Twentieth

She opened her eyes and looked around the room a moment, before turning her gaze to Mia.

Mia waited expectantly.

She opened her mouth to respond, but the words refused to leave her tongue.

Or maybe better...she wasn't sure what to say.

"...Um. Um..." She looked around uncertainly. "I don't..."

Mia's ears flicked back. "You are...a terrible Keybearer!" The tiny cat panted at her, eyes glowing green.

"You don't know how to see with your SOUL. Such a basic thing to fail at as Keybearer?! How are you supposed to be Keybearer if you can't see with your soul, hmm?"

"...Soul...?" She gulped.

Mia rolled her eyes and smacked her paw against Emily's chest. "Obviously."

"...Uh?"

The fairy-cat poked at her chest a couple times with her claw, frowning. "S-O-U-L. Soul." She pronounced.

"I know what a soul is!!" Emily argued, batting her claw away.

"No. You don't know the first thing about what a soul is. A soul is everything that you are. The essence of life. Your true self."

Mia licked her paw, eyes flashing green for a moment before she continued. "Not some shallow thing like personality or likes or dislikes...it goes further than that...deeper. A level far more primal." 

She sighed heavily as if it were incredibly bothersome to try and explain these concepts to the 'incompetent' human.

"From the moment of creation, your soul is complete and unchanging. It is you. Your opinion may change, your mood may change, your tastes and your stupid little brain, but 'you' will never become anything or anyone else."

Emily stared at Mia, lips pursed in a line as she listened. She thought that maybe, perhaps it was possible she understood what Mia was trying to say.

But...

If she did, it was in a more - or perhaps less - obscure manner.

In short: she really didn't get it at all.

"A soul holds all of the potential of your life. From its well comes talent, from its roots come your dreams. The 'you' that is trapped in your little suit of flesh, the 'you' that looks out through your annoying little eyes. Not your whimsical choices, but the responses and feelings and decisions that you never consciously make. The things that you could never waver from no matter what you try."

The katsith stared at Emily. "Do you understand now? What you are to tap into?"

Maybe a little?

She both did and didn't understand it,

Maybe she was still overthinking it somehow?

But thinking less didn't make it more comprehensible!

"...My soul? But...how am I supposed to...?" She began, brow furrowing. She shook her head.

But Mia's right. What kind of Keybearer can't do her most basic duties...?

"It should be simple, human! What did I just say?! You are your soul! Why are you reaching outward?!"

The pink katsith threw her paws up in disgust, as if utterly flabbergasted at her poor performance. She stormed around in a little circle, working out her frustrations, before stopping and staring at Emily once more.

Emily coughed. "I...I...I..."

She stammered incoherently for a few seconds, not knowing how to react to that.

Mia sighed deeply and tapped Emily on the forehead with her paw once more. "It isn't about reaching out, but realizing what you are." She stated simply, before adding, "...Nyavermind...you're hopeless. Humans are worse every year, every generation..."

"No-no wait...!" Emily shook her head. "Just...let me try one more time." She sat down, trying to steady her breathing. To relax and focus the way the katsith told her to do.

The tiny fae regarded her with disinterest, before nodding curtly and sitting down.

There was a definite air of 'for now' there in her posture, though.

She sat, concentrating hard upon the--

Wait.

No...

Of course!

Her eyes opened briefly in surprise, and then she relaxed, closing her eyes.

She...didn't focus on anything at all.

She simply relaxed.

And thought of nothing at all.

Nothing.

She felt her heartbeat slowing.

Nothing.

Then there was...

Something?

She reached out a hand.

Yet...

She didn't move at all.

Light filled her vision, mind, soul.

Magic flowed through her.

She felt power in every fiber of her being.

Everything seemed sharper than ever before, more detailed. More clear. Everything seemed to pulse with vibrant color, radiating from inside herself. Everything felt brighter. All senses heightened to impossible levels.

It was...

Almost overwhelming.

She slowly drew her hand away from that brilliant, glowing aura surrounding herself.

And it faded.

She blinked her eyes open.

...Only to find Mia sitting across from her, looking bored.

"Finally."

Emily gasped and clutched her chest, hunching over. "What happened?! Was that it?? Was I meditating?"

"Nyaaa....It's whatever. Boring. Boring. Boring."

"I...think I just...saw something?" She looked over at Mia. "What happened?!"

The tiny cat sith yawned wide. "Don't get so excited. You merely felt your soul for a moment. But it will be enough to sense the keys more profoundly now." She looked away indifferently as if unconcerned with this new revelation.

Emily leaned forward eagerly. "So now I can--"

"Go forth, stupid Keybearer! Kiss some keys!" The fae fairy declared triumphantly, waving a tiny pink paw in the air.

"Gah...why must I be saddled with such an incompetent fool for a master...?" She shook her head ruefully, ears flattening as she cursed bitterly beneath her breath.

"Hey...!" She scowled at Mia, a bit offended. "I'm trying my best, you know! This whole...thing...it's hard!"

Mia cocked her head sideways as she fixed Emily with a questioning gaze.

"Did I not just tell you to kiss a key?"

The tiny pink fae stared at Emily accusingly for a moment longer before she turned around abruptly, tail swishing angrily, and walked over to the corner of the room. She crouched down next to the large plush cushions scattered about and curled up there, tucking herself beneath the pillows and blankets neatly folded over the chairs.

"...Thanks, Mia."

"Nyaaaaa..."

Such a rude little kitty. Emily thought with a smile.