December 30, 2020

Busantia, Geumsa

Jimin blinks awake, finding himself on the shores of a large lake. As he pushes himself up into a sitting position and looks around at the new setting, he can feel the blood and all the rest of his five senses rushing back to him. He can smell and taste the beach-like salty air, hear the birds calling all around him and feel the sandy shoreline.

He's no longer in the bustling streets of Rauma, Finland. That's for sure.

There's a patch of trees that form a thick forest to one side and the lake to the other. Over his head, the sky is cloudless, but there is no sun in visible sight (though there is sunlight coming from somewhere).

"Hello?! Is anyone there?" Jimin calls out.

He carefully gets up to his feet, taking note of the long, puffy sleeves of a white shirt that he has on. Then he looks down, seeing the rest of his outfit, black pants the come down to a pair of mid-shin black boots. He's reminded on a music video he has seen recently where one of the singers of a famous K-Pop boy band was running away from a strange building complex with wire around his wrists.

It is basically the same outfit. Minus the wire restraints. 

He looks back up, trying to figure out where he is. He catches a glimpse of his reflection shimmering and rippling in the ripples of the lake water. He's lost his silvery hair color, instead getting a sandy, bleached color.

A shrill caw slices through the air, startling him.

Jimin jumps and snaps his head up to look at the sky as a massive burgundy reptile sails by, its wings glistening with black outlined tips. Dragon! Is the first thought that comes to his head as the animal circles, unleashing its powerful roar again and then landing on shore a half mile away from him.

Where the hell am I?!

The dragon's wings fold in and a poof of bright red smoke appears, encircling it, as the transformation begins. The dragons gradually morphs from the reptile form to a human. And not just any human either. This man has shaggy curls for hair. And his hair is colored a silvery-purple! He has on a long-sleeve shirt similar to Jimin's. He bends over, cupping his hands and gathers water into his opened palms.

Jimin, hesitant and bewildered (as well as a little freaked out), begins to walk toward the dragon-man.

The man doesn't realize he is there or sense him and splashes the water on his face.

"Hey there, um," Jimin manages to choke out, getting closer to the man.

The man finally appears to hear him and turns to face him, his eyes shimmering an icy blue color. He gradually gets up to his feet, leaving the lake water and eyes Jimin with puzzled curiosity.

"August Suga must know who you are and how you've trespassed on his land of Busantia?!"

Busantia?!

Jimin takes a step back as the man steps toward him. The dragon wings shoot out from his back and spread into the air behind him.

"You won't talk to August Suga?" His eyes harden and darken in color slightly.

Jimin musters his courage and responds with, "I'm Jimin Packalen from Rauma, Finland."

"Finland?" August Suga, the dragon-man ponders. "Never heard of it."

"It's...probably far from here," Jimin retorts with a toss of his eyes.

August Suga snorts. "August Suga will see to that." He grabs Jimin's wrists with both of his hands and launches up into the air, transforming back into the dragon creature as he climbs up into the sky.

"LET GO OF ME!" Jimin wails, kicking out at the air. "PUT ME DOWN!"

August Suga chuckles and flies smoothly and skillfully through the air. "You're trespassing on August Suga's land, therefore he shall decide when to let go and put you down, Jimin Packalen of Finland."

Jimin feels the sharp sting as the claws from the dragon dig into his skin through his shirt sleeves. It feels like a bunch of needles poking him. But he tries to ignore it and watches as the dragon, August Suga, flies toward a crystal white castle that almost appears blue in its tint. He circles the tips of the grand building and then lands on a massive platform that leads into a giant circular room with a multistep platform in the center.

August Suga releases Jimin and morphs from a dragon back to human form once more. "Welcome to August Suga's abode. Don't get too comfortable." He storms across the platform to the room and walks up to the center of the platform, where a stand is positioned, holding a circular pillow that has something on it.

August Suga picks the object up as Jimin creeps toward him, curious about this strange person. He lifts it up and sets it on top of his head. It's a silvery flower crown that has different color tints like blue, green, purple, orange and red to it.

"So, tell August Suga, Jimin, what brings you to Busantia?"

Jimin follows August Suga through the room to a hallway that leads to a staircase. "I was tricked into being sent here. I had this musical ornament that I sang to and then...it glowed and I woke up here. WooJin...he was the one orchestrating everything, I think. He told me to sing to it."

August Suga throws a smug look out the corner of his eyes. "Sent here, eh?"

"Yes. I didn't come here willingly."

August Suga skips down the stairs with Jimin closely behind him. "August Suga doesn't think you understand where you are. You've been brainwashed somehow. But he's seen this before. Long ago, actually, when a young man named Isaac Taehyung was cast here against his will too."

Jimin gasps, trying to keep up with the dragon-man with the flower crown as they hurry through another massive dome-shaped room and to another set of stairs. "Isaac Taehyung? I remember him! He was a huge, up-and-coming singer in the late 90's, who suddenly vanished without a trace."

