"You sick little freak. So much for your rebellion. Mommy's favorite child is Infestare after all."
"It's not like that."
"You forced yourself on her."
"I could feel her heart!"
"Oh, so you lowered her defenses. That makes it so much better."
"You-."
"Did you even ask her if she loved you before that tail came out. No? Of course not. That's not the Infestare way. It never was."
"Silence!"
Deep within the confines of Lunae's mindscape, where the blue eminence on the horizon never waned, two figures screamed at each other with endless fervor.
"Make me." The second Lunae giggled playfully, her attire matching that of Lunae's new transformation.
"I will if you force my hand!" Lunae growled, tugging at the ends of her old vest as she stared at the patterned floor of her mindscape, its stony surface decorated with the symbols of her people. "I'm warning you!"
"Force? Oh dear, you don't have to force anything. Except, of course, your hands on that girl's body. THAT was a bit forceful."
Lunae clenched her fists before lunging at her other self. She didn't get far, barely crossing a foot's distance before a thorny vine erupted from the ground and wrapped around her throat.
"You just fed me, idiot." The other Lunae rolled her eyes. "What makes you think you're in control right now?"
"I-." Lunae struggled as her feet dangled in the air.
"You caught feelings for her. That's not love. Not yet. And yet, you tried to bond with her. Now what?"
The second Lunae flicked her wrist, displaying an image of what the girl's corporeal body could see. There Sonera was, sleeping restlessly with her clothes folded neatly at her side. Lunae herself tried to look away, ashamed and embarrassed by her actions.
"What a sense of timing you have. The Consortium is bearing down on us, and your solution to Sonera's burnout is to incapacitate her?" The second Lunae sighed as she tightened her grip around her prey.
"T-then wake her. Ack!" Lunae croaked. "Please!"
"Hmm, I don't think so. You've dragged your mother's name through the mud long enough. I say we eat the girl and use her strength to fight our way out."
"No!" Lunae kicked the air. "Stop!"
"It's who you are. Why run from it?"
"She's my friend!"
"I wasn't aware friends did each other like that." The other Lunae chortled. "Clearly, I had the wrong idea."
Back in the Crimson Forest, Sonera began to stir. Her legs twitched and convulsed before a strained breath escaped her mouth. By the time she was pawing at the air like a drowsy cat, Lunae was already by her side.
The mere sight of her fragile state had turned the tables.
"Hey," Lunae leaned down, her warm breath brushing against Sonera's nose. "It's okay. You're safe."
"What is this?" The other Lunae hissed. "I'm in control!"
Lunae ignored her other self, cradling Sonera's face with both her hands.
"Hey there, sleepy head. We need to move."
"L-lunae?" Sonera muttered with a groggy tone. "W-where-."
"The Crimson forest."
"How long-."
"Four hours."
It felt like four days.
"Feeling better?" Lunae chirped.
"Yes."
Sonera tried to peice herself togethor, only to have her hands slip off the wet surface of the cave. She shot Lunae a judgmental glare as she redoubled her efforts. Clearly, the girl was a tad bit annoyed.
"Take it slow." Lunae braced the girl from her forearms. "You're still a bit drowsy."
"No." Sonera pressed against Lunae's chest, pushing her backwards gently. "Let me do it."
Sonera clawed at the rocky surfaces around her, tugging and pulling on anything she could as she finally raised herself into a sitting position. At the apex of her efforts, she released a weary gasp, her cheeks momentarily flashing red.
She was vulnerable, but it was not her ego that was bent. It was her sense of justice. In Sonera's mind, she had allowed herself to become horribly distracted from the one thing that mattered most.
Yrix still needed to die, and she was flailing around naked instead of getting stronger.
Ironically enough, Sonera couldn't bring herself to blame Lunae for such shortcomings. She was merely annoyed by how much the strange girl kept playing her for a weak fool.
"Here." Lunae snapped her fingers. "This should help."
Sonera's eyes widened with shock as her own clothing suddenly sprang to life, latching onto her body with the force and precision of a Psionic grasp.
