The white sands of the beach blinded Kairi as she stood, feeling the grains press up between her toes. She saw how the ocean, with its salty sea air, laid before her in an everlasting stretch. The morning sun, with its brilliant crimson, loomed over the horizon, with streaks of orange, purple, and red cascading over the sky.
Yet her heart was crushed. Heavy, burdened with something. Crying, hot tears welling over her cheeks, Kairi fell to her knees. She clutched her shirt, letting off a wail as she did so. Yet despite these motions, which had no place in her mind she felt, Kairi couldn't fathom why all of this was happening.
Screams erupted from her, but they were silent. All she could hear were the waves crashing over the beach, drowning out everything. Her throat as dry as the sand, unable to see from the hot tears flooding her eyes, Kairi knew that something was wrong.
As she sat there, wailing in silence, throwing her head back, there had suddenly been something nudging her. Something wrapping around her. Kairi felt herself sink into the sand, into that darkness that she feared most of all.
"Kairi?"
Thrown back into reality, Kairi bolted upright, feeling fear rush through her in an instant. Her feet splashed into the water below, and the tail flowed off of her. Eyes wide, she took a moment to look around, pat herself down, and let off a heavy sigh.
"You seem upset. Is something wrong?" Her fins poked Kairi's forehead, tipping her back as she flailed, regaining her balance.
Kairi quickly noticed that her mistress hadn't even fully emerged from the waters, leering at her from submerged eyes. Her heart finally ceased to gallop from the sudden fright, Kairi's face returned to a more tranquil state. "No. Nothing was wrong, just a bad dream."
Hearing a laugh from her mistress, Kairi crossed her arms, puffing out her cheeks. "What's so funny?"
"Here I was thinking you were having a panic attack! Instead it's merely a bad dream. I'm relieved, that's all." Lifting her head up from the pool, facing her servant, Milotic's eyes were half-open. Drawing a coil over Kairi's lap, then looping it over to around her shoulders, she observed the human's expression. "Either way, do you feel well rested?"
Unwinding, raising her arms to her sides for a stretch, letting off a yawn, Kairi tucked a hand underneath the coil to rub her eyes. "Yeah, I do."
"Good. It is time to serve me, then."
"So soon? I just woke up-"
"You used to be enthusiastic for this." Milotic unwound from Kairi, starting to slide out of the pool with ease. She saw how Kairi quickly hopped off, trying not to fall again as the water drew up to her waist. "I understand that your memories are missing, but do you not remember any of this?"
Swinging herself out of the pool, Kairi shook her legs, getting all of those drops of water off of her. Even now, as she stood there, looking at her mistress's resplendent body, nothing came to mind. Shaking her head, Kairi appeared baffled. "No! How am I supposed to remember-"
Kairi saw her mistress's fins raise up, brushing those hair-like fins of hers. Slapping her tail fins back down onto the ground, Milotic glared towards her servant. "Excuse me, but it sounded like you were about to talk back. I gave you a night on my scales, surely you expected nothing less, correct?"
Shivering, Kairi's teeth chattered. She did her best to keep still, to make sure that she didn't appear to be unnerved by this. Yet Kairi felt herself wavering. Her mistress was right. She had given her everything; a place to stay, somewhere to sleep. Tapping her fingers together, Kairi lowered her head.
"I-I'm sorry. It's just…" She looked up at her mistress, a meek smile spreading across her face. "No, you're right. I'm sure of it!"
"Right…" Milotic raised her tail towards the berries that Kairi had deposited the night before. "To help jog your memory, your first task is to fetch those berries and bring them here. Maybe having some food to fill your stomach will help improve your mood."
Trembling, Kairi nodded, trying to shake off the feeling that she had upset her mistress. She briskly walked over to the bowl-like structure filled with berries, and scooped them up into her arms. Shifting her feet on the damp floor of the cavern, Kairi turned and approached her mistress. She felt the little bit of warmth from the morning light cover her shoulders, the light from above shimmering and illuminating the cave with little effort. Seating back down unceremoniously, Kairi placed the berries out before them and sat down.
Waiting for her mistress to move first, Kairi crossed her legs, hunching her shoulders as she looked over the berries. Oran. Bluk. Chesto. She remembered their names after their lesson yesterday. Yet when her mistress didn't make the first move, Kairi rubbed her thigh. "A-Aren't you going to have any?"
