It does not take long for the gliding locomotive to come to a halt alongside the large and heavily populated boarding platform. Oddly, this miraculous vehicle does not pull in with the gradual decrease in acceleration which one might expect when a train approaches a station. Thousands of tons of steel all come to a standstill in an instant; yet the students on board would not have even perceived the change, had they not been looking out the windows of their cabins.
On the platform, there stands what looks to be a few hundred people. Most of them appear to be students from later grades. Many wave eagerly and appear to be cheering the train's arrival. They wear dazzling and colorful kimonos, many of these students seemed to even be grouped by their colored robes. Dotted throughout the platform are older looking students in gray robes adorned with small bamboo hats, conveying that they must be other prefects, and lastly there are several adults in black kimonos who the trio could only assume were teachers.
"Hey Koushiro-kun, do you know why these students are already at the school? I thought this was the first train." Taichi inquires to the younger first year.
"No Senpai, we are actually on the last train for the season. At Yamashiro, they bring in the second through seventh year students first to get re-settled, then they bring us first years in as well as our assigned prefects like Jou-Senpai. That is why the train has so many half empty cabins right now. This cabin, for instance, could easily fit six people, and probably would have been full of students during its prior journey."
"Interesting." Sora continues from Taichi's question. "Don't a lot of schools have first years come early for an orientation?"
"I believe so." Koushiro replies. "To be honest I am not sure why Yamashiro does things differently, perhaps Jou-Senpai can tell us."
Taichi and Sora nod in unison.
"We should probably get our things, I imagine we will be departing soon." Sora says suddenly, changing the subject.
The three first years jump to their feet, it just now sinking in that this is the first step forward into their new life. Sora helps Taichi get their bags out of the luggage compartment above them. The young girl is a little taller than her best friend, though you would be forgiven for thinking otherwise given the boy's mass of spiky brown hair. Once they have them down and gathered, Sora takes a quick inventory to make sure that none of their possessions are missing, just as Jou had suggested.
As she does this, Taichi turns towards Koushiro, only now realizing that he carries a single messenger bag.
"Did you leave most of your stuff in the other cabin? I can help you get it if you want." The older boy inquires.
"Actually, this has all of my belongings in it." Koushiro responds while patting the bag gently.
Taichi looks rather perplexed now. "You're gonna need a whole lot more stuff than that for sure."
"You'd be surprised, Senpai." The younger boy replies. "The family friend that I mentioned gave this to me as a hand-me-down, it's a Ranzatsu bag. That is to say, it's enchanted, significantly bigger on the inside than on the outside."
"Wow, that's pretty nifty, wouldn't you say Sora?"
"Yeah seriously, we could have used one of those, would have made packing less of a hassle. Before we had your parents help load the bags onto the train, I've no idea how we are going to lug all of this stuff into Yamashiro." She responds with a slight groan, her eyes still fixed on their combined luggage.
"Don't worry Sora, I think I saw a luggage cart in the hallway; I'll go grab it now!" Before she can even thank him, Taichi rushes over to the sliding door and pushes it open. Wanting to grab the cart before someone else takes it, leaving them high and dry, he practically jumps into the main hall of the train. Having not expected anyone in front of their cabin, Taichi runs directly into another student; consequently they both go tumbling to the ground.
Taichi smacks the back of his head against the edge of the door, leaving the spot throbbing with pain. He hears a pained groan which suggests he was not the only one injured in this exchange.
"Sorry, I didn't think there would be anyone in front of the cabin door." Taichi says without even looking up.
"What are you, some kind of idiot?" A male voice responds coldly.
This causes Taichi to sit up straight despite his aching head as he comes face to face with a perturbed looking student.
On the ground, stooped against the opposing wall kneeled a boy around Taichi's age, with short but spiky blond hair, in a dark blue kimono, with piercing blue eyes. Right now those eyes were locked angrily on Taichi; accompanied with a rather distinct scowl.
