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A/N: Before reading the fic, I would like to personally thank the person who gave me a lot of inspiration (and interest) in making a fic about a normal guy who suddenly finds himself engulfed in the world of his favorite anime/manga world, ShadowDragonGX. Thanks, man. Being my favorite author and all, I kinda liked how you did the concept in your fics, Finding a Purpose and A New Devil Is Born. I just wish you would update sooner. My fic-addiction went higher than MAX after reading your work. Can't wait for the next chapters. Well, enough said. On with this fic.
This is bad.Thought dialogue. Italicized.
Call forth his name. Telepathic speech dialogue or the voice of the "wind". Bold and Italicized.
Disclaimer: I do not own Air Gear. Oh! Great does.
NOTE: The Prologue will be in a first-person POV. The rest of the chapters will then move to third-person.
SMACK! "Don't ever look down on me, assholes!" I shouted at my opponent while giving him a haymaker punch. I could've sworn I heard his jaw crack before he collided with the wall and then the ground. A part of me wanted to end the fight right now for it seems he won't be able to take another hit. And yet another part of me wanted to teach this guy more of my 'lesson.'
"K.O.!" the announcer, er... announced. Feeling a little disappointed and happy at the same time, I then lift my arm to signal my victory. Everyone chanted my name...
People, young and old chanted my name as if they were seeing the birth of a god right before their eyes. The claps, the shouts, the praises. It was cloud nine to me.
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
Suddenly, all the shouts and all the people stopped and the only thing left that I can hear is the constant clapping of someone's hands and the sound of footsteps.
"Excellent. That was an amazing fight." an old man's voice can be heard. I turned around and looked at him straight in the eye but they were shadowed by the darkness behind him. Darkness? When did that come from? "I just hope that your streetfighting skills are as good as your 'riding' skills." I noticed he's wearing some kind of business suit you might see in a lot of mafia movies. He's even using a fashionable cane while he walks towards me. And with every step he takes, the darkness seems to follow him... as if he himself is the darkness. I took one step back. "We'll meet again, young man but as soon as we do, it is time for you to make your choice..." he added.
The old man turned around and walked back into the pitch black void. I wanted to ask him about what he was talking about but no words came out of my mouth. With just one step forward, everything began to shine so brightly that I could feel I might go blind even with my eyes closed.
I felt light. Not a single pound to burden my body.
I felt secure. Like all my troubles were at an end.
I felt...
I slowly opened my eyes and find myself inside the four-walls of a small bedroom. It's filled with posters of games, gals, rock bands, the usual things that you can find inside an average teens room. My name is Arnold G. Wyndham. 15 years old. Average height. Average weight. Average built. Black hair. Dark blue eyes. Caucasian. A little slim. Well, maybe a little buff but that's only because I need to be in shape if I have to keep my winning streak in streetfights. It's not one of my favorite hobbies, since I don't do it much. I rubbed my eyes and got out of bed. When I glanced at my digital clock...
11:27 AM. "Oh shit! I'm late!" I shouted at the empty room. Today's Monday and class started hours ago. I've already been warned by my teachers that oversleeping is no longer an excuse on my part since I do it almost everyday. I quickly changed into my school uniform... I'm enrolled in a private school. It's worse than hell. I don't have time for breakfast so I just took my school bag and got out of the house. My mom didn't even see me go through the house. I swear I think I ran too fast for human eyes to perceive for even just a small glimpse.
Once I've covered much ground on the way to school, I thought it was best to keep on going in a medium pace. I didn't want to tire myself out right after I arrive at school. Well, the city I live in is a great place since it has a lot of places you can visit. And I mean a whole lot of places. Most of the bars around the East district are just fronts for street brawls. Kinda like a turf out of Def Jam: Fight for NY. Total KO maniacs. And sadly, I'm one of them. Well enough about that, I want to talk about other things like the society, the environment and---
"Arnie!!!" a familiar voice from up ahead called me by my nickname. I prefer being called by my real name but since it's her, it didn't matter. She walked nearer to me. Her dark brown eyes go incredibly well with her shoulder-length brown hair. Her face is a mixture of smooth, white milk and shining ivory. If she's the beauty then I may as well be the beast, but that didn't stop the friendship we've made over the years. "You're late again." she gave me a smile after saying that.
