The World Changer- Chapter 1

Full blurb-

A butterfly’s wings can bring thunderstorms. Tahro knew this. He knew it when he plunged into the world of his favourite manga. He knew it when he fought to save a main character's life. But how much can he change the story before the plot begins to fall apart? Can you choose between your friends and a world?



Chapter 1-



Long Rulers Can Replace Swords.





Dear Youka,

First of all, happy birthday kiddo! Next, please take a large drippy marker, scribble with it all over this letter, snip the paper into tiny pieces and throw it in the bin. I don’t want anyone other than people like us or people you trust to read this as an autobiography (Though I would prefer those people to not read it at all). If someone asks, tell them it’s one-hundred percent fictional.

You might be confused as to what I’m talking about. Well, it’s that book you asked me to write almost a year ago. I hope you like it. It’s your birthday present.

This is the story of the boy who lives in two worlds.

Enjoy.

Your secret-keeper,

Tahro Akagi.



I was nine going on ten and it was the twenty-second of July XXXX. Also the day I met your uncle.

***

Many rambling voices blended together and the aroma of new books faded away. The hustling and bustling crowds blurred as a looming bookcase demanded my attention and I scrutinised the rows and rows of manga before me. A rainbow range of colours splashed my vision. On each cover, the protagonists showed off to enchant the shoppers.

I ran my eyes over the shelves again; Pockeymum, Sword Fight Overdue, Breach and many more. I squeezed my wallet and its scratchy surface drew sweat from my palms. It held only enough cash for three volumes.

Choices. Choices.

I tapped the top of the books, flipping some here and there. It wasn’t that none of them caught my eye. All of them did.

That was my problem.

My body slammed against something at my side. All the chatter hit my ears and people crowded my vision once again, I whirled around as my finger-tips upended a few books.

The word ‘sorry’ was halfway out my mouth before I saw who or what was hit. It was a who and it was a boy, his arms embracing several volumes. Some of the manga teetered on the edge of falling and it was a wonder they hadn’t already.. I remembered him from school. Who wouldn’t though? He was famous. Always in plays and spelling bees.

Yes, that was your uncle. The one and only Yuuhei Shinguchi.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

‘Sorry, sorry!’ I crouched to pick up the fallen manga. I should’ve been more careful. Everybody in the store was probably looking at me right now. If word got out to my mum through nosy neighbours, .I won't hear the end of it.

‘It’s okay.’ said a high-pitched voice, ‘Hey, you’re Tahro, right? I’ve seen you at school.’

For a moment I froze. It wasn’t every day that someone asked me my name rather than Hey, you’re that hafu kid from school, right? Being a Japanese-American wasn’t all that it was blown-up to be. Especially if you had blonde hair.

With the books safe in my arms, I stood, careful to keep my eyes away from anyone who might have been staring. Yuuhei grinned, one particularly sharp tooth poking out from under his upper-lip.

‘Yes, I’m Tahro Akagi. And you’re Yuuhei, right?’ I forced out a smile and slid the books back in place.

‘Yup, what kind of manga do you read?’

I wished he didn’t stay to chat, book shopping was much too sacred of an activity to be interrupted like so. ‘Well, I like Digital Front, Pockeymum--’

‘Pokeymum!’ said Yuuhei, his eyes snapping open like window shades. The previously imagined scenario turned real as everyone’s eyes shifted to the loud kids. Us. Yuuhei covered his mouth and I waved my fingers at some invisible volume control. He gave a curt nod and continued in a whisper.

‘I love Pockeymum. Those cute little pokey sticks are so awesome. We have so much to talk about. By the way, am I quiet enough now? Is everyone done staring?’

I spun my head a few centimetres this way and that, just enough to see who was looking without attracting attention. Thankfully, no one was. Well, unless you counted one of the workers who stood closely by to tend to us when needed. She gave me a tired smile.

‘All clear.’ I said and chuckled. It was as if we were discussing some super-secret mission.

A shark-like grin spread on Yuuhei’s face. ‘So what's your favourite pokey?’

I had never really thought about it. Everything I ever knew about pokeys disappeared from memory. ‘Uh, um, Stickasaur?’

