Chapter 1
In the year 2090, there were two best friends, one named Anh and the other named Aoki. They both went to the same school and graduated in the same school year, 2090. Anh’s father is a scientist who spent most of his life trying to create an invention of a time machine to do a fact check of the history of the past, proving that the history written in the book is misleading. One day, on a heavy rainy day of the season, Anh’s father calls Anh to come home to assist Anh’s father in experimenting with Anh's father's creation for the first time. Anh’s father’s creation is completed, and now it needs to start the test run.
Anh’s father called Anh on the mobile device and said, “Anh, you need to come home as quickly as possible. I need your assistance to run a first test on my invention.”
Anh replied to Anh’s father, saying, “Yes, I am at my friend’s workplace, and when my friend gets out of work, then he will take me home as quickly as possible. OK, father?”
Anh’s father replied to Anh, “Alright, please get home as soon as possible. Bye.”
Anh is at his friend Aoki’s workplace, and Aoki’s shift is about to end, so Aoki will take Anh home on his new transportation. When Aoki is off shift, Aoki tells Anh to come with him to the back of Aoki’s workplace, see Aoki’s new transportation, and take Anh to his home. Both Anh and Aoki went in Aoki’s transportation, so happy seeing Aoki’s transportation fresh with a new smell. Aoki started zooming to Anh’s home so fast that Anh could not believe it. Aoki’s new transportation was executed very precisely on the road.
When both Anh and Aoki arrived at Anh’s home, the strongest thunderstorm was pouring down heavily on Anh’s city. Anh and Aoki run into Anh’s house as quickly as possible to get out of the heavy thunderbolt lightning storm. Once inside Anh’s house, Anh’s father is so happy to see Anh and Anh’s friend Aoki.
Anh’s father said to Anh, “Oh boy… I am glad you are home and brought your friend. I need you and your friend to help me start the very first test on my newest invention, the Time Machine. I just completed creating it, and now I just need to do the first test trial run. You two ready to start the test of our lifetime?”
Anh looked at Anh’s father and said, “What? Dad, you told me that you were just experimenting with your invention, like monitoring history or something like that, so I thought you created a monitor or a live screen picture or recorded movie history through your Time Machine. Not like really doing Time Machine travel.”
Anh’s father smiled and said, “Oh, Anh, you may not know during my creation of the Time Machine. I concentrated on doing that, but somehow there were too many details with so many components, so I decided to change the plan, and here we are. So, are you two ready? Come, let’s go down to our basement in my experiment lab.”
Anh looks at Anh’s best friend and raises Anh’s eyes, brown up, then points Aoki to follow Anh’s father down to the basement lab. Down in the basement, there is a huge machine with a circular crystal connecting so many fiber wires to and from the large crystal table where Anh’s father is standing, pushing the lights’ buttons. Anh’s father tells Anh and Aoki to take the fiber wires around the back of the huge circle crystal and then plug in all the pre-marked tag symbols into the correct connections. Anh’s father started turning the power on, and the sound of the crystal started sounding up loudly, and the thunderstorm thunderbolts and lightning sounds were getting louder and louder.
In Anh’s house, the basement mixes all the sounds, making it impossible to hear one person talking to the other. Anh’s father signals to Anh and Anh’s best friend Aoki to hurry up and finish the connections, but Anh can’t figure out what Anh’s father is signaling to Anh.
Aoki looks at Anh and shouts, “Anh, what do we do??? My last connection is not fit!!!”
Anh looks at Aoki and shouts to Aoki, “I cannot hear you!!! Too much noise and loud sounds!!! Cannot hear!!!”
Anh’s father tries to signal both Anh and Aoki to hurry up and finish the connections, but Anh and Aoki are busy trying to communicate with each other in the loudest environment, with storming, thundering, and lightning striking outside the house, and rain hits the house, making it impossible to talk to anyone down in the basement. Anh sees that his last fiber wire cannot properly connect to the crystal outlet, then tries moving the fiber wire around and twisting it to fit the outlet of the crystal.
Aoki cannot communicate with Anh because the environment of noise in the basement is reaching the critical stage, where no one can hear anyone talking. Aoki tried by himself, twisting the fiber wire around and pushing it into the crystal outlet. Both Anh and Aoki are very busy focusing on the last fiber wire connection. Anh’s father looks at Anh, sees Anh looking down at the fiber wire.e Anh’s father checks the crystal’s light of Anh’s fiber connection and sees the light blinking green, then red, then green again.
Anh’s father looked at Aoki and saw Aoki looking down his last fiber wire, trying to connect. Then, Anh’s father, looking at the crystal light of Aoki’s last fiber connection, saw the light turn green, then red. Anh’s father tries again and again to communicate by signaling to Anh and Anh’s best friend Aoki, but neither Anh nor Aoki sees Anh’s father signaling. Anh’s father looks down at the crystal control table, seeing that both last fiber wire connections are green, red, green, and red again. The storms are now increasing intensively with thundering, thunderbolts striking outside the basement, windows, incoming of blowing street trash, and rain falling on the house to the basement ground windows, so extremely noisy.
Aoki tried the last connection, which seemed to almost push the fiber wire connector into the outlet of the crystal. Then, Aoki looked up to see Anh, and Anh seemed very close to plugging in the last fiber wire into the last port outlet of the crystal. Then, looking at the lightning striking outside the basement window, saw Aoki pointing to his connection. Anh smiles and points his connection to Aoki to see. At this time, Anh’s father looks at both Anh and Anh’s best friend Aoki, signaling that ready to initiate the power, but Anh and Aoki are too busy trying to connect the last connection.
Anh’s father kept shouting out loud to Anh and Aoki, “I am ready!!! Turn on the switch!!! You guys read!!!” Anh’s father keeps repeating and looking at Anh and Aoki.
