Fifth Year at Hogwarts
Title: Fifth Year at Hogwarts
By: arashiforyou
Genre: Friendship/ Fantasy/ Drama
Rating: PG13
Summary: Matsujun is the Metal Vocal Wizard. When Ohno woke up, he found himself lost on an island and he couldn't use his magic. With the best of his abilities, he shift off out to sea to find help. For more than two weeks, he found nothing. He was saved by his ancestor, the Water Vocal Wizard. What will happen to the others that also got trapped in this strange world?
a/n: i wonder if i should make a mini dictionary of this series...
Chapter 7 - Shine Like The Sun
***Sho's POV***
Sho's body spiraled out of control. He kept his eyes closed and yelled at the top of his lungs. He tried to open his eyes, but everything was a swirl of crimson and scarlet red. He wanted it to stop.
"No more, please!"
As if his prayer was heard, he fell hard on the ground and everything stopped spinning. He moaned from hitting the dirt so hard. His eyes were still shut tight in pain as he stumbled up on his feet. When he finally fluttered his eyes open, he was lost in a bamboo forest.
"Whoa," he mumbled, looking up and around him. "How did I get here?"
There was a little fog covering the tops of the bamboo trees. It felt cold as if it was early in the morning. He could hear the birds crowing and the wind blowing gently. He reached for his back pocket, but felt nothing. He whirled around and realized to his shock that his wand was missing.
"Crap. How am I suppose to know where I'm going?" Sho complained.
Nonetheless, he started treking through the forest.
"Maybe there's a shrine nearby," he talked to himself. "I'm still in Japan, right?"
He kept a good pace for the first hour, but then he started getting tired fairly quickly. After almost three hours, his feet was sore, and his back ached as well. The slopes got more steep and the ground was so wet, he occasionally slipped and rolled down the hill. Angry, he charged up the hill.
When he finally reached the top, he saw a small village in the distance. He sighed with relief and hurried his way down the hill. He used his last bits of energy and power-walked towards the humble village. He felt his stomach growling and hoped the people would help him.
When he found the walls to the village, he could hear people and the smell of barbaque. He emerged from the forest and thought he entered a different era. Everyone was dressed in fashion from the Edo Period. The buildings were built from bamboo, mud, and straw. There were cattles and loose chickens running around. Children were playnig on the dirt streets while the adults were cooking something outside their homes or busy shopping.
And here he was with his blue jeans, sneakers, sweater, and his hair cut short.
He slowly approarched the road, and the first person that saw him was a little boy with a birthmark on his chin. Sho looked at him, and the little toddler ran away to his mother. She gasped and covered her mouth when she saw Sho and gently pushed her child inside.
Soon, everyone stared at Sho. He felt extremely uncomfortable, but he just smiled as charmingly as he could and waved at them.
"Hello!" He greeted.
Everyone quickly got their things and ran inside, leaving Sho alone on the street. He was shocked. These people understand him, right? Was it his clothes? Was it because he came from the forest?
He walked down the street and crossed over a bridge. The small river was a little brown, but he could see people washing their clothes. He called out to them.
"Excuse me!" He shouted. "Can you help me?"
The women who were doing the laundry gasped in fear, abandoned their clothes, and ran for the next village on the other side of the river. Soon, he saw more people hiding from him as he approached them. He was so confused.
'Why are they ignoring me?' Sho wondered. 'They understand me, right?'
Soon, he stood in the main street all alone. The chilly wind blew around him, and he could feel their eyes watching him from their windows. He saw what looked like a restaruant and walked towards it. He noticed a little girl at the window staring at him, but she quickly hid away as he came closer. He walked in the small restaurant...
And was hit with a rough broomstick. He fell on his backside, and his face was red from the scratchy straws of the broom.
"Go! Go away!" The man yelled at him, holding his broomstick. "Begone!"
"W-wait!" Sho pleaded, his hand out. "Wait! Listen! I mean no harm!"
"Leave us alone!!"
Suddenly, all the windows were open and people started throwing things at him. Raw cabbages, spoiled eggs, pots and iron skillets, small and large rocks, straw, and buckets of dirty water. Sho had no other choice but to retreat.
He ran across the bridge, through the second part of the village, and dashed back into the bamboo forest. He ran as hard as he could until he was sure no one followed him. He climbed up a hill and saw the village go on with their merry lives as if they didn't attack a teenager.
"W-what the hell?!" Sho panted. "Why do they hate me?"
Sho looked down at his clothings covered in mud and pieces of garbage they threw at him. He flicked the dirt and muck off of him and glared down at the village, completely frustrated.
"What am I going to do?" Sho mumbled, pacing back and forth. "I don't have my wand. I don't think these people are wizards, they must be Muggles. I shouldn't scare them with my UtaMahou."
He heard his stomach growl again.
He frowned and started searching through the forest. There were plenty of bamboo and shrubs everywhere. He reached up for some leaves and sniffed it. He didn't really eat bamboo, but he has heard of the bamboo leaves used to wrap dumplings. He rolled up the leaf and stuff it in his mouth.
He chewed and chewed, but the taste was terrible and bitter. He finally swallowed and felt his stomach yell at him.
"Fine! I'll find something else," Sho pouted.
He looked at the ground and tried to spread apart the shrubs. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he hoped he might stumble across some berries. Then, he spotted white mushrooms growing from the ground.
"Alright!' Sho whispered, about to pluck them. "Wait...what if these are poisonous?"
The white mushrooms looked edible, but then again he didn't want to risk his chances. He gave up and sat on the ground.
"Ahh! What am I gonna do?" Sho mumbled, hugging his knees. "Should I find another kinder village?"
'I'll probably won't run into another town for a long time,' Sho thought deeply. 'This is my only chance.'
That night, Sho waited just outside the village. He could hear music and the people laughing. He used the cover of darkness to sneak inside while everyone gathered around a bonfire. He slipped into a narrow alleyway and found hanging laundry outside. He quickly stole the robes and changed as fast as he could.
