In the small coastal town of Cannon Beach, a great, white light streaked along the sky among the stars, as thunder cracked and clamored. It made a long arc, soaring down, down over the sea, and past the shoreline, into a patch of trees, a loud crash and rumble shaking the town's foundation. A few windows lit up, and some disgruntled people stirred from their rest, but they quickly forgot about it, putting it off as an earthquake…
The morning was bright, and the sun beat down on the town– it was the middle of June. The streets were lit with warmth, and bugs flew from the leaves of shrubs. Nestled in between a couple short, one-story homes, in a cute neighborhood only a short drive from the beach, lived a high school boy and his mother.
Haruto Takahashi was a person who had a generally uninteresting life. He was seventeen and working a part-time job at the grocery store nearby, as most of his peers did. He was slightly short, and a bit scrawny, with black eyes and large, black-rimmed glasses, though his hair fell messily over them, flicks of gray and white highlights that were more visible in the sunlight. Haruto was an unassuming person who never smiled at strangers and was always dressed in gray. He blended in with the electrical poles. However, despite the way he seemed, he was actually quite helpful to others, and would often extend kindness to people. He would even share food with his peers generously. The only thing Haruto truly hated being robbed of was his sleep.
So when he woke up in the morning after the earthquake, he didn't pay much mind to what happened. In fact, he grumbled more so about not getting enough rest. It was Saturday, and he didn't have to work. So, of course, the only question was what he was going to do that day.
It was a quiet house. The sunlight streamed through the high windows in the kitchen. Haruto was making lunch– chopping cucumbers into fine pieces and attempting to create the perfect sandwich– when a familiar jingle of keys and click of the door startled him.
"Hey, honey, I'm back!" Haruto's mother was a quite young-looking woman, and as a result was more often than not confused for his sister. He did have an older sister, but she was away at university, so her room was currently vacant. His mother was very clumsy, but someone with good intentions and a strong will.
"Hey, mom. You're home really early." His mother was a journalist for various fashion magazines. She usually worked quite late, writing up papers or doing research.
"Yeah, I've got the rest of the day to pack since they're sending me out for a week." He paused just as he was about to bite into the sandwich he made.
"Really? A week? That's a while…" Occasionally, she'd have to go on short trips for a day or two to visit a fashion show and report on it.
"It's because it's in New York. It's the farthest I've ever gone, and the biggest show I've ever worked on." She beamed at him. "It should be fun! Will you be okay here by yourself for a week, though…?"
"Oh, yeah, I'll be okay." He really didn't mind being alone.
"Alright. Well, I've got to pack up. Make something good for your dinner tonight!" She hurried off to her room, as Haruto ate his lunch in silence.
I wonder what I should do today…
"Oh, hey, Haruto?" his mom called from down the hall. "Could you go get some groceries for the week?"
… I guess I have my answer, then.
The sky was clear and bright when he left. It was only a short walk to the grocery store, and Haruto was someone who liked to shop as quickly and efficiently as possible. In fact, that was how he did most things. He breezed through the aisles, swiping things into the basket and perusing the whole store within ten minutes. He checked out and hauled a few bags of groceries out the door, but quickly noticed something had changed: The sky that had been so bright had now darkened, and was riddled with clouds. A storm was about to come.
Oh, man… You can't be serious…!
Thunder rumbled across the sky, and it began to rain. Quickly, and all at once, it was a downpour!
Haruto hurried down the street, pausing only to tug his hoodie over his head. Gusts of wind billowed through the street, and many people began to take cover in shops, but he was determined to get home. But the rain grew harsher, and lightning split the air, flashing bright and dangerously close. Haruto, out of breath, was nearly knocked over by another strong gust of wind. What the hell is wrong with the weather today?! Giving up on making it home in time, he scrambled into a small alleyway in between a couple beach shops, groceries spilling out of the bags as he ducked behind an old surfboard.
"Ugh…" His sweatshirt and jeans were soaked. "I've never seen a storm like that before– What the…" A flicker of golden light reflected across his glasses when he lifted his head. "What IS that…?" Haruto crawled out from behind the board, wiping rainwater from his glasses so he could see.
Slumped over against some cardboard boxes and laying on a few trash bags was what looked to be… a person?! It was someone who looked as young as Haruto, with long, light peachy hair that spilled out over the boxes and over their shoulders, with their clothes drenched as well, and their lips slightly parted in their unconsciousness. Only… this person's skin was a pale blue, and two strange, gelatin-like antennae poked out from their head.
Not to mention– they were glowing.