Seeing the nude human before her, the Graceful One observed how Kairi walked, how she plopped herself down, and even at this moment, how her composure had exuded anxiety. The way the light touched her dark skin was curious as well, catching her attention in a way that she never considered before. The soft, white hair had a healthy shine to it, even if it was dampened by the cavern air.
Hearing her servant ask, Milotic perked up and shook her head. "In a moment. You eat first." She was more intrigued by Kairi's form. Having never had a human this close before, she was able to look her over. Even as Kairi took the first bite from the berry, the juices splashing against the corners of her lips, she couldn't help but begin to ponder.
Saving her appetite for now, she wanted to get a good understanding of Kairi's body. Her tail shifted closer to her servant. Milotic moved her fins up, starting to poke and prod Kairi. Soft skin. Hair is a bit thick. Overall a healthy weight.
"Lift up your arm," she curtly stated to Kairi, who had been blushing. This didn't go unnoticed; even as Kairi lifted up her arm, holding the half-eaten berry in her hand, Milotic didn't say another word as her fins observed Kairi's features. Some curves. Cute brown eyes. Slender legs.
"M-Mistress, what are you d-doing?"
Taking her coils and wrapping it around Kairi's waist, she pulled her servant closer. Milotic sensed her servant's embarrassment, coupled off with seeing her trying to avoid her gaze. A solid minute passed as the Milotic looked Kairi up and down. From what she could tell, Kairi looked very curious, but also cute for her species. She had potential. Kairi did as she was told, and with her memories gone it would be easy to mold the girl into something beautiful (at least by her own standards). She observed Kairi taking a Bluk berry, and ate it as her face steadily grew more red.
Uncoiling from Kairi, she took several berries from the floor, plopping them in her mouth. A smile finally crossing her, she was pleased with what she saw. Thoroughly chewing the berries, this was enough to have her fill and let Kairi have the rest. Taking her fins and scratching Kairi's back, Milotic tried to soothe her servant.
"I have decided, Kairi, that if I am going to teach you everything you forgot, then you should also become as beautiful as I am." Milotic mused, hearing sputtering as Kairi nearly choked on the Bluk berry. Seeing her servant unable to properly convey as she caught her breath, Milotic patiently waited for Kairi to respond.
Once she had caught her breath, Kairi found herself wiping her mouth with her arm. Looking up at her mistress, she was taken aback by what she had heard. Being as beautiful as her. The very thought was a concept that seemed absurd. When she made sure that she wasn't imagining it, Kairi rubbed the back of her head. "I'm sorry, but what do you mean?"
"I'm going to help you become beautiful, both in appearance and demeanor." Milotic tilted her head, and had another thought strike her. She continued scratching Kairi's back. What was there to say to her? Something that could coax Kairi into-
"You can really do that?"
Perhaps she didn't need to after all. Noticing Kairi's demeanor change from surprise to having far more interest, Milotic gently draped her tail over the girl's shoulders, still scratching her back. With a nod and a chuckle, Milotic felt a sense of relief come off of her. "As beautiful as a human can be. My beauty is unmatchable.
"Now eat up. Finish the berries and we can begin your transformation."
Hearing this, Kairi was eager to devour the rest of the berries. Within a minute, as her mistress unwound from her and slithered across the cave, Kairi swallowed down the last of the berries she picked. The resplendent scales, with prismatic colors that reflected off of the Milotic's body, only furthered the point that she had made as Kairi stood up, eagerly walking towards her.
"Tsk." Milotic saw the berry juice staining Kairi's lips, and without a moment's notice she took her coil, wrapped it around Kairi's waist, and sprayed some cold water onto her servant's face. Catching Kairi off guard, Milotic simply retorted with a blunt, "Never walk around looking like that. I'll have to teach you proper eating manners after we're done with our task. Now rub out the mess on your mouth."
Stung, Kairi took her hand and wiped her mouth clear of whatever remained. She felt the cold water drip from every corner of her face, a shiver running down her. After a moment of rubbing every corner of her face, Kairi looked back up at her mistress. "Is it gone?"
"Yes." Uncoiling from Kairi, Milotic gave her a far more gentle gaze. "Follow me and stay close." She slithered up the incline, where the darkness of the cave encircled them. Even in the morning sun, this path was dark as night. Milotic knew it well, with its twist up and the incline, but she kept her tail close to Kairi as they moved. Having to help Kairi back up to her feet once after feeling her stumble, they emerged into the main entrance.
