Feeling Better

Someone was whimpering, holding her breath and feeling her heart threaten to jump out from her fleshy confinement. It was dark, nothing but emptiness in sight with no star or clue where she was. Suddenly she could hear footsteps, loud metal ones approaching her, and then a loud bang surrounding her before she could feel a faint cool air hit her body. It was icy cold and sent shivers around her, she was nude that much she could tell, and somehow these things nearby were creeping closer to her.

Now she could hear something soft, like a whisper in her mind, a cold reminder of something lost. The sudden screaming, a familiar voice calling for her name. A weeping woman in the woods, was that her? She couldn't tell, those gasps of air as her lungs struggled through the constant flow of tears did not resemble her. She had never cried as far as she could remember. But then, what could she remember of what her past was?

Vision, she could trust her eyes once more when something heavy and hard weighed on her neck, head hanging. People bickering, someone was arguing, suddenly she noticed being held steady by a pair of hands on each paw. Her vision was back yet unfocused, or something was hindering her eyesight. Everything was blurry except what looked like black veins twisting around the picture. Someone was undoing some sort of metal on her, the weight on her shoulders were removed. Looking up she held her breath at the sight of something strange towering over her.

The body of a man, the head of a monster. The details were vague, but it had no eyes that she could see, no face for her to make, it simply looked back at her without emotion. Beside him was a familiar image, the hair gave him away. The monster glanced back at him before kneeling down to face her now, its face presenting a reflection of the Nekomata's terrified expression. A concealed voice within it suddenly arose.

"It's settled then, she'll be the one. Begin the purification process."

It stood back up on its two feet, the monster girl following its movement until a bag was pulled over her face.

---

KuliKuli gasped, raising her head by instinct before feeling the comfort of a soft bed beneath her. She woke up on her side facing someone else resting beside her. They were back home, she could tell as the familiarity of their room reconnected with her. Sitting up in her bed with care so as not to wake up Na'Vi, she stretched her arms up high and flinched at the soreness concealed within her limbs. Someone walked past the door before backpedaling and parting it op, peaking out with a wandering eye and the soft creak of the door moving. She pushed it ajar as soon as she saw KuliKuli blinking back at her. "Hey, feeling better?"

KuliKuli shuffled a bit and shrugged before popping her head up in alarm. "Did we get out, all of us?"

"Yea, sister and all. Heard you kicked that hunter's ass." Reta commented.

KuliKuli smiled and shook her head. "It was both of us and it wasn't easy-"

"Didn't expect it to be, but the point is you guys won." That made her blush softly. "Anyway, your mom, sis and hubby are in the kitchen. I'm heading upstairs to check on the rest." She said before stepping out the door.

"W-what happened, are they okay?"

Reta paused mid-step and spun around. "Kiiiiiiiiinda, I mean yes in a way. Like they're not dead."

"What!?" She shrieked, making Na'Vi flinch.

"Voice down, sorry. Not the best choice of words." Reta remarked. "I don't want to sugercoat it, your little sister took a hit. Also Janette took an arrow to the butt, and you'll find both of them upstairs. Take it easy, they're recovering. I'm heading up to check on them, your mom is cooking something in the kitchen to help them."

"What, food?"

"I don't know, I think more of that stuff." She pointed to the dried green paste on KuliKuli's left thigh, something the Nekomata had failed to notice. "It's for healing, anyways I need to head upstairs. Good to have you back."

As Reta walked away, KuliKuli nearly tripped before heading out the door and down the hallway. She could hear some voices at the kitchen before arrival and leaned against the wall to rest her sore body briefly.

"No no, that one. The one with the red berries."

Felix passed her the correct plant with Emyri adding it to the bowl and mixing it in. Dimyri was standing beside her watching as she continued stirring and mushing the collected ingredients together.

"This stuff is hard to wash off so we should act fast. Did you find any of those leaves?"

"She made a face when I asked but when I explained why she mentioned that there could be some out in the back. Is that okay?" Felix asked, raising a handful of wet leaves.

"That's fine, lay them out on the tray flat for me dear. Good, now what else do we need?" She asked, raising her eye at her kin.

Dimyri kept a look of focus on her, reflecting on the ingredients they used and what was left. "We have the leaves, the syrup... nothing, right?"

"Right, it was a trick question. Now the last thing we need to do is apply the remedy like this, just a small bit see? Then put it onto the leaves like so. Here, you try." She passed the bowl over to Dimyri, who then gently dipped her paw in and cautiously scooped up the amount of two fingers full of the green paste onto her paw while making a face. "It feels sticky, is this going to stain my fur?"

