I watch the mists go by, sighing softly.
How do I end up always getting into these situations?
The mists start to take form around me, surrounding me with all the people I've fought and killed.
"Because you're a freak," one figure says, approaching me, intestines spilling from a nasty cut in his midsection.
"Because you're a murderer," another snarles, blood drooling from his mouth, his chest a pulverized mess.
I draw my knees to my chest.
"Because you denied us our pleasures," another figure speaks up, this one bloated from taking on water, his skin blue.
I didn't want to kill any of you! It was all in self defense!
"Even me, sweetheart?"
My mother steps forward, her body horribly mangled.
Mom! Oh, Mom, I miss you so much!
Tears run down my face.
"Then why didn't you save me?"
I couldn't..!
"You could have stayed home from school. You could have gotten home faster."
I didn't know that quake would happen...if I did, I would have done anything to save you! I sob desperately, reaching my hands out to her, pleading forgiveness for something I could have done nothing about.
She kneels down by me, her still beautiful eyes full of tears as she pulls me into her arms.
"I will always love you, but I can never forgive you," she says softly.
I shriek as she forms into the shadow, its talons ripping at my very soul
NEPHRITE! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, HELP!!
"He can't help you, little freak," the shadow whispers in my ear, "no one can."
I sob and scream harder
as the shadow shoves me back, trying to invade my being as it did with my body.
Nephrite stands in his cathedral, consulting the stars, trying to figure out how to help HLM.
Images run through his head, finally pausing on an image of HLM, furiously fighting a shadow.
"NEPHRITE! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, HELP!" she screams.
"You cannot help her on your own, get the others and go to her. Now." The stars tell him. Then they and the disturbing image fading from his mind.
He takes a moment to compose himself, ridding his face of tears with a swipe of his gloved hand, before teleporting to the library of his mansion, where everyone but HLM are.
"She is DEFINITELY possed by something," Venus is saying.
"Hai, she skated like a pro," TN says.
Diana looks up from the book she was poring over, "So?"
"M-chan has never skated before in her life," TN answers.
"Oh," Diana goes back to looking through the book, marking pages with bright yellow post-it notes.
"Yeah, an' when we got back, she suddenly seemed real tired," Raph says.
"That moron doesn't get tired easily, either," Mike comments.
Leo looks at Neph, "Find anything out?"
"Hai, M-chan is caught in her own dreams, we must help her."
Stunned silence rules.
"...come again?" Don asks, his voice incredulous.
"She is trapped within herself with that shadow, we must help her. Where is she?"
"In your room, resting as far as we know," Diana answers.
With that, Neph turns,
leading the way up to his room, leaving the others to follow.
I feel myself weakening slowly, as does the shadow.
"You're weakening, girl, just give it up. No one will help you. No one loves you."
You're wrong, I know you are!
"You think Nephrite loves you?"
No.
"No?"
I know he loves me.
"Really. Then why isn't he here?"
I...don't know. He will be.
"Don't get your hopes up, wench."
Claws slice their way
through my chest, scraping against unbreakable bone.
Neph and the others enter the room, finding HLM's body rigid as a board, her chest bleeding through the shirt she's wearing.
"M-chan.." Neph whispers, sitting on the bed and pulling her body into his arms as the others surround them.
The four generals pool
their powers and slowly slump into unconsciousness as the others do as well.
The shadow suddenly looks up, seemingly suprised.
I kick the shadow off, seeing as its grip had weakened.
As the shadow flies back, I flip to my feet and unsheathe my claws, diving at it.
I connect solidly, but end up crashing painfully down as the shadow disappears out from under me.
I scramble to my feet and am grabbed from behind in a powerful headlock, my airway squeezed almost totally shut.
I bring my foot back hard into the shadow's knee.
I've heard of shadow fighting, but THIS is ridiculous!
I feel searing pain blossoming from my midsection out of my limbs as I'm blasted back with a powerful bolt of pure, hot energy.
I go limp when I feel myself hit something.
Something breathing. Something with a hard shell. Something that held me up with powerful green arms.
I notice a dark blue bandana tail flit briefly in and out of my field of vision as the turtle catches me.
Leo! I cry out, grinning widely as I see the rest of my friends surrounding the shadow, and I stand on my own.
"I wouldn't
celebrate to much, my moronic friend," Diana says as she draws her
sword, "this battle is far from over."
Part XVI
Part XVIII
Meetings Index