A/N: Now you're probably wondering what the heck is going on, eh? Well… I haven't a freakin' clue. ; I'm just writing it as it goes along.

I've discovered awesome music. Mai-Hime's soundtrack is freakin' awesome! LISTEN TO IT! I COMMAND YOU!

Chapter Fourteen

Charlie jogged along with everyone, sleeves rolled up in the summer sun. It was hot even though they were undercover in the forest. Corazon had passed by him earlier and she looked as cheerful as ever. He figured it was her good mood that made the sun blaze down on them so much.

He wanted to laugh. It was the complete opposite of Tancred's powers. The angrier and more blustery Tancred got, the harder the storm was. The happier Corazon was, or determined, since she could make it blaze down and dissipate Tancred's storm when she was under hypnosis.

Charlie had to stop and rest against a tree, under the shade of the leaves. It was far too hot for anyone, much less the girl making it that hot. Corazon stopped in front of him and blinked down at him. "Are you all right?" she asked in a cheerful tone.

Charlie was having a bit of trouble breathing, and he was sweating something awful. He nodded and waved her off. "Just taking a break. Aren't you hot?"

Corazon blinked at him like she hadn't heard him right. "It isn't that hot out here."

Charlie looked up at her and stared at her like she was insane. "There's barely even a breeze. How can you stand this heat?"

Corazon continued to look at him cluelessly. "Um, but I like it this hot. I don't like cool weather."

Charlie straightened up and loosened his tie. "Whether you do or not, you're making it feel like we're in an oven. If you feel ANYTHING about other people's feelings, please stop making the sun shine so bright."

Corazon frowned, dark eyes looking down slightly. She looked like she was about to cry. Charlie groaned. He didn't mean to make her cry. "Look! I'm sorry! The heat's just getting to me! Please don't cry."

She sniffled and Charlie nearly fell over himself trying to make her stop. "Please, I'm sorry. Just stop crying, please!"

She nodded and the clouds seemed to form once again, blocking out the sun a bit. It started getting cooler in the area and Charlie's temperament was getting better. "Thank you, De La Cruz. It feels much better," he said in hopes of making her stop with the waterworks.

Corazon nodded and jogged along without a word to him. He sighed. He hated it when girls cried. He felt bad about making her cry, but at least he could take the normal summer temperature.

Fidelio jogged along the path, liking the new breeze that had started up. The previous temperature was almost stifling. He saw a bunch of pink hair ahead of him and clenched his teeth as he jogged over to Olivia.

"Olivia! Olivia!" he called to her. He caught her by the shoulder and turned her around, gray eyes looking normal. He grinned and hugged her. "OLIVIA!"

She laughed and shoved him off. "Fido! What is wrong with you?"

Fidelio blushed faintly as he laughed. "It doesn't matter right now. Are you feeling any better?"

Olivia blinked and giggled. "What are you talking about?"

Fidelio smiled at her faintly, though a bit of worry was in his face. "Manfred got a hold of you and wiped you clean."

Olivia giggled. "You're just being stupid. No he didn't. I haven't seen him since yesterday when I kicked him on the shin. You should've seen me! I was fantastic! I pulled out that cloak the old witch in the last play wore and pretended I was just playing around in the dress up room while I was looking for Ada, but Manfred came in and scared me. So I kicked him in the shin after playing around him and walked right out of there!"

Fidelio nodded. Inside his mind, he was working out where in there Manfred managed to hypnotize Olivia. He also wondered if her being all right meant that their message got through to Asa or if this was part of another, deeper trick.

Olivia poked Fidelio on the forehead. "You're being awfully quiet, Fido. Did someone die?"

Fidelio grinned at her faintly. "No, just thinking is all. Here, let's run together," he said and took off.

"OI! WAIT FOR MEEEE!" Olivia squealed behind him.

Watching the pair take off were a pair of dark eyes. Manfred watched the pair go off with a grimace. Asa wasn't his friend, but he was an ally. Seeing what they could do together to one person made him wonder what sort of damage they could do to him if he hadn't done what Asa had told him to do.

He turned around and started back for the castle, brain remembering his conversation with Asa. He'd gone into the infirmary because Zelda and Dorcas had both told him Asa was there. However, when he arrived, he'd seen Asa sitting up, holding his shoulder as he glared at Manfred. The growl that issued from the boy was most unsettling.

Asa had taken a hold of his collar with his good hand and snarled in his face to lift the hypnosis on Olivia Vertigo before night fell. Manfred could have easily made Asa forget about it, but the thought of that was somewhat distasteful to him. So, he'd done exactly what was required of him and gone on.

"So they like playing rough. Fine, I can deal with that," he grinned as he walked inside.

Emma walked to the girls' dorm, thinking to herself. She heard someone singing, off key, but singing no less. It was a strange song she'd never heard before.

She walked along the corridor until she came to a set of stairs that went up to the attic of the school. She remembered being thrown in there. Was it Ada up there singing already?

She walked carefully onto the first few steps, hearing them creak dangerously under her. "What are you doing here?"

Emma nearly fell off the staircase when she whipped around. "Oh, sorry, ma'am. I thought I heard something. I guess it was just my imagination," she said in a higher tone than was normal for her.

The Matron glared at her through narrowed eyes and nodded. "Fine, go to your dorm now," she said in a harsh tone.