With his new clothes, he hoped that no one would suspect him. But he saw majority of the men either had their hair tied up in a bun or wore a straw farmer's hat. Sho looked around him and to his luck, he saw someone left their hat on a bench. He quickly snatched it and brought it low so no one could see his eyes.
His stomach growled.
'I can't eat. I don't have any money.'
He skirted around the bonfire and made his way across the bridge. The village was more lively here, as if it was the main center of the place. He could smell all the delicious food cooking and luring in customers to eat. If only there was a way to steal some food...
Then, he saw a real life samurai just down the road. The man looked jolly and chatted with his male friends, who also had swords tied to their belts. Sho lowered his head and sat on the ground as if he was a homeless man. He heard the samurai laughing and walking pass him.
His stomach growled again. He tried to cover the noise with his hand.
Then, a small hand appeared in front of him with a kabob. Sho lifted his head and saw a little girl smiling at him. He thought he was caught, but she offered the juicy meat to him. He reached out and took the offer.
"Thank you," he mumbled, and she skipped away.
'Did she not recognize me?' Sho wondered as he devoured the meat. 'Is it because I changed my appearance?...This meat is so good!'
Just then, a pretty young lady with a birthmark on her chin looked at him with pity. She reached into her expensive purse and tossed him a copper coin. It landed between his legs and she walked away. He picked up the coin and stared at it.
'It's because I look like a beggar she gave me this,' Sho thought. 'Wait...if I con people...I might survive.'
Just then, a little boy stood in front of him; his eyes were unreadable while holding a long piece of straw. Sho thought quickly and smiled at him.
"Hey, do you want to make money?" Sho asked. The little boy nodded as Sho waved his only copper coin. "I'll give you this if you bring me some meat."
And the little boy dashed away. He watched the boy expertly steal a few sticks of meat and ran back towards him.
"What is this?" Sho said to him, but still took the kabobs. "No no no! I didn't want this! I want some raw meat, like sushi! Go back and find me some real meat."
"But-"
"Do you want the coin?"
And the little boy ran back again. When he came back, he brought a whole box of fresh sushi.
"No no no! You don't get it!" Sho lectured the boy, but took the box anyway. "Not this kind of sushi. Go back and find me better sushi."
The little boy looked upset, but he ran back again. Sho took this opportunity and ran away.
* * *
Fourteen days later....
* * *
Sho slept in the bamboo forest. He stole a few clothes and tied them to bamboo trees to make a little shelter. He also stole a few sandals from the village and some fruits he got from the market. The man wasn't paying attention while he helped a pretty lady, so Sho took some.
He felt like a thief but a clever thief.
Occasionally, he changed his attire with the help of the stupid laundry lady leaving clothes behind her shop. He easily stole new robes, pants, sandals, and different hats. He even went so far to the other side of the village where the cattle and horses were. He plucked a few of their hairs and made his own glue with stolen flour and water from the river. He was lucky enough to find a small knife, and he made himself a beard and mustache. With his new outfits, he could easily walk along the streets undetected.
There were some cases where he couldn't con little children for food. He schemed a plan and disguised himself as a baker. He would carry around a small box that was filled with just flour, water, and dirt. He would then purposely position himself behind a rich and innocent looking person so when they turn around, he would drop his 'cake' and be devastated.
"Ahh!" Sho fake cried as he was bumped and dropped his fake cake. "Oh, no! What happened to my cake? Is it alright?''
To spice things up, he pretended he was blind.
"Oh..I'm so sorry!" The rich man said.
"My cake!" Sho waved his arms around blindly. "I was suppose to hold on to it for my master to come. If anything happen to it...oh, I hope it's okay."
"Ahh, here. L-let me pay you another cake," the man offered.
"No, please don't burden yourself," Sho played. "The master said I should never take money-"
"No, no. I was at fault. I didn't see where I was going," he said. "How much is the cake?"
"Three gold coins," Sho said a bit too quickly.
"Yes, yes. Three...what?!"
"Oh, if my master finds out, he'll kill me for sure!" Sho moaned dramatically. "I just want to met my little brother and sister again. They're working at the farmlands all their life. I've been sending money back to them, but I haven't..." Sho started to fake cry, "I haven't...held their...hands...in such a long...time!"
"You...you poor young lad! Here! Take six gold coins!"
"Bless you, sir!" Sho took the money and ran like the wind.
When he changed his appearance again, he enjoyed a nice warm meal at a noodle restaurant. No one suspected him at all until he walked out and saw an old man with a birthmark on his chin staring at him with small squinting eyes. Sho ignored him and walked into the alleyways and dashed back into the forest before anyone saw him.
"Ahh, I'm such a genius!" Sho praised himself as he made his way back to his camp.
It's been two weeks since Sho started his charade, and his camp was full of his rewards and stolen goods. He had a full pitched tent, his own clothes line, a row of shoes and hats on one side of his camp, and all his food supplies on the other side. His bed was a simple white sheet stuffed with the softest straw he could find and then a clean mat over it. He covered the entire area with a strong, flexible, water-resistant material like a tarpaulin he stole at a farmer's barn.
It wasn't much compare to his real home, but he worked hard for getting all of the things he needed, and he felt great. He didn't mind at all stealing and coning people. He has become an expert at charming, manipulating, and persuading people.
He even has his own griller!
"Yeaaa," Sho sighed, smiling to himself and unloading his new stolen goods. "I think that's good enough for today."
He never used his griller since he never had anything worth grilling. But he got free meat and bell peppers to eat. He couldn't wait to start. He searched for some flint stones to start his fire, but then the thought occurred to him.
"If I make a fire, someone might spot me out here," Sho mumbled. He took a good look at his camp. "Maybe it's time I move on. That old man was looking at me weird. It won't be long until someone else notices too."
