Lily noticed how Alex continued walking away, and sank down to her seat with a look of confusion.
[i][color=fff200]It looks like he was in a fight. Did something happen?[/color][/i] She thought to herself, and bit her lower lip.
[i][color=fff200]I hope it's not because of me. He said it's fine, but...[/color][/i]
Her attention snapped back to the rocker twins who agreed with her offer, and she smiled cuter than a hundred chihuahuas combined.
[color=fff200]"All right! Thanks a ton!"[/color] She answered, and nodded rapidly. 
[color=fff200]"Yeah, okay! Let's do all those things, and more! Bye-bii~!"[/color]


She waved one last time, and off she went, back to Alex' pad. She did not even look back as she hopped and skipped her merry way, happy as can be.
[i][color=fff200]I made friends! Mission success![/color][/i]
When she returned back to the apartment, she saw Alex hanging out in the living room, and came behind the sofa; she loomed over him, her head upside down from his perspective as she smiled at him.
[color=fff200]"Hi Alex! Did you see the new friends I made? They're a pair of super-fun music-loving girls!"[/color] She threw her hands in the air, which ended up as them throwing them downwards in a silly fashion, before she bounced back up to a standing position.
[color=fff200]"And I had so much fun with them today! In fact, school was also fun! So, how was your day?"[/color] She asked, less enthusiastic about her question, since she expected the answer to not be positive based on his attitude.

[hr]
Helga stretched her fingers, letting her claws clink against each other. "Aah! Now that was some good exercise!" She commented, having finished pulverizing the undead horde. She grabbed one of the loose bones from the ground and twirled it on the tip of her claw like a basketball. "But where did these come from? Those other girls didn't do it so, who did?" She put her palm to her chin as she watched Lupa perform some poses, like a living mannequin. "Hey, what's up with you?" She pushed her knuckles against her chest, but there was no response from the amnesiac wolfgirl. "Huh. That's weird. At least she's alive, so let's get going; I'm sure we can fix her. I mean, I got fixed from being a pile of ash, so anything's possible." With that, she took Mika's hand, and began walking her away like a big sister, a goofy smile on her toothy face.

[hr]
"Hello! I'm Sally Shamrock!" She greeted the twins with a smile, though it turned into a pout when she considered their words. She was honestly saddened to hear about the circumstances that led to the twins brainwashing her compatriots. If this was back during old Beacon's reign, she wouldn't have thought twice about eliminating them. However, she genuinely pitied them, and wanted to give them a chance. She first glanced at Aurelio, and nodded at him before she began speaking. "I know it's not much, but I want to apologize on behalf of Beacon for your poor treatment. It hasn't been until recently that we have had a very one-noted policy regarding your kind. And even now, we're still working out some kinks." She then took a step forward with a big smile, seemingly oblivious to the tension. "I would love a sleepover. We could watch a movie, do each other's makeover, have a pillow fight...Anything you'd like. Because that's what friends do." 

She clasped her hands together. "Now I understand...You didn't brainwash these girls because you were bad....It's because you were lonely. It might be hard to believe, but there was a time when I didn't have any friends. I was born in a war-torn country, where it was normal to see kids play with assault rifles and grenades like they were any old regular toys. Back then, I thought I was truly alone. But when I joined up with Beacon, I suddenly had a lot of friends. But, I won't pity you; you have made it this far without any help, and that is truly commendable." She curtsied, and then rose up. "I would like to be friends with you. Then you won't be alone anymore. How about it?"
After that, she waited with a smile for what the two would say.

Regina's eyes darted between Aurelio and Sally, changing her focus any time one of them spoke. [color=f200f2]"You want to be friends now?"[/color] Regina lifted a finger to her chin. [color=f200f2]"Interesting. You seem sincere with your request."[/color] She lowered her hand to her side. [color=f200f2]"but I don't want to just be your friend, I want to be your [i]very[/i] best friend."[/color]

[color=c9272c]"Beyond friends!"[/color] Elroy bear hugged Sally. [color=c9272c]"Like, bestest buddies!"[/color]

Regina strut towards Sally. [color=f200f2]"So just let me place myself at the center of your mind, will you?"[/color] A black, nebulous energy coated Regina's arm as she moved closer towards the beacon captain.

