Shouko, needing a moment alone had taken herself out onto the terrace of the circle room. The stars were so beautiful, as they always had been, but now, they felt just a little bit brighter.

Shouko wasn't expecting any company, and so was surprised when she heard a door slide open behind her and head someone approach.

"Mind if I join you?" Shouko turned around to see that it was Shun and instantly relaxed.

Shouko nodded and turned back to gazing at the stars. "It's so beautiful here…"

"Yeah…" Shouko said, her attention still not fully captured.

"So you've lived here your whole life?" Shun asked, a little suddenly, but Shouko didn't mind the invitation for conversation.

"Huh? uh, yeah. My mom actually…she gave birth to both me and my sister here."

"You have an older sister?"

"Yeah, Kyouko. She had to take over mom's duties so she's been…really busy." Was the most simple way to explain it, without mentioning how Kyouko was currently only barely clinging to life in the lower levels of the infirmary.

Shun immediately picked up on the tinge of sadness in her voice. It seemed to be a bit of a pattern around here, younger siblings feeling distant and cut off from their elders.

Except for Marin. She was a glimpse of the other side, of how the burden of family can take it's toll.

"Tell me, what do you know about Marin and Aiolia's relationship?"

Shoko suddenly blushed and let out a squeak before burying her face in her hands.

"Oh, i'm sorry if—"

"N-no…it's okay I—I actually know…quite a lot about their relationship."

"Oh?" Shun asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm actually the same age as Aiolia, even though…everyone still says I look like a kid."

"Well I think you look like a perfectly mature woman," Shun said with a small grin.

Shoko blinked before replying, trying to collect herself. "Okay before I tell you…I just want to make sure you know…I'm not some sort of pervert! I just…i keep—"

"What?"

"I keep walking in on them…it's happened 4 times by now."

"Oh my,"

"It was super embarrassing! Marin is like another older sister! And Aiolia like a brother…"

"Seeing a brother and sister like that sure would be scandalous!"

"It's not…" Shoko just decided to let it be and go on with answering his question. "Aiolia…really was like my brother well actually, more like a sister."

"Oh?" Shun asked, suddenly even more interested.

"After he—after Aiolos died, Aiolia was alone so, the older saintias took him in and raised him with the rest of us.

Shoko told Shun a bit of what she remembered of Aiolia from their childhood.

Aiolia had been such an incredibly nervous child, he was delicate and shy and preferred to stay with the older girls as much as possible. In particular, he seemed to find comfort in dressing like the Saintias and following Kyoko around during her duties.

Shouko, on more than one occasion, perhaps had seen Aiolia as a rival for her sister's affections.

"We fought a little when we were kids, but after we both started Saint training, we oddly got along much better.

"But aiolia he…he had a lot of trouble outside the sanctum," Shouko said, her face clouding over. "He got bullied and ridiculed a lot. No one wanted to be his teacher and he was run out of group training a lot…"

"But all that changed one day," Shoko said, her expression warming.

Shoko, after a day of training her body out in the yards, found that training didn't end even after coming back in doors. Shoko had spread out in front of her a massive book full of signs and scribbles that her tutor insisted were supposed to actually mean things.

Shouko let out a huge groan, letting her face flop down onto the musty pages. "This is impossible…I don't get it at all."

Just when shouko was ready to give up, she heard someone approach form behind her.

"Ah! I love that book, it's one of my favorites. How are you liking it, Shouko?"

Shouko turned around and saw something truly shocking. Aiolia was still in his training gear, his clothes covered in dust and his skin even a little scratched up; but he was smiling. He was smiling brighter than Shouko had ever seen in her life.

"Uh…" Shouko began. "I uh…I can't read it."

"Oh!" Aiolia then pulled up the other chair and sat with her at the desk. "If you want I can tutor you! I love these old glyphs."

Shouko couldn't even bring herself to respond, she was just so completely baffled at the sight in front of her. "Aiolia…what happened today?"

Aiolia's face lit up even further and he clapped his hands together. "Shouko I— I got to train today! With two of the Pisces candidates!"

"Gold cloth trainees?" She asked her face full of shock.

"Yeah! They were super nice, and didn't hold back on me at all!"

"That's good?"

"There was Aphrodite who I had heard before, he was even more beautiful than the rumors. He honestly looked just like a woman."

An odd statement, considering AIolia himself still looked very much like a girl.

"And there was also…this older girl I hadn't met. Her name was…Marin!"

