"I see… Chemistry, all levels of Biology, oooh… Anthropology- that's a big one right there- and… Public Speaking 101."

"That's right."

Frankie had dropped by his alma mater University one fine morning, still as minimally spoken as ever, but nevertheless determined to see what could be done in obtaining a minor in Archaeology… especially with the school year having already started a week or so prior.

"And you're looking… to take the five courses you need straight away…?" The counselor he was speaking with asked.

"Yes." He replied with a single nod.

"Hm… well… normally it IS a bit of a process… buuuutttt… you do meet all the prerequisites and already have your major so… just let me see what I can do here…" The counselor turned to face her computer diligently, rapidly typing away as she searched through Frankie's records, available classes, and the professors who would be teaching said classes.

Frankie's breathing grew heavy as he fidgeted in his seat uncomfortably, silently praying for the best- even just the most decent outcome to show up at this very moment… for the sake of Pyra, Mythra, Pneuma, and even himself, everything needed to land in place just right…

Before he could spiral himself into a greater fit of worry, the sound of a computer printer began to whir while the counselor made her way over to it happily, taking the single paper out of the printer, and handing it to Frankie.

"Mr. Guosmán… it's great to have you back."

It was Frankie's new schedule.

PLOP*

"What in the world is all this for?!" Mythra hollered as Frankie set his new set of textbooks on the kitchen table, causing both her and Pyra to jump in alarm.

"Scribes of knowledge that will no doubt be used throughout the entirety of the semester a grand total of! One time if I'm lucky…" Frankie replied with an expression that started with an excited smile before ending in a disappointed grimace.

"You speak as though you had personal experience." Pyra pointed out.

"125 bucks down the drain… for no damn reason…" He lamented. "At least they're rental, and a couple of the classes have open book tests as well!"

"They're not expecting you to read ALLL of this, are they?" Mythra asked.

"I certainly wouldn't mind! While the ones I saw at the library were rather upsetting, they were quite the read! They open up a lot of windows to the world I never could have imagined were possible before, they even get my creative juices flowing! And it's not as though we're any stranger to historical fiction playing out on stage, now are we, Mythra?" Pyra asked excitedly. Mythra chuckled lightly as she furrowed her brow.

"You're really gung-ho about this theater gig, aren't ya?" She asked.

"Yep! I've been reading some of Frankie's older schoolwork for inspiration! A child's imagination is a many-splendored thing!"

"It's also a many embarrassing thing…" Frankie snided.

"Hey, you! I won't have you speak that way about your past self in front of me like that! Your writing was charming then, and I'm most sure that it's going to be just as lovely now in your future reports, understand?!" Pyra scolded.

"Y-yes, Pyra!" Frankie stood up straight suddenly, surprised at Pyra's sudden outburst, even a small one like this was a shock coming from her.

"You sure you wanna go through with this, Frankie…? You don't have to if you don't wanna… we really aren't worth the time and effort…" Mythra asked, with Pyra looking her way as she formed a sort of agreeable grimace on her person.

"Mythra, what Pneuma showed me was nothing short of incredible, and after Rubee's little stunt last night… I might as well take the reins myself, right? I'm doing this for myself as much as I am for the two of you. I WANT to know more about your world… m-maybe not so much the people- well… the Nopon were pretty interesting- but if anything's going to help me learn about it, this can help push it along if nothing at all!" He protested.

"Ah! So Rubee inspired you!" Pyra exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "How nice! She IS quite the little marvel, isn't she?"

"Good luck finding anything about it without it being a footnote on the last page…" Mythra moaned.

"I've been thinking about that- but I'll worry more about that when it comes time… there are still articles out there about this stuff- it could be as fantastic as the Trinity Processor, or as mundane as the rudders used to navigate the Cloud Sea, this is your culture as much as México is mine! I just wanna make you comfortable… y'know…?"

