Chapter 14: Epilogue

It has been two months since I returned home to Enkiria. It was so strangely familiar to see those tall, white skyscrapers everywhere again. Their windows are all colored sky blue, reflecting the sunlight. There are many parks and little forests, wherever you go. The air smells amazing and people are really nice to me! 

Seeing my own bedroom again, right after we arrived home, was also a strange experience. I really remember being here for all my life. My plushies, who can't beat my Aika, were all aligned on bookshelves. Just the way I left them. And my lonely dollie sat on the table in the corner, keeping a watchful eye on our lawn. 

I remember being licked all over my face by my Kvir, the next day. He's called Wakan, by the way. It took Nana some time to clean me, as their saliva is quite sticky. Brrr...I still get goosebumps when I think about that. But he was so happy to see me!

What else happened? Ah, Nana has been trying to persuade me to pronounce her name correctly. It cost her another plushie for me, but she finally got me to call her Nana. I just might forget occasionally, though. But I won't return Aimi, my new plushie to her...never! Aimi and Aika belong together now. They are sleeping in my bed while I go to school.

Yep, the inevitable has happened. I started preschool last week. I thought that I might be a bit late to start, but it seems that this is a normal age to start here on Enkiria.
Mommy says that I need to meet people my age, so maybe they can help me stay calm. I don't want to experience losing control of my "wild" side anymore. Hana, my friend, will come over to our house soon for a sleepover. We are best friends! Ah, she has the same name as...Hana, one of our servants. Mommy tells me to call them employees, not servants...but I always forget, just like Nana did in the Japanese restaurant.  

I imagined learning the alphabet or something, but that starts next year. School? I don't call this school...it's fun! They let me play with these crayon-like tools to color whatever I want. The teachers have no idea that I already have a childhood to remember, even though that feels more like a dream now. I know they are actually trying to teach me how to use their versions of tablets. Not a single day passes when someone tells me how well I speak Enkirian. I can already name the days of the week and count pretty well. But reading is a total failure...I still need to learn that.

They tested me, just like they do with all newcomers and said that I could easily talk to older children and adults and was able to understand what's going on. One teacher even tried to advance me one year, but I adamantly refused. Uh-uh, no way. Mommy agreed, she wants me to learn and experience things, and I still need to learn how to live here in this world, because I have no memories of going to school here. I may have some vague memories from Earth, and some memories from here....but it still seems that I need to learn the old fashioned way....by experiencing them myself. 

We have a nap time in school, every day after lunch. Most kids my age bring their plushies with them, but mine are safe at home. I don't need them with me the whole day anymore. They will be even happier when I get home! 

Our house, or tavern as mommy calls it, is more a hotel. Nana showed me some guest rooms, but they all look the same to me. They remind me of an old-style log cabin. Really comfy, but also low-tech. But the rooms still have the most essential gadgets, following a "less is more" approach. Nana says that people like to relax here, trying to experience the way of their ancestors. Personally, I believe those ways are really like the Japanese ways. I like them!

And these guests are always impressed when mommy proudly shows her daughter with ancestral blood to them! Some even come here to talk to me and let me talk about my preferences or how it feels to go "wild." 
Am I really that special? Well, as long as they are happy, so am I!

Hana, one of our employees...there I used the right word.....she's a great cook and always has something for me to munch on when I get back home from school. 

"ya....Maya!" Ah, miss Sarumi, my teacher is calling me.

"Yes, miss Sarumi?"

"Are you done coloring? It's time for you to go home."

"What? Already? But it's so much fun!"

"Ha ha ha, just leave it there Maya. You can continue tomorrow."

"Okaaay!"  I drop my crayons and see Nana standing in the doorway, smiling at me.

"Nana!" Of course I run to her and crash into her as I do every day.

"Ooof. Maya! Easy! Did you have a fun day today?"

"Yes! I did lots of coloring!"

"Ahh....you've been busy again, haven't you? I wonder what kind of work you will be doing when you grow up. You are always so full of energy."

I choose to ignore that, it's way too early to be talking about work. 

"Yes, isn't she?" Miss Sarumi said, smiling.

