“But why do you kill your own group?” asked Ella, trying to buy time for Chad to read Frida’s mind.

“It’s simple. They were turning against me,” said Frida. “I had already excluded so many useless members. I could tell they were plotting against me.”

“But they were your friends!” said Ella. “Don’t friends love one another?”

“Love is a lie,” cackled Frida. “It manipulates people. Like you really thought Haze was in love with you. You should have known better than that. I dated him.” Ella shot her a nasty look.

“He is, too,” she said with some doubt.

“And I made Phila turn against Chad,” said Frida, smiling at Chad. “I guess it was for the better anyways.” Frida stepped in Phila’s ashes and rubbed her foot in it.

“NO ONE DISRESPECTS MY SISTER!” yelled Ella as she rushed towards Frida and picked her up, swooping into the air.

“Ahg, put me down!” Frida growled at Ella.

“Sure,” said Ella as she dropped Frida into the spikes in the training room. Chad rushed over.

“She’s still alive,” said Chad. “I can still read her mind. What should we do with her?”

Ella picked up the teapot and smashed it onto Frida’s head.

“Jeez, you just killed her,” said Chad as Frida was burned alive. Terrence made some muffled sounds.

“Oops, sorry Terrence, we need to free you,” said Ella. Fireball set the ropes on fire, and Terrence was released as they burned away.

“Frida is a psychopath!” exclaimed Terrence.

“Was,” corrected Chad. Ella looked down at the ground, and put Phila’s ashes between her fingers. Her eyes watered up.

“Was,” she whispered. “Oh no. I’m just like Sahara. Oh, no!”

Terrence hugged Ella to comfort her. “Sh… it’s okay.” Blindly, she hugged him back and let him rock her back and forth, not caring how close they were. He remained visible.

Chad ran out of the room. “I don’t want to get caught…” He looked back just before leaving. “Phila…” He swallowed.

Terrence whispered into Ella’s ear as he held her close. She eventually stopped crying and looked up at Phila, not leaving Terrence’s arms.

He stood, helping Ella to her feet. He paused. “Umm… I know you’re with Haze right now, but…”

Ella’s wings went back to their normal position. “No, not naturally. Amethyst and Garnet told me. Honestly, I’d rather be with someone who loves me naturally,” she looked down awkwardly. “That is, if you do.”

Terrence’s words lifted her gaze. “I do. And I’m sorry--”

Ella interrupted him. “For what?” She hugged Terrence and whispered into his chest. “There’s no reason to be sorry for anything.”

After a few quiet moments later, Terrence pulled away. “Umm, we should probably write a letter explaining what happened to leave here?”

Ella nodded. “Good idea. But Phila and Frida dead…”

Terrence sat down and started writing. “Just don’t think about it… we’ll get through this together.”

Ella nodded and read over the letter. “That’s good.” She picked up Frida’s lipstick and put it on. She licked her lips and turned invisible, accompanied by Terrence.

He pointed to the lipstick. “Keep that.”

She nodded as they left the school together.