Frankie drawled off a bit as he finished, embarrassed at himself for being so poignant about everything. Pyra didn't mind one bit as she stared dreamily at him, intently listening in on every word, nodding along every so often to prove she was following along, while Mythra blushed heavily over how… passionate he was being. Their expressions brought a blush out of him as well, and the room became silent once again. Mythra scoffed and turned away in a fluster.

"Sh-shut up… do whatever you want, Dummy……. But thank you…" She glanced over to him briefly, softening up her expression a bit to show she was being genuine. Frankie nodded nervously as he turned away himself.

"Weeeelllll~ now that we have things all sorted out~ shall we get started on dinner?~" Pyra asked dreamily as she wriggled over to Frankie's side, a small but very happy smile plastered on her face.

"S-sure Pyra… defrost the shrimp and skewer them for me while I get the grill going and season the steaks and carrots…" Frankie responded.

"And Mythra?" Mythra pointed to herself, disamused.

"You can watch us, Mythra! The more you learn, the easier it'll be!" Pyra suggested heartily.

"Oo! You can dice up the bear meat! We can throw it in the rice and make a nice hearty side dish!" Frankie suggested.

"Ooooh! I love it! Look at that, Mythra! You DO get to help out after all!"

"Yeah… the more I learn…" She thought to herself, seemingly ignoring Frankie's suggestion, which was… concerning to say the least.

A couple weeks had passed since that day, Frankie had to reduce his work hours to part time so he could focus -and absolutely not distract himself for a good few hours with more fun and interesting things like his games or assortment of animal videos- on his schoolwork, meaning he'd be home before even Pyra and Mythra, both of which were still full time at the library. Regardless, the weekends were still very much open for catching Pyra and Mythra up on more of the things they had yet to discover in the newer time period.

Mythra was still learning to drive, of course, but she did surprisingly well for someone who only had a single experience prior, and Pyra had nearly destroyed Frankie's computer… pens and paper it stayed for her, it seemed. Even the video games Frankie and Mythra had so naturally gotten the other to join in seemed impossible for her to grasp. Childishly, she would accuse Mythra of cheating and the two would have a back and forth with each other for a good few minutes while Frankie tried his absolute best to not laugh or cry.

One Sunday afternoon, with the trio rising late that day, things would change for one person in particular.

Mythra kicked, jabbed, and punched the air in the center of the den, bobbing and weaving left and right over and over again, shadow boxing with herself as she worked to perfect her martial arts. Things were coming along smoothly, as even amidst the shifts and turns her body would undergo in rapid succession, she never tripped over herself and still stood tall and firm. Satisfied for the day, she took a breather and looked around proudly… that was when she realized she was alone. She groaned in distaste as she searched desperately for something… ANYTHING to distract her from this sudden lonely feeling she felt… no one in close proximity… Frankie was outside, that she knew… a quick little pop in wouldn't hurt, would it…?

"Hey, Dummy?" She asked, catching Frankie studiously highlighting his book with his finger as he would frequently look back up at the monitor and tap it a few times.

"Hmm? Mythra, what's up?" He asked.

"I'm lonely… are you almost finished with your test thing…?" Mythra asked shyly, sitting on the other side of him.

"Oh, Mythra… I just started…"

Mythra groaned as she sloped down the front of the table dramatically.

"Mythra, I told you I had a test today, it shouldn't take me any longer than an hour, okay…?"

"But that's gonna take foreverrrrrrrrr… you have three days to finish it, why can't you just wait til tomorroooooowwwwwww…?"

"Because I don't wanna wait til the last second…"

"Duuuuuuuummmmmyyyyyyyyyy…"

Frankie chuckled and patted Mythra's head as she came closer to him.

"It won't be that long, okay, Mythra? Why don't you go see what Pyra's doing in the meantime, yeah?"

"Ooookaaaaaayyyyyyyyy…"

As Mythra skulked off to go find Pyra, Frankie turned away from his computer for a small while to watch her leave sympathetically. Mythra's childlike tendencies were something he had gotten very used to lately, but this one seemed… different… the test could wait for a little bit longer…

"Pneuma? That wasn't very… 'Mythra'… she's always been a little… childish but that was… worrisome… don't you think?" Frankie wondered in his head, trying to reach out to Pneuma.

