Chapter Text
A small, yellow car full of bags and suitcases drove down the picturesque town road. Watching the scenery speed by in a colourful blur, a young man with messy brown curls lay in the backseat of the car, holding a bunch of vibrant tulips and white lilies close to his chest. He fiddled with the handwritten note attached, messy kanji spelling out "Good luck Shoma-kun! We'll meet again. Your best friend, Keiji."
"Shoma," a gentle, masculine voice said softly, "Shoma, we're almost there."
Shoma lowered the bouquet of flowers and frowned at his trainers with a sigh, still lying across the backseat of the car.
"This really is in the middle of nowhere," a more feminine voice mused aloud as they kept on driving. "We're going to have to go to the next town to do our shopping and everything."
"It'll be great once we're used to it," the man said slowly, and Shoma turned in the seat to get more comfortable, bags laying all around him on the back seats.
"Look Shoma," his father said with a smile, pointing out of the window, "there's your new school. Looks good, right?"
"It looks good," his mother said, a hint of a smile in her voice.
Shoma held his flowers closer, frown deepening as he shuffled to look out of the car window. He stuck his tongue out at the building before he lay back down on the seat again. "I liked my old school, with Keiji and my friends. This one will suck." He held the flowers closer as a few petals fell. "And my flowers are dying..."
"Well," his mother said gently, "I did tell you to stop fiddling with them. We'll put them in water right away when we get to our new home. And try to be a little more enthusiastic about your new school Shoma."
Shome flopped back in his seat, staring out of the window. "Why is it that the first time I get a bouquet of flowers it's a goodbye present? That's depressing."
"Dai, your father, bought you a rose for your birthday. Remember?"
"Doesn't count," Shoma mumbled. "Just one rose isn't a bouquet."
"You dropped your card," she passed the small slip of card back to him, "and I know how much Keiji meant to you, so keep it safe, okay?"
"'Mkay," he mumbled.
She opened the car window as they carried on driving through the forest towards their new home and new town. The scenery sped by; houses and a city landscape soon turned into trees and greenery. They crossed a bridge and the road turned into a track instead.
"Did I take a wrong turn?" Daisuke asked. "This can't be right, can it?"
"Look!" Mao pointed out of the window, and Shoma looked up too, "there's our new home. That blue one on the end."
"I must have taken a wrong turn back there then. This path should get us there though."
"Dai, don't take a shortcut. Just look at the map."
"Mao, sweetheart, I don't need a map. I'm confident that this road will get us there in no time."
"And I'm confident that you will get us completely lost." she countered as Daisuke kept following the track.
"What are those stones?" Shoma asked, pointing out of the window. "They look like little houses."
"They're shrines," Mao explained gently as the car sped away from them, deeper into the forest, "some people think that spirits live there."
Shoma shivered and sat back in his seat, holding the flowers close to his chest again. Daisuke drove through the forest, hitting potholes and uneven sections of the path. Shoma bounced around in the back of the car as Daisuke weaved along the path between the trees.
"Slow down! You're going to kill us!" Mao shouted as the trees started to thin out.
"What's that?" Daisuke shouted as he slammed hard on the brakes. Shoma almost fell out of his seat, groaning as he struggled to orientate himself. "Is that a tunnel?" Daisuke asked, softer.
"What... Is this?" Mao asked slowly, unbuckling her seat belt as she opened the car door and climbed out.
"Must be an entrance," Daisuke climbed out too, inspecting the area. "It's not old. Just fake. The stones are made of plaster."
Shoma climbed out, leaving the bouquet on his seat, and slipped his hand into Daisuke's as they stared into the tunnel together. "The wind's pulling us in," he mumbled, more to himself than his father.
"What is it?" Mao asked, standing next to the both of them.
"Come on let's go in," Daisuke said with a smile, "I want to see what's on the other side."
"No way! Nuh uh! It gives me the creeps!" Shoma said, shaking his head firmly.