Shielding her eyes, Kairi felt the warm air billowing in from the entrance. Her mistress coiled up in front of her, a silhouette from the light striking her, as Kairi regained her senses. Once she adjusted herself to the morning light, the stream bubbling past, Kairi stretched her arms up, and looked around. It had been a peculiar thought; to think that she had been here yesterday. Even as her eyes began to gaze over at her discarded clothes, while the capsules laid motionless on her belt, Kairi couldn't help but wonder whose it was. Her mistress had said that she had found them, and yet-
"Are you ready?"
Quickly turning, Kairi nodded, having to catch herself from her thoughts. "Y-Yes!"
In a minute, Kairi and her mistress emerged from the cave, the tropical sun beaming down on the both of them. Standing there, taken aback by her surroundings, Kairi had her breath taken away. The emerald hues cascading upon the stream, with the rays of light reflecting off of the clear water that rushed past her feet. How could she have forgotten this sight? The pebbles of the stream even shifted underneath her feet, and Kairi couldn't help but remain paralyzed with awe.
"Kairi, what are you doing?"
Snapping back to reality, Kairi stared at her mistress, whose eyes narrowed towards her. Stepping out of the water and onto the soft, tropical soil, she rubbed the back of her head. "S-Sorry, it's just… I didn't realize that this place was so beautiful in the morning. I guess I was just surprised to think that I don't remember this."
Easing up, her mistress shut her eyes and nodded. "Yes, it is a beautiful spot, is it not? I remember the first time you were in awe of this island. You reacted similarly to that first morning." She shifted her body past Kairi, and started to move, hovering over the ground. "Now come along, I have a task for you to do."
Wondering what she had in mind, Kairi saw her moving quickly. Trying to keep up, Kairi lightly jogged in her direction, and once she caught up slowed her pace. Walking by her mistress, without a scrap of clothing somehow felt natural. She was at ease by her mistress, with her mind racing with the possibilities as they walked along.
Stepping over roots, through the foliage, and occasionally the foreign rock, Kairi moved at a steady pace. After tripping over a gnarled root, and leaping back up, she looked towards her mistress, whose eyes remained locked forward. She had a couple questions to ask her, mostly about her past. Yet the first thing that came out of Kairi's mouth, after picking up her pace to be beside the Milotic, had been a simple "Where are we headed?"
Hearing Kairi, Milotic slowed her pace and glanced over at her. "We are headed to a different berry batch. In order to help you transform into something more worthy of being my servant, we need berries."
"But don't we have berries already?"
Kairi looked up to her left, seeing a steep hill overlooking them. It had been full of lush greenery, with several trees peppered on the side. She wondered just how large this island was. How much did she travel before she lost her memories?
"Yes, but the berries we seek are for beautification purposes. They hold different properties that are good for the skin, on top of being good for consumption."
Swiveling her head back, Kairi saw her mistress slow her pace more, and then turn to the right. Quickly following her side, she had been surprised that they had been traveling for as long as they had. There had been another question burning in her mind, but she kept herself quiet.
"We're here."
The jungle didn't have a clearing as Kairi had expected. Instead she had been greeted with the sight of a smaller tree, which only looked as tall as her mistress was at that moment. She saw several berries that resembled yellow tops with orange underbellies hanging from the tree. Tilting her head, Kairi approached the tree with curiosity.
"These are Figy berries. They're spicy, and you don't need many, but they're good for circulation when applied to your skin."
Milotic glided around the ground, circling the tree and Kairi. "This tree is small enough to where you can shake it." Using her tail to whack the tree, she demonstrated two berries falling onto the ground. "Instead of climbing everything, use this to your advantage."
Seeing her mistress inform her of this, Kairi stepped towards the tree. She saw how the bark was lighter in color compared to the older, taller trees from yesterday. Even as she pushed her hands against the bark, shaking it lightly, Kairi bent it with ease. It lurched to one side, some of the berries falling to the ground with light thuds. The moment that Kairi let the pressure off, the tree swung back into place, undaunted by her presence. Her mistress moved her coils to push the berries into a pile.
"You did well, but this is only one berry we need for the mixture."