No response.

He sighed heavily, coming to the conclusion that she wasn't always around, especially not for smaller matters… a heavy shame… but he knew just what to do nevertheless… what he always did… just be there…

Mythra was off to the living room to go find Pyra, but just as she turned the corner to enter from the outside, she saw Pyra head off towards the front yard and quickened her pace to catch up with her. She eventually found her squatting over the flower bed that was filled with plumerias and roses and hydrangeas. Pyra was in absolute awe as she observed them up close and set her sights on a little ladybug that was resting on one of the petals of the roses. Its red carapace sticking out like a sore thumb against the yellow flowers.

"Hello there… I'm Pyra… and what are you?" She asked cheerfully. She received no response. "Are you taking a little break after an epic battle of climactic proportions? Or is it just a little depression nap…?" Pyra sighed sadly and reached out a finger to pet the little insect. "Don't worry… you wouldn't be alone if that was the case…" She cooed as the bug suddenly opened its wings and switched its resting place from on the flower to Pyra's finger. She smiled happily as she got up and observed it further.

"I think I'll call you Frankie Junior! You have a dark complexion, you're round, sweet, and silly! Just like him!" She blushed happily and turned to see Mythra watching her in total confusion, but Pyra didn't seem embarrassed one bit, instead, she excitedly ran up to Mythra to show her her new friend.

"Mythra! Look! This is Frankie Junior! Isn't he adorable?" Pyra asked excitedly as Mythra inspected the creature curiously. The ladybug responded by opening its shell and fluttering its wings rapidly.

"Uh… yeah… precious beyond belief or… whatever…" She replied.

"Don't you mind me! I thought stepping out into the garden would be a nice way to get some inspiration! And I do believe my hunch was correct!" She brought the ladybug closer to Mythra, who blankly stared at it some more. "I'm thinking he could be the main character of this potential musical I'm brainstorming! No dialogue, just music and actions to coincide with the music and tell a story! Just like Fantasia or The Nutcracker! -andifyouaskmealotmoreeasilydigestiblethanthelatter…" Pyra responded, poking her fingers together shyly, which suddenly caused the ladybug to fly away.

"Oh! Bye bye Frankie Junior! I'll miss you and happy travels!" Pyra hollered as she waved goodbye cheerfully.

Mythra watched the ladybug fly away into the horizon… watching it leave so cheerfully made her feel… something… inspiration? Sorrow? Anger? She wasn't sure. She sighed heavily. Pyra turned her head mournfully and walked up to her.

"Oh Mythra… was I being too ignorant to something that's bothering you…?" She asked.

"No, Pyra it's… it's fine… I'm happy you're finding all this… inspiration in such… tiny places…" Mythra responded, still looking ahead. Pyra followed her gaze and looked far off into the distance and towards the mountains, which overlooked Frankie's little home very well.

"I've dreamt about a place like this, Mythra… a lot…" She said.

"I know… I'm you, after all…" Mythra said back. Pyra chuckled in response, turning back to Mythra.

"That's a rather poor description, isn't it, Mythra?" She asked with a smile.

"Wha? What do you mean??" Pyra hummed thoughtfully with a finger to her chin as Mythra anxiously awaited for an answer. She then hummed happily as she turned back to face Mythra with a smile as pleasant as ever on her face.

"Well… does Frankie treat us as one in the same?"

"W-well… I-I mean… no…" Mythra shuffled nervously from side to side… the mere mention of Frankie when he wasn't here made her break out into a blushing fluster.

"So then what's stopping us from treating each other not like two sides of the same coin but… you know… like sisters…? You've already called us as such before, you know."

Mythra's eyes widened as she looked at Pyra, her classic sweet smile shining brightly as she waited for a response. Mythra sighed again and turned back around.

