it's rather strange waking up after an encounter you didn't completely understand. Some scream wondering if it was a dream; others wake up anxious, not trusting anyone until they know the truth of what happened.
For me, it wasn't the anxiousness or the screaming that was apart of my wake up, rather being blared by a giant rays of light on my eyes, blinding me momentarily as I begun to wake up from my slumber. Soon I began to remember, the scuffle with Rumia, my injuries, and Marisa coming to help me escape. This also made me remember how much pain I was experiencing as I got up, it quickly catching up with me as I struggle to Contain my screams of agony; nearly failing to do so.
As I look at my grave wounds. Thankfully nowhere near as bad as I thought they would have become, my eyes were met by white, the white color of that of bandages as they cover my entire waist; but not too far from that same white color, is a tainted red. Drawing me to touch that bloody part of the bandage, but instinctively drawing my hand back. I... I don't remember the last time I was injured like this, how long was it? Years? Decades?
Possible, I was mesmerized by it that I soon didn't notice a bird chirping outside my window, alerting me to the strangely bright morning. The sun shines a brilliantly yellow shine as it rises from the other side of the youkai mountain. After alerting me of it's presence, the bird happily chirps and proceeds to fly away; as if it accomplished its goal. I scoot over to the window and proceed to open it up, as I breath in the morning air, calming me of what happened yesterday afternoon, Sitting next to the calming window for what felt like hours.
Soon a creaking sound is made as I look to the other-side of the room as the door opens, revealing A woman wearing Yellow flower-patterned sleeves, a green vest, and a shortened hakama skirt. Her purple hair flowing through the air that currently flows through thanks to the window, and her purple eyes matching that. A light pink flower adorned on her head. Upon seeing me awake, The woman gasps and walks over to me as she speaks to me.
"Oh thank the gods, your awake and fine! I wouldn't know what I'd do if you never woke up.."
The Woman tries to re-compose herself as she entered the room expecting me to still be unconscious. "You are feeling better right?" She asks me, eager to know if I have recovered from my attack.
I nod, "Yes, Akyuu. I'm fine. I didn't mean to scare you with me...ending up like this, but you know the dangers of me being a shrine maiden. It isn't sunshine and rainbows like I'd thought I'd be when I started."
A smile gently formed on my cheeks, easing the girl's concerns a bit. Closing her eyes she resumes.
"A-alright, I'm sorry I'm still new to seeing people injured this much...I'm just glad your safe." Akyuu scratches her head as she smiles. "But anyway, there was a doctor waiting for you to wake up in order to make sure you are actually ok." She goes back to the door and knocks 3 times on it, signaling someone to come into the room.
A doctor comes into the room unusually nervous, perhaps because they never diagnosed or treated a shrine maiden before. She begins speaking.
"H-hello Hakurei shrine maiden; I am here to see how you been doing after you woke up, If that is acceptable?" She fidgets around as she waits for my response to well; what is said to be her job. I assume it's natural for someone of my stature to make someone nervous to be around, I still haven't really shown much of a presence to the people in this village in terms of opening up to them. It's someone that I will have to fix at some point when I recover.
"It's fine... it's your job after all. I suggest we just get it over with." Bluntly responding to the doctor who is surprised by my response; quickly composing herself. Soon after she starts her questioning. "Ok, may be fairly obvious, but how are you after waking up?"
Upon this question being asked I felt a compulsion to look at my hands, I never noticed it yet; but parts of my skins seemed to be turning a different color, a purplish color is forming on the sides of my palms.
I don't know what it is, but now that I've noticed it I'm drawn to it. Was it from Rumia? Or perhaps the forest of magic's powers in general? Even I don't know at this point but I decide to keep it to myself.
"I'm doing good, nothing has seen to spring up after I woke up thankfully." After this response the doctor seems to write something down on a pad. She nods and continues.
"Alright, in that case; do you have clarity of what happened before you got here? If it's possible, please tell me of anything."
Thinking back, I struggle on the details of what happened after my encounter with Rumia, Marisa found me; but that was about all I understood before passing out.
"I'm sorry, but I can't really remember much besides my interaction with Rumia. I'm sorry..." It's like my mind just went blank with haziness that somehow feels impossible to correctly describe, Something ominous; like it's slowly starting to crawl it's way up my skin. Trying desperately to grab hold of me, like a gash.