"Oh…Marin! She's friends with my sister, I know her."

"You do?! Isn't she awesome?!" Aiolia was completely captivated, his entire body caught up with his elation.

"She looks like she really beat the crap out of you."

"Yeah she did…but she did it without even breaking any bones!"

Shouko was completely unable to reply to that.

But even at that age, Shouko was able to tell that Aiolia had found something he had always been wanting, acceptance in the world where his brother had once walked.

"Oh that's so sweet," Shun said. "Of course Aiolia would grow so attached to her. Especially her being a mature older woman."

"I mean she was 14 when they met…basically still a kid. "

"Still…" Shun said with a mischievous grin.

"Anyway…that's the gist of it," At least what shoko was comfortable with talking about at that moment.

Shun seemed like he was going to ask more when the terrace door suddenly slid open from behind them.

"Milo!" Shouko said, all but abandoning Shun and running towards her mentor. "Shouko," Milo said warmly. "You got marin and Aiolia here safely, thank you."

"Of course!" Shouko replied happily.

Milo briefly glanced over to Shun as an acknowledgment at least of his presence. "I was told that Marin is in Shaina's Spire for a private examination and it seems Aiolia went up there as well, I just saw him."

Shouko nodded solemnly. "Yes, I knew that Aiolia would want to know she was okay as soon as possible…"

"Very good, Aiolia appreciates you always looking out for him."

—

Up in the spire room, Shaina had since already begun her work on Marin; as she had found that there was no time to waste. The seal on her neck was indeed of a similar breed to the one that almost took Saori's life.

Draining and killing the user was in fact a secondary function. The glyph's perfect was to exert control over the victim, but without a constant source of Cosmo, it would eventually drain the very life from the victim.

Marin laid on her back, her body completely bear. The light in the room was low and soothing, but Marin's heart still felt far from peace.

Shaina stood above her, turned around at her her desk, busy with preparations.

"So, Aiolia thinks I got raped."

Shaina started, her shoulders jerking suddenly before she started work again. "I can definitely see why he would think that."

"What do you think?" Marin asked.

Shaina paused. "I mean, I havn't found any…physical evidence," Shaina said. "But with your wounds and the state of your clothes…I can't fully rule it out. Especially the fact you still might have been violated in…other ways."

Marin lifted a hand to her lips ponderingly. "God, I knew Aiolia would freak out but…" she paused. "I didn't think it would affect him that bad."

"Why wouldn't it? You are the woman he loves. He wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

"I mean, Aiolia doesn't mind if I sleep around with other people so, I did't think."

Shaina then suddenly turned around, her medical tools in her hands. Shaina then walked back to the edge of the bed with a frown. "This isn't some chauvinistic bullshit about his bride being sullied. This is about you being hurt, tortured, without him having been able to stop it."

"Ah, yeah…right," Marin pressed her lips together, feeling a little foolish for the initial thought.

"I got Mii's report," she said, gesturing to her tablet. "Aiolia was suprisingly roughed up. He had a lot of similar long scratches and marks, but just around his mouth and throat."

Marin blinked. "Yeah, when I tried to kiss him earlier, adding tongue really freaked him out…"

Shaina had begun her work on Marin, performing another general scan, hoping to find the full extend of the glyph imbedded in Marin's skin.

"Aiolia, when he attacked seiya, his eyes were glowing red and he wasn't acting like himself. Obviously, he was under the influence of the Gemma Maouken," Shaina said, setting down her tool and placing her hands on Marin's skin. "Usually, this attack can be pre-meditated and refined. it can be infused into a weapon or marked directly onto the skin," as Shaina said this, the violet glyph encircling Marin's neck began to glow again. "That's what this thing is, it's how the pope controlled you."

Marin nodded. "Yeah but, I didn't see anything like that Aiolia and I…well. I saw everything."

"Like i said, this is a more permanent, premeditated version," Shaina's emerald and gold cosmo flared at her fingers and Marin felt her body being filled to the brim with Shaina's warm cosmo. "But, I read records about a more…immediate version of the technique."

Marin let out a gasp. Despite the intentions, Shaina's cosmo flowing throughout Marin's body made her feel something close to ecstasy. This was something Shaina usually did to comfort or to enhance the feeling of arousal. But in this moment, she was simply using it as a type of anesthetic. But to marin, the memories flowed up to the surface too.

Before they could continue talking, Marin let out a loud cry, her back arching as she felt a sharp pain almost like her head was being slowly cut from her body. Marin convulsed, her legs shooting out as she struggled to keep her composure amidst the burning pain.

