The story goes on. Thanks for the review. I don´t own anything but the madness.
"Text" = talk
text = thinking & book title
Chapter 2: Believe
Ayumi sat in the library frustrated. Her books were spread in front of her. Teen days had passed since the sandman had saved her. No one had believed her. Not Eri or her parents. And not even her five years old sister Karin. "Ayumi, the sandman dosn´t exist." - "You really should stop joking." - "Grow up." She was so sick of hearing it.
The girl opened the next book and tried to focus. She had a history test the next day. She admitted, it sounds strange. Especially when coming from a sixteen year old. But it was the truth! She didn´t made anything up! Plain, simply truth!
Kagome sat down across Ayumi rather loudly, making the later look up curiously. The raven haired girl took out her book and started studying it.
The bruenette relexed. Her friend may not believe her, but she also didn´t made fun of her. Actually, she became very quiet, everytime she spoke of it.
"You know.."Kagome said without looking at her. "You are stupid."
Ayumís head shot up. "What?"
"When you get in contact with the supernaturell, you keep it to yourself."she said. "Elseway people will start thinking you ́ll mad and call the doctors, if you don´t stop after some time. That, and it´s dangerous in this world."
"So what? Are you telling me, I´m mad."
Kagome´s blue eyes looked at her sharply."No. Did you even listen to me? I believe you." Her voice was quiet, but strong. "You are simply acting uncareful. I am warning you, Ayumi. That´s all."
Ayumi stared at her. "You believe me?"
"Yes." the other girl smiled in understanding. "I´ve seen to much, to not to." The brunette was so happy, she didn´t notice, that behind her friend´s happyness something else shadowed her eyes.
She nearly cried, but smiled. "You believe me..." She took a deep breath to steady herself. Suddenly the last days seemed less treatfull. "Thank you."
"You´re welcome." the raven haired girl nodded and went back to her book. "So be more careful from now on. Uff, nazis ... Sure hope, I never land there." She ignored her friend´s questioning glace and went on learning for the test.
A month later, Kagome just finished the last training session of her soccer team befoe the big winter break. Ayumi stode on the side of the soccer field and waited for her.
"Okay, boys. That´s it for this year." Kagome called them together. "Go and get changed. I´ll give out dinner at Kazuki´s today." The boys retreated under loud cheering into the changing rooms of their school. Meanwhile, the miko walked over to her friend, joined by Kiara. "Hey, Ayumi." she smiled. "What are you doing here? Not that I mind. But don´t you hate soccer?"
"Hey." the brunette greeted back, chosing to ignore the other girl´s comment. "I ..well, have a question..." She looked at the floor.
Kiara jumped at her mistress´ shoulder. "What about?"the later asked.
"Well... you know about the supernaturell, don´t you?" she started nervously, still not looking her in the eye.
"That is true, but you already know that."she anwered confussed. "Do you have a question about it? Come on, no need to be nervous. You know, I won´t bite your head off."
Ayumi nodded. "How did you find out about it?" she asked steady.
Kagome`s whole body froze. Her aura changed dramaticly. "Don´t ever go there." she said in a monotone voice. Her eyes were hidden under her hair. "I am neither willend nor can I talk about it."
The brunette took a step back. "Sorry."
The other shook her head and forced herself to brighten up. "It´s all right." she smiled. "It´s really not your fault. I understand why you want to know. But our first meetings with that world were ...really different. Just don´t ever ask about it again, ́kay? And now, ask your real question."
She turned beet-red and look away. "There is no other question ..."
"Lie. Since the sandman saved you, you are totally beside yourself. So ask."
"I..." Ayumi bite her tongue and became quiet.
The miko scrated her cat´s ears thoughtfully. "Did anything else happen?"
"No!"she shouted, creating a new color of red.
Kagome´s eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms. "So what then?" she asked.
"I... wasn´t able to thank him."she wispered.
"That´s what´s up?" the miko asked suprised. "You are beside yourself for over a month because you couldn´t thank him? Oh my..."
"I know, it´s childish, but.." Ayumi mumbled and looked away again.
"Well, then there is only one thing we can do." Kagome declaired. "We are going to hunt the sandman down, so you can thank him."
"Are you mad?!"
"Not at all. It́s going to help you and your friend and winter break starts tomarrow. So I´m just fine with it."
"I know, you mean it good, but think this through. I mean, won´t the sandman be like super busy. We would only annoy him. And besides that: How do you want to find him? I bet there had been thousands to search him. They didn´t find him."
"Sure he´s busy. A dream for every last being on earth every night, there is no way, he isn´t. But I´m also sure no one ever really thanked him, since it´s just what´s expected of him. A `thank-you` dosn´t take that much time and would make him undoubly very happy, don´t you agree? And about the `finding` -leave that to Kiara and me."
Ayumi thought about it, then smiled. "That´s great ...I think."
"It is!" Kagome smiled and looked at the returning boys of her team. "I´ll call you later to tell you what you need to pack and give you a cover-up story."
"Okay, bye." she turned to leave.
