The Guests

Sato

Sato couldn’t believe Rebe had agreed to come over. He had been trying to work up the guts to say something, anything, to her since the day they first met. The fact that she had chosen to come over to play video games with them was his wildest fantasy come to life. It was all he could do to keep cool. He didn’t stand a chance at the game; besides, Daniel always won anyway. Sato dropped his controller in defeat. It was far from a new feeling, but that didn’t make it a better one. It would look better if he won at least one game.

“Ha! I win yet again.” Daniel bragged jokingly. They liked to hang out at Daniel’s place because his parents left him alone, unlike Sato's all-too attentive mother. The room was just an underground concrete box filled with manga, books, collectibles, and, of course, video games. It was difficult to find a spot on the floor that wasn't covered in giant bean bags. There were like 20 of them. It had roughly the organizational quality of a landfill. Most of the furniture, including the beat-up old couch, likely came from one. His TV was admirably massive, but its quality was questionable at best. Much of that mass was due to its considerable depth. Pocky and animal cookies were strewn across the old coffee table with little regard for sanitation. It was how they liked it. It had long been Sato and Daniel’s favorite hangout, but he hoped it would quickly become Rebe’s as well. 

Sato began to overthink, as he was inclined to do. He was dressed casually, as the summer break dictated. He was wearing his favorite royal blue front-pouch hoodie. He tended to bury his hands in the pocket of the hoodie when he got nervous and didn't know what else to do with them. Otherwise, he wore black athletic pants with two white lines running down the sides and red and white sneakers. Rebe, by way of contrast, was wearing her school uniform, mostly. Rebe refused to wear the skirt mandated in the girls' uniform and caused such a stink about it that eventually the admin surrendered and stopped dress-coding her when he showed up in the boys' uniform's blue plaid pants. She still wore her girls' shirt, but seldom buttoned it all the way up or wore the brown sweater or navy jacket with it. He didn't know why she was wearing it during summer break, but he thought she looked so cool in it. 

“Oh, shut it, you big idiot. Unlike us, you get to practice every day, right, Sato?”

“Yeah...” Sato sheepishly agreed, blushing a little too much. Daniel was dressed somewhere in between the two. He wore a plaid shirt and jeans. His thick glasses rested lightly below his short black hair. Daniel was the first friend Sato made when he moved back home after middle school. Their mothers had been friends, so they often had dinner at one another’s houses. At first, they mostly tolerated each other as most family friends do, but eventually, their shared interest in video games and other nerdy stuff drew them closer together. When they learned they were in the same homeroom this year, they were both ecstatic. The two of them were the first friends Saio had had in a very long time. Rebe tackled Daniel and took his controller.

“Look, I have the controller now. I guess I won,” Rebe boasted. She held the control over her head to symbolize her victory. It also served to keep it out of Daniel’s reach. Sato laughed. She had made one crucial mistake. In getting it out of Daniel’s reach, she happened to put it just within Sato’s.

“That’s not how it works. That doesn’t even make any sense,” Daniel complained sarcastically. Sato snatched the controller from Rebe. Sato smiled. He was happy. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he was this happy.

“Hey, no fair,” she protested with a pouty face.

“Finders keepers,” Sato smugly responded.

“That’s not how it works,” Rebe and Daniel cry out in unison.

“Sato,” Daniel’s Mother’s voice came from the top of the stairwell.

“Yes, ma’am?” Sato politely responded.

“There is someone here for you.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Sato rushed up the stairs of Daniel’s basement bedroom.

“Wait for me. I wanna see who it is too,” Rebe blurted out and burst up to rush after Sato.

“Sure, I’ll come too. Thanks for asking, guys. Not my house or anything,” Daniel complained to himself and followed.

Daniel’s Mother didn’t want to invite the odd strangers into her home, so the three met them outside. She did, however, have her phone in hand with the emergency number already dialed, just waiting to be called. She watched vigilantly from the window. Daniel waved back at her to ease her nerves. 

