speak.

"Do you not remember me, Teresa of the Faint Smile?"

Teresa's brows furrowed even further so that they nearly touched, then her eyes widened. "I do remember! When I was just a trainee, and I had run away. You were there in the woods. You still had an aura then."

"Yes. I didn't know then that I was looking at the future Number One, though I did know you would go far." The woman stood in a relaxed stance, and Ilena knew she was looking at a warrior far older than herself.

"So you are one of us. I hadn't been sure." The rest of the warriors watched the exchange interest. "How odd. So you were a warrior before. What rank did you hold then?"

"I was the Former Number two." Teresa narrowed her eyes.

"That certainly changes things." She glanced at Ilena, who straightened, collecting herself for the inevitable fight. "But even so, how confident are you that you can win here? Your powers will be of no use to you, Galatea. Not against me."

"That is true," the tallest Claymore agreed. "But what about Ilena? How well will she fair with one arm and the distraction of eight other warriors? How well will you fight, knowing that she's in danger?" Teresa let nothing show on her face as Galatea drew her sword. "I tire of this talk. Let's get down to business." On her unspoken command, the eight other warriors attacked at once. Ilena quickly drew her sword meeting the Number Eleven, shoving the girl back and slicing up her abdomen. As she was about to deliver an incapacitating blow, she felt two auras behind her and turned just in time to raise her sword to block an attack from Tera, who looked apologetic, but she could not meet the second blow and hissed as the Number Fifteen's blade sliced shallowly through her exposed right side.

Ilena pushed off of Tera's blade, using the scant seconds to collect herself. She could not afford to turn her head to see how Teresa was fairing, though she desperately wanted to. Instead, she awakened her arm as Stella rushed her again, this time using the Quicksword to easily cut both her shoulders so that she could not raise either of her arms. The girl dropped back, but Ilena could see that she was a defensive type warrior and would soon be back in the fight. As she raised her blade again to deliver the same blow to the Number Fifteen, she felt a nudge on her Yoki aura, and her sword swung slightly more to the left than she had planned, landing only a glancing strike on her opponent. She whipped her head around, seeing Galatea facing her, brow raised.

"You've improved, Galatea," she said, trying to appear calm as she tightened her defenses. Luckily, the Quicksword lent itself to absolute control, and if she just concentrated hard enough, she would be able to ward off Galatea's manipulations. Number Eleven stood, having finished healing, and Ilena was now surrounded by the four warriors.

"If you give up now, Ilena, I will make your execution swift and dignified," Galatea told her. "If not, we will just have to slaughter you in battle." Behind her, Ilena could see that Teresa was still engaged with Rafaela and the Number Four, Kahlin, but had immobilized the other three warriors, Numbers Six, Thirteen, and Fourteen. She had not been cut, but Ilena could see that Rafaela was posing a challenge. Turning back to her own predicament, she addressed Galatea.

"If you are going to take my head, you will have to take it by force." The Number Three nodded, and leapt into the air, bringing her sword down with terrifying force while Tera and the other two charged from the ground. Ilena sidestepped Galatea, whose sword cracked the stones in the street as it hit them, and swung out cutting across the chests of Eleven and Fifteen, both dropping. Ilena leapt back, putting distance between herself and her opponents, but Galatea was just as quick, swinging her blade with the speed and agility expected of her rank. Once again calling on her Yoki powers, Ilena used the Quicksword to parry the blows, satisfied that this time Galatea was unable to influence her movements. She ducked as she felt Tera approach behind her, and looked up to see the blades of the two Claymores cash together. As she slid out from under them, she slashed across Tera's leg, severing the tendon and causing its owner to collapse. To her side, Number Eleven was beginning to stir, but it seemed as if Fifteen was out of the fight.

Galatea straightened, eyes narrowed. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but you leave me no choice," and she accessed her Yoki powers, eyes turning gold and muscles bulging. "I don't like to do this, since it really isn't very attractive, but the added strength will be helpful." Following suit, Ilena drew on her own powers, enough to match Galatea. She was now having to constantly battle the other woman's pull on her Yoki aura. It took all her concentration to keep her control as she parried blow after blow. Using at least thirty percent of her power, Galatea was incredibly strong, a strength that Ilena could not match. Her advantage was her speed, which she used to its fullest, moving her arm faster than she had in a long time. As she finally landed a blow on the Number Three's sword arm, Ilena was glad that she had continued to practice with Teresa, who was a much greater challenge.

