"Who-?"
"It's okay. I'm Night Angel. It's my duty to protect you."
"Naito Enjeru?" she stumbled clumsily over his name.
"Hai. I'm going to get you to safety. Then Jasper-san can protect and heal you."
He swept her up into his arms. She couldn't tell if it was from the bump on her head or not, but everything seemed so hazy and sparkly around him. She had no clue what he did to get her past the dragoness' tail, she was too busy studying him. But soon, too soon in her opinion, he put her down in front of Jasper.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Neko-chan, daijoubu ka?!" Jasper cried as Night Angel finally managed to get Neko to him.
"Uh huh," Neko answered absentmindedly, her eyes still trained on Night Angel's face.
"Stay here with Jasper-san, okay?" Night Angel said before running back to help Sailor Electra.
"Neko-chan," Jasper said, trying to get her attention. She ignored him, watching Night Angel as he fought the dragoness. "Neko-chan!"
She looked at him with such surprise. "Oh, Jasper-kun!" she said as if just now noticing he was with her. "Ne, who are they?" She pointed to where the two Senshi were fighting.
"Sailor Electra and Night Angel." He didn't really care to go into detail, since he had just noticed her cheek had a giant cut across it. If only she'd look back at him, he could heal it.
"Sailor Electra? That's Mi-chan! Then Night Angel must be�."
"Tenshi-san," Jasper finished for her. "Neko-chan-"
She looked so disappointed as she gazed back at the Knight who had rescued her. "Of course he is," she said sadly.
"Neko-chan, let me see your cheek," he finally ordered her.
"My cheek?" She put her hand to the gash on her face, as if she just became aware of it for the first time. "It hurts."
"I know," he said more gently. "Let me see it."
"Ano, I was trying to get the stone, but the dragon hit me with her tail, and I went flying, and then I couldn't get past it. And I'm not sure she knew she hit me again, 'cuz her tail was whipping about in general not really aiming for me, but it did, and-"
He found himself captivated, not by her story, but with the sincere request for forgiveness that seemed to be present as she told it. As if she had done something wrong and was the one to blame for her wound. He wanted nothing more than to make her stop worrying about it.
He lightly touched his hand to her cheek. "Jasper-kun?" she asked softly, her eyes wide at his unexpected action. "What are you doing?"
"Shh, trust me." He stared into her face, wanting to be the one who saved her. Wanting to take away her pain. His fingers caressed her cheek until the wound was gone. Eyes still on her face, he reached for her hand and placed it to her cheek. "See? It's gone."
Her eyes shone. "Did you do that?" He nodded. "That's wonderful! You're the best, Jasper-kun!" she cried joyfully, hugging him, not knowing how much the simple gesture actually meant to him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jasper was keeping her out of sight back by the tunnel wall while Sailor Electra and Night Angel fought against the dragoness, but Neko couldn't help but peek around him and watch them.
"Dazzling Bolts!" Electra sent a series of lightning bolts at the monster. Neko winced and grabbed onto Jasper's arm as they hit. She didn't really want to see the dragoness hurt anymore than she wanted to see Electra and Night Angel hurt.
The dragoness was not helpless either. Besides her menacing claws, teeth, and tail, she had the ability to use her breath to freeze things. Fortunately, the Senshi were faster than her and had thus far managed to avoid being frozen.
Night Angel dodged a beam of ice and threw something at the dragoness. Neko couldn't make out what it was, but it seemed to annoy the dragoness, who up until then had been less occupied with him than with Electra. She turned on him, and Electra threw something at her like a silver ball of lightning.
That really got the dragoness' attention. She turned her icy breath on Electra and actually hit. Electra was thrown against the grotto, frozen up against the wall, enveloped in ice.
"Mi-chan!" Neko screamed, pushing past Jasper and running towards her twin.
"No, Neko-chan!" Jasper yelled, but she was already beyond his grasp.
It wasn't until it was too late that she realized that the dragoness was aiming her beam of ice at her. She stopped in terror and closed her eyes waiting for the hit. But it never came. She heard something swish at her feet and peeked open one eye. There at her feet was a rose. It was the unlikely color blue with silver lining the other side of the petals. She stared at it in awe, wondering where it had come from.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Koneko, don't move!" Night Angel yelled at her. He had just barely managed to block that attack on her. He couldn't guarantee that the dragoness wouldn't attack again.
She wasn't paying attention to him. She bent down to pick up the rose, and then stood up slowly.
The dragoness started towards her. "Leave her alone!" he screamed. "She's not doing anything to you!"
She stopped her rush towards Neko, and looked right at him - straight into his eyes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Neko looked back at Night Angel. He looked like he was trying to stare down the dragoness. "Night Angel!" she cried.
"Don't move," he mouthed, no sound passing between his lips.
She held the thornless rose to her heart. It matched his ninja outfit, she wondered if it came from him. But what was the dragoness doing to him now? It was like she was hypnotizing him or something. "Night Angel," she whimpered.
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