"I don't know… I guess... I just can't believe it, really, especially when I'm not talking out my butt… and Pneuma's still a thing, y'know… she's what connects us together, after all…"

"Well… Pneuma's pretty keen on being called just that and not Pyra or Mythra anymore!" Frankie suddenly said as he made his way up to the two girls.

"Oh! Frankie! Hello!" Pyra cried happily with a polite wave.

"Shouldn't you be doing your stupid test or something…?" Mythra asked sourly.

"Mythra… you know I can't just sit back and watch you be all sad like this… come on, what's going on…?" Frankie offered as he took a spot right next to Mythra.

She looked down and breathed heavily before looking back to the sky once more.

"I'm just… jealous of the both of you, I guess…" Frankie and Pyra looked at each other in surprise before turning their sympathy toward Mythra. "Pyra knows what she wants to do and she's already getting a head start at it, and you're already on the right track of fixing yourself up… but what about me? What about Mythra? I'm still just… kinda here…"

"That's not true! You're an absolute master when it comes to tinkering with technology! And you can drive much better than I can! You can strike a move on the dance floor like nobody's business and your physical prowess is in top condition! You're making just as much progress as I am, Mythra!" Pyra pointed out, jumping up and down excitedly as she did so.

"Great! I'm barely surviving! Woo-hoo! What am I gonna do afterwards then, huh?!" Mythra asked angrily, silencing both Frankie and Pyra. They waited on short breath for another answer from Mythra, who breathed heavily, waiting for a response from then in turn… but she realized she was making things more difficult than they needed to be. She sighed sadly again and turned to leave.

"I'm… going for a walk… to clear my head… you guys just keep doing what you're doing…" She said as she left.

"Mythra…?" Frankie reached out a hand sadly.

"Don't follow me… please…" With that, Mythra vanished out of sight and onto the streets.

"…Pyra…?" Frankie turned to his other dear friend, with tears in his eyes. Pyra shared an equally sorrowful look as she pulled him into a soft hug.

"Mythra's tougher than she gives herself credit for… I trust her judgment, Frankie…" She explained as Frankie nestled into the hug with a sad and worried moan… but he knew Pyra wasn't speaking nonsense… he knew all too well that time alone was just… necessary sometimes…

Mythra had walked quite a distance away from home. Not like it would've been too difficult for her to do so, but the distance put between her and the house really did make her feel… away. She was still lost in thought, wondering what exactly was on her mind besides this strange discontented feeling. She was happy that Frankie and Pyra were taking the next step in their lives but… well… she also found herself at a mental crossroad. She WAS the one to remind Frankie about taking one day at a time… as Pyra was so keen to remind her just the day before… was she going back on her own advice? Or was it just a matter of… actually experiencing the feeling of it all?

She had found herself in the same shopping center Frankie had taken her and Pyra out to eat at the nearby barbecue place not too long ago and decided to people-watch as she kept walking. She saw families both young and old walking out of the various stores in the area, a supermarket, a bookstore, the snack shop she had visited with Frankie and Pyra… they looked so happy… at least some of them did, others looked tired, but the kids still seemed full of energy… this clash of different emotions hardly helped her situation. All she could do was groan in displeasure and shake her head in frustration as she turned away to focus on something else.

There was a car wash nearby… the people working there looked hard at work, and just based on their quick and broad movements, Mythra could tell they were very dedicated to their job… but why, she wondered? Did they really enjoy themselves? On frequent rides with Frankie, she would see people on the streets advertising a car wash. He would explain it was because someone they were close to had passed away recently and they didn't have the money for a funeral… thinking back on that information only sent Mythra further into a depression. All she could do was mourn alongside the poor women, teens, and children she would see frequently advertising such an event and wonder about how much that person really meant to them if they were willing to go through all that…

She felt a rush in her head… she held it tight and tried to shake it away but the thought wouldn't let her escape… it was another piece of her past.