Then everything rushed back in. I liked Eestee better. Too late to change it now without looking dumb.

‘Oh, Stickasaur’s really cute.’ said Yuuhei. ‘I like--’

Just then, one of his manga decided it had had enough and fell. I stooped to pick it up. As I returned it, I asked a question that was long overdue. ‘Are you really buying all that?’

‘Yup.’ he said and moved closer. ‘I'll let you borrow them if you'll look after them carefully.’

No way. Excitement splashed inside me and a big smile grew on my face. ‘Wow, really? Yes, I read books carefully.’

‘Good. What manga are you buying anyway?’

I turned to the shelves again. ‘I--I’m not sure.’

‘What about Breach? Have you read that before?’

‘Yeah, a few volumes. I didn't really like it much.’

‘Hmm, then have you tried Faery Tale?’

‘Not really.’

‘Oh, it's awesome.’ said Yuuhei. ‘Follow me. I'll show you where the first volumes are.’

I marched down the aisle behind him. By now I was glad he did stop to chat. ‘How did you know it wasn't on this shelf?’

Yuuhei turned his head and grinned. ‘I practically live here.’

Lucky rascal.

We traipsed to the next shelf. Well, more like squashed and squeezed ourselves through a mass of humans. Then to the shelf after that in a similar manner. Its first two rows were covered with Faery Tale volumes. I guessed it was a worthy choice for my meagre pocket money.

‘Thanks for showing me around.’ I said as the new book case became my whole world. Volumes one, two and three, where were you?

‘You're welcome. Ooh, what's this?’ said Yuuhei, casually disrupting my most important search.

‘What?’ My gaze slipped to him. He twirled a book with one hand and studied it, while the pile in the other arm wobbled like pudding. I hoped it wouldn't fall. It'd cause such a racket if it did. Everyone would stare at us again. What if we got kicked out?

‘Blade Fables.’ he said and handed it to me. Thank God, now he could hold his pudding with both arms. ‘Never heard of it before, but looks interesting. Must be new.’ he continued.

The book was white with red borders and a large number one printed on its side. Four kids decorated the front, Three of them junior high age perhaps, while one looked younger, around my age then. Though I doubted they attended school, what with their swords and varied outfits. Then again, the tallest, a boy, wore something resembling a school uniform save the boots.

The more I stared at it, the more their stylized eyes seemed to glisten. The air around me grew fresher, more windy in a way. A shiver went up my spine.

I shook my head and turned the book.

There. The blurb.

Ahio, Kaede, Tsubasa and Daisuke of Welderglen have graduated into swordsman. Finally, their years of hard work are going to pay off. And their first quest is… to escort a kid back home?!

Seemed like a run-of-the-mill shounen manga. Gripping the book tighter, I swirled to the Faery Tale volumes. If I bought this, then I could only buy two Faery Tale books. Should I leave this to buy three volumes of something guaranteed to entertain me? Who knew if this was any good.

But for some strange reason, the thought of leaving this behind disgusted me. Left a bad taste in my mouth.

‘Are you buying that? If you are, I place dibs on borrowing it first.’ said Yuuhei, bringing back the air-conditioned sweat-filled scent of the bookstore.

I glanced at the cover again. The clean, windy air returned, this time with whispers I could have sworn weren't from people around me.

‘Yeah, I'm getting it.’

Yuuhei beamed and strutted up the aisle a few centimeters before being forced to duck his head and tuck in his stomach. The pudding of books swayed but somehow remained intact. ‘Yay. Now let's pay for these. Oof, excuse me, miss.’

I grabbed the first two volumes of Faery Tale and prepared to navigate the crowd.

‘Wanna come over to my place after?’ said a head no longer visible.

‘Sure.’

***

I don't know when exactly I left to the other world. In fact, it was gradual, like grains of sand slowly sucked into the bottom of an hourglass.

But the process began from the moment I read it.

***

Right after I got home, my first order of business was to pry out Blade Fables from the shopping bag. My bed gave a mighty creak as I slammed belly-first onto it. I opened the manga a scant thirty degrees, careful so the spine didn't snap. A beautiful smell of new paper met my nostrils and a fresh page of grayscale cover art greeted me..

