"Wooh..." Sheena wobbled over to Raine and plunked down onto the ground next to Raine, resting her head on the schoolteacher's shoulder. "You OK, Raine?" she asked. "That ass didn't hurt you did he?"

"Raine appears to be unharmed," Presea said, answering for Raine, who was still staring off into space. She kneeled down before the pair as Regal stood a little way off, watching with his arms crossed.

"Good!" Sheena reached up and hugged the taciturn girl, squealing joyfully. "And you were awesome, Presea! You saved us!"

"Oh.. ah.." Presea's pale cheeks turned pink. "R- Regal and I were coming for our monthly visit when we heard the commotion," she said, for lack of a better response.

"Right," Sheena got up and grabbed her cards, counting to see if they were all there. They were. Giving Regal a quick hug, she said, "Thanks for kicking his ass, Regal!" she paused. "Literally."

Regal shook his head. "Not a problem. And, ah, maybe you should get dressed? I heard Mizuho was taken by surprise, but now that the fighting is over.."

Sheena flushed. "Oh, yeah, right! Of course." She quickly turned away from Regal so that he couldn't see where Kuchinawa's blade had cut a bit of her sleeve open. Putting a hand to the pendant that everyone noticed now, she scampered off quickly and returned five minutes later in her usual purple (revealing) outfit, desperately trying to smooth the wrinkles out. She sighed and took her necklace off.

Raine's head shot up suddenly. She looked at Sheena. "Sheena, did you..." she started, but Sheena had wrapped the silver cord around her wrist and was wearing it as a bracelet, and Raine shook her head.

"Yeah, Raine?" Sheen asked curiously.

"..It must have been my imagination..." she muttered before getting up. She looked around her. "Where did that little girl go?"

The four heroes searched the nearby houses until they found her, hidding in a closet, sniffling. Raine healed her as best as she could, since the girl didn't have an Ex-sphere, and Sheena talked to her in a soothing voice until she managed to convince the girl to leave the house and tell them her name, and where her family was.

"Aiko, huh?" Sheena asked, smoothing the girl's hair. It was a sign of how much bigger Mizuho had gotten that Sheena didn't recognize the girl instantly by her face. "Well, I'm Sheena."

Aiko nodded slowly, giving Sheena a quick bow and flushing to be talking so personally to the Iggaguri heir. "Aiko Miyajima." Suddenly her eyes widened and she quickly clung to the hem of Sheena's skirt, shaking the older girl. "Oh, and you have to help mama! When those men came..." Aiko shook her head. "You have to help her!"

"Of course," Sheena said. "Lead me there."

Aiko grabbed Sheena's hand and the two girls of Mizuho trotted off, Aiko in the lead and telling Sheena how they had been asleep when their house had been entered and Aiko had been carried off. Raine, Presea, and Regal glanced at each other before Raine took off after Sheena, knowing her medical skills might be needed. The blue-haired man and the pink-haired girl followed, both of them knowing the worst had happened when they found Sheena and Aiko outside the house.

"Mama... Mama..."

"Shh... it's OK..." Sheena said.

But when Raine walked out of the partly burned hut with a solemn expression, everyone knew there was nothing OK.

A/N: Yes. I am a monster. Did you think this whole story would be pointless fluff? Sorry. to make up for it.. offers buckets of sake You'll be too drunk to notice the lack of lesbian sex. Cheers!