But within a few more moments, the violet glyph suddenly disappeared, Marin flopping back to the bed as her body was flooded again with Shaina's warmth.

Marin's breathing was heavy, but she was freed. Without removal, the glyph would have continued to slowly drain her lifesource without it's owner to give it power. And so, this had to be done sooner than later.

Shaina then suddenly pulled herself next to Marin on the bed. Shaina waited patiently, her eyes fixed on marin's face.

"So…this…other method," Marin managed through gasps. "What exactly is it?"

Shaina paused before replying. "The account I read described a pitch black fog emanating from the Gemini's body. The fog then formed tendrils, and entered the body through the mouth. The victim seemed to suffer terribly. In the account, it was an enemy who was later disposed of after controlled.."

Marin gave a shudder, her hand going to her mouth again. "Oh gods no wonder he didn't want me to deep throat him with my tongue so soon…"

Shaina gave a small frown, seeing that she clearly needed to explain it forthright. "I assume that's what Aiolia thought happened to you too. Either your mouth or…" Shaina's hand suddenly dragged down Marin's stomach, falling into it's familiar place between Marin's legs.

"Oh….OH!" Marin said in realization. "Oh gods…that was all so stupid of me."

Shaina gave a low hum, her hand tracing up and down Marin's body idly. Now certainly wasn't the time but, Aiolia hadn't been the only one who had missed Marin so dearly during her absence. And knowing that Marin often needed things spelled out for her, Shaina leaned up and gave Marin a light kiss on the cheek. "When you get the chance, come see me again, okay?"

"Yeah…it's been too long," Marin leaned over and kissed Shaina softly on the lips. Pulling back they kept their eyes locked for a few moments before Shaina pushed herself away, somewhat reluctantly.

"I have to get back to my other patients soon, and Aiolia will come for you sooner than later."

"Yeah," Marin said, sitting up with mild difficulty. While Marin's wounds had all been healed, the scars would still remain for a while longer. Marin had many scars, and some that had even lingered. One through her left eyebrow, and the other through the right side of her mouth. Although Aiolia had asked, Marin never told him how she got those scars, but perhaps in the spirit of total honesty; Marin would tell him that soon as well.

Shaina brought Marin her clothes and helped her get dressed again. Not long after, they heard the lift approaching from the bottom floor and soon enough Aiolia excited the lift in the center of the room.

He gave them a smile but approached somewhat cautiously. "I hope I am not…interrupting,"

Shaina shook her head with a small smirk. "No, we just got done, actually. She's free to go."

Aiolia was unable to hold back a relieved smile. "That's wonderful. What was the procedure, may I ask?"

Shaina idly picked up her tablet again, moving things around her work station to put them all back in order. "I removed the Genma Maouken glyph from Marin's body, she's safe now."

Aiolia swallowed. "So, it was….that technique," he began.

Shaina, not wanting to explain it again, walked over and shoved the tablet with her report on the technique for him to read. Aiolia blinked and quickly began reading it without objection.

Shaina then went back to Marin, performing last checks and getting her some sandals and a crutch to use.

"Oh…thank the gods," Aiolia breathed. There was no need to discuss it further, as Aiolia deeply wanted to forget the whole experience. What he focused on was the fact that Marin was safe, and that she hadn't had to undergo the same violation that he had.

Marin got up from the bed with Shaina's help and hobbled over until she found support in Lia's embrace again. Marin leaned her face against his chest and just held him for a few moments. Aiolia patted her back, and savored the feel of her warmth.

"Now hurry up you two, I have more patients to see."

At that moment the lift had begun to move again, and from the center of the room now came none other that Scorpio Milo. Marin and Aiolia exchanged a knowing glance greeted Milo before leaving. Shaina was very busy, and so she deserved time alone with her own Lover as well.

With the other two gone, Milo immediately made herself completely at home. She brought out two thick blankets and laid them out on the patient's table. Shaina however was still busying about finishing up her work. Milo let out a slightly exasperated sigh and reclined on the bed while she waited.

"I trust everything went well with marin?" Milo asked.

Shaina kept working while she answered. "Yes, she is completely safe now after I removed the Gemini curse glyph."

"I am extremly happy to hear about that," Milo said, sighing again. "What about…with Aiolia. Did you notice anything?"