When both Anh and Aoki looked at each other, pointing to their last connection, then Anh’s father saw both Anh and Aoki raising their hands, pointing. Anh’s father thought both Anh and Aoki were signaling ready, then Anh’s father pushed the crystal power switch. After switching the power on the main crystal control panel, the crystal circle starts a blowout of energy, immediately forming a circular electric field, with thunderbolts striking, lightening clouds, and with one bright giant thunderbolt striking from the sky above Anh’s house straight down to the ground next to Anh’s house basement.
On the ground, the giant lightning thunder struck from the sky, forming a round, tremendous, multiple layers of fireball, storming bright lightening, many starlight particles, tremendous heat, and then with the final very bright light thunderbolt struck directly into the fireball, flew through the basement window straight into the crystal circle where Anh and Aoki were standing next to it. Anh’s father saw that tremendous fireball fly in through the basement window, striking the crystal circle.
Anh’s father realized a dangerous, serious situation and immediately tried to reach the switch to turn off the power, but it was too late. The multiple layers of the fireball’s electric storming thunderbolts exploded, expanding out at a tremendous energy circle portal, very bright, glowing, larger than consuming Anh and Aoki into the fireball storming thunderbolts striking portal. When Anh’s father finally hit the switch to cut off the power, everything near the crystal circle disappeared into the air, vanished, and there was no trace of anything around the crystal circle.
Anh’s father is stunning, looking at the vanished crystal circle along with Anh and Anh’s best friend, Aoki. Anh’s father slowly walked toward where the crystal circle was and said, “Oh my heaven… Oh my heaven… Where is my son Anh and Aoki…” Anh’s father stands still at the vanished crystal circle location and slowly turns three-sixty degrees, looking with both hands on his head.
Somewhere inside the vortex portal of the Time Machine’s crystal circle. Anh and Aoki are stuck in the loop of the portal, only seeing a bright light, a thunderstorm striking around the tunnel with no end, spinning around with particle energy, lightning striking the tunnel wall, and pulling forward straight ahead, seeing no end. Anh tried to reach Aoki, but Aoki closed his eyes and yelled, and Aoki’s hands waved everywhere. Anh focuses on Aoki, trying to position himself, moving slowly toward Aoki, and shouts, “Aoki, give me your hands and stop waving everywhere. Give me your hand to the sound of my voice.” Anh keeps repeating calling Aoki.
Aoki starts listening to Anh’s voice and slowly moves Aoki’s hands forward to Anh’s voice. Aoki replied to Anh, “Here!!! Here!!! Here are my hands!!! Grab my hands!!!”
Anh slowly moved to Aoki in grabbing distance, then Anh did a quick last move, then reached Aoki’s hand and grabbed both Aoki’s hands. Anh said to Aoki, “I got you!!! I got you. You can open your eyes now.”
Aoki slowly opened his eyes, but saw Anh and the tunnel vortex storming, thunderbolts striking, then immediately closed his eyes again. Anh tells Aoki to open Aoki’s eyes, but Aoki is so afraid declines to open Aoki’s eyes. Anh tells Aoki to hold tight on Anh’s hands and not let go. Anh also tells Aoki to keep his eyes closed, but we must stick together and not get separated.
Anh and Aoki hold hands tightly with each other, spinning inside the Time Machine vortex tunnel, and flying forward to the never-ending. Both Anh and Aoki were stuck flying for about thirty minutes inside the Time Machine crystal circle, storming, thundering thunderbolts striking, then a boom sound ahead. When Anh looked ahead and saw two energy fireballs approaching Anh and Aoki.
Aoki pulls Anh’s hands and asks, “Anh, what is it? What is the boom sound? Do you know what it is? I don’t want to open my eyes!!!”
Anh saw two energy fireballs, one was a huge fireball with multiple layers of shield flashing brightly with storm lightning thunderbolts striking inside the huge fireball, and the second energy fireball was smaller but with blue bright lights flashing with two layers of shield, storming thunderbolts striking.
Anh said to Aoki, “Oh… Nothing important, just two fireballs of energy in the collision path to both of us. Nothing to worry about…”
Aoki said to Anh, “What??? What do you say??? What is on a collision course with us?”
Anh loudly said to Aoki, “No worry, just two fireballs of energy on a collision course to us. We just may avoid it or become two barbecues. Just two barbecues. That’s all!!!”
Aoki started to cry and said, “I don’t want to become barbecue. I just want to go home and go out on my date!!! I don’t want to become a barbecue!!! My date is waiting for me after I drop you home, and now I am stuck in here to become the barbecue?” Aoki continues crying.
Anh pulled Aoki’s hands and said, “Don’t cry, I will not let anything happen to you, and I will make sure you go home to your date. Alright…”
Aoki shakes his head with both eyes closed. Anh is looking at the two fireballs approaching with some kind of intelligence because the two fireballs change course with each other up and down the left side, and the other changes to the right side. Anh, looking at the two fireballs, keeps changing their positions relative to each other. Anh thinks that the huge fireball has tremendous energy, and if it gets hit, it could be the end, and the smaller energy hit would be more likely to survive than Anh, explaining the situation to Aoki. Aoki starts crying more because no matter what, we're both going to die in this flying place. Anh tries very hard and calmly explains to Aoki that Aoki will come home on this date, but must think positively.
Aoki is shaking very nervously and said to Anh, “Anh, whatever you do. Do not let go of me until you get me home with my date. Promise me!!!”
Anh replied to Aoki, “Aoki, you are my best friend, and I will not let anything happen to you. I will take you home, and you can go on your date. Alright, that is my promise to you.”
The two energy fireballs are now fixing the targets, then a bright light bursts up, flying straight to Anh and Aoki. Anh said to Aoki, “Aoki, hang on!!! Here it comes!!!”
