lokuri

How long had all of them been away from the time that was now? It didn't take a genius to realize that what they all experienced was separate from the matter currently at hand, a scenerio that occured in a time and space unlrelated to the one they occupied in this life. Still, Natalie couldn't pretend that seeing Timothy's loving eyes, Julie's worried expression, Raphael's guidance to the truth -- everything that she had encountered was preparation for releasing her siblings into the next life. There was no way that what Natalie had experienced for that short amount of time was all a lie, but part of it was indeed an illusion. An illusion...yes, it was the same illusion she had manipulated her mind into believing ever since she found the frosty remains of her beloved siblings. Since she was the one originally responsible, there was no way she would blame Joachim for what happened. Instead, she would treat the alternate reality that she had drifted into as a stepping stone to prevent anymore mistakes from happening. Anger, hatred, regret -- Natalie would toss all of that aside in order to not only protect those she held close to her heart, but to also carry on their wills if they ever walked down different paths or moved on.

Natalie hadn't realized that she stared as if she were in a trance while contemplating the actions of Joachim. The way she boldly stated his first name as if he were no longer superior to them contrasted with how withdrawn she became soon after. Wasn't it because of Jansen that she decided to challange the very man who threatened to report them if they didn't accept his offer? Glimpsing at the bitter expression and negative vibes coming from him, Natalie couldn't help but feel he would succomb to the very darkness Joachim desired. At the same time, some of that might have been directed at her, the toxic waves that plagued his heart erupting into a dangerous aura around him, to the point where Natalie subconsciously took a few steps away. Had she been half asleep until now, or were her senses numb up until a few seconds ago? Whatever the case, both Natalie and Elizabeth backed away cautiously, with the latter being more unsteady than the first.

"Nothing changed. Sorry... Even Jansen...he still is hiding a dark secret. I don't know if we'll find out what he did to seem so...ominous, but...we have to try our best to trust him. Joachim is becoming more and more frightening. What--"

'Natalie? Could you... maybe help me for a second? I.. I can't really get up.'

Wondering where Liam's voice was coming from, Natalie skimmed her surroundings until she saw the outline of someone sitting in an awkward position on the floor. Upon better examination, she discovered that the form belonged to Liam, her cheeks glossy from whatever she had just experienced. Hoping to not dwell on matters other than what was at hand, Natalie hurriedly jogged over to Liam before offering her hands for assistance. Once Liam was firmly standing in place -- a task that proved harder than she had imagined -- Natalie smiled reassuringly at her. Something had obviously troubled her deeply about her past, and Natalie wanted to show she had the same capacity to listen to all that ailed and will ail Liam as she did for her. After all, they were friends, right?

"Liam, if you have something on your mind, please tell me. It helps to have others listen to your problems, instead of keeping everything a secret. I...I learned that from talking with you."

In the meantime, Ethan and Joachim seemed to be discussing an unusual trait that Ethan now possessed. Natalie was too distracted by Liam's condition, but Elizabeth freely eavesdropped on the conversation. Hearing what Joachim spoke about, Elizabeth couldn't help but peer into Ethan's eyes. Sure enough, not a single sign of an iris and pupil could be found on the surfaces of both his eyes, as if they were both whited out. Gasping at what seemed worse than simply being blind, Elizaeth had to contain herself from waving her hands in front of Ethan to find out what was wrong with him. Instead, she tilted her head questionably at Joachim, unable to witness what he claimed to be his own Psyche-Lock. Was it really so special? Apparently, if someone were to see his Psyche-Lock, a mirror effect would occur. The only problem was whether the person had the ability to see the mystical Psyche-Lock. Elizabeth decided not to worry about the details and instead tried to warn Natalie of Joachim's suspicious plan.

"Natalie, be careful! Joachim -- he wants to break eveyone's Psyche Locks! I don't know what will happen, so --"

The warning came too late. Coursing like a sickening wave of nauseousness across every fiber of her body, a sensation like the swelling of the sea before the storm raced through Natalie. Before she could even prepare herself for the shock, a blast of energy flashed from all the core parts of her being straight into her mind. The piercing bomb that exploded like a supernova in her mind made the unease she felt around Joachim like a tremor in comparison. Natalie never knew what it was like to be in so much pain not a sound came from your lips, but no matter how much she wished to announce the torment she was feeling, not a squeak came from her mouth. Three seconds. That's how short the whole process must have been for Elizabeth, but an eternity of sorrow and darkness couldn't amount to what she felt. How she was still standing was beyond her. She did, however, feel herself being supported by someone. Blinking away the shakiness of her eyes, Natalie couldn't believe the sight of who held her upright.

"L...Lia, y- you --"

"N- Natalie, wh-what-t h-happ-ened? Y-your hair...its longer and a bright as gold! Your dress and skin...you're like an--"

"--angel." Startled that Natalie repeated the same word as hers, Elizabeth took a few seconds to overcome her shock. At the same time, someone else uttered the same thing, causing her to whirl around in fear. Eventually, her eyes locked onto Thomas, who was beside Joachim, lingering like a lackey ready to be ordered around. Part of her wished to scurry behind Natalie, while another part of her wanted to question his reason for siding with Joachim. Was he tricked? Did he have a goal in mind that would be fulfilled if he did what he was told? Or did the madness of "demons" drive him to accepting whoever could make them "go away"? There was so much to ask, but nothing could be gained if she couldn't form her thoughts into words.

As for Natalie, she still couldn't believe the changes in Elizabeth. Her hair was light and buoyant, sandy feathers fluttering around her reddened cheeks and thin neck. Silver irises bearing dark rings could be seen behind her prominent eyes, which foretold of innocence and sincerity found often in untainted children. Peachy skin added to her soft features, no longer hindered by the brute slashes that consumed her face and dotted the rest of her body. A simple sundress of pure white would have made anyone assume she was a lost patient within the walls of "Happy Home", only two factors countered such a claim. One was her slightly transparent features, as if she were a ghost who just barely obtained a physical form, the rest of her still trapped within the reality of being dead. Secondly and lastly, Elizabeth had six wings that rivalled the moonlight outside jetting out her back and curling around her like that of a seraphim. If Natalie looked like an angel, Elizabeth was definately, without a doubt, a true angel.

((OOC: I didn't have time to explain (or felt like doing so) how Elizabeth was "purified", but the pain Natalie went through was both the blow she felt as well as her unknowingly "purifying" Elizabeth. Essentially, Natalie restored Elizabeth to her previous (...ly living) self, making her visible to everyone as well as solid enough to catch Natalie. Even so, since she is a spirit, there is the possibility of "disappearing" (to everyone but Natalie -- well, unless other elements take place) at times, since Natalie can't maintain Elizabeth's "solid" form for too long. Her wings represent her pure soul (and the reason why she didn't vanish or become corrupted). ))

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