Aurelio would return Sally's nod and take a step back, tucking his cane under his arm as he did, to let the lucky girl try her hand and a non-violent solution to this scenario, but that wasn't to say he was just going to stand around doing nothing. The moment that everyone's attention was diverted away from him he started to weave together the spare bits of emotion he had in to more substantial ones as well as prepare his Wonder for use.

Yet it seemed like his prep time was gone before he knew it as the mass of magic swirling around Regina’s arm just screamed ominous [color=fff79a]"Now now,"[/color] Aurelio would say as he strode forward to match the monster girl [color=fff79a]"No need for the hocus pocus, it tends to lead to poor friendships"[/color] while he was still smiling there was a resigned look to it.

Sally yelped as Elroy caught her in his strong arms, blushing with wide eyes at how close the handsome boy was. A large sweat drop formed on her forehead as Regina came closer, and she gave an awkward giggle. "Oh! Well, I appreciate the courtesy, really do, but you could do without the mindwashing...Uh..." She grit her teeth as Aurelio stepped forward, afraid that he's going to get hurt. "Aurelio!" The Beacon buddies closed around the two, and Sally gulped. "Oh geez...Looks like I got snake eyes on this table." Regina came closer and closer, her arm outstretched towards Sally, about to touch her...

[Color=MediumVioletRed]"Kneel."[/color]

Suddenly, Regina collapsed, as if her feet had lost all their strength, and her head turned heavy as lead, causing her to fall chest first down to her knees. She saw how the ground around her was also pushed down, and realized it was the work of gravity magic. However, the most frightening part was that the magic was too powerful to only come from a single source; she was simultaneously affected by two separate magical girls, and was completely immobilized, her boobs as heavy as sandbags. At the same moment, an arrow struck Elroy's back, causing him to release Sally from the pain; she used the opportunity to leap high into the air, and out of the ring of Beacon Buddies.

Aurelio looked up, and saw who were their rescuers: a pair of [url=https://i.imgur.com/TLkTLxg.jpg]ghostly[/url] [url=https://i.imgur.com/l2vajRH.jpg]twins[/url] floated at about five to seven meters in elevation, and about ten meters behind Regina. The twins were close together, with one's hand resting on the other's shoulder forming a mana link between the two of them, both of them holding weapons.
 [color=Aqua]"What a sad and pathetic girl, having to surround herself with relations based on lies,"[/color] the twin in turquoise-blue clothes holding a bow spoke with a confident and charismatic voice as she turned towards the other one wearing violet-red, her eyes like blue twinkles in the night sky. She held a bow in her arms which was pitch black in color, with a golden engraving on the handle. as well as a complex and archaic engraving of a lidless eye that peeked out from beneath her fingers. At first glance, there didn't seem to be a string attached, but a careful eye could spot what, seems to be an almost-invisible bend in space, stretched by two elegant fingers.
 [Color=MediumVioletRed]"Yes."[/color] The other girl spoke much more softly; in fact, it was so soft it could be hardly heard over the Beacon Buddies' screams of surprise and shock.
 [Color=MediumVioletRed]"Let's unveil their facade, and break this abuse of mental might, Tourner."[/color] This one held a pitch black staff, longer than her height and seemingly made of obsidian. It was tipped with three concentric rings, seemingly unconnected to it and yet following its every movement as if joined by unseen force. These rings rotated around one another in a continuous pattern, circling a pitch black orb in their center of it, now glowing with a pulsing aura of violet and turquoise.
 
Tourner nodded. [color=Aqua]"You got it, Tuer."[/color] She pointed towards Sally and Aurelio.[color=Aqua]"Warriors of Beacon, shall you join us in our fight against these mind-stealers?"[/color] Sally blinked, not having expected the situation, but after she glanced at Aurelio, she nodded at him again with a smile. She summoned her Shamrock Shooters, and pulled off a cool cross-armed pose. 
"This is sudden, but fine! Now I can save my friends from these needy freaks!" She then focused on Abigail, and shot out a burst of shamrock-shaped bullets at her, running backwards as she did so, aiming to disable rather than kill. While this happened, Tourner already shot another arrow, having aimed it towards Elroy. 

Sally's bullets ripped through Abigail's legs, forcing her to fall to her knees. [b]”Wahhh!? I thought we were friends!”[/b] She cried.