The two fireballs flew very close in formation, then the huge fireball hit straight to Anh’s head, and the other, smaller fireball hit straight to Aoki’s body. Both Anh and Aoki are now in the flame of two fireballs, two fireballs now forming one big giant burbling storming, thunderbolts striking, star energy, and brightening up to one big bang. Everything brightened up, Anh and Aoki closed their eyes, and now certainly felt like a fall from the sky. The winds blow up from the bottom up toward Anh and Aoki’s chests.
Aoki shakes Anh’s hands because Aoki is still grabbing and holding tight to Anh’s hands. Aoki asks Anh, “Anh, what happened? I feel like we are falling.”
Anh slowly opened his eyes and saw water below the ground. Anh shouts, “We're falling!!! Water below!!!”
Aoki said to Anh, “What???” when Aoki opened his eyes and saw water below and falling.
Both Anh and Aoki open their eyes and see themself falling below a body of water, both yelling and screaming, and then both fall into the waters. Anh and Aoki hit straight down into the water. Both Anh and Aoki hit the bottom, then, using their legs, pushed upward. Both Anh and Aoki surfaced above the water, swimming, trying to stay afloat. Aoki looks at Anh trying to swim and stay above water, then Aoki swims over and carries Anh to the shore-high ground. Anh is coughing up a little water, and Aoki is lying next to Anh.
Aoki breathed heavily and said to Anh, “Anh, I thought you knew how to swim by now, and you cannot even stay on a float above the water.”
Anh took a breath, exhaled, and said to Aoki, “Yeah, I just got a swimming lesson, and I am very weak in swimming, especially trying to stay afloat. Thank you, my best friend, Aoki.”
About fifteen minutes later, Anh and Aoki took a breath and rested after falling from the sky into the body of water. Then Aoki is lying down on the ground looking up at the sky, and sees many stars in the dark sky. Aoki tried patting Anh’s arm and said, “Hey, Anh. Let me ask you my unintelligent question.”
Anh replied to Aoki, “Yeah, what is your unintelligent question?”
Aoki said to Anh, “Where are we? I thought we were at your home, and now we are lying on the ground here looking up to the sky and seeing many stars, but I wonder where we are. We are lying here, enjoying looking up at the dark sky full of stars. Tell me where we are?”
Anh is watching the dark sky, many stars, a few falling stars crossing the dark sky, and realizing we must be in another dimension of sound, sight, and mind. Anh stared at the dark sky, exhaling, and said to Aoki, “Um… Aoki, I don’t want to alarm you, but I just think that we may have fallen into another dimension of sounds and minds. In other words, we may be dead already. I am so sorry…” Anh is starting to cry.
Aoki looked at Anh and said, “Hey buddy, are you crying? Let me try this and see if it is real or if we are dead.” Aoki pinched Anh’s arm the hardest.
Anh shouts out loud, “Ouch!!! That’s hurt a lot. No, thank you.”
Aoki smiled and said to Anh, “There you go. That rules out that you and I are not dead. So, what next?”
Anh looked up to the dark sky and replied to Aoki, “Oh… That’s a good test. So, next is… Let me lie here and take some more rest. I think I was drunk or drank something from or in the water earlier that made my mouth feel very funny. Let me rest for a few more minutes, then we'll go looking around. Alright?”
Aoki replied, “Alright, you lie here and don’t go anywhere. Let me go look around here and come back for you. OK.”
Anh said to Aoki, “Aoki, don’t go any farther. You and I know that this place is not our home, that is for sure. We are in a strange place, and we don’t know this area. We must be extra careful, alright, Aoki.”
Aoki smiled and replied to Anh, “Of course, I will be extra cautious, and you just rest here a little more. When I get back, then we go together to check out this place and find the way home.”
Aoki starts walking away slowly from Anh. Anh is still lying on the ground looking up into the dark sky and the stars in the dark sky, thinking in Anh’s mind How do we get here, then " How do we get home? About thirty minutes later, Anh heard footsteps approaching and the sound of footsteps like a small group of people walking.
Anh, still lying on the ground, said to Aoki, “Oh, my best friend Aoki. What’s taken you so long? I told you not to go far, we don’t know where we are, and thank you for giving us a long time lying here resting.”
Aoki does not reply to Anh, but the footsteps walk close to Anh and then stop. Certainly, everything was so quiet then Anh said to Aoki, “Aoki, why are you not answering me? Come help me up.”
Then an arm’s hand appears toward Anh. Anh grabs the hand and slowly turns around, standing up. When Anh slowly stood up, raised Anh’s head, and saw a girl standing in front of Anh with a short, sharp pointing stick, aiming at Anh.
Anh stares at this girl standing in front, one hand holding Anh’s hand, the other girl’s hand holding a short stick with a sharp pointer aiming at Anh. Anh said, “Uh… Aoki, where are you? Why is this girl standing in front of me, pointing that short stick pointer at me? Ah… Aoki…”
Aoki replied to Anh, “Well, buddy, look at me. I am in the same situation as you. I got these two girls pointing the short stick pointer at me, too. Oh, by the way. We can understand them, and they can understand us. That’s great, right?”
Anh slowly takes Anh’s hand back and raises both Anh’s hands up. The two girls guarding Aoki push Aoki walking toward Anh. Anh moved slowly backward, and then the girl, pointing a stick at Anh, told Anh to stop moving.
Anh was so surprised to understand the girl’s language. Anh slowly turned to Aoki and said, Aoki, this is impossible. The looks of these girls seem like they are from a different culture than us, but we understand their language. How’s that happening?
Aoki smiled and said to Anh, “Well, I am not a scientist like your father, so here are my low queue guesses that somehow we have been exposed long enough in the Time Machine portal or tunnel, as you called it, then we adapted to this environment we have fallen into, therefore we now know that this environment has to knowledge. See, that’s simple. Right?”
