Colorful Expulsion

A myriad of colors stretch by in a dizzying spectacle, dazzling one’s corneas to the point of wanting to clench the eyes shut. This was however moot due to the brightness of this white space permeating the eyelids. Hands reaching out to grab something, anything, to provide orientation is deemed unuseful but nothing else could be done.
Eventually the space fades into a fog and finally gradiates a scene familiar to the senses.
With a keira arm still outstretched, Koharu inhales the sweetly fresh air with a background of wood and twine. Wide, alexandrite eyes and poofy ears flutter as shoulder-length, violet hair and a long cat tail sway in the breeze.

Visualizations of a green valley meet those fluttery eyes, teeming with life and the noises of nature.
Such a serene atmosphere causes Koharu’s muscles to relax until a thoughtful realization permeates and interrupts the enjoyable experience, generating an important question.

“Where am I?”

Her body lurches around in confusion. In an attempt to find an answer to the question hanging in the air, even more questions were birthed because behind the purple haired woman was a historic villiage akin to the images printed upon texbooks and similar to a few streets near her house.

Everyone is wearing traditional clothes which isn’t so abnormal but usually there’s one or two who are in regular clothing. Yukata are much more inconvenient, especially on a bicycle. After a quick gander it is noticed that people are staring at the woman staring at them. 

‘Why is that?’ Koharu glances down at herself to find out that her clothes from before the weirdness have disappeared to be replaced with a black bodysuit which had only been previously viewed when Velvet pulls his schinanigians. Attempting to cover herself with her hands, Koharu wracks her brains for an answer to this huge issue in a whirlwind.

‘Did I seriously get so drunk that I walked to a theme park in Fukui or something?Pretty sure that’s a negatory since getting to a valley requires a long bus ride.This reeks of that cat bastard, what has he done here?He told me the higher level magic stuff was no go because afterwards he becomes less useful than a white crayon.There’s no other logical answer to this so now what? And more importantly..’

“I was about to watch the new seasonal block of anime
since tonight was the air date!”
Koharu shouts while writhing in denial,
her short purple hair spiking upwards in a feline fashion.

During this whirlwind and writhing a cool breeze blasts the purple cat girl to remind her of the immediate predicament of lacking clothes, causing her to sneeze while the village residents murmur rumors of the woman making odd gestures in weird clothing.

Koharu rubs her nose haphazardly as an older woman approaches.
“Why, you’re dressed so scantily out here in the valley. What are you doing?”
It’s too difficult to attempt to convey that she was whisked away from her neighborhood before enjoying the booze awaiting her so the closest possible explanation was blurted out, which would hopefully meet the woman’s expectations.
“I was spirited away before consuming spirits.” A pin drops.

The woman's hand basket falls to the ground, her jaw agape in disbelief before regaining her composure. “W-well ah that’d do it. Come now, let’s see about getting you warmed up.” She awkwardly says whilst pulling at Koharu’s shoulder to the direction of her home.

Without much thought Koharu let the woman lead her away from the village while carrying the basket for the lady. It’s a very silent walk.
‘You’re supposed to introduce yourself to a stranger if they’re helping you, right?
So it seems like I have very poor manners..’

“Grandma, I’m Suzuki Koharu. Nice to meet you.” A regular introduction.
“Grandma..” the woman mutters.
“Nice to meet you Koharu. I myself am called Kaena, Miyata Kaena.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Miyata.” ‘Maybe I pissed her off by calling her grandma..
Let’s try to remember that.’

As Koha duly notes her mistake, once turning around the bend she is bombarded with a sudden change of scenery forcing her to pause.

Gone was the traditional village and now laying before them was a green paradise.
The road became bridge-like as it winds underneath a crashing waterfall;
Scattering rainbows into the air due to the crystalline droplets splashing about and refracting the warm, glittery sunlight across the scene. Trees as old as time itself dome the sanctuary, towering above the duo.
Their lush canopies fan outwards yet allowing spots of sun to trickle down,
feeding the undergrowth. Strips of flowering plots lay themselves bare along the edges of the road in many varieties. Tulips, lilies, orchids and countless other strains sway in the gentle breeze while those streams of sunlight caress them gently.

‘Just where did he send me..?’ Koharu asks herself as she increases her pace to catch up with Ms. Miyata. Past the waterfall the path ushers them away from the river yet travels along a small brook where little fish are easily viewed rejoicing under the flow, swiping their fins across the water’s surface. Ripened vegetables and bundles of berry bushes dot the edges of the stream where orchid mantises, horned beetles and rosy maple moths take refuge.