Features were present but slim. She could make out two humanoid figures, both quite young, but one noticeably older than the other, even if they were the same height, roughly. Voices were muffled as well, but the body language of the older figure told her everything she needed to know… she was distrusted, she was someone to be afraid of, and the situation she was currently in at that point in time didn't paint her in a good light at all. The other figure looked a bit more reserved in their movements and a lot more calm and confident with whatever it was they were saying. And it was when they both finished speaking did she hear Pyra's voice ring out so clearly.

"Of course I wouldn't! I don't have a knife…"

And just like that, everything vanished again as she found herself back in reality. She was confused for a second until she stopped and analyzed this vision of hers further… two differing ideals… her at the very center of it… neither was wrong, but neither was right either… it was all so confusing… and she certainly felt more confused than ever right now. She sighed heavily and stopped walking, tugging on her shirt privately to look at her core crystal… it was as bright and gleaming as ever, but didn't represent her mood in the least.

"What's the deal with you anyway, huh…? Why can't you just give us all the answers we need so we can just go and be on our way…? What are you playing at, exactly?" Mythra asked it. Of course, there was no response, and Mythra turned away from it violently as she covered it up again, her face scrunching up on disappointment. "God, what am I doing…? I'm losing my mind over something so… stupid…" she looked up at the sky and winced pleadingly. "Pneuma, if you can hear me… please just… hurry it up and come home…"

"HELP! HELP!"

A sudden scream from across the plaza caught Mythra's attention. A crowd of people formed a tight circle that extended quite a bit from the event they were covering. Mythra ran over to the crowd quickly so she could see what was going on as well. She couldn't make it out clearly at all, there were too many people in the way, and none of them were too happy at her presence.

"Get out of the way, you old broad! You're messing with my shot!" A young woman snapped at her.

"Broad?!" Mythra angrily hissed as she wasted no time in grabbing the woman by the shoulders and spinning her away from the crowd, violently shoving people out of the way as she tried to get a closer look herself. Many an insult, scoff, and swear were thrown her way as she smashed her way up to the front, and what she saw horrified her.

A young woman no older than nineteen was being harassed and held captive by a much much older man whose age was hard to decipher on account of how filthy and messy he looked, but that hardly mattered. He was forcefully grabbing hold of her as he desperately reached for her pocketbook which she held on to for dear life.

"All I wanted was a dollar! You ain't got the funds to spare a dollar? Gimme that pocketbook and no one gets hurt!" The man exclaimed as he squeezed her wrists tightly in his grasp while the woman made a massive attempt to get away.

"This belongs to my mother! And you're not taking it anywhere! Get off me! Someone help!" The woman screamed again.

"Alright, sweetheart- we can do this the easy way…" The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a rusty pocket knife, his eyes glinting with nothing but slimy malice. "Or the hard way~ I'm gettin' something out of this, that's for sure!"

Mythra couldn't believe her eyes, she felt her heart sink over… EVERYTHING she was bearing witness to. As a matter of fact, the sheer incompetence of the whole crowd sent her into a rage.

"ARE ANY OF YOU ASSHOLES EVEN GOING TO TRY AND HELP HER OUT?! WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU ALL!" She screamed.

"The world has to know! How else are they gonna believe it?! Now get out of the way!!" A young man screamed.

"I don't believe-" Mythra threw her arms at her side in frustration as she stomped forward. "HEY YOU!" She screamed at the dirty man, who stopped his assault and grinned greasily at Mythra, still holding on to the other woman, who was still struggling to break free.

"Hey, you, yourself! Butt out! We're conducting business here!" The man shouted in his unsettlingly high voice, his sudden smile eeking out a horrendous smell through the dozens of missing teeth.

"I'm not going anywhere. Let her go. Now." Mythra demanded.

"Awww but why? We was only playing. Right sweetie~?" The man brought the lady's face close to his as he chuckled in excitement, bringing the knife closer to her face. The woman looked over to Mythra, with tears in her eyes.