Anh looked at Aoki, shaking Anh’s head, and said, “Oh, mind, we must truly have fallen into the place of sounds and minds playing us. I’ll give up and just take what's coming to us.”
The girl pointing a short pointer stick at Anh said, “You two falling from the sky above?”
Aoki replied to the girl, “Oh yes, we both fell from above the sky into that body of water over there, and my best friend here, Anh, almost drank a full stomach of water.”
The two girls guarding Aoki start to laugh. A girl pointing a pointer stick at Anh also starts to laugh, and Aoki joins in with three girls laughing at Anh. Anh looked at all three girls, and his best friend Aoki then said, “Oh, great, all of you laughing because I drink a lot of water. Why don’t you all say that I need to save some water for all you guys?”
Now, all four are laughing at Anh. The three girls and Anh’s best friend, Aoki, laughed so hard, cracking up at Anh. Anh looks at all four, then turns to look at the girl, pointing a sharp stick at Anh and asks, “Um… Since we are laughing and we are not doing any harm to anybody. Can I, with my friend, put our hands down? My hands are so tired now.”
The girl pointing the sharp stick at Anh said, “OK, you both can put your hands down, but do not make any crazy move, or we will stab you with this stick.”
Anh looks at Aoki and replies to the girl, pointing a sharp stick at Anh, “OK, we promise not to do anything crazy. Alright.”
The three girls allow Anh and Aoki to put their arms down. Anh tries communicating with the girls, asking where we are, who these girls are, and how far from here to Anh’s home. All three girls have no idea what Anh or Aoki is talking about.
Anh looked at the three girls, introduced himself, and said, “My name is Anh. This person here is my best friend, Aoki. May we know your three girls’ names?”
The girl was pointing a sharp stick at Anh and said, “My name is Aimi. My sister's name is Aki, and the girl next to my sister Aki is Himari.”
After listening to Aimi introduce all three girls, Anh realizes why all these girls’ names are similar to those of Anh’s best friend Aoki. Anh turns to Aoki and asks, Aoki, may I ask you an intelligent question about names?
Aoki smiled and replied to Anh, “Oh yes. Anh, you can ask me any intelligent questions. Go ahead.”
Anh looks at three girls, turns to face Aoki, and asks, “Aoki, how come these three girls’ names are very similar to your name? I mean, like the words and sound so similar to your name, Aoki…”
Aoki smiled and said, “Ah… Oh… Huhh… What? That’s right. How come?”
Anh looked at Aoki and said, “Aoki, you ask me, and who am I going to ask? It sounds like or is similar to pronouncing your name, and you should know. You're asking me, and who am I going to ask?”
Aoki looked at Anh and said, “I don’t know, and I am sure these three girls don’t know. Maybe later on we will see more people than we can ask.”
The three girls tell Anh and Aoki that daylight is coming soon and that we all need to go back to the village as soon as possible to not get caught by another group of people. Anh and Aoki looked nervous because the girls were talking about other groups that do not like strange people and love to catch people and bring them back to their camp or village for all kinds of stuff. Anh and Aoki quickly walked with the three girls back to the girls’ village before daylight.
While walking their way to the three girls’ village, Anh and Aoki saw the landscape, the mountains, trees, and the pawn of water all looked so different than Anh and Aoki’s hometown. Aoki asks a lot of questions about the place walking by, the mountains walking by, and many ponds of water. Aoki feels sad and looks at Anh. Anh is feeling sad too, and both look around trying to find a familiar surrounding, but all the things around are so strange.
From a far distance, I saw a little village behind the green farming. Aoki asked one of the three girls, Himari, “Over there, is that the village where you three live? How come it's such a foggy-looking village?”
One of the three girls, Himari, replied to Aoki, “Yes, that’s our village, but early in the morning, somehow it gets foggy, but later in the day when the day comes up, the fog will be gone, then you can see clearly from a far distance.”
Aoki looked at Anh and nodded his head. When all five arrive at the village, the village leader comes out with the other village people, looking at Anh and Aoki. The people in the village were dressed in clothing that looked like the very earliest day of Japan’s earliest ancient times, according to Aoki.
Aoki saw people in the village dressing up so strangely and very differently from what Aoki had read in the history department at his school. Aoki looked at the people in the village, glancing at Anh, and said: “Hey Anh, these people dress like in the very earliest, oldest ancient time in Japan country, but I am not so sure because according to my learning in my school, ancient times of Japan country dressing in different clothing than these people.”
Anh looked at Aoki and said, “Aoki, what are you talking about? You are the expert here in studying the earliest ancient time of Japanese culture, and don’t look at me. I have no clue, and I am still trying to figure out how we understand these people's language.”
While Anh and Aoki talk about these people dressing, the sun rises, and looking at the sun rising so awesome and beautiful. Then, after Anh saw the awesome, beautiful run rising slowly up, Anh said, “Oh my heaven… This scene is so awesome, the most beautiful sunrise is surely in Japan. The country of looking at the awesome of the one, only beautiful during the rising sun. Oh my heaven…”
Aoki slowly moved near Anh and put his hand on Anh’s shoulder. Aoki said to Anh, “I think I read in my history book that this is called something… I try to remember those words… Um… I think in my history book called Nippon or Nihon, I think. Oh, my head is starting to hurt.”
Anh grabbed his arm around Aoki’s shoulder and said, “Well, if your head hurts, then don’t think. Just enjoy the sunrise moment, then we have to ask these people where we are and how far we are from our hometown. Alright?”
Aoki slowly looks at Anh, starting to laugh out loud, and all the people in the village look at Aoki. Anh looked at Aoki and said, “Hey buddy, why are you laughing? Don’t you want to go home and see your date? You may have missed your date, and I think your date will not be happy…”
Aoki smiled and cried at the same time, then said to Anh, “Are you kidding me? I know that my date is coming up, and I may have missed it already. Anh, take a look carefully around us. Do you see any city or one that looks like my transportation? Don’t make me sad, and don’t remind me of my missed date. I only hope she gives me another chance to make up this one missed date.”