“Cucumber, raspberries, currants, cherry tomatoes.. It must be so nice harvesting your own food.” In reply Ms. Miyata smiles koily. “It is pretty nice, I have to say. The villagers enjoy trading with me and the neighbors prefer my pies over the larger cities’ variety.”
After this exchange of words they arrive at the woman’s house.

At first Koharu didn’t quite notice the house’s peculiarities due to the distracting outer scenery but it finally dawns on her as she finally takes a gander.

The towering trees temporarily parted, revealing a small cottage at the center of the field.
This small cottage couldn’t have more than one bedroom due to its lack of girth as it stands slightly below ground with stairs leading downwards towards the entrance while windows jut upwards from the low rooftop. Three trees hug the sides of the cottage forming a triangle, winding themselves through and around the building.

Koharu squints to view what kind of trees and finds that one tree bares luscious opal peaches, another sun-kissed ruby cherries, and upon the final tree fuzzy plump carnelian apricots hang. Her mouth begins to water. Ms. Miyata retrieves her basket, straightens herself and faces the hungry cat girl..

“Welcome to Ponver Almun, the bridge to worlds.”

The woman’s declaration sets off a few red flags and Koharu’s suspicion grows and expands. Her tail bristles, shoulders stiffen and legs bend steadily, bracing for action. Velvet had once mentioned before that since Koharu has a lot of that magic stuff, there would be a demand for her.. assets. Was she lured to this older woman’s residence for that reason?
Where exactly is this?

Ms. Miyata smiles wryly and motions towards a small Victorian-style garden table below the peach tree. “I’ll prepare some tea, please wait a moment before brash decisions are made.” She then swiftly disappears into the cottage.

It was decided that due to the woman’s soft demeanor it would be best to at least first hear an explanation, therefore Koharu finally edges towards one of the two chairs and sits down.
‘After all, I’m already here and hungry.’  She tells herself.

The surrounding atmosphere is elegantly blissful with the aroma of fruits, flowers, freshwater and greenery invading the senses. It takes supreme effort to keep from falling asleep from the warmth of the gentle sunlight radiating Koha’s cheeks. Her lips part as she closes her green eyes, letting a sigh escape as her purple tail sways rhythmically to the cool breeze.
Just as she starts to nod off, footsteps could be heard brushing against the grass which jostled her into upright awareness, eager for that explanation.. and food.
Ms. Miyata had returned with a tray of tea, sweets and a box. “Let us enjoy some tea first.” Koharu’s face twists in dire curiosity and impatience.
“Then I’ll try to explain a few things.” the older woman adds. The cat girl raises an eyebrow, cocking her head to the side in annoyance before surveying the goods.

Upon a pretty plate adorned with strips of silver and images of kittens frolicking there sat homemade macarons. “The purple one contains black currant jam and cream cheese, the blue one lavender and blueberry jam, and the pink one raspberry jam and mascarpone.”
Ms. Miyata explains. Koharu starts to drool a little as she gently places one of each pastry on a smaller plate of the same set using little prongs.

The older woman lifts the teapot adorned with silver plating and kittens then expertly pours hot liquid into the awaiting matching teacups. Koharu feels her nose tingle upon taking a whiff of the handcrafted blend of lavender and chamomile. Warm steam from the tea causes her neck to relax fully as she drizzles a little orangepeel infused honey via a small clear glass container.

‘If the intention was to kidnap and keep me here, then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad living in this paradise of vegetation and edibles’ Koharu muses. ‘Except it would be very important to return home in order to fetch the computer and then hopefully Docomo had already laid down fiber optics out here too..’  This thought trail brought her back to reality as she once again ponders her current location that she was suddenly ushered to.

‘The village seemed like Japan but everyone was wearing dated clothing, so is this the past? Is time travel possible?? Or maybe it was a historical installment theme park like on tv.’

Questions leading nowhere are shelved as dainty hands pick up a blue macaron and she admires it’s fine workmanship. Koha takes a nibble then a sip of tea, to which her body suddenly reels in ecstacy. Alexandrite green eyes glisten towards the sky as a stream of light sparkles around the cat girl. “Yum!” she gasps. “I’ve never experienced tea time at this level.”
Ms. Miyata smirks bemusedly. “I’m honored.”

At this point you may be expecting this story to go in the direction of Koharu falling asleep after drinking spiked tea but that would be too easy.

