Outdoor Theatre

Miri had been doing eight shows a week for a while now. Not like he minded, of course, but he had begun to notice other kitsunes catching up with and surpassing him in terms of progress towards becoming deities.

And what was the problem with that, he asked himself? What was the problem with doing what you loved most, what was a part of you and of your magic…?

Magic.

Miri usually stopped thinking about it then. He’d never really gotten used to the Essential inherent magic, the ability to intensify or dampen feelings about (in his case) theatre. Somehow, it felt…spiteful to try and use it. Touching something painful inside of him.

So, during a break between shows, he sat beneath the legendary sakura tree. He was here to see if the rumors were true about it being special somehow. But to find out…

What was wrong with him?! What kind of magical fox didn’t want to use their magic? What could be sticking in his heart?

*A wound in my leg…*

That was his own voice speaking, he remembered. Luka and him had talked about the ways their themes could have been different.

*All tattered…*

Miri had loved performing since he was a kit. His greatest memory was the stage...but something had kept him away from it and sent him through the portal.

Something that hurt, something spiteful, that lingered painfully inside of him.

His eyes shot open. He hadn’t even realized they were closed. The glorious memories of theatre had an aftermath. An outsider, who didn’t care about the stage.

He couldn’t bear to look into others’ minds and see that again.

Finally, he thought to himself. That was the problem. It was simply a fear of others hating what he loved most, and what they might do without him able to reach them…

But…maybe, if he trained harder, he could reach them. He was much stronger than the Miri who had slipped through the portal, stronger even than the Miri who had just arrived in a new world.

There was no need to fear when he was doing what he loved most.

Eyes wide and nearly tearing up, Miri looked at the tree and concentrated. Even if using it on other creatures was scary, this tree couldn’t have an opinion, right?

A faint yellow haze filled the air…and Miri began to cry.

The tree was reacting, just as the legends said. It was taking his curious magic and giving him back an overwhelming amount of love. The warmth of a thousand spotlights, and nothing to fear at all.

He felt, then, a disregard for others’ negative opinions. There would always be his supporters, and himself, who loved what he did most of all. He was stronger now, and his dreams had come true, and he could stand proudly under the brightest spotlight in all of history.

Wiping his tears away, Miri nodded to the sakura in thanks, and trotted off. He was due onstage in ten minutes, after all.