My eyes opened to see a familiar ceiling. It was a sterile, white tile, and it was a very boring thing to look at. The room I was in smelled like antiseptic and bleach. My body was aching and I could barely move. I groaned, turning over to look at my bedside to see an IV bag filled with liquid.

I looked around to see that I was alone. I was dressed in a white gown that smelled like disinfectant.

My mind was fuzzy, and I was exhausted.

I was back in the damned Kaleidoscope infirmary again. I groaned in annoyance, and then let out a deep breath as my head hit the pillow.

And then, I felt an arm around my elbow.

What...? I wondered.

A warm hand pressed against my side. Fingers pat my head and brushed my hair from my eyes and a soft, feminine voice spoke. "Hey."

I blinked in confusion, and then turned my head. A pair of hazel eyes and a mop of tangled, long black hair met me.

"Stella?" I gasped. I couldn't help but let out a surprised squeak at her presence, and my eyes widened. She looked as if she had just woken up herself. Her black hair was tousled, and she looked as if she hadn't slept.

"Morning sunshine," she replied with a smile. She sat up in bed, stretching her arms out. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," I admitted. "Really, really tired. I can't move. I feel like a sack of potatoes."

"Yeah, you look pretty worn out," she replied.

"Are you okay?" I asked. I looked down at my hands. They were trembling. They were so pale, and my arms looked like sticks. I tried to sit up, but I felt weak and exhausted. "Did you stay with me the whole night?"

"Yeah... it wasn't as bad as the day before, but still," she admitted. "I don't know... I guess I didn't want you to wake up and not have anybody here for you again."

"Thank you," I replied, looking at my hands.

"You don't have to thank me, we're..." Stella paused for a second. "...family, after all."

I looked at Stella, and then down at the bed. "Yeah, I guess we are. You know, it's... kind of scary. All of it. It feels like I'm on another planet. I feel like a different person now. I can't even walk. Fighting monsters is different, but... fighting actual people is..."

"It's different. I know," she agreed. "It's weird and scary. It's one thing to rough house with our classmates and spar, but to actually fight with our lives on the line is different."

She let out a deep breath and leaned against the bed frame as I shivered.

"He was more like a monster shaped like a man, but still," Stella said.

"I didn't mean to kill him, and I know it wasn't the real thing but I... still almost killed someone," I admitted.

"You did the right thing, in the end."

"I guess."

Stella sighed, shaking her head.

"I just..." she began, then stopped herself. She bit her lower lip and shook her head again, her hair bouncing as she did.

"Just what?"

"Just... nevermind. It's nothing," she replied. She shook her head, then took a deep breath and sighed.

We were both silent for a moment, the quiet only broken by the steady beep of a machine. The room smelled like bleach, antiseptics, and other cleaning supplies. The room was cold, and it was hard to believe so much had happened in two days.

"I'm glad you're here," I admitted. "I don't know how I'd have done this without you, or Albert, or the rest of the group. It was just so much."

"You'd do just fine," Stella replied with a smile.

"I don't know about that," I chuckled.

"Albert was here, by the way. Don't know how he figured out where the infirmary was, given it's hidden behind a whole bunch of wards, but the teachers had to send him away. He wouldn't stop pacing outside and yelling and holding up signs to let him in."

"Ugh, that dork," I groaned, shaking my head. "He needs to stop worrying about me. I'm not made of glass."

"Eh, that's what friends are for," she said, shrugging. "I wouldn't know, though."

A long beat passed between us.

I stared at her in surprise. "No way, you're kidding?"

"Weird internet friends, maybe. I have a couple. But... not exactly. I mean I moved around a lot when I was a kid and usually attended private schools under one alias or another," Stella admitted.

"I... I don't know what to say," I admitted.

Stella laughed.

"I wasn't friendless-friendless, but it was always kind of weird to make friends with the kids I was in school with," Stella said.

"That... sounds lonely," I admitted.

