The Dream Shifter

Chapter 153

A letter slid slowly out of Yumi's pocket. She held it in her hand showing it while keeping the contents a secret. "I believe the letter is related to Yuki in some way."

The teenager took a couple of steps forward becoming drawn in with questions. Yumi's declaration made him consider several options quickly. There still remained some skepticism at his heart. "Why are you so certain? The letter is pretty vague."

"I know, but it's a feeling I have." Yumi's hands tightened a little reflexively reacting to her acknowledging the doubt that others would have for what she said. Behind the self-consciousness, she stood firm in her belief that despite anyone suspiciousness and uncertainty nothing would make her waver from her stance. "I can't explain it. I just know."

"I have my doubts as well, but I'm inclined to agree with her," a new voice said out of the shadows. The voice carried a softer touch, one of a girl, but a slightly deeper in pitch than Yumi. She casually stepped on to the lit mound of grass joining the small gathering. The girl stood taller than the rest of them and appeared more mature in her face than the others. Once she reached the center, where everyone was grouped, she looked around at the others that she was joining. "I see that I wasn't the only with a letter or questions." When she came upon Yori there was a moment of recognition. "Student Council President Yori Mizuno?"

"He's a student council president?" the boy question for a moment before quickly accepting it. "He does have one of those pretty boy faces, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

The implication that Yori earned his position through looks struck him hard, but he kept it to himself trying to take the high road. He held his gaze to the upperclassman taking a second to remember her name, as he knew it was familiar to him. "…yes… you're the head of one of the Literature Club branches, Terauchi, right?"

"I'm impressed that you remembered me," she remarked a little surprised.

"I try to remember all of the club leaders."

Interrupting the introductions, the rough edged boy placed himself between them to get the attention. "The whole warm greetings is nice and all, but are you all saying that you know Yuki and that's why you got a letter?"

"It's probably because that weakling needs protection," joined another young girl's voice to the party. The voice preceded the person by enough time to give everyone pause to search around. They found nothing despite it feeling as though the words had come from someone next to them. As though testing them the girl appeared suddenly behind the punkish teenager.

He swiveled on the heel of his feet providing force and speed to his outstretched arm to strike at the shadow. His arm was skillfully blocked, but the weight behind his attack could be seen compressing arm that blocked him. "A kid? Don't sneak up behind me!" He held his arm against her block pressing into a power struggle not willing to back down.

The black clothed girl grinned with great interest in her discovery. "A worthy opponent. Perhaps my whim will pay off."

"Worthy?! Kids playing pretend as a ninja should respect those older than them!"

"If one was pretending…perhaps…"

"That's enough," spoke a calm voice entering into the light of the hill. "You're not here to fight everyone."

"Yet another one?!" the teenager complained. "How the hell many people got called out here? This is getting ridiculous, not to mention conspicuous."

"Oh, the muscle head knows big words."

"You looking for a fight now, kid!"

Yumi watched the situation quickly fall apart. She did not know what to expect when people started to show up. It remained her belief that they all knew Yuki and it was about him. So she figured that they would have common ground, but she worried if they were already fighting with each other over small things. However, she had had enough. "Shut up, everyone!" she roared in a voice that seemed impossible from the demure shell that she kept.

To everyone's surprise, it happened to be enough to quiet them all done. Yumi looked around at everyone fixing them with a stare to show them that she meant business. "We're all here because of Yuki. We should be working together and not fighting!"

"I still have my doubts," remarked the boy.

"This is a strange band, I'll agree," commented Terauchi.

"I'm more interested in the purpose of this letter," added the short boy that remained in complete control of himself.

"The love struck girl's correct," confirmed a very high pitched voice from above. Floating in the air, a fairy lowered herself down in the middle of everyone making her known to them all. Her presence held everyone's further interruptions as she made it very clear in her tone that she spoke with knowledge. "It was me. Who sent you the letters. And yes, it does involve the matter of Yuki Hayashi…"

"The love struck girl's correct," confirmed a very high pitched voice from above. Floating in the air, a fairy lowered herself down in the middle of everyone making her known to them all. Her presence held everyone's further interruptions as she made it very clear in her tone that she spoke with knowledge. "It was me. Who sent you the letters. And yes, it does involve the matter of Yuki Hayashi…"

"Love struck?!" objected Yumi, while trying to avoid causing anymore doubt with a red face.

"So how does this involve Yuki?" the rough boy said stepping forward demandingly staring at the fairy, disregarding the odd case of being summoned by a fairy. "What trouble has he gotten himself into?"

The fairy spun around in the air to face him not looking too impressed. "Figured you'd be the first one to speak up when it came to the girly boy. But I doubt I need to explain too much to you, wannabe Yakuza Priest."