With her Yoki powers released, Ilena was able to fend off Galatea's strikes, and land a few of her own. Sensing movement behind her, she struck out, taking no satisfaction as she felt the blade slide through Tera's flesh. Having exposed her middle by striking the Number Seven, she had given Galatea an opening, and was rewarded for her carelessness as the Number Three's blade cut up her left side. Had she still had a left arm, it would have been severed by the blow. As it was, the wound was deep, but she had received worse. With Tera and Fiona out of the fight, Ilena could focus her attention on Galatea and the recovered Number Eleven. Both were defensive types and would be more difficult to defeat. She could only hope that her limits would last longer than theirs. She was determined not to kill any of them, which made defeating them more complicated. Incapacitating blows took more precision than death blows.

Gathering her strength, Ilena sliced through Stella's sword arm, severing the limb. The warrior gasped in pain, and Ilena felt momentary sympathy, having felt the same pain herself. She was comforted, though, by the fact that the Number Eleven would be able to regenerate the limb.

"It's just us now, Galatea," Ilena said, ignoring the throbbing wounds on each of her sides. She looked past her opponent, seeing Teresa lazily block another of Rafaela's blows. The Number Five Claymore was the last of Teresa's attackers, and she seemed to be tiring, while Teresa had not even begun to access her Yoki powers. Galatea looked behind her as well, but Ilena knew that she was already aware of the situation.

"Do not underestimate Rafaela. She has the power of a Number One." She cocked her head to the side. "And I do believe that you are not healing as quickly as you might want to." Ilena kept her face impassive, but grimaced on the inside, for Galatea spoke the truth. She was drawing on her Yoki powers to fight the Claymore, leaving her wounds unattended. Once the fight was finished, she would turn her attention to healing them.

"It's a small inconvenience," Ilena told her before attacking with full force, throwing everything she had into her arm, the sun flashing off the metal. Galatea looked momentarily surprised as she brought her own blade to meet Ilena's, but even drawing on her Yoki powers, she was not fast enough to meet every strike. With no other warriors to worry about, Ilena could concentrate fully on keeping her control ironclad, shutting out Galatea's manipulations completely. Without them, it was clear who was more skilled. Ilena slashed up the Number Three's abdomen, a trail of crimson following in her sword's wake. Galatea dropped back, but Ilena followed through, slashing across her chest and shoulders, then up her arm, nearly cutting all the way through. She swung her sword high, prepared to deliver the final blow-

"Ilena! Stop!" Teresa's voice cut through, reminding her of her original intentions of sparing Galatea's life. She redirected her blow, thrusting her sword into the ground next to the fallen warrior's face, and the Number Three flinched as the blade passed by her ear. Ilena stood, panting, as Teresa walked towards them. Rafaela was unconscious behind her, though still breathing. "It's over." Ilena pulled her sword from the ruined stones and placed the tip of the blade against Galatea's throat.

"If you go now, we will spare your lives. You should be thankful of such mercy."

"You did not show the same mercy to the former Numbers Four and Five, Noel and Sophia. How kind of you to give them proper burials after slaughtering them," Galatea spat, though her voice was too weak to contain any real venom. Ilena started at her words. Was that what the Organization had told them?

"Do you believe that, Galatea?" Ilena asked. "Neither of us has ever willingly slain a comrade. I swear that on my honor."

"Traitors have no honor." She coughed, spitting up blood. Teresa kicked Galatea's sword away from her, scooping it up.

"We could have killed you, Galatea, but we didn't. We didn't kill any of you, though it would have been easier on us to do so." Teresa bore no injuries from the fight, and, while Ilena was panting from her efforts, the former Number One still looked fresh. "Are you alright, Ilena?" she asked upon seeing her partner's bleeding sides.

"I'll be fine." Satisfied, Teresa turned back to Galatea.

"Go now, and live to fight another day." The fallen warrior snorted.

"And do you think, Teresa, that if we return to the Organization empty-handed that we would be allowed to live?" She pushed herself up onto her elbows, wincing. "No, I doubt it." Teresa raised a brow.

"After what just happened, you can't possibly think that you will be able to leave here alive should you attack again." Galatea turned her head to the side, spitting out blood.

"I do see your point. It seems I am in quite a conundrum." Breathing deeply, she hauled herself to a standing position, wary of Ilena's blade still at her throat. "I can either die today, or die when I get back. Decisions."