Shaina stopped her work, her hands resting on the counter for a few moments. "Marin told me enough to glean what I needed I think. Aiolia had been worried that Marin had suffered a sexual assault without her knowledge."

"Ah," Milo said, pressing her lips together. That was indeed enough to glean what they needed. Aiolia's anxiety over Marin being out of his reach had been slowly eating away at him over the years.

Shaina then turned around and walked over to where Milo sat, her expression still rather blank. "I know that you are worried about them, I am to," Shaina then placed a hand on Milo's cheek while lifting one of her legs up onto the bed. "But right now, I'd rather not talk about them anymore."

Milo gave a small smirk, placing one hand on Shaina's shoulder, helping to support Shaina as she climbed on top of Milo. Milo then laid back and rested her hands on Shaina's hips. Shaina pressed her self flush against Milo and rest her face in the crook of Milo's neck. Shaina was beyond exhausted and desperately needed comfort from her lover at that moment.

Milo, admittedly hadn't even really exerted herself during that day; and the worry she felt was no where near Shaina's burden as the head healer. Milo ran a hand soothingly up and down Shaina's back back as Shaina held on as tight as she could.

"I know I just said I didn't want to talk about them—" Shaina began.

"It's alright," Milo replied. "Please say what you need to."

"I just…I know it's selfish but…" Shaina began. "I wanted…I wanted to spend a little more time with Marin."

"Do you mean today? Or just in general…"

Shaina paused before responding. "Maybe, I just can't expect to be as important to her anymore since she started seeing Aiolia but…"

Milo touched Shaina's face gently and Shaina pulled back to look at her. "Starting to date someone doesn't mean that you need to shut everyone else out. Consider this, Shaina. I don't think Marin was distant from you because she doesn't care for you; It was because of her situation. She had many secrets that she had to keep not only from you, but from Aiolia." Milo chuckled. "Trust me, Aiolia has been worried just as you have been. He thought she was growing tired of him just the same so; I hope you can be put to ease a little bit," Milo began twirling a finger in Shaina's hair. "From here on, I think you, as well as Aiolia, will start seeing a lot more of dear Marin over all."

Shaina gazed back at Milo for a few moments, her lower lip trembling slightly.

When Marin first arrived to the sanctuary, Shaina herself had already been there for a while but had not had much success finding friends. The saintias were insular and secretive; and the other female saints were spread out. Shaina found initial mentorship with Milo, but didn't find a friend until she met Marin.

Marin, despite her position as an outsider, was the one who approached Shaina first. Marin came with a smile on her face, and helped Shaina find the strength to stand.

But Shaina found that for some reason; Marin was always just out of her reach.

Shaina kept her face pressed closed against Milo's skin. Milo was right there, holding her, and Shaina felt her worries melt away just a little bit.

"Just tell me what you need right now, my love." Milo whispered into Shaina's ear, causing her to shudder. Shaina then pulled back and looked deep into Milo's before kissing her rather fervently.

Milo was only slightly taken aback but pulled Shaina close nonetheless. Milo dragged her hands up and down Shaina's back, rubbing the tension out bit by bit. The bed was quite small, and so as soon as Shaina got worked up enough, she quickly hopped off, grabbing Milo's hand.

Milo followed, grabbing the blankets from the bed and following Shaina over towards the couch. Milo then spread out the blankets and sat down first, opening her legs invitingly. "I dare say these bodysuits are becoming more and more uncomfortable by the second," Milo said, shaking her hair out of the way as she reached up to unfasten her bodysuit. With a sigh she let it fall forward off of her shoulders, her breasts able to fall free.

Shaina stared for a few moments before undressing herself where she stood. Shaina then took her bodysuit off completely, leaving her completely naked. Milo smirked before following suit, taking off the bodysuit and lying there invitingly on her side.

Shaina then knelt down and crawled over to Milo, giving her a rather desperate look before indulging in another kiss. Milo sighed and gently gripped the back of Shaina's head, bringing shaina closer. Milo sat up straight and drew shaina into her arms. Milo widened her legs and pressed her feet together so that shaina could sit there right in front of her. Shaina moved close and wrapped her legs around Milo's waist while kissing her deeply once more.

Milo then pressed her hands deep into Shaina's back, pulling their chests together so that their breasts met between them They both sighed, Shaina's mouth hanging open, giving Milo the opportunity to plunge her tongue inside. Shaina moaned, pressing her rear against Milo' hips, starting a grinding motion that brought them both building shocks of pleasure.

