~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"No, they're my friends. I just don't want them to die. Please!"
"YOUR 'FRIENDS' HIDE THE VERY TRUTHS FROM YOU, YOU STRUGGLE TO OBTAIN."
"They're protecting me. They said I wasn't ready-"
"DO YOU WISH TO BE PROTECTED?"
Neko looked away. She didn't know. She didn't want to be hurt, but she worried what was so horrible that they were keeping it from her.
"DO NOT CONTINUE THIS QUEST IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO FACE THE TRUTH!"
Well, when he put it like that�. "I do want the truth!" she answered back, boldly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Chang-san was wrong about you," Jasper muttered.
Mi-chan whirled around. "Leave Jian-kun out of this!"
"He told me the distinction of evil was his alone. That you and Neko-chan never gave it to him. Somehow I find it hard to believe you forgave him so easily."
"Jian-kun was totally different. It was Neko-chan that had trouble forgiving him when he betrayed us at the dance. She doesn't take to betrayal well."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tenshi's body walked towards her. "THIS HOST HIDES THINGS FROM YOU. SHE/HE LIVES WITH THE MEMORY OF BETRAYING YOU IN THE PAST."
"No, that's not possible," Neko whispered.
"YOU HAVE FOUGHT AGAINST ALL THREE OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN BATTLE. YOU HAVE SUFFERED AT ALL OF THEIR HANDS."
She knew (sort of) about Jasper, but� "No, Mi-chan and Tenshi-kun wouldn't-"
"EVEN YOUR REFLECTION HAS CAUSED YOU PAIN. YOU HAVE SUFFERED GREATLY, MIZUNO NEKO. DO YOU TRULY WISH TO REGAIN THAT TRUTH?"
Neko thought about what the mountain kami was telling her. What if her companions really had hurt her in the past? But she couldn't believe that they could have done so purposefully. "I can't remember the good times with Mi-chan and Tenshi-kun if I don't remember the bad," was Neko's faint reply to the challenge. "And if I don't know what they did, I can't give them my forgiveness�." Neko looked into Tenshi's vacant eyes. "Now, give me back Tenshi-kun!" She was through playing the mountain kami's game. She was going to get back her memories.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"You want me to believe Neko-sama is as unforgiving as you?" He didn't believe it, not even for a moment. He had watched Neko forgive him and Tenshi for their transgressions without a second thought. He couldn't imagine her blaming anyone for anything.
"Neko-chan has her moments. If you betray her trust, you'll see that. Amethyst saw her at her most unforgiving too. We both have our grudges and our moments of mercy. Neko-chan worked up to her forgiveness for Jian-kun. You just got lucky that she forgave you right away."
"Then why won't you 'work up to' forgiving me? What can I do to convince you to give me a chance to prove myself?"
Mi-chan slapped him. He stared at her in shock. "You want to prove yourself to me?!" she yelled at him. As she spoke he observed frustrated tears filling her eyes. They were as surprising as the slap. "Go back in time and stop your girlfriend from coming here. Stop her from putting Neko-chan through so much hell. Stop her from sending Neko-chan nightmares, from poisoning Tenshi-kun's and her souls. Stop Neko-chan from almost dying� again. And again. Give every ounce of your lifeforce to save her from Amethyst's disease so she doesn't have to take that potion. Get me my sister back! Then ask me to forgive you."
She turned away from him and ran off. And he knew that there was nothing he could say that would get her to stop again until she found Neko.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"YOU HAVE CHOSEN THEN."
Neko felt a slight disorientation as she found her surroundings melt away and found herself imprisoned in a clear hollow crystal several meters above where she had previously stood.
Inside the crystal, she could see the mountain glow red and the forest glow white. Tenshi was also glowing with the scarlet of the mountain kami.
"Tenshi-kun!" Neko screamed, pounding against her prison's walls. "Tenshi!" She leaned against the clear mineral, sobbing helplessly. "Tenshi!"
*MIZUNO NEKO* The booming voice in her head startled her. *YOUR CRIES CANNOT BE HEARD. I WILL RELINQUISH THIS VESSEL WHEN YOUR REFLECTION ARRIVES. PRAY SHE DOES SO BEFORE YOURS AND HER/HIS LIVES ARE FORFEIT.* A ring of fire surrounded a broad area around Tenshi. *THE FIRE WILL CONSUME MORE OF THIS SPACE UNTIL YOUR REFLECTION SUCCEEDS OR THIS VESSEL'S LIFE IS FORFEIT.*
"No!" Neko yelled. "Stop it!" The kami ignored her. "Mi-chan, help me," she whimpered.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*Mi-chan, help me*
The pathetic cry for help reached Mi-chan's mind faintly, but clearly.
*Neko-chan? What's wrong?! Where are you?!*
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Neko heard Mi-chan's voice.
"Save me!" she screamed. "Save Tenshi-kun! Please, Mi-chan!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mi-chan had lost Neko's voice, but it didn't matter. She knew what direction she was going in now. She didn't care that Jasper was on her heels. She barely even noticed. All she cared about was getting to Neko. She ran up the path, heading towards an undefined location.
Something shone in the distance, beyond the point where the path leveled out. Mi-chan could feel it - that was her goal. She kept running.
But when she first glimpsed Neko, she stopped in her tracks.
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