"Hey, isn't he our neighbor across the street?" asked Kisho.

"Yeah," she answered.

"When did you meet him?"

"Um, a few days ago?" Taka had crossed the street and joined up with them.

"Taka this is my younger brother Kisho. Kisho this is Taka, my classmate," Umeko introduced the two.

"Hey Kisho, sup?"

"Nothing much. You moved here recently?"

"Yep. Hope to join you guys walking to school," Taka said lamely because he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Sure!" said Kisho.

As the three were walking, they heard a car screech from around the corner and it sped past them. Taka got a glimpse of who was in the same car that almost ran over Umeko. All he got was some guy with dark spiked hair.

'Seb?' thought Taka.

"Hey! Watch it!" yelled a girl who was about to cross the street to the school.

"Sorry!" the driver called out, driving to the school sparking lot.

This girl was wearing arm sleeves, white with brown stripes. She had on a white and black panda hat with goggles on it as her accessories. Her clothes, she wore a short sleeved white hoodie and black shorts up to her knee. Black boots and a black tie went with the whole outfit. She then dashed across the street, to avoid any other car that might want to run her over.

"We'd better hurry too," said Umeko.

"Right," agreed Taka.

"Kay, so I'll see you two after school then," said Kisho separating from the two.

As the two were running in the school just in time, Umeko asked, "Don't you get the feeling that she's familiar?"

"Not only familiar," he said as they took off their shoes and put on their school ones. Umeko wondered what Taka meant when someone popped out from behind a locker wall.

"HI!" it was the girl that ran across the street. She immediately hugged Umeko and Taka together. She let go and Umeko was able to get a good look at her.

"Uotani-chan! Is that you??" Umeko asked, in amazement.

"Sure is, Ma'am!" grinned Uotani. She had already changed into her uniform.

"That was fast," said Umeko, noticing the change.

"My clothes? I had my school shirt under my hoodie and put my skirt on," she smiled.

"Smart," said Taka.

"What about your hat?" Umeko asked, petting the panda bear ears.

"My teachers let me wear them."

The bell rang and the entrance door locked. The two had to separate from Uotani when someone at the far end of the room rushed past them to get to class. It was the person that Taka saw in the car.

"I'll see you in class, Umeko," said Taka as he quickly left to catch up with that guy.

"What was that about?" Uotani asked. Umeko shrugged and the two went to their own classrooms.

Taka knew the guy was familiar and so he ran quickly but quietly behind him and gave the guy a headlock.

"What the-?! Taka??"

"I knew it was you, Seb!"

With only half a minute to talk they ended up agreeing to meet during early lunch at a corner table. They both made it to class. Gym was up first for Taka and Umeko as they were to play against Uotani's class as competition. This was new. All the first class gym came together and they kids sat up on the bleachers. The four gym teachers lined up in front of them. The bleachers were full of curious whispering students.

"All right classes. For the next 2-5 weeks, we will be playing with the other classes in teams," said Umeko's gym teacher.

"You guys are from different classes brought to one," said Seb's gym teacher the quiet one.

"Why we've brough you guys together, well, it's a treat to meet and know your other classmates," said Uotani's gym teacher.

Uotani leaned over to Umeko and whispered.

"Haha, everyone knows that these four are the most competitive teachers in school!" giggled Uotani.

"We have nothing left to announce. You do whatever you wish with the remaining time but you cannot leave the gym," said the fourth gym teacher.

No one could believe it but they don't have anything to compain about. Many left the bleachers to group around the gym. Umeko and the others remained at the bleacher. Seb came over and quietly sat by Taka.

"Yo," said Seb. Taka looked next to him and was surprised to see Seb sitting next to him. it was like he instantly teleported!

"Whoa! Man! Warn me next time when you're coming!" said Taka patting his chest and exhaled.

"All right. So, who are they?" Seb grinned.

"Oh, right! Seb, this is Umeko, my neighbor, and Uotani,her best friend. Guys... er girls, this is Seb," Taka introduced them.

"Hey Seb!" greeted Umeko with a grin.

"Hi Seb, what's up?" Uotani asked with a grin as well.

"Hey guys. Not much, but looking forward to play volleyball with you guys," he said and shook their hands.

While Seb and the girls were getting to know each other, Taka noticed a girl resting her head on her knees as she held them close.

'Is she sleeping?' thought Taka.

He said he'd be back but Umeko wanted to come too because she noticed the sleeping girl as well. It ended up that the four of them walked over to the girl. Uotani poking her shoulder to see if this girl was alive. She was because she grunted a little bit. Poking her again, the girl finally raised her head up. Seeing strange people surrounding her, she became a little curious.

"Am I in trouble or something?" the four looked at her and as members of the group that all answered no.

"Well then why are you here?" she asked, now sitting up straight.

When the girl sat up, her necklace fell out and at the end of it, there hung a jewel that resembled that of their own Gems. It had a deep sapphire color with a faint glowing light in the middle of it.

"Hey! That necklace!" Uotani bursted out. The girl hit it in her shirt again.

"What of it?" she asked.

"Hey, my name's Umeko, 3rd year, and may I ask how long you've had that necklace?" Umeko asked, sitting by her.

"Well, a few days I suppose," she said. The group looked at each other.

Umeko nodded to them and took out her Light Gem. The others followed their leader and showed their Gems too. The girl looked at them all.

"Big deal. You go to the same store," she said.

"Well this must've been some kind of magic store because we didn't get ours in one. And nor did you," said Seb.

"Tell us, what's your name?" Taka asked, sitting on the other side of her.

"My name's Ruru... Kururu. And.. are you sure? You didn't go to a store and get those Gems either?"

"'Either?' So, I was right. If we put these Gems togehter, they form something. And you're one of us, Ruru-chan," said Umeko.

"One of you?" she asked.

"Yea. When you dream, you are in this weird world called Sonoto. It's like a video game, Ruru-chan and it's our duties to find that last person with a Gem and save Sonoto!" said Umeko.

"And by my guess, your Element is Water," said Uotani. Ruru nodded slowly.

"Where are you in Sonoto?" Taka asked.

"In a city called Majit, I think about ten minutes flight from Calm Wake Forest?"

"Funny, that's where we are at the moment," said Seb.

"All right, so we've found our fifth member. It's odd that all of us go to the same school but we're in different grades. So, Ruru-sama, do you have an early lunch today?"

"Uh huh."

"Meet us at the corner table then," said Taka.

With the fifth member surprisingly found so near, what they don't know is that the sixth was there, also, watching them.

                                            End of Chapter 9

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