Emyri giggled and shook her head. "Not if you wash it off soon, no. You don't want to put too much on each leaf sweety, be careful."

"I know, I know." Dimyri grumbled whilst repeatedly applying more paste onto each remaining leaf. "There, is that it?"

Her mother nodded and reached for the tray before being interrupted by her. "No no, I'll do it."

"Oh honey, that's sweet but-"

"No buts mom, I'm doing this."

"Baby you don't have to, you've done en-"

"Don't patronize me mom! Just-" She panted before taking in a deep breath. "Just let me do this, I have to do this."

Emyri stood back and studied her, seeing her with steady feet and her tails nervously flicking side to side. She inhaled and let out a deep sigh before letting go of the tray and stepping back. Motioning for her to go, Dimyri struggles to grab the tray with fluffy paws when Felix leaned in and picked it up for her. "You mind?"

She shook her head no and let him lead the way, both of them passing by KuliKuli as she pressed her back against the wall without any of them noticing. Well, almost.

"You can step out missy, no good hiding from us here." Emyri called out, tapping her foot on the ground. She patiently waited for her daughter to step out in front of her and coiled her tail up in the air to gesture for her to come closer. Once KuliKuli stood in front of her, her seriousness faded away into a light smile as she wrapped her arms around her, giving her a light squeeze.

"Why were you hiding sweety, you know we would be happy to see you. Feeling better?"

"Yes," KuliKuli lied, feeling the regret in her stomach before pulling away. "No."

The confusion and concern in her mother's face made her quick to answer for her. "I had a bad dream."

"Aw, a nightmare you mean?"

"No, I had one before. There was this monster, and something was on my face. I couldn't see his face, or he had a very scary one. It looked like... like old wet metal. Black and haunting." She shuddered. Before her mother could have any words for her, she included, "Also I saw the hunter again. I never asked... how do we know him?"

Her mother was searching for words, mouth parted open before licking her lips instead. She was fidgeting, KuliKuli could tell there was a lot in her mind processing what she said.

"Mom, he goes out of his way to let us go. Why?"

She turned her head as someone was running down the steps before Felix walked in with a look of surprise. "Hey, I saw you weren't in bed anymore. Fee-"

"No. No I'm not, I'm scared. I'm scared of going to sleep because I get these things I see, a-and I don't know how much is real. I'm almost scared that this is a dream and I'll wake up alone in the woods."

Felix rubbed his cheek, looking flustered and uncertain. "I don't... I don't know what to say. I don't know what you saw or what you were like before."

"And I am still learning about what you are now." Emyri added.

KuliKuli whined and twisted herself a bit before leaning on the table, frustrated. "How's Syri?"

"Hurt. Your sister is helping her right now."

"And Janette? Is it true she was hit in the...?"

"... Yes." Both of them replied with a stuttered start.

"We took the arrow out so it will hurt for her to sit for a bit. Na'Vi is still resting and-"

"No she's not." Na'Vi spoke up as she was rubbing her eyes, dropping on all fours before stretching her arms and legs. It reminded Felix of how a cat would yawn and stretch after a good nap. "But I hear that Syri isn't doing so hot?"

Everyone nodded, with Emyri clearing her throat. "Felix, why don't you take Na'Vi to go see Syri for a bit? I'll help KuliKuli up in a minute."

He glanced at her direction before reading the look in her eyes. "Yea, sure. No problem, c'mon."

"Hands off, I can walk." Na'Vi yawned, letting him lead the way up the stairs as she followed at a slower pace. Both girls patiently waited until the sound of feet climbing up the stairs had stopped, with Emyri breathing in and walking over to a chair. She pulled it out before sitting on another and gesturing her daughter over.

"Sit, we need to talk."

KuliKuli swallowed and walked over, lifting her tails before squatting down on her chair. Emyri scooted her chair in for comfort.

"You've had a lot going on since you met us, haven't you?" She nods before letting her continue. "And how do you feel ever since we found you? Answer honestly."

"Confused, worried."

"Because of your life being good without us, yes?" Another nod, albeit a slow and reluctant one. "So who have we been talking to, KuliKuli or Nityri?"

She sighed. "KuliKuli I guess."

"Is that wrong?"

"I feel like it is."

"Why?"

"Because it's unfair to you guys, you're my family."

"We're Nityri's family."

"And mine!"

Emyri smiled and tapped the table with her paws. "Bingo, so KuliKuli has a family too. But wouldn't it be unfair for us to expect you to accept us? We're strangers to you after all."

"No- not anymore."

"Who am I talking to now?"

"N-Nityri!"

"Nityri now, okay. So would Nityri want us out?"

