~~~~~~~~~~~Phase 3, The Dream ~~~~~~~~~~
School was canceled that Saturday due to the mass shock of the town. Hanami and Maiko spent the whole day walking through a local park. Maiko made up a story about losing her way and finding a family to take her in. She used a slight spell to make it seem believable, though feeling bad about having to use even a tiny bit of magic on her best friend.
"You know we start school on Monday…just imagine what everyone will say…" Hanami said, half talking to herself. Maiko had been wondering the same thing. Would anyone she knew be at Yamako Academy? Would they remember her? Or would they say, "That's the girl that everyone thought was dead!" and, "Look! She's alive after all these years!" And so on. She looked up into the sky, and let her medium brown hair shine in the sunlight. She began to think if her life would ever be the same again after meeting Kijo, and then returning after 6 years. She thought about what Kijo had said, "Remember, this town will depend on you one day, and you must be there to save it. Maiko, if you can't, no one will." "I wonder what she meant…" Maiko thought to herself. "What are you thinking of, Maiko?" Hanami asked looking up at the sky. "Hmm...Well, everything I guess. The world, my past, the future, everything…" They both stared off into the sky, as the beautiful cherry blossom trees swayed in the wind, and their petals blew all around them. The sun shone brightly, and it seemed as if nothing could have ruined the moment, accept for 1 person. Asuka and her posse, who just so happened to be coming into the park at that moment.
"Well, well, well…" A voice said. "If it isn't little miss popular. Remember me?" Maiko looked back down, and opening her eyes, she saw the glint of blonde hair, and steel blue-grey eyes. "No, Asuka, bur I bet she was trying to forget." Hanami said, smirking. Asuka ignored Hanami's comment and stared at Maiko. Maiko looked directly into Asuka's eyes and opened her mouth, but then closed it, stood up and smiled. "I missed you, Asuka." She said quietly, with a content look on her face. Hanami got up and looked at Asuka, and then Maiko, who was still smiling. Asuka seemed to be at a loss for words. "Come on, Hanami." Maiko said. "Let's go now." And she and Hanami turned and walked out of the cherry blossom-filled park. Maiko turned around quickly to flash a quick smile at Asuka. They heard footsteps, and a faint call behind them, but Maiko had seized the moment to use her magic for something good. The cherry blossom petals had made a slight barrier between them and Asuka, like a veil. "Well, so much for a weekend without Asuka…" Hanami said, muttering. "I was hoping she would have moved out of town when she was partially blamed for your accident, but she stayed. How annoying…" Maiko laughed. "Well it's nice to know you haven't changed at all." She said to Hanami, and they both laughed.
They walked through the park, and through parts of the town for the rest of the day, and they even went to buy school items for Maiko. Hanami bought herself a white book bag, and Maiko got a deep purple bag. When they returned to Hanami's house that evening, the black cat was asleep on Maiko's bed. "That's scary…" Hanami said. "Should I tell my mother to get rid of it?" Maiko looked at the purring cat and thought for a moment. "No, just leave it. It's not hurting anyone, and there's nothing wrong with black cats. They're just black, it's not their fault." Maiko replied thoughtfully. "Yea, I suppose you're right." Hanami said back. "Come on, let's go have dinner."
When dinner was over, and it was time for bed, Maiko began to think about her parents again. She wondered if they'd heard the news and were coming back for her, or if they'd died along with her 6 years ago. She was so busy thinking about her parents, she almost forgot to think about school that would be starting the next day. "Oh no…my uniform…" She thought silently. "I don't have any money for a new one…" Then she remembered a spell Kijo had taught her when measuring cups. "Oh yea, the enlargement spell…" She remembered suddenly. She quietly whispered, "enlarge" and held a hand above her too-small uniform from the 1st grade. Almost instantly, her navy blue and white school uniform enlarged to fit her exact size. Maiko tried it on and spun in a small circle. "Well, it fits!" She said triumphantly. Hanami walked in to see Maiko in her uniform. "Wow, you got a new school uniform! But how did you get one to fit you?" Maiko looked for the words, but they wouldn't come. "I um…err.." Hanami nodded her head and then spoke again. "Oh yeah, you must have bought a new one when we went school shopping today." Maiko sweat dropped, and then nodded hastily. "Um, yea, that's right." She quickly left the room to change into her kung-fu suit (pajamas) and then slipped quietly into bed.
