The Dream Shifter

Chapter 39

Saki dragged herself across the floor to the cell bars that were closer to Hitomi. She struggled to lift her head up to see Hitomi, but she felt a little better seeing that Hitomi was still breathing. 'She looks so drained. What did he do to her? Did he do this to all of them? What is with those vines…it's like he can control them…' Saki's eyes had opened wide when her thoughts finally came together piecing the images of the assassin that attacked Yuki in the schoolyard and the man with the vines. 'Their clothes are the same and that circle emblem on their shoulder too. Then he is like that assassin. Why is he not going after Yuki? Is he preparing since the other one lost?' The questions that were spinning in her head made her feel weak again suddenly. She dropped her head to the floor no longer able to keep the strength up. '…Yuki…'

'Back then it was different. I was so helpless that I couldn't do anything to protect myself from the bullies. They always seemed to pick on me for the stupidest reasons. It was usually because I was different looking than they were. My father is Japanese, but my mother is American. Children can find anything to fight about.'

"Are you hurt Saki?" Yuki, age six, said after he beat up the bullies. He helped Saki stand back up and returned her toy back to her that the other boys had taken.

"Thank you, Yuki! I'm fine." Saki turned around after nodding to Yuki and walked back to her sister, age five. "Here, Noriko. Yuki got back your doll!" She bent over showing it to Noriko who had been crying the entire time. Saki wiped away her tears when she stopped crying after seeing it in front of her.

'I had tried to get her doll back from the bullies, but they were older than me. All I had was my mouth and it easily got me into trouble. But Yuki protected me as he did every time I got into trouble. Ever since we first met he was always standing between them and me so I didn't get hurt. I never understood until later why he did it.'

As the sun went down they finished playing and stood up having been free to play without interruption. Saki and Noriko began walking back to their apartment with Yuki following alongside them. He walked with them to the fork in the street and then turned with them. Saki quickly came to a stop staring at him confused. "Did you forget, your house is up there, Yuki."

"I want to go home with you!"

"Is it okay?" 

"Yeah, mom and dad are too busy with Jun." Yuki walked up nonchalantly to encourage them to go ahead with him. Saki was not going to argue as she was happy with the idea of spending more time with Yuki.

'He seemed happy then, but he would be looking for the next fight. Yet he only would when one of his friends was in trouble. Even though he seemed angry underneath it was only ever in defense that he fought. It was just me to start, but then others. As he grew we all looked to him to save us from our troubles, especially me. I ran to him, but things had to change.'

"Wow Yuki, you really saved me!" a friend of Yuki's said.

"It's alright. They were punks," Yuki, age ten, said back to his friend. He ran his hands deep into his pockets and marched off away from the elementary school. His face was slightly red painting his rough angled face an almost rosy hue.

"Yuki! You heading home?" Saki, age ten, said as she rushed out of the school grounds with her long hair blowing behind her catching in her face a little. Once she had caught up to him she pulled the strains of hair out of her face letting them settle back.

"Yea…"

"You should really stop picking so many fights, Yuki."

"Whatever…"

"Yuki!" Saki narrowed her eyes in frustration knowing that he was ready for a fight and just needed a reason. Several older boys from the neighboring middle school stood on the sidewalk block their path. Saki stopped becoming hesitant from the looming glares that were etched across their faces. It was clear that they were looking for trouble and Yuki continued on past them as though they were not even in his way. Saki did not know what to think becoming almost embarrassed.

"Hey! You're that tough kid from Nayoi ain'tcha?" The boys were becoming frustrated for being ignored by Yuki. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" Yuki continued down the sidewalk not even twitching. "You can't ignore me!" The boy charged from the group with him going after Yuki with his fist held out. The fist had hit Yuki hard in the back of his head knocking him to the ground forcing his schoolbag to fly into the air. "Huh? Not so tough?" The boy kicked Yuki in the ribs getting a painful groan from him that seemed to draw out great pleasure for the middle school student.

'He had been getting worse in his fighting, but would simply brush off those that were looking to fight him. If they came to him wanting to fight he just ignored them. He would go so far as to let them hit him and look like he didn't care. I never understood. Yet if someone was in trouble he never hesitated a second carrying a grin the entire time.'

Saki tried to run through to help Yuki, but she was stopped by the other boys. "Yuki!" The boys grabbed her arms holding to back as she flailed struggling against them. "Help me, Yuki!" she said coming to tears. The words made it to his ears as he lay on the ground and his eyes snapped open wide. The boy's leg that was going for another swing was suddenly brought to a stop by Yuki's hand. Saki smiled in relief to see that he was not hurt.

'I wasn't in any real danger, but I knew if I said something he would fight back. I couldn't let him just take it. It was then that I realized… I knew that it was me…'

All of the boys laid across the sidewalk bloodied and sore, but more wounded in pride for having been beaten by an elementary student. Yuki walked over to Saki helping her up from the ground where she had watched it all happened to stare in surprise. She looked up at Yuki feeling sad suddenly. "Why?"

"I promised you. I would never let anyone make you cry."

'I knew that he would use me for his fights and I would use him to protect me. I couldn't let that continue. I promised myself that day I would become stronger so that he didn't have to protect me. So that he would be able to stop his fighting and I wouldn't need to be saved. I promised myself that I wouldn't need to be protected.'

"What?! Are you sure dear?" Saki's mother said shocked by Saki out of the blue announcement.

Saki stared up at her mother determined and not willing to back down from what she had decided. "Yes! I want to learn martial arts!"

'I was determined and mom tried many times to change my mind. But I was going to learn how to protect myself. I cut my long hair that I was so proud of and confirmed my resolve that night that I would change. I began taking classes when I was ten. Later I took up track in middle school and I still practice at the dojo today all so Yuki no longer has to fight. He can stay the way he is now.'

Saki opened her eyes feeling the strength returning back to her body. The pain across her back spiked with needles, but she bit through it to stand up. She did not have the luxury of lying on the ground while she was locked away.

From the far side of the warehouse wall, the door unlocked and opened. The man covered in plants appeared once more walking down the aisle of cells. He came to stop in front of Saki's cell staring at her with a hollow glow from the darkness behind the vines that covered his eyes.

Saki stared back the man not fearing what she was seeing having a better understanding now of what he was. There was some uncertainty still in her, but she was ready. 'I don't need you to keep that promise anymore. I can stand on my own. Yuki.'