Taking in a deep breath, feeling the enthusiasm swell up in her again, Kairi stretched her legs in anticipation. "How many others do we need?"
"For now, just two more." Milotic motioned towards one tree to the left. "That tree has the Belue berry. That one is a good base, and you only need one."
"Base?"
"I'll explain once we're back home." Milotic rose her head and observed the tree more straight on. "Over there is a Bluk Berry tree. You need more of those than the other two."
"How much more?"
"I'll tell you when enough is enough."
Kairi started to feel that this was becoming more of a burden. Standing there in the warm sun, feeling the wind pick up for an instant, the trees' branches creaking, Kairi felt the question beginning to burst. Before she could think about it, she inquired "Mistress, whose clothes was I wearing earlier?"
Snapping her head in Kairi's direction, Milotic narrowed her eyes towards her. Her heart sank, Kairi turned away from her mistress, placing her hands behind her back. "S-Sorry, I was just wondering-"
"I don't know whose clothes those belonged to. All I know is that you had them on when I found you."
Despite the harsh look Milotic gave, Kairi was surprised to hear her voice oddly calm and tranquil. A reasonable answer for a question that she was sure would have gotten her struck. Standing at attention, ceasing her idle movement, Kairi tried her best to appear more confident. She knew not to press the issue further.
Raising her hand towards the first tree, Kairi asked "So that one first?"
"If you want. The branches are much lower, so you shouldn't need my help." Milotic simply glided over to the tree, circling around it, and had her head near the closest branch. She motioned with her fins for Kairi to follow suit. "I'll be right here for you."
Walking over to the branch, seeing it being well within arm's reach, Kairi simply hopped up and pulled herself up onto it. It took a minute to do so, yet Kairi had a rush of satisfaction swell up in her as she stood on the branch, looking down at the ground below her.
"I see you're getting used to this. That's good," Milotic simply stated, trying to ease Kairi a bit more into this. Raising her fins, Milotic pointed up, towards a large berry that hung off of the branch above Kairi. "Grab that and drop it down. Don't worry about it breaking, it should be low enough to where it doesn't matter."
Shimmying across the branch, Kairi's toes dug into the rough bark, a firm grip providing her the balance she needed. The berry was long, about a foot in length, dangling precariously on the edge. Unphased by the size, Kairi swatted at it with her hand, tipping it and seeing the berry fall from the mere motion of its weight. Landing on the ground with a soft thud, Kairi followed suit.
Seating herself on the branch, then sliding off, Kairi landed on the ground on her feet, momentarily falling on all fours as she was caught off guard. After a moment, she stood up, feeling her legs wobble from the impact.
Kairi felt her mistress's fins rub up against her back, then saw the Milotic circling around them again, pushing the berries that she had collected so far into a pile. "Are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Kairi tried to make herself sound more confident, but wasn't entirely sure if she could continue this. Her legs felt as if they turned into jelly from the landing. Even as she stood up, Kairi had to lean against the nearby tree to keep herself steady. Taking in a deep breath, she raised her hand and pointed to the other tree. "That one next, right?"
She couldn't take a break. Not after her mistress expected so much of her.
"Yes, that's the next tree." Milotic saw how peculiar Kairi seemed. She could sense Kairi trying to hide something from her, but her eagerness to serve was enough to offset whatever was paining her. She remained at that spot, keeping by the berries as her head swiveled in that direction. "Bluk berry trees aren't too tall. You should have no problem scaling that one."
"Right…"
Making her way through the ferns towards the tree, Kairi ignored the feeling in her legs. She had to keep going. Even as she approached the first branch, which was much thinner than the Belue berry tree, Kairi climbed onto it with ease, swinging her legs up and making sure that she was safe.
Afterwards, she plucked the berries, sometimes in batches, while other times one at a time. Kairi dropped them to the floor, seeing her mistress scoop up the berries she picked up and transition over to where the Bluk Berry tree was. Hoisting herself up to another branch, Kairi heard the Milotic speak to her.
"Just a couple more. There's a good batch just a few feet higher!"
"Where?"
Catching her breath, Kairi noticed her mistress pointing up. Following it, she saw a batch of Bluk Berries that were ripe for the taking. It would be several more branches of climbing to reach them. Kairi felt sweat dripping down her forehead, already tired. Her eyes flicked over and saw… something. It rustled in the branches above, disappearing as quickly as it appeared. Pausing, she wondered what it was.