Anh padded Aoki’s shoulder and said, “Oh… I am so sorry. I did not mean to make you sad or remind you that you missed your date, but hey, looking on the bright side. If you are correct about where we are, nothing looks like your transportation or any city nearby like our city, then we must be a… thousand… percent… lost in time… Oh, my heaven. Let me sit down here and take my breath. I might turn off my light. Why do I feel so dizzy here…” Anh slowly fell to the ground.
Aoki tries quickly to grab Anh, then both fall to the ground. Three girls run over to help Anh and tell Aoki to follow one of the three girls. Aimi carries Anh to one of the homes. Aoki takes Anh into Aimi’s home and puts Anh on the bed, but Anh is still out cold, with no consciousness. Aimi tells Aoki that Aimi will take care of Anh for Aoki. Aoki needs to talk to the leader of this village because the leader of this village has a lot of questions that need to be asked to Anh and Aoki.
Aoki said to Aimi, “OK. Aimi, you stay here to take care of my best friend Anh, and I will go with… Oh, I will go with Himari to see your leader. Call me when my buddy Anh wakes up. Alright?”
Aimi looked at Aoki and said, “Alright, you go. My sister Aki and I will stay here to look after your buddy Anh.”
Aoki goes with Himari to see the leader of the village. When Aoki went to the village leader’s home, the village leader asked Aoki to sit and talk about where Aoki and Anh were coming from.
Aoki is sitting before the village’s leader, looking straight into the eyes and asking, “Um… I don’t know how to begin, but I will tell you what I know, then I will ask my questions, so that I know where we are, that is, my buddy Anh and me. So, if I am so direct, then I ask you to forgive me, so be direct.”
The village’s leader smiles and talks to Aoki for a very long time. Aoki asks all kinds of questions about the village, the people in the village who survive here, food, water, hunting, different villages, wars, trading, and all things relating to surviving in this society.
Anh is still unconscious. Anh seems to be dreaming in a dream world where Anh only sees a wall of bright light, and only Anh is standing in the middle of the wall of bright light, seeing nothing beyond. Anh tries to call anyone in this wall of bright light, but no one answers Anh. Anh keeps walking to nowhere, then from very far away a tiny bright light flashes, like a very tiny star up in the sky at night.
Anh tries to focus by looking at the tiny light and walking toward the light, but keeps walking without seeing anything close to the light. Anh stopped walking, standing still and looking at the tiny light flashing far and far away. Anh tells the flashing light that if the tiny flashing light has to happen to Anh and Aoki, my friend, then you tiny flashing light fly come to me because I am tired of walking nowhere. The tiny flashing light just keeps flashing and then flashing rapidly, flashing.
Anh stood still, looking at the flashing tiny light, pointing at the tiny flashing light, and said, “If you are the one responsible for bringing my best friend Aoki and me to the place we have no idea where we know so far from our hometown. I want you to bring my best friend Aoki and me back to our hometown, where we live. Alright! You tiny flashing light. You hear me?”
The tiny flashing light starts extremely rapidly, flashing a bright light on and off. Anh saw the extremely rapid, tiny flashing light flashing so fast, then afraid and started slowly walking backward. The tiny flashing light started brightening up so brightly that Anh was now so afraid and quickly started walking backward faster than one huge flashing light started zooming straight to Anh with a very bright beam flash straight to Anh’s eyes, making Anh freeze standing in one place, unable to make any movement.
Anh watched the tiny flashing very bright light zooming so fast straight into Anh’s head at Anh’s temple. Anh saw a flashing bright white light hit Anh, then certainly Anh was in the world of wars, with so many deaths, with swords fighting men in the dark, only saw the bright light of long white shining swords go up and down, then a dark figure falling on the ground. Anh saw many flashing swords chopping dark figures, then certainly the dark turned into daylight with green grass and hills.
Anh stood in the middle of green grass and then heard the sound of thousands of horses with people on top carrying long swords riding on the horses colliding with each other, and then chopping each other with long white swords. Anh saw wars with swords, chopping each other, and then a lot of people running on the ground with the tall stick flags on their backs, colliding with each other and chopping each other with their swords.
Anh cannot believe this is happening right in front of Anh, then the sound of people running toward Anh from the rear, Anh turns slowly around, then one hundred people with swords carrying a long stick with a flag on the back running toward Anh holding swords in their hands. Anh tries to run away, shouting, but another thousand people run toward Anh, and then the people holding swords on both sides collide with each other. One of the people holding a sword jumps on Anh, Anh grabs that person with the sword, rolling on the ground, and fights and keeps rolling.
In the meantime, outside of Anh’s dream, Aimi saw Anh sweating. Aimi took a small towel to try to clean Anh’s sweat. Then Anh opened both arms, grabbing Aimi tightly and rolling just like in Anh’s dream, fighting with a warrior with a sword, but Anh grabbed both Anh’s arms around a warrior rolling on the ground. Outside Anh’s dream, Anh and Aimi are rolling on the ground, Anh’s arms grabbing around Aimi’s body very tightly.
Then, Aimi’s sister Aki saw Anh and big sister Aimi grabbing each other and rolling on the ground, and decided to jump in to help big sister Aimi out from Anh, who was grabbing both arms around Aimi’s body, rolling on the ground. At this time, Aoki and the village’s leader, walking into Aimi’s house, saw all three Anh, Aimi, and Aimi’s sister Aki on the ground. Aki is trying to get Anh’s arms off her big sister, Aimi. Anh is still grabbing both arms around Aimi’s body and rolling on the ground.