Emma nodded quickly and practically ran to the girls' junior dorms. Once in there, she found Olivia, pulling the girl over to talk. Dorcas wasn't far off, watching them in a worrying fashion.

"What's the matter?" asked Olivia, startled by Emma's behavior.

"She's up there."

"Yeah, we knew that," said Olivia, smiling brightly.

Emma frowned and sat down. "Thanks a lot. Why am I the last to know about these things?"

"Because you were busy with costumes?"

Emma shot Olivia a look and smirked faintly. "Yeah, I suppose I have been a bit absorbed lately."

Olivia giggled. "Don't worry about it! Besides, those costumes are excellent!"

Emma smiled.

"It looks as though trying to get close to Ada is impossible, now. They've gotten their security around her tighter than ever," said Fidelio with a frown.

"Maybe we should sneak up there and talk to her?" said Olivia.

"We do that, someone will have to make sure Aunt Lucretia doesn't find us, or Manfred for that matter," said Charlie as he stared at the table in thought. He sighed and rubbed his head. End of term tests were coming up and he'd kept forgetting to study for them.

"That's not a problem. One of us go up, the other act as look out. Maybe we could signal each other or something. It's at least safer than going into Dr. Bloor's office," said Fidelio.

"And what happens when she's hypnotized and we can't get anything out of her?" grumbled Charlie.

Olivia giggled. "Then, we'll just sneak into the good doctor's office."

"You make is sound so easy," grinned Fidelio, looking to Charlie. "Cheer up, we'll find out what's going on with her home before long."

Olivia nodded. "Let's gather at Fido's house! Make sure we bring Emma along, she's been feeling a little left out."

Charlie nodded. "I'll get her and bring her home and then Fido can come get us," he grinned at Fidelio. A faint blush came across Fidelio's freckled cheeks.

The time to go home for the weekend came. Emma hugged Charlie goodbye before trotting over to the green bus for the Art students. Charlie blushed slightly, though he hardly knew why. It was just Emma after all.

Olivia hugged both Fidelio and Charlie eagerly, bouncing on her feet as did her wild pink hair. "I'll see you both this weekend. See you, Fido! See you, Charlie!" she giggled and ran off to be with her friends on the Drama bus.

Charlie and Fidelio got on the blue bus for the music students and started talking about ways of getting to Ada's information. Charlie saw Morgan running for the bus with her trunk in tow, a few students behind her including Asa Pike. He'd never seen Asa do anything other than glare, grin evilly, or plot evilly. Seeing him run was a bit like watching an animal run, very fast and agile, though his right arm was in a sling.

Morgan was out of breath running for the bus. She knew it wouldn't leave without her, so she slowed to a walk, panting heavily. She pulled her trunk up beside and prepared to put it on the bus when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She groaned. She knew who it had to be. "Why can't you leave me alone?" she growled as she turned her head to see Asa grinning at her.

Asa pinched her cheek and laughed. "You're going to the wrong bus, unless you suddenly want to be with the Drama class."

Indeed, Morgan looked again and saw she was at the purple bus. She blushed heavily and started walking toward the blue bus, but the hand on her shoulder didn't leave. "You can let go, Pike."

His hand lifted and he put his hand into his pocket. "What, no scathing remark? I'm surprised at you, MacGregor. You haven't even used that stupid power of yours on me since you dislocated my shoulder."

Morgan turned around and glared dangerously at Asa. "Do you want me to break your arm as well? I'm trying to get on the bus."

Asa grinned and came closer, leaning down until his face was close to hers. "I'm going to enjoy playing with you for the remainder of my time here, Morgan." Then, he winked at her and jumped up onto the purple bus.

Charlie watched the entire scene with a questioning look on his face. "What? What's going on out there?" he asked Fidelio.

Fidelio shrugged. "Who knows," he said, though there was a partial smile forming on his cleverly freckled face.

Charlie rolled his eyes and watched as a white faced Morgan got up into the blue bus and walked toward them, sitting beside Gabriel behind Charlie and Fidelio. Gabriel blinked at Morgan. "Are you all right?"

Morgan nodded dumbly. Gabriel raised an eyebrow at her and then frowned. "Are you sure? Asa Pike's not the nicest person in the world. Did he say something wrong to you?"

Morgan shook her head.

Gabriel looked to Charlie, who was looking over the seat at them. Charlie shrugged and sat down.

He'd called her by her first name. Morgan wasn't surprised by Asa's threats of torment. What surprised her most was that he didn't call her MacGregor, but Morgan. A faint blush crept across her cheeks involuntarily as did a faint smile. Gabriel looked to her and grinned. "Ah, all right. I see you have your humor back."

"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?" she giggled. Charlie grinned to Fidelio at her better turn of mood. "Though, Charlie, don't you dare think you're going to be let off the hook for leaving me out of your little gathering at Fidelio's house!"

Charlie let out a slight yelp as Morgan reached over the seat and hugged him. "I want to come to. Is it all right, Fidelio?"

Fidelio smiled weakly. "Yeah, you can. I'll clear it with my mother."

Morgan giggled again and let go of Charlie, sitting down in her own seat. Charlie frowned. Fidelio's mother was attacked by Morgan, but Morgan didn't know what happened. They would have to explain Morgan's situation with Fidelio's mother before Morgan could come over.

He sighed and leaned into his seat as the buses took off, watching the city pass by.