"Hey, I said I was sorry, it was an accident alright?" Taichi says, then forces himself to stand while still nursing his wound with one hand. Putting his weight against the door frame until he regains his footing. In an effort to make amends, he extends a hand towards this young blond.
But the student swiftly slaps Taichi's hand away. "Well if you had been thinking of anything other than yourself, then you would have been paying attention and this "accident" clearly wouldn't have happened!"
Taichi fumes at this, shaking the sting off of his right hand. "I'll have you know I was leaving the cabin to help my friend and bring her a luggage cart!"
"Well your "friend" is out of luck, I'm taking the luggage cart. I was out here before you, I've got dibs on it."
"Now who is being selfish?" Taichi pouts.
"Taichi?" Sora calls suddenly, appearing in the doorway next to Taichi.
The stranger pauses briefly, seeming to gaze past Taichi towards the orange haired girl behind him. It doesn't take long for him to shake off his fluster however.
"As if I have to explain myself to you! Just stay out of my way!" With that the blond huffs and strolls off down the corridor towards the luggage cart still chained to the end of the wall.
"Are you ok, Taichi?" Sora asks, placing a hand on her best friend's shoulder.
"He's taking the cart, what are we gonna do now?" The brown haired boy responds despondently, still rubbing the back of his head.
"We'll figure it out Taichi, if nothing else I'm certain Jou-Senpai can help us find a way to help us move our belongings." Sora says in a clear effort to cheer up her best friend.
Taichi continues to watch the blond boy, now at the end of the train car, unlatching the cart from the wall. "What was his problem anyway?"
"Well to be fair, you did run into him, that being said he didn't have to be so cold about it after you apologized." She pauses for a brief moment. "Maybe he's just in a bad mood or something, either way we should probably steer clear of that guy."
"Yeah… I suppose so." Taichi responds rather distantly.
"Hey, I've got an idea why don't you head to the next train car and…" But Sora cuts herself off after she observes a trickle of blood running down her friend's neck. "Taichi, you're bleeding!" She exclaims with clear concern.
Instinctively, Taichi touches the spot on the back of his head and winces. Upon pulling his hand back, there is now a small splatter of blood on his fingers.
"I know your mom packed us a medkit, but I don't know which bag it's in, and I'm not sure we have time to go rifling through our luggage." Sora says with notable frustration.
As if on cue, the two first years hear a door slide open towards the end of the hall. Jou, the prefect, emerges from the door followed by a young girl in an expensive looking green kimono patterned with various flowers. She has long light brown hair and is followed by several large floating pink travel bags; which hover about a meter off of the ground.
"Oh good, I see that you two are ready to head out." Jou says with a smile. "Where is Koushiro, still getting ready? We should try to hurry, don't want to be late of course"
"Senpai, we have a problem, well two problems actually. But one is a lot more pressing." Sora says, causing Jou's smile to disappear.
"What's wrong?" He asks.
Sora takes Taichi by the arm and gently spins him around, displaying the wound.
"What the heck happened?" Jou exclaims rather loudly.
Just then, the blond haired boy approaches them, with the luggage cart in hand. The two boys glare at each other briefly.
Taichi, heeding Sora's advice about first impressions, decides it's probably not worth telling Joe about the incident. "Sorry Senpai, I fell when the train was stopping."
"Yeah, this kid seems really clumsy." The blond hair follows up with a snigger, never stopping his pushing of the cart.
"Yamato-Kouhai, please mind your own business. It's not cool to make fun of your fellow classmates." Jou lectures.
The blond boy, whose name is apparently Yamato, simply rolls his eyes at this.
Jou sighs loudly in response. "Just go get ready, can I trust the two of you to find your way to the platform and meet up with us there? I have to address this wound, Taichi here is in no condition to attend the ceremony."
"Yeah, yeah. We'll be just fine, I don't need a baby sister." Yamato says, waving his hand dismissively.
At first, Taichi and Sora assume that Jou is referring to Yamato and the brunette girl in green, however, it soon becomes rather apparent that they aren't traveling together. Yamato walks down the hallway with the cart and eventually enters an entirely different cabin and closes the door behind him.