"I wonder if it is in her blood. Anyway, until tomorrow, miss Sarumi."

We say our goodbyes for today and Nana rides us home. I think it's her own hover-cycle. I love the fresh air when she rides us home. Mommy drives us when it rains, but it's summer, so lots of happy cycling...

"Nana, Hana will come over for a sleepover soon!" I said from the back of the hover-cycle.

"Yes Maya, your mother already told me. Hana's mother called her today."

Nana always stops on our way home to pick up fresh flowers for our reception desk. Our guests always seem to like that, they keep smelling the flowers for some reason. Why don't they just smell them in the wild? They grow pretty much everywhere. Adults can be so strange sometimes.

"Nana, don't you need to get flowers today?"

"Nope."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because." Nana said.

"Because what?"

"Because it's a surprise Maya. Now shush."

A surprise? What could that mean? Wow, I'm so excited!

 

 

We finally arrive at home and Nana barely manages to pull at my jacket so I immediately stop. 
I turn around and want to ask why she's holding me back.

"Wait a minute Maya."

I see Mommy waving behind the window, right next to the front door. Maybe there are guests and I need to wait?

Then without warning Nana releases me, so I almost fall down. I can barely keep standing, but at least I didn't fall. I run towards the door and someone opens the door for me. Strange, usually I'm allowed to push the button, but now they open the door for me? 

I see someone standing in the door opening. Heh...that isn't mommy! But I already crashed into that person.

"Oofff! My oh my. Maya, you have grown, haven't you?" a familiar voice said.

"Wha? Who..who are you?" I tilt my head and try to find out who this lady is.

"Don't tell me my little foxy woxy forgot about me already?" She's smiling warmly. This can only be one person!

"KATIE!!!!!"  I hug her as tight as I'm able to.

"Ma.....ya....I can't breaath." 

"Sowwwwieee." 

"Ha ha ha. Yep, you're Maya alright. Well, what do you think? SURPRISE!!!!!!!!" 

Mommy, daddy and Nana are smiling at our reunion. 

"Sweetie, don't you know what day today is?" Katie asked.

"No? Wednesday?"

"No silly. It's your fifth birthday! Happy birthday!" Katie says while giving me a kiss on the forehead.

"Sorry honey, we wanted to congratulate you this morning, but we didn't want to spoil the surprise for you. Well, are you surprised?" Daddy asked.

"Yes!!! Katie's here! The best present ever!!!"

"Awww.....come here you little cuddly bunny." Katie takes me in her arms and follows mommy and daddy into our living room. Nana is preparing......sigh....green tea again.  

There are presents on the living room table! Are they all for me?

Katie lets me sit between her and Nana. Mommy and daddy are sitting in front of us on the sofa. 

"Katie...is Ewan here too?" I asked, quickly looking around to see if he's hidden somewhere.

"Ahh...sorry no, honey. He sends his warm greetings though. He has...something else to do today. You know, he's always busy, right?"

"Yeah." Then my brain finally put some pieces together.  "KATIE !"

"Ha ha ha, yes dear?" Mommy and daddy don't say a word. They must be enjoying how I'm trying to make sense of this.

"Why do you look like us, like an Enkirian now?" Yep, I finally got it.

"Ha ha ha." Everyone laughed, except for me. Am I really that slow? Don't mind if I pout.

"Oh c'mon honey. It's part of the surprise." She then, for the tenth time, showed her ring close to my eyes.
First like pretending to be scratching. Then pretending to polish it....
Ah no....I AM slow.

"Katie...." I'm ignoring the grin on my parents' faces.

"Yes, honey?"  Katie replied with a smug smile.

"That ring...."

"Yes? What about it?"

Really? I need to spell it out? "You...and.....Ewan?" I tilted my head.

She nodded vigorously, giving me her signature warm smile which could potentially melt the ice of the whole North Pole. The one on Earth, I mean. Maybe not, that would put Santa out of work.

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"Ahh!!!!" I didn't know what else to say, so I hugged her. "Congratulations, Katie!"