Ignoring her discomfort, Kairi pushed on.. She ascended the tree, feeling the warm sun embrace her. Yet all she could think of was how her heart raced. It began pounding in her ears as she climbed up, finally reaching the spot with the berries.
Leaning forward, feet on one branch, hands on the other, Kairi saw how high up she had been. Carefully, she shook the branch, seeing the berries fall and bounce off twigs below. Kairi could feel herself starting to become uneasy.
Kairi felt the terror wash over her again. She had to climb back down. As fast as possible. Everything told her to get out of here. Staring back down at the ground, a dizziness started to rise up in Kairi. The ground seemed to lurch back, and she shut her eyes, trying to catch her breath.
Sensing Kairi's terror, Milotic felt upset. How could she be scared again? After the demonstration yesterday, she wasn't sure how Kairi could keep having this happen. Her patience had been starting to run thin. "Kairi, prove you are strong for your mistress and come down. You have the berries you need." The last thing Milotic needed was Kairi behaving like a child, not a proper servant.
Hearing this, Kairi opened up her eyes, taking in deep breaths. She could do this. She could-
Before a second even passed, Kairi felt something wrap around her waist. It was thin, felt like a softer root, and she was lifted up. Disappearing into the branches above, Kairi flailed her arms, trying to grab a branch. "Ah!"
Quickly turned around, Kairi's heart nearly stopped as she came face to face with something unusual looking. Its banana-yellow body, speckled like green patches, had only been matched by its fierce looking eyes that leered at her. Leaves protruded from its sides, and a giant leaf covered the top. Feeling her arms becoming pinned to her sides, Kairi cried loudly.
"Let go of me! W-What are you doing?!"
Her throat became dry as everything in her body told her to get away as fast as possible. Kicking her legs, Kairi felt the creature suspend her from a branch. "Let go! Let go!"
Before any other move could be done, a beam of ice shot out from below. The creature that had grabbed Kairi had been surprised, struck by it without even a moment to get out of the way. The tendrils wrapped around Kairi loosened, and the next thing she knew she was falling.
Panic swelled up in Kairi as she fell. Vivid emeralds were blurs as she felt everything slow down. Her hands shot up to reach something to stop her fall. Pain erupted along her shoulder, then her sides. Twirling through the tree, she was lost in the blur of leaves, sky and earth, branches scratching at her along the way. By the time Kairi hit the ground with a heavy thud, she was certain that something was broken.
Milotic stared at the creature that had taken Kairi hostage, recognizing it immediately. "A Victreebell, how pathetic," she muttered to Kairi. Lowering her gaze towards her servant, she wondered if this event would render Kairi incapable of climbing for berries. Feeling how the human girl hurt all over, Milotic quickly realized something.
She had pushed Kairi too hard, too soon.
Now, with hindsight clarity, Milotic could tell that Kairi was pushing her limits after hopping off the first tree. A strange feeling swelled up in her, something that she hadn't feel for quite some time.
Guilt.
Taking her tail and scratching the fins against Kairi's back, Milotic spoke softly.
"Kairi. Are you alright?"
Seeing her servant shake her head, her shoulders already began to move from crying. Milotic felt pangs through her whole body. What was this? She had done worse to humans before in an attempt to keep them away, and yet here she was, trying to soothe one's pain. Another question that sprung up: why did she save Kairi? Wasn't she dispensable?
What a peculiar thought.
For a while, Kairi laid there, feeling Milotic scratching her back gently to soothe her nerves. She wasn't sure how long it was since she landed. Her fingers clutched at the grass near her out of frustration. How many times was she going to be a burden? Someone that the Graceful One had to coax out of a tree. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't her fault that it attacked her! The pulsating pain only served as a remainder of her hesitance to get down fast enough.
Sighing, after what seemed like forever, laying here with aches all over, Kairi slowly pushed herself up. First on her knees, then onto her feet as she wobbled, her legs nearly give out. She saw her mistress appeared concerned, even as Kairi patted her knees, catching breath.
"Are you sure you should be up?"
Nodding, Kairi tried her best to beam towards her mistress. She still ached, but also believed that it shouldn't stop her from doing her job. Raising her arm and flexing it, Kairi tried to convey positivity. Even as she winced in pain from her shoulder, she knew to keep working. Something inside just couldn't stop screaming for her to keep working. To keep pushing herself forward without any regard for herself.
