Anaera looked around, trying to find Orpheus. Where was the rodent? Then she felt a tickle on her chest. “You hentai little rodent!” she yelled as she fished a small, furry body from her cleavage. “What do you think you’re doing?”

The mouse scrabbled furiously in the air, dangling from his tail. “Gomen! Gomen nasai! Please put me down! I was cold and that was the nearest warm place I could find! Please! Oh, this is sooo undignified!”

Anaera calmed herself a little and set the mouse down on the bed. “I guess you’re forgiven, but DON’T do that again!” Anaera made some more inarticulate grumbles as she donned her armor over the tight black suit. She pulled the sword out from under her pillow and lashed it in place. Then she laced up her boots and rebraided her hair. “Are you just going to sit there and stare at me, or are you going to do something useful?” she asked the silent rodent.

“I was just wondering why, after so many years, it still takes you so long to get ready.”

“I don’t like morning. Susanne’s lucky she got into a fight in another part of town. If she and Celly had been fighting nearby I would have bashed their heads together and leave them both to the gods to sort out.”

“Tsk, such temper! Anyway, you’ll notice Roger left, probably to find Susanne.”

“I guess I should go do that – after breakfast.”

Anaera set Orpheus on her shoulder and went outside in search of a place with decent food. Then, she thought of something and reached into her Hammerspace and searched with her fingers. Yes! Orpheus may be very annoying, but he was thoughtful (when his mouth was shut) and he had good taste. With great satisfaction, she pulled out a microwave and a box of Orpheus Brand Microwavable Breakfast™. “Oh, Orpheus, you’re totally forgiven! Chocolate chip pancakes, hash browns, and bacon!”

“If you look in the fridge, there’s some grapefruit and milk. You should have a balanced breakfast.”

“Whatever no da,” she mumbled, salivating. She pulled the generator out of her Hammerspace and plugged the microwave into it. Deciding she didn’t want to disturb the town’s inhabitants too much, she pulled the Helmet of Darkness out, put it on, and activated it. She extended its illusion to cover the area around her and also made it soundproof. She commenced making and eating her breakfast, too focused on food to give much thought to Susanne. She knew the girl hadn’t been injured, and so had no real need of Anaera’s help for now.

“Ahem! You might feed me,” Orpheus complained.

“Oh yeah! Here!”

“Arigato,” Orpheus said sarcastically as he received the leftovers, which naturally contained not even a chocolate stain.

“Hurry up, Orphy! We have to find Susanne.”

Orpheus merely glared up at her from the edge of the plate, where he was sitting on and in a napkin, eating daintily with a tiny knife and fork. Anaera just smiled wickedly and watched him eat every bite.

“You didn’t have to hover like that!” Orpheus complained later as they explored the city streets, looking for Susanne. It was hard to track her when she wasn’t using her powers. “I hate it when people watch me eat!”

“You’re very finicky for a rodent,” Anaera commented as she looked all around her, alert for every movement. She wouldn’t allow herself to grow careless just because she had her father’s helmet. The thing might hide her from any god’s sight, but that loony girl probably didn’t care about that. She clutched the hilt-necklace that rested against her chest and sighed. She didn’t want it to come to a serious fight, because then… She shook her head and spoke to clear the thoughts away. “I mean, weren’t you eating out of trash cans just a week ago?”

“Hey, that was different! I’m not the same now, now I have—“

The mouse trailed off as his eye caught something. His brown eyes grew very large and he started gasping for air.

“Orphy, is something wrong?”

“NURIKO!” the rodent yelled. He leaped off of Anaera’s shoulder and, in midair, transformed. No longer was he a tan-colored mouse with tiny brown eyes. He became a tall, thin man with tawny hair and deep brown eyes. He was clad in beige doeskin pants and shirt, with a purple boots and a flowing purple vest. His sharply planed face was set in an expression of rapt adoration. Without even looking at Anaera, he pulled the Genuine Bishounen Sparkle™ out of her Hammerspace, put on a quick coat, and chased after a purple-haired figure who was walking down a side street. “NURIKO! MATTE!”

“Orpheus, where in Hades are you going?!” Anaera asked the purple and brown blur that rapidly diminished in her sight. “Wait!” She got no response. “Great,” she mumbled to the spot on her shoulder where Orpheus usually rode, “I have a lovesick guardian mouse and now he’s deserted me for a-- Wait a minute! That was a man! He may have looked like a female, but I can’t be fooled by THAT sort of thing. This ‘Nuriko’ is definitely a man! O-TO-KO! That means-- Ahhhhhh! I HAVE A GAY GUARDIAN!"