"Hai," she whispered.
"She's going to look you in the eyes. Don't resist, okay? It's going to feel strange, but you can't look away, or she'll attack both of us. You have to trust me, okay?"
"Okay," she agreed nervously. Even with the possibility that the dragoness was forcing him to say that, she trusted him. But she was still worried about what the dragoness' eyes would do to her.
The dragoness turned her eyes to Neko. They were like laser beams focusing on her eyes, but she didn't blink. She looked right back.
He was right. You are complete purity. Your soul is untarnished. I will let him pass then.
Neko didn't know how she was talking in her head, but it seemed more invasive than when Mi-chan had done it back at the house that morning. She just wanted to look away. The dragoness had moved, but she didn't know what else was going on. Was Night Angel going to be okay?
Don't worry, I won't hurt him. He knows you are my hostage in the event that he tries anything with my eggs, but I'm just as certain of his intentions as he seems to be of mine. Trusting one like me shows a lot of faith. He deserves a reward for that. I won't hurt either of you.
She seemed to know Neko's thoughts, and her weary old voice answered Neko's concerns. Neko cradled the rose to her, glad that Night Angel was going to be safe and sound.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Night Angel watched Neko and the dragoness, praying his trust wasn't misplaced. The dragoness had given her word that she wouldn't kill Neko if he was telling the truth about her situation, but he couldn't help feeling dread that she might go back on her word. One wrong move from him or Neko and she surely would kill Neko. He couldn't stand the thought of it.
But now this was out of his hands, and that, more than when she was looking him straight in the eyes, challenging him, was almost too much for him to bear.
But he needed to get that stone. For Neko.
He ran up the pile of rocks as soon as the dragoness indicated his safe passage. He had to depend on the dragoness. Because Neko was depending on him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pity, though. I'm letting him through because you're so pure, yet I'm helping you to lose that purity by using the stones. Wish one like you could stay that way forever.
"Got it!" Night Angel called as he ran back down the stone pile. "Let go of her."
Hope you get what you desire, the dragoness thought to Neko before releasing her eyes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Liberated from the dragoness' eyes, Neko ran to Night Angel and embraced him. She was shivering, he found. "Koneko, let's get Electra," he said, wishing that they could stay like that instead. But Electra did need to be rescued. Besides, she was probably inadvertently making Neko cold.
He kept a wary eye on the dragoness as they passed by to get to Electra. A layer of ice kept her captive against the wall and surrounded her. "Electra!" Neko ran up to the ice. "Mi-chan! How do we get to her?" she asked Night Angel helplessly.
Unable to think of anything, Night Angel ran back to the dragoness. "Hey! How do we unfreeze her twin?" The dragoness ignored him. "Look at me! Dammit, she needs her!"
Her gaze met his.
The twin did nothing to warrant me releasing her. Why do you keep disturbing me?
Night Angel knew they couldn't leave this cave without Electra. Though they had all come into this mission knowing that they might have to sacrifice themselves for Neko's sake, he knew that Neko couldn't go on without Mi-chan. He thought of all the times Mi-chan had gone out on a limb for her twin, protecting her at any cost. But she wouldn't want to go down like this, when it had been unnecessary.
You have high regard for her. Hmm, if the twins feel so strongly towards each other, they should be able to melt it themselves. Now leave me alone; I was resting before she came and disturbed me.
*Shimatta!* He ran back to Neko's side. "Koneko, she said that you and she could do it."
"Do what?! I don't know what to do, Night Angel!"
He looked deeply at Electra, frozen beneath the ice. Her eyes were trained on Neko, as if maybe she could see her. He wondered if she was aware of what was going on. "Try thinking to her," he suggested.
"I can't. I don't know how."
"Just try, okay? I'm gonna go get Jasper-san. I'll be right back, so don't worry."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Neko looked pleadingly at her sister. *Mi-chan!* she tried to think to her. But it didn't seem to be working. *Mi-chan, help me!*
She leaned against the ice, ignoring how numbingly cold it was. "Mi-chan," she began to cry. "I can't do this without you. Please, help me." Her tears fell to the ice, but barely melted a dent into it.
*Neko-chan, don't cry* Mi-chan's voice was very faint in her head, but Neko heard it. She closed her eyes and nodded.
"I can't help it. I want you to be okay," she sniffed. She felt a little better knowing Mi-chan was alive, and talking to her was allowing her to imagine that it was all going to be all right. "You're the strongest person I ever met, and you've never let me down, and- and I don't feel closer to anyone than you, and I love you."
*Whatever you're doing, keep it up*
"Huh?" Neko didn't have a clue what she was talking about. She opened her eyes and saw she was glowing, as was the ice-encased Electra. "Mi-chan, what's happening? I'm scared," she whispered.
*I'm here, it's okay* Just a simple promise and Neko immediately felt better. And suddenly, it seemed that the ice disappeared all at once and she fell forward into Electra.
"Sh-Shimatta, I'm fr-fr-freezing," Electra said, her teeth chattering. Neko was just so happy she was okay that she just stood there hugging her. "N-Neko-chan, I n-need t-t-to untr-tr-transform." Neko released her as Tenshi (now untransformed) and Jasper ran up to them.
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