Voltiana

Chapter One: Kenshi

Kenshi Fujii, a 13-year-old boy, was on his way home from school. The blazing sun shined bright and the massive buildings all around him glimmered in the sunlight.  

The "boy" made it down the street, taking in the sights of his massive homeland.

"Hey Kenshi, nice to see you!" A girl, as radiant and glowing as Kenshi, waved to him as she walked the other way: Ame, one of his close friends.  "Nice to see you too! Where are you headed, Ame?" Kenshi asked. "On my way home, I haven't been in a while," she responded cheerfully. "What about you?"

Kenshi walked over. "I'm going home too!"

He pulled her into a hug, feeling the warmth of her glowing skin. "Well, have a great day!" Kenshi said.

She hugged him for a bit longer, a bit unwilling to let go. "You can stop now..." Kenshi felt a bit flustered, and Ame seemed to share the same feeling.

"Sorry! Sorry, it's just it's been so long since I've seen you! Maybe we can link up tomorrow?" She stepped back and gave a slight smile.

Kenshi thought for a moment. "Sure, I'm in!" Ame's smile grew wider when she heard this.  "Alright, bet! See you after school tomorrow!"  The pair went their separate ways, waving again to each other. Kenshi made it back to his street. His "mansion" towered over him as he went to open his door, using the eye scanner to get inside.

Once he did, a familiar voice greeted him. "Kenshi! Welcome home!"

"Hey, mother!" Kenshi said with a smile. She looked at him, golden eyes studying him. "How was school?" Youmu spoke with a curious look.

"Pretty good! I learned about various things, like the world, our history, humans..." he replied.

Youmu tensed at that last word, but she shrugged it off and went back to doing what she was doing, giving Kenshi a smile. "So, what are you cooking?" Kenshi asked.

"Your favorite meal!" she answered, with a warm smile as bright as the sun outside.

Kenshi walked over and looked. She was cooking exquisite meat with rice, salad, and "sweetcakes." His mouth started to water, and he eagerly looked at his mother.

"Wow, this looks GREAT, Mom!"

"I know, it should be ready in about an hour." she said. "Okay." he replied with a bit of eagerness to his voice, clearly unable to contain his excitement. "I can't wait!"

And so, he went upstairs, entering his bedroom, a regal-looking room that could only be fit for a prince. The gray walls had a slight glare, the grayish-white bed looked ready to jump into, and of course:

"Yes!" Kenshi exclaimed.

A toy katana was left on his dresser, and Kenshi immediately grabbed it and practiced some sword strikes. Up, down, left, sideways, you name it. After about an hour of practicing, Kenshi heard his cue. "Kenshi, can you go fetch your father for me?" his mother said. "Okay, Mom!" He wasted no time.

He went outside, the fresh, natural air of this "paradise" enveloping him. As others like him waved and greeted him, he made his way left, the direction of his father. With a bit of a happy stride in his walk, he was down the block in no time at all. The sun began to set a little, and Kenshi stopped at a nearby convenience store called Elataria, greeting the owner on his way in.

"Hi, Mr. Shinohara!" The excitement in Kenshi's voice was evident. Mr. Shinohara looked up from his book. "Kenshi! What ya' doing here?"

"Just passing through," Kenshi replied. "Do you still sell Queen's Revenge here?"

"Yea, it's in the back," Mr. Shinohara went back to his book. Kenshi walked to the back of the shop and grabbed one of the pearlescent white bottles, admiring its glow. As he turned to leave, a man walked up to him.