Jou rubs his forehead in frustration. "You signed up for this Jou." He mutters. "You wanted to mentor first years, well here you are."
"Senpai, I really hate to be a bother." Sora says getting Jou's attention. "But Taichi and I don't have a cart for all of our luggage, and unfortunately we don't have a ranzatsu bag like Koushiro here."
Jou straightens up upon hearing this. "No bother at all, I'm here to help after all. I didn't have any enchanted luggage either my first year. We'll find you a cart, even if I have to go to another cabin. But that comes second, first we need to address this injury."
The second year student produces a small satchel not unlike Koushiro's bag, this one looking perhaps a bit newer however. Jou begins to rifle through it, seemingly in the search of something that will aid Taichi. After a moment he produces a small phial. The glass bottle is simple in its design, with a cork stopper, and a slight green tinge.
"Delicate potions, Kampo, but I try to keep one on me for situations such as this." Jou says before handing the small vial to Sora.
Reading Sora's confused expression, he explains. "It's a common healing potion for minor to moderate injuries; wouldn't address anything life-threatening. Have Taichi drink this, but sit him down first. It's not a pleasant experience, especially if you've never had one before."
"What are you going to do, Senpai?" Sora, not really minding, but unsure why this assignment is being left to her.
"I'm going to find you two that luggage cart." He explains. "The teachers will wait for a little while, but we don't want to be the group caught holding up processions." He then turns to the brunette girl. "Mimi-Kouhai, it might be a few minutes, you can head to the platform if you would like, we will meet you there."
"If it's all the same to you Senpai, I'll wait here with them." The girl says with a shrug.
Jou looks a little surprised but quickly regains his composure. "That's fine. The three of you should head back into the cabin, I'll be back with the cart as soon as I can." With that he turns and quickly walks down the hall towards the next train cart.
Sora, Taichi, and Mimi head back into the cabin, but not before Mimi instructs her luggage to stay put, and miraculously, it does just that.
"Is that an enchantment?" Sora asks with a sense of awe.
"Yup, isn't it wonderful, I just hate having to carry things around." Mimi responds cheerfully.
Inside the cabin, Koushiro has been patiently sitting, clearly having overheard the conversations in the adjacent hallway.
"You ok Senpai? Sounds like it was quite the fall." Koushiro asks.
"Yeah I'm fine, I've been banged up a lot worse than this before." Taichi says with a laugh.
"Well regardless." Sora says cutting in. "Let's get this injury seen to, so that we are ready when Jou-Senpai returns." She gestures for her best friend to sit down.
"I'll be fine, how bad can a little potion be?" he insists.
"Trust me, I hear it hits you like a hammer, you're going to want to take a seat." Mimi speaks up, clearly more familiar with the potion; earning an appreciative glance from Sora.
"Fine, fine." Taichi says relenting, as he takes a seat.
Sora uncorks the small vial and carefully hands it to Taichi, who takes it, inspects it visually, and then takes a whiff.
"It kinda stinks." Taichi says, now hesitating slightly. "Well here goes nothing, Kompai!"
The young boy swiftly knocks back the liquid. At first he has no reaction other than a slight grimace from the flavor. Then..nothing. For over a minute Sora, Mimi, and Koushiro stare silently at Taichi, waiting for something to happen.
"See, I told you guys. This potion isn't so…" Taichi abruptly halts his speech, his face suddenly growing quite pale; looking as if he might get sick. The small vial drops from his hand onto the carpeted floor.
"Taichi?" Sora calls out to him.
He does not respond, his eyes going wide, the three students observe as the brunette boy begins to sweat profusely. Clenching his teeth together before lurching forward. He would have fallen out of his seat had Sora not caught him, gently pushing him back into his seat. The episode does not subside however, as he grabs his head in his hands, moaning in pain.
"Hey, what's his deal." The kids practically jump, as Yamato appears in the hallway next to them.
