Amentia

Chapter 10 - Oppressive emotions

Meiko came out of the portal and landed in a rough but effective Fair Lady Works the Shuttles posture, using the footwork and movement of her hands to counter the direction of the motion as the portal brought her out; the strength of her muscles allowed her to land smoothly and almost without sound. She had done this instinctively, barely noticing she had done it, as the tai chi postures were as much a part of her as any natural body motion.

A man that looked like a fox was standing very close to where she'd landed, and was watching her with a gentle smile and signs of admiration. Surprised by such a close and sudden encounter, Meiko stood up and took a few steps back defensively, feeling her heart jump in her chest at an uncomfortable rhythm.

"No need to be afraid, dear," he said in a soothing voice, almost grandfatherly. "I merely wanted to welcome you here," he added, crossing his hands in front of himself.

Still nervous, she gave a small bow to thank him for the welcome. Above all, she should never forget to be polite, even if the person in front of her wasn't actually a person.

She looked around. She briefly wondered if she was dead or possibly dying and hallucinating, and this was her spirit's only way of coping with the ultimate end. But, given how she had gotten here, it didn't seem likely. She had intentionally walked through a door and had been very much alive when she did. Maybe she was dreaming? The fox-man and the arch with the light certainly felt dream-like, but this was not the kind of dream Meiko usually had; hers were always more realistic. However, the man that looked like a fox sort of reminded her of a kitsune, so maybe she was dreaming after all? But she had been awake when she had seen that light. And something inside her knew this was real, even if her mind wasn't inclined to believe it. The air and walls around her felt very real, and there was really no way Meiko could dream something so complex like that fox-man; she didn't have such a strong imagination. No, this was real.

She breathed consciously, trying to keep the anxiety at bay as much as she could. This was an unexpected event, easily the most unexpected of her entire life, and thinking of how to fix her schedule around it wouldn't work because she was probably not even on Earth. She had no schedule, no rules to follow, nothing to keep herself in check.

The thought sent her into panic. Why had she come here? Why had she betrayed her own peace of mind? What had been in that light that had made it feel so right to follow it? What would she do now? She was all alone in a place where a man that looked like a fox existed; this was no common place. What if it was full of monsters? What if she died here? If she went back to the light, would it take her home? This had been a mistake; she had to go back.

"Oh, dear, I am afraid you can't return so quickly after arriving," the fox-man said in an earnest and worried tone. "The portal has not yet recovered from your trip."

Meiko dropped slowly to her knees and sat on her legs. I'm trapped, she thought with her eyes open wide but not looking at anything in particular. She kicked herself for her decision to follow some strange feeling inside a floating light. Oh, what was I thinking? What did I do? I never improvise, what am I doing here? And now I can't leave. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

A gentle touch, something that resembled a tickle, pushed her out of her thoughts and almost made her jump. The fox-man was putting his arm around her back in an attempt to calm her down.

"What an awful thing, to be ruled by such oppressive emotions," he said. "You are a healer and yet cannot find release from your own wounds," he added in a whisper, almost like a personal musing not really intended to criticize Meiko in any way. He sounded like a worried parent.

"How do you know I'm a healer?" Meiko asked, her voice also a whisper because her closed throat didn't allow her to speak any louder.

"I am very perceptive, and your healing powers are impossible to miss," he said. "They are too big a part of you."

Meiko felt the arm on her back get warmer, as if turned on with a switch like a radiator. She began regaining feel on her skin, as she usually lost it when she was panicking, especially on her hands. The fur of the fox-man was the softest thing she'd ever felt, like lying on a bed of feathers mixed with silk. Without intending to, her heartbeat slowly returned to its natural rhythm, and her thoughts became clearer and calmer.

"Are you healing me?" she asked, feeling her voice come out more easily.

"Not quite, no. I am merely sharing some energy because you just lost most of yours in a single moment. This might help you gather your wits. I do apologize for causing you distress. I would let you return home immediately if I could, but I am afraid that trips to Earth are more energy-consuming than the other way around, and it takes the portal at least two days to prepare."

Meiko nodded slightly, as if that explanation was the most reasonable thing she'd ever heard. Of course the portal took two days; it made perfect sense. It was that soothing voice of his. He made everything sound normal, even in these circumstances.

A few minutes of silence passed as they shared energy and enjoyed a simple and friendly touch. As usual, I overreacted, she thought bitterly, as she felt the knot in her stomach loosen up a bit.

It had been a long time since Meiko had been comforted like this, maybe since she was a child, and it helped her ease her anxiety tremendously. The warmth of the fur felt much like the warmth she gave off when she was using her power. It very much felt like she had been healed, even if only temporarily.

The fox-man removed his arm from her back and watched her. "Better?" he asked.

"Thank you very much," she said bowing her head slightly, feeling renewed and fresh, more awake.

"There is no need to thank me. It is my duty as Keeper to make sure our guests are cared for," he said as he helped her get off the floor. "As you are the last guest arriving today, I can answer any questions you may have if you follow me to the reception."

The first thing Meiko thought upon seeing the purple forest was that it reminded her of the Philosopher's Path in spring, when the cherry blossoms are at their brightest color and it feels like you're surrounded by magic as you walk under them. It was like a never-ending Philosopher's Path here, which made Meiko feel strangely comforted, like maybe she wasn't so far away from home after all.

She followed the Keeper across the walkway and was again reminded of home, noticing the shape of the railing and the ceiling. It resembled a Shinto shrine. Had she not left Japan, then? Was she in the same place but in a different dimension or maybe in the past? Or was she just seeing what she wanted to see to feel more at ease and keep herself from panicking again? The last option was certainly possible.

As they were approaching the end of the walkway, Meiko saw two girls to her left, standing on the grass below. They were both watching the forest in silence, but one of them turned around immediately as Meiko walked by, as if she had heard a sudden noise, even though Meiko had been walking very quietly, not wanting to be rude or disturb the peace of the place. The most noticeable thing about the girl was her red hair: it was long almost to her hips, big, wild and curly. She followed Meiko with her eyes and an expression on her face that seemed surprised, or maybe confused, or maybe amazed. Meiko wondered if there was something on her face that made the stranger look at her so intensely. Meiko put a hand on the side of her face as she looked down and tried not to blush.

The fox-man reached the end of the walkway and continued left on the perpendicular corridor, turning right round the room until he reached the front door. Meiko followed him in silence but looking around. After passing the staring girl and her companion in the overalls, she saw another one sitting on the steps that led to the garden, and when she walked into the reception room, there was another girl sitting there looking at her surroundings with wide eyes and fidgeting hands. She got up as soon as they went inside, and walked towards Meiko.

"Hi, I'm Nina," she said in an enthusiastic tone that made Meiko smile despite herself.

"Meiko Yoshida," she said, giving a polite bow.

"Nice to meet you," replied Nina happily. Meiko bowed again.

The fox-man told Meiko to make herself comfortable, and left the room again to gather the rest of the guests.

Nina went back to her seat, which was only a cushion on the floor, and motioned Meiko to sit next to her. She grabbed one of the cushions that were arranged by the right wall, and placed it near Nina. She sat on her legs, her back straight and her hands resting on her knees.