On the next page, delicately turned to forestall any crease, the story began.

***

A village, or perhaps a town, full of sprawling buildings and tangled vines, lay before me. One establishment stood out, its roofing circular and its many stories situated in the middle of town, like a mama hen coddling her chicks.

A small residential neighbourhood halfway between the tallest building and the town gates came closer. First its spread apart houses turned visible, then the door of a single home.

Someone knocked on the door. A hand opened it, and outside stood a boy, maybe somewhere in his early teens, with short, spiky hair and a grinning square face.

‘Good morning, ma’am! Is Kaede up yet?’ he asked, trying to peek beyond the doorway..

The person inside was a tall woman in her forties with long tousled hair up in a ponytail, wearing a bathrobe. ‘So early Ahio, I didn't expect you for another half an hour at least. Kaede's still sleeping but I suppose you want to wake her up?’ she smiled and raised an eyebrow.

His eyes widened ‘She's not up yet? What is she thinking? Of course I wanna wake her up!’

The woman sighed and shook her head. ‘Well, go on then. Don't wake Kuri on your way, you know how she is in the mornings.’

Ahio sped past her as soon as she moved to the side into a large living room with wide windows, long curtains to match and, among the furniture, a wooden staircase at one end. He leapt up the stairs and reached a closed room near the landing.

‘Kaede, get up!’ He shouted through the keyhole, banging the door for good measure. Some moments later, a muffled shuffling came from within and the door burst open. A girl in pajamas about the same age as Ahio glared at him.

‘I'm going to get back to sleep. If you know what's good for you, kindly walk downstairs and wait half an hour until it's time for normal humans to actually begin their day.’

‘But bu--’

She shut the door in his face.

Ahio trudged back down, his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.

‘Tea?’ asked the woman as she passed by him on the foot of the stairs.

‘I suppose.’ he sighed.

The shadows grew shorter as Ahio sat on a couch and nursed his tea. Once the half hour was up, he spun around, staring at the stairway while tapping his feet. As each minute passed, perspiration dotted his face and he bit his lips in unease. His mug was left half full on the coffee-table.

I didn't know whose side I was on. On the one hand, something exciting was going to happen this morning, but on the other, waking up early was a pain. Is a pain, I should say.

Fifteen minutes after the time she stated, Kaede’s door creaked open and soon she walked down the stairs. Her straight bob-length hair was no longer a mess and behind her hung two swords like a cross. She smirked at the boy. ‘Ready for our big day?’

Ahio bounced up ‘More than you! Really, what were you thinking, we're gonna be late now!’

She laughed and swatted his shoulder. ‘Relax, we’ll get there in time.’

‘Not if we don't race each other.’ he pouted.

‘Don't even think about it, young man!’ But before she could grab him, he sprinted away. Kaede sighed. ‘We still have fifty minutes to go.’

***

‘Tahro, dinner's ready!’

My mum's voice pulled me out of the pages and into my room.

‘Coming mum, Five minutes!’

Hearing no reply, I turned back to the manga. Just this chapter.

***

‘Mum, I'm leaving! ‘ she shouted and chased after the boy who was now a speck on a cobbled road branching from her house. The large gabled homes and lush front lawns of the neighborhood they sped from grew taller with each passing road or alley and soon became five or six-storied apartments with sloped roofs. Crisscrossed wooden cages, outdoor elevators, stood by each one’s side like pillars. Where before a child and an old lady or two crossed their path, now were merchants waving their banners, cooing their prices as Ahio slowed down to let Kaede catch up. They escaped one last shopkeeper, a scrawny old man parading fresh peaches, and reached the heart of the town. The apartments and makeshift stalls gave way to wide multi-story buildings surrounded by gardens. One of them, an establishment with a glass dome on top like a giant mushroom, towered over the rest. The two headed to this place.

The next scene opened when Ahio barged through a crowded room full of other kids around their age sitting on benches. A lone older teenager or young adult manned a reception desk, upon which was a plaque that said Third Grade Quest Centre. Kaede followed, out of breath but laughing, and in her mirth, bumped into an older boy who sat closest to the door.