"Eh, it could have been worse. Could've been an orphan," she said. "I mean, technically I was an orphan in the sense I was adopted, but still. My family was really, really nice. They were good people, and I had a great life. I got to travel around the world, got to do a lot of stuff, and had a bunch of opportunities to learn things most people wouldn't be able to learn."

"True," I agreed.

"But it's not the same, though. Not at all. I mean, my family is my family. But they aren't my family. If that makes sense."

I thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Kind of like me. We're sisters but... not really? We don't really know each other."

"Exactly. It's complicated. I mean I spent three years acting out while chasing down your mom's breadcrumbs. And now... I'm not sure what to think," Stella admitted.

"Yeah, me too."

Stella looked at me and smiled. She reached over and placed a hand on my shoulder. She gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I guess, well... we'll just have to see how this whole thing works out. But, at least I know you're a good person. That you want to help people," she said. "I think we could have been good friends."

"Could?" I asked, smirking.

"Are. Are good friends. I meant," Stella corrected herself. She smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back. "And we have plenty of time to get to know each other."

I looked up at her and smiled, feeling my eyes watering a bit. "I'm just glad we're both here in one piece."

"Yeah, me too," she replied, smiling. "And hopefully the next shopping trip is less of a clusterfuck."

The room fell quiet, and we both looked away, a bit embarrassed at how mushy this all felt. The silence between us felt heavy, and I was reminded again of how little I actually knew about her.

"I'm sorry I ran away before you woke up yesterday. It... was just a lot," Stella admitted. "And I was being an idiot about everything. I shouldn't have done that."

"Hey, no, I get it. This whole situation is crazy," I admitted. "It's not your fault. It's... a lot to deal with."

"Yeah, it is," Stella said, nodding her head. "But I'm just glad you and I kinda click, you know? I know I mentioned it a bit but I was afraid we wouldn't get along."

"Hey, you know, you and I can work through it. We've got all the time in the world," I said. "So... what's on the agenda for the day?"

"Agenda huh? Sheesh, I was kinda thinking we'd go to sleep for the next three years after that crazy shopping trip," she chuckled.

"Yeah... I guess that would be a good idea," I admitted, laughing. "I have homework on limits and stuff due soon."

Stella rolled her eyes and gave me a deadpan look.

"You're kidding. You almost die, and then the moment you wake up you're talking about calculus?" Stella groaned.

"I have responsibilities, you know. Magical girl or not," I replied. "And I need to finish it, otherwise I'm going to have an F on my first exam. I'm not gonna be a magical girl failure!"

"Oh no, we wouldn't want that, would we?" she teased, shaking her head in amusement. "Just don't push yourself. You need rest, after all."

"I won't, I won't," I assured her. I reached out and touched her hand, giving her a weak squeeze. "I'll be okay."

She gave me a sad, longing smile, and then she sighed. "I know. Um, also, just one thing. Ichigo wants to schedule another training session for the afternoon, and she's bringing her brother this time."

"Er, we're not gonna kick the crud out of each other again, right?" I groaned.

"Probably, knowing her," Stella sighed. "I mean, it's not a bad idea, but I'm pretty exhausted too. And I think she's a bit upset that she couldn't really keep up with the rest of us during the fights against the heavy hitters. We did agree on some strength and conditioning instead of sparring, though. So that's a relief."

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I looked down at my twigs for arms and sighed. I couldn't move, I was too tired. But... I was so scrawny and noodle-like.

I hated it.

"I'd be fine with some strength and conditioning training," I admitted. "But I need to finish my homework."

"That's fine," Stella replied, patting my hand. "We can do that. We can all get a good rest in, and maybe we can hang out with Albert some. It'd be good for you two to catch up, you know?"

I nodded in agreement, but then I frowned, looking at her. She seemed a bit nervous about something.

"You okay?" I asked. She jumped, as if I had snapped her out of deep thought. "You seem like something's on your mind."

"No, I'm fine," she quickly answered.

"You sure? You're kind of acting weird."

"Yeah, I'm sure," she replied. She looked away from me and stood up from her chair, walking over to the window and looking outside.