"There is another option, Galatea," Ilena offered. "You can join us." Painfully, Galatea laughed.

"Join you? And be hunted down for the rest of my life?"

"No one would be able to sneak up on you, God-Eye Galatea." They all turned to see Tera limping toward them, clutching her stomach where Ilena had pierced her. "And without any of us, they don't have any warriors powerful enough to capture you anyway." She grunted as she straightened. "You could have killed me, Ilena, but you did not. I owe you."

"Nonsense, Tera. You are my friend." Tera bowed her head before addressing Galatea.

"You should consider their offer. Our failure today will make it very difficult to return to the Organization." Behind her, Numbers Eleven and Fifteen were stirring as well, and of the five that Teresa had dispatched, two were walking toward them, neither in any condition to fight. "I, for one, would like to hear more. Tell me, Teresa, what are you doing?"

"What is right." She sheathed her sword, sensing that the warriors were no longer a threat. "Our families were killed by Yoma, and we were given to the Organization who changed us into monsters, and now we are expected to do their bidding without question. If I had submitted to my execution, I would have doomed a little girl to that same fate. I could not have that on my conscience." She looked back at Ilena. "We want to make sure that no towns are over looked simply because they cannot pay the ridiculous fees the Organization charges. And we want to stop the Organization from hurting any more children." Galatea narrowed her eyes, but Ilena could see that Teresa's words had appealed to her.

"So you just want to …..help people?" From what Ilena could tell, under her hard exterior, Galatea had a soft heart. "With nothing in return?"

"Yes. And if we need to, we will take down the Organization to do it." Ilena frowned. That last bit had not been part of the original plan. She was not sure how ready she was to take on the entire Organization. "How many of you watched your friends die in their final training test to receive their emblem?" Each of the warriors looked down, pain flitting across their faces. "Exactly. What has the Organization done for us besides ruin our lives?"

"I concur," Rafaela said as she joined them, uniform torn and bloody. "I have been personally experimented on. My sister awakened as a result, and I was stripped of my rank." As she let out a small gasp, Teresa's eyes widened, something clicking in her brain.

"I understand now." Excited, she turned to Ilena. "Do you remember when the Number One Awakened, back in training?"

"Of course. How could I forget the creation of the third Creature of the Abyss?" She shuddered at the memory. Over half of her comrades had perished that day, and she had lost track of Teresa in all the chaos.

"She was your sister, wasn't she?" Teresa asked Rafaela.

"Yes."

"And they pushed her to Awaken purposefully, didn't they?" Rafaela gave a small, sad smile.

"Yes." Satisfied, Teresa nodded her head.

"I had thought I'd imagined it, but now I am certain."

"Hold on," Galatea interjected. "What do you mean 'Awakened purposefully'?"

"Like you, Galatea, I can read Yoki auras. Back when Ilena and I were mere trainees, years from getting our emblems, Luciela of the South was our Number One. One day, I felt an explosion of Yoki power, and I knew that she was about to Awaken. The strange thing was, she kept pushing past her limit, even when she had the opportunity to revert back." She looked back at Rafaela. "And I felt someone else pulling on her aura, trying to control her. But you couldn't do it, could you?"

"I was too weak," Rafaela admitted. "I was supposed to contain my sister's humanity while her body awakened."

"Why?" Galatea asked, but Ilena could see that she was half-way to figuring it out herself.

"An Awakened Being to fight Awakened Beings," Teresa supplied. "Brilliant."

"But it didn't work," Tera protested. She had been there, too, running next to Ilena as they fled from Luciela. "She went on a rampage."

"Our Auras were not similar enough. It would not work with mere sisters." She regarded Teresa carefully. "I have no interest in helping the humans, but I also have very little desire to return to the Organization. I only joined them again because they promised to let me hunt Luciela so that I could…..give her a human death. I think that I can do that on my own, now." She turned to leave. "Good luck to all of you. I hope we meet again one day." With Rafaela gone and Tera and Galatea refusing to fight, the other warriors sheathed their swords, knowing that they would not be fighting any more that day.

"So what now?" Fiona asked. "We just wander around aimlessly looking for Yoma to kill? That's not how I want to live." Teresa shrugged.

"You can do what you like. I don't really care. Ilena and I are leaving here to head farther West where there is another Yoma infestation, even larger than this one. Any of you are welcome to join us. Or you can leave. The choice is yours." Finally finished healing, Galatea stretched.

