Disclaimer: No matter how much I weep, no.


9.)

Nita listened to the voice with a mounting sense of horror, but found she couldn't tear her eyes away from Kit.

What do we do now?


Kit saw Nita looking at him. The look was…haunted, and it gave him a pang. What was going on? Was the Lone Power talking to her? He felt hot all over. He wanted to help her. He wanted to be with her. He didn't want to feel cut off anymore. What was this barrier between them? Why wouldn't it die?

Foolish boy, haven't you figured it out, yet?

Kit face grew hard at the sound of the voice. It didn't seem to mind.

What's the one place you can never escape? The one person you can never escape? Oh, you'd like to think it's the girl, wouldn't you? No, she's removed herself from you all on her own. It doesn't matter that you're looking right at her, she's unreachable. Not that she was ever attainable for you, anyway…

Kit ground his teeth.

For all intensive purposes it's only me and you now. And I'm only sticking around until you work this out. Then I'll leave you to your fate. Who will you have, then, Kit? Think…

Only myself, what's he getting at? Kit thought, looking intently at Nita as if that would somehow close the distance between them, as if that would fix everything…

You are even slower than the girl, not that I hadn't always expected as much. She's already figured it out. She's succumbed to her misery.

Kit felt rage flare inside him in a fire he was sure must shoot out of his eyes, if not every fiber of his being.

What have you done to Nita?

It didn't matter that the Lone Power had clearly done it to him, too. Such information was completely irrelevant.

She chose her own fate, I just provided her with an additional option to the many she already had open. You've done the same thing, so don't play the macho protector. You're no stronger than she and you can't help her. No one can help you. You're both on your own, now. You've chosen that. You tried to hang on to her, yes, but you let yourself be distracted. You had your own stuff, your own thoughts and you let that take first priority. You've been taken in by what you've put out and now you can't handle it? There are some people who get under your skin, but the one person you humans can't stand the most never comes out of it.

What's he getting at? Kit thought.

Foolish boy. What's the one place you take with you wherever you go? The one constant and one setting where you always feel you have control. Except when she's involved.

Kit felt nervous at these words for some reason.

She throws it all out of orbit. Shakes you up and floors you. She makes everything look different, and things have never been the same. You feel threatened by the emotion, don't pretend you don't, you humans feel threatened by anything that feels bigger than yourselves. Secretly some part of you, on some level, wanted the control that came with separation. If it hadn't this wouldn't have happened. This isn't my fault. I just used it to my advantage. You did all the important stuff on your own. You made your choice.

Kit felt a sinking sensation in his stomach…How is it I'm not even entirely sure what's going on here yet I still somehow know it's so terrible?

The only answer he received was a laugh.


AN: Sorry it's so late. I'd make excuses but you wouldn't believe me if I told you.

Please review! And thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!