Elroy didn't have much luck deflecting arrows with his shield. Not only did they fly at unpredictable angles, but he had just taken a direct hit from Penny's cannon. Shona didn't have nearly enough time to heal all of his wounds. As a result, he wasn't feeling all that mobile, or resilient. [color=c9272c]"Once you get done turning me into a porcupine, I'm going to curl up into a ball and roll all over you!"[/color] Elroy sunk lower to the ground, unable to support himself with his shield.

Shona did her best to protect Elroy from the incoming arrows, but her untreated wounds were visibly slowing her down. There was only so much she could do. [b]”I believe you meant hedgehog.”[/b]  

A monstrous Tonya tried to save Regina, but the immense gravity was making it difficult to walk. She would get there, but it would be too late.

Divina picked this exact time to leave the confines of her dimensional home. [b]”Okay guys so- What did I walk into!?!?!”[/b]  

All the while, Regina's frail body was at the mercy of crushing gravity. She hugged herself as the gravity slowly forced her shoulders to the ground. [color=f200f2]"This magic, I remember it..."[/color] She grit her teeth. [color=f200f2]"...The fact that they were in hiding this entire time..."[/color] The blood rushing to her head was making her eyes bloodshot. [color=f200f2]"...Watching, waiting for me to present a moment of weakness..."[/color] Blood rolled down the corner of Regina's mouth as she spoke. [color=f200f2]"...I find it... [i]disgusting[/i]..."[/color]

Regina and Elroy's aura's immediately fired off, overlapping each other in red light. This caused the beacon buddies to power up. Tonya did not struggle as much with the gravity field, and Abigail even found the strength to stand up despite her wounds. Though what caught everyone's attention was that Regina the monster girl was no longer present. In a puff of red smoke, she had been replaced by Regina the [url=https://orig14.deviantart.net/272c/f/2014/085/f/c/1scaled2fb_by_ninjatic-d7br9zv.jpg]wingless dragon[/url] monster. While it was still struggling under the magic that it was being subjected to, it had just enough strength to look up at her would-be assassins. The Regina opened her mouth and filled the sky with black smoke. It looked like a volcano was erupting from the dragons mouth. While the smoke obstructed everyone's view from the sky, anyone caught in the  blast would be stricken with crippling pain. Since the ghost twins were the only ones in the sky, and there was nothing to impede Regina's attack, it likely rolled right towards them. Regardless if she hit or not, Regina wasn't under the effects of the gravity anymore. She stood up taller as she continued to fill the air with more and more smoke. This didn't seem to serve much of a purpose at first, but the smoke was so thick it didn't let any light through. In a matter of seconds, everything was shrouded in darkness. No one could see, but the sound of combat was still erupting all around. 

[color=c9272c]"It must suck, not being able to see and stuff."[/color] Elroy chuckled.

But Aurelio had another sort of vision that most others didn't possess. He could feel the emotions of those around him. And right now he could feel something exuding pure hatred right behind him. The monster might have been fast, or perhaps in such darkness it was simply able to shadow step behind him. But there was no doubt that this was Regina. She was close, and she was watching him. And then it just vanished. Not just the hatred, but many of the other emotions as well. As time passed, the smog cleared up, and Aurelio could see that the Bates and their squadron of brainwashed Beacon girls were no longer present. It wasn't clear if they had all shifted out of the overcity, entered Divina's interdenominational home, or had simply been vanquished by the mysterious ghost twins. But one thing was certain. A mighty stroke of luck had saved them from certain disaster. 

In the chaos of the lucky turn about, there wasn't much that Aurelio could do. He would weave in a few of his own bolts of magic at the Bates, aiming more for Regina then Elroy, but other wise he stayed back and waited. The reason he was waiting was simple, he was expecting a desprate counter attack to be coming and he planned to be ready for it.

When Ragina and Elroy's aura flared, Aurelio knew it was time to act and due to his earlier preperation he was ready. [color=fff79a]"Showtime!"[/color] he called out spinning in cane infront of him in the same moment there was a flash of Blue and Gray as two clones appeared behind him. 

Blue took off towards his ghostly allies the moment he saw that they were the target of Regina's attack. A shimering blue wall would spring to life to try and block the caustic smog.

