‘Dread not the dark, for, without it, the light would seem pale and meaningless. A lack of one without the other means both cease to exist. But darkness isn’t to be feared, as it is. It’s the darkness within, and the beings that slink alongside it that you should truly learn to fear…’

Remembering a quote of long past travel through her mind, Abby’s eyes lingered on the shadowy apparition she found herself with a while longer as both she and the mysterious being before her uttered no words to one another, both seeming to be just as scared to be in the presence of one another. Who… was she?

She could tell it was a girl holding from experience. Her hands were soft and very tender... but it wasn't her skin she was on but some kind of clothing. Holding her as if she were made of fragile glass she was too afraid to grip, the girl said nothing, as her glowing irises continued to watch her closely. Not even Kari held her this gently and she took extra precaution in her handling. This was strange, to say the least.

Another thing to consider however was this being was no doubt a Hominal… and, one that had saved her. ’E-Ebon…’ She had watched the shadow of the toddlers barefoot descend upon her. She could feel the wind against her… she had been that close. But then, she fell. Fell backward into… nothing. It was like her body had been sent into some kind of... void. And the next thing she knew, she was here.

It had to be her doing. Blinking as her senses tried to adapt to her new surroundings, Abby listened mutely as she heard the muffled sounds of water through the walls. Wherever they were it was deep enough to block out most sounds… a somewhat troubling revelation. Just knowing no one could hear her unnerved her. Even, if this girl had saved her life not even minutes before.

But, she was getting nowhere by just sitting here. This girl wasn't a threat... at least, she didn't appear to be. If she wanted to hurt her for some reason she could have just let Ebon finish her off. But, she saved her... Raising her hand partially to wave, the brunette almost jumped as she watched the glowing red irises of the new girl follow her hand's movements in the dark. Could she actually see her that well?!

Gulping, the teen bit her lip before waving once more. “H-H-Hi… U-Umm, T-Thank you for saving me… I thought I was going to get crushed for sure this time… I, I’m Abby… have, we, met…?” Looking into the scarlet pools as they stared at her wordlessly, Abby has to soon frown. Why wasn’t she saying anything?

Stiffening as she slowly felt her body being moved, the brunette started to gently slide backward’s before colliding with something, soft? Looking behind her (not that it helped her in the slightest) Abby’s hands gently touched the material beneath her before furrowing her brow. It felt soft, like cotton. Was this, a blanket?

Looking back at the glowing pair of eyes, they darted back and forth briefly before something suddenly sparked to life. Blinking in surprise as a loud scraping noise echoed in the foreign space, sparks started to fly briefly before one of them caught something and ignited, a small flame suddenly forming casting the blackened void into the light.

Shielding her eyes from the slight stinging she felt, Abby, squinted as she saw the source of the light. It was a burned out candle nearly down to its base. But, the light it was emitting was enough. She could now see who her unknown savior was.

Kneeling on the ground in front of her as she held two small flint stones in her hands was a little girl. She had black hair, the darkest she had ever seen. It was almost like it was made out of pure, shadows… giving her paler skin an almost otherworldly glow. Dressed in a long tattered black sundress, the girl wore some kind of white undershirt beneath it but, not much else beyond that. Her feet were bare along with anything else of important minus a long pair of white wrappings that covered up the length of both her arms. The only assessor she could see on her as well, was a lone red headband pulled past her bangs as either a means to hold back her long darkened locks from obscuring her face, or simply a memento of some sort that held value to her.

‘What a strange little girl…’ She looked, different than anyone she had ever seen. But, if not for the fact her eyes were both glowing and red, it was clear to Abby she too was a Hominal. Behind her dress, or perhaps the very back of it, shadows slowly wavered back and forth freely. It almost looked like Casey’s wispy darkness that seeped out from her neck.

She was one of them all right. But, whatever species she was, was lost on the smaller girl. Fidgeting as she realized she had been staring in silence for a few minutes now, Abby blushed quietly before waving her hand again.

“H-Hi… Thanks for lighting a candle. I can’t see as well as you can. S-So… what’s your name?” Blinking a few times, the child said nothing before her hands started to move. Watching her actions closely, the brunette froze instantly as she watched the unreal sight before her. ‘W-What the hell…?’

Moving her hands towards the wall beside her, the room almost as big as a crawl space compared to anywhere else she had been prior, the child's hands slowly touched the wall, before they started to turn as black as her hair, before sinking into the stone…

Watching in shock as a small pool of murky black liquid sloshed around as she made some type of a… portal…? Abby was in disbelief as she brought her hands back out, now free of the flint she was holding before the spiraling darkness faded away. What on earth was this girl?!

Casting her eyes back down at Abby, the raven-haired child smiled a small smile before moving one of her covered hands down to the ground in front of the shrunken girl. Shivering mutely as she waited for her to talk, she was surprised once more, as the younger girl began dragging her finger in the dirt as she drew something. ‘What are you doing…?’

Moving her hand back as she pointed to the drawing, Abby’s scowled quietly as she looked at what she had done. She had spelled something… “Yu… You? What about me?” Shaking her head quietly, the shadowy child smiled sheepishly before pointing to the word before moving her finger back towards her. Letting her actions sink in for a moment, Abby’s eyes widened before she nodded.

“Yu, your name is, Yu, right?” Smiling back as the child nodded once more, Abby nodded herself. “Hi Yu, it’s nice to meet you. Can you not talk?” She hadn’t made as much as a sound since she was brought here. Frowning now as the younger girl shook her head in sadness, Abby hummed quietly.

“Why can’t you talk? You’re a Hominal, right? At least, I don’t think you’re a Beastial…” She was smart enough to know how to use flint stones and spell her name out in the dirt, acts of which she doubted Nya or maybe even Amy could manage if they were asked to do so too. Not to mention the fact she had no animalistic features so to speak of.