"I know but..." something was bugging me ever since she called me. We were around 5 blocks away from school and it's still class hours. "... why are you here, Regina?" I asked her.
"Oh, you didn't know?" she replied me with another question. What exactly did I did not know anyway? Do I even have to ask her because I'm sure she'll still tell me even if I didn't. "Today's a half-day."
"Again?! That's the third time this month." I raised my voice a little from what she said.
"Why are you so surprised? I thought that you'd be happy about the news."
"It's not that. It's like I just wasted my time for going to school, ya know." I even pointed to my school uniform. This school's uniform has a lot of things required to wear and it took a whole while for me to get everything on as well as be sure I didn't forget anything.
She chuckled a bit from what I said and then asked, "I see. But you're still on for tonight, right?" in a happy tone. Of course, she means the camping trip the four of us agreed upon. And by four, it includes me, Regina, Flint (my best bud) and his girlfriend, Gerda. The four of us have always been hanging out together for as long as I can remember. We've agreed on a camping trip in the old camping site inside the forest beside the city. We don't need to worry about school since it's a holiday tomorrow.
"Of course! There's no way I'll miss out on all the fun." That's right. I never miss out on our camping trips. I've already prepared everything for the trip. But something's been bugging me from the back of my mind ever since I woke up. I feel like... this is the last time I'll ever set foot in this city again... as if I'll be going to a far away place...
It's nighttime and the four of us are making our way to the old camp site. Regina and Flint had been my best friends ever since preschool. You can never see one of us apart from the other. We're a 3 for 1 package and ever since Gerda and Flint started going out, we then became a 4 for 1. Flint's being all lovey-dovey with Gerda right now. I laughed inwardly at the sight. I've known him for years and I never saw the lovey side of him. Many mysteries came about our path but this mystery is something I'd like to keep a mystery. Power of love, maybe?
"We're almost there." Regina announced to the group. She's always been the group leader so it was natural for us to let her be in front. I've always admired her determination and skills when it comes to... possibly everything. You can say that I've been crushing on her for a long time but I've never been able to say it to her. I'm a guy who never takes rejection lightly. Confessing to her and leading to a rejection might just ruin our friendship and I don't want to see that happen anytime soon. I just have to carry my feelings for her inside me, I guess.
The forest itself seems eerie tonight. It's only around 7 o'clock in the evening but already the whole scenery's dark. At last, we arrived at the camp site. A fire's already been lit at the fireplace and a tent is already placed near it. But who else would occupy this area?
"Hello?" I shouted but no one answered.
"They must be looking for some firewood or something." Flint said without a bit of interest to the whole situation. He grabbed his backpack and took out a thick comic book. A manga to be more exact. Thanks to the flashlight I was carrying, I was able to take a look at the cover of the book. A raven-haired man with goggles grinning happily at the reader. On his back, he's carrying some kind of rollerblade with a crow resting on the ankle of the footwear on wheels. And on top of that, there's the title of the comic. Air Gear.
"Dude, since when did you get that?" I asked him immediately after realizing what it was. I've always been a big Air Gear fan. I watched the whole anime, and even got a DVD of it so I can watch it again and again.
"A friend of mine gave it to me as a gift. You wanna read it?" he didn't need to tell me twice because I already went to his side before he could even say another word. But that...
After a while, all of us suddenly heard gunshots coming from beyond the northern trees. We were surprised by the sound but not scared. Our parents always told us to never go beyond those trees. They allowed us to camp just as long as we keep that small condition. I never actually asked them why but after hearing those gunshots, there may as well be a good reason for it. Sadly, in our group we always had this saying on our head. "Curiosity killed the cat." Regina muttered.
I then gave Flint his Air Gear manga back and started jogging towards the northern trees. "I'll go check it out!" I told the group. "Stay right here." Somehow, the decision I made might as well be the end for me.
I went through thick bushes and wide trees and I still moved on. My curiosity must be making me stupid. It's common sense that a gunshot would mean death or even terrorists. No. It's not my curiosity that's dragging me to this place. It's... it has to be... the forest calling for me...