‘Oh no, I'm sorry.’ she said, turning around.

‘It's--it's OK.’ said the boy, whose freckled face turned several shades darker as he looked up at her. On his left shoulder was a little cat-like creature, with rabbit ears and a long arrowhead tail. I wondered if I could get an animal like that as a pet too.

When Kaede beamed at him before heading to the reception, he swung down his head, and his long framing bangs and glasses masked his own shy smile. I sensed an impending romance and groaned. Why did they have to include it in everything?

‘Names please.’ said the girl at the desk, which was weighed down by stacks of folders, pens and sticky notes.

‘I'm Kaede Touta and this is Ahio Sora.’

She shuffled some papers until she found a couple of files, one with a picture of Kaede, and the other of Ahio. Clipped on to each was a small card with Eleven on it. She removed these and handed it to them. ‘Please wait for your turn, the Quest Master will call you in. Team eight is now inside.’

Kaede started to speak but then froze. On the older girl's once neat ponytail was now a cat-like creature with rabbit ears and an arrowhead tail. It blinked and mewed.

‘Ahhh!’ the girl screamed and clutched her head, or rather, what was on top of her head. Before her hands could grasp it, the animal bit her wrist and leapt off onto the table. It tore apart some folders close by and made quick work of the papers inside. People started from their seats and a few rose up to help.

‘I'll catch it!’ cried Ahio. He sprang upon the desk, arms reaching and flinging shreds of paper every which way. The little creature bounced away from his fingers and clawed at the wall, its sharp claws leaving marks on the wood as it sought purchase.

A small girl wearing a baggy jumpsuit stalked toward the animal, a finger on her lips. Everyone else stopped moving, except the beast, which made its way to the ceiling, a scratchy path left below. When she was within a foot of it, she stretched out to catch it. The creature let go of the wall and jumped onto the girl's shoulder. She screamed, but before she could move, it was off again, hopping onto one person's leg, another person's head, then back on the wall again. The kids yelled at the nearest ones to catch it and screamed in bravado as they tried just that. But despite how well they all sneaked up on it nor how exuberant they sprang, the little beast leapt away in time. Well, all the kids but the two still seated on a bench by the entrance.

One of them, a short boy with wispy wavy hair, sighed and snapped his heavy book shut. He glared at the pandemonium in front of him. Somehow, I knew we would get along. He turned to his companion, the same boy Kaede had bumped into before, and poked his arm.

‘Excuse me, I believe that's your pet.’ he said.

The other boy, who till now had been fiddling with his own number card with one hand and his collar with the other, turned to face the younger kid. ‘Huh?’

‘Your pet is disrupting my reading.’

We would definitely get along.

The older boy started, his face losing the deep blush that remained from before, and he stared at the commotion with wide eyes. He sprang up and clapped his hands. ‘Tayo! Come back here.’

As though a switch had been flipped, the animal stopped ripping another boy's backpack, hopped to the teen's side and clambered onto his shoulder. It nuzzled his neck. The boy giggled and stroked Tayo’s muzzle.

‘Ahem.’ said the receptionist. The boy gulped and ran his eyes over the ruins his pet left behind. The walls were indented with claw marks on various spots, some chairs had what little cushioning they held ripped out, several people’s clothes were torn and everyone was scratched in some way or another.

‘I'm--I'm sorry, katus c--can be a little...excited in new p--places.’ he tugged at his collar and looked down, a blush forming once again.

The girl rolled her eyes. ‘Well, next time, make sure you contain that excitement. Now help me clean up before it’s your turn in.’

They hustled a few minutes to bring things back to a semblance of normalcy with the help of a few other kids. Every now and then, a team marched out of the adjacent room and another group of kids walked in. Soon, only a handful of people remained in the waiting room. The door creaked open and team ten walked out.

‘Next!’

Ahio, Kaede, the older boy with the pet and the little one with the book filed in.

***

‘Tahro, dinner's getting cold!’

‘I'm coming. I'm coming!’

I breezed through the pages, fingers flicking them rougher than I'd like. My brain did it's best to cram in the details of their quest. I really needed to finish this chapter before dinner for…for some reason.

I'm sure you understand.