It was decided. After one last splurge of the village with his stolen money, he'll take what he can and journey to the next town over. He never found out why this village was so terrified of him when he first got here, and he never bothered to ask where the nearest town was either.
He dressed as a regular working boy with no make-up on, got his griller and parcel of food, and went back for the night. He hid his griller and food inside a thick shrub just outside the village walls before he entered. There was another festival going on, he wasn't sure what it was about, but there were dancers, musicians, food, and fireworks. A few people wore masks as well, and the children ran around like crazy.
Today, he went for the local food joint of the village where everyone gathered around chatting and having a good time. The men started drinking and singing really loud, and the women clustered together and gossiping. Sho made his way towards the owner.
"Excuse me," Sho asked kindly, playing the good boy role. "Do you have a map?"
"A map?" The owner laughed. "Why do you need that? Here, have a drink!"
"No, thank you," Sho grinned. "I'm planning to leave the village after the festival. Can you tell me the nearest town?"
"Hahaha!" The fat owner laughed harder. "What are you talking about, boy?! There is no other town!"
Sho felt a chill run up his spine at those words. Suddenly, all the noise around were deaf to him, and his eyes were focus straight at the owner. Sho felt someone slap his back and brought his senses back. The drunk man that slapped him waddled away.
"W-what do you mean...no other town?" Sho asked. The fat owner just smiled looking drunk himself.
"No one has ever ventured out."
"But how can the village be supplied?!" Sho asked, his voice louder. "Don't you run out of stock?"
"Run out? What are you talking about?" The owner chuckled. "We have everything we need."
"But you don't know if there are other villages, towns, or cities just waiting to be discovered!" Sho stood up, getting more frustrated and frightened. The fat man just laughed and place a tall glass of alcohol in front of him.
"Have a drink, boy!"
Sho stared at the mad man with wide fearful eyes.
All of the laughing drunk men made him feel sick. He forced himself to leave the bar and walked out into the streets. The festival was still going on, and the fireworks wouldn't stop bursting in the sky. The people were totally carefree and enjoying themselves with their food and music. Sho started walking fast, ignoring people he would bump into.
'Of course,' Sho thought fast. 'All the items I steal, the next day no one would notice because they don't care! They're getting their necessities from an unknown source!'
"I should have known," Sho mumbled quietly to himself, looking up at the fireworks. "Why didn't I noticed it before?!"
This was not his world. It's not his home. The reason why they were scared of him...was because he was the first foreign being they've ever seen. He disguised himself with their clothes, their shoes, their hats, and that's why he blend in with them. Wherever the hell he is, he does not belong here.
'No matter how I change...I'm still alone. I have no one I can relate too. It would have been best if I died lost in the forest.'
Suddenly, Sho heard someone screaming.
An explosion shook the ground violently and soon everyone was screaming. Everything turned red as a large fire started burning and spreading around the village. Black smoke rose from where the explosion happened, and the wind carried the fire towards the bamboo forest.
Everyone was running and screaming. Children were scared and cried for their mothers. The men tried grabbing buckets of water to extinguish out the flames, but the fire was too great. Sho didn't know what else to do but help out.
He grabbed the nearest bucket of water and threw at a burning house, but it was no use. The fire grew bigger, and the rooftops of each building were on fire. Everyone ran for the river and watched the fire burn down half of their village.
But then another explosion happened. This time, a high squealing sound shoot for the sky and fired across the river towards the other side of the village. The fireworks exploded out of control, and the peaceful village became the center of a fireworks battlefield.
Sho saw a young boy running away from the village and heading for the forest. Sho saw the flames were dangerously growing deeper in the forest, and he ran after the boy.
Inside the bamboo forest, the fire intensity wasn't as strong as it was in the village. It was cooler, but the smoke drew closer up the hills. It won't be long until the entire forest was engulfed in flames. Sho looked down at the poor village, and he could still hear the people screaming. He continued onward to find the missing boy.
"Hey!" He called. "Hey!"
The fire spread quickly, and soon it was everywhere. He coughed and his eyes got tired from the smoke. The bamboos fell and crumbled to bits, but the little boy was no where to be found. He soon found a clearing where he could breathe better, but he was in deep trouble.
Even through all the flames and chaos going around, he heard a twig snap behind him.
He whirled around and saw a fully armored samurai standing a few meters away. Sho couldn't see his face behind the threatening mask, and the man was armed with two large katanas. His armor were black and a bloody red color, and his helmet was gold and looked extremely sharp.
Somehow, the fire was the least of Sho's worries.
The samurai unsheathed one of his swords and tossed it towards Sho, and it landed perfectly at its point into the ground. Sho was scared beyond anything and stared back at the samurai, who unsheathed his second sword.
"W-wait a minute!" Sho panicked as the samurai bent his knees. "Wait!"
The samurai silently walked forward.
"Y-you're not serious, are you?!"
The samurai started running.
"Wait a minute!!"
Sho grabbed the sword and pulled it out of the ground just in time to block the samurai's heavy down attack. Sho had never been so scared in his entire life. He has seen many things, but fighting a real and powerful samurai never crossed his mind. The samurai pushed his sword down harder.
Sho was no match, and he slowly got down one knee. He gazed up at the samurai's mask and then quickly looked at his feet. It looked like the man was only wearing cloth as footwear.
Sho stomped hard on the samurai's big toe, who groaned in pain. He took this chance and parried the sword away from his head and attacked upward on the samurai's harden mask.
A loud ring echoed in the air as the samurai stumbled back, covering his face. Bits of the mask littered the ground, and Sho tightened his grip around his handle. The samurai lowered his hand to reveal his face.
There was something familiar about the man, but Sho couldn't quite put it. He had a mustache and a small pointed beard on his chin. His eyes were piercing with vicious eyebrows. But his eyes were a passionate red color.
"Well done," the man smirked. Sho felt his heartbeat pounding faster.
"Who are you?" Sho asked, his sword pointing at him. But the man relaxed and held his katana to the side.
