"Hey, don't worry. Trust me." That was what he had told Jinki.

Jinki clapped his hands once and dipped his right forefinger and thumb into his left sleeve. From within, he pulled out a chain of tied colourful handkerchiefs. The small crowd of five or so girls raised their eyebrows. It was obvious to them that he was pulling them from his jacket - nothing magical there. But then the handkerchiefs began to sprout genuine flowers as they landed on the floor, and the girls jumped back as the petals unfurled. From the last bulb, a tiny humming bird flitted out. The tiny bird, the size of an average person's thumb, rose to each of the girl's faces as emphasis of his reality.

The girls applauded and Jinki bowed. He then picked each bloom and handed them out. In return, the girls dropped money in his upturned cap.

"Thank you," Jinki murmured and bowed once more.

"Hey, don't worry." His words echoed in Jinki's mind. Yet again.

Jinki unlocked his apartment's door and the light. The room filled with fluorescent white light and he took a moment to marvel at the wonder of electricity. Certainly, THAT was magic.

He shook off the dirt from his shoes before he slipped them off his tired feet and entered his home. The tiny humming bird followed him in and made a beeline towards its cage. Jinki followed it and tipped out some feed into its bowl. The bird bobbed its head once as thanks and industriously attacked at the seeds.

Jinki moved past the mantelpiece loaded with strange devices, antiques, and faded photographs. He pulled apart the curtains and looked down upon the nightscape of the city. The blue and white lights of distant buildings blinked at him. The red and yellow lights of the cars, down below, made streaks on the roads.

Idly, he rubbed the tips of his fingers, clapped his hands once and clicked his fingers. A pearly-blue flame erupted from his forefinger and it swayed a little as he waved it in front of his face.

Yes. The 21st Century was magic in itself, to his 19th Century mind.

"Trust me."

It has been another three years since he performed on the street corners. Now, Jinki's venues have become much larger and more glamorous. And people seek him out to attend his successful magic shows. Just not the one person he wants to find the most.

Jinki scanned the seated crowd from behind the stage curtain, but with no luck. He looked down at the white rabbit at his feet and shrugged his lack of surprise. The rabbit shrugged back at him, before it hopped towards the black top hat.

Tonight would be his last show. And then he would disappear for a long while, assume another identity and try finding that bastard in a more covert manner. Besides, he can't have the media question why he was not aging.

Jinki will perform on the big stage one last time, with his cheeky rabbit, and spend another generation or two out of the spotlight. He had hoped that this time, HE would notice and come to him.  Jinki should've known better though. Wasn't it HE that pulled the ultimate disappearing acts, and used Jinki as the diversion?

The loud applause followed the MC's announcement and Jinki shook away the heavy regrets that were thousands of years old.

He was about to step out from behind the curtain, when a heavy hand took him by the elbow and pulled him away. Jinki tripped backwards and fell to the floor. He looked up and peered at the shadowy figure.

"You are such a fool," the shadow said and then faded away into the darkness.

A soft nudging woke Jinki from his shock. The white rabbit had returned to him and was pawing at his hand. The MC was hissing at him from the other side of the stage curtain.

Jinki could only wordlessly gape.

The shadow's outline had matched that of the one he was searching for, for two hundred years.

9/12/13: JINKI IS LEARNING MAGIC FOR SMTOWN WEEK 'THE WIZARD' OMGOMOGMOGMOMGOMGOMGOMG I WANNA SEE!!!