"Yakuza?!" a few of the other whispered becoming concerned about their company.

"You've got quite the noisy mouth on you, damn midget!"

"Easily provoked as well. You're not going to last long against them…" The fairy hovered away from him having become bored. She planted herself towards the far end of the knoll, which managed to direct all of the attention towards her.

The easily angered boy was not finished and pushed through the crowd to get up in the fairy's face again. He was not going to let something so small get away with mocking him. "Where you think you're going? I'm not letting you off so easily!"

Yumi rushed forward to stand flanking the teen while still partially getting between them. "Please don't fight! You want answers right? This fairy seems to know us somehow and it would be good to know why she's doing all of this. If you can calm your anger for the moment."

"Tch!" He reluctantly dragged himself back in line with everyone else, taking more of a back seat.

Chapter 90 – Decision Time

Once the situation was adverted Yumi looked around to everyone. She felt that there still existed uncertainly and confusion among the group that would not simply be resolved. However, Yumi could not let it rest knowing that they were called together for a purpose. "Perhaps we should introduce ourselves first and how you know Yuki. It might begin to shed some light on the reason. I'll start…I'm Yumi Mizuno and I'm a classmate of Yuki."

Everyone seemed hesitant to speak up. There was still some awkwardness in the air from the arrival of the fairy and trouble that she brought. Yori saw his sister staring at him after a few seconds getting the impression that she wanted him to pick up her lead. "I'm Yori Mizuno and I don't really know Yuki, but through Yumi. I'm here because she is."

"Fumiko Terauchi," said the older student at Yori's left. "I've only met Yuki briefly, but he saved my life."

The black clothed ninja girl was stared down at by Fumiko with the expectation that she introduce herself next. She grumbled a little still considering it. A small sigh exhaled from her as she gave in. "Chiharu Chinen and I don't want to know about that weakling." She turned her head away in a huff having given all that she was going to give.

"Haruo Yoneda…classmate." He had kept things brief considering what he felt like saying. The reasons for him coming still remained a little uncertain for him as well. So he did not feel the need to provide a long answer to explain himself.

After a long pause from Haruo everyone looked behind at the last remaining undeclared boy. The eyes locked on him made him aspirated. "Seiji Tsuji, an old friend." Seiji looked back at the rest with annoyed eyes, still bothered by the fairy.

Yumi took in what she had heard, but did not feel that it really answered anything. It had at least given her names. The connections seemed to be as simple has having known Yuki at some time. They all needed more answers. Yumi joined the rest of the group and stared at the fairy in expectation.

"When then, I guess you're wanting me to explain in more detail the purpose of this. You all know Yuki through some means and some of you even know the trouble that he is in currently. You may not understand it fully, but you know there's trouble. Simply put, Yuki is leaving in the morning to confront what he faces. I'm giving you the decision on how you want to use this information, whether it is to give your goodbyes, try to stop him or join him."

"Is he going alone?" inquired Fumiko.

"No, Ayumi Nishimura and Saki Furukawa will be going with him."

"What is he confronting? Is it dangerous?" Yumi asked. She began to see the pieces coming together. Parts were missing still, but the way that Yuki had been acting recently could be explained. She had always suspected that the man that attacked their school had something more to do with Yuki. Even if it was dangerous, she was not going to change her mind.

The fairy lowered herself a little in the air. "Very dangerous. It's likely that he'll have many battles where's going before he can resolve it."

Yori took a step forward ignoring the feeling that he was the odd man out for not having been summoned. "If it's so dangerous why's he going?"

"Because it's something that he's decided he must do."

"So did he send you to ask us to come with him rather than doing it himself?" demanded Seiji, still sounding uncontrollable with his frustration.

The fairy smiled a little smirking to herself. "No, he doesn't know I'm doing this. It's likely that he doesn't even know that you all have powers as well. I'm doing this on my own."

"Why are you doing this?" spoke up Haruo for once.

"Because I like to screw up what he had planned. Simple as that!" The fairy seemed a little rushed and cornered responding to Haruo. She floated back up a little putting some distance between them. "Well I answered your questions and gave you what you needed to know to make your decision. I'm leaving now!" The next moment the fairy flew up the massive tree disappearing out of the field of the light. The group tried to call out to stop her, but it was far too late. They could only stare around at each other feeling a little lost being given only twelve hours to come to a decision that would affect their lives possibly.

Yumi searched the sky a little trying to find the fairy before giving up the hope. She looked back around at the others. "I think it's more than just trying to mess with Yuki's plans. She must be worried about him if she asking us for help." She knew nothing about the others, but hoped that she could convince them to seriously think about assisting Yuki.