"I am known as The Flame. The Multi-tasker. Master of Intellect," the samurai said proudly. "You, however, may call me Akai."
Sho lowered his sword as well, but he still kept his grip firmly on the handle.
"Akai?" Sho repeated. "But...you're a samurai. Shouldn't your name be more...I don't know...longer?"
"You dare question the way my name is spoken?!" Akai growled.
"No! No, not at all," Sho responded immediately.
Akai clicked his tongue in annoyance and sheathed his katana away. He sat down cross-legged and with his back straight. Sho decided Akai wasn't going to be hostile, but Sho laid his sword down next to him just in case and also sat down.
"Shouldn't you be helping the people down in the village?" Sho asked, eyeing the forest fire around them. "And for that matter, shouldn't we talk somewhere safer?"
"The flames will not harm us if we allow them too," Akai answered strongly.
"Why wouldn't..." And then it hit him. Sho's eyes widen with shock, and he thought he saw a smirk curled around Akai's mouth. "Y-you're...! You're him! You're the Vocal Wizard!"
"Yet another title I've been given," Akai grinned. "Just like how you have given yourself different faces."
"Different faces?" Sho mumbled. "I haven't done anything wrong. I've been trying to survive and-"
A bamboo tree cracked as its base and fell between them, just a few inches away from Sho. The sparks flew towards Sho, but he covered his face just in time. The little flares burned through his clothes, but he patted them off.
"Seriously, this place is dangerous! We should leave-"
"The flames will hurt you if you allow them too!" Akai yelled. Sho jumped a little from his loud voice. "You have mastered in fooling people, but the flame is not the same."
"What? How?"
"Let me ask you this...why do you trick people?" Akai asked, leaning forward with his hand on his knee. "Why do you work so hard to fool these honest villagers?"
"Because...they hated me when I first came," Sho explained. "I had no other choice. I had no money. I couldn't do any magic. I was hungry. So I acted and con them of their money to survive. I had to do it."
"Lies!" Akai yelled.
Sho flinched again. Akai pointed rudely at him.
"You are only hiding for who you are!" Akai shouted. "They feared because they didn't know the true you."
"I tried to talk with them, but-"
"And you didn't gave it a second try!" Akai yelled again. "You left the battle scene defeated!"
"But I-"
"Sho!" Akai thumped his fist on his knee. Sho felt his heart skip at the mention of his name. "Why must you hide your true self?"
Despite the hot fire burning around them, Sho felt a cold wind blew past him.
"You can not change your appearance just to be accepted into a world that's not yours," Akai said. "It is just like fire. It can consume one's heart and destroy them from the inside if they don't stop it. However, if one has the power to control their flame, they shine beautifully like the sun
"A person can change however he wants in order to be accepted, but he will not truly be happy. No one should never run away for what defines them. And you, Sho, must control yourself and be who you really are."
"How?"
"Why don't you start with him?" Akai nodded his head.
Sho turned around and saw the little boy standing there like he wasn't in the middle of a forest fire. Smoke had smudged the boy's face, but there was the same birthmark Sho saw all the time on other villagers. The boy's eyes glared back at him. Sho stood up and walked towards the little boy covered in soot. He knelt down so they were at eye level.
'What am I suppose to say?'
"You stole my clothes," the boy spoke first.
"Y-you remember me?" Sho gawked. The boy nodded.
"Why did you steal?" The boy asked. "Why did you take my food and money and shoes?"
"They're all yours?" Sho asked, frowning in disbelief.
"I am the provider of this village," the little boy explained. "I give what my people needs. And I tell them what to do. I can make them however I want and do whatever I want."
'This really isn't my world!'
"Who are you?" The boy asked, titling his head so innocently.
"I'm..." Sho fluttered. The burning bamboos fell one by one and nearly missed them. "My name is Sakurai Sho, and I'm lost. I need to get back home."
The boy blinked.
"I'm sorry I tricked you," Sho nodded. "Your people...scared me. So I tried to change who I was. I'm sorry. Please help me."
The little boy smiled. Just then, Sho spotted a flaming bamboo falling straight towards them. Out of pure reflex, he pushed the boy out of the way and brought his palms out in front of him. The bamboo burned into ashes and all that was left was an angry flare.
But Sho braced himself and parried the flare away just like he did with Akai's sword. The flare moved away and dispersed into smoke. Sho felt his heart beating hard, and he looked down his hands. They were clean.
"I...I can control fire again," Sho gasped.
He looked down at the little boy, who stood up smiling at him and ran back into the burning forest unafraid. Sho felt a heavy hand rest on his shoulder as Akai nodded at him with approval.
"Well done," Akai said. Sho grinned.
"Thank you," Sho bowed. "We should stop this fire."
"Do not worry," Akai chuckled. "By sunrise, the fire will be gone like a bad dream. And the village goes on like nothing happened."
"Why?" Sho asked. "Who was that boy?"
Akai just blinked. Obviously not going to tell Sho anything of this strange world.
Just then, Sho saw a light and a portal ripped through the air. He had to squint his eyes until he adjusted to the sudden light. On the other side of the portal, he saw another man and a familiar face.
"Ohno!"
-------------------------------------
To Chapter 8 >> arashiforyou.livejournal.com/24752.html
end of chapter!! (exhales)
i'd stay up late because i was racking around my brain for akai's words! (it was so hard to choose/explain!)
so sho got his powers back! yeah!
but! the lesson learned here is...to be himself? XDD
i'm guessing you'll think his con artist ways would suit more for nino, right? well, i tried to show how much of a gap sho is. based on how he's viewed on tv. not saying that we don't know anything about sho, i'm trying to explain how different he's viewed as. one night, he's a newscaster, then he's a hyper tv host, then he's a dorky failure, and then he's a hot and sexy rapper! that's so many talents and so many personalities, ne!! what is the real sho?! all of them
so here, i tried to make akai show him that a person will shine for who they are and not who they pretend to be. (but in the real world, i think sho already knows that...when he was 15, right?) XDD
By: arashiforyou
Genre: Friendship/ Fantasy/ Drama
Rating: PG13
Summary: Matsujun is the Metal Vocal Wizard. When Ohno woke up, he found himself lost on an island and he couldn't use his magic. With the best of his abilities, he shift off out to sea to find help. For more than two weeks, he found nothing. He was saved by his ancestor, the Water Vocal Wizard. What will happen to the others that also got trapped in this strange world?
a/n: i wonder if i should make a mini dictionary of this series...