A few moments later, not hearing my mum call, I slowed down to savour each page as before.

***

Their meeting with the quest Master done, the kids scurried out of her room. The last team waiting outside rushed in and shut the door behind them. Ahio and Kaede rushed downstairs, chattering about their quest while the other two followed.

The taller boy pulled at his collar. ‘T-thanks for e-earlier. I-I don't know what I'd been thinking.’

‘No problem.’

‘I-I'm Tsubasa Date.’

‘Daisuke Kaho.’ the younger boy said and flipped his book open.

Both of them traipsed out of focus. The panels grew larger and darker and darker. Soon, one panel covered the whole page, showing a dim-lit room spilling with tomes and cracked parchment.

In the midst of this loomed a cloaked figure. Their spindly fingers caressed a crystal ball and they whispered, in what I imagined, a raspy voice.

‘It's almost done.’

***

The first chapter was over and it's ending left a tingle in my spine. I wondered who that was.

Maybe the next chapter would tell me?

I held the corner of the page and--

‘Tahro!’

No negotiating with that tone. I closed the book and ran to the dining room, tingle in my back forgotten.

***

Over the next couple of days, I read the volume, not one, not two, but five times. The shadowy figure was never mentioned again, but the chill returned every time I read that scene. The new chapters released every Wednesday and soon that became my favourite day. Six months passed with the characters becoming more and more real. Sometimes I'd swear I heard them speak. The only difference was that they always appeared younger than the manga showed, more around my age at the time.

I pretended to fight besides them, somedays a swordsman, hacking at unseen enemies, and other days a mage, a nature whisperer like Tsubasa who had every animal and plant at his beck and call or a witch, although no one alive now had seen one.

But I was not yet ready to leave, not yet.

***

January 27th, XXXX

My door was shut. I wasn't allowed to lock it, but no one said anything about shutting it. So I’d shut it. Quietly of course, surreptitiously. When my mum was out buying groceries.



OK, maybe I was more than a little paranoid.



Nevertheless, the door was shut and I was free to practice my swordsmanship, or at least pretend to. With my makeshift blade, a long ruler, I made slashes and thrusts at the air, trying to copy the moves Kaede did the time a bandit stole their bags, or Ahio, when the same bandit called his mates for help. Currents of exhilaration rippled through my arm, releasing a longing I'd always had but seldom acknowledged. Well, maybe I had acknowledged it a bit. The shelves of books I owned held testimony to the call for adventure I'd heard since I'd learned to read.



From not so far away, came a distinct cling and clang. My mum had arrived. I flung the ruler onto my study-table and heaved open the door. It wouldn't do for her to find out what I'd been up to. She'd get ideas that I was becoming distracted, or too violent or something. Or she'll just laugh at it as if it were too trivial to be given any more respect.



Just as she peeked through the doorway, I was on my chair at my study-table, perusing a fifth grade science textbook. Her blue-eyes, lighter than my own, glinted with what I could only assume to be approval.



“You're studying? Good. I wanted to talk to you about something.”



My back straightened and I attempted to put on a calm face and smile. What had I done now? Had she seen me? I was sure I'd drawn the curtains too. Oh no, was my silhouette visible making swipes with stationary? Yet I couldn't see a trace of anger around her eyes so I forced my thumping heart to calm. It couldn't be anything bad.



“Yes mum?”



She smiled, and more than anything, this made my breathing slow down.



“You're going into fifth grade soon, so we thought it'd be best if we got a tutor for you. I met Mrs. Hashimoto at the shop, and she told me her daughter's teacher is a good one. I'll be calling her today, and maybe we could set something up this week.”



She stood waiting, waiting for me to grin like Christmas had come early. So I did.



“That's good, let's see how it goes” I plastered on the biggest smile I could think of.



She left me alone shortly thereafter to not disturb my reading and I slipped in the manga between the covers, ears alert for creaking floorboards and swishing skirts. Guilt stirred in me, but I squashed it. I'd already covered the material, and a tutor would do it again soon. Yet one look at the book that was now well-thumbed, and I forgot any left over apprehension and knew only wonder.



That night I played with squad eleven in my dreams.