Sensing this, Milotic wondered if she should take action. Observing as Kairi briskly walked about, picking up the berries and holding it in her arms, Milotic had an impulse flash through her mind. Seeing scratches on Kairi's body in several spots, she knew that worse could happen if they were left untreated. "Wait here."
Knowing this whole island her whole life, Milotic disappeared for a minute, went to the nearest Sitrus tree, plucked one, and returned to Kairi's side. She held it in her mouth for the time being, knowing that Kairi had too many berries already. "Let's return to the cave."
Both Kairi and Milotic moved through the jungle foliage, with Milotic slightly ahead to lead the way. Minutes passed, and Kairi moved at a sluggish pace, but tried to push the pain away. She walked with an awkward step, doing her best to keep the berries from toppling over. Every so often, Kairi hissed in pain as she adjusted the berries.
Milotic hadn't been sure what to do. Were humans always been this foolhardy when it came to injuries? She made a low hum to herself, contemplating on how to apply the Sitrus Berry to Kairi's wounds. Milotic was certain that Kairi would be hesitant to keep doing her tasks for today. Perhaps this was more trouble than it was worth. But what other option was there?
Grunting, Kairi felt herself beginning to weaken. She noticed her bated breath, the way her legs stumbled. Everything felt heavier as she went along, her pace slowing as she felt a berry or two topple from the pile in her arms. Catching her breath, Kairi felt something snap in her. Falling over, the pain pulsed through her as the berries scattered. She saw them tumble over the soft soil before coming to a stop by the stream.
Her heart sank into the pits of her stomach. She must have looked pathetic. Laying here on the ground, with only a Belue berry in her arms, the rest of them rolling away. The pain along her back worsened, and all Kairi could do was lay there, motionless. What was wrong with her? This entire morning had been dreadful from the moment she woke up. First that weird dream. Then whatever that was that attacked her. Now this.
It was too much. Kairi held back the tears, clutching the dirt with her free hand. She just wanted to weep, to cry out her frustrations that welled up in her. If she had been a reliable servant before, than she really did forget everything she learned.
As she laid there, rolling the Belue berry out from underneath her, Kairi saw the Milotic gliding over the ground, pushing the berries back in her direction. The only thing left was for her mistress to chastise her over her poor performance.
"Kairi, there is no need to cry." Milotic calmly said this in Kairi's mind, taking her fins and lifting her upper half up to meet her gaze. She could see the human girl's eyes water, sensing the frustration and pent up sorrow that Kairi had. Letting a pacifying aura permeate the air, Milotic thought of what to say.
"W-Why isn't there? I-I hurt all over. I can barely hold those berries up! And I j-just-" Kairi sniffled, unable to finish her statement. She shut her eyes, and her face appeared agitated.
'How pathetic.' Milotic thought this to herself as she watched Kairi steadily descend into irritation. Yet it also plucked at her icy heart. It reminded her of when she was a young Feebas, when she had been tossed and beaten without a second thought. The feeling of giving up was one that had been fleeting in her youth, only thought of rarely, but it had been there all the same.
Perhaps she and Kairi were similar in one way.
Steadily lowering Kairi back onto the ground, Milotic lowered her head, took the berry out of her mouth, and rinsed it thoroughly with her cold water. "You still have legs, do you not?"
Kairi shifted uncomfortably, her legs curling up underneath her. "W-Well yes, but-"
"You also have arms to carry these berries with." Milotic placed the Sitrus berry down before Kairi, having cleaned it and made sure that it was properly rinsed for her servant. "You haven't failed me if you still have those attached to you. You only fail me if you give up.
"I understand that you've been hurting from earlier, and that is fine. I do not expect you to push yourself more than you have to with an injury. However, this is what humans call training. You are training to serve me better." Milotic used her fins to somewhat push Kairi back up into a seated posture. "Eat that berry, and listen closely."
Once Kairi had taken the Sitrus berry, biting into it, Milotic spoke carefully to her servant. The early morning sun warmed them in that spot, where the jungle had gotten quiet, as if holding its breath for what the Graceful One had to say. When she had been sure that Kairi started to feel better after a minute, she continued.