BANG! Another gunshot echoed through the forest. This time it was much closer and louder than before. From my left, I could hear voices. I walked stealthily and hid in one of the trees. Just below, two men were visible from the moonlight.
"Tch! Gah! (pant) (pant) (pant) You'll never get it from me..." a guy wearing a blue denim jacket and ripped pants knelt to another man with a gun in his hand.
"I already know that, my boy." the man with the gun's voice seemed old. It was too dark to see and the only illumination I can get is the moon. Flashlight is out of the question if I don't want to get caught.
"Gah! Then why... (cough)... are you doing this?" the jacket guy demanded an answer from the gun man. And the gun man answered it with...
BANG! A shot through the head. He was dead before he even hit the ground. I was frozen stiff from what's happening. This is something I didn't want to see and I cursed myself for coming here. I then regained my power to move and began to run back south but---
"GWAAHHH!!!" I slipped and fell down to where the two men were. Feeling a little pain from the fall, I stood up but was greeted by the feet of the gun-wielding killer.
"Hmm... I didn't think that we'd see each other again here, young man." That last part sent a shivering chill down my spine. That tone. That voice. That figure. I remember that form all too well. "You're lucky that I'm not in the mood to hear your choice so I'll let you off with..." he pointed his gun straight at me. I shivered more from what he's about to do. "... this." I could hear the gun cock it's hammer and is about to shoot a bullet right at me but all I heard next was, "OOOUUFFF!" the old man yelped. I could see blood trickling down his head and below him right on the ground is... a jagged rock. Blood was visible on the side of that rock.
"RUN!!!" a voice shouted from a distance. And that voice was Flint's. Without a second thought, I took off leaving my backpack there. It's not time to worry about material things. What I have to worry about now is to get out of here with my life.
I ran and ran and ran. The adrenaline is slowly draining from my body and I can already feel the overexertion I've been doing. I went into a complete stop and rested on a nearby tree. Silence. Silence everywhere. Guess, I gave him the slip. The old man can no longer find me but one burning question is occupying every inch in my mind right now. Who the fuck is he? He seems to know me but I don't even know him. I've dreamt about him before but I never actually met him in person. And I think I don't ever wanna meet him again at all. My breath slowly lowered down to normal as I rest on the tree. From what I can see, it looks like I'm lost...
After resting a bit, I walked around the forest. I wonder if the others are okay? A man with a gun inside a dark forest where he can kill any person he sees is not a great place to be in.
BANG! Another gunshot echoed. The flash from the gun appeared in front of me but that attention soon turned to a tree just a feet away from me. A bullet pierced through the thick wood leaving a hole. This is bad...
I ran back to where I was not even thinking of looking back. How exactly he was able to find me inside this large forest? I don't know. But what I do know is that I'm totally screwed if my feet were to betray me now. I ran with all my strength left. I run. I pant. I run. I pant. Run. Pant. Run. Pant. It's a never ending cycle. A large bush was in my way and I decided to jump through it. The last time I encountered a bush like this, it had thorns on the bottom just beside its roots. There were no thorns above that so it was safe for me to jump. Plus, the bush wasn't even that thick to begin with. Putting force on my leg, I jumped through.
And what awaited me on the other side was...
... a cliff.
"AHH!!! SHHIIIIIIIITTT!!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I began falling down towards a dark void. Am I gonna die? Mental images of what my corpse would be like after the fall began swirling inside my head. I am gonna die... I'm falling with utmost speed. It feels faster than my body's terminal velocity whilst freefalling. Tears began to form in my eyes by the air hitting against my face. What a way to end... The phrase was right. Curiosity did kill the cat. And that unlucky cat won't even need to land on its feet since the outcome would still be the same. Death.
And as I resigned myself to my inevitable fate, a voice whispered inside my ear. Call forth the name of your (too low to understand) and the gift of flight will come upon you. That voice gave me hope. But I didn't know what it was talking about. What name? The gift of flight? Everything will start with the calls of the wind. The wind takes great interest in you, Arnold. Will you be the one to settle the wind's uneasiness? A name popped into my mind. That name sounded familiar but if it's a sign that I'll be able to live through this then... I will call forth its name!