"Help me… please…" She begged.

Mythra's brow furrowed- however long this has been going on was already too long… already, she could imagine the horrendous potential aftermath of this situation, and she couldn't stand for it. She knew exactly what to do.

"If you let her go I'll…" Mythra cringed over what she was about to do next. "I'll let you have some of this-" She not so subtly bounced her chest towards the man's direction, trying so very hard not to throw up on the scene. It disgusted her to her very core… but if it meant getting him off of her…

The man's eyes widened in surprised delight as he threw the girl he was currently holding on to the ground, advancing towards Mythra slowly and creepily, arms outstretched in a grabbing manner, ready to take Mythra up on her offer. Even the crowd, who she had gotten on the bad side of, fell silent as they watched in breathless anticipation… but Mythra stood tall… and swiped both his wrists upward with one swooping motion, gripping them as tight as she could. The man howled and wheezed in pain as Mythra glared daggers at him through gritted teeth. She twisted her body around and kicked his stomach with a ferocious side kick, sending him back, nearly falling over on his rear, but Mythra wouldn't let that happen, no of course not, she wanted to do the honors herself. She did so by quickly moving behind him, putting him in a headlock, and slamming down on the ground, HARD. Nearly cracking his head open as he started to bleed. Before he could react any more, she stamped a foot on his chest and loomed over him with a fist pointed in his direction. She sneered in disgust at him and waited for whatever he was going to try next.

With nothing but terror in his eyes, the man got up and ran off in the other direction, as Mythra stood her ground… no weapons necessary… her sparring really paid off… and she felt proud…! Not proud enough to crack a smile… but proud enough to impress herself.

The still-recording crowd looked on in awe at her as she quickly turned to the girl, who was on her side on the ground, moving over to her and squatting down for her to see her better.

"Hey… you okay?" She asked.

The girl, who had a nosebleed and running mascara from crying so much, looked up hopefully at Mythra, who extended a sympathetic arm to help her up. Timidly, the girl gave Mythra her hand and the two stood up slowly together, the latter was dusting her off pointedly as the girl tried to recollect herself.

"That was awful… how are you feeling…?" Mythra asked.

"I…I feel…" the girl began, but she was quickly interrupted.

"WHAT is going on here?! Out of the way, all of you!" A tall and muscular man who was darkly tanned, dressed all in blue with dark black eyes barged through the crowd angrily, making his way up to Mythra and the girl. "Wanna tell me what happened here, MISS?" He asked. Mythra scoffed in disbelief… how on earth was she supposed to approach this situation if she was already being judged?

That answer came to her instantly.

"Daddy… daddy…" The girl ran up to the man and hugged him tightly, bawling her eyes out. Instantly, the man's attitude changed from ferocious to caring as he removed his cap to reveal his dark red hair as he hugged back warmly.

"Oh, baby, baby, shhhhh… it's okay… it's okay… Daddy's here, daddy's got you… it's over… you don't gotta worry about a thing…" He cooed gently.

"I… I didn't want them taking mama's pocketbook- I didn't…"

"Sweetie…" the man sighed as he hugged the girl even tighter. "Your mother would've understood… you're more important to us than some fancy-pants wallet…"

"But… but… both me and the wallet are okay…" She sniffled. "Daddy… daddy, that girl saved my life…" The girl pointed over to Mythra, whose own mood shifted to one of surprise as she glanced at the girl and then the older man, who walked up to her humbly, his hat still removed, and kneeled down to be at the same level as her.

"Is that true…? Did you help out my little girl…?" He asked, his big eyes ripe with concern.

Mythra frowned sympathetically before she let out a small sigh and nodded her head.

"I did… and you've got a bunch of witnesses to prove it…" Mythra raised her head in the direction of the crowd, who had now stopped hawking and looked around nervously before silently dissipating from the area, embarrassed and ashamed.

The man turned to face Mythra again after facing the crowd and placed his hands on her shoulder, looking her dead in the eye and letting out a few tears.