Gray would leap stright at the brainwashed Beacon members, seeking to tag each of them as many times as he could. Each time he did there would be small grinning mask where he touched that would dissapear a moment later. In the confusion the Trickster Tag that was on Abigail would quietly vanish from sight as well.

Before Aurelio could pull of his final trick however the thick smoke screen would steal his sight. That wouldn't matter for long however as the pure hate being directed at him gave him a rather good idea where his target was. turning he would give the monstergirl a dramatic bow. Mid-bow he would snap his fingers and the ground would erupt with twisted yellow chains all seeking to ensnare Regina, but, he was a moment too late as before the chains could acomplish anything, his foes vanished.

The ghost twins were shocked to see Regina's transformation, and attempted to exert even morep ressure with their gravity magic.
 [color=Aqua]"Tuer! Watch out!"[/color] Tourner ended up shouting out, and pushed Tuer as the black smoke was blasted in their wake. They ended up releasing the spell and faling back as the viscous haze began spreading in their direction: as ethereal beings, they were more vulnerable to air-based attacks than the average monster girl; since it affects the entire space they occupy. Even Sally had to brace, coughing as the smoke enveloped her. "You dirty cowards!"
 
The magician would wait, ready and alert till the smog cleared and it was obvious that the battle was over, this time at any rate. Before he would sigh and turn towards Sally [color=fff79a]"That was a bit close for comfort."[/color] Before waving to the ghostly twins and calling out [color=fff79a]"Thanks for the rescue! You two doing alright?"[/color]

Sally sighed, her shoulders low and her ribbon tails drooping down like a sad bunny's. "Yeah. That girl was a bona-fide yandere if I've ever seen one." In response to the likely reaction Aurelio would have had, she quickly added: "A crazy girl, I mean."
The twins looked around, and then floated down to ground level, their feet barely reaching the checkered squares.
 [color=Aqua]"We're doing fine, thanks for asking!"[/color] Tourner responded with a cute smile, and floated closer to the dapper young man.  
[color=Aqua]"You have some cool powers, warrior of Beacon. I like the different-colors to your spells."[/color]
 Tuer kept quiet next to Tourner, simply observing the scene that was happening with a neutral expression.
[color=Aqua]"Oh, don't mind Tuer; she's a bit shy."[/color]
Sally nodded with a big smile, and walked up to the twins. "Hi there! I sure was lucky that you two came to help!" She attempted to take Tourner's hand, but it slipped right through, causing her face to turn blue from shock.
 [color=Aqua]"Whoops, that's not going to happen. We don't do well with physical stuff, know what I'm saying?"[/color]
 Sally pouted. "Oh, you're ghosts. Isn't that bad? You can't eat ice cream or feel the warmth of the sun..."
 [Color=MediumVioletRed]"It's fine,"[/color] Tuer spoke up in a soft voice.
 [Color=MediumVioletRed]"But now...We..."[/color] She quietly mumbled the rest, and Tourner sighed in exasperation.
[color=Aqua]"What she tried to say is, now that we saved you, we will expect some recompense for it."[/color]
"Huh? What?" Sally asked with a blink of her eyes.
[Color=MediumVioletRed]"You'll know...In time."[/color] 

With those final words, Tuer took Tourner's hand. The two then began flying away, leaving Sally to scratch her head. "Huh...Well slap me silly and call me Sal-wait, that doesn't work. Anyway, those two are too mysterious not to be suspicious. We have to be careful around them, even if we owe them one."
And with that, she shifted the two of them back to Penrose. "Let's go grab some ice cream; I'm hungry."

[color=fff79a]Agreed, both to the ice-cream and the suspiciousness of them,"[/color] Aurelio would stretch as he relaxed at finally being back in Penrose.
[color=fff79a]"Still, got a few useful things out of the encounters,"[/color] He would go on thinking about the motes of [b]Wonder[/b] and 
[color=5f1919][b]Hate[/b][/color] he had acquired, as they were some of the more powerful emotions that existed. [color=fff79a]"Plus I still have my magic tracking Abi so we might be able to launch a rescue op soon."[/color] He would explain seriously before shrugging off the seriousness and offering his arm to Sally.
[color=fff79a]"To ice-cream?"[/color]

"Yep! Let's go!" Sally took Aurelio's arm, and walked down the street, feeling like the luckiest girl in town. Little did she know that even then, she was watched...