Beyond Our World

Chapter 2 - Part 2: What Does the Kitsune Say?

"Hang this on the bar on the mirror's right. Then go stand in the middle of the circle in front of the mirror. Try not to move."

I did as instructed, and as soon as I had stepped on the center-point a flash of blue went round the circle's circumference. It surrounded me and fenced me off. I had to close my eyes, or else risk going blind.

I slowly opened my eyes again. I blinked a few times to recover from the sudden appearance of light. I glanced at the mirror and found my gaze couldn't leave it.

Now I had on me a deep purple, long-sleeved, crop top. I guessed the material to be a flexible fleece. My hands were snug in finger-less, black mesh gloves. A pair of black cargo pants sat on my hips, the many pockets would prove to be useful later. Typical black combat boots adorned my feet. I noticed my hair had changed too. It had shoulder-skimming, chunky waves and the tips were a dark blonde.

I stared open-mouthed, fingering a strand of my new hair with my forefinger and thumb. "You cut my hair!"

She just shrugged, apparently pleased with herself.

"There's a trick to this, isn't there? You can magically make my hair shorter so you should be able to do the opposite. I really liked that hair! It took me ages to grow that long on Earth!"

"There is a way. But even you have to admit this new do looks fabulous on you."

"At the moment, sure but my mood does change."

"I'll only give it to you if you promise to keep it at least until Raphael takes you somewhere else."

I frowned but then thought 'What does it matter to me anyway, if it'll change back later?'. I shrugged.

"Sure," She gave me a stern look. "Ok! I promise. Yeesh."

"My name's Amai, but you can call me Amali."

She handed me a rounded topaz that complimented my purple top. It hung on a chain and sat in the gap of my collarbone. My top had a wide collar so the necklace made the outfit finally feel complete.

I absent-mindedly rolled the gem around while admiring my appearance.

"Amali, you've performed a miracle with this sorry excuse for a girl. You've even healed my minor scars... Thank you."

"Oh hush, stop feeding yourself lies. Now, let me explain."

She released my fingers from their hold on the stone and let the gem roll to the center of her palm.

"This is controlled by the holder's thoughts. It takes in the brainwaves and interprets them, that's why your skin has to always be in contact with it. What comes out of it is the outfit that you want. It takes the materials already on you to make new clothes. However, it carries its own version of Creation essence that allows you to change colour, material, make-up, accessories and even heal yourself to an extent."

"So it boosts your immune system and renews material straight off your back. Cool. Magic and Science. I like this place already."

"I'm sure you'll like it more when you're out there. Now, I'm trusting your fashion-smarts, and that topaz. Be careful and don't hesitate to come to me for anything at all. Raphael should be outside."

She hugged me; the first hug I had ever recieved since coming here. I hugged her back, trying to convey the same warmth. I truly did feel a great reluctance in leaving her presence. I had learned so much from her in that short amount of time that I considered her family already. I made as if to leave but looked back at the last moment. All I saw was her abscence and a trail of lilac sparkles dispersing into the air.

I greeted Raphael outside, after carefully closing the wardrobe doors. His navy blue locks were more out-of-place than usual, and this time it didn't look like it was on purpose.

"Woah, hey. You look like you're gonna fight something. I like the hair though." From his voice, he seemed to cover up the changes in his appearance.

I laughed. "Did Amali tell you to say that?"

"Nope, but look. You're already on a first name basis with the big momma of this world. Well done."

I smiled, proud to have made a friend of someone most wouldn't have. We strode along until we reached an arch of brambles. The arch was the beginning of a wavering rainbow path.

"This is a Travellator. It gets you from one place to another." Raphael introduced.

We stepped onto the moving floor and watched as it brought us closer to our destination. The scene around us gradually warped into a gorgeous view. Lush green leaves decorated the hands of trees and signs of life could be seen everywhere. I felt something soft and furry brush against my pants. I swiftly angled my head in search of the creature. When I caught sight of it, it stopped to sit on its haunches. I turned sharply towards Raphael.

"Is that-?"

"Yes, it's a 9-tailed fox. A kitsune. She's the only one. We've been trying to get her to have cubs but she just won't interact with anyone or anything. She just sits there and watches people come and go."

"So your animals have more than one body part and can talk?" The disbelief was evident in my tone of voice.

"Most of them. This one seems to be mute." Raphael scratched his head then adopted an awkward shifting movement with his legs. "Hey, um. There's this friend I have to meet. So, um. I'm gonna go meet her. I'll be back in an hour." He then stepped out of my proximity.

A sudden spark of sheer curiosity mixed with a pinch of envy ignited within me. I noticed the kitsune had moved closer to me, and was now staring intently at my face. I bent down to pet it.

[The End of Part 2. Chapter 2 will be further continued in Part 3.]