Before Neko had woken up, the wave of terror coming from her brought Mi-chan to life with amazing force. While the twins had long ago set up some unconscious barrier protecting a sleeping Neko from Mi-chan's nighttime terrors, Neko's lack of nightmares before this year had kept them from creating one in the opposite direction. Needless to say, Mi-chan was instantly up and at her sister's bed, even as Neko woke up screaming.
"Neko-chan! What happened?!" Neko didn't respond except to immediately grab Mi-chan and hug her so hard that Mi-chan was finding it difficult to breathe. Neko buried her face into Mi-chan's nightshirt and just clung on to her, trembling. Mi-chan was so used to being the recipient of violent nightmares that she wasn't sure what to do when Neko had one. Especially, since Neko didn't seem to be handling it quite as well as Mi-chan usually did. She was drenched in a cold sweat and hadn't said a word since she had woken up. Mi-chan didn't know how to get her to open up� usually Neko told her everything.
It wasn't long before the whole house was there. Neko had certainly screamed loud enough.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ryo and Ami were the last ones there, as they were the farthest away.
"What happened?" Ryo asked as he entered. He hadn't felt a force like that since the first time Mi-chan had had her major nightmare.
Upon arriving, he wasn't even sure which twin was which. They were both in similar non-descript pajamas and did their hair the same way when they went to bed. And with both of them so freaked out about a nightmare�. It took him a few moments to figure out that it was actually Neko that had had it.
Mi-chan looked so relieved to see him. She didn't know what to do, and naturally, she assumed he could fix Neko's nightmare fears the way he fixed hers.
He would hate to have to tell her that Neko wouldn't confide in him in that manner. And that, while Mi-chan had been conditioned from a young age to accept his counsel, Neko wasn't wired that way.
But she was still one of his little girls. "Neko," he said softly, as he and Ami went to her side.
"Is Neko-chan okay?" Kimahou asked from the doorway.
Ryo looked at his wife. Chibi and Kimahou didn't need to be here. It would only make them worry, and Neko wasn't likely to be encouraged to talk about her dream if they were here. Ami understood and agreed.
"Ne, you two should go back to bed," she suggested with a heartening smile as she routed them out of the room.
Ryo turned his attention back to Neko. What he wouldn't give for the twins' ability to actually touch each other's minds so easily. He could do it, but only if it was absolutely necessary. Mi-chan was thankfully making use of her ability to infiltrate Neko's mind. Somehow her soothing thoughts had even managed to get Neko to loosen her grip on her.
He gently pulled her away from her twin. But as soon as she was disengaged, she was hugging herself, keeping herself closed off from anyone else. "Neko, it was just a dream. It will be okay," he kept his voice calm and reassuring. But he wasn't certain it would be if Neko continued closing herself off. He wasn't sure why but she seemed to be hiding herself behind her fear from them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mi-chan's alarm for her sister about doubled when she realized that Neko was retreating from her trauma into an obscure corner of her mind. She had only done it once before. Then she hadn't been able to handle the fact that she had just been evil on top of all the pain and discomfort caused by the events at the dance. It had all overwhelmed her, and it had taken a great effort on Mi-chan's part to bring her out of it.
She stopped sending her the soothing peaceful thoughts that she had been trying to use to relax her. Though sending her thoughts of happy things like coffee ice cream and pole vault was a tried and true way to get Neko to calm down, it wasn't what she needed now.
*Neko-chan, don't do this! Onegai! It'll be okay!* When Neko didn't respond, she continued more forcefully *Don't you dare do this to me again! Open your eyes! Neko!*
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At Mi-chan's insistence, Neko slowly opened her eyes a little. "I'm sorry I woke everyone up," she apologized faintly, distantly, not bothering to look up at either of them. "I appreciate your concern, but I'll be okay."
They both stared at her. Her words were brave, but she still looked pallid and terrified. She was still a little panicked, and she knew she couldn't do anything to hide that from them, but if she was insistent enough, she knew they'd leave her alone. She didn't want to worry them and didn't want to talk about it, so her best bet was to keep reassuring them until they gave it up.
"Neko," her father began.
She cut him off. "Don't worry about me, really." Neither looked like they would let it go, so she smiled at them with fake optimism. "Please, I just want to go to bed now. I promise I won't go insane with fear or anything."
Ryo and Mi-chan looked at each other. Sometimes she could swear they were more alike than she and Mi-chan were. But finally her father stood up. "Okay. Try and get some sleep then. If you feel like talking you know where to find me." And with that he left.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Mom?" Chibi asked nervously, as Ami tucked him back into his bed. "You don't think Neko-chan's freaking out 'cuz she got grounded, do you?" Even though he had been the reason she had gotten in trouble, he knew she would still honor their agreement, since he hadn't meant to tell and had gotten in trouble along with her. But he wouldn't ask for anything from her if she was that distraught about it. If it was causing her to have nightmares.
It would be horrible to be responsible for upsetting her that much, he thought.
Ami patted him on the head. "Don't worry about it, Gebriel. I know you think Neko's more fragile than Michiru, but she's strong enough to handle a little punishment by herself," she reassured him. "She just had a nightmare, that's all."
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