The three Gorgon sisters, Arachne, Medusa, and Shaula are known best for their hatred of each other. But they didn't always start that way. No, in the beginning it was the exact opposite.
Shaula and Medusa sat together in their shared room, Medusa reading to her younger sister.
"And the young maiden shattered the spell, transforming the beast into a beautiful prince." Medusa said, pointing to the final page.
"And they lived happily ever after."
She closed the book, setting it aside as Shaula yawned and stretched beside her sister, fighting sleep.
"That was a nice story..." Shaula sighed, rubbing her eyes with her small hands.
"You can read by yourself now."
"I know, I just like it when you read sis."
Medusa picked up her sister, who was still fairly young, and set her down into the top bunk of their bunk beds.
"Good night, my little Scorpio." Medusa mused to her already sleeping sister as she tucked her in.
Medusa lied down, soon drifting off to sleep like her sister.
Medusa woke bright and early the next morning. Quietly yawning and stretching as she walked out into the hallway outside her room.
"You really need to stop folding to her every whim. She needs to do things for herself." Arachne said walking up to her younger sibling.
"But she's still so young." Medusa fretted, her care for her young sister evident.
"She needs to stand on her own, she'll never get anywhere if you keep holding her up."
That's when their mother Mágissa Gorgon chose to enter the room. Now their mother was over 500 years old in this time, however she didn't look it. She had blond hair like Medusa's and dark blue eyes. However her beauty hid a vicious temper, angering her was a very bad idea.
"Why isn't Shaula up? She's going to miss break fast." Mágissa said.
Shaula chose that moment to wander into the kitchen. The one thing that was evident was that she was much shorter than her sisters, shorter for even her age.
"Morning mother." Shaula yawned, going to stand with her sisters.
"Good morning Shaula. Now then all of you eat up, you need your strength for your lessons."
"Yes mother." The three sisters said, sitting down to eat.
Later that day their lessons began. Each sister was given their own task to be performed through magic. Arachne received a fairly simple task, as did Medusa, but Shaula was not so lucky. She received a complex task.
Medusa and Arachne were both quickly finished and watched as Shaula continued her efforts.
"Try harder Shaula! You have to try harder!" Mágissa growled.
The poor scorpion witch finally broke down, falling to her knees.
"I-I can't! I-I just can't!" Shaula sobbed.
"You can't?"
"N-No m-mother I-I..."
"That is unacceptable!" She shouted, raising her hand causing Shaula to flinch.
The sound of hand meeting skin rang out across the court yard, but it was not Shaula who was struck. Standing in front of her, holding her tightly, was Medusa. This only proved to anger their mother into an even greater fury as she struck Medusa, even harder this time, then again, and again.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY! YOU LITTLE BRAT!"
But she refused to move, there was one thing that the snake witch valued more than anything else. So no matter how much this hurt, she wouldn't move, she would always be there for Shaula, her little Scorpio.
Some time later, Shaula and Medusa were sitting in the same court yard, looking at the sunset. Shaula suddenly turned to her sister, producing a small gift in her hands.
"What's this?" Medusa asked as she opened the gift to find a locket in her hands in the shape of a simple heart.
"Open it..." Shaula said, not meeting her sisters gaze.
She opened the locket and paused, then a soft, warm smile spread across her face.
"You must hate me...for getting you hurt...I-I'm sorry...Medusa..." She spoke quietly.
A tear ran down the snake witch's face as she hugged her sister, holding her close.
"I could never hate you. I love you no matter what...I'll always love you, my little Scorpio..." she whispered, tears flowing freely down her face.
Centuries later, within the walls of her home, Medusa was lying in her bed, unable to sleep. With a sigh she sat up and reached into the drawer by her side, pulling out a small locket. It's surface was worn, but it was still as bright as the day she received it. She carefully opened it, and smiled. Inside was a small picture of Shaula, age six, with a warm, happy smile on her face.
"I miss you...my little Scorpio..." she whispered, carefully closing the locket.
She lied back down in her bed, and drifted off to sleep, the locket clutched to her chest.
