Reflections of the Heart

 Inês had been awake for a good minute before she realized the innkeeper was sitting, immobile, in the corner of the room. She shuddered and shot up like a spring.

“Hello?”

“Good morning.” said the old lady. “Breakfast is ready.”

And like that, she exited, still in seiza formation.

Inês shook Lu awake. She was mumbling in her sleep.

“Please, let me have the mochi…”

“Lu, wake up. It's past dawn.”

The young girl finally opened her eyes and let out a big yawn. She stretched her arms and legs as far as seemingly possible and rubbed her eyes nonchalantly.

“Hey.” she said. “Did you sleep well? I had the weirdest dream.”

“I could tell!” Inês chuckled. “I don't remember dreaming of anything. I fell asleep pretty quickly and didn't wake up until the sun was out. I guess you could say I slept well.”

“Good. That's something, at least.”

Inês and Lu got up. There was a small basin with cold water that the old lady must've left for them, which they used to wash up. They tidied up their hair and retied their obi for the day. Soon, they were in the living room where Marcel and Jin were already seated with Debuu. They settled next to them. Marcel was in great conversation with the bug, trying to extract information about the upcoming trials.

“As I said, I have no idea what you'll have to face.” repeated Debuu. “I'm not the one to choose, the mirror will manifest.”

“What does that mean?!” pushed Marcel.

“Just wait and see.” continued the bug. “Now, let me eat in peace!”

And he chomped on some grilled fish.

Marcel seemed exasperated, but he didn't ask any further questions. Everyone ate mostly in tense silence. A little while later, the innkeeper brought them haori they could wear over their yukata to face the morning cold. It wasn't snowing then, so there would be no need for mino. On their feet, they would go with tabi socks and straw sandals. And so, back to the shrine they went.

Dressed in the proper attire, the road wasn't so unpleasant. Inês and Lu even took the time to discuss this time around. Marcel was too focused, so there was no point on trying to include him in the conversation, but Jin joined in.

“So, how have things been going with your… cousin, was it?” asked Inês.

“It's been chill.” said Jin. “He's not a bad dude, just a little overzealous. He really wants to do well. I think it's about his parents.”

“He told you that?”

“Not in so many words.”

Lu was throwing tiny snowballs at Debuu as they progressed. Despite her impressive dexterity, the chubby insect was not too pleased with his potential sentai's avocation.

“Say, there's something that might sound a little weird that I've been thinking about. Can I talk to you about it?” asked Jin.

“Sure.”

“So, I realized since we've been here… I've never been hungry. Usually, in the morning, I could eat a horse, but today: nothing. I wasn't even thirsty.”

Inês pondered the thought. She herself hadn't been very hungry that morning, but then again, she never was, she usually only drank tea before going to school.

“Maybe it was the nerves?”

“I don't know... Maybe.” he said unconvinced. “What about you, how did you feel last night?”

“I wasn't really thinking about food, but to be fair, after the accident and everything that happened with coming here and meeting Debuu, can you blame me?”

Jin stayed silent for a moment. They were climbing the stone steps. Lu had just scored a magnificent shot on a fleeing Debuu, who was soaring maybe five to seven meters above their heads.

“But also, don't you think the food here has no taste. Like at all?”

“Well, it's bland, yes, but I thought it was because it's the past.” said Inês. “Did you talk about this with Marcel?”

“Yeah, he says it's because they don't have all those modern additives and sugars.”

“That makes some sense, right?”

“I mean… maybe, but, it really didn't taste like anything. At all.”

He said that as they arrived at the torī. Marcel was reprimanding Lu as Debuu stood on his shoulders, shaking off the snow from the girl's projectiles. When the group reassembled, Lu gave a smirk to Inês that only she could see.

Being back at the shrine was a strange experience. It was still veiled in snow, but the light was clearer in the morning. The forest around was still and breath-held, like it hadn't fully woken up yet. Debuu deployed its wings and flew to the deck.

“This is where the Heart Trials will take place.” he declared. “Nowhere else can they be initiated.”

As he said that, the rice paper door glided open. The shrine room was the same as Inês remembered it. Debuu entered it and sat on the offering table, next to the kagami mochi. The four teens got up to the deck, took their sandals off and entered the room with quiet reverence.

“Your trial is yours to face... alone.” said Debuu. “The others may watch, but they may not intervene.”

The bug's wings fluttered and, behind him, the polished mirror started glowing from within. More than a natural glow, it was an apparition, like the northern lights or a spectral onibi. The tragically alluring glass began to levitate and advance toward the middle of the room. It stopped to meet the group halfway; there, it grew tenfold, its surface rippling like that of a now awaken lake.

“It's calling.” Debuu stated firmly. “Who will answer the call?”

There was a lull. Then, Marcel got up. Decidedly, he stepped into the depths. It took a second, but the surface of the mirror went quiet and clear, like watching a movie on the silver screen. There was a familiar silhouette, tall and lean, wearing a school uniform. The boy was walking the halls of an overawing institution, with creaking ancient floorboards and molded high ceilings. The place was orderly and hush. The boy, his head hanging low, entered an empty room, safe for a lone figure, looming over him on the stage. The figure, with a cruel and vindictive voice, started cutting into him, telling him that he was mediocre, and that his work was shameful. It said he was a failure. Why couldn't he be more like his older sister? The boy tried to speak up, but the figure only got angrier, louder. Why did he bother learning Japanese? He should've been working on his math and science homework. Why did he waste time reading manga and watching anime? He should've been reading the classics for his literature class. He couldn't do anything right. He was a loser. It seemed like the figure was winning. Then, in the distance: a powerful howl. As if a member of the pack was reminding him that he wasn't alone. Shaking, and with tears on his face, the boy looked up.