Moving her hand up to her petite chest, the little girl lowered her eyes before shaking her head. Watching as she touched her throat gently, Abby frowned as she tried to make sense of her actions. “Did something happen to your vocal cords? Or, have you just never been able to talk?”

Sitting motionlessly for a moment, the child now known as Yu darted her eyes back and forth, before moving her hand timidly towards her stomach. Watching as she rubbed her clothed belly repeatedly, Abby thought about the meaning for a moment before she slowly began piecing it together.

‘She can’t talk because of her stomach? So… it could be caused by… hunger? Energy!’ She didn’t have the Energy she needed to speak? What type of a Hominal couldn’t use their senses if they were low on Energy? “You need Energy to speak, and you have none, right?” Feeling a pang of worry enter her now as she saw Yu smiling back at her as she nodded, the diminutive girl began to sweat now.

What if the reason she was taken here wasn’t to save her then… so much as it was to take her Energy. She just hinted that she was hungry. Gulping as she subtly crawled backward’s, her actions were almost instantly picked up on by the raven-haired girl as her scarlet eyes widened. Raising her hands up defensively as she shook her head, the child scooched backward before cupping her arms, a sad look overtaking her face.

‘D-Damn it…’ Now, look what she did… Sighing beneath her breath, Abby leaned up gently as she looked back at Yu, the larger girl almost appearing as if she were about to cry. “I-I’m sorry Yu, I didn’t mean to offend you… I’ve just had… some strange experiences with hungry Hominal before. You took me to this place to rescue me from Ebon, right?”

Sighing inwardly as she watched the child nodding weakly, Abby smiled back at her thoughtfully. “Thank you. You saved my life.” Raising her head timidly, Yu closed her eyes before giving her a wide smile. She looked so happy by her words. Perhaps she really did just want to help her after all. But, that did make her wonder… who was she?

Looking around the small crawlspace they both occupied, Abby, glanced at the basic living area that Yu had apparently crafted for herself. She was sitting on a large woolen blanket, and behind her was a tattered and torn pillow. But, past that she saw nothing. No items, no articles of clothing. Hell, she didn’t even see any other candles minus the one barely flicking on the dirt. This was a sad place for a child to live.

“Yu, is this your room? We’re still in the caverns like the other girls, right?” Nodding her head, Yu pointed to the wall closest to her before moving her hand onto it. Giving It a gently tap, the raven-haired Hominal smiled once more. She couldn’t really tell what her actions meant, but she got the feeling the younger girl was trying to assure her they were in fact still in the underground caves.

Nodding quietly, Abby’s eyes moved back to the creature before her as she tried to determine what she was. She could use shadow magic like Casey, but, as far as she could tell this girl wasn’t a Dullahan. Her neck was visible and her head was clearly attached to her body. So, what was she then?

“Yu… I don’t want to sound rude… but, what… are you? Y-You, don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to… I’m just kind of curious is all…” Abby mumbled sheepishly. She didn’t want to pry to much in case it made the younger girl uncomfortable but she was really hoping she’d tell her.

However, it seemed her question wasn’t off-putting to the child as she gave her another warm smile before moving her bandaged hand up to her face. Tapping her cheek gently, Yu closed her eyes… before her entire face began to turn black! Feeling her jaw trembling now as she saw the strange sight, Abby’s eyes shot open now in disbelief as her skin began to lighten back up… but, she didn’t see her face anymore… She didn’t see Yu…

Trembling on the ground in both confusion and disbelief, Abby was rendered speechless as she saw… Ebon, sitting before her. Looking into the face of the little Dragon as she smiled cheerfully back at her, the brunette was full of mixed feelings at the moment. ‘W-W-What the hell is this….’

She looked just like her… Every sharp fang… every dark scale… even the claws on her fingertips. She was a Dragon now… Lifting her hand up and flexing it a few times, the child smiled happily before she saw the fearful look her guest now wore. Cringing, the Dragon-Girl suddenly turned black once more before her appearance returned to normal as she saw the saddened Yu that was there before.

Raising her hands up timidly, the child bit her lip before looking away. She… she looked regretful now. Breathing slowly as her breath came out shallow, Abby quivered on top of the younger girls blanket as she saw that same tearful look from before. Why was she acting like that?

Pondering it for a moment, Abby’s eyes widened before she sulked herself. She had been scared of her. ‘Yu…’ She was sad because she had scared her. Lowering her eyes away from the nervous Hominal, Abby quietly sighed. “I-It’s alright Yu… I’m sorry. I know you’re not Ebon. You just, kind of caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting you to just… change, like that. How, can you do that? What are you?”

Lifting her face up as water built up in the corner of the younger girls eyes, a pang of remorse entered the shrunken teen’s heart now. She was crying! Did she really upset her that much by being scared of her? Clenching her eyes tightly, Yu took a deep breath, albeit a noiseless one before moving her hand back down to the dirt.

Scribbling something else down next to her name, Abby looked closely at the upside-down letters as she spelled them out for herself. It was easier with her name. ‘Regnagleppod… D-o-p-p-e-l-g-a-n-g-e-r… Doppelganger? What the heck is that?’ The meaning of the term was something that appeared to be another person… Was this a species of Hominal? It made sense actually. She just took on the form of Ebon… scales, horns, and fearful apparition included…

Looking back up at the raven-haired girl as she rested her hands on her lap quietly, Abby read the word once more before licking her lips to speak. “You’re, a Doppelganger? That’s a type of Hominal, right?” Nodding her head to answer her, Abby smiled. This was a new breed of Hominal to her. Though, most were. She kept a good amount of species in her medical journal through repetition but she never actively read up on their types.