Did I hit my head or something?! Haruto scooted closer, slightly reluctantly, trying to get a better look. That's a person, right? But people aren't blue. And what is this bright light… The whole back walls of the alley were lit up, and the person themselves were luminescent.
This is REALLY weird… Haruto shakily grappled for his phone, pulling it out of his pocket. Oh, crap, it's dead. I can't call for help… What am I supposed to do here? He shifted slightly closer to the person, who didn't stir, and he held his breath.
Oh my god. I hope they aren't dead… He reached out, his hand trembling, and gently pressed a finger to their neck, and was both startled and relieved to feel a pulse against his fingertip. Okay, they're alive. Should I take them back with me…? That's the right thing to do here, right?
They still showed no signs of waking. He unzipped his jacket, slipped it over the person's shoulders, and managed to pull their arms over his shoulders after a brief struggle– they were about as tall as he was.
I can't just leave somebody here like this… Alright stranger, let's get you home.
Finally, Haruto found himself safe from the storm, but was saddled with a new issue– the strange person on his back!
After the rain had stopped just as quickly as it started, he managed to get home safely. But he found himself in an empty house.
She must have left for her work trip already… He managed to lay the strange person onto his bed, and quickly went to prepare some food. His heart was racing, and he still partially thought it may all just be some sort of weird dream. But when he poked his head back into his room twenty minutes later to find the person, standing against his desk and staring out the window, he quickly realized it wasn't!
"Oh, um, you're up." The person whirled around, and Haruto finally got a look at their face clearly in the well-lit bedroom. It was definitely the face of a person, but they had eyes he'd never seen a person have– bright, golden eyes that almost seemed to have stars in them. Haruto cleared his throat and stood for a moment. His mind was running all over the place.
Okay, I REALLY didn't think about this. Isn't this kidnapping? AND WHY IS THEIR SKIN BLUE? Very slowly, he placed packaged onigiri and some water on the ground, holding his breath.
"I'm just gonna put this here, okay? You can… Uh…" He stepped back a little. The person's face lit up, and they quickly spoke:
"SNACKS!!! ❤︎"
Haruto fell back in surprise. The person had moved closer, and was looking at the food with a doe-eyed expression. Haruto was floored.
SO THEY CAN SPEAK ENGLISH?! Not only that, but that voice was definitely a guy's voice…!
"Ohhh, rice ball! NICE!" The person bit the corner of the wrapping and tugged it off with a loud RRRRIP. Haruto was speechless. Just how hungry was he?! Not to mention, he knew what onigiri was…
"Um, sorry to interrupt," Haruto said, backing away just a little, his voice shaking, "but I found you knocked out in an alleyway. Are you… feeling alright?" The other boy perked up a bit.
"Huh? Oh, yeah! There was a storm last night when I flew over that was pretty crazy! It knocked me right out of the sky!"
In one fluid movement, the strange boy kicked off the ground, and floated into the air while chowing down on the rice. Haruto nearly fell over from shock.
He can FLY?!
"W– What are you?!" A very evil look came across the stranger's face. He began to advance forward slowly.
"My name's Pix," he declared, "and I'm the intergalactic MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE!" He puffed out his chest, creeping forward mid air, wiggling his hands. "And YOU are?"
"Huh?" Haruto's back hit the wall, but Pix got closer. "Intergalactic w– what?"
"You heard me! I'm gonna INVADE your planet, so tell me the name of EARTH'S LAST LINE OF DEFENSE!" Haruto seemed to shrink in his clothes. Pix burst into maniacal laughter. It certainly sounded like the laugh of someone who would invade an entire planet.
He can't be serious, right?! Am I in an action movie or something? I must be dreaming. He took a big breath and clenched his fists.
"Haruto. My name is Haruto. I– I won't let you invade Earth…" The alien giggled and floated backwards.
"We'll see about that, puny human! And thanks for the snacks! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and gather my EVIL spaceship fleets." He opened the window, peering over his shoulder with a snide look. "Then we'll come for your planet! Hehe, bye-bye~..." But just as he tried to take off flying, he seemed to almost trip over the windowsill, flapping his arms wildly. "WHOA!" He flipped around, eyes wide with panic, and fell straight down!
Haruto scrambled over to the window, peering over the edge and getting his hair wet with rain. It was only a one story home, so Pix was right there on the grass, flopped over on his back very miserably.
Only five minutes later, he was back in Haruto's room, sitting on the floor with a towel draped over his head to dry his hair. He looked like a sad wet dog.
Master of the universe, huh… For some reason, Haruto wasn't too afraid now.