The Dream Shifter

Chapter 69

Yuki's feet crunched the snow beneath him as he charged forward trying to reach Ayumi in time to save her from a lethal blow. "Ayumi!" He had his arm stretched out reaching for Ayumi as he saw as the moments click by with the sword coming down and fearing that he would not be able to make it in time. 'I've got to reach her in time! She's protected me all this time and now when she needs help I can't do anything!' He felt his heart pounding in his chest aching from his fear and strain. 'I'm too far away! I won't make it! If only I could…' A sudden blinding light pulsed out from Yuki over the entire field engulfing Ayumi and the woman assassin.

When the light faded away a column of fire was burning where Ayumi and the assassin had been. "Ayumi!" Yuki screamed unable to see her fearing that the assassin had burned Ayumi with her attack. He ran to the flames, but was forced back feeling the heat coming off of them only a few steps away. Yuki screamed out for Ayumi repeatedly hoping to get a response from her only falling into even more despair with no answer from her. As the moments drained away he saw something leave the inferno taking a safe distance away from the column with trails of fire coming off of them as they landed to safety.

Yuki ran around the column of fire towards the figure unable to see clear through the heat that was coming off of the pyre. However, as he was getting close to the blurred figure the fire suddenly went out with an explosion that forced all of the air out cutting off the source long enough to end it. Yuki turned back to see ice shards flying everywhere as a solid hexagon column of ice around Ayumi appeared from the dust. The ice melted away quickly with Ayumi coming out unharmed from the fire. She swiped her sword through the air pushing away the remaining embers.

"Ayumi!" Yuki shouted as he realized that she was safe and then towards his back where the assassin had to be. He felt the cold presence of a shadow over him knowing almost instinctively that it was assassin coming up behind him sword drawn ready to run him through the back. His entire body froze in paralysis feeling the touch of death that he wished that he had not been so familiar with. A dark shadow drew across his face as his eyes widened with the feeling pour through him completely. He had only tried to save Ayumi and now he was going to be dead a second later after not accomplishing anything. 'Is this it?'

Out of the side of his eye a flash of metal blazed by his head and shoulder in a blur with his panic stricken body unable to follow the movements. A momentary clash of metal echoed through his ear and then another blurring trail as whatever had passed by him returned. The feeling was finally returning back to his legs and body as he slowly turned feeling time being returned to him when the blade of death had not pierced him.

The assassin had been turned back taking up a safe distance from him leaving Yuki confused. He tried to replay the events through his mind, but none of it was making any sense to him. It was all just hazy to him with his body unwilling to act. 'What just happened? Ayumi?' He turned back looking at Ayumi for answers, but only receiving a glare that he knew all too well.

"Get back now!" she snapped at him before Yuki could say two words to her.

Yuki jerked back in his legs puzzled by her reaction to him. It was not a response that he was unfamiliar with, but considering her danger a moment ago he would have thought that she would be a little shaken. 'She's so cold even now. How?' As he stood still longer he felt Ayumi's eyes become even more piercing and impatient like she would cut him down if he did not act. Yuki dragged his legs forward to get himself moving approaching Ayumi. "Ayumi…"

"Behind me!"

"But Ayumi!" Yuki was still walking towards her rather than following her orders. He was not certain why he was not running away, but he just kept moving unable to turn his legs.

"I said behind me! Listen to me!"

"…Ayumi…"

"Is that all you can say? Shouting my name like that's going to help me?"

Yuki stopped in mid step feeling the full force of Ayumi's scolding, yet more than he was accustom to though still seemingly unprovoked this time. "…Ayumi… You…the fire from the assassin!"

"The fire wasn't from the assassin, but you!"

Yuki was genuinely confused by Ayumi words. "Me?" He knew that he could not have done it since he still had the healing field that he made for Fumiko up. However, if she said it was him he had no reason to doubt her since she was expert, but it did not make any sense. He did not remember changing fields or even thinking about what field to change to. The last two times he used his field that had an outward change he had a sword and armor, but he had neither of those things this time. "What are you talking about? It couldn't have been."

Ayumi stepped forward grabbing Yuki by the arm and throwing him back behind her causing him to land of his butt in shock. She stepped forward holding her sword in her right hand with her chakram in her left putting her between him and the assassin. "Look around! This isn't my field!"

"Huh? Yuki rubbed his back side still not sure what she was talking about, but he looked around as she told him. All he could see was trees of a dense forest in an open clearing that they were standing. It did not look that strange to him and it was not his field. 'My field is grass… And Ayumi's is snow… The assassin's was…something weird looking… Besides it's just a forest I don't see any field.'

A wind blew through the clearing in the forest as Ayumi and the assassin stared off at each other. The moments passed between them. Yuki held his gaze to them still left on his rear not certain what the next move was going to be. He knew that the assassin had cornered Ayumi only a moment ago, but he was not clear if it was a lucky move or if the assassin was better than Ayumi.

"Get back! You're field is neutralizing mine!"

"What?! I already told you it's not me!"

"Dammit Yuki! I don't have time for you to be dense!" Ayumi kept her eyes focused completely on the assassin knowing that she would take advantage of any opening or moment of weakness that would be shown. She had only managed to stall things by protecting Yuki from the attack. Both of them had no idea what Yuki had summoned for his field aside from the fire and he remained completely clueless to what he had done as usual. The assassin was playing it cautious knowing from her information how powerful Yuki could truly be when motivated. 'I don't know how long this standoff will hold. She's only analyzing the situation before making another attack. I don't know if I'll be able to hold her off for much longer, especially with him weakening me.' She had to do something to get him away from her and make him understand the situation. "…look…the forest is your field this time. The fire came from you, not the assassin. Get away from me so that I can fight this assassin without you interfering with my field."

Yuki finally got up to his feet again backing away a few steps still not completely sold on everything. He had to trust what she was saying, but it did not make any sense to him. '…forest…forest?' The forest that surrounded him suddenly came to him realizing that there were far too many trees around him to be the school anymore. When he looked for the school it was completely missing and they were out of sight of anyone with only Fumiko behind him at the edge of the clearing. 'This forest…it is me isn't it?! This is what Ayumi was yelling about!' He began to back away from Ayumi seeing what he was doing, slowly understanding. "But the fire…from me?" he said softly still trying to figure out what he had done by staring at his hands.

Fumiko rushed up by him grabbing his shoulder to stop him. "You need to help her, Yuki."

"Fumiko?! Wha…" Yuki was taken aback by the appearance of the tall upperclassmen next to him. He had expected her to stay back out of the way terrified by what she was seeing. This should be all a complete mystery beyond her understanding and unable to comprehend, but it did not seem to be affecting her. "I can't… I'm only getting in her way…"

"But you want to her help! You should stand at her side!"