"That is fine, Hakurei shrine maiden; I will not force you to refer back to something that is considered impossible for you." The Doctor continues to write on the pad and finishes. Seconds later she sighs and look me in the face. "So how is your head injury? I noticed it's been healing well."
Head injury? upon hearing this I instinctively reach out to where my forehead would be, only to be met with more bandages. something i did not realize when i woke up.
"It feels manageable, atleast from all the injuries i ever had at least." I chuckled, trying to light up the situation; only to be met with more awkward silence.
The doctor responds with a chuckle. "Well that's good to hear. I guess everything to you feels like a feather, doesnt it?" I nod as the atmosphere lightens up a bit. "It isn't great for me to be gloomy about me failing to exterminate youkai, i just have to go back out there and do what i always do!" Being gingerly optimistic is one of the few things i have learned to do in the fact of danger and how to cover up weakness. Something i have learned all too well from my Parents. But deep inside I was asking questions. Why was rumia like that? I have never seen a youkai act like that before or rapidly increase in power so suddenly, I don't remember that being apart of Rumia's abilities, unless... it's a new mutation? No... that cant be it, far from it; but why do i feel like this wont be the end of it, After all, Rumia is still roaming around the forest of magic, most likely preying on other youkai...and...!
I gasp suddenly realizing who I haven't seen yet. My best friend. "Where's Marisa? She didn't go back to the forest did she!?" I rapidly blurt out a demand to know where My friend went, with no immediate response. It made me incredibly fearful. I try to get up from the bed but my body says otherwise, forcing me back onto the soft bed with an audible thud and a yelp of pain from yours truly. I lied about what i said before. I felt awful. I didn't feel good, or I felt like something of this caliber has happened before.
"Please Ms. R-I mean, Ms. Hakurei! We dont want you to open up your wounds!" The doctor fearing for my body and my sudden jerks hastens to say. She clearly didn't know what to do with someone as unruly as me, or at the very least; someone who doesn't like sitting around, waiting for something to happen. I dreaded it. But it soon my fears would be put to rest. A knock on the door stops all commotion as another Doctor enters the room. The woman was wearing a cap that was similar to a nurse's cap, she has Long white braided hair dangling too the floor. A patchwork of constellations dot the Woman's symmetrical Red and Blue dress. A Woman i knew alot about.
"Eirin? what are you doing here?" I question why Exiled Lunarian from the moon, Eirin Yagakoro; wants with me now. She has helped me many times with incidents, however
She isn't fallible herself and has caused a few for her own and her mistress' personal self gain. However she has been more inclined to help over the years and eventually became one of gensokyo's top doctors over the recent years.
The Lunarian from the Moon responds to my question with a rethorical question. "Well, how exactly did you get in this situation? you underestimated a Youkai and you needed treatment." The bluntness of her statement and returning the question to me is what always pissed me off about Eirin. Someone who always thought she was superiors to others even when on the same land and eye-length as them.
I sighed, not wanting to entertain Eirin more than is needed. "Well anyway, What do you want *now* ?" Eirin moves into the front of the doctors originally intending me and appears in front of me.
"You are hiding something, Shrine Maiden. And i Believe i know why." Eirin with her Cold stare motions towards my hand; Clearly knowing something that only we know. "You can tell us if you want, however you will not be forced to do so." Her cold stares were always ones i dreaded when meeting with her. It felt like she was staring into my soul, However; i didn't budge. After a few seconds, Eirin decides to not her coldness, she proceeds to get up and gestures at the other doctor and akyuu to leave. "Well, Either way, it's great you aren't dead. Would not want the shrine maiden dead after a single bad encounter." Eirin slightly smiles at me as she continues. "Just-don't be too brazen, i'm sure your friend would not want you dead... But for now, i suggest you rest some more. You still aren't able to walk well." Sadly, she was right. I could not brute force myself to get up and get back out there.
I must simply rest. Even if it's for a while. I respond to Eirin with a simple; "Alright" and proceed to look back out the window, as the beautiful world plays out. "I will check on you tomorrow. but i suggest you don't strain yourself." Eirin states as she begins to leave the room, Closing the door behind her. Leaving me with the silence and my thoughts. Why did rumia act like that? Why did she look different? What might happen to me? I would not know at that moment. But I'd know soon enough. For now. I sat by the window as the brisk breeze comforted me and lulled me back to sleep.