Misleading First Impressions
Set several years before the Anime.
A.N. This is actually my previously published one shot of the same name, I wanted to delete the original and just include it in this story, but I didn't want to get rid of the reviews. So I decided to just upload it in this collection and still keep the original uploaded - some of you may or may not have read this before.
I put it here so hopefully, anyone who hasn't read it before can do so now. I did make a few alterations from the original, but not much, mostly just grammatical changes.
The 8 year old prodigy Oliver Davis was standing alone in the ruins of an 18th century Folly that lay on the outskirts of his adopted parents' English mansion; it was a beautiful mock-castle building with overgrown trees and hedge rows obscuring its walls.
He often came here because it was quiet, he liked to listen to the sounds of the birds, the wind and the rustling leaves on the trees. As he walked through the ruins he could hear the dry leaves crunching under his feet and his black hair was gently tousled in the breeze.
As he had done many times before he held out his right hand and stared intently at a particularly large stone that had fell from the building. He blocked out all of the sounds of nature and focused on the stone. Soon it started to move, just small movements at first; it shook and quivered under the force of his power.
He smirked in triumph, usually when he tried to focus his powers on one particular object it never worked, there was too much of it. But he'd been coming here every day for the l month and he was improving. He didn't need anyone to help him, he was an intelligent young man, he could help himself.
Suddenly he heard the sounds of crunching leaves and he spun around, but in doing so he lost his focus and the stone was flung mercilessly across the Folly. Other stones off different sizes began to lift themselves from the ground and they went flying in all directions.
He closed his eyes as his head began to pound and his vision started to blur, his heart beat faster and faster as he fell to his knees. His brother ran over to him without a word and he shouted at him to get his attention.
"Noll!" the boy heard and his eyes snapped open. Through the haze of his vision he was able to distinguish his brother kneeling in front of him and holding his shoulders, within seconds he felt his vision return to normal.
Martin Davis only stared in shock, in taking these children in he knew he had been pushing his luck. But they were good kids and he worried about them constantly as any father would worry for his children. That was why he and his wife had been absent for their little family breakfast that morning, they'd been to pick up a friend from the airport. "What..." he began but said friend cut him off.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Lin Kujuo shouted at the boy in perfect English.
The boy in question stood up and brushed away his brother's hands, he stared emotionlessly at the man standing beside his adoptive parents. Lin felt as though he were being x-rayed, this was a very unusual child, he didn't seem like a normal child, he seemed far older. "Who is this?" he asked after a minute of silence.
"His name's Lin Kujuo," Gene answered before the man could introduce himself, "Father brought him here to help us…well…help you," he added.
"I don't need any help," the young Oliver Davies said without a hint of gratitude or welcome in his deep blue eyes.
"Clearly," Lin muttered with a look of curiosity on his angular features, and Noll glared at him.
"I've got it under control," the boy snapped. But as he did so the trees began to shake and the stones lifted about an inch from the ground.
Lin looked around him and raised an eyebrow, "Really?" he asked sarcastically.
"Really," Noll repeated and started to walk away from the group, "I'm sorry but my parents appear to have wasted your time."
Lin whistled and a bright white light shot out towards the boy, it circled him and he stopped in his tracks. "That's a nice trick," he said.
"It's not a trick," Lin replied stoically and the light vanished, "It's one of my shiki."
At this comment Noll's eyes turned to his brother, "Kare wa nandesuka," (*1) he spoke quietly and Lin narrowed his eyes.
"An onmyōji from China," Gene answered in English making his brother only glare at him in return, "I knew that'd interest you," he smirked but Noll continued to stare.
"Would you be good enough to explain what you were trying to accomplish by exhausting yourself like that?" Lin asked again, it seemed that this boy was going to be a handful. He remembered the warning that the other Davis twin had given him as they had walked through the house; 'My brother likes to act emotionless, but he's not a robot, just ignore him,' the boy had smiled. Maybe Eugene Davis had a point.
"I didn't," Oliver answered simply.
"Because your brother helped you. I know how PK works but I won't be able to help you if you don't let me," Lin said calmly.
"…I don't need any help," The boy repeated with a serious face and continued towards the house, leaving his parents and younger brother in stitches and the man; Lin Kujuo staring after him with an already weary expression.
"I did warn you," Martin smiled as the two boys moved off in their own.
"You did." Lin nodded.
"But did you listen?" he smiled
"No," Lin sighed.
"Don't worry, he'll come round, he always does...usually..." the man added and Lin only sighed in response.
"Well, good luck Lin," Luella Davis smiled, as she and her husband walked back to the house.
Lin was left alone in the ruins as he stared after the powerful young boy that he would have to watch over and he came to the following conclusion; it was not going to be easy.
(*1) What is he?