The others then congratulate her as well.
Katie asks Nana about her "destined one," but she only nods and blushes in reply. That....led to another hug and congratulations session. When she was ready to speak about it, she told us that they are now officially getting married.

 

 

After everyone finally settled down, mommy said that they needed to talk to Katie for a short while.
Then we would have the time to start unpacking the presents.

I nodded, because I can wait to open them. But it's still unfair to let someone wait so long to open the presents, when they are sitting there, right in front of you, am I wrong? They are probably just teasing me, I can tell.
I can't believe it, Katie has a beautiful tail now. But it's brown/reddish, unlike mine.

Katie explains that the mirror is working well. There were no other aliens who stepped through it.
The guardian is a nice one and he said that people can choose how they will appear on the other side. 
So humans can experience life with a tail, and the other way around. So that's what happened to Katie! 
People can even keep their new form, or just return to being human. Amazing!

 

 

My parents then explain what they learned about Earth from the historical records. Apparently the mirror really ended up in Japan, long, long ago. It was when Antarctica wasn't covered in ice when they also had a colony on Earth. They were studying human culture, but when the original Enkirian homeworld was destroyed, the colony was abandoned. Most knowledge of Earth seems to be forgotten during the thousands of years that have passed. What they DO know...is that some Enkirians accidentally showed themselves to the ancient Japanese people, unintentionally creating stories of tailed humans..the Kitsune. The ones who showed themselves...carried our family name...the Kisune. So MY ancestors came to Japan!  

 

"ya.....Maya!..." 

Oops. I have been daydreaming again. 

"Did you find the story interesting?" Mommy asks.

"Yes! Very! It explains some things I learned on Earth. It also explains the same type of tea, which people there drink a lot! But now that I think about it....why don't we have other flavors?" I was truly confused. Surely these people can make tea more interesting with other flavors? 

"Ha ha ha. Because we serve this to our guests, honey. Of course we have other flavors. Do you want to try some?" Mommy asked.

"Yeah!"

"Alright, tomorrow you and Nana can go shopping and get some flavor you like, alright?"

"Thanks mommy!"
That earned me another round of laughter. Was it really a strange question? I already had to give up coffee.

I opened the presents and hugged and thanked them all for what I had received. 

Mommy got me the same crayon-thingies I have in school! I can now color here too!

Daddy gives me a tablet-like thing. Of course...duh....that's how the crayons work here!

Nana gives me a beautiful necklace...is that....is that....a pink dolphin? I must have looked totally confused. Then the memories associated with it return. "How....how did you know?" I ask, sounding more mature suddenly.

Nana seems to realize what just happened to me, then says. "Remember the place where we met on Earth? You know, where all the people were nice to each other and had a plushie or were playing with mud?"

"Eh? Playing with clay you mean?" I said...slowly starting to understand.

"Tranquil Peaks Psychiatric Institution." Katie said matter-of-factly.

"Yes, that place. A lady who said she was allowed to touch your ears found it and gave it to me. I was to give it to you on your birthday. So it's more her present than mine." Nana said.

"I don't believe it. I thought I arrived without it? Katie...?"  I said

"Don't look at me Maya, I have no idea what happened. Best not to think about it. Maybe a glitch? Just accept it, it's still a present from a good person." Katie said.

"Yeah. THANK YOU." I said, looking up to the ceiling. Somehow I think she might even hear that. Even from another world...

"Maya, this present is for you...really from myself."  Nana gave me a little rectangular-shaped present. 

I open it. It's a...."a pen!"  I shout. 

"Yes sweetie, you will start writing the alphabet soon. And according to our traditions, that requires old fashioned pen and paper. Ah, all the paper you will ever need to practice or color on will be provided by school." 

"Thank you everyone." I said again. I'm slowly getting back to my four-year-old true self.

"Hey...and what about mine?" Katie said.

I turn around and look her in the eyes. "But...but you ARE the present, aren't you?"

Katie then picks me up and puts me on her lap.
"Ooff, you're definitely a bit heavier than last time, Maya." She then cuddles me. "Thank you, Maya. But I really have something for you, here." 