***



The next evening after-school, I found my arm held hostage by Yuuhei, who towed it and sprinted into his mansion of a home. My shoulders popped in protest and I stumbled behind him.

‘Yuuhei, Yuuhei! Slow down.’ I screamed.

‘Aw, wait till we go to my room.’

I sighed and shook my head. I'd need a new arm with this boy as my friend.

We rushed through the wide hallways and skidded to a halt before his room. A thick spicy smell wafted from the kitchen. My stomach growled. I wondered what Yuuhei’s mum had cooked. Yuuhei let my poor hand go and stared at the ceiling, eyes moist.

‘Oh my room. I am back. Did you miss me?’

I laughed and swat his arm. ‘So dramatic.’

He shoved my hand, a toothy grin decorating his face. ‘It's time to read.’ he rolled onto his gigantic bed and circled his arms under his head.

Ambling to his laptop, I let loose a huge smile. The balls of my feet danced to an imaginary chorus and exhilaration perfumed the air. Finally! I'd been waiting all week.

Today was a Wednesday.

And not just any Wednesday. Today there'd be a new arc. I hoped something exciting happened.

‘I've always wondered how cool it'd be if all these manga were real.’ said Yuuhei.

My eyes shifted to him. He broke contact with them and glazed over the hoards of books on his shelves and bed. ‘You know, I read an article once. It was about some people thinking they could go to other dimensions and how they had superpowers and stuff. Dunno if it's true, but wouldn't it be so cool if that happened to us?’

For a moment time froze. My heart beat like it was trying to break my ribs and my palms prickled with sweat. Was that what I was feeling all this while? Was I really… Should I tell him I might be…?

‘Yup, it'd be really cool.’

The loading finished and a screen of bright pokey struck my vision. I opened the browser with shivering fingers and typed in the manga website. Was Blade Fables real? Could it be real? It took me a few minutes to realize Blade Fables was under Newest Releases.

Even if it existed, could I really be there?

‘It's up, Yuuhei.’

‘Yay. Ugh, Tahro, help me. I can't get up.’

Turning my head, I found Yuuhei flat on his back, one hand stretched limply at the roof. I scrambled over and pulled it.

‘Tahro, at this rate, I don't think I'll ever get out of bed. Tell my parents this is it. And my sister that I love her. I can't go to school anymore or do any homework.’ He sniffed. ‘When I die, bury me with my action figures.’

Could count on him to change the topic, even unknowingly. I dropped his hands and crossed my arms. ‘Get up, you lazy, morbid kid.’

‘Ugh, ugh,’ he said and flopped to his side. Then, like a zombie, he pushed himself up with one trembling hand. ‘Okay, I'm up. Open the chapter.’

I grinned, double-clicked the thumbnail and waited for the chapter to load. The first page was…

A notice to all readers.

Due to extremely low ratings and other unforeseen circumstances, the Author has to temporarily withdraw from continuing the manga. We assure you that it will return full swing with a new exciting arc, but for now, we apologize for the hiatus. Thank you for your support and patience!’

I had often wondered how everything would have gone about if the four year hiatus had never happened. Maybe things would have been better. Maybe they would have been worse. But what I do know is my life would've been that much easier if it weren't for this stupid hiatus.

Time stood still and a high-pitched whistle blew in my ear. The temperature plummeted and whatever breath I had was squeezed out of me. Why would they do this? What about everyone who liked it? And how would I… Would I ever…know more? Dreary days cooped up in my room with no new exploits to pretend to be a part of, long rides around the city, squeezed between ignoring cousins, run out of imagined conversations to keep me company, and those times when my door would be locked, with no new villains to play-fight and mute my parents’ raised voices orchestrated before my eyes. My ears rang as if someone had taken the courtesy of boxing them. Flashes of shock, maybe even fear swam in a saturated emptiness within me. There was disappointment, yes, but most of all the sensation of something precious ripped out.

‘Hey, Tahro, are you alright?’ said a voice which had travelled many many miles.

I shut my eyes and clenched my fists. My heart banged on my ribcage and one thought--one hope clung to my mind.

‘Yuuhei, there's something I have to tell you.’

You see, I knew it now.

I was there.