General Soras' command still held: neither team was allowed to leave the base.

Despite this, the information that Maeyune continued to gather over the course of the next few days allowed the Berans to defend the city of Mirano and track down several of the enemy's bases of operations.

Tin had forgotten about the fighting simulation he had previously wanted between Aegis and Saber Teams. Considering the battle that had already occurred, he thought it was no longer necessary. Instead, he had found a new passion in Maeyune's telepathy.

While they were confined to the base, Maeyune and her team worked with Tin in his lab, aiding him in developing various tools. One of the tools, "moonlight" as Tin called it, was a device that projected moon energy to encourage calm camaraderie among soldiers.

In many of her other spare hours, Maeyune had decided to take the role of instructor. Recalling her meditative training with both Jorin and the moon temple guardians, she hoped to pass harmony on to the Beran celestials. Many, she noticed, lacked full control of their power. She wasn't surprised, seeing as their reckless Sun Goddess incarnate provided a poor example.

But as several days went by, her students dwindled to consist of only wind and water celestials. The handsome Jaysek of Saber Team was still with them.

As she walked onto the training floor one morning, she discovered a group of celestials surrounding a single boy. They hovered around him like vultures, shoving each other to the side to get a better view at the recording device in his hand.

One of them glanced up and noticed her. "Miss Ereni!" the celestial exclaimed, eyes gleaming. "Is it true? Did you really beat Reo?"

Maeyune blinked in surprise. "What?"

Several of them parted for her, giving her space to see the source of their excitement.

Playing on the holographic screen of the boy's recording device was a small clip of silver clashing with crimson. Her brow furrowed. Someone had leaked the footage of the battle between her and Reo.

It made sense now why there was an absence of sun energy in her corner of the base. With everyone acutely aware of the tension between moon and sun, it explained why the facility had split into two opposing sides: one half for her and the other for Reo.

The blurry clip played only a few seconds, but it was clear that a battle between Moon God and Sun Goddess had truly occurred.

Aerylis seized the boy's recording device. With complete disregard for his panicked objection, the tall celestial crushed the device in her fist.

"No more of that," Meera warned, wagging her finger at everyone.

Ironically, the two had read Maeyune's mind. Or, at least, they had determined the same thing. They did not need any more division.

Maeyune met Jaysek's eyes. He shrugged, the movement suggesting he had tried to interfere and had failed.

"Enough," she declared, acquiring everyone's attention. After giving them all a stern, disapproving look, she sighed. "This needs to change."

She started toward the training room's exit, calling over her shoulder, "Follow me."

With a parade of auras in blues and greens behind her, she led the way through the corridors to the universally-proclaimed territory of the sun. When they arrived, their presence caused a rumble.

Upon entering the base's largest training room filled with sun celestials, she overheard a non-celestial soldier addressing Reo and several others at a table. The soldier's back was to her, and unaware of her entrance, he spoke as if relaying a formidable tale.

"They say the eyes are the gates to your mind, to your soul," he asserted with an air of showmanship. "One look in your eyes, and you are hers forever! She can learn anyone's darkest secrets with just a single thought!"

His audience had grown quiet as Maeyune came to stand behind him. Reo coughed into his fist, suppressing a grin.

"That's not entirely true," Maeyune said. Her friendly voice sent the soldier flying a foot into the air. He spun, eyes wide with sudden dread.

She continued to regard him with a mild smile. From his stiff posture, it was clear to her that he found her smile even more unsettling.

"Not all minds are as easily accessible," she explained. "The more celestial energy one has, the harder it is for me to go unnoticed. Therefore, for those who wield no celestial energy..."

His face glazed over with realization.

"Do not fear, lionheart," she assured him. "Your secrets are safe with me."

His cheeks flushed, his red face and spiked hair causing his head to appear much like a tomato.

"Excuse me," he muttered as he quickly scooted off.

His friends chased after him, gripping their stomachs as they cried with laughter. "Lionheart?" they crowed. "Isn't that what your mother calls you?"

Beside her, Trix laughed. "Did you really...?"

"He recently had a transmission with his mother," Maeyune said. "That was all I saw."

As the rest of the wind and water celestials piled into the room, she turned her attention to Reo and the others. All fire and land had paused in their fighting stances and waited eagerly for the interaction. Their bodies accumulated closer, unabashed.

Maeyune could see it on their faces. They all wanted another fight between god and goddess. But all she wanted was unification. Feeling a pinch of displeasure, she attempted to discourage everyone's need for conflict.

"If you don't mind," Maeyune said to Reo, "I would like to spend this time for all of us to work together."

His eyes roamed across the faces around them. Finally, as if also sensing their bloodlust, he wordlessly offered a smile of truce and extended his arm in welcome at the training floor.

When she started toward the center of the room, she noticed that he was not joining her. He remained on the edge of the table and had started a conversation with Sera.

Frowning, she decided to do without him. Arrogance was his game, and she was not going to play into it by fighting it.

At least I am trying to make this work, she thought.

Although he practiced his fighting techniques in a separate corner with Oren and Sera, he had remained in the room. His aversion to train with anyone else encouraged several fire and land celestials to join Maeyune instead.

Deric and Jaysek were the only members from Saber Team who participated.

An hour passed since her arrival, and she glanced at the time on the wall to confirm the break for lunch.

"We will continue tomorrow," she announced. "Good work, everyone. I'm seeing a lot of improvement in your forms."

Catching her by surprised, Jaysek brought his palms together and bowed in the same fashion as that of Suolani masters. It was a display of immense respect, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was poking fun at her. But when he straightened, he winked, and she narrowed her eyes at him in amused suspicion.

As she followed her team out of the room, she overheard a mumbled conversation between two water celestials.

"Reo's always destroying things," the girl said. Her face reddened with embarrassment when she saw Maeyune watching.

Maeyune stopped. "Destroying what?"

The girl shrunk back, but her male companion spoke boldly in her place. "We all know he destroyed the sun temple in Eno," he said openly. "They were lucky you were there to stop him from killing any innocent people. I mean, those ten people would still be alive, too, if you were here five years ago."

Five years ago.

The fire. The old science wing. Ten people?

Concern seizing her, she asked, "What happened five years ago?"

The boy's eyebrows flew upward, and he stared at her, unbelieving. "What do you mean? You don't know?"

When Maeyune did not reply, the girl's face fell into a pit of hopelessness. "She doesn't know," she whispered to him.

They exchanged alarmed glances.

"Reo was the one who destroyed the old science wing five years ago," the boy said. "I mean, no one wants to admit it, but everyone knows it has to be true."

Gerothen had said that it had been an explosion, an accident.

"You have no proof," she said cautiously, peering into the water celestial's eyes. She realized she was defending Reo.

The boy shrugged. "Don't need proof," he replied. "He had to have caused the fire, because right after it happened, he disappeared for three years. No one knows where he went. He only came back two years ago when the Iron Prophet started attacking. He's been different ever since, always angry, and it's been rubbing off on all the fire and land celestials here."

Beside him, the girl nodded fervidly.

Maeyune found it harder to breathe.

"I can't believe no one told you," the boy said, now promptly unsure of himself. "Isn't that why you're here? To stop him from killing people again?"

Maeyune's grimace was revealing too much of her distress. She was causing the two young celestials in front of her to panic. With a soothing breath for her own nerves, she eased their minds.

"Thank you for telling me," she said evenly. "I will see you two tomorrow for training."

Their faces reflecting repose, they nodded and wandered off in the direction of the cafeteria.

Her stomach in knots, Maeyune went to find Deiyu.