She gives me something pretty big and square-shaped. I tear away the paper and unbox the present. 
Something furry is inside! Ah, thank god, it's not alive. 
Katie gave me....a plushie cat...a white cat.....no....Snowball!

"Ha ha ha, I see you recognize it, don't you Maya?" Katie is smiling a mischievous smile. And yes...her tail is swaying! She can control her tail already?!

Mommy and daddy have no clue what the present is about, it looks like just a regular plushie to them. 

But Nana on the other hand..."Katie! Noooooo! How could you!" 

I faked that I put my teeth in the plushie and growled. "Growwwwlll." 

"Maya!! Nooooo!! Stop it!!" 

"What's wrong Nana? It's just a plushie. A nice one, Katie. But still only a plushie. This won't make me attack anyone." I said laughing.

"Ah...." Nana didn't know what to say. She just wanted to protect me, I guess. So I jumped from Katie's lap and embraced Nana.

"Thank you Nana, for always being there for me." I hug her closely.

"Awwwww..." that sound was unanimous.

I then turn to Katie again. "Katie, how is Allie doing?"

"Thank you for asking, she's doing well. She will be starting preschool soon. And Ewan has a day off today. He's at home, bonding with Allie." Katie answered. So that's what she meant when she said that he was busy...

 

After showing Katie my bedroom and telling her that I'm really happy here, things had to return to normal again.
Katie, Ewan, and perhaps Allie would be visiting us soon. But now Katie had to leave us through the mirror. 
We said our goodbyes where I couldn't stop a tear from falling. Luckily it was just a single tear this time. 

Mommy then asked me to take the presents to my bedroom, so that's what I did. But what did I find on my bed? Another present!

It's a square shaped box again, but this one has red wrapping paper around it, and also has a christmas tree sticker. Oookay....a bit early, don't you think?

I open the present carefully and see a picture and a present inside. It already tells me everything I need to know.

The present is the one I asked for...the "plushie with a cuddly tail." It's definitely a fox plushie, my favorite!
I remember asking a certain someone for it when I sat on his lap. And the picture is there to prove it. 

In the picture I see myself sitting on Santa's lap, whispering something in his ear. Allie is standing in front of him, looking at me and Santa, and so is Nana. Then..who made the picture?

"Thank you, Santa!" This must have been his first long-distance delivery. But I'm not complaining...!
I look again and am shocked. Where's the picture? Did I just imagine it?

The plushie is great, but it can't replace my Aika. I take her in my arms and let some events pass my inner eye. The Watcher was right, they gave me a new life. And I couldn't be happier.

But I wonder what happened to my family. And that fairy, and future guy and that unicorn. I wonder about the Watcher and that mysterious lady who returned my necklace to me. Then, some painful and confusing memories suddenly become hazy, slowly escaping my reach. Still there, but just out of reach, until only a happy Maya is sitting here, cuddling her Aika. Feeling at home.

 

 

 

Far away, far beyond my hearing range, on the other side of this universe, a male voice says: 
"Ho ho ho, you little glitching paradox. I was present at your surprise birthday party, hope you don't mind.
I hope you will be thoroughly surprised when you realize that your wild side is gone for now. 
And so are some of your memories. Both are just too much for you to handle now, little one. They are not really gone, they will return....when you are a bit older or when you really need them. Oh, and maybe you should try drinking coffee next time you're on Earth... Until next time when I'm at your end of this universe."

"Tschuu." I sneezed. Someone must be talking about me, right? I nuzzled Aika again. Nooo...not wiping my nose on her! I would never do such a thing, you meanie!

Without realizing it, I fell asleep on top of my bed. Wakan, my Kvir, a big dog by Earth standards, jumped on my bed and decided to lie next to me. He's always in for a nap. His tail is now parked on my knees, making me feel comfortably warm.

Of course I didn't notice mommy, daddy and Nana taking a peek inside my bedroom. They're all smiling. Just like me. I'm dreaming about my life here, where I love Aika. And my parents, and Nana. And Wakan. And Ewan and Katie and Allie. And Santa and his Elf. And maybe the Watcher too. And everyone and everything else. Except for the green tea. And the veggies. And Snowball.

The End