“Now that we’ve rested a bit I suppose you’re owed an explanation as promised.”
The older woman gestures at the box placed at the center of the table.
The box is seemingly made of polished mahogany, expertly cut akin to gemstones.
Similarly to the tea set an image of a cat is laid but the image itself is laden in silver which was also used for the box’s legs. The beautiful box closes with a jeweled clip, its radiance reflecting back at Koharu’s green eyes.

“Everyone regards me as the Aroma Witch of the Cat's Mirror who watches over this village and provides medicine in addition to those edibles for trade. The amount of magic I can convey is minimal; Meaning that these powers are limited to medicinal purposes, coaxing nature, and instilling some energy.. unlike yours which have a larger potential. I don’t know why you appeared here, however, I’m certain that you are here for the purpose of using the contents of this container.” Ms. Miyata gently opens the box, revealing three pieces of gem-encrusted, silver jewelry.

A necklace containing a pink opal, wristwatch with tiny carnelians along the edge’s circumference, and ruby earrings lay dazzling in the sunlight. Each item displays the same cat as the tea set and box, a still image of a frolicking feline.

“This set originally came from the West where a craftsmen duo spent many years perfecting their work as fated friends. One man loved cats while the other hated them, which sometimes created a rift in their relationship as the cat-loving craftsman would constantly bring cats home. Unfortunately on a tragic day the cat-loving craftsman passed away right as the duo had perfected their trade of beautiful porcelain and jewelry which sold for the highest of prices. The saddened cat-hating man finally entered his deceased friend’s room to find a tea set with cats decorated upon them, likely done in the man’s free time to spread his adoration.

Upon finding these items the living man wept and made a decision: to create a matching set of jewelry fit for the tea set as the epitome of his work. From then on the comrades became remembered as the Cat’s Mirror and I’m the cat-hating man’s daughter.”
Ms. Miyata readjusts herself in her chair. “Hence the name 'Aroma Witch of the Cat's Mirror'. Two decades were spent imbuing these pieces with magic for the purpose of Itvermu and I’ve waited so long for this moment.. for the opportunity of their usage.”
“Itvermu..?” Koharu utters, overwhelmed. The older woman sighs and rubs her temples. “Journey to Worlds, probably.” ‘Probably?’  “It’s unknown whether these places are separate dimensions, sections of time, or even located within a book or toilet.”

Koharu’s lips fell agape from the beginning of the story being told and it seems as though she were waiting for sparrows to nest within her mouth. “This is difficult to believe, especially since you’re giving me these jewels that look really important to your heritage..”
Ms. Miyata coughs a little, attempting to hide her embarrassment.
“I myself have never gone since I cannot use these jewels. But since you can and the timing seems right, I’m offering them to you. I’d rather not spend my life waiting for nothing.”
The older woman puts down her tea and fidgets a bit, uncomfortably, to which Koharu catches. Her eyes narrow.

“Ms. Miyata, if I do take these items what do you want in return?” The older woman grins sheepishly and puckers her lips like a spoiled child requesting a treat.
“Every once in awhile come back here for tea and bring gifts from other worlds.”
‘It’s as though I’m going on vacation and my coworkers are requesting omiyage.’ Koha thought sarcastically. She sighs, brows furrow as her back begins slouching over the table and that purple, furry tail arches forward towards her head.

“Sounds agreeable to me but it honestly sucks that I don’t know what’s going on specifically.” Ms. Miyata laughs with her head bobbing back and forth. “Sorry, I don’t know either!”
Koha’s mouth forms a thin line as she wonders what will happen after using the jewelry.

“I suppose we should get started on the procedure.” Ms. Miyata says as she hoists herself upwards now that the tea was drunk and pastries polished off.

Koha follows the Aroma Witch of blabla to the back of the cottage where there sat a circular pedestal made up of polished stone. “Do you fancy a peach, apricot, or cherry?”
The cat girl takes a moment to contemplate her action knowing it will likely affect the future. “_____” The older woman nods then briskly ushers Koha upon the pedestal before collecting one fruit. Ms. Miyata places the fruit upon the little table conveniently next to the pedestal then takes the box, offering a piece of jewelry.
“As you assumed, each fruit corresponds to its paired jewelry. While wearing the jewelry consume the fruit and desire a faraway place.” 

"Wait I'm still nearly naked-"

------------CH0 End
Thank you for reading, I'm both the artist and writer so I hope you enjoyed the story and artwork. It's been nearly 15 years since I've done creative writing so I'm glad to have finally written something.