"You saved my daughter's life… thank you… just… thank you…"

Now the man was full on crying as he trembled just beneath Mythra, which was when his daughter ran over to comfort him.

"I'm okay, Daddy… I'm okay… really I am…" The girl hugged her dad tightly, who then proceeded to sniff harshly and stand up straight again.

"If you had just been… even a second late… she would've…" The man tightly shut his eyes and looked away in horror. He sighed heavily and turned toward Mythra again, still towering over her, but looking at her with a stoic sort of serenity. "What's your name, miss?" He asked.

"Mythra… I'm Mythra…" Mythra stuttered. She didn't understand what at all was happening now that the danger had been eliminated, but still conversing so casually with this large and imposing man.

"Well… Mythra…" the man began. "Can you give a description of the perp?"

Mythra furrowed her eyebrows as she looked the man dead in the eye.

"I can give you a whole lot more than that…"

The dirty man was now in the back of a black and white vehicle, whose headlights flashed red and blue as its alarm went off wildly, driving away from the scene of the crime and out of the plaza they were in. Mythra was answering questions some of the other similarly dressed people who had appeared on the scene were asking her while the big man was busy comforting his daughter. When Mythra had finished her duty and the people left to question the other witnesses, she turned to the girl she had saved and the big man and walked over to them slowly.

"Hey…" she said lowly.

"Hmm? We're a little busy here. What do you want?" The man asked.

"Just… just checking on the both of you… I can't imagine you're feeling very good about any of this either…"

The man looked to his daughter, who nodded with a weak but honest smile. This was his cue to get up out his seat and speak to Mythra.

"You got that right… sometimes we gotta pull strings down at the station just to get things like this done and not wait around for some weakass loitering crap we can take care of in a few words…" The man looked sour as he turned away.

"Station?" Mythra asked.

"The police station. I'm a cop." The man flashed his badge Mythra's way. It was bright gold and shimmered proudly in the light… it was absolutely captivating.

Mythra's mouth hung open in wonder as she stared at it intently. A seven pointed golden star with three circles in the middle that would form into the landscape of a city, an open book with a scale on top, a bright red sun, and a cross shining brightly in a clear sky… it reminded her of her core crystal, as well as the various decorations that surrounded every room of Frankie's house. Around the circle was a set of words, "City of Redlands • 1888 • California • Inc.". The man noticed her awe and chuckled lightly.

"You seem a bit dazed, you okay?" He asked. Mythra snapped out of her trance and sputtered a bit of nonsense before turning away with a cross of her arms.

"W-w-what? O-of course I'm fine! What do you take me for…?" She asked. The man chuckled again and came closer to her.

"I saw what you did on those recordings, kid, that was dangerous. But… you handled it pretty well… you've got a sharp mind, a good heart, and a strong sense of REAL justice… some of these bigwigs of ours could learn a thing or two from you…"

Mythra looked up at the man in a flustered blush over the compliments he was giving her. She scoffed in embarrassment and turned away once again. The man laughed heartily.

"Shy, huh? You're just like my little girl over there when she was still REALLY little!"

"Daddy!" The girl shouted in protest.

"Listen…" he told Mythra as he reached into his shirt pocket. "If you're ever in the mood to get the ball rolling… tell 'em Rocko sent ya." Mythra saw the man hand her something out of the side of her eye. She reached out to grab the thing- it was a business card that read "Rocko Williams: Deputy Chief, Redlands, CA; williams.; (909)555-7258"

Mythra stared at this card for a long while… what she made of it… she couldn't quite tell… a mix of emotions flooded her system… she felt proud of herself, for sure… but could she even let herself feel proud? Was it wrong after witnessing the horror before her? She did help out after all… but this 'police' business seemed… like it needed help… the help of someone who desperately wanted to but was never quite sure how… even if the answer seems obvious… she hardly even noticed that the man, this… Deputy Chief Rocko, had taken his daughter and left the scene leaving her all alone once again… but now… all alone and… curious.