Aoki saw Anh, decided to jump in to help Anh and Aimi, and said, “What’s going on with Anh? What did you guys do to Anh? Why is Anh like this?”
Aki tried to get Anh off her big sister Aimi and said, “I don’t know, Anh certainly grabbed my sister Aimi and rolled on the ground.”
In Anh’s dream, Anh is struggling to fight a warrior with a sword, Anh’s arms grabbing the warrior’s hands, rolling, rolling, and then, on the last rolling, something bumps that forces Anh to kiss the warrior, everything on hold like freezing in time. From the outside of Anh’s dream world, Anh is grabbing both arms very tightly around Aimi’s body, grabbing Aimi’s arms, and kissing Aimi in a freezing position.
Everyone looking at Anh and Aimi kissing, Aimi’s little sister Aki put her hands covering her mouth, Aoki’s mouth wide open seeing Anh and Aimi kissing, and the village’s leader’s eyes wide open seeing Anh and Aimi kissing. In Anh’s dream, everything is freezing, and then the bright light explodes into darkness. Anh is now back to normal with both eyes closed but still unconscious. Aimi is now able to get free from Ananden everyone helps get Anh back on the bed.
Aoki looked at Anh lying on the bed, still unconscious, and said, “Anh, you are the luckiest buddy I've ever had. I have not kissed my date yet, but you don’t have a date. You got kisses before getting the date. You are supper.”
Aki looks at Aoki and asks, “What is a date?”
Aoki looks at Aki, then looks at Aimi. Aimi saw Aoki looking at Aimi, and then little sister Aki looked at big sister Aimi. Aimi’s face turns red, then she runs out of the house. Aoki looked at Aimi running out of the house and said to Aki, “There goes Anh’s date.” Aoki smiling.
The next day, Anh was lying on the bed and heard the sounds of chickens and people talking. Anh slowly starts making movements and slowly opens his eyes. Aoki stood talking to Aimi, and Aki saw Anh moving with a tiny opening in Anh’s eyes.
Aoki was so happy, walking up to Anh, looking down at Anh lying on the bed, and said, “Hey buddy, how are you? How are you feeling today? Any new tastes?” Aoki blinked his right eye at Anh.
Anh slowly opened both eyes, seeing Aoki blinking his right eye, and said, “Aoki, what are you doing? Why are you blinking your right eye? Your right eye has something wrong with it, or has dust in it?”
Aoki smiled and helped Anh get up. Anh gets up, sits on the bed, and starts to feel hungry, but Anh’s lips feel a little funny, so Anh asks Aoki about Anh’s lips.
Aoki said to Anh, “Oh, Anh. You must feel a little funny taste in your mouth or on your lips. Correct?”
Anh looked at Aoki and replied, “Aoki, did you give me something to eat while I was unconscious?”
Aoki looks at Anh, then looks at Aimi. Little sister Aki turns to look at big sister Aimi. Anh saw Aoki and Aki looking at Aimi, then Anh looked straight at Aimi and asked, “Oh… Um… Aimi, did you give me something to eat last night?”
Aimi’s face turned all red, then running out of the house. Anh looks at Aimi running out of the house and then asks Aoki, “Aoki, did I ask the wrong question or something?”
Aoki looks at Anh, patting his hand on Anh’s shoulder, and says, “Oh... Anh… Oh… My buddy Anh… You are asking exactly the correct question. That’s the red faces. Um… Anh… My buddy.”
Little sister Aki smiled and covered her mouth. Anh looked at Aoki, and little sister Aki then said, “I don’t know what you're all talking about and smiling about, but I am getting hungry. I need food, or I will pass out again, I think.”
Aoki smiled, looking at Anh, and said, “Alright, can you stand? Let’s get you standing up and get out there to find some food for you. I think the food here is good. I ate the food, and it was so good. I'll go with you and have some more food.”
Little sister Aki tells Ah, and Aoki lets Aki show the way to get food. All three went out of the house to get food. Outside the house, everyone in the village is looking at Anh, smiling and pointing at Anh. Anh saw village people smiling and pointing at Anh, then Anh smiled back and waved to say hello. While Anh and Aoki have some food in the small kitchen, sitting on the floor, there are sounds of people shouting and crying outside the small kitchen.
Anh, Aoki, and Aimi’s little sister Aki, walking out of the small kitchen, saw men walking back into the village. Some got very heavily injured, and other men helped other men walking in the village very slowly due to the injuries. Aki starts running toward the old man, and Aki’s big sister Aimi also starts running toward the old man. The old man turns out to be Aimi and Aki’s father. Aoki and Anh, standing aside looking at men returning from the battle, seem to look like it.
Aoki said to Anh, “Oh my heaven… These men must come back from the battlefield of war with swords. Look, they are carrying swords with them.”
Anh tapped on Aoki’s shoulder and said, “Aoki, I have something very important I need to tell you about my dream. It’s looking so horrifying about these sword fights, and I think we are in the middle of it. We… You and I need to have a talk about this horror of swords killing.”
Aoki slowly turned, looking at Anh, and said, “What? Do you have a dream about this world, swords fighting? How come I don’t have a dream? Why do you have a dream of this world war fighting swords, but I don’t?”
Anh looked at Aoki and said, “Uhm… Aoki, do you want to see the ball of fire again? You can have a dream, but the fireball will be there with you. Alright?”
Aoki looked at Anh with widely open eyes and said, “Oh… Um… Never mind, your dream is good as I have it. OK, Anh, I am fine, and I am fine. Forget what I just said about my dream or dream me… OH… You know what I meant.”
Anh smiled and replied, “Yes, of course. I know what you're trying to say, my buddy. Let’s go find a quiet place for you and me to talk about my dream. You can tell me what you know about my absence from yesterday. OK.”
