Shaman King: Story of Tsuki Kasumi

Episode 1

It was late at night, a time for parents to put their children to bed and wish them good night. I was on a train to Tokyo, my new home. Five other passengers were resting in the wagon that I was sitting in. An old couple, one man, in my opinion, he was a businessman and a woman with a child sleeping in her arms. I looked out the window, but the reflected light from the lamps blocked my view. Sometimes I recognized the silhouettes of trees, but that was all. Under my seat, there was my suitcase, and next to me I had a big bag with my things. I hope there will be taxis in the city, but it's Sunday and late at night, who knows. I slowly stopped feeling my legs, so I had to stretch them. 

Suddenly a train guide came and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are sorry, but the train will be thirty minutes late. If there are any changes, I will inform you," he bowed and went to another wagon. Are you serious? I am hungry, sleepy and overall today has been overwhelming.

I looked again outside the window even though I couldn't see anything. I got lost in my memories, thinking about times when I was a kid. 

I was four years old when I met him. That day the summer sun shone in my village Tanpopo, and people looked for places to hide. After lunch with my family, I went with my mother shopping like every Monday. Even though our village was small, we had a marketplace, a park, a kindergarten and a school. The marketplace was stretched all over the village square and was full of stalls with vegetables, fruit, meat and fish, salty and sweet pastries. There were also stalls with handmade soaps, perfumes and other cosmetics. My mother and I walked to the fruit stall. She started talking to a saleswoman that she knew and that usually meant a long stop. When she wasn't looking, I ran off. I examined all the stalls and their wares. I stopped at a toy stall, but none of the toys caught my eye. They were beautiful and handmade from wood, but I wouldn't play with them. A little further on stood a van I had never seen here. Its salesman was an old man with long white hair put in a bun and moustache. When I came to him, I noticed that he was selling musical instruments. He had modern instruments on display, such as guitars, drums, violins, but he also had traditional Japanese instruments such as shakuhachi, koto, sanson, shamisen and others. But I got fascinated by the flute, which hung by a string and was slowly turning in the wind. It was white as snow, decorated with blue stripes and flowers.

"Are you interested in something, girl? Here you will find any musical instrument that you can think of, and if not, I can make it as an order. Tell me what enchanted your eyes," he said in a calm, warm voice.

I looked at him and smiled: "I was fascinated by this," I showed him, "I have never seen such a flute. It's pretty."

"I see. I made this flute to order, but the woman who wanted to buy it eventually gave up. I don't like such customers. It is made of bamboo, which grew in the moonlight at Lake Kawaguchi," he untied the string and picked up the flute: "It is light and the bamboo wood is soft to the touch. Can you play the flute?" he asked. I just shook my head. The salesman smiled, closed his eyes, put the flute near his mouth, and began to play it. Suddenly, it was as if the noise from the crowd had stopped. All I heard was the lovely melody pouring from the flute. The sound was so soft and calm, caressing both the ears and the soul. My heart began to cry, but not from sadness, but from happiness. I decided I wanted to learn how to play on a flute.

When he finished, he took a deep breath and said: "That's why I learned how to play and make musical instruments. So I could see the same expression on people's faces that you have right now."

"That was amazing! I've never heard anything like that in my life. I want to play on it too!"

The man laughed. He looked at the flute, then at me, at the flute again, and said: "It's yours."

"What?" I wondered.

"The woman, who wanted it, didn't take it in the end, and when I see your eyes full of joy, I'm happy. Take it, it's yours," he said, handing it to me.