They skip down the stairs, Jimin is finally at the Busantia man's side.

August Suga halts at the base of the stairs and spins to the young hockey player. "Yes, he did." He regards Jimin with a shadowed interest now. How does he know that? "Isaac said the same thing you are, so August Suga does believe you. Since he does, he will spare you, even help you out."

The dragon-man starts forward crossing a vast ballroom now that branches out on either side into other side rooms that resemble smaller ballrooms. At the far end of it is a series of wide steps that lead up to a platform, where a majestic throne sits. This is entangled with flowery vines.

Jimin chuckles out of relief and shock. "Really? Thank you! I have to get back, you see, there is this girl that I am trying to win over..."

August Suga halts again, before the steps that lead up to the throne and chuckles. "A girl...?"

"Only the most beautiful."

August Suga snorts and climbs the stairs to sit on his throne. "August Suga finds that amusing. You are an amusing young man, Jimin Packalen."

"So, you'll help me to get back to reality and win the girl?" Jimin inquires, hopeful.

August Suga trails his fingertips along the flowery arm of the throne chair. "August Suga has already answered with his response. SUNSHINE!"

Jimin blinks and whirls around, seeing a strange man race in. He has on a black shirt with bananas on it and black pants, a pair of short black wings protrude from his back and he has a set of monkey ears and a tail. He comes up to August Suga.

Have I entered the land of Oz?

"Sunshine, meet Jimin Packalen. He's a lost stranger to our beloved and magical world. Now, August Suga has promised to help him out and get him back to his realm. Will you not join us as well, my young nam-dong-saeng?"

Sunshine nods, a cheesy smile coming to his face.

"It will be dangerous," August Suga insists, calmly. 

Sunshine shrugs and nods. 

"August Suga loves you, Sunshine." He pets the monkey-man on the top of his head. "You're a good sidekick to the Dragon Flower King of Busantia."

The monkey-man says nothing, welcoming the petting. 

Can he even talk at all?

"So...can I ask where I am? What is this universe called?" Jimin questions. "So like how I am from Rauma, Finland, which is a part of the continent of Europe on the planet, Earth."

August Suga's unique icy eyes turn to him, a smile creasing his mouth. "Busantia, Geumsa. There are only three kingdoms that form the universe known as Geumsa, you see, Jimin." August Suga leans to the side of his chair, getting super comfortable. "Busantia is one, another is the border kingdom, Kakatria. That's where prisoners and bad people go, lots of crime and evil there."

He flicks his hand smoothly up into the air and swivels it around, producing a purple mist with sparkles that form a vine of red grapes. He plucks a couple off with his teeth. Then his gaze lazily finds Jimin once more.

"The final kingdom is one that hardly anyone knows about and is difficult to reach in the far off distance. It's called, Seoulia." August Suga moves the grape vine down for Sunshine, who takes it and finishes the grapes off.

"August Suga has never been able to reach Seoulia. He does not wish to travel through Kakatria..." He trails off, looking suddenly sad and terrified. "'Tried to once and...was attacked by a gang of wicked men."

Jimin gasps. "How awful!"

"They tore August Suga to shreds. Barely escaped. But thanks to Sunshine, he was able to survive. That is why Sunshine is a good monkey sidekick to August Suga." He pets Sunshine again. "Good, good."

"So, how do I get back?" Jimin asks, putting his hands on his hips.

August Suga carefully and gradually maneuvers himself back into a natural sitting position in the chair. He leans forward, crossing his fingers and resting his head on top of them as he says, "There is only one way back to 'Earth' that August Suga knows. Unfortunately, that way is through Kakatria."

"Lemmie guess," Jimin sighs. "It's in Seoulia?"

August Suga winks at him. "Of course...however, there might be a way we can successfully get through Kakatria, unharmed." He glances at the monkey-man, Sunshine, who is looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"How's that?" Jimin inquires.

August Suga smirks. "We fly over the kingdom, of course. Last time, August Suga didn't have his dragon powers or wings. Nor did he have a purpose. Now, anything is possible."

Jimin shakes his head, waving his hands before him. "Would singing or dancing help out?"

August Suga snorts. "Getting through Kakatria singing and dancing? No way. Seoulia has the return portal which you can sing to to return. Granted, your voice is soothing and on-key. Heck, you can even rap-sing."

Jimin looks down at his feet. WooJin's wicked snickering echoes back to him: "Oh, I forgot to tell you, you have to sing ON-key for the magic to work. Good-bye. I'll take that ball of your hands. Trust me, it's in excellent hands. Oh, and say hi to Robin for me. I'm the one who caused him to disappear."

Robin! Jimin gasps and snaps his head back up. "Have you heard of someone named Robin Nieminen?"