I don't belong here, even if I want to

The sky was clear at that land, where they came. They landed in woods, which was good thing. Seeing a little girl with a black panther maybe wasn't normal to see in this world.
"Spinel where are we this time?" little girl asked.
"Not sure, we need to find who ever lives here, so I could be sure" said panther while looking around.
"Wait here." Spinel said and took couple of steps ahead. Girls stood still as if she was in some kind of spell that didn't allow her to move, if Spinel didn't say so. The panther turn around to look at the girl.
"I think we are in Japan" he said looking at girl like saying that she can come close to him.
"You mean same Japan where Yuuko-san lives? This doesn't look like it." Girl said when she came next to Spinel.
"This is different Japan, here people relay on priestess and their wisdom. Maybe we will find our answer in this land" Spinel said looking forward.
"Do know anyone wise here?" girl asked.
"No, we need to ask someone"Spinel said.
"But I don't know the language of this land and … you better do the talking" Girl said at loud voice.
"Yana, don't be so loud, someone might hear you..." Spinel said before a large monster came out through trees.
"Or something."Spinel said before he catched the girl with his teeth from her sleeve and throw her away from the fight. Yana fell to the ground and while she turned around both panther and monster were fighting.
The fight was quick, monster was too big for Spinel to handle. After monster had couple of times pushed Spinel to the ground, it came ford to Yana. Yana was still a little hurt from falling and she barely got up to face the monster.
"You fool, run!" Spinel screamed.
Yana closed her eyes as like to prepare to receive the pain and hurt that was about to come.

She only heard that something was hit. When she opened her eyes she saw Spinel with bloody forehead and monster holding his forehead-gem in its big hands and ate it. Then it went away.

"Spinel, a-are you okay?" Yana asked with trembling voice.
"NO I'M NOT!" he shouted. "WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING IN YOUR HEAD?"
"I'm so sorry." she said. Spinels anger was obvious in his eyes, but soon it came down.
"How can I protect you now when my powers are gone?" he said with calm voice.
Yana started to cry. It was her fault that Spinel was hurt and powerless now that his forehead-gem was gone.
"Stop crying. You'll need strength to go forward. We need to find someone, who can help us."
"To get your gem back?"
"To give us an answer to our question. The gem isn't important now, besides that monster will regret taking my gem soon." Spinel said with grin.
"Why?"
"Those monsters don't have a heart and my gem uses power from the heart, without a heart the gem will eat the body and energy of the monster."
"So, where we go now?" Yana said drying her eyes.
"Just some where for now. I also need to change my form to smaller one to restore at least some energy ".

After saying that Spinel started to shrink. He kept shrinking and shrinking till he looked like a black cat. Yana lifted him in to her arms.
"Unfortunately, now you need carry me and not to talk to me. " cat said without moving its mouth.
"Why?"
"You don't know the language of this country so talking to a cat with weird language will be odd. So we'll pretend that you are just mute"
"Okay"

"Stop." Spinel said. Yana stopped like there was wall in front of her. She looked if anyone was near before she talked to Spinel in her arms.
"What is it?"
"I sence strong power in front of you."
"I don't feel it". Yana looked at front of her, there was a road that went between two big fields to a village. At the east side of the village there was wood and at the west side of the village was a lake.
"It's a... Kekkai."Spinel said.
"What, you mean like a shield?"
"It's protecting everything that's inside of it. Maybe it's placed here because of the monsters, like the one we ran into two days ago"
"Is it save to us to go in?" Yana asked remembering the monster from two days ago made her scared.
"I'm sure it's okay us to go, it stops monsters to get in. Beside maintaining a strong kekkai like this means that there is a Miko inside"
"How do we know she is there?"
"... I forgot you still can't talk to humans here."
" Well, let's at least try." Yana said and took couple firm steps inside the kekkai.

When Yana walked through the road couple of farmers saw her and greeted her with a smile. Yana smiled back to them, since she couldn't greet with any words.
"People seems to be very nice here"Yana wispered to Spinel when they past the farmers.
"You walked inside the kekkai it mean you mean no harm"Spinel said.
"This feels different from the heavenly city.
"Don't mention that place. I'm still glad we didn't need to stay there for paying the prize."
"True, if they know the answer to the question we would have needed to stay there to pay the prize of traveling time and dimensions. Yuuko-san said that when answer is clear we need to stay in that world who gave us the answer."
"Let's see if Miko of this place can give us the answer" Spinel said before they came to the village.
At first everyone stared them a pit, but then they returned to they works what ever they were doing.
Children were playing and running, adults were talking and working. In middle of the village there was a tree with large shadow. Yana went to sit right under it. She lied against the tree, she was tired for long walk. Yanas feet were hurt she did have any shoes. Spinel had hardly the power to change her outfit into yukata. So her appearance didn't make anyone stare them.
"At least I can walk with it" she said when her outfit was changed. It was hot so it was good she was wearing any of her original clothes, it would have been very unpleasant in this weather.

"My my, you are new here" an old woman said. Yana didn't even notice her before she talked to her. With the old woman there was a boy holding bucket with water.
"Poor thing, you must have walked very long way, your feet look very tired".
Yana looked her feet and they were red and swelling.
"Little one do you have name?". Before Yana could answer Spinel started to meowing like a cat who begged for food. Yana remembered that she couldn't talk yet. Spinel gave her yesterday ability to hear and understand what people were talking.
"What a pretty cat." the old woman said while she was scratching Spinel.
"It's pure black." the boy said. "it might bring bad luck."
"Only if he has green eyes... see his eyes are blue" old woman.
"Okay grandma." boy said and looked at Yana.
"So what is your name?"
Yana stayed silent.
"Are mute or what?"boy said. Yana nodded her head.
"Poor thing, it must very hard for you" old woman said. The boy went also silent because he realize that the girl couldn't talk.
"Don't worry this is very peaceful land. Nothing bad happens in Suwa".