"I want... I don't know. But I am glad to have you in my life. Look, before Felix was my family. He was all I had and all I needed, and we made friends and they became family too."

"So are we friends to you?"

"Yes, I mean no!"

"Then what are we?"

"You're my family!"

"But isn't Felix your family?"

"Him too! You're both family!"

"And what about you?"

"I'm...." Her daughter, KuliKuli, or was it Nityri now, leaned forward and covered her face with her paws.

Emyri paused. "So what do you think?"

"It's not as simple as that."

"Oh? Who am I talking to-"

"Stop it, Mommy!" Her inner Nityri shouted angrily, exposing herself and pushing her chair back. "It's not as easy as asking if I am this or that! When I see you and I get these memories, I feel so... trapped. Stuck in between, like I-I don't know if I'm supposed to be Nityri to you or KuliKuli to him! I don't know what anything is!"

Emyri closed her eyes and let that sink in, brushing her hair aside with her tail. For a brief moment she was convinced this was her daughter before her, but she knew better. With a deep sigh, she pushed her chair back as well. "That's the thing about conflict, we can't understand it so we push it away instead and hide."

Her eyes flashed open with a shade of jade green. She stood up before her and leaned down lower and lower until she was on all fours, her chin a few inches off the ground before pouncing without warning atop her daughter. Nityri yelped and fell back, her mother baring her sharp teeth down on her.

"Mom, what are you doing?!"

"I'm not your mom, I'm a predator about to sink her teeth into her prey!"

"Get... off!" Nityri grunted loudly, kicking her mother away before rolling back and landing on her feet. Emyri hissed and walked around her on all fours before running towards her and pinning her daughter into the wall.

"Think fast, you have a monster trying to kill your beloved. What do you do?"

Nityri was beginning to panic, looking around her and struggling to pull her paws away.

"No use, it's just us. No more running, answer me!"

"I... can't!" She yelled before her mother pulled her away and shoved her hard. Nityri stumbled and fell before looking back. "What the heck are you doing!?"

"Nityri would run away, or is it KuliKuli? Or do both girls fight back? Show me. Show me like how you showed Leone."

Her eyes flared as KuliKuli's fiery eyes had reappeared within her. She growled and ran over to her mother, their paws meeting each other as they struggled to push the other away.

"That's more like it... just like Nityri would do."

"S-Shut up!"

"Oh? That is so like KuliKuli instead, guess I was wrong. You're not Nityri after all." She smirked, making KuliKuli bare her teeth and hiss.

"I'm... not... her!" KuliKuli shouted before ducking down and tackling her mother from her chest, pinning her down.

"So what are you then! Let it out! Are you Nityri?"

"No!"

"Are you KuliKuli?"

"No!"

"Then figure it out and crawl out of your hole!"

"Why can't I be MYYYSEEEELLLLLLFFFF!!!!"

She screamed in a furious roar that left her red faced and out of breath. Her mother leaned back and began to smile before blinking tears out of her eyes. As her daughter scooted away and let her sit up, she was quick to hug her mother hard with both girls silently bawling into each other's arms.

The feeling, her warmth, it brought back something to her. Not a vision but a feeling of familiarity and comfort. Her mother sensed such, realizing who was hugging her back this time around.

"Mom..."

"Sshhh, don't-don't talk sweetheart."

"I missed you."

"I know, I know. I missed you too." She said back to her, wiping her eyes before pulling back to get a good look at her. "Look at you, you're growing up and I missed it."

She reached in and wiped her cheek for her with KuliKuli reaching to hold her mother's paw. "I don't think I can be your Nityri, Mother."

"You can't, and I will miss her. But I will always, always love you no matter who you are." Emyri leaned in and kissed her cheek before both of them turned around to notice a full house watching them from the stairs. Felix, Reta, and Dimyri were quiet and careful not to make a sound, frozen as they were caught in the act of watching. Both girls looked back at each other before chuckling and laughing away the awkwardness around them.

Felix was the first to speak up. "Soooo... we heard some noise and wanted to see if everything was okay..."

"Thanks, it is." KuliKuli smiled shyly, sniffling and helping her mother up to her feet.

"Was this some kind of family therapy thing going on?" Asked Reta. Emyri shook her head and waved the comment off as both girls held each other and walked up to them.

"Is everything okay?" Dimyri asked, alarmed once KuliKuli met her eyes and smiled the way she used to.

"I think so, not yet but we're getting there."

Felix leaned in to touch her paw. "Are you... feeling better?"

KuliKuli hugged his arm and kissed him before resting her head on him. "Yes, I am. I think this time I am. Let's go check on the others okay?"