Pocketville Lost Diamonds: VOLUME 2

44: the gift that comes from blood

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Warning: this chapter contains blood, serious injuries, animals and people in distress, scared Melas and references to death. You've been warned.
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-Balloon, what’s up…? - asked Mela, concerned.

The tabby cat made a sudden move, just like a bug just peeked her on one shoulder. She turned herself in a quite weird way and a strong green light glowed from the Friendship Lymph. Mela screamed as something smashed her away, out of the safe area behind the brush. 

- Mela! - Balloon appeared to have realized what happened only later, while running at her friends.
- W-what was it? - groaned Mela, slowly standing up and taking a defensive position on all four paws. - It was the jewel, wasn’t it?
- I… I don’t know… I didn’t do anything, I didn’t want to do anything! I’m sorry.
- C-can you use it? - the Calico stared at the precious emerald with a surprised and diffident glance. - How?!
- I don’t know! - repeated the other Guard, in panic. - I swear I don’t know!

Her paws tingled, something inside her was trembling in hope to be poured out.
Everything was connected to the jewel she was wearing, just like the origin of all her energy had been moved in it.
The most scary fact was that it all felt weirdly familiar, just like something she already felt time before, like a memory lost in another life.
In a moment she did understand something.
All the answers of never spelt questions now clearly showed right toward her eyes, the thoughts she never realized to have formulated were untangled: the warm and reassuring feeling she had every time she touched her carillon, which had been the only reason why she never got rid of it; the unspoken consciousness of being different and out of place, everytime she wasn’t alone; her need to stay alone and explore herself, pouring every insecurity in her wander spirit.
Every time nature whispered to her soul things she couldn’t ignore, every time her instinct guidated her better than her brain, every time all of that  turned feelings into chemical energy… was just a proof of it. 

She never really felt like being a part of what society, nature and her will wanted her to join, she just couldn’t be into it. Because she wasn't like that. She was different from that.
She wasn’t a cat. She was the mystical shadow right next to common felines, blessed by the stars and as different as the shades in the same sky.
She was relieved, like someone just gave her the simple answer of an existential interrogative.

- Ball… your eyes…
Balloon looked back at the other cat and noticed that she was walking back, staring back at her in concern.
Her left eye was glowing of a green light, leaving a flame-like shimmer.
The jewel was still shining as well, as coordinated as two parts of the same body can be.

It was alive, she could feel its presence crushing right against her heart.
They could be almost the same thing, if she could accept it. They were putting cards on the table, offering their powers to each other to fight together.

She glared back at Mela and made a few steps back. All the fear had fallen down, leaving its place to that new feeling, now she had no doubt about what she could do.
- Take the Friendship Heart. - said - Take it to Kate and tell her to go back to the Big City. We can stop this!

Mela shook herself, trying to regain lucidity through the shockness. She nodded, then speeded to the red diamond that still lay on the ground.
While she delicately picked it up, Balloon began running in the opposite direction, out of the brush.

Every step was like being done in a different gravity, her paws felt less heavy than ever. She had a totally different consciousness of her own body, but she couldn’t say if it was good or not.

Meanwhile. Eva was still fighting against the Petbuster.
The human appeared to have got used to the darkness and, even though his sight wasn’t as good as the cat’s one, he was defending against every attack.