"Neko-chan," Mi-chan whispered from behind her. She had been somewhat in shock from Neko's return, but now she wanted to make sure that Neko truly was here. She dropped to her knees and squeezed Neko so hard Neko thought she was going to break a rib.
"Uh, Mi-chan," Neko gasped. "Oxygen needed."
"Gomen ne." Mi-chan released her. As Neko looked back at her, Mi-chan said, awestruck, "Oh my god. You came back. They really brought you back!"
"Hai." Then Neko glanced at Tenshi in confusion. "They?"
Tenshi nodded. "I needed Jasper-san's help." She pointed to him and Neko followed her finger back to where Jasper was just sitting up again, appearing slightly dazed. "He's not that bad of a guy," she explained to Neko.
Neko didn't respond. She simply seemed to be studying the guy. Their eyes met, but neither of them seemed to know how to react to the other.
"Koneko?"
Finally, Neko stood up. Tenshi tried to get up too, to offer her support, but she was too weak to even support herself.
Mi-chan got up, and she and Jian-wa tried to help Neko, but Neko put a hand up to stop them. Mi-chan understood that Neko wanted to do this herself.
She walked over to Jasper. His eyes were still trained on her, and he half-expected her to kill him right there. He was fine with that - in fact he would welcome it - and he certainly wouldn't blame her. Instead she offered him her hand.
"I'm sorry," she said compassionately, referring to the death of his girlfriend.
His eyes filled with tears, as he allowed her to help him up. "I loved her," he whispered.
"I know," she answered. "But I couldn't let her continue hurting the people I love. I had to kill her. But I am sorry for your sake," she explained.
There was only one thing left to do. "Kill me too," he requested.
Neko shook her head. "I couldn't."
"You don't understand!" He pulled her to him with his right arm. "I won't take no for an answer!" With his left hand he withdrew the small double-edged knife and held it to her chin, just centimeters from his own.
"Dame!" She grabbed his hand and tried to pull it away.
"Good! Take the knife. And use it on me," he commanded.
But Neko simply held the knife at bay. "Iya!" Unfortunately, having just come back from the dead, she wasn't exactly at full strength. Of course, neither was he.
"Kill me now, or I'll kill you!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She had known they couldn't trust him. "Neko!" Mi-chan screamed as she started to run towards them. But she hadn't taken two steps before Jian-wa grabbed her. "What are you doing?!"
"They're too close. You'd hurt her too!"
"She just came back! I'm not going to let him take her away once more! I can't just stand here and do nothing again!"
"Mi-chan," Tenshi pleaded, her voice shaking. "He's not going to kill her. You have to trust both of them."
She struggled in Jian-wa's arms, but he didn't let her go. "I will never forgive you if she dies," she told him viciously. Jian-wa wouldn't release her. "Let me go!" Still he held on.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"You don't want to do this," Neko whispered, her voice holding less fear than sympathy for the young man.
"Don't I? Amethyst and Amber were all I had. I have nowhere to go, nothing left of my previous life�. All I want to do is die. So believe me - I don't care anymore. If you won't kill me, your twin will! So don't doubt my willingness. It won't save you. Don't you understand?! Only one thing will."
"I won't!" she told him stubbornly.
"Idiot! Save yourself!" His eyes grew more desperate. "All I'm asking is the honor of dying by my enemy's hand."
A single teardrop fell onto his hand. "Jasper-kun," Neko's voice retained its kindness from before. "I'm not your enemy anymore. And I'm not going to kill you." She closed her eyes and let go of his hand. "You helped give me my life; do what you wish with it."
"Damn you!" He released her, dropping his arms to his side in resignation. "Stupid, innocent girl. You really believed I couldn't do it." He looked away from her. "But it won't stop me. I'll kill myself, if I have to."
"Coward!" Tenshi exclaimed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As soon as Jian-wa had let her go, Mi-chan had dragged Tenshi and him there. Well, more like Mi-chan had dragged Jian-wa, who was helping Tenshi keep up with them. Though she was recovering quickly, she had spent more energy on Neko than Jasper had, and, in Mi-chan's estimation, it was taking her too long to gain it back.
"It might be hard to go on without love, but there's no way to get through it but living," Tenshi continued. "Trust me, there's no quick fix. Do you really want to die miserable?!"
Jasper shook his head. "But I don't have anything else. What would I do? Where would I go?"
Neko smiled warmly at him. "You could live on my planet, Eryx," she offered.
"Huh?"
"Huh?" Mi-chan echoed. She stopped mid-stride, causing Jian-wa to run right into her. Here she was rushing to Neko's rescue, and Neko was offering him a place on her planet? Was she joking?!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