I frowned at her. She seemed a little... sad. "Stella?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you be honest with me? I know we barely know each other, but I want to be there for you. If something's bothering you, you can talk to me."

She hesitated, her back still to me as she stared outside the window. I couldn't make out her face from the angle I was at, but I could see the way her body shook. Finally, she spoke. "It's just..."

"Just what?" I asked.

"The... cat's out of the bag. Kinda. Claw Currant, Claw Strawberry, your crime prince friend Black Star, Braveheart Kitsune, and Albert saw me as Rosaria Celeste. I'm pretty sure Braveheart Kitsune is at the very least linked to Storm Vixens. I just... it's a lot. This whole situation is crazy," Stella admitted. "I mean... I don't know. It just feels surreal, you know?"

"Yeah," I agreed.

"And we've only been level about our fucked up family situation for like two days. It feels like a lifetime already," Stella whispered. "It feels like... I don't know, it feels like we've known each other forever. And it also feels like we haven't known each other at all."

I grunted, finally gathering enough strength to stand up, walking over to Stella. I placed my hands on her shoulders. She tensed for a moment before she turned around to face me. Her face was wet with tears and she looked so vulnerable.

"I've lived a lie my entire life. As Stella Matsudaira. I was contracted when I was just eight. For all I know, I could have been adopted as part of one big scheme. My whole life was an act. Groomed and trained at the behest of the Guardians just for the potential to become the successor of my mother's legacy," Stella sniffed, her voice choked up.

She turned around. "The two of us should have been together from day one! You had to grow up in a slum and I was raised by billionaires. It's so fucked up! We've missed out on a whole childhood together! A whole life! I don't know who I'm supposed to be now!"

"Stella..."

"My birth name isn't even Stella!" she hissed, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I've never had a name that wasn't just an act. It was all fake! I don't even know who the real Stella is!"

I stood there for a moment, staring at her as she sobbed. She looked at me, her hazel eyes full of pain and sadness. Her voice was so small, and it was so full of despair and pain.

She was right. Our childhood, our life as siblings had been stolen from us.

It wasn't fair.

We'd been lied to our whole lives. In very different ways. I'd lived my entire life thinking my heritage was completely ordinary, only to learn it was anything but.

And she had been raised to become the perfect magical girl successor for her mother.

She sniffled. "All I know about myself is what I've learned about myself. I know our father was Paladis Shield, Arcadia Vox's tactician and technical specialist. He was a genius and polymath that worked on all the tech she used. He had the title of the 'smartest man alive' but he wasn't a public figure. His civilian identity is as mysterious as it gets, and nobody knows what happened to him," she sniffled.

I pulled her into a hug, holding her close to me as her shoulders shook with each sob that wracked through her body. She was my half sister. I knew how she felt.

"It'll be alright, Stella," I said, rubbing circles in her back as she sobbed into my shoulder.

She was quiet for a few seconds, and then she sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve..

"What happened to him?" I asked. "Our father?"

Stella shrugged. "Dunno. I've never been able to find out anything. But whatever it was, it must have been terrible, considering the Guardians went out of their way to make sure no record of his civilian life ever existed. They're really protective about their secrets, even though they have their fair share of corruption," Stella muttered, looking at her hands. She balled them into fists.

"I see."

"Mom was Arcadia Vox. Yours was Nightingale Eclipse. And our dad was the Paladis Shield, and they were all in the same team. They fought the Nightmare of Nox together," she said, her voice soft. "And they won. There's the... official story. Paladis, Storm Vixen, Arcadia Vox, and dozens of the greatest heroes of the era gathered a strike team to take down Mortifera Nox. And they did. She was defeated. And the world was saved. At the eleventh hour, Nightingale Eclipse had a change of heart due to her lifelong love for Paladis and Arcadia's friendship and helped the heroes. She sacrificed herself after a climactic duel with Arcadia Vox, and then the remaining heroes teamed up on Mortifera Nox to finally put her down. Arcadia and Mortifera killed each other, and Paladis vanished off the face of the planet," Stella said. "That's the official story at least."