Chapter 7 - Shine Like The Sun
***Sho's POV***
Sho's body spiraled out of control. He kept his eyes closed and yelled at the top of his lungs. He tried to open his eyes, but everything was a swirl of crimson and scarlet red. He wanted it to stop.
"No more, please!"
As if his prayer was heard, he fell hard on the ground and everything stopped spinning. He moaned from hitting the dirt so hard. His eyes were still shut tight in pain as he stumbled up on his feet. When he finally fluttered his eyes open, he was lost in a bamboo forest.
"Whoa," he mumbled, looking up and around him. "How did I get here?"
There was a little fog covering the tops of the bamboo trees. It felt cold as if it was early in the morning. He could hear the birds crowing and the wind blowing gently. He reached for his back pocket, but felt nothing. He whirled around and realized to his shock that his wand was missing.
"Crap. How am I suppose to know where I'm going?" Sho complained.
Nonetheless, he started treking through the forest.
"Maybe there's a shrine nearby," he talked to himself. "I'm still in Japan, right?"
He kept a good pace for the first hour, but then he started getting tired fairly quickly. After almost three hours, his feet was sore, and his back ached as well. The slopes got more steep and the ground was so wet, he occasionally slipped and rolled down the hill. Angry, he charged up the hill.
When he finally reached the top, he saw a small village in the distance. He sighed with relief and hurried his way down the hill. He used his last bits of energy and power-walked towards the humble village. He felt his stomach growling and hoped the people would help him.
When he found the walls to the village, he could hear people and the smell of barbaque. He emerged from the forest and thought he entered a different era. Everyone was dressed in fashion from the Edo Period. The buildings were built from bamboo, mud, and straw. There were cattles and loose chickens running around. Children were playnig on the dirt streets while the adults were cooking something outside their homes or busy shopping.
And here he was with his blue jeans, sneakers, sweater, and his hair cut short.
He slowly approarched the road, and the first person that saw him was a little boy with a birthmark on his chin. Sho looked at him, and the little toddler ran away to his mother. She gasped and covered her mouth when she saw Sho and gently pushed her child inside.
Soon, everyone stared at Sho. He felt extremely uncomfortable, but he just smiled as charmingly as he could and waved at them.
"Hello!" He greeted.
Everyone quickly got their things and ran inside, leaving Sho alone on the street. He was shocked. These people understand him, right? Was it his clothes? Was it because he came from the forest?
He walked down the street and crossed over a bridge. The small river was a little brown, but he could see people washing their clothes. He called out to them.
"Excuse me!" He shouted. "Can you help me?"
The women who were doing the laundry gasped in fear, abandoned their clothes, and ran for the next village on the other side of the river. Soon, he saw more people hiding from him as he approached them. He was so confused.
'Why are they ignoring me?' Sho wondered. 'They understand me, right?'
Soon, he stood in the main street all alone. The chilly wind blew around him, and he could feel their eyes watching him from their windows. He saw what looked like a restaruant and walked towards it. He noticed a little girl at the window staring at him, but she quickly hid away as he came closer. He walked in the small restaurant...
And was hit with a rough broomstick. He fell on his backside, and his face was red from the scratchy straws of the broom.
"Go! Go away!" The man yelled at him, holding his broomstick. "Begone!"
"W-wait!" Sho pleaded, his hand out. "Wait! Listen! I mean no harm!"
"Leave us alone!!"
Suddenly, all the windows were open and people started throwing things at him. Raw cabbages, spoiled eggs, pots and iron skillets, small and large rocks, straw, and buckets of dirty water. Sho had no other choice but to retreat.
He ran across the bridge, through the second part of the village, and dashed back into the bamboo forest. He ran as hard as he could until he was sure no one followed him. He climbed up a hill and saw the village go on with their merry lives as if they didn't attack a teenager.
"W-what the hell?!" Sho panted. "Why do they hate me?"
Sho looked down at his clothings covered in mud and pieces of garbage they threw at him. He flicked the dirt and muck off of him and glared down at the village, completely frustrated.
"What am I going to do?" Sho mumbled, pacing back and forth. "I don't have my wand. I don't think these people are wizards, they must be Muggles. I shouldn't scare them with my UtaMahou."
He heard his stomach growl again.
He frowned and started searching through the forest. There were plenty of bamboo and shrubs everywhere. He reached up for some leaves and sniffed it. He didn't really eat bamboo, but he has heard of the bamboo leaves used to wrap dumplings. He rolled up the leaf and stuff it in his mouth.
He chewed and chewed, but the taste was terrible and bitter. He finally swallowed and felt his stomach yell at him.
"Fine! I'll find something else," Sho pouted.
He looked at the ground and tried to spread apart the shrubs. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he hoped he might stumble across some berries. Then, he spotted white mushrooms growing from the ground.
"Alright!' Sho whispered, about to pluck them. "Wait...what if these are poisonous?"
The white mushrooms looked edible, but then again he didn't want to risk his chances. He gave up and sat on the ground.
"Ahh! What am I gonna do?" Sho mumbled, hugging his knees. "Should I find another kinder village?"
'I'll probably won't run into another town for a long time,' Sho thought deeply. 'This is my only chance.'
That night, Sho waited just outside the village. He could hear music and the people laughing. He used the cover of darkness to sneak inside while everyone gathered around a bonfire. He slipped into a narrow alleyway and found hanging laundry outside. He quickly stole the robes and changed as fast as he could.
