"What do I do?" A cold sweat ran down my spine. Fear kept me in place, my eyes wandering to Yami and Ace. Before I could even think, Hudson flung another fireball. But this time, towards Ace who was still helping Yami up. "Ace!" I screeched.
He reacted quickly, snatching Yami up and flinging him back towards Mikoto and I, jumping out of the way at the last second. But not before his shirt was set aflame. He quickly ripped it off and flung it away.
Everything seemed to slow, my heart beat pounding in my ears. The fat teen slammed his foot on the ground, roots starting to rise from the cracks in the ground. Hudson flinging fireball after fireball towards all of us and the string bean cackling, water rippling and writhing around his fingers like eels.
'What do I do?' My eyes shifted from the teens to my friends.
'You know what to do' A voice that wasn't one I knew but still somehow sounded familiar to me broke me from my trance. The fire and roots came closer making me panic. 'It's okay. You can do this.' The voice encouraged. I took a deep breath, raising my hands. A tingling sensation permeated through me, starting at my thigh. 'Say the words' I sucked in a breath, steadying my heart. The fire and roots are so close now.
"Summoning Magic-" I started, my voice sounding small and squeezing my eyes shut. "Celestial Protection!" A wave of nausea wracked through me, almost causing my legs to buckle under me but I fought the urge. I heard a whirring noise followed by loud thump, thump, thumping. I heard a few gasps and slowly opened my eyes.
I sucked in a breath, my eyes widening as I took in what was before me. A round golden shield as big as me floated in front of my friends and I, golden light emanating from it. Encasing us in a dome of golden light. The moment of marveling at the shield passed when another wave of nausea hit me followed by an intense drain making my vision blur slightly. It became harder to breathe but I couldn't let the shield down. Not until those teens were gone.
"Bo!" My aunt's voice rang out. "Bo! Put the shield away!" She yelled, her voice shaking.
'Is she mad at me?' The thought crossed my mind momentarily.
"Put. It. Away!" She yelled again.
"Bu-" I could barely speak. My mouth felt like it was filled with sand. 'How?' My mind finished what my mouth couldn't. Mikoto grabbed my arm, his face in and out of focus.
"Bo!" His voice sounded panicked. Their voices started to sound further and further away being replaced by a loud ringing. The edges of my vision started to darken, my body going numb.
'Wha-what is this feeling?' Pain started hammering in my head just behind my eyes. My arms dropped to my sides as I swayed on my feet. Just when I thought I'd fall someone caught me. It couldn't have been my aunt, the person who caught me was my size albeit a bit bigger.
I tried to open my eyes to see who it was but my eyelids wouldn't budge. "I've got you, Bo." I heard Mikoto's voice over the dull ringing in my ears. My body felt completely drained, the pain in my head slowly starting to lessen. It started to become easier to breathe, thankfully.
After what felt like forever I was finally able to open my eyes. My vision was a bit blurry still and I could make out a few silhouettes standing above me. I took in a steadying breath, squeezing my eyes shut from the stinging soreness in my limbs. I groaned as I opened my eyes back up after a few moments. Looking up at concerned looks from the boys' faces and a mixture of concern and pride on my aunt's gave me mixed feelings on what just happened.
"Wha-" My voice was hoarse, my mouth dry like it was filled with sand.
"Here," My aunt said, offering a plastic cup of water. "Drink this first." She helped by holding the cup to my lips and I chugged the water down greedily. Feeling the cool liquid run down my throat and quenching this unbelievable thirst.
"What happened?" I asked, my throat still a bit sore and voice still a bit husky.
"You used your magic." My aunt beamed at me as she pointed to the amber symbol on my thigh. My eyes widened like saucers.
"Seriously?" I nearly choked on my spit in surprise. She nodded with a chuckle then her eyes took on a more serious look.
"Bo, we'll have to go home now." She said as I sat up slightly with help from Mikoto and Ace. Ace was still shirtless and Mikoto standing protectively at my side as he held my arm still. Yami sat cross-legged in front of me holding an ice pack to his head. Thankfully there was no blood on the ice pack or in his black locks, making me sigh in relief. Urahara stood at the end of the alley talking to someone, the three teens tied together and out cold from, I'm guessing, the large knots on each of their heads.
I looked back to my aunt and pointed at the tall gentleman Urahara was talking to. "Who's that?" I couldn't make out his features from here as he was at just the right angle that the shade of the building covered his face in darkness. She had a severe expression on her usually smiling face as she looked to where I pointed making a shiver run down my spine.