Maiko didn't sleep very well that night. She had a terrible dream where she saw a few teenage-looking boys dressed in black and silver. They were standing near Yamako Academy, smirking, and chanting. The sky had clouded over to a dark an unwelcoming grey, and lightning flashed. Maiko was floating nearby on her broom watching the boys, when they drifted slowly upward and raised their arms. Then 1 of them noticed Maiko hovering on her broom nearby. They all flew swiftly over to her and began to laugh evilly. "Wha…what do you want?" Maiko said stuttering. They began to taunt her, and pill at her hair and her broom. "Stop it!" She wanted to yell, but the words would no longer come from her mouth. She couldn't speak. "What is it little girl? Scared of us?" One boy said. "What's your name?" He asked a horrified Maiko. "Speak." He said coldly, and he raised his finger to her lips and swayed his finger and muttered something quietly. Maiko began to cough. "What…did you do??" She demanded to know. He laughed and then replied, "You're Maiko aren't you? Maiko Sasaki, the dead girl?" Maiko stared, and then responded quietly. "Yes…yes, that's me…" The boy began to laugh evilly as the others tightened their grip on her broom, arms, and neck. "How would you like to really be dead?" The others laughed as well. Maiko tried not to show her fear. "Why do you want to kill me? What have I done??? Why do you want to kill me…" And she saw no more.
Maiko awoke the following morning sweaty and out of breath. "Maiko, are you ok?" Hanami asked. Maiko stared into the blankets and looked at Hanami and rubbed her neck. Her neck had finger nail marks on it. "It was just a dream…wasn't it?" Maiko thought uneasily. "Maiko, we have to get ready, school starts in 30 minutes!" Hanami said. Maiko still felt drowsy. "I guess…" She yawned, and dreamed about going back to sleep. "Come on Maiko!" Hanami said excitedly. "You'll get to meet Chizuko! She's the one who knew you were coming back!" Maiko rolled over and looked up at Hanami. "She what?" She asked quietly. "I said," Hanami repeated, "She predicted your return yesterday! She stood up right in class and said you'd come back and you did!" Maiko stared in awe. "How would she know that..?" Maiko felt a bit strange. "Oh well, she's in a psychic in training." Hanami replied. "Really.. What's her master's name?" The black cat sat at the edge of Maiko's bed, with it's cold, green-yellow eyes, watching. "Mistress, actually. I think her name was Kijo."
School was canceled that Saturday due to the mass shock of the town. Hanami and Maiko spent the whole day walking through a local park. Maiko made up a story about losing her way and finding a family to take her in. She used a slight spell to make it seem believable, though feeling bad about having to use even a tiny bit of magic on her best friend.
"You know we start school on Monday…just imagine what everyone will say…" Hanami said, half talking to herself. Maiko had been wondering the same thing. Would anyone she knew be at Yamako Academy? Would they remember her? Or would they say, "That's the girl that everyone thought was dead!" and, "Look! She's alive after all these years!" And so on. She looked up into the sky, and let her medium brown hair shine in the sunlight. She began to think if her life would ever be the same again after meeting Kijo, and then returning after 6 years. She thought about what Kijo had said, "Remember, this town will depend on you one day, and you must be there to save it. Maiko, if you can't, no one will." "I wonder what she meant…" Maiko thought to herself. "What are you thinking of, Maiko?" Hanami asked looking up at the sky. "Hmm...Well, everything I guess. The world, my past, the future, everything…" They both stared off into the sky, as the beautiful cherry blossom trees swayed in the wind, and their petals blew all around them. The sun shone brightly, and it seemed as if nothing could have ruined the moment, accept for 1 person. Asuka and her posse, who just so happened to be coming into the park at that moment.
"Well, well, well…" A voice said. "If it isn't little miss popular. Remember me?" Maiko looked back down, and opening her eyes, she saw the glint of blonde hair, and steel blue-grey eyes. "No, Asuka, bur I bet she was trying to forget." Hanami said, smirking. Asuka ignored Hanami's comment and stared at Maiko. Maiko looked directly into Asuka's eyes and opened her mouth, but then closed it, stood up and smiled. "I missed you, Asuka." She said quietly, with a content look on her face. Hanami got up and looked at Asuka, and then Maiko, who was still smiling. Asuka seemed to be at a loss for words. "Come on, Hanami." Maiko said. "Let's go now." And she and Hanami turned and walked out of the cherry blossom-filled park. Maiko turned around quickly to flash a quick smile at Asuka. They heard footsteps, and a faint call behind them, but Maiko had seized the moment to use her magic for something good. The cherry blossom petals had made a slight barrier between them and Asuka, like a veil. "Well, so much for a weekend without Asuka…" Hanami said, muttering. "I was hoping she would have moved out of town when she was partially blamed for your accident, but she stayed. How annoying…" Maiko laughed. "Well it's nice to know you haven't changed at all." She said to Hanami, and they both laughed.
