I hate you, Tenshi!
*No, you can't mean that!*
I hate you!
"No, Koneko, I love you," Tenshi whispered. Hugging her knees to her chest, Tenshi looked up and around her with eyes that she had somehow managed to keep dry. The resounding voice was merely in her head. Nobody was around her anymore. Neko had left a long time ago, and the others had followed.
I hate you!
*Get a hold of yourself, Tenshi!* she scolded herself. *It's a mistake. She'll forgive you!*
She took a deep breath. This wasn't like last time Neko had broken up with her. She hadn't known then what was wrong - wouldn't know until it was too late. Now she knew�, and she could fix it.
"I just have to go back to the reflecting pool. They'll all go back there eventually. I'll explain. I'll beg her forgiveness." I hate you, Tenshi. "She doesn't hate me." She stood up slowly. "She doesn't hate me."
Neko's angry voice echoed in her head, but she knew she could do this if she just kept reminding herself that it was a mistake. She took a few steps and was surprised that she wasn't shakier. *That's right, you're the strong one. Just find her and explain.*
"Tenshi�" a foreign whispery voice called to her.
She covered her ears and closed her eyes. "I'm not listening to any illusions today, thank you! I have enough problems!"
*Tenshi.*
She opened her eyes and saw before her a beautiful woman with wavy red hair and lily white skin. Tenshi stopped and stared at her. "No, really. If you're an illusion, just go away."
"Tenoh Tenshi, I am not an illusion. My name is Loraxia. I am the speaker for the kami of this forest."
"O...kay." Tenshi tried to figure out what to say to her, but in the end, decided she just wanted to get to Neko. "You know, I'm not having the best luck with kami today either. So if you don't mind-"
Loraxia smiled. "The kami of this forest are much more pleasant than he of the mountain. This kami here has witnessed your plight." She pointed to the tree that Tenshi had been at the base of, the same tree under which Neko and Jasper had slept. "He wishes to help."
"Help?" Tenshi looked back at the tree. It was an older tree with a wide trunk - probably had great clout in this forest, she figured.
Loraxia nodded sincerely. Tenshi truly believed that she meant what she said. "The kami know of Mizuno Neko's condition. They also know the ritual that will restore her memories to her. They'd be willing to give it to her. Would you like to be the one to relate it to her?" she offered.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Seeing the pearly stone, Mi-chan ecstatically threw her arms around Neko and hugged her tight. But all Neko felt was the soreness from the bruise where the blond guy had pushed her against the tree. Her wince at the pain did not go unnoticed by either member of her party.
"Neko-chan, what happened?" Mi-chan asked.
At the same time, a concerned Jasper said, "Let me see what he did to you!"
But Neko suddenly blushed as she realized what condition her shirt and skirt were in. Jasper didn't seem to be uncomfortable about the fact that her bra was showing, but that didn't keep her from feeling self-conscious.
Mi-chan seemed concerned about something else regarding Jasper. "It's not your place to do that," she growled at him.
"I just want to help."
"Well, she should go back to Tenshi-kun-"
Neko looked back and forth between them. "No, it's okay, Mi-chan. Jasper-kun can heal me if he wants," she said shyly.
But something in Mi-chan's tone of voice must have scared him off, she figured. He shook his head now, and said, "No, she's right, Neko-chan. You should return to Tenshi-san."
He turned to leave, but Neko couldn't stand the sad look that had been in his eyes. "Matte, Jasp-"
Mi-chan grabbed her hand before she could follow him. "Neko-chan, you don't understand. Tenshi-kun needs you to come back. Her heart is breaking from what you said to her."
Neko pulled her hand away. "I don't care about her. Do you know what she did to me?! To Jasper-kun?!"
"It doesn't matter. Don't you see?! The two of you love each other. You're meant to be with her."
"But�" Neko tried desperately to sort out all her feelings, "�Tenshi-kun's a girl� and she lied to me� I- I thought she was my friend, and she-"
"She's more than your friend. She loves you," Mi-chan fought to explain to her. "And you love her. You can't fight that. It doesn't matter how mad at her you are, you still love her."
"No. No, I hate her!"
"Neko-chan," Mi-chan pleaded to her, "you don't mean that. You're going to kick yourself when you get your memories back. No matter how you feel now, you'll be in love with her again, and you'll feel so bad for saying that. I know you, you'll just hate yourself!"
Neko shook her head in disbelief. "When I get my memories back�?" she repeated. Didn't it matter how she felt now? Was she just going to automatically become somebody else when she went through the ritual? Be forced to love Tenshi? "She threatened Jasper-kun," she whispered.
"Come on, Neko-chan. Jasper-san's not worth the time of day. Tenshi-kun's your one true love! I know you don't understand now, but you will! I promise, when you get your memories back, you'll understand."
"No, I won't!" Neko cried, giving into her feelings of frustration and confusion. She couldn't talk about this anymore! She pushed away from her twin and ran off after Jasper.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Jasper-kun!"
Neko scrambled to catch up with him. Jasper kept walking, but she didn't let that discourage her determination to make things right between them.
"Jasper-kun!"
"Michiru-san's right, Neko-chan. You should go back to Tenshi-san and make up with her."
She grabbed his hand in both of her small ones, but he continued walking quickly. She matched his pace, walking slightly behind him. "I can't make up with her, Jasper-kun," she said quietly. "I'd be lying if I said I accepted her apology."
He stopped and turned to her. But his eyes were nowhere near connecting with hers as he stared at the ground. "Neko-chan, you'll get your memories back, and you'll go back to your normal life. I'll go on to Eryx, and you'll become my queen someday with Tenshi-san reigning by your side. That's the way it's supposed to be, and you won't give it a second thought. That's just how it is."
"No," Neko protested. "It doesn't have to be. Why should I be forced to love her?! She's done nothing but lie to me and hurt me-"
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