The Dream Shifter

Chapter 202

Before her three figures appeared outside of her barrier, not immediately clear due to her sight not being ready. They did not give her a chance to take it in fully before speaking to her.

"Damn, I know you're determined, but no need to be aggressive!" remarked a male voice.

A calming female voice replied to him, "We did just appear behind her. I think you would be startled too."

"Huh? What are you…" Yumi's surprise cut off her words before she could finish speaking. She finally saw who stood before her. The shade from their features disappeared and Seiji, Chiharu and Fumiko gathered in front. Her barrier disappeared immediately along with the support in her legs. She staggered back a couple of steps not certain her eyes held the truth. "How? Why?"

Seiji leaned in with a step looking angry, suddenly. He extended his hand out pointing at her almost touching her nose. "The hell's the matter with you? You think we'd just let you go off on your own in some foreign land? Hell no!" His eyebrows narrowed further to accent his anger. When he finished he almost ended up in her face.

Fumiko reached out and grabbed Seiji's shoulder pulling him back away from Yumi. She looked down at him trying to eliminate the scary face he wore. "What do you think you're doing? You're scaring her!"

"I'm just setting her straight!"

"Then do it in a manner that isn't going to frighten her! She's not Yuki!"

He took a step back from Fumiko and glanced over at Yumi. She had her hands up close to her chest and looked ready to collapse. The more he looked her the more he started pull away. "W-Well I-I…" He looked back at Fumiko's stern face and then to Yumi again. "I'm sorry!" Seiji retreated to the back of the group after his apology.

Fumiko stepped out towards Yumi. She softened her expression to comfort her. Her hand patted Yumi on the head easing her back to the group. "Seiji means well, I guess." She casted a quick gaze back at him before focusing on Yumi. "Feeling better?"

"…yeah…" Hesitation persisted for Yumi, but he began to come out of it with Fumiko. A calming presence from her eased her body after Seiji yelled at her. However, she looked around Fumiko seeing Chiharu and Seiji still present. She looked up at Fumiko confused. "But how did you get here and why? I said—"

"That you'd do this alone," interrupted Fumiko. Her tone came sharply and quick, but lacked the bite that Seiji attacked with earlier. "There is one thing that he was right about. We weren't going to let you go off on your own. We're coming with you."

Yumi pushed a little forward pressing her hands into her chest. She did not want to get everyone else in trouble because of her selfishness. "But what about the reason we came here? Yuki can't come with me! You have to tell him to go back!"

The tall teenager nodded back to Yumi. "You're right. Yuki does have something he needs to do. Which is why he's not here."

"He's not?"

"Nope, we're splitting up into two teams." Fumiko raised her hand up to Yumi showing two fingers. She then counted the first finger alone as she spoke further. "One, Team Yuki will continue on with the same goal as before. To reach the capital and put an end to all of this fighting. The other, you," stated Fumiko point her finger at Yumi, "Team Yumi will backtrack to find your brother and rescue him."

"Huh? Team? Me?" Yumi backed a step away from Fumiko trying to take in all that Fumiko told her. She looked around Fumiko again to get a sign from the other two that they agreed. Seiji nodded to her, albeit in a hesitant and shy manner that she thought was a little out of character for him in an almost adorable way. Chiharu met eyes with her, but immediately turned away with not so much as a grunt of annoyance. While a little loose, it did seem as though they all made their decisions. "Why me?"

Fumiko tapped Yumi on the forehead smiling a little. "You should know that already." The confusion in Yumi's face made it clear to her that she still did not see it. She needed more time. "This is your brother that we're rescuing and you were the first one to move. It only makes sense, doesn't it?"

"But I'm not that strong to lead."

"I don't know about that. I think you've been doing pretty good for someone that's trying to change herself."

Yumi jumped back a little surprised by the directness and accuracy. She did not think that anyone noticed. She did not want anyone to notice. "What are you talking about?"

"You can hide things from people, but eventually they notice. However, most of this is a conversation for another time. This is your show, Yumi. So you're in charge. Besides, you said you knew where they were keeping your brother. I think it makes sense that you're the one that leading."

The direction of the conversation turned a little awkward for Yumi, as she got the sense that Fumiko really did know more than she was willing to tell. Yumi became a little worried and self-conscious in the presence of Fumiko. She needed to be careful and not reveal too much more to her. The longer that she stared at the three the more she felt a little at ease. Going alone into the lion's den was something that already she set herself to doing. However, the thought of going with friends made the idea almost appealing. She allowed herself a small smile. "Alright! Let's save my brother!"

'Yumi…sister…' Yori felt his tired heart pounded painfully in his chest. Fatigue came in heavy waves stronger than before. His body did not feel as though it could support him any longer. He did not have any energy before, but the drained sense he had penetrated deeper than he thought possible. Only the chair that restricted him was enough to keep him from lying on the floor as a mass of muscle and bones. It made him wonder if death felt similar.

