Gale-Dragon: It's amazing what you find when it's time to clean out the attic. I found my collection of the A to Z Mysteries book series written by Ron Roy stored away in a box years ago, and ended up re-reading all 26 of them for nostalgia. And, per usual, my brain had the idea of modernizing the A to Z Mysteries and using the Juuni Taisen characters in said modernized stories.

And if anyone finds this story... Enjoy.

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"Talking in English"

'Thinking'

"()Nezumi's Native Tongue ()"

(Author making a comment)

Note: A few of the Juuni Taisen characters have been de-aged due to consistency.

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Juuni Taisen's A to Z Mysteries: Prologue.

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A seven-year-old boy with light grey hair, sleepy grey eyes, wearing a sky blue shirt with khaki coloured slacks with large extra pockets, and black shoes was playing a maze game on his phone as the plane he was in flew towards its destination. 'Towards my new life...' the boy thought as he slouched in his seat, still playing his game but now without much enthusiasm.

This boy was Tsugiyoshi Sumino, but everyone liked to call him Nezumi because he liked rats and he loved cheese even more. Due to "Circumstances", he now has to move to another country to live with his only remaining relative. Hence why he was currently on a plane. Everything he owns has already been sent to this relative's home, save for some clothing he planned on wearing for the next couple of days and a couple of munchies.

When his in-game character was killed, he glanced out the window to watch the white puffy clouds fly by as the sky started changing from blue to an orangey-red. A white rat on a black walking harness popped out of the folded jacket in the boy's lap and squeaked for attention. Nezumi stroked the rat, looked at the little critter, and mumbled, "()You getting hungry too Sora? ()" The white rat, Sora, squeaked twice.

As if on cue, Nezumi spotted one of the flight attendants in the aisle, asking the passengers for their orders.

Nezumi asked for the mac & cheese with a small cup of fruit for his meal. The flight attendant nodded wrote down the order before telling him, "()You're a very brave boy flying on a plane all by yourself. I'm sure your parents are proud of you for being a big boy. ()" Nezumi picked up Sora and cradled the rat to his chest and said in a sarcastic tone, "()Yeah... I'm sure they are...()" The flight attendant raised a brow but didn't think much of it before returning to taking orders for dinner.

Nezumi sighed before checking the time on the screen in front of him. "()Seven more hours until we land...()" Nezumi muttered to Sora, whom just squeaked in agreement.

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After the plane landed at around 02:39, Nezumi waited until all of the other passengers walked off the plane (Rule of Airports dictate that all unaccompanied minors and persons with disabilities (wheelchair-bound mostly) are the last to disembark from the plane after it has safely docked) and until the flight attendant said he was good to leave. Nezumi slipped on his jacket, Sora scurried onto his shoulder after this (on a leash and harness), and picked up his carry-on from under the seat in front of him before he exited the plane. Afterwards, he just followed the signs towards the baggage claim.

When Nezumi got there he heard someone call out, "()Tsugiyoshi! ()" Nezumi's eyes immediately turned to the person calling out to him. The voice belonged to a man in his 30s, snow-white skin, black hair topped with a pair of dog ears, cyan on black eyes, a black shirt, a black knee-length dog tail with a white underside, white pants with a black design on the middle, and a pair of grey leather boots. "()Uncle Michio! ()" Nezumi said as he walked over to the dog man.

Uncle Michio pulled Nezumi into a hug when the boy got at arm's length. Sora gave a surprised squeak at the action.

Uncle Michio pulled away and asked, "()Oh? Who's this little fella? ()" as he tapped the top of Sora's head with his index finger. "()Her name is Sora,()" Nazumi stated with a small smile. The dog man smiled and told his nephew, "()All right then let me be the first to welcome both you and Sora to Hartford, Connecticut. ()" Nezumi blinked and asked, "()Hartford? I thought we were landing in Green Lawn? ()" With a smile, Uncle Michio ruffled Nezumi's hair and said, "()You'll be living in Green Lawn, but the closest airport to it is here in Hartford. Don't worry, Green Lawn isn't that far. So it's not a long drive. ()"

A bell rung, signalling that the baggage claim was about to start moving. Patting the boy on the back, Uncle Michio said, "()How about we grab your suitcase and then head home. ()" Nezumi nodded before they walked over to the baggage claim.