"Ah!" Sonera flinched.
"Hm." Lunae smiled.
By the time she could become properly squeamish, she was already fully dressed, her body having been thoroughly laced by Lunae's careful efforts. Sonera grunted in response, trying to hide how vulnerable she still was.
"Let's go," Sonera muttered as she clambered her way out of the small cave and back towards the waterfall.
Lunae raised a tender hand, providing Sonera with a Psionic umbrella of sorts that could redirect the cascading liquids, all so her friend would avoid getting soaked. But just before Sonera could climb her way out, she paused, freezing in place beneath the waterfall. Her eyes, flickering with orange light, spoke of betrayal and horror.
"You." Sonera hesitated. "You looked inside."
She knew.
"I-." Lunae stumbled over her words, unable to come up with a justification.
Sonera turned back towards the girl, her expression having changed into something genuinely saddened. Tears welled up in her eyes as she began to sniffle. She was hurt, and Lunae knew it.
"My memories." Sonera jabbed Lunae with an accusatory finger. "My story."
"I'm sorry, Sonera, please-."
"I told you before."
"I...I can't help it!"
"And I can't help you," Sonera muttered before dissapearing in a burst of sparks.
"Wait!" Lunae cried out.
It wasn't hard for a keen eye to spot Sonera trudging her way through the stream and back towards solid ground. And for someone like Lunae, it was even easier to run across that water and catch up.
"Sonera!" Lunae skipped over to her friend, watching her struggle knee deep. "Just wait!"
"You betrayed me."
"I-."
"Family doesn't betray that kind of trust."
Lunae clenched her fist, enraged by her inability to handle the situation. She knew better than anyone that Sonera was both in the right, all while spouting nonsense. In her experience, families did betray each other.
"Families also forgive!" Lunae blurted out what first came to her mind.
Sonera turned around to face Lunae with gnashing teeth.
"You say that." She seethed. "After what you did."
"I made a mistake!"
"You tell me nothing of who you are! I respected that!"
"It would only hurt you, Sonera." Lunae pleaded as she loomed over the girl, her feet still standing on the water's surface.
"So what, you get to violate my sanctity? Seduce me with your beauty. Lay your hands on me. But DO NOT take my story!"
Sonera reached out and grabbed Lunae by the ankle, pulling her down into the water as she squealed in fright.
"Sonera!" Lunae opened her mouth only to take in a douse of water as her composure became a tattered ruin. "Gah!"
Spinning the girl around, Sonera wrapped her forearm around her throat before squeezing with all her might. She didn't quite understand what her plan was in that moment. All she knew was that it felt right to strangle that girl in the middle of a stream, almost as if it were a karmic justice of sorts.
Lunae's cheeks puffed up as she choked on her own breath. It wasn't long at all before she began to see lights. Only, those lights were the reflection of her other self, jeering at her.
"Pathetic." The other Lunae laughed.
Sonera remained fixated on her violent act, still unaware of why she felt the need to commit. Something about Lunae's groans and desperate struggles was like music to her ears. It was something she had wanted to do for a while, ever since her sacred memory had been absconded with.
Yet, even for someone as compulsive as Sonera, there was hesitation in her act.
In the past, her fits of rage had led to beatings or some sort of violent assault. But against Lunae, whom she still felt an odd sort of attachment for, all she could do was put her to sleep. Sonera cursed at her own weakness before tightening her grip.
Feeling her own heartbeat in her eyes, Lunae started to go numb, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. Just as she reached her final throes of struggle, she felt a release. She heaved violently, falling backwards into the water.
Sonera pulled the girl back up with a gentle hand, averting her gaze as she blushed. She wanted to hurt that girl for what she did. She wanted to hurt her badly.
But she couldn't.
"Lunae," Sonera muttered.
"I know." Her friend looked her in the eyes with remorse.
The two girls embraced each other in a wet, messy hug. They understood each other, not only in violence but in heartfelt appreciation. They were, after all, both freaks of nature born in a cacophony of violence.