Just a short epilogue to this tale. Hope it's ok!
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Tomo burst awake, gasping for what air could be had. She felt around her. She was lying on the floor of her room at Chiyo's beach house, a blanket covered her like any normal night. Shakily, she crawled from beneath the sheet and stood up. She still had her sleeping clothes on, not that that was strange.
Yomi lay unconcious in the bed positioned next to her floor spot. The girl looked as normal as could be, yet Tomo still approached her with caution.
'Why am I scared of Yomi?', she questioned herself.
Tomo peered over the sleeping girl, unconciously looking to her neck and seeing it whole and unmolested. The fear immediately faded, everything was as normal as could be.
With a sigh of relief Tomo turned to lay back under her sheet and sleep, for she was strangely exhausted.
Yet, as she strode the few steps back to her floor space, arms embraced her from behind. She didn't have to turn to know that it was Yomi who was hugging her. She didn't even have to think.
"Tomo...you're ok.", Yomi sighed happily.
Tomo went wide-eyed at the strange actions of her friend. This was a rare display of concern and affection from the normally not-so-happy girl.
"Yea, Yomi. I'm fine.", Tomo responded and smiled.
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Kaorin awoke slowly, her eyes adjusting to the darkness as she sat up groaning.
"Where...?", she asked momentarily before realizing that she lay on the floor of the room she shared with Sakaki and little Chiyo-chan.
Sakaki was already awake and running her fingers through Chiyo's hair, who seemed to be crying.
"S..Sakaki-san, is everything...alright?", she asked.
Sakaki smiled and nodded in confirmation before returning to cooing Chiyo into a normal state of calm.
"I had a horrible dream, Kaorin!", Chiyo babbled.
Kaorin stood beside Sakaki and rubbed Chiyo's back in an effort to stop her weeping.
"It's ok Chiyo-chan. It was only a dream."
Chiyo sniffled and looked up at her with teary eyes.
"Yes...only a dream."
Hearing that word...'dream'...Kaorin was filled with a sense of purpose. A sense of what she needed to do.
Turning to Sakaki she spoke.
"Sakaki-san...can I...speak with you?", she said blushing heavily.
"Of course, Kaorin."
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Minamo lay awake in the room she shared with Yukari and Kagura, her athlete-student. SHe couldn't sleep, it felt as if she had made some sort of critical error. It felt as if she couldn't even think straight.
Sighing, she rose from her bed and began to pace. Yukari still lay snoring in her makeshift sleeping compartment on the ground but Kagura seemed to be tossing and turning in fitful slumber.
"Kagura...are you ok?", she whispered, placing her hand on the teen's shoulder.
Kagura's eyes flew open and she let out a short yelp before realizing that it was only Minamo.
"What's wrong?", Minamo asked, helping the girl into a sitting position.
Kagura's laboured breating slowly returned to a normal pace and she then spoke.
"Just...a bad dream."
"About?", Minamo inquired.
"Everything I've ever done wrong returning to me. It's no big deal, coach.", she explained.
Minamo rose from the bed, eyes glazed.
'I had the same dream...'
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Osaka stood before the shining orb, eyes glistening spacily. Around the midpoint of the sphere, a vertical crack emitted blue light as the orb spilt into two hemispheres and fall to the table.
"Hehehehe...", Osaka giggled happily.
The two halves quickly dissolved into a fine powder that was immediately whisked away on an unseen, unfelt current of air. The particles dissipated into the unknown mysteriously.
"Heheheheh...that was funny.", Osaka smiled.
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Thousands of miles away in the forests of the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, two men hiked through the numerous trails, a common pastime between the friends.
"Hold up, Tom. I gotta take a leak.", Phil said to his companion as he dropped his pack on the trail and stepped into the undergrowth.
He stood behind a tree, preparing to relieve himself when something odd caught his eye. Phil stooped over to brush the low plants away from the object.
He gasped as he caught sight of a crystal globe, its inside roiling with a strange blue mist.
"Tom. Tom!", he called.
"What?", Tom said as he approached from behind.
"What do you think this is?", Phil said, motioning to the orb.
"Holy crap! Damned if I know.", Tom answered.
"Hmm..", Phil contemplated for a moment before reaching and placing his fingers around its smooth surface.
Immediately, his entire world changed.
A neverending universe was revealed.
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Thank you very much to everyone who read and commented on this story, I had a great time writing it and I know it was strange compared to usual Azumanga Daioh fics but I'm glad it was enjoyed.
I'm not sure what my next one shall be, but I sorta want to try my hand at a romance fic (with strange twists of course!). But, I've never written a romance story so I dunno how that would go.
Maybe I'll write another supernatural tale, (shrug)
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
-peace
-Jay