‘So a Doppelganger is a breed that can mimic other people… and not speak?’ Or, perhaps they could if they had enough Energy. Yu just hinted that she was low on it. Blushing faintly, Abby glanced away weakly now. “U-Umm… Yu… if you get Energy, you can talk again, right?”

Blinking a few times now, the younger girl frowned before moving her hand back down to the dirt before spelling another word. ‘Yes.’ Nodding her head despite her reddening face, Abby moved her hand down towards the hem of her dress before gripping it weakly.

“Well… if, if it helps… do, you need some of my essence? I want to talk to you but its kind of hard to if we can’t speak to one another. D-Do you want some…?” Glancing back up at the child now, Abby’s eyes widened a bit as she saw the bright blush that spread across her pale face. Immediately, however, the raven-haired child began to shake her head furiously.

‘Huh…?’ Was she turning down free Energy? Why would she do that? Frowning quietly, Abby licked her lips once more as she felt them drying up. This was embarrassing to talk about with new people! Even other Hominal and Beastial… “Y-Yu… If you think that I’m worried that you’ll do something to me, I’m not. I’m not scared of you, I promise. If you wanted to hurt me you could have already. So please, if you need my essence take whatever you need. I know you girls thrive on Energy and without it, you’ll turn Feral…” Abby mumbled worriedly. She didn’t want the child to starve.

Looking back down at Abby with a crestfallen expression, Yu continued to shake her head before moving her hand back down into the dirt. Wiping her pale fingers across her previous words, the child mutely wrote another word on the floor before Abby’s eyes widened.

“Can’t… W-Why can’t you take my essence? I don’t understand…” Looking back at the shrunken teen sadly, the younger girl moved her fingers around once more as she spelled it out to her. Taking a moment to read them upside down once again, Abby’s heart dropped instantly.

‘N-Not, mate…’ She wasn’t her mate. Looking back at Yu in surprise now, Abby licked her lips. “You… you have a mate?” Seeing a look of pain fall across the younger child’s face, Abby immediately regretted her words as she saw a small pair of tears peak out from Yu’s eyes.

Lowering her head in sadness, the child dragged her finger in the dirt weakly before looking away from the smaller human, unable to meet her eyes now. Looking back down, a sole word was scribbled in, one that caused the brunette to feel immediate pity, even if she didn’t know the circumstances.

‘Had.’ It was past tense. Her mate was gone… Looking back at the shivering child as she kept her face turned away, Abby leaned forward slowly before crawling to her feet. “Oh… Yu… I, I didn’t mean to…” Feeling her words die off, the brunette kicked herself for inquiring now. Yu looked, so sad again.

Walking over to the quivering Hominal, the brunette stopped by her knee’s before gently resting her hand on her dress covered leg. Showing no outward signs of noticing it, the younger girl remained still as she kept her head turned. Perhaps she had pushed too much… Her curiosity had been destructive this time…

“I’m sorry Yu… I didn’t mean to make you sad. A mate's someone special to a Hominal. I learned this recently. You can’t take my essence because you can only take it from your mate, right?” Watching as the child moved her head back towards her; Abby winced as she saw her tear stained cheeks. She didn’t want to see her crying…

Nodding her head regretfully, Yu stared down at Abby as she gently fidgeted with her hands. She looked, defeated. Leaning into the Doppelganger and giving her a hug, Abby said nothing as she nuzzled her gently. “I’m so sorry Yu… I shouldn’t have asked…” If she lost her mate… then she would forever be without one. Eve had told her, that Hominal only mated once, and that was it. ‘So her mates gone…’

She wanted to know how. She desperately wanted to know. Did he or, she… die? Did they just leave and she couldn’t find them? There was so much she wanted to know but she’d be damned before asking her. She had already hurt her enough by simply inquiring… and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt the person who had just saved her life…

Staring into the flickering flame as it stood nearly still in the windless crawlspace they found their selves in, the child's scarlet eyes traveled back down to Abby slowly as she saw the teen hugging her leg. Feeling her lips twitch slightly into a small smile, Yu moved one of her bandaged hands down towards Abby before resting it on the ground beside her.

Looking over at the outstretched palm, the brunette wondered what she had planned before walking onto it. Did, she want to hold her or something? Waiting for a silent answer in the form of an action, the teen soon felt herself being lifted before Yu brought the smaller girl towards her chest.

Gently cupping Abby into her, the Hominal smiled weakly as she gave her a hug, one gentler than any she had received from any of the other girls here. Blushing faintly from the warm gesture, Abby smiled in sadness before hugging her back. She just wanted a hug.

Embracing the child warmly as minutes ticked by, Abby was content to simply stay like this. Yu was a nice person to be with. She felt a sense of safety with her that she generally only felt with Eve and Casey. It was nice really. However, something was starting to gnaw at her now that she actually noticed it. The white wrappings that traveled the length of the child’s arms… they weren’t wrappings… they were gauze.

Reaching her hand behind her subtly, the teenager gave the fabric a light tug before nodding. These weren’t just bindings, they were bandages. And they ran up the length of both her arms… Leaning out of her hug, Yu soon frowned before looking down at Abby with worry.

“It’s alright Yu… I just want to ask you something. Are your arms alright?” Blinking slowly, the child frowned before turning her head away. Wondering what was wrong, Abby looked at her hands carefully, but she could see nothing. The gauze was thickly wrapped over all of her arms and even her fingertips. They were heavily applied.