The image of the man from before flashed before him. Thinking of the man's word sent sparks of electricity through his bones. '…that man…he's different… can I? Against him?' His presence alone made him shake once again with just mere thought. He sensed some hesitation still in the one that interrogated him before. A little piece that gave him the strength he needed to come through with enough persistence. However, he received no such feeling from the other man. The cold and driven stare told him enough.

Beyond the lingering presence, something worse and deeper concerned him. In that moment, he became uncertain of his position. He found the only bastion of hope for him, the purpose, was to protect his sister. He did not know what they planned to do to him after it all came to an end, but he found comfort in knowing that his silence would keep her safe. Yet his mind hesitated then for a moment. He questioned if he should remain quiet. Yori did not know if he had the will to endure whatever the man planned for him. The certainty of them finding out what they wanted turned him to doubt the need to withhold still. Did it really stand simply as inevitability?

Even the thought of it for a moment made him hate himself. He had forsaken Yumi, his sister, his family because of his fear. She abandoned him because she knew he turned his back on her. He hated himself. 'How could I do that to her? How can I ever face her again?' Yori hung his head on his shoulders. A color deeper than black painted his face. The weight on his body felt suffocating.

'How do I hold out against what they bring out next? I believe him when he says that they can make me talk, but I don't want…Yumi…' The certainty of what he could say made him shake. He did not know if his resolve could hold out. He did not want to fail Yumi a second time.

The tent flap opened once more and shadows crawled along the ground. Although the sun made it a little difficult to cleanly make out those entering, he did not have to guess. First in to the tent was the man that interrogated him before. Next, the man, that gave him a new measuring stick for fear, entered. Last was an unknown, but tall woman dressed like the others he saw Yuki fight. She wore white and a very narrow piercing gaze. The woman carried a very unsettling pair of eyes, small nearly dots. Yori did not even know her name and he already felt the oppressive presence that she gave off in the room.

Simonides stepped in front to directly address Yori. He pressed his hand to the kid's head and made sure they made eye contact. "This will be your last chance. The next time I'll make sure you suffer."

Slowly setting into the comfort of the hills, evening slowly began to arrive in Atlantis. A calm breeze passed through the clouds keeping the air from turning stagnant. The rest of the land seemed to be carrying on as though the day was as normal as the day before. Even the smoke that hovered in the distance faded away. No reminders remained of the events from the night. Atlantis moved on, but they could not forget.

Even if she had acted assured and ready for their endeavor, underneath it turned into a raging maelstrom. She felt a little unease by taking on the challenge of saving her brother alone. Yori was her brother, it should be expected that she would go. The addition of her friends traveling with her with the same goal changed everything. They made her leader and left her the responsibility, even if they did not mean to do so in a callous manner. Knowing that anything she did affected everyone with her sent her past simply fretting and nervousness.

The weight on Yumi's body felt worst than she remembered. Her chest tightened and hammered on her through her pounding heart. She did not even know if sweat covered her or the heat overwhelmed her. Between the moments when her mind was not spinning with all of her fears, her legs ached refusing her. She never felt such pain before, but she knew the risks to be higher than in the past. Her success and strength did not mean so much previously.

An anvil suddenly dropped on Yumi's shoulder shattering her body and delicately managed balanced. She let out a yelp of surprise and turned to find Fumiko's hand on her shoulder. If the hand had not been resting on her, Yumi would have collapsed to the ground as a puddle. Her reaction took Fumiko a little back, giving her the time to recover her breath. "I-I'm sorry! I-I was distracted…concentrating…"

Fumiko gave her a small grin, "You looked a little tense."

"Wah! I-I…"

"You don't have to stress. We might have forced it upon you, but we can protect ourselves. So don't think you need to bare everything alone. We're all friends here."

Yumi felt a little relieved by Fumiko's words. She looked around behind them at Seiji and Chiharu behind them. The two kept silent for the entire time since meeting Yumi. It did not take the strange intuition that Fumiko had to see that they did not look pleased with the situation. Everyone knew that they were always at each other's throats when a moment of calm came. The only thing keeping them in line was a purpose to their travel. Even with a purpose, both remained more than a health distance apart from each other of at least two meters. They looked to be trying to flank Fumiko and Yumi with their position. The sight made Yumi giggle a little forgetting herself.

Seeing the two in mute disagreement, Yumi returned to her question from earlier. They seemed out of place and least likely to actually agree to be together. She looked over at Fumiko again. "You never did completely answer my question. Those two don't get along very well, but they came along. How come?"

"Yeah…" Fumiko sighed thinking about it for a moment. She tilted her head back looking at the two of them. The events replayed quickly through her mind trying to sort it all out. "They're like an older brother and younger sister sometimes, though I doubt you want to tell either of them that."

She gave Fumiko a quick nod of agreement. "So what made them come?"