Mi-chan brought the ice water upstairs trying to figure out what she was going to tell Neko. Neko already seemed so freaked out about it, but Mi-chan didn't want to hide what she knew of a possible source, in case Neko held some clue to curing herself. Mi-chan wouldn't take any chances with her sister's life.
She walked down the hall, trying to balance the tray that held the fresh glass and teeming pitcher of ice water so that it wouldn't spill. But she forgot all about the water when she turned into her room. Tray, glass, and pitcher clattered to the ground, water soaking instantly into the carpet, as Mi-chan ran across the room and caught her falling sister again.
Neko was shaking in Mi-chan's arms. She looked at Mi-chan, her expression clearly showing how disoriented she was.
"Mi-chan? W- Where's Tenshi?"
"She's on her way," Mi-chan told her gently.
"She's not here," Neko said slowly, as if clarifying it for herself. "It was just a- I thought-" She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to clear it.
"Shhh. Forget about Tenshi-kun. Let's just worry about you for now. Why don't we get you back to bed?"
She attempted to stand, but Neko didn't seem to be making the effort with her. "I can't!" Neko cried helplessly. "I can't make my legs work." She threw her arms around Mi-chan's neck and began to bawl, pleading to her sis. "Mi-chan, what's going on? What's wrong with me?!"
Mi-chan stood up carrying her sister to her bed, as Neko continued hanging onto her neck. She thanked the kami that while each of them was pretty strong physically, they also were relatively light.
She laid Neko in the bed, propped up against a couple of pillows, and disengaged Neko's hold on her. "Is that better?"
Neko nodded, but was too exhausted to even wipe the tears from her face. "What did mom say?" she asked quietly.
Mi-chan instantly threw up her mind shield, but it was too late. In her panic over Neko, she had let it drop. There was no use in even considering hiding the info from her now.
"Mom said you were probably right. Amethyst probably poisoned the thorns on her vine trap."
"But Tenshi and Haruka-sama were trapped in one too. They�." Her voice trailed off as she saw Mi-chan shake her head. "It was just for me, because she hated me that much? It's me then, my fault. You and mom-"
"Stop it."
Neko lowered her eyes. "But you wouldn't be sick if it wasn't for me. If I hadn't made her that mad, you and mom would be okay. Everything would be okay."
"Stop it!" Mi-chan grabbed Neko by the shoulders and shook her. "It's not your fault, get it?! Not your fault!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Neko squeezed her eyes shut, wishing Mi-chan hadn't just made her more dizzy than she had already been. She couldn't even concentrate on what they were talking about. In fact, beyond her dizziness, there was only one thing she could focus on right now.
"Mi-chan�." Her voice sounded as drained as she truly was.
She didn't have to finish. Mi-chan already knew that she was dying for some water. The ice water Mi-chan had brought up with her was not going to be of any use, as it currently was soaked into the floor, but Mi-chan had another idea. She grabbed Neko's glass from earlier that morning off the desk and brought it to her. The ice had mercifully melted in the last couple hours.
As soon as the cool liquid touched Neko's lips, she began to gulp it down eagerly. But too quickly, the water supply was depleted. Neko didn't bother to inform Mi-chan of how incredibly thirsty she still was, but she could imagine that her face and thoughts betrayed her longing all too well. But she wasn't going to mention it to Mi-chan all the same. Mi-chan had enough to worry about.
Neko leaned back against the pillows, as Mi-chan took her hand again. Looking at her sister through half closed eyelids, she could tell Mi-chan was beginning to wear down too. Neko wondered who would take care of Mi-chan when she was as inflicted as Neko was.
"Mi-chan�? Did you say Tenshi was coming?"
"Yeah, she'll be here soon," Mi-chan promised, probably thinking she was comforting Neko.
"She can't. I don't want her to."
"Shh�, you're too tired to be thinking clearly." Mi-chan was keeping her voice as gentle as possible, but Neko could see a glint of worry as Neko began to insist that Tenshi couldn't come.
"No, Tenshi can't come here. She'll get sick. I don't want her to catch this from me."
"Neko-chan, you need her. She's coming to heal you. Neko-chan, she has to come." Neko started to shake her head, but Mi-chan stopped her. She put her hand on Neko's forehead for a few moments before pulling it away. "Neko-chan, look at this. Look!"
Neko made herself focus on Mi-chan's hand that she held in front of Neko's eyes. Imprinted on her palm was a red circle with a cross through the center. "My symbol?" Neko asked confused.
"Neko-chan, your forehead is hot, but where your symbol would appear, it literally is burning. Don't you see? This is not just a little bug! This was created to kill us! To kill you! You need Tenshi-kun to come!"
"No!" Neko cried, the one outburst taking so much of her energy. "Who'll save her?! Even if she saves all of us, who can heal her? And what if she can't? Mi-chan�, I don't want you to die� but I can't let her give her life for us either, especially if it won't necessarily save us."
"I don't care. If there's any chance-"
"I have to agree with Neko."
& Earth