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After getting Nezumi's suitcase, they walked into the parking garage where Uncle Michio parked his car. The dog man popped the trunk and hauled the suitcase into it as Nezumi buckled himself into the passenger seat of the car. When the boy did that, he noticed a car seat in the review mirror. Nezumi contorted his head to look at the space behind the driver's seat, which was indeed occupied by a car seat. Sora scurried into the boy's lap.

When the driver's side door opened, Uncle Michio sat behind the wheel. The adult then closed the door, buckled his seatbelt, and starting the car. "()Uncle, are you borrowing this car? ()" Nezumi asked the dog man curiously. Uncle Michio looked over his shoulder as he pulled out of the parking spot and told his nephew, "()No, the car's mine. Why do you ask Tsugi? ()" As the adult drove out of the parking garage, Nezumi said, "()Umm, well, there's a car seat in this car...()" Uncle Michio stopped at a red light and said, "()Ah, I see why you asked. You haven't met your cousin yet. ()" Nezumi looked up at his uncle and asked, "()Cousin? ()"

The light turned green.

"()Yes, my daughter, she's nearly two,()" Uncle Michio said as he drove the car. Nezumi muttered an "()I see...()" before Uncle Michio said, "()Don't worry too much, she'll start seeing you as a big brother since you're going to be living with us. ()" With that Nazumi went quiet.

At another red light, Uncle Michio glanced at his nephew and said, "()I'm not going to lie to you Tsugi, I wish you would've come under different circumstances. Happier circumstances, but... I guess I'm just as shocked as you about... ()" The light turned green, and Uncle Michio drove on as he added, "()I know it's tough, but I want you to at least try to move on...()" Nezumi just nodded as he watched the nighttime scenery whiz by.

With a soft sigh, Uncle Michio asked, "()I know this may not be a good thing to ask now, but considering that you're going to be living in Green Lawn... Do you know how to speak English? ()" To the adult's surprise, Nezumi answered, "My English is okay, long as no one talks fast. I can read English fine, but I have some trouble with long words." With a small smile, Uncle Michio said, "You've always been a smart boy. But the reason I ask is that the majority of the residents in Green Lawn speak English." Nezumi mumbled a "Makes sense..."

Uncle Michio kept his eyes on the road when he told his nephew, "Tsugi when we get home, you can sleep in. But your stuff hasn't arrived yet, so you don't mind sleeping in the guest bedroom for a few days?" "I don't mind, but where's Sora going to sleep? Her cage was in the stuff that was being shipped," Nezumi asked as the rat in his lap looked up. As the car made a turn, Uncle Michio said, "I think I have a shoebox and some soft facecloths you can use for a temporary bed for her." Nezumi stroked Sora and said, "That'll work."

"Don't worry, yours and Sora's stuff will be here before school starts. You'll be in 1st grade because of your age, but I think I can work with the teachers to get you some tougher material if you're finding the lessons too easy," Uncle Michio stated, driving into a sleeping neighbourhood. "()School? ()" was all Nezumi could vocalize. As the dog man parked the car in the driveway of a nice two-story house, he asked, switching languages to keep his nephew comfortable, "()Yes, you'll be attending Green Lawn Elementary. ()" Nezumi looked up at his uncle and asked in a confused tone, "()As in... Actually going to the school building? (" Uncle Michio paused his motion of unbuckling himself when he looked at his nephew and asked, "()You haven't been in an actual school? But I was told that you have been doing some 4-grade school work! ()" Nezumi lowered his gaze as he got really quiet, a little too quiet for his uncle.

Uncle Michio placed a hand on Nezumi's shoulder and told him, "()Tsugi, I'm not upset, just surprised. I know some families prefer homeschooling to a school educational system, and there's nothing wrong with that. But I can't do homeschooling because I have to leave the house for work, so you're going to have to go to a school for your education. Don't worry, I know the teachers at Green Lawn Elementary, I'll tell them that you're not used to a school setting and they'll work with you. ()" Nezumi looked up at his uncle, then gave a small smile and said, "()Thanks, Uncle Michio. ()" The adult smiled back and said, "()No problem. Now, how about we head on in for some sleep? ()" Nezumi really liked that.

So the two got out of the car. Uncle Michio made sure that the car was locked before he unlocked the door to the house, then he and the boy went in.

And despite some apprehensions about his new life, Nezumi was actually looking forward to what's in store for him.

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Two Years Later in the Next Chapter: The Absent Author.

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