Anh and Aoki go find a quiet place. They talk for a very long time, then Anh tells Aoki about the wars. Anh said to Aoki, “Aoki, I think the fireball or white tiny light has something to do with us, and we both are here in this world or time or out of time. You know… After last night, I feel so different, like some new knowledge is popping into my head, and my mind is studying it. I have felt so strange since last night. Aoki, what’s wrong with me since last night?”
Aoki smiled at Anh and said, “Oh… My buddy Anh… Here is what I know, and I can be your doctor now. Anh, you feel so different since last night because… Because… You went on the date before me. That’s the difference.”
Anh looked at Aoki and said, “Aoki, I have known you for a very long time, and you are my very best friend. What you just said, I have no clue when you became my doctor and diagnosed me with that ridiculous outcome of your so-called doctor’s diagnosis.”
Aoki smiled at Anh and softly said, “Well, my best friend Anh, let me tell you what happened to you and Aimi last night. You… You… My best friend Anh grabbed Aimi, holding her so tight in your arms that both arms then… You are my best buddy, Anh, you… You, Anh, kissed Aimi… Oh my heaven… Anh, my best buddy, is kissing Aimi and rolling on the ground.”
Anh is staring at Aoki and is speechless. Anh cannot say a word but stares at Aoki for about two minutes. Aoki looks at Anh and asks, “Hey… Buddy… Anh, are you alright? Hey… Don’t worry, that is not serious. I hope it's not serious, I think. Come on, the worst case is you go see Aimi and talk to her. OH… Wait, don’t talk to Aimi. Aimi’s face may turn red and run away again. Let’s rethink that, go see Aimi, or talk to Aimi about your last night. OK?”
Anh slowly woke up from the shock and said to Aoki, “Aoki, did I kiss Aimi that… night? Aoki, please tell me it is a dream.”
Aoki padded Anh’s shoulder and said, “Oh yes… Yes… Anh, you are correct, it’s a dream. A dream for some, but for others, it is a reality. A reality that kissed a girl like Aimi so hard that she was rolling on the ground, that is more than going to have a date. Anh, you are way ahead of my date. Anh… Congratulations…”
Anh is now staring at Aoki with one eye, one hand positioned to ready to punch Aoki, and slowly turns toward facing Aoki. Aoki immediately grabbed both arms around Anh’s body and said, “Oh, please… Oh, please, my best friend Anh… Forgive joking you… Making fun of you…”
While Aoki grabbed both arms around Anh, joking with Anh, then Aimi and little sister Aki walked in and saw Aoki grabbing both arms around Anh. Aimi and her little sister Aki both covered their mouth with their hands. Anh was stunned when he saw Aimi and his little sister Aki. Aoki noticed someone standing behind him, then slowly turned around and saw Aimi and his little sister Aki covering their mouth with their hands.
Aoki looked at Aimi and little sister Aki, then said, “Oh… Oh… Um… It’s not what you saw or saw… It’s not like you thinking… Oh my heaven… I give up. Go ahead with what is on your mind. It’s my fault.”
Anh looked at Aoki and said, “Aoki… It’s okay if you stop there, not talking anymore… You know… Oh my heaven…”
Anh pushed Aoki away, looking at Aimi and little sister Aki, then said, “Um… Are you both looking for us?”
Aimi was a little shy, looking at Anh, and said, “Oh... Yes, our village’s leader wants you both. Come with us.”
Anh and Aoki stand up and then follow Aimi and their little sister Aki to see the village’s leader. Once get to the little town hall place, the village’s leader asks if Anh and Aoki can join the village men to fight the invaders. Anh and Aoki look at each other, then Aoki asks the village’s leader to please tell Anh and Aoki more about the details of the invaders and how the men from the village got injured.
The village’s leader explains the entire situation from the invaders, and the people of the next few villages are suffering, with most of the girls being kidnapped. Most of the men were killed, and some were killed in the fighting. Anh heard that and then, slowly, further in, found a place to sit down and exhale.
Aoki was nervous and looked at Anh, then said to Anh, “Anh, what do you think? You heard the village’s leader. We are different, and they are here… You heard especially about the girls and the dead men.”
Anh looked up at Aoki and said, “OK, what I saw in the dream could be translating to reality exactly what the village’s leader said. Aoki, I say we have no choice since we are here for a purpose, and that is to protect these people to the best of our ability. I think I know how to use the experience of sword fighting in war, but that is just a dream. If I can turn my experience in the dream into reality, then we are good to do anything we agreed to do in this world. I will show what I know in the dream and how to use the experience of sword fighting. Alright, my buddy Aoki.”
Aoki smiled and said to Anh, “Yes, my buddy Anh. Let’s help these people, and that Time Machine bright lights put us here to do. Let’s do it.”
The village’s leader looks so confused about what Anh and Aoki are talking about. Aimi looked at little sister Aki, Aki looking at big sister Aimi, then Aimi said, “Are you two okay? You two are fine? Sounds like you two are talking in riddles.”
Anh immediately stood up, walked straight to Aimi, put both hands on Aimi’s shoulders, and said, “Oh, you know the riddles? You understand the riddles?”
Everyone is looking at Anh and Aimi. Aimi’s face turned red, looking down at Anh’s left arm, smiling a little, and said, “I understand little about riddles. I used to play riddles with one of my friends in other villages.”
Anh smiled at Aimi and said, “Oh wow… That’s good… Now, I know where I need to go to solve my riddles. That’s wonderful, thank you so much. Aimi.”
Anh realizes everyone is looking at Anh and Aimi, then slowly turns to look at his best buddy Aoki. Aoki smiled at Anh and softly said, “Um… Anh, you don’t want Aimi’s face to turn red and run out of this place. Um…”
Anh looks at Aoki, and Aoki signals that Anh’s hands are on Aimi’s shoulders. Anh understood Aoki’s signaling and immediately pulled both Anh’s hands back and walked back a few steps. Everyone is smiling at Anh and Aimi. Then one of the village people walks in with a delivered message from the next village to the village’s leader.
