THE ANCIENT ONE AND HIS COMPANIONS flew far to the east.  They had been monitoring something that was happening there in the news.  Now time and circumstances called them to the scene.  They landed on the roof of a nearby building and watched the scene below them.  Police and soldiers surrounded a school.  There were worried, terrified looking people everywhere.  A spirit in the dress of an ancient Kurdistan warrior appeared before The Ancient One.  He began to speak to him, pointing towards the building.  The Ancient One's companions could tell he was disturbed by what he was hearing.  
Another spirit appeared, a Russian in a World War II uniform.  When the Chechan finished speaking the Russian begain to speak.  The Ancient One listened and when he was done nodded.  "Come on!"  he told his companions.  "We've got to put a stop to this!"
They descended and entered the building unseen to anyone.  The Ancient One looked around.  Several of the people were wearing belts that were obviously explosives.  They were scattered around the building.  The Ancient One studied the belts then motioned over his companions.  "Her and her," he snapped.  "Discharge their belts when I give the word, then join me over there, and we'll make a hole through the wall.  Ax  Man, go up and cut part way through that main timber so that when the explosions go off it will part and the roof will come down."  He pointed to his female companion and one of the women.  "All you have to do is flick the switch down, then it will detonate."
"I can't," his female companion muttered, "I can't!  All these children.......I can't!" The Ancient One stared at her.  "You HAVE to!"  he told her.  "I know it is unpleasant, but you HAVE to!  It is the only chance any of them have.  You have to follow your instructions.  I'm going to take that one over there.  When you hear the second whack push the switch down and join me.  We have to make the hole in the wall the same time the explosion occurs so everyone will think it was caused by it. Now, come on, do your part!"
The Ancient One's female companion looked angry but took her place.  The Ancient One nodded to The Ax Man.  As the noise came from above everyone looked up, startled.  When one of the men looked down he saw one of the women reaching to her belt, startled, and screamed "No!  Not now!"  
There were two explosions but they came so quickly together that everyone thought they were one.  The Ancient One and his companions burst through the wall and moments later children started pouring through it, their captors started shooting at them but The Ancient One and his companions delayed them long enough that many of the children got away before the soldiers outside began answering the fire.
The Ancient One walked over and examined a third woman lying on the floor, two containers on her side were shattered and charred.  The Ancient One nodded.  "Let's go!"  he told his companions.
They flew for some time and his female companion soared ahead, and landed.  The Ancient One landed and his male companion followed.  "What?" he asked.
"I'm going home," his female companion answered.  "I can't do it any more.  It's not fun any more.  When we have to kill children it's not fun any more.  I can't, I can't do it!"
The Ancient One sighed.  "Don't you understand" he answered, "If we hadn't done what we did they ALL would have died, and maybe killed hundreds of others.  We had to do what we did.  Even if they had gotten what they wanted they intended to kill the children.  None of them would have survived.  Because we acted some were saved.  It's not easy, it's not pleasant, but sometimes that's simply how things work and we can't do anything about it.  We must do what will create the greatest good."
His female companion shook her head.  "I can't!  I can't any more!"  she managed,  "I can't!  I just can't."
She spun her shield, leapt skyward and flew away to the west.  The Ancient One's male companion joined him.  "Do we follow her?" he asked.
"No," The Ancient One answered.  "We have functioned without her female power to balance us before.  We can do it again.  We will continue the hunt, we will continue the fight until she's ready to come back.  By The Precious Lights, you can understand her feelings, even if you don't have them.  Sometimes I wish I did, I wish I could understand how they feel."
"I don't," his companion answered.  "I prefer to have a warrior's understanding of these things, as you do."
The Ancient One smiled.  "Let's take a check around Ireland," he snapped.  "Power may be too strong around the big boys right now, but some of the smaller fish may have swam away from the school and be vulnerable."
The Ancient One's companion began to spin his ax.  He threw it skyward and soared away.  The Ancient One hesitated, looked one more time to the west, muttered, "To have feelings!  To have feelings!"  then spread his wings and soared skyward.  The battle wasn't over, it was FAR from over!