They walked through the park, and through parts of the town for the rest of the day, and they even went to buy school items for Maiko. Hanami bought herself a white book bag, and Maiko got a deep purple bag. When they returned to Hanami's house that evening, the black cat was asleep on Maiko's bed. "That's scary…" Hanami said. "Should I tell my mother to get rid of it?" Maiko looked at the purring cat and thought for a moment. "No, just leave it. It's not hurting anyone, and there's nothing wrong with black cats. They're just black, it's not their fault." Maiko replied thoughtfully. "Yea, I suppose you're right." Hanami said back. "Come on, let's go have dinner."
When dinner was over, and it was time for bed, Maiko began to think about her parents again. She wondered if they'd heard the news and were coming back for her, or if they'd died along with her 6 years ago. She was so busy thinking about her parents, she almost forgot to think about school that would be starting the next day. "Oh no…my uniform…" She thought silently. "I don't have any money for a new one…" Then she remembered a spell Kijo had taught her when measuring cups. "Oh yea, the enlargement spell…" She remembered suddenly. She quietly whispered, "enlarge" and held a hand above her too-small uniform from the 1st grade. Almost instantly, her navy blue and white school uniform enlarged to fit her exact size. Maiko tried it on and spun in a small circle. "Well, it fits!" She said triumphantly. Hanami walked in to see Maiko in her uniform. "Wow, you got a new school uniform! But how did you get one to fit you?" Maiko looked for the words, but they wouldn't come. "I um…err.." Hanami nodded her head and then spoke again. "Oh yeah, you must have bought a new one when we went school shopping today." Maiko sweat dropped, and then nodded hastily. "Um, yea, that's right." She quickly left the room to change into her kung-fu suit (pajamas) and then slipped quietly into bed.
Maiko didn't sleep very well that night. She had a terrible dream where she saw a few teenage-looking boys dressed in black and silver. They were standing near Yamako Academy, smirking, and chanting. The sky had clouded over to a dark an unwelcoming grey, and lightning flashed. Maiko was floating nearby on her broom watching the boys, when they drifted slowly upward and raised their arms. Then 1 of them noticed Maiko hovering on her broom nearby. They all flew swiftly over to her and began to laugh evilly. "Wha…what do you want?" Maiko said stuttering. They began to taunt her, and pill at her hair and her broom. "Stop it!" She wanted to yell, but the words would no longer come from her mouth. She couldn't speak. "What is it little girl? Scared of us?" One boy said. "What's your name?" He asked a horrified Maiko. "Speak." He said coldly, and he raised his finger to her lips and swayed his finger and muttered something quietly. Maiko began to cough. "What…did you do??" She demanded to know. He laughed and then replied, "You're Maiko aren't you? Maiko Sasaki, the dead girl?" Maiko stared, and then responded quietly. "Yes…yes, that's me…" The boy began to laugh evilly as the others tightened their grip on her broom, arms, and neck. "How would you like to really be dead?" The others laughed as well. Maiko tried not to show her fear. "Why do you want to kill me? What have I done??? Why do you want to kill me…" And she saw no more.
Maiko awoke the following morning sweaty and out of breath. "Maiko, are you ok?" Hanami asked. Maiko stared into the blankets and looked at Hanami and rubbed her neck. Her neck had finger nail marks on it. "It was just a dream…wasn't it?" Maiko thought uneasily. "Maiko, we have to get ready, school starts in 30 minutes!" Hanami said. Maiko still felt drowsy. "I guess…" She yawned, and dreamed about going back to sleep. "Come on Maiko!" Hanami said excitedly. "You'll get to meet Chizuko! She's the one who knew you were coming back!" Maiko rolled over and looked up at Hanami. "She what?" She asked quietly. "I said," Hanami repeated, "She predicted your return yesterday! She stood up right in class and said you'd come back and you did!" Maiko stared in awe. "How would she know that..?" Maiko felt a bit strange. "Oh well, she's in a psychic in training." Hanami replied. "Really.. What's her master's name?" The black cat sat at the edge of Maiko's bed, with it's cold, green-yellow eyes, watching. "Mistress, actually. I think her name was Kijo."