"Well, I am not too proud to admit that I need some more training. I think I will join you and see what I can learn." Teresa handed her back her sword.

"Good to have you with us, Galatea. Tera? What about you?" The Number Seven looked thoughtful before replying.

"I like what you are doing, but I think I will head South, instead." She turned back to the Number Six. "Allie? Will you join me?"

"Of course, Tera. Where you go, I go."

"Should you need us, Teresa, God-Eye Galatea will be able to find us. We will come if you call." She and Allie left as well, following Rafaela. The remaining warriors looked between them, uncertain. Fiona huffed.

"I can't believe this. I was on the verge of a promotion, and now that's all ruined."

"You can always go back and try to explain. I'm sure that with all these warriors deserting, they will be more forgiving and less likely to kill you," Stella told her. "I think I will go North and see my homeland again. Call on me if you need me."

"Wait, Stella." The Number Four had finally regained consciousness and had joined them. "I would like to come with you. My town is not far from yours." Stella smiled and nodded.

"Of course, Kahlin. Jen, Cameron? What about you?" The two exchanged a glance.

"We will join you. There is strength in numbers," Jen answered for them both.

"This is ridiculous," Fiona spat. "They would not kill us all if returned together. You are overreacting!" Galatea turned to face the lowest ranking member of her team.

"No one is keeping you here, Fiona. Leave if you like. We all have our reasons or doing this." The Number Fifteen sneered before turning on her heel and marching out of town. As she retreated, Stella stuck out her hand for Teresa to take.

"You spared our lives, and now we are in your debt. We will stay alive so that one day we may be able to repay you."

"Until we meet again," Teresa said, grasping the offered hand. The four warriors slowly made their way out of town, some still not healed from the fight. As they left, Teresa turned back to Ilena, finally letting her concern show. "Let me see, Lena." Ilena frowned, but let Teresa inspect her wounds.

"They're not too bad, I promise."

"Let me help," Galatea said, placing her hand on Ilena's side. "I'm defensive. If I align my aura with yours, I can help you heal faster." Ilena dropped her control for a moment, letting their newest member knit the flesh back together. "There. Much better."

"Thank you." Frowning, she inspected the holes in her clothes. "I liked this outfit."

"We'll get you a new one," Teresa said. "Come one. Clare will be worried." She headed towards the inn, townspeople finally emerging from their homes to see the remaining Claymore. Galatea walked tall and proud under their gazes, following Teresa confidently. Clare ran out to meet then, throwing herself, surprisingly, around Ilena first.

"I'm alright, Clare, I promise." She patted the girl's head soothingly. "How much did you see?" Clare pulled back, eyes wide with concern.

"They hurt you. I saw them cut you." Her lip trembled, but she did not cry. Ilena felt her stiffen as she caught sight of Galatea. "What's she doing here?"

"Galatea is going to be traveling with us, Clare. She's on our side, now," Teresa explained. Shocked, Clare's jaw dropped.

"But…but….but she's the one who hurt Ilena!"

"I don't have to explain myself to a child," Galatea scoffed. Teresa glared at her.

"Actually, you do." The Number Three's pretty face twisted unpleasantly. Teresa kept her gaze level. "Clare's been with me for months. She trusts me, and she trusts Ilena, but she has absolutely no reason to trust you. And until she does, you will not give her reason to doubt you, or you won't be traveling with us, understand?" Galatea scowled.

"Fine, I have seen the error of my ways, and I want to fight for the good of mankind blah blah blah blah blah. Happy?"

"How incredibly heartfelt." Teresa shook her head as Galatea sneered. "We have to get you some new clothes before we leave. Clare, come on. Let go of Ilena." Reluctantly, the girl obeyed, following Teresa while giving Galatea a wide berth.

"Be nice, and she'll warm up to you," Ilena told the frowning warrior before joining her little family. After a moment, Galatea swallowed her pride, sulking behind them.

They were able to procure civilian clothes for Galatea, though it was difficult considering her impressive height. She settled on an all-black outfit, appraising herself approvingly in the mirror. Ilena had to admit that she was beautiful.

"Well, I think that will do quite nicely." She paid the shop keeper for the clothes and, reluctantly, for a pack. Unlike Teresa and Ilena, she was not particularly attached to her Claymore armor, but she did not want to leave it just lying around, so she stuffed it into the pack to deal with later. They had planned on spending the night in the town, but after the destructive battle with the hunting parties, they had agreed that it would be best to just keep moving. Mindful of Clare's feelings, Ilena volunteered to walk with Galatea behind the other two. The child kept looking back at them over her shoulder, clearly concerned for Ilena's safety, which pleased the former Number Two to no end, even if she did not show it.