The village’s leader opens the message telling the village’s leader to prepare for another defense from the invaders who are trying to attack from the mountain routes. The village’s leader explained the critical situation to all the people in the village and looked at Anh and Aoki. The village’s leader said to Anh and Aoki, “We need your help. There is another attack pending from the invaders invading from the mountain’s routes, and we must join the next village’s group to go prepare for battle.”
One of the village men said, “We do not have enough men. We need more men.”
Aimi walked up to the village’s leader and said, “I will go to the next village to assist in evacuating if needed.”
Aimi’s little sister Aki walked up and said, “I will go with my big sister Aimi to the next village to assist with the evacuation.”
After hearing that Aimi and her little sister Aki were willing to go to the next village to assist with the evacuation, other people volunteered to go with Aimi and her little sister Aki. The village’s leader tells everyone who goes to the battle or assists with the next village evacuation to go home, say goodbye to their loved one, and be back at the village’s main gate in one hour.
Aimi said to little sister Aki, “Aki, we need to go home to say goodbye to our father. Let’s go.”
Anh walks up to Aimi, grabs Aimi’s hand, and says, “Can I go with you? I need to talk to your father about the battle he was in and a few other details I need to know about the battlefield.”
Aimi looked at Anh, smiling, and said, “Of course, you can come with us.”
Aoki said, “I'll go with you all. I need to be with you guys.” Aoki smiling.
The village girl, Himari, said, “I'll go with you all. I will join Aimi and Aki.”
All five Anh, Aoki, Aimi, Aki, and Himari went to Aimi’s house to see her father. After arriving at Aimi’s house, Anh saw Aimi’s father asking a lot of questions about the battlefield, the sword-fighting technique, the strength of the invaders, and the situation on the battlefield. No one was frightened to run away. Aimi’s father was so surprised by all the questions Anh asked and explained in full detail to Anh. Everyone goes to get read only, Anh and Aoki sitting at Aimi’s father’s bed.
Aimi’s father looks at Anh, and Aoki then asks, “You two are not from here. You both look so strangely different from us locals here. Who are you? Where are you from?”
Anh looks at Aoki, Aoki looks at Anh, then replies to Aimi’s father, “Oh… We are from a very far place and time. I guess we are here for a very good purpose that we don’t know yet, but we will try to find out along the road we are on. I hope I answer your question, Sir.”
Anh looked at Aoki and said, “Oh wow… How did your mind come up with an answer like that? I could not say it better than you. OK, Aoki, you are my ambassador.” Anh smiled at Aoki.
Aoki looked at Anh and Aimi’s father, then said, “Well… You know, sometimes I amaze myself, but I have not noticed it.” Aoki smiling.
Aimi’s father looks at Anh and asks, “So, you are Anh. My daughter tells me about you and what you did when you were unconscious. I see you seem knowledgeable about swords and on the battlefield. I think I'd like you to join our family.”
After Anh heard Aimi’s father talking about Anh being unconscious and joining Aimi’s family, Anh immediately coughed. Aoki looks at Anh’s coughing and tries to calm Anh’s coughing down.
Aoki said to Anh, “Hey, Anh. You will not pass out again. Are you? I am not Aimi, that you know that… Right?”
Anh immediately kicks Aoki, while kicking Aoki, then Aoki sees three girls standing nearby and says to Anh, “Oh... And you can pass out now… Your girl is here.”
Aimi heard Aoki say that, then Aimi’s face turned red. Little sisters Aki and Himari are smiling, looking at Aimi and Anh. Anh stood up, walking toward the table, telling need water. Everyone smiles except Anh, then Aimi tells Anh and Aoki to take care of the three girls going with them. Aoki tells Aimi’s father that Anh and Aoki will protect the three girls.
The hour later is up, and people gather at the village’s main gate. A mini group of people starts walking away from the village into the dark road with Anh, Aoki, Aimi, Aki, and Himari walking closely together as one small team. Walking along to the next village, Anh tells Aoki about the sword fighting in the dream. While telling Anh’s dream story to Aoki, three girls, Aimi, Aki, and Himari, are listening to Anh telling a story about his dream sword fighting.
Aoki looked at Anh and said, “Hey Anh, your sword skill set telling story sounds great, but I don’t know when the time comes, I can perform that sword skill set as you told me. I am very nervous, you know that. Right?”
Anh puts his hand on Aoki’s shoulder and says, “Aoki, you will stay right next to me on the battlefield so we can help each other out. You and me. We both must get through this, and hey… Considering on-the-job training. Right?”
Aoki looked at Anh and said, “Hey, my best buddy Anh. When do you know job training? Hah? You still have not gone through an interview yet, and how do you know about job training? You tell me, my best friend, Buddy Anh.”
Anh smiled and said to Aoki, “Well, I have worked a lot for my father, and my father did interview me before my father allowed me to assist him. Therefore, all that I went through with my father. I would say, oh yes. I did get job training… Hey…”
The three girls listen to the conversation between Anh and Aoki and then scratch their heads. They have no clue what these two boys, Anh and Aoki, are talking about regarding job training. Anh saw three girls, Aimi, Aki, and Himari, scratching their heads, then said to all three girls, “You three girls don’t worry about the job’s training. I think I can train all three of you about job training…”
Aoki starts laughing and said, “Oh yeah… Is that so… Right, Anh?”
Anh looked at Aoki and replied to Aoki, “Oh yes. I think I can train these three girls.”
Aoki laughed even more and said, “Oh… Anh, you can train all three girls just like you trained one girl, Aimi, the other night? Hi…”
Aimi’s face started red, Anh started shy, and all three Aoki, Aki, and Himari laughed while covering their mouth.
To Be Continued………
