"Diana-chan? What do you mean?" Nephrite asks.
"It sounds like...something is controlling her. But I don't know nearly enough about this sort of thing..."
TN nods, "Let's get the others and discuss this."
Everyone nods, except for Neph.
"I am going to do a divination to perhaps see if I can figure out what's wrong with her," he says.
"Sounds like a
plan. After you're done, meet us in the library, ok?" TN says as they head out.
Nephrite stands in the middle of his cathedral.
"The stars know everything...."
The stars start speaking to him in images.
First they show HLM lying in bed. Just lying there with her eyes open.
The view then zooms into her eyes, showing them absolutely unmoving as if she is a puppet that's not being used.
Neph shivers involuntarily as the view is cut off by a flash of darkness, and replaced immediately by a shadow vaguely human shaped. The view spins around the shadow and then to HLM who looks like she's desperately trying to find her way through a thick mist.
The image of HLM seems to turn to him, her lips forming the words, "Help me, beloved!"
With that, the stars go
silent.
After the divination, Neph stands silently in the cathedral, seemingly in shock.
Minutes of quiet passed before Neph can finally say, "I will find a way to help you, beloved, you have my solemn word on that."
With that, he turns
and leaves the cathedral.
I smile slightly to myself.
"What are you smiling about, moron?"
None of your business.
I sense Neph had done the divination, though I don't know exactly what the stars showed him. I also know the shadow doesn't know, but I don't know if Neph understood.
I hear the shadow laugh.
"I will find out one day, your body is mine, and soon your mind and soul will be, too."
Shyah, right.
"You don't believe me, do you?"
Draw your own conclusions.
"I don't think you believe me."
Why is that so important?
"Because I know without a doubt that you're not going to be able to keep the fight up."
Yeah, yeah, whatever.
"Oh, you'll find the truth out soon enough."
Or maybe YOU will.
"What a stubborn little moron."
Damn strait.
"Seeing you broken will be a LOT of fun, you're giving me so much trouble."
Guess I won't be giving you that satisfaction then, oh light impaired one.
I can feel the shadow getting angry.
The shadow unsheathes one of my body's claws and holds it to the body's throat.
"I suggest you start treating me with a bit more respect."
Or what? You'll kill my body?
I feel the diamond sharp edge of my claw pressing against the soft skin of my throat.
"Yes."
You'd forfeit all your work and set me free? Oh the horrors. You'd just have to find another body, and bodies of this kind aren't exactly a dime a dozen.
I feel the shadow's displeasure as it withdraws the claw.
Why do you need this body so desperately anyway?
"You've been watching too many cartoons if you think I'm actually going to tell you."
It was worth a shot anyway.
"Then she looks at me, and her lips moved as if saying ,'Help me.' The divination ended there," Neph was finishing telling the rest about what the stars told him.
"It sounds like possession," Venus comments.
"Hai and it happened that night you two made love," TN thinks out loud.
Raph nudges Mike.
"Told ya."
Mike snickers.
Diana rolls her eyes, saying, "Now just because you boys don't get any, doesn't mean you should be obsessed with HLM and Neph's love life."
"Least they aren't commenting on us anymore," Don says softly to TN.
"We don't need to, anyone in a three block radius can hear you, at least Leo and Venus don't have a squeaky bed," Raph smirks.
"Hey! They sound like you and Kunzy over there, sis!"
Zoi covers Jae in sakura petals.
"Not like you and Diana are any better!"
Leo shakes his head as nearly everyone else snickers.
"We need to figure out how to help her, not make of of each other," he says.
"Yes, I don't know if she'll be able to survive this if we don't step in," Kunz says softly.
Part XIV
Part XVI
Meetings Index