“We can and we will.” Dienna added.

     “Yeah, when we’re through,” Tia put in. “You won’t know which end is up.”

     “You’ll see.” Giselle remarked. “We’ll put you in your place.”

     “In the dirt.” Felicia said.

     This time both of them burst into laughter.

     “Have you seen our power?” Racule asked them.

     “We have destroyed so many foolish rebels, and we have tortured even the great Twilight Wisher.” Heranna said. “How can you five children even dream of defeating us.”

     “It always starts in a dream.” Twilight said. “Everything starts in a dream. Nothing exists without having been a dream first. You have to think of something before it can become a reality. Then it becomes a reality when it finds a place in your heart.”

     Racule and Heranna looked at each other and grinned sinisterly. Then they turned to Twilight and held out their hands. Corazon knew what was about to happen and advanced towards Twilight, but he held out a hand to stop her. The next instant he was in the air.

     “Corazon,” He gasped. “You and the others must defeat them. You are the only ones who can.” Then he disappeared.

     “Where is he?” Corazon demanded.

     “Away.” Racule replied. “Where he should be.”

     “Now for you.” Heranna stated.

     “I don’t think so.” Tia said. “Lock arms, everyone. If they want one of us, they have to take all of us.”

     The girls did lock arms, with Corazon in the middle, and the others as they had been in her dream. Oh, no, Corazon thought to herself. She held firm anyway, as the two Bandaa tyrants began to try several maneuvers to get one of the girls in the air. Every time, they wound up pulling at least one other girl with the one they had chosen.

     At last they resorted to charging. Heranna and Racule charge at the end girls first, Tia and Dienna. Though all of the girls held tightly together, Tia and Dienna fell beneath them. Then the tyrants came from behind and took Felicia and Giselle without much more trouble. The four girls then disappeared.

     Corazon turned in terror to the two monarchs. Would they kill her, too?

     ‘Corazon, listen. Listen very carefully.’ Twilight’s voice had come from inside of Corazon’s head.

     ‘Thanks for being there for me.’ Giselle’s voice came from nowhere as well.

     ‘You’re better than Giselle behind a gun.’ Tia encouraged.

     ‘You’re the best poet I know.’ Felicia said.

     ‘I only wish I had understood sooner.’ Dienna’s voice was strangely serious.

     “But what do all of those things have to do with defeating the Bandaa?” Corazon demanded, near tears. “How can I defeat them?”

     ‘But you have it in you.’ These were not Twilight’s words, but a memory of Twilight’s words. ‘That’s what counts.’

     “But how do I unleash it?” Corazon asked. “How am I supposed to call on this unseen power?”

     But the voices were gone and she was left to fend for herself against the monarchs. Racule lifted her with his invisible hand and began to squeeze her. How many others had died in this way, Corazon wondered. Her friends and Twilight had. But who else? Who else had the Bandaa cruelly tortured in ways unimaginable? How many lives had they taken away without the slightest bit of remorse? How many people had been hurt because of these monsters?

     Then it happened, just as it had in the dream. Corazon heard the screams of pain, she felt the hurt of the tortured and those who cared for the tortured. She felt so deeply and so vividly that this alone may have done her in.

     Then Corazon felt tears sliding down her cheeks. The tears, she realized, were not for her, but for all of the people who had been hurt in this reign of terror. She was not crying for her own pain, but for the pain of others. She began to struggle and kick her legs.

     “Let me down!” She called. “Let me down!”

     But Racule’s grip only tightened. Corazon’s tears only thickened.

     “You cry for your pain!” Heranna yelped with delight.

     “No!” Corazon yelled back. “I wish it were only that! I wish I didn’t feel this tearing, ripping pain through my heart! I wish I didn’t care!”

     “Didn’t care about what?” Racule was taking delight in her suffering.

     “Didn’t care about all of the lives you have taken!” The grip lessened in surprise. “I wish I couldn’t feel the pain that others have felt beneath your grasp! I wish I didn’t hear those screams of terror blasting through my ears! I wish I was just normal! I wish I was!” Then Corazon felt herself glide through the air and thud onto the ground.

     “How can you feel such things?” Heranna harshly demanded.

     “I don’t know.” Corazon weakly replied. “I was just born with it, I guess.” She still hurt all over, not from the fall, but from the inner pains that were eating at her heart.

     “Born with it?” Heranna repeated questioningly.

     “Only The greatest of our warriors are born with that kind of heart.” Racule stated.

     “And they are bred quite carefully.” Heranna added. “Are you certain you are all human?”

     “Yes.” Corazon replied as she lay in a puddle on the cold concrete.

     “Perhaps there is more to you humans than I thought.” Racule muttered.

     “You know,” Heranna said thoughtfully to Racule. “We could test how strong she is by testing what kind of heart she has.”

     “At this age, a normal human would be numb to all of our tricks.” Racule thoughtfully agreed. “All right. We will test her.”

     “Corazon.” Heranna snipped. “Listen carefully to us and consider what we say. Think about what we tell you.”

     Corazon didn’t answer. What other choice did she have? Death? She was so scared.

     “Consider this.” Racule said and began to pace around her as a vulture. “Power, money, anything you desired. It could all be yours, if you promised us one thing.”

     Heranna joined in the pacing. “Your loyalty to us.” She said. “That would buy you freedom from this pain that you speak of.  It would keep you safe and loved for ever.”

     “I don’t want that.” Corazon said. “Even if it would take away my pain, to give you my loyalty would be to give myself to you as a slave.”

     “Then consider this.” Racule offered. “Torture. You will be sent to the torture dungeon for our pleasure.”

     “I don’t care what you do to me.” Corazon replied.

     “Oh, but your friends are already there.” Heranna informed Corazon. Corazon gasped at this. “You make the set complete.”