“Yu… look at me.” Watching as the larger Hominal obeyed her, as most seemed to do for some reason, Abby’s face turned stern. She couldn’t continue to sit here after noticing something like this. “Tell me the truth Yu. Are you hurt?” Staring back down at Abby breathlessly, the raven-haired girl fidgeted before she shook her head indicating she wasn’t… But, she was lying. She didn’t claim to know this girl very long… but she could tell when a child was lying to her…

Giving her foot a light stomp, Abby glared as she watched the Hominal flinch. “YU! Don’t lie to me! What happened to your hands, tell me! I-I’m a Doctor, let me see! I can’t just sit here with you knowing you’re in pain. Please, can I take a look? Let me do at least that after you saved me from Ebon…”

Seeing a panicked look cross the younger girls face, Abby watched with worry as the child bit her lip and started to fidget more. “Yu… Just let me take one look, please. I have to know if you’re alright or not. Can you do this, for both our sakes?”

Clenching her eyes closed the Doppelganger eventually sulked before lowering her hands slowly to the ground. With the dirt now beneath her, Abby stepped off the Hominal’s hand before looking back up at the child as she waited… and waited… and waited…

“Yu…” Clenching her hands together, the younger girl was fully red for some reason as she blushed horribly. Wondering what this was all about, the child soon sighed mutely before lifting one of her shaking hands towards the other.

Grabbing the hem of the bandage on her left hand, the larger girl glanced back at Abby as she pouted. She looked stern and unrelenting. Sighing once more, Yu gently began to tug on her bandages before a piece came off for her to start unwrapping it.

Watching in silence as the many layers of cloth were unwound from the child’s hand, Abby's eye’s slowly started to widen, as her fingertips were revealed to her. ‘Y-Y-Yu…?’ Covering her mouth it horror, Abby’s eyes beaded now as the child’s fingers became uncovered, following not too long after was her hand, and then her arm… before the bandage came off completely, and the wound that laid beneath was shown to her.

Covering her hand… and arm, up until her elbow… was one of the most severe wounds the brunette had ever been witness to. Her forearm down… was covered in third… and even fourth-degree burns. Her entire arm was charred… parts of it even to her bone! She could see it all, in perfect, gory clarity.

Cupping her mouth harder as her stomach lurched; Abby shuddered as she saw the timid look Yu was giving her. HOW WAS SHE ABLE TO SHAKE OFF A WOUND LIKE THIS?! SHE NEEDED TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY!

“YU, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!? Y-YOU NEED TO GET TO KARI’S DOMAIN NOW!” Looking back at Abby in a panic, the Doppelganger slowly began to shake her head before Abby’s voice cut her off. “YU I MEAN IT! T-T-This wound, its life threatening! The fact you don’t feel any pain, I… its bad! It’s really, really bad! We need to get you medical attention! N-No, we need to get you to Brook! S-She can heal burns! She helped me Yu, she can help you too. I-I’ve never seen burns as bad as this before. The only other time that anything’s even been as close to these… is…”

Blinking slowly as her words died off, Abby’s heart skipped a beat. ‘When Ebon… tried to kill me…’ Looking back up at Yu as she stared back at her in a panic, Abby’s eyes continued to bead. ‘N-No… no way…’ This couldn’t be…

“Yu… How… How did you get these burns? They're also on your other arm… aren’t they?” Sitting silently as both girls stared at one another, the Hominal before her had an empty expression on her face as her fingers continuously twitched.

As the silence rang on, however, the younger girl eventually closed her eyes before reaching her hands downward. Watching mutely as her charged arms began to fade to black and slowly be enveloped into the earth, Abby felt her stomach drop… as her arms rose out of the ground around her covering the top of her and shielding her…

Staring back at the Hominal through her parted fingers, the sad expression she wore said it all. “Yu… Y-You, you saved me… from Ebon before already, didn’t you?” Nodding her head weakly, the Doppelganger slowly withdrew her arms from the ground before cupping her hands together quietly.

Shaking her head in disbelief Abby had to do a double take now. Not only had she been saved her just a little while ago… but she had been the one to shield her back in Kari’s domain. The reason she wasn’t already dead… was because of her…

Feeling tears swell up in her eyes as she tried to process these events, Abby choked on her breath as she tried to speak. Who… who was she? “Y-Yu… W-Why… Why do keep saving me? H-How do you even know about me…?” She had saved her twice already. Who was to say she hadn’t been watching her all along…

Looking down at the crying teen in silence, the raven-haired child looked at the wall beside her before moving her other bandaged arm towards it. Following her hand, Abby’s eyes widened as she saw a small swirling black portal beginning to open up. Moving her hands into it, the Doppelganger soon began to pull on its sides before a tiny hole formed… one she could see out of.

Stiffening as she saw a small area, one she had become intimate with in-depth, the brunette was utterly shocked, as she looked on at Kari’s workbench… and even the little witch herself. She was standing beside Nya as she ground something into her morter. She could see them… she could actually see them both...

Looking back at Yu now in disbelief, the younger girl closed her strange gateway before pulling her knees out from beneath her and into her chest, her face burying itself now as she tried to hide her expression from the smaller girl.

‘Is she serious…?’ She had been spying on her for who knows how long… and, protecting her? Her timings had been, perfect. Both with Ebon trying to burn her alive and when the Dragon tried to crush her. If she had been even off by a second, she would have died.

Cupping her heart as she felt it beating rapidly, the smaller girl took deep breathes to calm herself down. This was almost too much to process. Looking back at Yu as she continued to hide her face, Abby frowned before moving closer to her.

“Yu… why have you been watching me? H-Have you been spying on me since I got here? Why are you doing this, I don’t understand?” Seeing no reaction from the child now, Abby grew anxious. Moving her arms up to the younger girls black dress, the diminutive teen gave it a light tug as she tried to get her attention.

“Yu, answer me… please! I-I’m not upset, really. I just need to know. Why, have you been doing this? You’ve been watching over me… haven’t you?” Lifting her head up weakly, the Doppelganger shifted her eyes down to Abby before giving her a tiny nod.