"A Sentinel. Probably here to pick up that trash." She said turning back to me. "Now, let's go home. Your friends can come, too." She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. The boys each whipped their heads to look at her, their jaws dropped in shock. "If that's all right with your guardians." She said.
"I'll let Dadan and Hiro know where the kids are." Urahara said as he walked up to our small group. I looked passed him and the teens and man from before were nowhere to be seen, an uneasy feeling rolling around in the bottom of my gut. I pushed it down when my aunt picked me up and held me close. She pulled her broom out from who knows where and told the boys to pile on once they recovered from their shock.
As we flew over the city I watched each of the boys faces. Mikoto's eyes scanned every nook and cranny as we flew, taking everything in. Ace's face lit up in excitement as he pointed and asked questions, my aunt chuckling but answering them. Yami on the other hand looked over the city with a bored expression. His head probably still hurt so he probably couldn't get excited about it, I guessed.
Once we started to descend over the estate I saw Omen running straight for us. 'What happened?' His voice laced with concern as his feelings of anxiety struck my heart. As soon as we touched the ground I leapt from my aunt's arms and ran to Omen, my legs screaming in protest.
"Bo! Watch out for that dog!" Mikoto yelled but as soon as Omen and I got to one another I hugged him so tight, his head laid against my neck as he practically wrapped his body around me. "What the?" I heard him say as he ran up behind me. I could hear the other two boys' footsteps with his. I showed Omen what happened and a feeling of pride laced with worry flitted through me from our connection.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you." I whispered to him.
'I will always worry about you.' He whined. 'It's my job.' We broke apart after another moment and nearly jumped out of my skin when I noticed my father standing over us. I looked to the ground when I saw the serious look on his face. I hadn't had this feeling of 'did I do something wrong' since my teenage years in my past life. It was nostalgic and gut twisting at the same time.
Color me surprised when my father scooped me up and held me high, a proud smile on his face. "You used your first symbol!" He sounded overjoyed. I looked at him confused.
"Ho-how did you know?" I stuttered. He chuckled and my aunt came up behind him.
"I called and told him." She said.
'Wait…Called?' My mind ran around in circles. 'They have phones? Why haven't I seen one?' I shook my head. 'No, I'll figure that out later.'
"I'm...I'm not in trouble?" I asked cautiously. My father and aunt looked at one another confused then back to me.
"Whatever for?" She asked. "You were defending yourself and your friends. There is nothing wrong at all for doing that." Relief flooded through me.
"So, that was her magic?" I heard Ace ask from behind me.
"Yes, and only a fraction of it." My father said proudly. He set me back down and I sat myself down against Omen as he curled protectively around me in a half moon.
"Is-is it a nice dog?" Ace asked nervously as he looked from me to Omen and back to me.
"Yeah," I giggled. "He's my familiar and he's a dire wolf not a dog." I corrected when Omen huffed at being called a dog.
My father and aunt left us for a bit, Omen's siblings coming over with Villanova and playing with the boys. I stayed laid against Omen, giggling at their antics since I was way too worn out to move around too much. My Aunt Ash came out with drinks and a variety of rice balls with a baby Iz secured to her chest with a baby wrap, the latter snoozing away against her mother's chest.
We ate greedily, giggling and chatting. Once finished they got back to playing with the pups, this time I joined them. The food my aunt brought gave me a second wind. My Aunt Phil and father came back close to when the sun started to dip into the sky. Not yet sunset but it was getting close.
"Alright boys, I better get you home." Aunt Phil said, a chorus of awes coming from the four of us.
"Do we have to?" Ace grumbled, his shoulders dropped to his sides.
"Yes, sweetheart." She chuckled. "How about I come get you guys this weekend? So long as it's all right with your guardians." I perked at her words.
"Promise?" I asked, eyes wide expectantly.
"Of course, Bo." She said. "I kept my promise today, did I not?" She tilted her head to the side as she regarded me.
"Yes." I smiled, a blush heating my cheeks. I gave each of the boys a tight hug. "I'll see you this weekend. Promise, okay?"
"Duh!" Ace said, punching my shoulder lightly. Mikoto and Yami nodding in agreement.
~
I sat on the sofa with Omen at my feet, my father on one side of me and my Aunt Phil on the other. My Aunt Ash and Uncle Sam on the sofa to my right and my grandmother on the left sofa. The silence of the room was suffocating. 'I thought they said I wasn't in trouble?' I asked Omen.
'You're overreacting again.' He said back, huffing loudly from the floor.
"Bo Bo, you don't need to be nervous." My father said next to me.