"Jou-Senpai had us give him a healing potion." Sora responds. "Are we certain this is normal?" She inquiries, turning to Mimi.
Mimi for her part looks rather anxious. "I've never had to take that kind of potion myself, but I've heard it's unpleasant, especially the first time. But they also say if you're young, not too injured, and have a good constitution, that it should be just fine."
All the same, Taichi continues to shake and groan in pain.
"Yeah, this doesn't feel normal. Where'd the prefect go? Shouldn't he be here?" Yamato asks.
"He went to another car to find a luggage cart for them." Koushiro responds, gesturing to Taichi and Sora. "Why don't I show you?"
The girls simply nod in response, never fully taking their attention off of Taichi. After grabbing his bag, Koushiro exits the cabin in search of the prefect.
"Big brother, is he gonna be alright?" A much younger voice calls out suddenly.
"Yeah we're gonna go find someone to help him, stick close ok?" Yamato responds in a surprisingly warmer tone.
As the boys run off to find Joe, Sora and Mimi kneel next to Taichi, who still seems to be having a pretty severe reaction to the potion.
"His name is Taichi right? Are you two close?" Mimi asks suddenly.
"Yeah, he's my best friend, we've been close since we were very little." Sora says, not really understanding the point of the question.
"I know this will sound strange, but try placing your hand on his heart."
Sora hesitates for a moment, but the seriousness in Mimi's tone convinces her to comply. Reaching out slowly, she wraps one arm against the shaking boy's back, and presses the palm of her left hand against Taichi's heart. Mimi in turn, presses her right palm against Taichi's forehead, and begins to whisper something into his ear. Though Sora could not make out the words, after a number of seconds she thought she saw a faint white glow emanate from Mimi's hand.
Before long, Taichi's episode seemed to subside. Still breathing heavily, but the boy's shakes stopped entirely.
"What…what happened?" He gasps.
"You're alright, Taichi, just breathe." Mimi commands him, as if she were his physician.
Too worn out to argue, Taichi leans back in his seat and tries to catch his breath. Sora searches for the wound on his head, but can no longer find it.
"That wasn't the potion was it?" Sora whispers to Mimi.
After checking the hallway, Mimi pulls Sora aside. "No, it wasn't the potion. Look I know you don't know me, but please don't tell anyone about this, including the prefect. Let him think that the potion worked ok?"
"I don't really understand, but you helped Taichi. I won't say anything." Sora responds. "But if it wasn't the potion, then what was it?"
"My Grandfather says that there is a special kind of magic contained within strong bonds." Mimi smiles. "Some people laugh at the concept, but it's true…oh by the way, I got that his name is Taichi, but what's your name?
Sora doesn't quite understand Mimi's meaning but feels it best to let it be, at least for now. "Of course, sorry, I'm Takenouchi Sora, and this is Yagami Taichi, as I said, my best friend." Sora intentionally announces this at a volume she knows Taichi would hear.
In response, Taichi simply waves, still catching his breath.
"Wonderful to meet you both." The brunette girl responds with a small bow. "My name is Tachikawa Mimi."
The two girls take a seat either side of Taichi, who ends up resting his head on Sora's shoulder. After a few minutes, the trio can hear the sound of wheels rushing down the hallway. Jou soon pulls an empty luggage cart up to the door, and is audibly huffing for air.
"Sorry that took so long, I had to check several cars before I found this cart. Taichi-Kouhai, are you alright? The other boys told me that you were having a strong reaction to the potion." He says rushing into the room.
"Yeah, I'm fine…" Taichi expresses with some effort. "It was nothing I couldn't handle."
The boy attempts to stand up, but has to be caught by Mimi and Sora.
"This is rather odd, Kampo potions can be quite unpleasant, make one feel queasy and even be somewhat painful depending on the injury. Since the injury wasn't severe I figured it wouldn't kick so hard." He reaches out and, like Sora, examines the back of Taichi's head. "Well, it seems to have worked, perhaps I just underestimated the extent of the damage."