"BAGRAM!!!" I shouted just as my body enters the void of darkness. I could feel something materializing around my legs. Much like how your mother used to put your shoes on for you back when you were barely 3. I could feel a second pair of shoes being implanted on my feet. Bagram... That name... I remember now. And just as the thought came into my mind, my whole body felt light. A few seconds later, I'm soaring upwards. I soared higher and higher and higher. I can't believe that I'm actually flying! I feel like I can touch the sky from where I am. I was way beyond the cliff or the forest. I think I'm on top of the world. I couldn't think of anything than this feeling. The feeling of freedom. The feeling of being able to fly. It was majestic.
The dark sky filled with stars felt much closer to me than it ever was before. There's no doubt about it. I am wearing a pair of it. I looked at my feet and saw the materialized item wrapped around my two feet. Air Treck. And with this Air Treck I also have the Wind Regalia attached, Bagram. The two rear wheels were replaced with these pair of wings that gives me the ability to fly. I gaze upon the ground to see how far I am from it, and what I saw down there was no longer the forest. I... was on top of another city.
"W--what the hell?" was the only thing I could say as I look upon the sight before my eyes. Before long, I began gliding down to the ground. I tried to shift my weight in a different position so as to minimize the impact once I hit the ground. Bagram might be the Wind Regalia, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I can fly every time I use it. But still, something like Air Treck suddenly appearing on my feet and also equipped with Bagram, I could only think of all of this as just some sort of dream. And with this in thought, I decided to enjoy much of it as I can. The wind has called forth your fate, Arnold. It's that voice again. Listen to the wind and control it. Just then, the Regalia began to disintegrate. No, it's deactivating. But I'm still a few stories above the ground. Falling from this height would certainly mean death, no doubt about it. "NOT AGAAAIIINNN!!!"
Listen to the wind... The voice said again. Like a whisper from the wind entering my ears. There was nothing else for me to do than just obey what it says. I closed my eyes and listened. The sound of the wind. The sound of my clothes making contact with the air causing an almost WHOOSH sound or something. ...now control it. I opened my eyes and dived forward, down onto the ground. Control the wind... control it... as I was around 10 meters from the ground, the speed when I was falling quickly slowed down. 2 feet away from the ground, I could feel I'm floating in mid-air. I released the control and my AT collided with the ground in a very gentle manner. I'm alive! I'm alive! The happy thoughts soon came. I can feel that this is no dream. No dream at all. It felt too real to be even called a dream. I couldn't help but laugh from happiness and relief.
Suddenly, my whole body started moving forward. Oh shit! I forgot ATs move according to the weight I put on my feet! This is my first time riding Air Trecks on the ground and I think I'm having worse luck than Ikki's first try. I started to panic. Embarrassingly, I tried to stop them but all I got were making them go faster and my face getting planted onto a concrete wall. I'm just lucky I didn't slip and hit my head on the ground. Hmm... my nose is bleeding. But it's not the time to worry about that. What I have to worry about now is where the heck am I. I checked my surroundings and I found myself in a residential district. From a distance at my left, I can see a large city filled with high towers and the feeling that everyone's awake 24/7 there. Just the thought of it makes me feel sick.
I wiped the blood dripping from my nose and stood back up. I made sure not to put in too much weight on my feet this time. I've rode inline skates before so I don't have much trouble with balance. Though I should be worried about my current situation and the fact that I'm possessing a pair of fictional footwear only seen in the anime/manga Air Gear, somehow I felt more excited than worried. This kind of thing can only happen if... actually this kind of thing may never happen at all. I'm getting confused. Just what exactly is going on here? And how exactly was I able to land softly on the ground from such a perilous height?
Just as my thoughts were about to take me to the world of 'no idea', the wind began to "speak" to me. I can't really explain it well and the only thing that I can put it in words is that it's trying to speak to me. Something like, Look to your left, and as I turned my head what I saw was something I never expected.