After introductions, Leo began, “I’ll cut right to it. We believe you, Sato, are one of several great warriors from across all of space and time with the power to control one of several ancient relics, specifically the katana. We have traveled a great ways to find you. We would like you to come back with us to our world so we can test our theory. If we are wrong, we will send you on your way with a healthy compensation. If we are correct, you decide whether you want to help us.

“But I have no sword training?" Sato questioned.

“We have a master ready and willing to train you should you accept our offer," Bruno responded.

“I’m in,” Sato responded without delay. “That sounds pretty cool. And, we could always use a little bit of snack money. Wanna come with?” Sato looked at his friends, who were both much more hesitant.

“Okay. I can’t let you go off with these weird strangers to learn karate on your own, can I? What kinda friend would I be?” Rebe responded nervously. She didn’t know whether to feel excited or scared. She was both. Sato seemed so excited that she figured she might as well go. His enthusiasm was infectious. He was always rather quiet and reserved. She had never seen him like this, and she wanted to see where it would lead. 

“Guys, this is nuts. Our parents will kill us!” Daniel interjected. 

“Why? Isn't it summer? None of us has a part-time job. Mrs. Cho is always saying we need to get out of the house. Sounds fun. Besides, they are most likely lying,” Sato argued.

“My dad never wanted me in the house in the first place...” Rebe whispered to herself.

"I assure you, I am no braggard nor liar. I would not put my honour in disrepute in such a fashion," Leo complained. 

“We can return you as soon or as late as you like,” Bruno promised.

“See,” Sato gestured and agreed.

“It’s dangerous! We have no idea who these nutjobs are. One of them is, like, 40! Not to mention none of this is remotely possible!” Daniel yelled angrily.

“38,” Bruno calmly corrected.

“Exactly!” Daniel yelled, exacerbated.

“How exactly did you get here? Do you have a time machine, or do those ancient relics allow you to travel through space-time? Did you use one of these relics to get here?” Sato questioned, ignoring Daniel’s outburst.

“Yes,” Leo answered. “I am the wielder of Wyrm.” He gestured towards his rapier, which hung around his waist. It allowed us to enter a Wyrmhole. It is the reason I was able to reach you."

“If you want us to believe all of this is for real, you are going to have to prove it,” Sato stated, earnest but filled with doubt.

“Very well,” Leo replied. He removed his rapier from its scabbard. Daniel’s mom gasped. Daniel again waved to her to let her know everything was alright. “Perhaps we should move away from this place?” Daniel had to go and talk his mom down, but he was very skilled at just that. The five unlikely companions were soon walking down the baked street. 

Once again, at the start of the street where the portal through time first appeared, Leo repeated the process. This time, however, in a reverse, clockwise direction. Mrs. Cho was still out hanging laundry.

“Hi, Mrs. Cho,” Sato greeted his neighbor warmly.

“Hey, kids. Are you alright? Do you need me to go and get help? Mrs. Cho asked worriedly.

“No, we are fine, thank you, ma’am. I think we are just going to travel through time a little bit. See you later.” Sato waved goodbye, and Mrs. Cho slowly returned the gesture, clearly confused. Strange kids. At least they were playing outside. Wyrm disappeared, and Leo’s hand followed. The bluish-purple tear is space-time reemerged. Leo looks every bit as strained as the rapier had before him. Finally, he portal was completed. The three kids stood there, speechless.

“Huh…” Daniel finally managed to get out.

“Cool,” Sato added.

“Yeah.. It’s definitely something,” Rebe responded, realizing they were definitely in over their heads.

“Follow us and stay close. You don’t want to be stranded in a Wyrmhole. It’s not as fun as it sounds,” Bruno warned. It didn't sound fun at all. The five unlikely companions entered the portal and vanished. Then the portal vanished too, just like the first. Mrs. Cho finally finished her laundry. It was once again an unremarkable day.