Jou reaches down and picks up the empty glass vial off the floor, adjusting his glasses as he examines it. After a moment he puts the cork back in and places it inside of his bag.
"Can you walk?" The older students inquired. "They are almost certainly wondering where we are. The train seems to be all but empty at this point."
"Yeah…I'll be fine, don't worry about me." Taichi stands but is clearly still weak. Sora and Mimi each take an arm and help him maintain balance.
"You three go ahead, I'll grab your luggage and be right with you on the platform. If anyone asks, we were looking for a luggage cart."
The three first years simultaneously reply. "Yes, Senpai.", slowly making their way out into the hallway of the train car.
Mimi stops them just long enough so that she can order her floating luggage to follow her once more. Even with Taichi's fatigue it does not take them long to reach the nearest exit. Sora and Mimi decide to let Taichi exit on his own so as to not make a scene, but the two girls continue a vigilant watch over him. Stepping out of the train and onto the stone platform, they are greeted with a loud cheer from the older students. Looking around, Yamato and Koushiro are nowhere in sight. In fact, while there are a number of older students still on the platform, some have moved on, and they recognize no first years from the train in the vicinity.
A stern looking middle aged woman dressed in a black kimono rushes up to the trio. She carries a checklist with a hovering brush above it. "I take it you are our three stragglers, yes?"
Taichi, Sora, and Mimi, can only nod in response to this questioning.
"Holding up processions, not a great look. I have half a mind to assign the three of you to detention. By Seimei, where is your prefect anyway?"
Sora attempts to speak but is cut off.
"No matter, he will have to catch up. Leave that floating luggage here. We must get this show on the road, the ceremony will begin soon, we mustn't be later than you have already caused us to be. The last litter is just there waiting for you, please board."
Following the teacher's gesture, they observe an ornate Japanese litter with gold trimming, the type that royals and other important figures would have been carried in, hundreds of years ago. Usually strong workers would lift and carry this ancient vehicle, but this litter seems to be enchanted, much like Mimi's luggage, able to float on its own.
"Hop hop, let's get to it. I can still hand out that detention if you so desire."
Not daring to question this rather intimidating professor, the three quickly start to make their way to the litter in a near panic. Unfortunately, Taichi, still in a weakened state, almost tumbles to the ground a few meters from the vehicle, landing on one knee. There is no concealing his labored breathing and exhausted state.
Sora stops to check on her friend, as a raucous laughter can be heard from inside the litter.
"Wait, stop." The professor calls in a shrill tone. "What's wrong with this one?"
Sora is not certain what she should say, so she feels rather relieved when Mimi speaks up.
"Sorry professor, Taichi here is exhausted, he wasn't able to sleep on the train." Mimi anxiously invents a story, hoping that the professor will buy it.
"Hmmm, too anxious to sleep eh? Common for a lot of first years. There will be time to rest after the ceremony. For now, hurry up and watch out that he does not hurt himself."
"Yes professor." Sora and Mimi say as if accepting military orders.
"Oh yes, please make sure the boy doesn't wet himself, it would make a rather unpleasant experience for us all." A taunting cruel voice calls from within the nearby carriage, followed by further laughter. This makes Sora's blood nearly boil with rage.
However, an icy cold stare from the professor quickly silences the mocking. "They aren't the only ones at risk of detention." She warns before turning back to the trio. "Go ahead, get a move on."
Usually Taichi, athletic as he is, would be able to climb up into the litter without issue, but recognizing he would need assistance, Sora hops up first and lends him a hand. It takes some effort, but he manages to climb on board. Taichi is about to help Mimi up as well, when two of the other students shove him out of the way, and offer Mimi a hand each. Soon pulling her up into the carriage.
"What a pleasant surprise, Princess." A male student says, clearly directed at Mimi.
This odd statement causes Taichi and Sora to look at each other in confusion.
Without speaking further, the trio take their seats on a bench across from three students that Taichi and Sora do not recognize from the train. As soon as they are seated, the litter begins to move across the platform, towards a large opening which appears to lead into the mountain.