Tale As Old As Time

The Forgotten Lake #2

Yooa hugs her arms tighter as she tries to process what her mother had just told her. 

"Let me get this straight," she bites her thumb nail, narrowing her eyes at Himari. "You want me, to get you minerals from a lake in Yakushima Forest, that deep and large forest, all for you to drink?" 

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." Himari nods appreciatively like it doesn't sound so bizarre of a task. It sounds like the complete opposite to her daughter. Yooa questioningly looks at her mother like 'is this real? are you being serious right now?'. Noticing her honest confused face, Himari thought she didn't quite get the message and so she knew she had to go more into detail.

"Okay listen-" she grabs Yooa on the shoulders getting her full attention. "There's a lake in that forest out there, that I swear did wonders to me and my parents. It was beautiful, the water was a calm blue and perfectly transparent. I remember witnessing towers of radiant light soaked the water with their beauty. It was really warm, like a hot tub and I enjoyed soaking myself in it for hours and hours with my mother. It was ethereal amidst the trees around it," she said as her eyes twinkle just reminiscing about the event. It must've been a memorable thing for Himari if it interests her this much, Yooa thought.

"One day, my mother was sick. It was terrible, she had a really high fever. She started to become emotional and would say her early goodbyes to us incase 'it' ever happens. She requested us to take a bath at the lake in Yakushima and then get this-" Himari pauses for dramatic effect and Yooa finds herself leaning in, "She drank the water and got home fully healed. It was like magic! The morning before, she looks defeated and her eyes drooped low but after the visit, she's this lively wonderful person once again like she's always used to be." 

A lake that could heal someone's sickness? Sounds like something made-up. Yooa wants to think that this is real, that what her mother was telling is the truth but all that she could summarize from this is another episode of delusions. Her hands tighten around Himari's arms as she looks deeply into her mother's eyes, genuinely concerned about her mental health. She wants to say something, she wants to deny- but it's starting to actually feel like she's treating a patient. What would happen to Himari if Yooa treated this request as just another one of her mother's symptoms. Himari did just sternly addressed that she does not like the way they are treating her right now. She said she's fine, but Yooa thinks otherwise. But is it really needed to press her concerns through?

They both stand there, in the kitchen, just looking into each other's eyes. When Himari lets go of her grip from Yooa's shoudlers, her face shows it all. She knew Yooa is having another brawl with her mind of this situation. "Honey I'm not sick. Other than a minor headache and stance stability problem, I really am fine-"

"I believe you mom." Yooa said, decided to humour her mother's story this time. Himari calms herself as she smiles a satisfied smile at her. Both her hands coming up to cup Yooa's cheeks. "You do?" she asked and Yooa nods with a small smile. Himari pokes Yooa's nose and it sparks a giggle from her. "Will you find it for me then? I really do think this is gonna work. Besides, no clinic fees so that's a plus." she shares light.

Though the lake is out of existence which makes it pretty much impossible to find, Yooa decided to agree anyway without further questions. 

She finds herself standing outside of the house with a bucket on either of her hands. Already, the thought of doing this is ridiculous and she just wants to crawl back into the living room and play dungeons and dragons with Nanami, Jiro, Gon and Tora. She's missing out pretty much the actual 'quality' time she seeks yet here she is finding an unexistent lake. Nanami and Jiro did offered to accompany her but Yooa denied. No one could blame her, not when she's trying to do an errand her delusional mother is asking for.