I nodded, my gaze fixed on her.

She turned and stared at the wall behind me. I could see the pain in her eyes.

"And that was the official story. The story they taught in school," she said, her voice trembling.

Stella looked away. "The truth? I don't think anyone really knows, other than the people who were there that day. But I've put some pieces together. What really happened? That's the question I've been trying to answer for years now. I have pieces. Not nearly enough to form a whole picture."

"Such as?" I asked.

"Nightingale Eclipse and Arcadia Vox were the leaders of their team and lifelong best friends, and they fell in love with the same guy," Stella explained. "And er... at the risk of the mental image, probably each other as well? I'm... I'm going to stop there."

I winced. "Yeah. Let's... uh, yeah. Don't want to go there. But continue."

"Well, that's all I have. I have a bunch of tidbits of information, but nothing that can be put into the right order," Stella said.

"Damn," I whispered.

"Yeah."

We were silent for a moment.

"Elio."

She looked up at me.

"What?" She asked.

"Elio. That's what our father's name is," I explained. "I don't have any last names, but I think Elio might have been the real name."

I really wasn't ready to talk about the apparition of Arcadia Vox that'd appeared to me out of nowhere when I'd nearly been killed by Red Masque.

It was just too much right now.

"Elio..." she whispered, her voice a soft whisper.

"It has a nice ring to it. The Night. The Sun. And the Voice of the People."

"Damn, we really had the coolest fucking parents," Stella muttered, shaking her head and looking out the window. The sky was a brilliant blue. It was clear and bright and full of promise. The world had never seemed so full of hope.

"I guess we did," I agreed. I stepped forward, and pulled her into another hug, and this time she hugged back. "I don't know what to do. What's going to happen to us now?"

"We keep moving forward," she replied, her voice strong. "I hope the cat siblings and Kitsune can keep their mouths shut. I have a reputation to uphold, and I'm not sure how to deal with it, and the more that know, the greater chance that we'll have to answer some uncomfortable questions."

"Yeah... I do think they'll be discreet, and I definitely don't think I'm ready either," I admitted.

"Maybe it'll be for the better to just rip the bandage off, but I just want to lay low. I've lived my entire life in the shadow of my mother and the Guardians," Stella sighed, her voice filled with exhaustion and resignation.

"Mmm," I whispered, nodding and patting her back.

Stella sighed. "And... I guess I'm not sure how I feel about that."

I squeezed her.

"Thank you, Sienna," she whispered, resting her chin on my shoulder. "You don't have to do any of this. And I appreciate you trying to help."

"Hey, we're family, aren't we? Of course I'm going to try and help. And besides, we both want the same things, don't we, Stella?" I asked.

Stella pulled away from the hug, looking down at me.

"Celeste," she said.

I looked up at her. "What?"

"It's officially Stella, but my redacted birth certificate says Celeste. My adopted mother picked Stella, honoring the original intention and legacy of Arcadia Vox."

Celeste and Sienna. Heaven and Earth. I chuckled a little, giving her a sad smile. "Celeste and Sienna, huh?"

Celeste nodded, and her face broke out into a sad smile.

"It sounds like a bad anime."

"Right?" I giggled.

The two of us stood there for a moment, and I realized just how lucky we were to have found each other. We'd been given an impossible task to complete. To follow in the footsteps of legends. And it would be a hard path.

I hugged her tight, and she hugged me back. We both had our own burdens to bear, but at least we could bear this one together.

"It's still gonna be Stella to everyone else," she said with a small chuckle. "I'll let you know when I'm okay with using that name."

"I'll stick with that then, for the moment," I replied.

"It's just surreal," she explained, her voice a little wobbly. "You're the first person in years who has seen the real me, you know?"

"What, Dark Princess Eris's true face when she isn't cackling manically while taking over the world?" I joked, raising my hands in an exaggerated villain showboat. "Or do you mean your cute and shy big sister persona as Elysia?"

"Oh shut up you nerd," she snorted.

"Pot. Kettle."

We both giggled.

"Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "Well... Elio huh? That's what dad's name was? It sounds... familiar, somehow. Like I've heard it before."

"You might have," I agreed. "But... that's what his name was. Elio."

She nodded.

"It sounds right, somehow," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I know. I can't believe our parents had such a crazy, dramatic love triangle, and they had the audacity to die or vanish into thin air," I said.

Stella laughed. "I guess we're stuck with each other, now," she said.

"Yeah. We'll figure it out. It'll work out in the end. Just wait and see."

"Maybe."

We were quiet for a moment. I didn't want to let her go.

I wanted to keep holding her.

But she stepped back.

"Let's go home. I can walk you back to your room," Stella offered. "We can pick up Albert along the way and you two can get your homework out of the way."

"That... sounds like a plan."

"I don't want to let go, but... we can't keep doing this. You know? It's nice but we can't just stand around like this forever," she admitted. "We should go home, get our homework out of the way. We should get to training with the group."

"Yeah."

I looked outside the window.

"Elio huh? I wonder if he's still around somewhere, or if he was killed by Mortifera Nox," I asked.

"Who knows," she whispered. "If he is, it'd better not be a case of milk and cookies and him having an entirely different life somewhere else. That's a soap opera I'd rather not get involved with. But I do have my hopes he's still out there. Maybe we can get a complete set."

I laughed. "A complete set?"

"A complete family. Your Mom. Dad. A sibling. Who knows, we might find a cousin or two along the way."

"Aww. Aren't we family?" I asked.

"Yeah. I guess we are. In a way."

There was a moment of silence.

"Hey. Um... thanks. For... just, thanks. For being here, you know?"

"Yeah. Now come on, let's go home," I said.

She took a step forward and took my hand in hers.

"Mmhm."

Stella opened the window with one hand, letting the morning breeze wash over us.

"Hey... Sienna?" She asked, and I turned to her, giving her a small smile.

"Yeah?" I said, looking up at her.

"I'm... I'm glad I found you, too," she replied.

I smiled.

"I'm glad you did, too." I said. "And hey. Stella?"

"Yeah?" she asked.

"We're going to figure this all out. We'll find him someday. Our father, I mean."

"Yeah," she whispered, smiling at me. "I believe it. Wherever he is, I think we'll find him. We'll bring our family back together. Even if we have to beat up the Grim Reaper to do it."

"Maybe not today, but someday," I said, grinning at her, extending my pinky as Albert had always done with me.

"Someday," she replied, wrapping her pinky around mine as she smiled back. "Now let's go. I want to make sure Albert doesn't do something dumb while trying to get into the infirmary again."

"He's that worried about us?" I asked.

"He was pacing around in circles like a worried father at 2 a.m in the morning," she chuckled.

"I guess that makes him our new team dad then," I teased.

Stella just laughed. "I'm going to hold that over him."

"You wouldn't dare," I snorted.

Stella just smiled at me, a mischievous twinkle in her hazel eyes, before turning to look at the door.

We both walked towards it.

It opened with a soft click, and the hallway beyond stretched before us, lit by bright sunlight.

I squeezed her hand.

"Come on then," she said, and I followed her as she walked out the door.

Stella Matsudaira. Celeste.

My sister. My half-sister. The other daughter of Arcadia Vox and Paladis Shield. The girl who had lived her whole life in the shadows, fighting and clawing her way to the top. Who had trained and studied and honed herself into a deadly weapon against all the forces of the universe.

We were a family.

No matter what happened, no matter where the future took us, no matter how hard things were, or how difficult they were going to be.

We were sisters. And that meant we were going to fight. We were going to struggle. We were going to push forward. And we were going to find our family.

And that was all that mattered.

If our father was still alive out there somewhere, and my mother, even if they were both ghosts or spirits or memories of what once were, I knew we would find them.

We would bring our family back together, no matter how far apart we all were. No matter what it took.

Dad?

Mom?

Wherever you are, we're coming for you.

We'll bring you back to us. Even if it kills us. And if we have to go into the underworld and fight the gods themselves to get to you, then so be it.