What Became of Us: A Sequel to 'TBU'

Chapter Three: Does it Exist?

Ravi sat on the edge of his bed, thinking long and hard. He knew that Yumeni girl from somewhere, but... but where?

He laid back, stretching. Where had he seen her? At the store? On the street? In a dream? In a past life? Frustrated, he let out an angry sigh.

"Ra-chi, Ra-chi," a small voice chided as he felt a tugging on his pants. He looked down to see a small blonde trying to crawl onto his bed with one hand, a cookie in her other, and crumbs all over her face. "I brought you a cookie!"

Ravi smiled and picked her up, sitting up and setting her on his lap. "Thanks, Ansem. Where's Kashin?"

"Shower'in." She giggled and set the cookie on his bed, running away and out the door. He sighed, wiping bed crumbs off his bed sheets. He slowly studied the room he and Kashin had shared for most of their life, just to get his mind off of the girl.

The room was painted light blue, a color they both liked, but always has a multi-colored tint on one of the walls thanks to Kashin's stained glass window. It was a red and gold fox, looking up to... uh, something. Ravi could never figure out what it was, although he guessed it to be a sun, as it matched the never used curtains hanging near the window. Sun filtered in onto the white door, making it light up in colors. They shared the closet, neither of them having too many clothes anyway. The room was too small for anything else, being round and not square, other than both their beds, one with plain blue and blue sheets, the other with foxes and maybe-suns.

Kashin had a small obsession with foxes. Thinking about it, Kashin hated the dark and anything to do with night anyway, so it would make sense for her to love or like the sun.

He stood up, hearing a scream from Kashin in the hallway. "Ravi, come get Ansem!" she cried. Ravi obediently stepped into the hallway, scooping up the small blonde girl in his arms. The bathroom door was open a bit, and slowly opening by the second. Ravi politely averted his eyes to the door to their parents room as Kashin peered around the corner of the door, a towel in her hair and around her body.

"Thanks, Ravi. I 'Preciate it."

"Yeah, just remember this when you get paid." He winked and took the struggling girl down the stairs. The beige and light tan staircase stood in the middle of the entire downstairs. The dinning area, with light brown walls, six chairs, a sliding back door, and white wood table was to his left, and the kitchen and living room area was to his right, the front door being right in front of him.

"Lemme go! I gave you cookie!" she screeched in his arms.

"Alright, I'll put you down," he agreed hesitantly. "But first, crash landing on the moon!" He practically threw the girl onto his family's couch and attacked her with tickles and loud rocket noises. There was a shuffling and Ravi turned around, seeing his Great-Grandfather descending down the stairs. He was instantly up on his feet and straight-backed.

"Grandchan?" Ravi stepped forward. "Do you need any help?"

"No, no, Ravi. Very kind of you indeed, but I just...," the old man sighed. "Oh Kiria, if only."

"Do you miss her?" Ravi himself had never known his great grandmother. She'd passed away the night before he and Kashin were born.

"Of course I do. Listen, Ravi, I have to tell you something. Whatever you do, do not doubt magic; it acts in mysterious and powerful ways, and it has always existed."

"Magic?"

"Yes. Your Grandammie's mentor was one of my closest friends and one of the most powerful mages I'd ever met ever. Perhaps... perhaps you should be careful. I can sense it in the air again... that old, bone-tingling feeling of magic. It has come back to reinvade my life..."