With his new clothes, he hoped that no one would suspect him. But he saw majority of the men either had their hair tied up in a bun or wore a straw farmer's hat. Sho looked around him and to his luck, he saw someone left their hat on a bench. He quickly snatched it and brought it low so no one could see his eyes.
His stomach growled.
'I can't eat. I don't have any money.'
He skirted around the bonfire and made his way across the bridge. The village was more lively here, as if it was the main center of the place. He could smell all the delicious food cooking and luring in customers to eat. If only there was a way to steal some food...
Then, he saw a real life samurai just down the road. The man looked jolly and chatted with his male friends, who also had swords tied to their belts. Sho lowered his head and sat on the ground as if he was a homeless man. He heard the samurai laughing and walking pass him.
His stomach growled again. He tried to cover the noise with his hand.
Then, a small hand appeared in front of him with a kabob. Sho lifted his head and saw a little girl smiling at him. He thought he was caught, but she offered the juicy meat to him. He reached out and took the offer.
"Thank you," he mumbled, and she skipped away.
'Did she not recognize me?' Sho wondered as he devoured the meat. 'Is it because I changed my appearance?...This meat is so good!'
Just then, a pretty young lady with a birthmark on her chin looked at him with pity. She reached into her expensive purse and tossed him a copper coin. It landed between his legs and she walked away. He picked up the coin and stared at it.
'It's because I look like a beggar she gave me this,' Sho thought. 'Wait...if I con people...I might survive.'
Just then, a little boy stood in front of him; his eyes were unreadable while holding a long piece of straw. Sho thought quickly and smiled at him.
"Hey, do you want to make money?" Sho asked. The little boy nodded as Sho waved his only copper coin. "I'll give you this if you bring me some meat."
And the little boy dashed away. He watched the boy expertly steal a few sticks of meat and ran back towards him.
"What is this?" Sho said to him, but still took the kabobs. "No no no! I didn't want this! I want some raw meat, like sushi! Go back and find me some real meat."
"But-"
"Do you want the coin?"
And the little boy ran back again. When he came back, he brought a whole box of fresh sushi.
"No no no! You don't get it!" Sho lectured the boy, but took the box anyway. "Not this kind of sushi. Go back and find me better sushi."
The little boy looked upset, but he ran back again. Sho took this opportunity and ran away.
* * *
Fourteen days later....
* * *
Sho slept in the bamboo forest. He stole a few clothes and tied them to bamboo trees to make a little shelter. He also stole a few sandals from the village and some fruits he got from the market. The man wasn't paying attention while he helped a pretty lady, so Sho took some.
He felt like a thief but a clever thief.
Occasionally, he changed his attire with the help of the stupid laundry lady leaving clothes behind her shop. He easily stole new robes, pants, sandals, and different hats. He even went so far to the other side of the village where the cattle and horses were. He plucked a few of their hairs and made his own glue with stolen flour and water from the river. He was lucky enough to find a small knife, and he made himself a beard and mustache. With his new outfits, he could easily walk along the streets undetected.
There were some cases where he couldn't con little children for food. He schemed a plan and disguised himself as a baker. He would carry around a small box that was filled with just flour, water, and dirt. He would then purposely position himself behind a rich and innocent looking person so when they turn around, he would drop his 'cake' and be devastated.
"Ahh!" Sho fake cried as he was bumped and dropped his fake cake. "Oh, no! What happened to my cake? Is it alright?''
To spice things up, he pretended he was blind.
"Oh..I'm so sorry!" The rich man said.
"My cake!" Sho waved his arms around blindly. "I was suppose to hold on to it for my master to come. If anything happen to it...oh, I hope it's okay."
"Ahh, here. L-let me pay you another cake," the man offered.
"No, please don't burden yourself," Sho played. "The master said I should never take money-"
"No, no. I was at fault. I didn't see where I was going," he said. "How much is the cake?"
"Three gold coins," Sho said a bit too quickly.
"Yes, yes. Three...what?!"
"Oh, if my master finds out, he'll kill me for sure!" Sho moaned dramatically. "I just want to met my little brother and sister again. They're working at the farmlands all their life. I've been sending money back to them, but I haven't..." Sho started to fake cry, "I haven't...held their...hands...in such a long...time!"
"You...you poor young lad! Here! Take six gold coins!"
"Bless you, sir!" Sho took the money and ran like the wind.
When he changed his appearance again, he enjoyed a nice warm meal at a noodle restaurant. No one suspected him at all until he walked out and saw an old man with a birthmark on his chin staring at him with small squinting eyes. Sho ignored him and walked into the alleyways and dashed back into the forest before anyone saw him.
"Ahh, I'm such a genius!" Sho praised himself as he made his way back to his camp.
It's been two weeks since Sho started his charade, and his camp was full of his rewards and stolen goods. He had a full pitched tent, his own clothes line, a row of shoes and hats on one side of his camp, and all his food supplies on the other side. His bed was a simple white sheet stuffed with the softest straw he could find and then a clean mat over it. He covered the entire area with a strong, flexible, water-resistant material like a tarpaulin he stole at a farmer's barn.
It wasn't much compare to his real home, but he worked hard for getting all of the things he needed, and he felt great. He didn't mind at all stealing and coning people. He has become an expert at charming, manipulating, and persuading people.
He even has his own griller!
"Yeaaa," Sho sighed, smiling to himself and unloading his new stolen goods. "I think that's good enough for today."
He never used his griller since he never had anything worth grilling. But he got free meat and bell peppers to eat. He couldn't wait to start. He searched for some flint stones to start his fire, but then the thought occurred to him.
"If I make a fire, someone might spot me out here," Sho mumbled. He took a good look at his camp. "Maybe it's time I move on. That old man was looking at me weird. It won't be long until someone else notices too."
It was decided. After one last splurge of the village with his stolen money, he'll take what he can and journey to the next town over. He never found out why this village was so terrified of him when he first got here, and he never bothered to ask where the nearest town was either.
