First of all I'd like to
apologize for using Japanese words, but I simply adore them and can't let them
aside. If you don't know what something means you can check this place: http://www.geocities.com/ale_4_10/dictionary.txt I also added dub names and
real names for those of you who don't know the real ones I'll be using. Also
this is an AU (alternate universe) fic but I kept the characters' personalities
as well as I could. I left Sakura's ghost fear aside for obvious reasons.
One last thing: I have no intention of offending any religion by writing this
so please accept my apologies if anything bothers you. That's it, enjoy your
reading!
Sakura... Sakuraa...
Why are you calling me?
Come with me... let's dream... forever...
--The unfinished melody
Death. Death seems like something unavoidable, an unchangeable end, but is it really definite? Some say there's life after death somewhere in a better place, and some that their souls will be reborn into another creature's body. But which theory is true? I don't know but what I do know is that some souls need help to get wherever they should be and that's what my purpose is, to help them. My name is Sakura and I'm a spirit aid.
"Spirit aid?" You must wonder, dear reader, who has probably never heard of us. It's because we're hidden from the outside world and people who have encountered us label my kind with false names. We're what you would call ghost hunters, but I think that term is inappropriate simply because our function is to help, not to hunt. You'll read more about our lives written in the story. A story of a girl. Yes, a little girl who was oblivious to it all...
*****
A time of many years ago, when I was only 12 years old... Yes, even I was that age once, and I still remember what happened back then as if it'd been only yesterday...
I was asleep in bed having a strange dream about someone calling to me. It was a male voice that wanted me to dream forever. I felt so warm…so safe between my clean white sheets and holding my favorite plushy, Salt. It's a strange name, I know, but I named him during my cooking phase. It was quite brief so I didn't gain too much experience but I have never been a good cook and I doubt I ever will be.
Soon I woke up with a start but the blinds didn't let light enter. The room was in complete darkness and deathly silent. Sitting in the dark for a moment, I crawled out of bed and stared out into the blackness. I can't really say something was forcing me to do those things, but I just knew I had to do them and the urge was too strong to disregard. It's hard to explain, but it was just a reaction to something that wasn't happening.
I walked towards my mountain of stuffed animals and picked one up. Like Salt, it was yellow and I wasn't sure of what species it was. It had monkey ears, a round head, lion tail and wings. I had bought it because it was unique but never thought about him much. There were at least 30 of those lifeless inhabitants in my room, so it would be strange if we called it a coincidence that I singled out that one. It was more because it started talking to me. I don't remember what it told me, but I didn't feel like listening so I simply walked back to my cozy bed and hugged him tight. Soon I fell back to sleep as if nothing had happened.
It's funny I took it so naturally that night because the next morning I was pretty surprised when it spoke to me again. I cried out, "Hoeee?! You can speak?! I bet it's onii-chan playing a joke on me!"
"It's nice that you consider me a joke," he replied sarcastically, "but we have some important business to discuss. First of all I'm not allowed to tell you my name so you'll have to guess it. Now, I know your guessing powers are barely starting to develop so your first few guesses probably won't be my name but that doesn't matter. Tell me a name so we can go on!"
You must admit that was a weird request but I did it anyway. "Kero-chan!" my lips spoke but I didn't know where the name had come from, yet I did.
"That is the stupid nickname I was given when I was alive," he mumbled, "darn guessing power."
I still wasn't sure of what was going on so I simply apologized, "Gomen ne, little Kero-chan," and finally, he began explaining.
"You, my dear friend... Sakura, isn't it? Are becoming a spiritist, ghost hunter, whatever you want to call it. The thing is you'll be-" his speech was halted by the voice of my brother, Touya. "Sakura!! Get your butt to breakfast!"
A thing I've forgotten to mention is that, that day just happened to be the day I would be moving to a boarding school. My father wanted to ensure I was being raised properly and neither him or my brother were at home too often. My mother had died some years before so she wasn't there to take care of me. I guess my dad felt bad seeing me have to do everything by myself and wanted me to be a normal child. How sad I wasn't destined to be one.
Turning back to the story, my brother pointed to his watch and told me the time. Apparently the bus would arrive in 5 minutes. Luckily I had already packed, so all I had to do was brush my teeth, comb my hair and get dressed. At that age and being as clumsy as I am (I'm still as clumsy as when I was 12...) I had already developed the ability of doing the 3 things at once because I was always dropping my alarm clock and breaking it, hence waking up late.
Abandoning Kero-chan on the bed I rushed into the bathroom and finished just on time. Getting everything to go, I almost forgot about the talking toy. He couldn't move yet so it was impossible for him to follow me, he just started yelling, "come back, you'd better not leave me here!"
Soon I was on the bus surrounded by people I didn't know and about to meet my dear friend, Mr. Destiny who's been an acquaintance of mine ever since.
To be continued…