A girl danced from rooftop to rooftop while wearing what looked like rollerblades on her feet. There was enough light for me to see what she was wearing. A sort of sailor uniform. A much common attire for Japanese school girls to wear as their school uniform. A black urban backpack strapped around her shoulder and back. A sort of naval captain hat and black fingerless gloves. And what looked like rollerblades were actually AT. A pair of ATs that goes up to her knee with a green color scheme. And the most noticeable feature she has is her long pink colored hair. I guess it's already obvious who this girl is but my eyes are still trying to persuade my mind that this isn't an illusion. She's absolutely real and I'm seeing her right before me. It's the Migratory Bird, Simca the Swallow. It can't be...
Just as I was about to call her out, she noticed me staring at her. She gave off a smile (Her infamous smile of uncertainty, that's what I call it) and grinds her way to where I was. I'm paralyzed for the time being. My mind kept mumbling these thoughts over and over, and it's about to drive me crazy. What the hell's going on?! What the hell's going on?! What the hell's going on?! WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON?!!
"Hi!" her voice is as energetic as ever.
"Um... h---hi..." I replied in a very low voice.
"Nervous, are we?" she said in a teasing tone. Her pale green eyes showed much anticipation on what she expected me to say.
"Yes, ma'am. Very nervous." I said all of a sudden. I sounded like an idiot.
She smiled differently this time. It looked more like a smile of content. She then gave me something that was on her shoulder, it was something I missed when I observed her. "I believe this belongs to you." What she handed me was my backpack. The backpack that I left back at the forest.
"Where'd you get this?!" I grabbed her by the shoulders and my face had the expression of worry on it.
"Just saw it lying around. And if you want to find out more, the least you could do is tell me your name." she said this while breaking free from my grasp.
"Heh? Uh... it's Arnold."
"I see." she shoved the backpack at me, then left without another word. I can see from her voice that it somehow sounded... afraid. But what was she afraid of? And where exactly did she get this? I'll have to ask her later on if I can find her, that is.
I observed my backpack to see if it is mine. No doubt it is. It has all the things I packed in it minus the sleeping bag. Wait, there's something more. (RUSTLE) (RUSTLE) I went through all my stuff and found something else inside. Flint's first volume of Air Gear. I didn't know what I was feeling. On one side, I'm worried about him and the girls. What exactly happened back in the forest? On the other side, I felt a foreboding energy resonating from the book. Why it felt that way, I'm not sure.
"Time to make your choice, young man." that voice... it's the old man! CLICK! He cocked his gun and aimed it at me. "You have two choices at the moment. One, live. Two, die."
"Just who the hell are you?!" I was angry now. I no longer care whether he wishes to shoot me or not and the only thing that I want ask of him is why is he doing this.
"In time, you will know, young man. However, I'm surprised at your courage. I can see in your eyes that you chose to live." he lowered his gun and holstered it. "Your next choice: Do you wish to stay here and save your friends? Or go back to your own world and never see them again?"
This guy... He's really pissing me off. First, he goes on and talk like he has control over me and now he wants me to choose between my friends or myself. He has Flint, Regina and Gerda with him. I can see the look in his eyes that he's not fooling around. His waiting patiently for my answer and I can only do the obvious thing, "I'll stay here. Just tell me what the hell do you want from me?!" my voice got louder than before. I had the right to be mad at him.
"What I want is for you to ease the wild fragments and restore balance to the dimensions." he said. And before I knew it, his cane then turned into some kind of whip. With a flick of his wrist he swung the whip right at me and as it digs through my abdomen, I could feel my whole body go numb. And soon everything started going dark...
"... bastard..." I muttered before I fell unconscious.
"Arnold..." a voice called for me. "Arnold..." who is it?
A bright light shined from above and illuminated the dark corners of the pitch black room I'm in. I looked around and saw no other soul than myself but the voice still echoes from somewhere. "The wind calls for serenity..." a voice that sounded very feminine. "Fulfill this task and balance will soon regain it's place..."
I didn't know where I am. If this is a dream then let it end now. I'd rather be in the cold and heartless world than be inside this dark cage for another minute. Just then, another light shined right beside me. "I wished everything were to never have been this way," the light slowly disappears and a figure stood right beside me. "If it did, you wouldn't have to choose the difficult road to walk on."