He dressed as a regular working boy with no make-up on, got his griller and parcel of food, and went back for the night. He hid his griller and food inside a thick shrub just outside the village walls before he entered. There was another festival going on, he wasn't sure what it was about, but there were dancers, musicians, food, and fireworks. A few people wore masks as well, and the children ran around like crazy.
Today, he went for the local food joint of the village where everyone gathered around chatting and having a good time. The men started drinking and singing really loud, and the women clustered together and gossiping. Sho made his way towards the owner.
"Excuse me," Sho asked kindly, playing the good boy role. "Do you have a map?"
"A map?" The owner laughed. "Why do you need that? Here, have a drink!"
"No, thank you," Sho grinned. "I'm planning to leave the village after the festival. Can you tell me the nearest town?"
"Hahaha!" The fat owner laughed harder. "What are you talking about, boy?! There is no other town!"
Sho felt a chill run up his spine at those words. Suddenly, all the noise around were deaf to him, and his eyes were focus straight at the owner. Sho felt someone slap his back and brought his senses back. The drunk man that slapped him waddled away.
"W-what do you mean...no other town?" Sho asked. The fat owner just smiled looking drunk himself.
"No one has ever ventured out."
"But how can the village be supplied?!" Sho asked, his voice louder. "Don't you run out of stock?"
"Run out? What are you talking about?" The owner chuckled. "We have everything we need."
"But you don't know if there are other villages, towns, or cities just waiting to be discovered!" Sho stood up, getting more frustrated and frightened. The fat man just laughed and place a tall glass of alcohol in front of him.
"Have a drink, boy!"
Sho stared at the mad man with wide fearful eyes.
All of the laughing drunk men made him feel sick. He forced himself to leave the bar and walked out into the streets. The festival was still going on, and the fireworks wouldn't stop bursting in the sky. The people were totally carefree and enjoying themselves with their food and music. Sho started walking fast, ignoring people he would bump into.
'Of course,' Sho thought fast. 'All the items I steal, the next day no one would notice because they don't care! They're getting their necessities from an unknown source!'
"I should have known," Sho mumbled quietly to himself, looking up at the fireworks. "Why didn't I noticed it before?!"
This was not his world. It's not his home. The reason why they were scared of him...was because he was the first foreign being they've ever seen. He disguised himself with their clothes, their shoes, their hats, and that's why he blend in with them. Wherever the hell he is, he does not belong here.
'No matter how I change...I'm still alone. I have no one I can relate too. It would have been best if I died lost in the forest.'
Suddenly, Sho heard someone screaming.
An explosion shook the ground violently and soon everyone was screaming. Everything turned red as a large fire started burning and spreading around the village. Black smoke rose from where the explosion happened, and the wind carried the fire towards the bamboo forest.
Everyone was running and screaming. Children were scared and cried for their mothers. The men tried grabbing buckets of water to extinguish out the flames, but the fire was too great. Sho didn't know what else to do but help out.
He grabbed the nearest bucket of water and threw at a burning house, but it was no use. The fire grew bigger, and the rooftops of each building were on fire. Everyone ran for the river and watched the fire burn down half of their village.
But then another explosion happened. This time, a high squealing sound shoot for the sky and fired across the river towards the other side of the village. The fireworks exploded out of control, and the peaceful village became the center of a fireworks battlefield.
Sho saw a young boy running away from the village and heading for the forest. Sho saw the flames were dangerously growing deeper in the forest, and he ran after the boy.
Inside the bamboo forest, the fire intensity wasn't as strong as it was in the village. It was cooler, but the smoke drew closer up the hills. It won't be long until the entire forest was engulfed in flames. Sho looked down at the poor village, and he could still hear the people screaming. He continued onward to find the missing boy.
"Hey!" He called. "Hey!"
The fire spread quickly, and soon it was everywhere. He coughed and his eyes got tired from the smoke. The bamboos fell and crumbled to bits, but the little boy was no where to be found. He soon found a clearing where he could breathe better, but he was in deep trouble.
Even through all the flames and chaos going around, he heard a twig snap behind him.
He whirled around and saw a fully armored samurai standing a few meters away. Sho couldn't see his face behind the threatening mask, and the man was armed with two large katanas. His armor were black and a bloody red color, and his helmet was gold and looked extremely sharp.
Somehow, the fire was the least of Sho's worries.
The samurai unsheathed one of his swords and tossed it towards Sho, and it landed perfectly at its point into the ground. Sho was scared beyond anything and stared back at the samurai, who unsheathed his second sword.
"W-wait a minute!" Sho panicked as the samurai bent his knees. "Wait!"
The samurai silently walked forward.
"Y-you're not serious, are you?!"
The samurai started running.
"Wait a minute!!"
Sho grabbed the sword and pulled it out of the ground just in time to block the samurai's heavy down attack. Sho had never been so scared in his entire life. He has seen many things, but fighting a real and powerful samurai never crossed his mind. The samurai pushed his sword down harder.
Sho was no match, and he slowly got down one knee. He gazed up at the samurai's mask and then quickly looked at his feet. It looked like the man was only wearing cloth as footwear.
Sho stomped hard on the samurai's big toe, who groaned in pain. He took this chance and parried the sword away from his head and attacked upward on the samurai's harden mask.
A loud ring echoed in the air as the samurai stumbled back, covering his face. Bits of the mask littered the ground, and Sho tightened his grip around his handle. The samurai lowered his hand to reveal his face.
There was something familiar about the man, but Sho couldn't quite put it. He had a mustache and a small pointed beard on his chin. His eyes were piercing with vicious eyebrows. But his eyes were a passionate red color.
"Well done," the man smirked. Sho felt his heartbeat pounding faster.
"Who are you?" Sho asked, his sword pointing at him. But the man relaxed and held his katana to the side.
"I am known as The Flame. The Multi-tasker. Master of Intellect," the samurai said proudly. "You, however, may call me Akai."
