Wednesdays with Patchouli
Of all things, the one that Remilia hated the most was dining by herself at the dinner table.
"Sakuya, don't tell me that Patch is busy yet again."
Sakuya tilted her head, "She shouldn't be, Koakuma told me that her affairs had been light of late."
Remilia sighed, "I should have scheduled a dinner party for today instead of yesterday."
"Shall I bring Lady Patchouli?"
She waved her hand, "It's fine Sakuya, I will confront her myself."
Remilia got up and left the table maintaining her usual commanding presence with Sakuya following her from behind. They made their way past the wandering stairways and down deep into the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Eventually, they came across two large interlocking wooden doors forming the entrance to the grand Voile Library. Upon entering, the vast cavern of books lay before them. They made their way to Patchouli's desk.
Remilia looked about the piled of books, papers, and reports.
"Patch?"
She was nowhere to be found.
Koakuma peered around the corner, "Lady Remilia, are you looking for Lady Patchouli?"
Remilia nodded.
"She seemed to be having another attack and went to go lie down."
Remilia sighed and nodded again as Koakuma excused herself.
"Shall we go check up on her Sakuya?"
Sakuya nodded her head, "If you wish, mistress."
They made their way across the vast library to Patchouli's room. It was slowly beginning to dawn on Remilia how much of her time was spent in simply walking. When they arrived, Remilia knocked on the door.
"Patch? I'm coming in."
She found Patchouli in her typical wretched physical state. She was under the covers, eyelids closed, and taking sharp, shallow breaths.
Remilia shook Patchouli's shoulder, "Hey, Patch."
She didn't respond. The gravity of the situation had hit in Remilia's mind. She had such an intense connection with Patchouli that with one look she could tell the minute differences in her appearance, and that her face was not one signifying the typical asthmatic attacks her body had come to bear, but something different, and more serious.
Remilia's expression immediately changed from her normal charismatic mask to a more sullen and worried version, "Patch?"
This time Patchouli did not answer, her breathing remained heavy and constrained, and her eyelids closed tightly in pain.
Remilia fell to her knees at the side of the bed gripping Patchouli's hand tightly, her voice changed to a very strong and imperative one,"Sakuya, get Eirin. Now."
Eirin tapped and prodded about, performing a dance beyond Remilia's, Koakuma's, or Sakuya's knowledge. Patchouli remained unchanged throughout the examination. She kept the intense, heavy breathing with closed, painful eyelids. After leaning over while performing her various tests, she stood back with a thoughtful and pensive gaze.
"This...is not a medical problem, it is a magical one."
She turned to Koakuma, "Koakuma, was it?"
"Yes ma'am."
"You are her primary assistant, what was Patchouli researching?"
Koakuma nodded next to Patchouli's bedside, where a large stack of books already lay, "Illusionist magic, primarily."
Eirin paused and then went over to her bag and pulled out very thin white veil, placing it over Patchouli's head. Sounds emanated from Patchouli's head. For the most part they were grunts or mutterings.
Eirin nodded conclusively, "There is a condition, not a medical one, but a psychological one, in which magicians who drown themselves in the magic of illusion get trapped in a fantasy world. A world in which they live in their most powerful nightmares. A world in which they dream the things they wish with all their heart would never happen. It is a syndrome I have never witnessed until now, and I know nothing about it than hearsay. She might be fine after some time, but past this I'm afraid I can not help you."
No one said anything, what could be said?
Remilia remained blankly staring at Patchouli as Eirin gathered her belongings, tipped her hat, and was led out by Sakuya. And, for a time, Koakuma stood watching in disbelief before bowing her head and making her exit.
Remilia stayed, for the longest time just staring in disbelief. Outside, the moon set and the sun rose without Remilia's knowledge. She gripped Patchouli's hand tightly, her faced remained with tightly closed eyelids and shallow, harsh breaths.
"You fool, we have enough ventures, enough money, you don't have to please me any more than you already have..."
Patchouli groaned, "Remi..."
Remilia's face shot up at Patchouli as she nearly crushed her hand, "Patch?"
Patchouli's face grimaced, "No, Remi, don't go."
"Patch!-" Remilia caught herself, noticing that Patchouli could not hear her.
"Don't leave me Remi...don't die..."
Remilia thought, "Her worst nightmare...is my death?"
She grabbed Patchouli in embrace, pulling her upright and digging her head into her shoulder.
"Patchouli, don't make this sadder than it already is."
She grabbed her by the chin, making her pained face look at Remilia's tear-stricken face straight-on, "Can't you hear me? The love of your life is already before your eyes, you just have to open them! This cursed face be damned, open your heart and hear me so that you might open your eyes once more!"
Remilia closed her eyes, grabbed Patchouli's head between her hands and pressed her wet face against Patchouli's, "Damn it, I'm sorry...please open your eyes Patch."
She sobbed, and repeated herself, "Please just open your eyes, we've been together for longer than some human civilizations, don't let it end like this."
"Remi? Is that your spirit I feel?"
Remilia jolted her head up and her eyes open, tightening her embrace, "It's me! Damn it Patch, it's me!"
"Remi, I can hear you, please don't leave."
She shook her body, "WHY THE HELL WOULD I DO THAT?"
Remilia caught her breath enough to come to her senses. If Patchouli really was in a dream world that Remilia had access to, she just had to make Patchouli recognize this and then she could wake up.
Remilia wiped off her face, "Patch, what do you see around you?"
There was a pause, Patchouli's face remained unchanged throughout the process, "In your bedroom, right beside you."
Remilia remembered two things that she both got from Patchouli earlier: one was a devil's mirror in her dresser that could show the reflection of a vampire but of nothing else, and the other was that mirrors in dreams were a simple way of showing someone that they were in a dream.
"There is a devil's mirror in the dresser, go get it."
There was a small pause, "O.k...I got it."
"Look in it."
"...I see...myself...as well as the rest of the room. Are you sure you placed the mirr-"
"I'm sure of it Patch."
"Then what does this mean?"
"Patch, you're in a dream. Think about it, nothing makes sense. Why would an immortal vampire suddenly die?"
And just like that, Patchouli opened her eyes again into Remilia's.
