+++ 奇跡国 - Miracle Country +++

Truly, this is where
Travelers who go or come
Over parting ways--

Friends or strangers--all must meet:
The gate of "Meeting Hill."

This poem came to mind as soon as I could gather my thoughts; it gives me comfort that I, Utsusemimaru, should share a portion of my name with the composer of a poem that both perfectly describes and brings me peace of mind during such a tumultuous situation in which I now find myself enmeshed.

Lords and ladies of this land please forgive my personal musings and allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Utsusemimaru, and I would appreciate very much your assistance in returning to my own world. While your world appears to be quite splendid indeed I cannot sit idly by while the threat of my sworn enemies continues to loom over mine. I should be very happy to visit on another occasion but until then I must rejoin my comrades in our search for the Guardian Stones.

I do hope this journal works as those women in the Welcome Center assured me or else I will have written something exceedingly strange to myself!

[The journal records to show a young boy in monk clothes hanging upside down from the bars on one of the cages in the zoo. He's staring very seriously at a large hippo with pink stripes on it.]

... Like I said, Mister Striped Hippo, it's very important that I find my friend! We went through all that trouble to find that civilization, and we were finally getting along! We even danced together! And now I've gone and lost sight of him again... [He sighs, letting go of the bars and landing very easily on the ground, his fall slowed down by his airbending]

So please, remember, if you happen to meet a boy who's always looking a little grumpy and who's carrying swords on his back, let me know, alright?

[The hippo yawns widely, and Aang grins at it happily, waving at it] Thank you, Mister Striped Hippo! And good luck with that bird problem you mentioned, I'm sure they'll start picking at you more nicely if you just let them know you're sensitive!

[The video cuts off about then, because Aang is picking up the journal to test it]

Well, I should try this too, right? They told me it should work... [So he starts writing down]

Hi! I'm-- [Wait, can he even say who he is so easily] ... Lost! I'm lost, I don't really know the way home. Would anyone know exactly which nation we're in? I met some... [Weird ladies] Well, they were very friendly! But I don't think I quite understood what they said, so I'd appreciate any directions I can get. Thank you!

[Breaking the intro combo, Merlin's journal starts recording, in the middle of the night. He's sitting on his bed, sweaty and shaky, and if he'd realized the journal's shenanigans he'd be grateful for the way the darkness helps hide how upset he looks.

There's a loud snore coming from the bed next to his, startling him and making him smile faintly. He stands up, walking over to said bed where Arthur's fast asleep, and reaches over to place his hand on top of his head, before pulling the covers up more neatly over him.

The video cuts off there, and later resumes to show Merlin's now wandering around the underground tunnels, a blanket over his shoulders, heading to where he knows now the cafeteria is at]

[There’s a man standing in the forest, looking slightly beat up, holding a long sword in his hand, looking around even though there are a bunch of Welcome Center ladies around him, chattering on.]

… This isn’t Dressrosa. [He frowns. What the hell just happened… did he somehow mis-teleport himself? Where’s Jora? Or… He rounds on the ladies, suddenly urgent.]

Where is Joker? Are you of his household? What did you do?

[The ladies don’t give him an answer, instead giving him the journal and telling him to write in it, the usual. Law stares at it, turning it in his hands, before looking back at the ladies… and in his hand, under his palm, a glowing blue circle appears.]

Room. [The circle expands into a blue sphere, and Law smirks as he makes a switching motion with his hands.]

Shambles. […. and suddenly, there are trees where the Welcome Center ladies used to be, as he switches their places with some trees in the forest. There, much better – as long as there’s a possibility they’d have been enemies, it’s better to have them out of the equation.] [However, the commotion attracts some of the monsters in the forest, giant beasts charging straight for him. But Law seems unfazed by this, drawing out his sword with one smooth draw, cutting the beasts – but there is no blood, and instead, they seem to float around the sphere, still in pieces.]

Is this all you’ve got? I would’ve thought you know better than to underestimate me by now. [He waves his hand, and the sphere disappears, the animal pieces falling to the ground.]

The next time… pick your prey more carefully. [With that, he turns away, heading out of the forest to explore this strange place, disregarding the journal entirely... for now.]