Sho lowered his sword as well, but he still kept his grip firmly on the handle.
"Akai?" Sho repeated. "But...you're a samurai. Shouldn't your name be more...I don't know...longer?"
"You dare question the way my name is spoken?!" Akai growled.
"No! No, not at all," Sho responded immediately.
Akai clicked his tongue in annoyance and sheathed his katana away. He sat down cross-legged and with his back straight. Sho decided Akai wasn't going to be hostile, but Sho laid his sword down next to him just in case and also sat down.
"Shouldn't you be helping the people down in the village?" Sho asked, eyeing the forest fire around them. "And for that matter, shouldn't we talk somewhere safer?"
"The flames will not harm us if we allow them too," Akai answered strongly.
"Why wouldn't..." And then it hit him. Sho's eyes widen with shock, and he thought he saw a smirk curled around Akai's mouth. "Y-you're...! You're him! You're the Vocal Wizard!"
"Yet another title I've been given," Akai grinned. "Just like how you have given yourself different faces."
"Different faces?" Sho mumbled. "I haven't done anything wrong. I've been trying to survive and-"
A bamboo tree cracked as its base and fell between them, just a few inches away from Sho. The sparks flew towards Sho, but he covered his face just in time. The little flares burned through his clothes, but he patted them off.
"Seriously, this place is dangerous! We should leave-"
"The flames will hurt you if you allow them too!" Akai yelled. Sho jumped a little from his loud voice. "You have mastered in fooling people, but the flame is not the same."
"What? How?"
"Let me ask you this...why do you trick people?" Akai asked, leaning forward with his hand on his knee. "Why do you work so hard to fool these honest villagers?"
"Because...they hated me when I first came," Sho explained. "I had no other choice. I had no money. I couldn't do any magic. I was hungry. So I acted and con them of their money to survive. I had to do it."
"Lies!" Akai yelled.
Sho flinched again. Akai pointed rudely at him.
"You are only hiding for who you are!" Akai shouted. "They feared because they didn't know the true you."
"I tried to talk with them, but-"
"And you didn't gave it a second try!" Akai yelled again. "You left the battle scene defeated!"
"But I-"
"Sho!" Akai thumped his fist on his knee. Sho felt his heart skip at the mention of his name. "Why must you hide your true self?"
Despite the hot fire burning around them, Sho felt a cold wind blew past him.
"You can not change your appearance just to be accepted into a world that's not yours," Akai said. "It is just like fire. It can consume one's heart and destroy them from the inside if they don't stop it. However, if one has the power to control their flame, they shine beautifully like the sun
"A person can change however he wants in order to be accepted, but he will not truly be happy. No one should never run away for what defines them. And you, Sho, must control yourself and be who you really are."
"How?"
"Why don't you start with him?" Akai nodded his head.
Sho turned around and saw the little boy standing there like he wasn't in the middle of a forest fire. Smoke had smudged the boy's face, but there was the same birthmark Sho saw all the time on other villagers. The boy's eyes glared back at him. Sho stood up and walked towards the little boy covered in soot. He knelt down so they were at eye level.
'What am I suppose to say?'
"You stole my clothes," the boy spoke first.
"Y-you remember me?" Sho gawked. The boy nodded.
"Why did you steal?" The boy asked. "Why did you take my food and money and shoes?"
"They're all yours?" Sho asked, frowning in disbelief.
"I am the provider of this village," the little boy explained. "I give what my people needs. And I tell them what to do. I can make them however I want and do whatever I want."
'This really isn't my world!'
"Who are you?" The boy asked, titling his head so innocently.
"I'm..." Sho fluttered. The burning bamboos fell one by one and nearly missed them. "My name is Sakurai Sho, and I'm lost. I need to get back home."
The boy blinked.
"I'm sorry I tricked you," Sho nodded. "Your people...scared me. So I tried to change who I was. I'm sorry. Please help me."
The little boy smiled. Just then, Sho spotted a flaming bamboo falling straight towards them. Out of pure reflex, he pushed the boy out of the way and brought his palms out in front of him. The bamboo burned into ashes and all that was left was an angry flare.
But Sho braced himself and parried the flare away just like he did with Akai's sword. The flare moved away and dispersed into smoke. Sho felt his heart beating hard, and he looked down his hands. They were clean.
"I...I can control fire again," Sho gasped.
He looked down at the little boy, who stood up smiling at him and ran back into the burning forest unafraid. Sho felt a heavy hand rest on his shoulder as Akai nodded at him with approval.
"Well done," Akai said. Sho grinned.
"Thank you," Sho bowed. "We should stop this fire."
"Do not worry," Akai chuckled. "By sunrise, the fire will be gone like a bad dream. And the village goes on like nothing happened."
"Why?" Sho asked. "Who was that boy?"
Akai just blinked. Obviously not going to tell Sho anything of this strange world.
Just then, Sho saw a light and a portal ripped through the air. He had to squint his eyes until he adjusted to the sudden light. On the other side of the portal, he saw another man and a familiar face.
"Ohno!"
-------------------------------------
To Chapter 8 >> arashiforyou.livejournal.com/24752.html
end of chapter!! (exhales)
i'd stay up late because i was racking around my brain for akai's words! (it was so hard to choose/explain!)
so sho got his powers back! yeah!
but! the lesson learned here is...to be himself? XDD
i'm guessing you'll think his con artist ways would suit more for nino, right? well, i tried to show how much of a gap sho is. based on how he's viewed on tv. not saying that we don't know anything about sho, i'm trying to explain how different he's viewed as. one night, he's a newscaster, then he's a hyper tv host, then he's a dorky failure, and then he's a hot and sexy rapper! that's so many talents and so many personalities, ne!! what is the real sho?! all of them
so here, i tried to make akai show him that a person will shine for who they are and not who they pretend to be. (but in the real world, i think sho already knows that...when he was 15, right?) XDD