Smiling back at the child weakly, Abby nodded herself before hugging the larger girl once more. “Yu… Thank you. I really appreciate you doing that. But, why did you? How come you didn’t show yourself to me until now?” Watching as the child’s eyes turned teary, Abby paled. What did she say?!

 Sniffling weakly, the Doppel’s other hand moved down this time as she wrote something else into the dirt. ‘Scared…’ Looking back at Yu confused, the teenager was about to ask but the larger girl wasn’t finished. Moving her finger back and forth through the dirt, Yu stopped eventually before looking down at Abby crestfallen.

‘You fear me…’ Blinking in surprise, Abby furrowed her brow now. “Yu, what are you talking about? I-I’m not scared of you.” Shaking her head, the child wiped her eyes down before pointing to the wall beside her. Watching silently, the smaller looked on as she saw the Hominal’s hands pass into the stone… before she heard a swirling watery noise behind her.

Turning around and almost jumping, Abby felt a sudden sense of déjà vu pass over her now as she saw Yu’s hands reaching out from the wall behind her… This felt… familiar… As she stared at Yu’s hands moving back and forth around the swishing murky gateway, Abby’s eyes slowly started to widen. She remembered now… She had met Yu before…

It had been almost a week ago… when Emma and Ella had been tracking her down. She remembered it all now… and… she remembered how she reacted to it to… ‘N-N-NO, S-STAY AWAY FROM M-ME! DON’T TOUCH ME!’ Fidgeting as her mind went over her earlier actions, Abby’s eyes fell before she clenched them shut.

“Y-Yu… I… I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry…” Stiffening as a hand moved around her back, Abby relaxed and leaned into it as she felt herself rising up to meet the Doppelgangers saddened face. She really had been watching over her this whole time, or, at least as long as she and Kari had been working together.

Staring into the child’s scarlet eyes as they both wore a saddened expression, Abby broke contact first as she sighed softly. “Yu… I’ve changed a lot since I first came here. I’m sorry if I made you think I was scared of you. I’m not, I promise. So thank you… thank you for looking after me. I’m just sad we couldn’t have met earlier…” She mumbled. She seemed like a very sweet and kindhearted girl.

Feeling a small patting on her head, Abby looked up to meet the Doppelganger’s eyes as she gave her a cheerful expression in return this time around. ‘How could I ever be afraid of her…?’ She had only just met her and she was bordering on the kindest soul she had encountered since coming here… or, in her life.

She had to repay her… and the first thing she had to do was heal her hands. Looking down at the charred arms of the raven-haired child, Abby’s expression turned stern before looking back up at her. “Yu… we need to get you to Brook. I’m serious. You can’t leave your arms bandaged like this or else they can get infected or worse…”

Opening her eyes back up, the larger child gave the much littler human a small frown before shaking her head to tell her no. “Yu! I’m not asking you! We need to help you now! If you aren’t in any pain from these injuries then that means all of your nerves have been burned away! Your hands Yu… they’re decaying… We need to help you. Let me help you this time!” Abby argued once more. She didn’t know why the younger girl was disputing this but she needed to get help!

Fidgeting in place for a moment, Yu quietly turned her head away before shaking it once more, though, this only anger the teen even more. “YU! WHY WON’T YOU GET HELP?! You need it!” Pulling one of her hands away weakly, the Hominal smiled in a sad way before moving her arm down and touching her stomach.

Looking back at the child confused, Abby continued to watch her before scowling. “Yu, I don’t understand what you're trying to say. Help me, please!” Keeping a sad smile on her face, the younger girl moved her hand down to the ground before drawing in the dirt once more. It seemed this might be the only way they could ever really communicate… She just didn’t understand the actions of the younger girl.

‘I’ll heal… Energy…?’ Looking back at the shadowy girl as she moved her hand back to her stomach, Yu smiled weakly before rubbing her tummy once again. That’s what she meant! Could she heal with her Energy? Looking over Yu’s arms once again, Abby’s eyes soon caught sight of something else… the dark shadows that flowed freely behind her.

‘She has magic… I almost forgot…’ It was just like Casey’s. She had healed from some nasty injuries overnight by using the essence she gave her. But, Yu didn’t have any Energy to spare… How did she plan on healing? Looking back at the Doppel with worry, the brunette was about to ask, but it looked like the larger girl had her covered as she began to write In the dirt once again.

“Najia…” Looking away from the Kitsune’s name and back at Yu, Abby quietly shook her head. Did she expect to get her Energy, from Najia? “Y-Yu… Najia’s still unconscious. She can’t feed you! You have to know that. How does she feed you though, I don’t understand. I thought only your mate could feed you…”

Looking down at Abby crestfallen, Yu’s expression turned dark at the mention of her mate as she quietly closed her eyes. “Yu…” Letting seconds tick by wordlessly as she watched the Hominal, Abby gently gripped the younger girls charred fingers… but, it didn’t look like she felt even that.

“Yu… I don’t want to ask you something that you don’t want to talk about… but I need to know. How do you plan on getting Energy without your mate? Najia’s unconscious, she can’t feed you… and you can’t just wait for her to heal. By the look of your hand… I’d say you only have another day or two before the damage becomes irreparable. You need to tell me how you can get Energy. I don’t care what it takes… I’ll get it to you!”

Opening her eyes back up, a hint of emptiness within them, Yu turned her head back to Abby weakly as a saddened smile fell over her face. She hated seeing it. A face like that… didn’t belong to a child like this. Moving her hand down to the ground, Yu paused momentarily as she glanced back at Abby before closing her eyes once more and writing something down.

‘Mate has gone… Energy can share… with bond…’ Looking up at Yu confused, the Doppel furrowed her brow before wiping away her words and trying again. There wasn’t a lot of room to write with, and the dim lighting of her burnt-out candle wasn’t making it any easier. Squinting her eyes as she tried to read the longer sentence, Abby soon felt her stomach drop… was… was this true?