"Is mom gonna hear about this…?"

"Yes! Of course! And watch, she'll agree with me, I guarantee! Use your head as much as you do your heart, sweetie, PLEASE…!"

"Okay, daddy… I will…"

Frankie paced back and forth in the kitchen while Pyra sat at the dining table with Turters, gently cleaning his shell and feeding him bits of lettuce with a frown on her face. She sighed lowly as she spoke to him.

"I love Mythra, Turters… I know what she needs to do but it's just… frustrating sometimes…" She admitted.

"Frustrating… that's a word for it…" Frankie whimpered.

"Well… what would you describe it as, Frankie?" Pyra asked.

"I don't know…! But… mmm… I already drove myself sick enough worrying over Kaito when we first met and I'm more than willing to do the same with Mythra but… I just don't want her to hurt herself…" He admitted.

Pyra joined him at his side and placed her head under his, taking his hands and stroking them gently with her thumb in an effort to calm him down.

"Believe you me, Frankie, we… we've… learned to… not do that…" Pyra said. Frankie looked at her with even more worry, but Pyra flashed a reassuring smile back, to really communicate with him that he had nothing to worry about in regards to self harm.

Just then, they heard a knock at the door. It was Mythra.

"Hey guy-" Mythra was cut off by Frankie swiftly pulling her into a hug. She was caught off guard and stayed frozen as he clung to her tightly.

"Where were you…? I've been… I've been…" Frankie started to shiver and cry tears of relief as he hugged her tighter and tighter by the second, one hand on her back, and the other at the back of her head.

"Oh Frankie… I'm here, Dummy… I'm here…" Mythra reassured him with a smile and small hug of her own, placing a gentle hand on the back of his head. Pyra smiled in turn as she came up to the two.

"You certainly seem and sound a lot better Mythra." She pointed out.

"Yeah… you could say that…" she responded with a nervous swallow.

"Are you sure, Mythra? You can tell us anything, you know that right? I don't want you keeping things from us if you don't feel like you have to…!" Frankie said as he let go of her. Pyra chuckled.

"It's okay, Frankie… Mythra is home… safe and sound… just like I told you…" She reassured him.

"Yeah… in fact, I'm mad at you for thinking I WOULDN'T be able to take care of myself!" Mythra glared at Frankie with her arms crossed.

"Mythra, no… of course I know you'd be okay but… I just… I worry… you know…?"

Mythra sighed yet again and shook her head fondly.

"You really are a Dummy, Dummy~" She said as she immediately went to pinching and playing with his cheeks with both hands, as seemed to be per usual.

"I told you I didn't wanna lose you…" Frankie mumbled childishly.

"I know, I know, just have some faith in good ol' Mythra, okay?"

"Oh- just both of you be quiet and let me in on this!" Pyra exclaimed happily, tightly hugging the both of them suddenly, to their surprise and enjoyment, as the two hugged back warmly… even if it was just a bit… having… THIS back was… nice.

"I… got a 79 on the test, by the way…" Frankie told Mythra.

"79?! Out of 100?! What was on your mind that kept that score from getting any higher?!" Mythra scolded. Frankie moaned sadly as he glanced her way. "Oh…" Mythra turned around in a flustered blush, brow furrowed. "…Dummy…"

"Well… now that we're all back together and finished with our tasks for the day… what say we rummage through our little collections and see what we can kill some time with, eh?" Pyra happily suggested as she disbanded the hug.

"Well… actually… there is… a little something… on my mind…" Mythra responded as she reached into her purse, pulling out the business card that Rocko had given to her earlier.

Frankie and Pyra took it in their hands and stared at it in surprise, looking back at Mythra all the same as she stayed there… quiet as ever… she didn't feel quite as confused anymore… but she did feel something… what it was? She still couldn't tell… her heart raced, her mind skipped, her stomach churned, and her eyes would water every now and then… everything was all leading back to this card…

She was feeling… Decisive.