Shaina ground her ass into Milo's mound, causing her to let out a few more high-pitched moans. Hearing Milo's eager and submissive voice sent a flash of heat through her body. Shaina let out a whine, her vulva already practically gushing. Milo pulled her lips away and caught her breath while keeping her lips close to Shaina's cheek.

"You seem, dissatisfied with our current position, my dear. How would you prefer me to rectify this?"

Shaina let out a small grunt, pulling back her right leg and then sliding it back under Milo's. Shaina kept her eyes locked with Milo and then inched their hips even closer. Milo returned her intense gaze, giving a nod of understanding. Milo then gently cupped Shaina's cheek before kissing Shaina again. Despite Shaina's eagerness to begin rubbing their vulvas together already, Shaina indulged just a little bit longer in the lips of her love.

Milo then dropped her hands to rest on Shaina's lower back, the two of them angeling their hips so that they could complete their intimacy. They both gasped in unison when their vulvas made contact; Shaina's voice quickly pitching into a high moan. Shaina grabbed onto Milo's arm for support as they both leaned back to get their hips at the optimal angel. Milo then grabbed both of Shaina's hands, intertwining their fingers. They supported eachother while leaning back, using their own body weight to deepen their thrusts against eachother.

Their joint moans increased in volume, but not enough to completely drown out the wet sounds of their confluent arousals. The plump softness of eachother feeling multiplied 10 fold by how sensitive their vulvas were; and as their arousal increased; so did their sensitivity. THe pleasure mounting and multiplying itself seemingly without end.

Shaina's expression was quickly lost to the pure exsctasy; as was Milo's. Milo let her composure fall away, only struggling to keep her eyes open so that she could see Shaina's face when she came.

"Shaina," Milo gasped. "My love, are you close?"

Shaina coudln't reply, but nodded, barely keeping one eye open as she was insulted in plateau. Milo then leaned in, just enough to make Shaina's mouth fall open, a loud wail falling from her lips as she suddenly began to convulse; her orgasms only stimulating Milo more and causing her to come quickly after.

"More…Milo—" Shaina gasped, suddenly throwing her weright forward and causing Milo to fall onto her back. Milo gaze up at Shaina, obediently rolling onto her side to give Shaina the best angle.

Milo lay here on her side, her arms bracing against the ground. One of Milo's legs was laid out underneath shaina, while Shaina grabbed the other and wrapped it around her own hip to keep Milo's legs as wide as possible.

Shaina thrust her hips harder and harder against Milo. Milo's body starting to convulse again as she felt another orgasm overcome her. "Shaina!" Milo wailed, completely losing herself in the pleasure. She herself could never get enough of the overwhelming sensation of this; of tribbing with shaina, pressing their vulvas so close together, their clits being overwhelmed by the motions and the pressure. Milo knew that Shaina loved it too. Even if they couldn't hold each other as close as they might want. There would be plenty of time for that when Shaina had her fill.

Because Shaina, at this moment, seemed almost insatiable. Her thrusts were wild and her fingers dug into Milo's thighs almost painfully. Milo grabbed desperately, searching for Shaina's hand to hold onto. "Shaina…my love—" she gasped.

Shaina then grabbed Milo's hand and squeezed it tight as they both came together for a third time.

"No more…please," Milo pulled her hips away and laid face down on the blankets for a few moments. Shaina just knelt in place behind Milo, their breathing both coming heavy for a few moments.

"I'm sorry Milo, I over did it, didn't i?"

Milo rolled onto her back and gave a tired smile to Shaina. "No! Of course not my dear. It was just a bit intense; and you still have just so much more endurance than I do. I'm not as young as I used to be it seems."

Shaina crawled over and plopped herself on top of Milo, looking down at her with a small pout. "What are you talking about. You've always been a one-rounder as long as I've known you."

Milo let out a bright chuckle and pressed a hand to Shaina's face. "Ah, you are right, of course, dearest." Milo pulled shaina close, their breasts pressing close together and their legs intertwining.

"Do you really want to sleep here?" Milo asked, stroking her hair gently.

"I have to," Shaina said, nudging the side of Milo's head. "And it's fine. As long as you're here I—" Shaina paused, shoving her face into Milo's neck in embarrassment. "If you're here with me, then this is home." Shaina muttered it almost too fast for milo to catch, but she heard it loud and clear.

"I am so glad you feel that way, my love."

Milo kissed the side of Shaina's head and ran her hands down her back. Milo pulled blankets around them and pulled down some pillows from the couch.