“Energy can only be shared, with someone you have a bond with? What do you mean by a bond Yu? I still don’t get it.” Moving her hand up towards her chest, the raven-haired child patted her heart softly before looking back down at Abby.

Staring into the younger girls scarlet eyes quietly, Abby frowned now. “You can only share Energy with someone you like… or, someone you love, is that it?” Feeling her hand's clench as the Doppelganger nodded, Abby soon growled. “I got that! What I don’t understand… is why you can’t take my essence then!”

Fidgeting, the younger girl tried to touch her chest again before Abby grabbed onto her finger to stop her. “I LIKE YOU! I LOVE ALL OF YOU GIRLS!” Stiffening, Yu’s eyes widened as she stared down at Abby’s angry expression… did she do that…?

Glaring up at the younger girl Abby continued to clench the child’s charred digits as she tried to control herself. She was angry now. Did Yu really think she didn’t care for her after learning everything she did?! “I like you Yu! You said you can only take Energy from someone you have a bond with. Well, we just made one! I care for you Yu and you care for me. Tell me that’s not what a Bond is! Take my Essence and heal! I WANT TO HELP YOU!” She shrieked.

Looking back at the larger child as her jaw started to tremble, her timid look turned into one of sadness as tears slowly peeked out from her eyes, before she began to cry softly. Keeping her expression stern, Abby held onto the girl's hand as she hugged the remaining bandaged fingers.

“Yu… I-I know I’m not your mate… I’m not anyone’s mate. But even so, I have a bond with everyone here wither they realize it or not. Some are stronger than others but I care for everyone, even you. So please, stop crying, and let me help you… just like you’ve been helping me.” Abby whispered.

This wasn’t about repaying some debt. She really cared for her… and she hated to see her cry. It was making her heart, ache. Sniffling weakly, the Doppelganger’s lower lip trembled before she looked towards the dirt. Pulling her hand away from Abby’s arms, she soon wrote something new out causing the brunette to almost laugh.

“You’ll scare me? Are you serious Yu? I’m three inches tall… powerless to everyone… and I’ve almost been killed every day this week. I’m always scared. But you don’t scare me. You don’t because I trust you.” Abby whispered calmingly.

Looking back at the teenager in silence, the Doppelganger gulped before licking her lips. It almost looked like she was about to say something. But, her hand soon moved back to the dirt as she wrote on the ground once more.

‘Do you want me to… change…?’ Blinking a few times, the teenager furrowed her brow before looking back at the Hominal. “Change what? What are you talking about?” Watching as a bright blush invaded her cheeks, Yu closed her eyes before her body suddenly became darkness. Feeling the hand beneath her shift a little, Abby looked up at the faceless void before it dawned on her what she meant.

Looking into the eyes of Eve now, albeit, a very timid looking one lacking the usual grace she held, Abby quietly sighed. “Yu… you don’t need to pretend to be someone else for me. Please, just take as much as you need. I don't care what you look like. It doesn’t bother me… not anymore.” She whispered, a small smile spreading across her face. She honestly didn’t care anymore. She was here to help Yu… The fact that she was a girl didn’t matter. She was just someone she cared about in need.

Shifting her shape and form back into her original one, the raven-haired child continued to blush before nodding her head weakly. It was almost funny. None of the other girls here acted like Yu when it came to something like this. It almost reminded her of… well, her…

Rubbing the younger girls finger reassuringly, Abby chose to take the first step for her. Hiking up her dress, the diminutive girl pulled it over her front as she took it off herself, her nude form now displayed openly. She really had to talk with Eve about making her some underwear once she saw her again… It was convenient, but not very modest…

Lighting up red as she saw the naked teenager, the little Doppel bit her lip before glaring at Abby’s form, her fingers twitching subconsciously as she tried to figure out what to do. Lifting her dress up and tossing it off the younger girls hand and down onto her woolen blanket, the smaller girl sighed before turning back around, a blush of her own now covering her cheeks. This was the first time she stripped for someone else. Usually, it was the other way around…

“W-Well… go ahead Yu. Do what you need to do. I don’t mind. And, I’m not scared, got it?” Nodding her head weakly as she continued to gaze at the smaller girl longingly, the Hominal eventually found some initiative as her still clothed hand moved over towards Abby before leaning her into it.

Following Yu’s movements, the brunette was soon laid down gently on her palm as she waited for the younger girl to do what she needed to. Each of the girls moved at their own pace. And it seemed the Doppelganger was more akin to Kari’s being almost reserved if not outright about an act like this.

Lifting the shrunken human up towards her mouth, Yu’s nose twitched lightly for a moment before her eyes glowed a pale reddish hue, and almost immediately after… the candle that lit the room with it’s warming light, extinguished.

Looking around wide-eyed, Abby shivered involuntarily as she saw nothing around her… not even, the glowing eyes of the Hominal that had been there before. It was completely, and utterly pitch black. The darkness… it felt, invasive. Gulping as she held back a shudder that wanted to travel down her spine, a gentle touch soon brought her back to the present as it reminded her. She wasn’t alone.

Closing her eyes since it didn’t seem to matter, Abby took a deep breath before relaxing. If this is how Yu wanted it, then she’d gladly do it for her. Besides… it felt, kind of fun. Feeling a hot warmth wash over her naked body in the windless chamber, the brunette breathed it in as she smelled what she could only guess to be Yu’s breath.