"Your control is very impressive," Galatea said to her, breaking her from her thoughts. "I could only affect you that one time."

"The Quicksword requires impeccable control. As long as I was doing it correctly, you should not have been able to influence me at all. I will have to do better next time."

"You don't take compliments very well, do you?" Ahead of them, Ilena heard Teresa snort at Galatea's proclamation. Ilena frowned.

"Apparently not." She liked it when Teresa complimented her, but it was true that she had trouble accepting them. "I'll try harder in the future." Teresa laughed again, turning her head to smile at Ilena.

"It's just a mark of your perfectionism," she said fondly. Watching their interaction, Galatea's eyes widened.

"Oh."

"What?" Ilena asked, prepared for an attack. "Is there something coming?"

"No, I just…" She shook her head. "I hadn't realized that you two were….." Ilena blushed as Teresa snorted yet again. Clare turned around to glare at Galatea.

"They love each other, and we're a family now, and I really don't want a big sister." She looked back up at Teresa, her eyes pleading. "Teresa, why can't it just be the three of us?"

"We need Galatea, Clare." She sighed. "Look at it this way. Galatea can sense Yoki auras from very far away, even farther away than I can. She'll keep us safe." Unconvinced, Clare continued to scowl. "You're always complaining about us getting hurt, right?" The girl nodded slowly. "Well, with Galatea, we'll be able to avoid that, okay?"

"Fine. But I still don't like her."

"The feeling's mutual," Galatea replied. Teresa rounded on her.

"I'm sorry. I thought there was only one child here."

"I didn't desert the Organization so that I could be insulted by a little girl!" Ilena placed a calming hand on Teresa's arm as the woman prepared to retort.

"I think we're all still a little worked up from the fight. Perhaps, if we just take a few moments to cool our heads?" She caught Teresa's eyes, and the other woman backed down reluctantly.

"You're right Ilena. I'm sorry." She took Clare's hand and continued walking. Ilena and Galatea waited a moment before following, putting some distance between the two pairs.

"In Teresa's world, that child will always be right, and you will always be wrong," Ilena told her quietly so that only Galatea could hear. "Just keep that in mind."

"Maybe I should have gone with one of the other groups."

"They'll warm up to you. When Clare accepts you, Teresa will, too." Galatea shook her head.

"That little girl loves you, and she hates me because I hurt you."

"She'll get over it. She used to be wary of me because I was sent to kill Teresa," Ilena said. "But now we get along just fine. Clare's had too much instability in her life. You should be able to relate. If it weren't for Teresa, Clare would have probably ended up at the Organization, just like the rest of us. Whenever she acts childish remember how you felt after your family had been killed by Yoma, and cut her some slack." Galatea bowed her head.

"It has been quite some time since I have had such a lecture," she said. "I suppose being promoted to Number Three almost immediately after receiving my emblem as given me a bit of an ego."

"Your abilities speak for themselves, Galatea. There is no need for you to speak for them."

"You really think the girl will stop hating me?"

"Like I said before. Just be nice." Galatea nodded, contemplative. Ilena enjoyed the quiet as the continued to walk through the forest, catching snippets of Clare and Teresa's conversation. The girl was telling Teresa about how she really thought that they needed a dog, and Ilena could see that Teresa was struggling to come up with a nice way of refusing her. Ilena was about to call out to Clare that she was allergic to dogs, but Galatea put her hand on her shoulder.

"Something's coming," she said, eyes wide. "Something big." Teresa turned around, scanning their surroundings.

"I don't-"

"Ah, what do we have here," a chillingly sweet voice said behind them. Ilena turned slowly to face the small girl. "Dauf, get over here!" A large man lumbered out of the trees, coming to stand beside her. "When I felt all those Yoki auras a while ago, I really thought they'd finally sent someone after me, but you three, powerful as you are, really aren't enough."

"We have no quarrel with you, Riful of the West. Let us leave in peace," Teresa said respectfully. The Creature of the Abyss giggled.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. It would be bad for my reputation." She sighed. "Dauf, see if you can't take care of this." The very first Number Three transformed into his awakened form, crushing the trees around him. Ilena backed up, the terror seizing her as he loomed over them.

"Goodbye, little Claymores."