Mutual Damage

Alena returned to the palace from Zaibach only to hear of trouble with Hitomi.

Alena came to Hitomi's bedroom where she found King Van and Hitomi, who was sleeping.

"I thought Hitomi was having repercussions from the wine, so I put her to bed. I think when she wakes up; Hitomi will see that she is herself again."

"We need to wake her up."

Alena gently shook the Earth woman awake.

"Hitomi. It's me, Alena."

"I had this horrible dream that I turned into Eriya, and then I woke up looking like a cat-woman."

Hitomi looked down at herself and screamed yet again. She was still a cat-woman.

"What you are experiencing is mental but far from normal, Hitomi," Alena said. "The part of your mind that reminds you that you are Hitomi Kanzaki is telling you that you are someone else."

"Can we fix it?"

"Unfortunately, the mental health care system on Gaea stinks, so no. I might be able to pinpoint the trouble, if you would let me read your mind."

"What have I got to lose, Van?"

"Nothing, I guess," the king said. "Go for it."

"Alena, will this hurt?"
"It might. But whatever happens to you, happens to me, too."

"Somehow, I find little comfort in that," Hitomi said.

"Shh," as Alena began concentrating.

 Alena began traveling through Hitomi's mind, seeing old loves, family members, old friends, and other people. She searched for what she could in the residues of the dream. Alena was in luck, because the dream happened last night, so the details were fresh in Hitomi's mind. She decided to experiment and experience firsthand what Hitomi felt.

Alena was sitting at a bar. She was having a drink, minding her own business. Then a voice, indistinguishable, called out to her.

"(Inaudible),  you fucking (inaudible)," the person said. "You stole my man!"

"I'm not in the mood to fight, whoever you are."

"Too bad. I'll kill you!"

She turned around, and saw Dilandau's face. Then it transformed into Merle's face, and Merle smiled at her with demented glee. Then Merle began growing, to adult height, her body changing into something that was a cross between her own body and the Leopard Sisters'. Her hair was long, there were no more "puffballs" on her body, and she was wearing a red dress. Merle's hair color turned silver, and the skin and fur was gray. Merle's lips still smiled with insanity, only now they were lined with purple lipstick. Alena noticed that this woman was no longer Merle, but Naria.

Naria?

"Naria, please, it's me, Hitomi!"

"You're not Hitomi, Goldilocks."

To Alena's horror, she began growing fur all over her body. Her fingertips spurted with blood as she grew, not nails, but claws, and blood dripped from her mouth as she realized she had bitten her tongue with newly grown razor-sharp fangs.
Alena severed the psychic bond as soon as the third wave of pain came. She was sweating, her fingers and mouth dripping with blood.

After she cleaned herself up, Alena came back to try again.

"Are you alright, Hitomi?"

"I'm better, thanks."

"I'm going to try something else. Keep an open mind."

Alena began exploring again, found the spot, and observed what played in this young woman's mind.

It was a vision. Alena was sure of it. And Alena knew exactly what it meant.