"My desire for you is to become what you forgot to be. Before you lost your memories, you were bright, obedient, and were very good at taking commands. We were tightly bound as mistress and servant. I want you to become strong. I want you to become beautiful, and filled with grace as my servant. I only want the best for you, Kairi, yet you cannot simply give up on everything that we worked together on.
"Do you understand?"
Having sat there and listened to this, eating the berry, feeling the aches starting to melt away, Kairi had been intent on capturing every word. Every pause was a moment to consider what the Graceful One said to her. Every desire she had for Kairi was something to aspire to.
Wiping away her tears, thoroughly eating the Sitrus berry before tossing the core aside, Kairi genuinely beamed towards her mistress. "I understand!" Despite the ache in her arm still throbbing, albeit dulled, Kairi got back onto her feet, stretched her arms over her head, and went back to work. Picking up the berries one by one, making sure that they were arranged more naturally this time, several minutes passed as Kairi stood at attention once more. Standing in the stream, with the gentle water passing by, she grinned at her mistress.
"Shall we get going?"
Pleased to see Kairi more enthusiastic, Milotic lowered her head. "Yes, let us go back to the cave." It was satisfying to see Kairi bounce up from her frustration. It was far more simple than she anticipated to help her servant feel better. Perhaps she was overcomplicating things in her head. Sweeping up in the air, she once again plucked an Aspear berry on the way back before returning to Kairi's side.
The Graceful One simply hoped that what she had in mind would help with the scratches. They entered the cavern again, passing through the narrow corridor, with Kairi keeping her pace. As they entered the main chamber, the sunlight streaking through the ceiling, illuminating the cavern more than before, Milotic spoke calmly to her servant.
"Follow me."
Eager to see what she had in mind, Kairi hauled the berries over to where her mistress had been moving towards. After this rough morning, she had been anticipating having some rest and relaxation. Even as the cool, damp air provided some sense of relief, Kairi made sure to keep her balance.
When her mistress circled around a convex structure, which had been smooth with defined edges, Kairi knelt down before it. "What is-"
"Put the berries in here."
Shooting her mistress a glance, Kairi allowed the berries to roll from her arms. They landed with a soft thud, and all she could do was stare at it. What was this all about? How were berries going to help her become more beautiful?
She heard her mistress speak to her calmly. "Now, step in and be sure to mesh them into a paste. This is important."
At this rate, Kairi was perplexed. But not wanting to question her mistress, she slid into the structure, noting how at full height, her hips were at the edge's height. Kairi felt berries crush underneath her weight, and it was a strange feeling. They were slippery, yet textured, and with each step she had to make sure she was planted in a spot to not slip. "So, just do this?" Kairi asked, ensuring that she was doing it correctly.
"Yes." Milotic arched her head over Kairi, observing the mixture as the different berries meshed into each other. The broken skin sank to the bottom, leaving behind seeds and juice on the surface. Seeing Kairi here, preparing the bath that she had in mind for her, made nostalgia swell up within her. It reminded her of simpler times, before titles, before she met him.
Several minutes passed. Seeing that that was enough, Milotic raised her fins. "You can get out now."
Grumbling a bit to herself, annoyed at the sensation of the berries clinging to her feet, Kairi climbed out of the structure with some difficulty. Setting herself down, the next thing she saw had been her mistress billowing out cold water into the structure. The berries floated on top, and after a moment of ceasing, Milotic billowed out steaming water. Eventually, there had been a warm berry-water mixture in the structure, tall enough to where Kairi could sit comfortably with her head above the surface.
"Now, stir it with your hands until it becomes thick."
Nodding, Kairi leaned over and, after realizing that wouldn't be good enough, laid down before the mixture. Taking her hands, she pushed them into it as her mistress instructed. She could feel the berries on top stick to her, and with some difficulty, Kairi moved her arms in a swirling motion. Her eyes lit up, seeing her stirring beginning to cause the berries to dip under, then bob back up. After several more minutes of this she started to notice that the mixture clung to her flesh.
When Kairi receded her arms from the mixture, making a sort of groan as she saw the sticky bath cling to her arm, she heard her mistress chime up again. "Get into the bath now."
Gulping, the next thing Kairi knew had been her sitting in the mixture, the pungent smell starting to take up her senses. What was the point of this? Kairi felt how thick the mixture was, and how it appeared overbearing. She felt the Milotic's fins press on her head, along with further instructions.