"It's just-" My grandmother started, pausing and from the looks of her face she was trying to find the right words of what she wanted to say. Her brow was scrunched in thought. "You were able to use one of your symbols instinctually. Without any formal training at all." She said. "Even among the most talented in our family, no one has ever done that. Hell, none of us have been able to use them until at least a year out from getting them and with at least some form of training. But, for you to use one of them one day after getting them…" She trailed off.
'How OP did you curators make me?!' I mentally screamed at Omen.
'We provided the tools. It's your own natural ability that allowed you to achieve such a feat.' He lifted his head, listening to the adults now.
"Bo Bo, how do you feel now?" My father asked, peeking down at me. I nodded, deep in thought about what Omen said as they talked amongst themselves. I laid my head against my father and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"What's a Sentinel?" I asked, interrupting whatever they were saying.
"Oh, uh," My Aunt Ash stuttered. "A Sentinel is kind of like a protector, a keeper or peace and justice in the city." She explained.
'Oh, so like a police officer.' I hummed in thought as I nodded my head. 'So, those teens were probably arrested. Or punished at least.' I snuggled closer, getting comfortable. 'Sentinels are the police here. I wonder who's a part of this police force. Would it be the Uchiha's like in Naruto? And what of the Marines in One Piece or the Soul Society in Bleach?'
'Remember, this isn't the same people you remember from their worlds. Things will be different. People will be different.' Omen commented, reading my thoughts.
'You're right.' I scrunched my brow in thought. 'I keep forgetting that.' I sighed, closing my eyes. 'Is there people here from non-magical anime or manga? Or even just normal people?' I asked Omen.
'Probably.' He sighed under my feet. 'There's a lot of people in this world.' I sweated at that.
'Hmm… I really hope not from some genres of anime and manga…' Thinking back to some of the anime and manga that were a part of the horror genre where everyone pretty much died in the first ten seconds of any episode. Or even the sketchy hentai ones... 'No thanks…' I shuddered, my father shooting me a worried look.
'They wouldn't be the same. And if you're thinking of the monsters from some of those manga, most won't be here either. This world, this universe, is different from them. The principles and even the laws of physics wouldn't be the same.' Omen explained. I hummed in understanding.
'I wonder what monsters are in this world then.' I closed my eyes, exhaustion overtaking me once again.
~
I sat in my aunt's living room with Omen on the floor next to me, looking at the photos of Souei and Shion. I miss them. Right now they're with Uncle Han, Aunt Phil's husband, in Elysium. The dragon's territory. They've been there for a little over a month, spending time with Han's family. They'd return soon, if not my antsy aunt would go get them herself.
But, for today, my aunt was my teacher. She started with the basics. Explaining that the root of all magic, the lifeblood that flows in all living things, is mana. She said there were rare cases of those born without mana but that that was a topic for another day. She then went on to explain that the mana that flowed within a person almost always had a sort of 'nature' to it.
That 'nature' could range from favoring fire to favoring water, to favoring the light over the dark. Even favoring more than one nature, but always of complimenting forces. If a person was born with opposing natures they typically didn't live very long as the mana inside them would be at constant war, eventually killing the person.
Then there are the cases when someone doesn't have a nature to their mana. The drawback of that is they can't use magic the same way those with a nature can; i.e throwing fireballs or stomp their foot to make the earth shake. But, they're able to use tools infused with a nature, even using more than one tool with opposing natures without harmful effects. Some without a nature to their mana even create their own magic, enhancing their strength or speed, even manipulating their own body in crazy and amazing ways.
Our clan's magic being unique only to those with the blood of the Silvers. Our mana doesn't have a nature and the firsts of our line created their own magic, one that allows them to summon and store magic tools within their own bodies. Unlike others who use scrolls or carry on their person in a holster or sheath.
She explained that even when we have marks, or as she explained as mini summoning circles, that are of opposing natures aren't a detriment to our bodies since they're essentially sealed in their own pocket dimensions of a sort. It actually reminded me of Erza Scarlet's requip magic. It also made me wonder if people from Fairy Tail were here, too, but I haven't seen any.
My aunt said some people have tried to recreate the phenomenon of our magic but with no success. She also explained that other family lines had magic unique to them as well. Magic that couldn't be replicated unless you were one of them, that concept reminded me of the kekkei genkai from Naruto.
After she had laid all the basics out it seemed really simple. But, I knew that wouldn't always be the case. I couldn't even turn the shield off and I don't even know how I summoned it in the first place. And the pain I felt, the drain? There's definitely more to it.