It's quite clear to him, upon waking up, that this is not, in fact, his home. It's also abundantly clear that these women are not the ones whose services he enjoyed last night. He's kinky, yes, but five is a bit excessive even for him. He cuts straight to the chase.

"Excuse me, ladies. Might I inquire as to where I am and how I was taken from my flat without my companion knowing?"

Then they all start chattering at once, making him wince and cover his ears in annoyance, "A bit slower, please, and one at a time, thank you!"

But his reaction goes unheeded as they continue to prattle on in no language he was familiar with, but roughly translated to english at points. A small book is also being thrust into his face which serves to make him even more frustrated and 100% done with all of this nonsense. Aggravated he snatches the journal and shoos them away.

"Yes, yes, write, I know! It's about the only thing I was able to make out among your incessant gibberish!"

With a long huff, he takes the pen and proceeds to write the following:

"Right. First of all, I haven't kept a diary of this nature since adolescence. Secondly, I was able to determine through the inane babbling of those strange women I encountered, that my means of communicating with others is to write in this book. Because asking for a telephone seems completely out of the question."

"Now then. To business. My name is Sherlock Holmes. I'm a consulting detective to the NYPD and if I have indeed been abducted, they will very soon begin a search and rescue. Therefore, I advise whoever is responsible for this to cease this prank immediately and allow me to return to my work. That way all of us get what we want and no one gets hurt."

"I might also add that my associate, Miss Watson, is a highly skilled martial artist and quite capable of taking down anyone who makes her the least bit upset. No really, it's terrifying, actually. You don't want to make her angry, I assure you. So... all the better to release me sooner rather than later."

Pauses and frowns. Scribbles.

"Note to self; never accept any beverages from new acquaintances again lest they drug me and drag me to some remote location with a bunch of idiots claiming this is "another world"."

[The entry starts out as audio, an agitated young girl with the familiar voices of Kiseki ladies around her.]

No, no, you don't understand! I don't mean where am I, I said when am I? ... O-oh, it's Sunday? [Someone is having difficulty with the welcome wagon.] Oh, fine, I'll write in the book! But then I'm leaving, okay? ... It's magic, right?

[She starts to write in the journal, having taken a moment to calm down and sounding much more cheerful] Hi, whoever's reading this! I'm Marle! I'm from somewhere pretty far away so I need help! My friends are missing, their names are Chrono, Frog- [and oh just in case]- Lucca and Robo! Chrono is a boy my age with orange hair! Frog is [um] well, if you saw him you'd know who he was... Please, it's very important that I find them! And I need to know what this place is! You could say I got lost so... If you can help, that'd be great! [Does not sound very worried about waking up in another world.] This place looks pretty amazing, I can already tell it's nothing like home! Is the whole place like this?

[...] By the way, there was also a man with long blue hair and a purple cape with me before I... got lost. If he sounds familiar, please let me know.

[Anyone near the welcome center or perhaps looking at their journal will… well, hear a lot of shouting and perhaps see some fire licking at the windows]

Let… me… out! Let me out! [fwoosh goes the fire] You can’t keep me trapped in here forever with… with them! Or at all! [They’re driving him up the wall and they’re way too smiley and UGH]

[Well, the fire approach isn’t working. He stops, completely frustrated hand to his forehead as he tries to think – okay. He can do this. He can calm down. His breathing is ragged and his shoulders tense but he keeps trying to do steady breathing until, at least a little, his sigh sounds more tense than livid.]

This is ridiculous! [alsdhgasd; arg] Yeah, because when you’re kidnapped to some stupid room the best thing is to write about your feelings in a journal. [His voice is dripping with sarcasm as he… talks to himself. Yep.] How is that supposed to help?

[S- sigh….. his shoulders slump a bit and he stares down at his journal, moodily.] This is ridiculous…

[… Still… what would Uncle say? He sighs out, closing his eyes and trying to calm down further. And then his voice seems to, well, try to mimic someone:] Zuko, writing on paper is like enjoying a fine tea – it takes time and you must savor it.

[…………….] That doesn’t help at all! [ARG he sucks at this]

[He opens the journal angrily and starts writing:] This is stupid and pointless and who even cares?

[…………………………………. 8( he drags his brush across the paper, not writing anything, but seeming to debate about it – maybe he does have to think about his place in the universe?]