Still Mi-chan did not lower her sword. She wasn't about to forgive anyone who had hurt Neko. "Neko-chan's a pushover," she said through clenched teeth, her tone wavering somewhere between stubborn vengeance and grief over her sister.
"Mi-chan. She's dying! I need him to save her! Mi-chan, look at me." She put her hand on Mi-chan's arm and pleaded with her. "Look at Neko!"
Mi-chan had been able to feel the life draining from Neko. She couldn't block Neko's sensations the way she could sometimes block her own from reaching Neko, and to her it was as painful as the actual wound had originally been. Tenshi had slowed her from fading away so quickly, but Mi-chan could feel that the barrier between life and death was very delicate for Neko. But she hadn't actually had to face the visual reality of Neko's peril. With her eyes focused on Jasper, all she could concentrate on was avenging Neko - making up for that pain.
But as she glanced at Neko's ashen face, she snapped out of it. Mi-chan had always been the self-ascribed protector of all her family, especially Neko and Chibi. Upon seeing Neko, her entire attention went to her twin. "Neko-chan," she cried gently. She forgot about the sword and revenge and Jasper as she turned to help Tenshi with her sister.
Tenshi looked to Jasper, who cautiously stood up. She didn't expect him to break his promise now that he was released, but a small part of her knew there was a possibility. He nodded to her and took a step towards them.
"Mi-chan, can you hold her?" Tenshi asked as she released Neko's legs and tried to pass her to Mi-chan.
"No, you can't let go!" Mi-chan protested, though she longed to hold her.
Tenshi took Neko's hand and gave it a squeeze, as she leaned her into Mi-chan. "Don't worry. I won't let her go," she vowed.
She put her other hand up to the wound in Neko's chest. Jasper asked, "How do you know if you're doing the right thing?"
"I'm going on instinct," she explained. Following her lead, Jasper put both his hands up to the back entrance of Neko's wound. Tenshi smiled at him graciously.
Then she focused on Neko only. When she felt her life force flow through her hand, she took the other one from Neko's hand and put that with the first hand.
With that, she poured her soul into healing Neko.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mi-chan supported Neko as she watched Tenshi and Jasper attempt to heal her. Though in her arms, Neko seemed so far away. She could barely sense her sister at all. And as she couldn't tell whether Tenshi and Jasper were doing any good, it seemed as if every breath could be her last. Mi-chan felt so helpless. It was going to take a miracle to bring Neko back now, and she couldn't provide that. She just hoped Tenshi and Jasper could.
And then, gradually at first, Mi-chan noticed that Tenshi's hands were beginning to glow. She looked at Tenshi's face, but, if Tenshi had noticed, she didn't seem fazed by it at all. The blonde's soft tendrils began to slowly to fly around her head, but she didn't make any attempt to keep them out of her face. She simply concentrated on Neko.
Then the glow seemed to spread up Tenshi's arms and beyond Neko's chest. Mi-chan peeked behind at Jasper and saw that something similar was happening at Neko's back. As she was watching him, a warm force hit her. She gasped and jumped back in surprise, but it was only whatever power was surrounding Neko. She instantly went back to Neko's side to support her, but now it was unnecessary. The power that surrounded the three of them was keeping Neko standing on her own; in fact it was more like she was hovering just slightly over the ground.
Mi-chan stepped back, unwilling to interfere in whatever was going on. Jian-wa, who could now get to them since Jasper had brought the forcefield down, came behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. All they could do now was hope for the best. *Onegai, Neko-chan! Don't give up! Onegai, come back!*
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tenshi didn't let herself get excited when her hands began to glow. Nor when Neko seemed to rise slightly above the ground. Even when Tenshi noticed Neko's wound begin to close, she didn't allow herself to break her concentration. She wasn't going to risk Neko to anything.
But as they continued, she began to grow weary. She could definitely feel Jasper beginning to lose strength, as their connection through Neko became weaker. And while she was determined to continue endlessly, or at least until she didn't have the strength to hold herself, much less Neko, up anymore, Jasper didn't have any such loyalties. She knew he was trying his best, but it was hard to continue something that was consuming all your energy if you didn't have any greater purpose to do so.
Yet still they continued on, sending their life force into Neko, willing her to heal. Until, finally, Jasper couldn't hold up anymore. Much of his strength depleted, he collapsed.
It was as if they had been playing a tug-of-war and Jasper had just let go of the rope. Neko was released from her position in the air, and Tenshi just managed to grab her as together they crumpled to the ground.
Mi-chan, followed closely by Jian-wa, ran to them crying, "Neko! Tenshi-kun!" Naturally, she wanted to see her twin, make sure she was okay, but Tenshi clung to Neko with whatever strength she had left. They had been so close! The wound was mostly sealed, but if Neko's soul had already gone�. Tenshi wasn't ready to let go of her yet. Ignoring Mi-chan, she stroked her love's hair and whispered sweet words of encouragement.
"Tenshi?" The soft voice hadn't come from the girl standing above them; it had come from the one in Tenshi's arms.
"Koneko," Tenshi responded as she looked into Neko's open violet eyes, proving to herself that it was in fact true, that she wasn't imagining it. "Y- You're alive. You're alive!" She couldn't help it. Delirious with joy, Tenshi began to laugh and kiss Neko.
