She was singing. "Come away little lass come away to the water... To the ones that are waiting only for you. Come away little lass come away to the water... Away from the life that you always knew. We are calling to you." She sang as she walked, following little Nova from a distance. The puppy couldn't hear her anyway, so intent she was on getting back home, her little paws clicking against the stone. Belladonna just walked, silently, her shadows covering her, her cloak of filth keeping her hidden from the light. "Come away little light, Come away to the darkness, In the shade of the night we'll come looking for you. Come away little light, Come away to the darkness, To the ones appointed to see it through." She was hurrying towards Pisces, and Bella kept smiling through her song. There were many gems there...many empathetic, lowly, pathetic gems. Didn't they just recently suffer the death of Bevy? Ah...all the better. They made it through the entrance of Pisces, and Bella hung around the archway, watching. "Come away little lamb come away to the water... Give yourself so we might live anew. Come away little lamb come away to the slaughter, To the ones appointed to see this through. We are coming for you, We are coming for you." The puppy was hurrying towards her friends, a grizzly hybrid child who flinched from her and a lovely little gazelle child, who they other two both clinged to, vying for her attention. Ahh....perfect. Come away little lamb come away to the water To the arms that are waiting only for you Come away little lamb come away to the slaughter To the one appointed to see this through We are calling for you. We are coming for you." She would wait until the child came closer to where Belladonna lay in wait, and she asked Clover's magic to do just one little thing for her. Just one. Clover was sound asleep, surely she wouldn't mind Belladonna borrowing her magic. "We are coming for you. We are coming for you." The gazelle was already looking over this way, was already peering at this lump of shadow that was just...odd. Belladonna smiled. The child said goodbye to her friends and was walking over to where she hid, all by her lonesome. She used her magic to create what looked like a shimmering pile of gold and jewels, right by her feet, to entice the little child. It twinkled, just a couple of sparkles here and there, but then they faded away. Clover rolled over in her sleep. Belladonna paid no mind to it. "......."

Thistle saw something glow and shimmer over there near the entrance of the caves, and it caught her attention. Baro had to go meet up with his dad, Leon, and Nova was just saying hello before she went back to learn stuff from her teacher, and that was perfectly okay with her! Thistle would have fun chasing hints of gold, jewels, treasure and half-heard songs. That was what she heard, wasn't it? It sounded pretty to her!

She once she said goodbye to her friends, she leapt over to the shimmers and the weird shadows and looked around, peering into the dark.

"H-hello?" she asked, her voice high and lilting. "Is there anyone there?"

She would tempt this lovely child to the water...then, when the guillotine was set around her neck, she would cut off her head and let the blood make the river red. Before she stepped out of her shadows, she wiped away the filth from her eyes and pulled Clover's calm and gentle glow to bathe her and it felt like claws on her skin. She wanted to shrug it off like a shirt made of hair that made every inch of her crawl, but she kept it on. Thistle wouldn't listen to a demon, she was a good little girl. So she stepped out as Clover with a patient, wonderful smile painted on her lips, and she lowered her head to little Thistle. "Well hello there. Have you been looking for the treasure too?" "......."

Thistle brightened up and grinned as the doe of light came out of the shadows, and nodded her head quite seriously. "Yes! I saw a glimmer of it over here, but I don't know where it went!"

Thistle looked up at Belladonna with open, trusting eyes. "Did you see where it went? Did someone pick it up? Was it some sort of mirage?"

She held her breath, waiting for the answer.

"I did, I did," Belladonna smiled gently upon the gazelle, tilting her head slightly. "The ghosts of the lake over there that took possession of the snow flower left a bottomless treasure trove of gold lying around Pisces. Didn't you know? They leave their coins around sometimes, because ghosts had a difficult time holding onto their physical possessions." She leaned in very very close so that she could whisper in Thistle's ear, "I heard they have a mountain of treasure in Cetus. Would you like to come with me, little one, so that we can both find it together?" "......."

"Oh boy would I!" Thistle exclaimed, her fur bristling with excitement. Then, thinking, she faltered, and she looked down. "Oh...but I couldn't do it without my friends. I couldn't just go on an adventure and come back saying I went without them! They would be heartbroken!"

She looked back up at Belladonna, frowning. "They each have their own families to answer to, and they won't come back to play with me will later. I mean..it can wait...can't it? The mountain isn't going anywhere, is it?"

(rip this text) "No, I suppose not..." Belladonna sighed, tilting her lovely head. "I mean, someone else could find the hints and clues and follow the trail, same as I have...but if you don't want to, I guess we can just let someone else claim the treasure." She turned to leave, and the child's soft voice called out, "Wait! She turned back with a patient smile plastered on her lips. The gazelle stared at her uncertainly, and asked, "W...what should I do? I don't want to go without my friends, but...It won't be there forever, won't it?" Belladonna sighed again. "I've only managed to find out which room it's in. It's a place I'm sure you've never seen, full of danger and monsters in the mists of Cetus. And I'm sure, love, that once you've seen the way there, you can come back for your friends and guide them there yourself. Won't it be amazing if you can come back to them and tell them you've found the treasure of the ages? A mountain of gold?" She saw the amazed look of wonder on the child's stupid face, and she beamed inside. She had her in her grips, and there was no going back. "......."

She listened with her mouth wide open, her breath caught in her throat. Oh, that would be so amazing! She was just shivering with excitement, imagining it in her head, and she grinned and giggled and looked up to the pretty white doe with admiration and a question in her eyes.

"So...would you come with me to find this place? I mean, you know what the room is called, don't you?"

The doe shook her head sadly and replied, "I'm afraid I've never been there either. And I have other matters to attend to, my love; the ghosts have been raising an uproar in over tunnels, and must chase them away. Alas, the treasure is out of my hands. But not yours..."

Thistle bristled at this, her eyes so wide. This was it! The perfect quest! "I'll do it! I'll find Cetus, I promise! and then I'll come back for you and my friends so that we can all go and find it together!"

The doe laughed prettily, and Thistle blushed at the sound - she hoped that when she got older, she would sound only half so lovely. She said, "I will give you this, then, for that who you will encounter once you are in Cetus. He is awaiting you, to guide you. And this is for him." She placed a note around her neck that was tied with string, and the paper was folded in half. "I will await your call, then, my love. Until then," Then she bowed low to her, and turned away, disappearing into the dark.

Thistle hesitated for a moment, then danced on her feet with wild abandon and laughed and charged down the tunnel, whooping with laughter and excitement. She would find this place, and she would be the wonder of all of Pisces!
[exit Thistle]

She had placed the note around the gazelle's neck that Dia had written and threaded with twine for her, and she just plain laughed internally. This gazelle was just so foolish and trusting, it was disgusting. But Bella didn't mind; the river would run red towards the end, and everyone would taste what she tasted and grow sick inside like her. She disappeared into the shadows, their cold touch inviting her back, and she watched the gazelle run past her with unbound glee, and Bella smiled. She wouldn't be laughing and happy for long. Vicktor would see to that. [exit Belladonna] "......."