"Regina..." that figure is Regina.
"Ah. You're awake." a feminine voice called out and I was left speechless at the person just outside the room. It's Ringo. Ringo Noyamano.
"R--Ri---Ri---" I couldn't find the right words to say. I haven't read much on the manga but I did read some articles posted on Wikipedia and I gotta tell you, some things told about her really left me stunned. By being the Thorn Queen, she's actually...
"What? What are you saying?" she asked, and also wondered why I was stuttering.
"Ri---Ringo!!!" I raised my hand and pointed my forefinger right at her. My emotions were on a distressed mix of feelings in which I've never experienced before in my life. A mixture of excitement, happiness, expectation, fear and bewilderment.
"Huh? What? What?" she turned her head from left to right, completely startled after what I said.
"Very energetic in the morning...ah, the youth today..." behind Ringo stood the eldest of the Noyamano sisters, Rika Noyamano. One can say she's beautiful in the anime but seeing her in the flesh, the word beautiful is definitely an understatement. She's downright gorgeous!!! Wait, the youth today? She's still in her early 20s and she's already referring to herself as old?!
"Heh? Why am I here?" I finally came to realize that I'm at the Noyamano household right now. But why exactly am I here is a question I wish for it to be answered.
"You were beaten and unconscious when Rika-nee found you." Ringo explained to me. "You just lied there in front of our house and Rika-nee decided to take you in instead of taking you to a hospital."
"I see. Thank you, ma'am." I stood up and bowed deeply at her. I don't know why but I'm starting to act more Japanese-like.
"It's all right but you'll have to give me a full explanation for what happened to you, 'kay." Rika said. "Now come. Breakfast is ready."
"Huh?" was all I could say. GROWL! Calm down, stomach. You'll get your food soon. I blushed from embarrassment.
Breakfast at the Noyamano household is not what I expected it to be. Rika introduced me to the whole family. Ringo, Mikan, Shiraume and last but definitely not the least, Ikki. The one and only Itsuki Minami. The one who is considered to be the closest to achieve the title of Sky King. I was reluctant at first to start eating since it's rather... I don't know, weird to sit and eat with fictional characters. But my stomach soon gave up that thought and began to eat with the rest. I've eaten Japanese cuisines before so I'm a little experienced in using chopsticks.
"So phat's wor nyaym?" Ikki asked me 'what's your name' and Rika gave him a weak blow on the head for talking with his mouth full especially when talking to a guest.
"Oh yeah, I'm sorry for not telling my name earlier." I took a deep breath. "My name is Arnold. Arnold Wyndham."
"Arnold, eh." Ikki crossed his arms and stated, "Are you some kind of foreigner or something?" which gave him another but more powerful blow from Rika. Rika kept saying it's rude to talk about personal matters at a time like this. If my theory's right, I think Rika thinks that I'm a runaway seeing as I have my backpack with me. Now I wanted to set her mind straight but I thought against it. If I were to tell her that I am not a runaway and everything that has happened until now, she might think I'm crazy. So I think it's better to leave things at it is.
After breakfast I was called to meet Rika in an adjacent room. We sat opposite each other and silence ensued. Well, it would've been complete silence if it weren't for the eavesdroppers outside. Namely, Ringo, Ume, Mikan and Ikki.
My thoughts let me fly away to a place where I may be able to concentrate on why I'm in this world. I have my own AT but the Wind Regalia is no longer there. The old man has my friends but I still don't trust him. I don't have a place to go since I'm in a different world. To top it all off, I'm actually inside the amazing world of Air Gear. Ogure Ito-sama, thank you for creating this series. Happy thoughts were cut short after Rika asked what happened to me last night. I already thought of a white lie to tell her. I just hope that I can get her to let me stay here. I have this feeling that I'm suppose to be here when Ikki rises to the top. I can already see that he hasn't discovered the world of AT yet, and I'll be sure to help him when he is in need. It looks to me that the world of Air Gear has become a little more interesting...
TO BE CONTINUED...