"Submerge yourself for a few seconds. I'll spread the mixture around your body."
Taking in a deep breath, Kairi hesitated, but after shutting her eyes and tensing up her body she went under. In that darkness, surrounded by firm liquid, the warmth provided some comfort. Kairi thought on how this had been a peculiar idea. Was this supposed to help her become beautiful? If so, did she really agree to this before she lost her memories?
Feeling the Milotic's fins press against her, smoothing over her back and sides, Kairi emerged from the mixture, taking in a fresh breath. Opening her eyes, she saw her mistress moving her fins along her back, then moving to the front. "So what will this do anyway?" she inquired to the Milotic, feeling the fins now pressing against her legs.
"This will help to make your body soft and smooth, and it will give your skin a nice sheen. It's what I do sometimes when I feel my scales dry out."
A moment passed, and Kairi, with furrowed eyebrows, sat there, shifting a bit as she had a question come to her mind. "How do you know about humans? That's what I am, right? You mentioned it earlier when you were telling me that I was doing what humans called training."
Silently, Milotic kept moving her fins along Kairi. She talked too much. It was bound to get her into trouble some time or another. Once she had been certain that every spot had been thoroughly applied to, she receded her fins. "That's for another time. Now, I need you to remain in here until I say so."
"But you didn't ans-"
"Five hours."
Turning to face her mistress, Kairi's eyes popped out of that strange mix of reds and violets. "What?! Why so long?"
"Because that's how long it takes." Smiling, Milotic lowered her head, feeling the need to assert her position. "It will take much work for you to become a beautiful servant for your mistress. You must work hard and endure these trials if you wish to remain here. Before you lost your memories, you were eager to pull yourself through these and prove to me that you were loyal.
"But there is no need to worry about that time. I have something else I must use your mind for, instead of complaining idly," Milotic stated to Kairi calmly, lowering her head and coming face to face with her servant. Her eyes glowed, emitting rays invisible to the naked eye. It encircled Kairi's mind, preventing her servant from having idle thoughts rush around her.
"What.. Is…" Kairi stared into her mistress's eyes, feeling herself becoming relaxed. A soft smile formed on her face, feeling her eyes flutter. She found herself sinking into the bath slightly, more at ease than she was before.
Ceasing the hypnosis once she felt that Kairi's mind was opened, Milotic kept her gaze towards her. She found that, over the years, when Pokemon were in a certain state of mind under hypnosis, it was possible to influence their thoughts. Considering Kairi's memories had been locked away with ease, Milotic took this opportunity to try this out with a human, something she hadn't done before.
"You can only become strong, beautiful and full of grace when you are working hard for me. You cannot let anything get in the way of becoming my loyal servant. Hard work and dedication is all I ask of you."
Milotic saw Kairi ease up further, almost dipping underneath the berry mixture. Taking her fins, she turned Kairi back up to a seated position and made sure that she wouldn't sink in on accident.
As a Feebas, Milotic knew that having a beautiful body required dedication and thinking of the end-goal over the long term. She felt that Kairi should think the same.
"Imagine a better body than you have now. Think of having skin that is softer, healthier and radiant like my scales. Your hair can become lighter, and have a brighter shine to it." She took her fins to rub Kairi's stomach to soothe her servant further. "Envision your arms and legs becoming stronger. Climb through trees with ease. Carry a hundred berries without faltering. Picture yourself this way, and your body will accept it.
"Sleep now."
Once Kairi fell asleep in the mixture, Milotic withdrew her fins, staring at the human girl as she sat there, chin dipped into the bath. The Graceful One only wanted the best for Kairi, to have her serve and obey without question. Yet she also knew that this was going to be an uphill battle. With rescuing her from the Victreebell earlier, Milotic wasn't sure if that had been a momentary lapse of judgement on her end, or whether it meant something more.
Either way, she began to recede back to her pool of water. Once she dipped in, curling on top of herself, she saw the mixture clinging to her fins. Holding it up to the light, she became curious on what it would look like.
It looked very red.
Specifically, the reds of her fins. Her eyes widened, surprised at this revelation. Spraying it off of her fins, all she could think of now was how Kairi would look once the bath was over. Curling up in her pool, she shut her eyes. It was time to get some rest.