"Till later! Be carefull or Jack Frost is going to nip your nose." the girl called after her.
"Huh? You think it´s going to snow?" the brunette was taken apart for a second. "Alright, I´ll be carefull." With that she ran off.
"Who is Jack Frost?" one of the boys asked Sota.
"The incarnation of winter in the western mythologie." he answered. "Onésan is really into that legend, already like forever."
"Really, Couch?" asked a second boy.
"Yes. Why?" she asked smiling. "A problem with that?"-"No."-"Good. Let´s go!"
The next day, Ayumi´s parents brought her to the Higurashi -shrine. It had actually snowed that night, so that Tokyo laid through under a white cover.
"It is very nice of you to take our daugther with you on the trip to Paris." her mother said to Kagome, who had been waiting on the top of the stairs. "I´m glad she is allowed." she said immededly. "I myself was suprised to win those all-inclusive tickets." They talked for a while, before the two adults bid their farewell -they had to go to work. As soon they were out of shight, Ayumi turned to Kagome and asked: "Why was I supposed to pack summer and winter chlothes?"
"Well, this is a big world. We don´t know, where the sandman lives." she explained and leaded the trio inside. "Could be hawaii, could be the antarctic. We have to be prepared for everything."- "I don´t believe that I have warm enough chlothes for the antarctic." - "We have Kiara, don´t worry." she smiled and closed the door. "First thing to do, though: Kiara, please."
Kiara jumped off her shoulder onto the floor and burst into flames. Ayumi jumped back against the wall. Under the flames a bigger version of Kiara became visible. Only that this version had very long fangs and blood red eyes with blue pupils. And her paws were aflame.
"This is Kiara´s true form." Kagome said as if it was the most normal thing of the world. "We thought you should know, since we are going to travel together."
"Um... yeah..." The high school girl tried her best to keep her marbles -and from inching away from the monster-cat. Why had that cat -? How did Kagome get-?
"Hm.. She is taking it suprising well..." the miko said thoughtful and turned to her cat and friend. "I guess a thousend years old, flying hinekoyoukai that rebelled her own kind to join the youkai taijin and is in the timetravel buisness isn´t all that scary after all." Kiara gave a deep chuckle.
Ayumi feinted. Kagome could bearly catch her, before she would have hit the ground. In that moment her grandfather came out of the living room. He stopped and looked at the three females. "You overdid it, didn´t you?" he stated more than anything else. "Well, better now, than when your at Kiara´s back up in the air. Come, let́s carry her to the couch."
The raven haired girl nodded, and the youkai took Ayumi´s legs carefully in her mouth to help her to carry the girl into the living room, where they placed her on the couch. "She feinted?" Souta asked. He sat on the dinner table, three books in front of him: Sandmen-Myth anad Facts, Fairies and Co.-the world of magical creatures and atlas. He was just putting them into a waterproof bag. "I thougzh they only do that in movies."
"Souta, stop being mean." his sister scolded at him, as their grandfather covered Ayumi with a blanket and Kiara tranformed back, because it was simplier easier and more comfortable in her small form when indoors. "It is a lot to take in." -"But for you it wasn´t." -"I was born with the Shikon no Tama in my body. My subconscious always had known, there were youkai." she gave back, but he shook his head. "She had no problem accepting the existence of the sandman, but Kiara..."
"That´s true." Kagome nodded. She walked up beside him and looked at the books. "However, accorting to those books, only a person that truly believes in them can see the sandman and his kind. So Ayumi must have already believed in him before." Sota looked at the books as well. "Would have anyone told me this kind of thing two months ago, I would have laughed." he admitted in a whisper. "But now it really seems foolish." She smiled. "Don´t be so hard on yourself. Believe can be as fragile as glass, but also take just as much time and care to form. If you wouldn´t have believed, you would have just declaired us mad."
"Kagome." their mother called from the kitchen. "Are you sure, you don´t want to take more supplies with you?"-"Yes, okásan." Kagome answered. "In this era, we´ll have the possiblity to go to the supermarket. We may even get a room in a hotel once or twice. A nice change." Her mother came in with the bag of food and drinks. "Okay, I think, we got everything." the girl looked at the table. "Chlothes to change, supplies, two sleeping bags, a tent, first-aid-kit, books for back-up information, compass and my bank card."
"You forget your bow and arrows." her grandfather said and handed them to her.
"Oh, thank you. You never know, after all. It´s a big, big world out there." Kagome smiled, then realized something and raced up the stairs. "I forgot my book!"
"Okay, what is it about that book anyway?" Souta asked his mother. "She even took it with her through the well."-"I suppose it´s her personal version of a lucky charm."she smiled, not realizing, that the old man behind her smiled broadly. "I´m going to get her a lucky charm of our shrine for on the way!" he said. "And some suntras! And some hairs of a tengu for luck!" Souta laughed. "At least the boring times are over."
Kiara watched her human family for a moment, then turned to look at Ayumi. I hope she gets over her shock before nightfall.,she thought. We have to travel with the night.
With that everything starts... A bit longer than I thought, but alright. Hope you liked it!