It wasn’t unpleasant, but, it had a distinct lack of smell. It was almost like the air was simply stale. Eve’s had a rich fruity fragrance… and from what she recalled, Casey’s had been almost completely erotic. But, that might have been because she used her own mouth to play with herself…

Blushing as she remembered those pleasant memories, a light touch to her stomach caused the smaller girl to gasp. It felt wet! Shuddering, Abby couldn’t hold her movements back this time as she enjoyed it. Was it Yu's tongue…? It was so gentle… so loving. How, how could she think she’d be afraid… of this?

Letting out a quiet moan, the teen writhed gently on the clothed hand of the larger girl as Yu’s tongue continued to travel up and down her stomach, almost like it was tracing circles on her belly. But, if she had to take a shot in the dark… literally, then she was cleaning off the essence coating her skin. Sweat, cum… blood… tears… it could all be used for Energy. And she’d shed any for the little Hominal who had done so much for her in silence up until now.

Feeling her breath hitch, the brunette whimpered softly as her toes were slowly enveloped in a plushy warmth, and something wet wiggling between her digits tickling her sensitive soles. Could she see in this dark? Or, was this instinct? She didn’t see her glowing eyes anymore… but, if she opened her own she might. It felt like a surprise would be ruined if she figured out the answer though, so she opted instead to remain curious.

And yet, Yu wasn’t finished. Feeling her body lifted up, the plushy warmth that enveloped her feet was now up to her knee's. Was she in her mouth? Or was it something else? What was going on… All she could do though was continue to feel it. It felt good… to embrace this feeling. And a part of her wondered why her older self fretted so much about it. It seemed… kind of ridiculous now. This was peace.

Moaning weakly, Abby’s eyes clenched as she felt more and more of what could only be the Doppelgangers tongue licking along the underside of her legs, beneath her knees… between her thighs… on, her crotch… against, her folds…

Shivering from the traveling tongue, the brunette panted as she felt her excitement rising. ‘T-Take… take it all Yu…’ She could take all of her Energy. Almost as if her thoughts had reached the child's, Abby cried out as she felt a forceful prod against her quim, the wiggling warmth of Yu’s appendage digging into her crotch as it grind against her.

Bucking into the Hominal weakly, the teenager moaned as she felt the wonderful feelings coursing through her… her own feelings. It felt nice… and it felt great. She was happy… and she was making someone else happy… She wanted to feel it more.

Reaching her hands down so they were touching against the cushioned lips she left wrapped around her midsection, Abby rubbed herself back and forth as she tried to aid Yu, but, it seemed her advances weren’t needed, as her hands were moved away.

Opening her eyes in confusion, the smaller girl half expected to see a pair of crimson irises staring back at her… but only this darkness remained. It was like a void… no, it was, the void, eating her up. Feeling a faint pang of fear now for some reason, Abby closed her eyes again as she focused on the pleasure instead. It felt good… and it was because of Yu.

Smiling happily as she remembered the smiling face of the Doppelganger, Abby nodded to herself before inhaling sharply, as her breath caught in her throat. Her lips, they were moving up more. Like a coil of sensation traveling up her spine, Abby whimpered into the younger girl as she felt her lips now beneath her breasts, as she was pulled in deeper.

Reaching her hand down again, the brunette gently cupped the soft lip before her, before Yu’s finger moved down again. This time, however, instead of simply nudging her aside, it rested on her right breast. Gnawing on her lower lip, Abby nodded in the darkness as she felt the spikes of electricity prickling her chest. This felt, somewhat new.

And it seemed Yu liked it too. Crying out as her sensitive chest was toyed with in circles by the child's… finger? Abby panted happily as she wrapped her legs around the large tongue that was advancing on her. She still wanted more though…

Trembling as Yu’s mouth moved further up, the brunette sputtered weakly as she felt the younger girls lips wrap around her neck. How big was her mouth?! She was almost completely inside of it! ‘I-It really does feel like I’m being eaten by darkness…’ Paling from her thoughts, Abby grit her teeth before opening her eyes.

Staring into nothing, Abby focused as much as she could as she tried to see anything. Yet, she couldn’t… she couldn’t see Yu. She was just, being… devoured… And she felt… fear. Feeling the movement of the younger girls tongue pause, Abby breathed slowly at first as she caught her breath before closing her eyes again.

‘I’m not afraid… I’m not… afraid…’ It was Yu… and she cared for her. This was nothing to be scared of. This wasn’t, a Monster. This was… a friend. Feeling the child's tongue pick up slowly where it left off, Abby nodded her head in encouragement as she let Yu do as she pleased. It almost seemed unreal how she was able to pick up on her feelings when they couldn’t see each other…

But, she had to keep reminding herself that this was Yu. There was no point being afraid of the darkness. Yu was the darkness. And she needed to eat. Gritting her teeth softly as the younger girls lips left her neck, Abby clenched her eyes tightly as she knew what was going to happen next.

 Feeling the pair of lips cover her whole head, Abby was soon bombarded by her senses. She was wet, all over… the walls around her were spongy and moist. Her skin, it was sticky… and the massive appendage in front of her was clinging to her like a long time friend. She was in her mouth now… wasn’t she?

She could be anywhere… but, it felt like a mouth. The air felt nonexistent… and the walls, while familiar to folds were somewhat the same. She was inside of Yu… one way, or another. But, it didn’t matter much which hole it was. Her mind was playing tricks on her after all.

For all she knew… she could even be sleeping on the younger girls hands, and this was all just a dream. So no matter what outcome it had, she was going to enjoy it. Feeling the wet appendage before her grant her wishes, Abby croaked as she was pressed into the side of the younger girls softer crevice.

Was this a tongue… a finger? She couldn’t say. But it was pleasuring her… and trying to drain her of her essence. She needed to feed it… to feed, her. Rubbing into the appendage as she let it slather her body, Abby coughed as her mouth was flooded with liquid. It tasted, bland… like nothing, again…

The balmy feeling around her, it was unreal. She felt like she was laying in a pool of water… water that was moving her around by its waves and fondling her every crevice… It was seeping into her… and, into her folds. Moving her hand down to her crotch as she touched herself, Abby whimpered louder as she felt her body reacting to all this stimulation.

