Sisterly Love (Soul Eater Not)

"And what has the good school nurse staring so absently into the distance?"

Medusa refocused her gaze on the present to find Franken Stein, the visiting doctor, smirking down at her. She gave a wry smile and answered with something unusually close to the truth: "Mind-control magic disgusts me."

"Ahh, worried about Miss Eternal Feather?" He plopped himself into a chair, his smirk widening. "Don't worry, I patched her right up. She'll be fine."

His words were specifically designed to encroach on her territory, so she sniped back: "I'm grateful for that, but what about the students you terrorized in the process? It's enough to make me glad you're not here more often." She made shooing motions with her hands. "You've finished your business, now get out."

To her relief, he acquiesced (though he tried to take her chair with him at first). Medusa was too distracted to deal with pranks. She knew the magic that had turned Eternal Feather into a killing machine well.

On her way home that evening, someone bumped her as they went past and she felt a sizzle of that same magic. The offender—a lanky young man with heavy circles under his eyes—turned back and muttered something that might have been an apology, but Medusa had seen his eyes. The astrological symbol for Scorpio was reflected in them. She sent a narrow glance behind her; there was another man in the same state directly behind her, and an old woman crouching in the alleyway to her right.

"An escort?" she simpered, turning back to the man who had bumped her. "She's too kind."

She followed the enchanted man to a mansion in one of the nicer neighborhoods of the city before he crumpled to the ground at the front gate. The mansion was the height of impractical opulence, and Medusa wondered whether her sister had obtained it by magicking her way into the money it was worth or by bamboozling the realtor. Probably the former—the latter was more Arachne's style—but who could say? There were so many cheap tricks available when one didn't have to deal with people as real human beings.

As Medusa strode down the long walkway, her head held high, the front door opened and Shaula, the youngest Gorgon sister, came out.

"My dear sister! How long has it been since we've seen each other? So kind of you to drop by."

It had been several centuries, and still not long enough. Medusa gave a cool smile. "How could I refuse your generous invitation? I didn't want to miss this opportunity to catch up on what you're doing."

"Do come in." Shaula guided Medusa inside and shut the door with a wave of her hand. "Would you like some dinner? I promise I won't spike it like I used to."

"I should hope you are well beyond such clumsy abuses of your magic by now."

Except that that was essentially what she'd done to Eternal Feather. If Shaula caught the insult, she didn't react to it. "Anyway, I'd have to release my Soul Protect to do that, just as you would to use your Vectors. So we should be able to enjoy a peaceful reunion dinner together."

The dining room was cavernous, with a long table down its center. Arachne had had such a table, but she had often filled it with members of her cult. Medusa doubted this one had such a practical purpose.

As they sat and dead-eyed men brought plates of food, Medusa remarked, "One of the toys you broke is in my care."

"I heard." Shaula smiled in puzzled amusement. "I would never have guessed that you worked at Death's Academy. Lucky me."

"You assume that I'm on your side?" Medusa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe I shouldn't after you betrayed our sister." Shaula shrugged. "But I'm not worried. I think you would like my goal."

"And that is what?" Medusa asked over her wine glass.

"To destroy the DWMA."

Shaula sat back in her elegant chair, supremely confident of herself. Medusa only thought of the Headquarters for Witches somewhere deep in the school, and of Akane and Clay who had come to see Feather. They'd spoken in quiet voices, comparing her state to something in their notes. "Orion" was not enough of a code to hide the identity of their suspect from Medusa.

She sniffed. "You are as unsubtle as ever, I see. But I suppose subtlety is difficult to develop when you think you can simply whisk any inconvenient fact out of people's heads."

Shaula's smile grew tight. "Of course. It's too bad my magic isn't made for subtlety like your ability to poke holes in people."

Medusa gave a tight smile back.

Shaula's point was correct but meaningless. Her subtlety—and she did pride herself on that—had nothing to do with her own magic and everything to do with growing up surrounded by her sisters' mind-control magic. Where they relied on innate ability, Medusa had had to learn. She'd never had the dangerous luxury of being complacent.

She turned her focus to her food and pondered what to do with the versatile information she possessed. To inform the Academy of Shaula's guilt and location had more risks for her than benefits, even if she tried to do it anonymously. Shaula had never been a threat in the way that Arachne was, and if by some farfetched chance she did manage to succeed, Medusa would not mind watching the Academy fall.

On the other hand, it was unlikely that Shaula would succeed. Envying Arachne's deft manipulations, the youngest Gorgon had developed a tendency to overestimate herself and act too quickly. Medusa didn't doubt she would do the same now. Furthermore, the Academy suspected her already. Should Medusa warn her younger sister and keep her from walking into a trap?

Shaula touched Medusa's hand, and Medusa jerked it away as if stung.

"I hope I didn't offend you, Medusa. I was just kidding."

Medusa looked her sister in the eyes. "Oh, of course. I know you'd never wish me any harm." Shaula's concern was insincere; but then again, so was her own. She pushed her chair back from the table and stood. "I have nothing to offer you."

"You can't even carry some jewelry to the Academy for me?" Shaula smirked. "I make lovely jewelry."

"Absolutely not."

When she left the mansion, the man from before was still in a pile by the front gate. She stepped over him and only checked her pockets to make sure she was not an unwitting mule after she was well out of Shaula's sight. Then, finding nothing, she gave a derisive snort and allowed herself to breathe a little easier.

There was certainly not enough sisterly love between them to guarantee that Shaula would never reveal Medusa. If the Academy caught Shaula, she would have to die.