“I'm not a failure.” Marcel said. “I'm smart and I care about a lot of things. Maybe it's not what you care about, but it's what I care about, and that doesn't make it insignificant.”

A flash of light emanated from Marcel's heart. The figure shrieked. The glass' surface went white and hummed. It rippled again. Pale and breathing deeply, the first Shining Hearts Sentai PurePure stepped out from the mirror.

“Congratulations, Marcel!” exclaimed Debuu. “Before I let you sit back down and rest, have the mirror give you your netsuke. It's what you'll use to transform into a sentai.”

The glass let out a melody, the same distorted melody the four of them already knew. Then, the same blue light they had all seen before glowed once again, and Marcel stuck his hand in. When he took it out, he was holding a charm that fit in the palm of his hand: a white rabbit on a crescent moon, carved in obsidian and pearl inlay.

“Beautiful!” said Debuu. “You can go rest, now.”

Marcel went to sit back down next to Jin. The latter put his hand on his shoulder and patted him on the back. Then, it was his turn. He stepped into the mirror, snide with half a smirk. There was muffled yelling behind a closed door. In the hallway, the fluorescent lighting went in an out with a buzz, and pipes were wet with leakage. A boy they knew was sitting on the floor, wearing clothes that were too big for him, with his head on his knees, like he was trying to forget the world around him. Hanging in his hands, was the first volume of Akira. Figures passed him by; they didn't seem to notice him, or maybe they didn't care. There was a prolonged instant where it seemed the boy was stuck. The pitter-patter of the drops and the faceless footsteps resonated in his ear, and the walls seemed like they were closing in, when, in the dreary corridor, a tiny ball of light made itself known: it was a handsome white hare. Decidedly, he hopped to the boy. Unlike the ghostly figures, he didn't ignore him. His twitchy little nose inspected him. The boy looked down, tears streaming down his face.

“You see me?” asked Jin. He wiped the tears away. “I'm here. I was always here. It makes a difference. It matters. I matter.”

There was another flash of light, this time from Jin's heart. You couldn't see them, but, behind the closed door, the figures' screams turned into screeches. Once again, the mirror rippled, and Jin stepped out, his golden skin a little washed out and his breathing short. Marcel got up to support him.

“You did it!” said Debuu with delight. “Hold out your hand, now.”

Jin did as told. When he withdrew it, he was holding a howling wolf, carved from dark greenstone. He carried the netsuke up to his eye and smiled. Marcel helped him back to his place. Then, the mirror called again. It would be one of the girls, now.

“Luci-chan.” summoned the bug. “It's your time.”

Lu looked at Inês in equal parts with nerves and resolve. They shared a look and squeezed each other's hands.

She nodded and shot up like a Jack-in-the-box. Before long, they saw an empty room, cold and lined from top to bottom with mirrors on all sides. Inside, a familiar girl danced alone. Her graceful movements were accentuated by the fiery skirt she wore, her shoes clamoring on the hardwood floor. All around her, shadowy figures snickered and spoke. Why did she try so hard? What was she trying to prove? Did she think she was better than them? In the mirrors, her reflections split: one, her hands in her pockets, was wearing street clothes; another, holding herself, was dressed in a school uniform; another, bubbly, was wearing a lolita outfit; another was posing, doing cosplay. The comments got louder. Did she think she was Japanese? Who was she trying to fool? Did she really think that dress looked good? She was too skinny! She had no shape to her! The girl at the center of the room was getting more erratic, like she was forgetting her movements. She fell to her knees, breathless. Inês gasped. She wished she could've been there with her. She would've stood up for her friend. She would never let anyone talk about her like that. A shape flew over the girl. Landing between her and the spiteful figures, a graceful crane stood unperturbed, looking straight ahead. Lu made eye contact with her. She balled her fists.

“All of you…” she started. “Get out of my face!”

She stood up. Defiant. Proud.

“I'm not trying to be anything! I'm not trying to prove anything!” she proclaimed, looking at all of her different reflections. “All of this… is me.”

There were several flashes, one from each Lu. The flood of shadows cried out and crumbled. When she stepped out of the mirror, her beautiful olive skin was a little dull, but she stood taller than Inês had ever seen her.

“I know the song.” she simply told Debuu. And she placed her hand forward.

Out of the mirror, she pulled a three-tailed fox, curled into a spiral. It was a fiery color, cut from amber. She lit up at the sight of her charm. And went to show it excitedly to Inês, who looked with great interest and hugged Lu. Then, looking at the mirror, she got up.

“Not yet.” said Debuu. “The mirror has to call, and your time hasn't come yet.”

Inês' heart sunk to her stomach. The other three watched her not knowing what to say.

“But, how? Why?” she asked.

“It's not for us to know.”

Throughout the trials, Inês had been getting ready for what might be coming for her. Being left with nothing, she felt disappointment and maybe a little bit of relief, though she wouldn't have admitted to it. She answered Lu's inquisitive look with a half-hearted smile.

The group left the shrine. Something was deeply different about each of them. They didn't speak on the way back. When they got to the House of Still Waters, Debuu turned to them before they entered; with a solemn tone, he declared: “The veil has lifted. Now, you are ready to face your first real foe.”