She couldn’t keep this up. She was reaching her peak. The Foreplay… the relaxing massage of her touch. Was this intentional? Was this just how she fed? It still didn’t matter… She was about to climax! Trying to hold off her impending orgasm, Abby tried to hold back, but, Yu didn’t let her.

Driving something into her hands and in turn, inside of her, Abby’s eyes shot open as she screamed, she couldn’t contain it. Writhing in ecstasy as she wailed, Abby’s entire body began to spasm as she felt herself climax into the void all around her.

Thrashing in the dampness of her fleshy prison, the teenager bucked gently as she wailed before her body fell limp… and fell further… falling backward as if some kind of portal had opened to accept her, Abby fell through the air in a haze as her body tingled all over… She… was in heaven.

Landing with a splash into what felt like an ocean, the brunettes head submerged as she sunk around and let the waves guide her body, her exhaustion evident as she felt all freedom stripped from her. She was at the mercy of this darkness… and it was entrapping her. But, she liked it.

Closing her eyes as her breath came out weakly, Abby drifted freely in the air as her mind tried to comprehend this feeling. She felt like she was in an swimming… her body was underwater… yet, she could still breath… was this, the other side of the darkness?

It wasn’t scary at all. It was felt wonderful actually. Falling abruptly, Abby soon gasped before coughing loudly as her body impacted with something soft. Reaching around her back as she continued to spit whatever it was in her lungs out, the teenager looked around in confusion. What... what just happened to her…?

Hearing a light clicking noise, the brunette soon focused on it before seeing some sparks flickering in front of her before a light slowly began to grow and take shape into a flame. Casting the caverns in light, Abby was blinded momentarily as she had been the first time, as a candle dimly lit the chambers around her.

Squinting softly as she tried to see, the diminutive girl opened her eyes fully now, as her face met the smiling one of Yu, the raven-haired child giving her a warm look as she drank in her form. Looking down quietly, Abby felt her mouth go dry as she stared at her body… This felt, so wrong…

She was clothed. Leaning up slowly, the dampness prior all but gone, Abby frowned as she saw the soft woolen blanket behind her. Did she pass out? Or, did she imagine all of that? She felt like her body had been drowning in some kind of sea… and it was bathing her in its relaxing waves. She had been soaking in them… and yet, here she was…

No sweat caked her skin… and no dampness in her loins. Even her mouth felt dry. ‘Was any of it... real?’ Looking up at the smiling Doppelganger as her eyes continued to glow red, Abby was about to speak… until Yu beat her to it…

“Thank… you… Ab-by…”

Staring back at the child with disbelief, Abby all but gawked as she let the younger girl’s voice echo in her mind. It sounded like an angel… Smiling slowly, the smaller girl soon grinned as she stared back up at Yu now. She didn’t know what was real or not anymore… but, she had helped out, a friend.

“Yu… you can talk again? What about your arms? T-They’re healing now… right?” Giving the teen a silent eye smile once more, the Doppel lifted her arms up as she showed her hands to the shrunken girl. Staring in disbelief, Abby was at a loss for words now… as she looked at the perfectly normal hand in front of her. No burns… no flesh rotting away… She was healed…

‘H-Her arms already healed back to normal?!’ What type of regeneration was that! It took Casey a full night to fix herself and it even took Brook hours to repair her legs… ‘And she just did it in seconds…’ Well, minutes. Maybe hours…? She had no sense of time in this cave anymore… and she didn’t know how long the Hominal had been feeding off of her either…

But, the proof she did was right in front of her. Looking at the fully restored appendage, Abby’s eyes slowly shifted over now as she looked at the still clothed arm on the other side. “Both are better… r-right?” Remaining silent. Yu nodded quietly before lifting her bandaged arm up and showing it to the shrunken human.

Peeling off the corner of her gauze, Yu began to unravel it for Abby to see before it fell away like the other had… and beneath it, this time, were no burns or injuries. She was fully healed for sure. Smiling broadly at the younger girl, Abby tried to stand up, before feeling her legs give out under her. Falling back into the blanket, the teenager grunted in discomfort before looking down.

‘W-Why does my body feel so heavy?’ She felt like she had an extra twenty pounds on each of her ankles. Seeing movement in the corner of her eyes, Abby soon looked back to Yu… but, her hand was in the dirt, as she began to write something to her.

Looking down at the words, Abby scowled as she read them… not so much for what they said, but because of the fact Yu was still writing on the ground and not speaking. Her voice had been, angelic. ‘Took lots of Energy. Rest.’

Looking back at the younger girl, Abby continued to frown as she leaned up to sit better. “If you took that much, then how come you’re not talking? Are you out already?” Nodding in sadness, Yu soon smiled before cupping her hands together and resting them on her lap. Even though she was already out again… she looked so, peaceful about it…

Pouting for not being able to heal Yu all the way, the brunette was about to offer up more for the younger girl, but, it seemed Yu had caught on to what she planned to do as she moved her hand back down to the dirt.

‘Don’t. I’m fine. You need rest.’ Looking back up at the smiling Doppelganger in concern, Abby soon felt a pair of hands wrap around her as she was lifted upwards. Smiling warmly at the little human, Yu stared longingly at her before moving the smaller girl up to her cheek.

Feeling her body pressed against the child’s face, Abby quietly sighed before smiling herself. This was a start at least. She just hoped that she could do more for the raven-haired girl… considering she had already done more than enough for her in turn.

One thing was for certain though. She wanted to know more. She wanted, to meet the real Yu…

To be continued.