/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>46227210 (2/4)
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Uranus on fire—hihihi~—the death of the heavens in a combustion; Oceans of glistening, clear water engulfed Gaia. That's the best way to describe the inside of the dome: The serene meeting of two opposites, with Mother kneeling in the center, her wings mere fine lines that linked her to the rest of the dome... Her face still bore the drawn torii gate with me and Aunn beneath it, our hands together and smiles on our faces. It’s hard not to laugh—made easy by the fact I'm nude and on fire… a soothing fire that doesn't hurt, brushing against my skin as if Father's touch; its soft crackling a lullaby—so I decide to start with, “W-Well, what do I do?”

Mother gawks at me, a terrible feeling rising inside—if she burst out laughing again… “Eeeh? Hana, don’t tell me you don’t know how to meditate~” She says with a smug, an even worse outcome considering the drawings on her face. Of course, I do, idiot—you taught me!

Kneeling by her side, mumbling in frustration and red as a tomato, I try to maintain my dignity in spite of the humiliation.

“That's it~!” ugh… “Now, a profound connection to the world outside these walls is almost impossible; so try using them or the water as a reference point to dive into your mind—or even my presence, if you so feel like.” Something nags me about that, so I ignored it, deciding to focus on both water and fire. “… Anything to anchor your mind down and clean it works.”

“I know that!” I pout.

She merely hums with joy, then closes her eyes, hands on top of her thighs, flames dancing all around us… She’s already meditating. Damn…

Silence is a quick way to kill embarrassment, relaxation hard to come by, her words echo inside and bring out a frown…

… I look at her face and, for some reason, don't feel the desire to laugh at the drawings there. Like the fire and water, it's a… Comfortable imagery—a moment of peace, of undeniable love; I remember Aunn's hand on mine, bringing me from the darkness of almost death; the passion we shared on bed, her gleaming, watchful eyes on mine when I was little…

The streaming fire and the still water fall to the backdrop and, to the internalization of that happiness painting Mother's face, I meditate…

…

It was unnoticeable when I entered this dome of fire, but with closed eyes and a mind at ease, feeling the flame licking my skin and the water embracing my knees, the few memories of happiness swimming inside my mind—memories of Aunn, of Father, of the party before Yukari—, a hum could be heard. I didn't know exactly where it was coming from or what its purpose was, but in an empty world aside from the good I've experienced, I decided to follow the hum.

It took a minute. It took a week.

It took the necessary time of swimming in the dawning bliss to arrive at the source of the hum, a mental light that I—suddenly weary—decided to follow… The gentle yet potent warmth persisted, like an unending hug, even within the confines of my mind. The sun shone on my face; the trees around swayed in the soft breeze; and, to my side, Mother stood…

Mother, half my age—perhaps even less—a tiny thing sitting alone on the porch of the shrine. She's crying… “I'm so sorry.” She whispers—to whom; I don't know.

… I touch my own face—a lonely tear. Every human cries, even monsters… “T-The things I did to Father…” I mutter. Mother looks in my direction, her big, child-like eyes overflowing with tears. “… He'll never forgive me. I lost him…”

“You didn't, Hana.” I look to my left. Father was sitting there, a small smile on his face, his hair rocking in the wind. He looks at Mother first, a soft note flashing in his eyes, then at me. “… You're my daughter; I love you. I love you so much, I could never say 'no'…” He's crying, too.

I wonder why Father's crying; I wonder why Mother's crying…

My eyes move, starting at the sky; Father and Mother move before I can react…

Mother hugs me; Father passes his arm around my neck, pulling me and Mother—Mother is all grown up now, yet still crying—to his scarred chest and, softly, he plants a kiss on my hair.

Their warmth is greater than that of the sun, and I feel light like a baby…

… I don't really know them, do I?

“We cry for you.”

Slowly, I open my eyes, confused and disoriented—my eyes hurt. “You okay?” I look to my side. Mother is there watching me, smiling. The dome of fire around us feels weird. “You’re natural at meditation; did you know that~? Maybe we could get Byakuren to train you—ah, the places you’d reach with your mind… Though do it in moderation; you don’t want to end up trapped inside your own mind.” Mother happily hums—the same hum I had followed—before looking at me again, frowning with an analytical gaze. A hand reaches forward and, before I can react, she gently wipes a lonely tear from my face. “Did you see bad stuff with your inner eye?” There’s genuine concern in her voice…

“… N-No,” I look down at my hands, feeling the ghost of two pairs of arms. “I didn't see anything bad. I'm fine.”