"The movers will get there before we do." Mao pointed out as she peered into the dark tunnel.
"So let them arrive first. They've got the keys. They can start unloading without us." Daisuke said as he set off into the tunnel. "Come on."
"Just a quick look then," Mao said with a nod.
"No way!" Shoma let go and ran back to the car. He paused, frowning as his parents didn't follow him. "Come on. Look, I'm excited to go to our new home."
"No need to be so scared Shoma," his mother said softly, and Daisuke offered him his hand, "we'll be with you the whole time. You won't be on your own, I promise."
"I'm not going!" He said firmly.
His parents set off with a light shrug, and he huffed, sitting down on a rock. After a second, he glanced down and realised that the rock had two faces. Looking around, he swore he heard a branch snap behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he ran after his parents, slipping his hand into Mao's. The trio walked through the red plaster tunnel together, reaching a room with benches and an exit on the other side. Stained glass windows cast different colours across the floor, and large, white plaster pillars held the ceiling up.
"What is that?" Shoma asked softly as Mao listened too. "It sounds like a train."
"We must be near a station. Let's have a look."
Shoma nodded and his parents headed towards the exit with him. Shoma glanced over his shoulder at the door they'd come through before he shook his head, stepping out into the light.
A large, grass covered hill stood before them, and little houses were dotted around the area. A stone path led over the brow of the hill and beyond.
"What are those buildings?" Shoma asked.
"It's an abandoned theme park," Daisuke said slowly, "it must be. They built them everywhere in the early '90s. Then the economy went bad and they all went bankrupt."
He set off along the path and Shoma frowned slightly. "Hey! You said just a quick look. Come on, let's go back."
The wind rushed past Shoma, pushing him forwards, and he ran to catch up with his mother and father again.
"What a beautiful place," his mother sighing, looking out over the rolling hills as they followed the stone path. "We should have brought our lunch so that we could have had a picnic."
Daisuke hopped over a bunch of stones to a set of stairs on the other side. "They were planning to put in a river too it seems." He paused, sniffing the air. "Woah, do you two smell that? Something smells delicious."
"You're right," Mao said, smelling too. "And I'm starting to get hungry."
"Maybe this park is still in business. Come on, let's get some food!"
"Sho, sweetie, hurry up," Mao said as she and Daisuke headed towards the faded buildings. Shoma jumped over the last few rocks, letting out a small shriek as he nearly fell into the shallow water.
"Wait for me!"
Daisuke headed up a set of stairs, taking in the empty buildings. All were muted reds and browns, and their decorations within the windows lined the streets with colour.
"How strange," Mao mused aloud, "they're all restaurants. No gift shops or attractions?"
"There is it!" Daisuke said with a grin as he rushed into the one restaurant with the light on. Steam from the cooking rose up from the pan, and Daisuke settled into one of the stools set next to the piles and piles of different dishes.
"Wow, this looks incredible," Mao said, settling down on a stool too. "Come on Shoma, it looks delicious!"
Shoma glanced in and wrinkled his nose at the multitude of vegetable dishes. There wasn't a piece of meat in sight.
"No thank you," he mumbled, looking away.
"Hello?" Daisuke shouted. "Anybody work here?"
He glanced around, frowning at the completely deserted kitchen area.
"Don't worry," Mao said gently, "we can pay them when they get back."
"Good plan." He picked up a bowl of ramen and vegetables as Mao picked up a bowl of mixed vegetables too.
"I wonder what this is called," she mused as he tucked into the ramen. "Oh this tastes amazing. Come and try some Shoma!"
"I don't want any. They're going to get mad when they come back and found that you ate all their food. Let's just go to our new home."
"Don't worry. Your dad is here after all," Daisuke said, loading up a plate full of different vegetable-based dishes. "He's got cash and cards to pay the bill with. Just sit and eat for a while Shoma. You must be hungry."
"I'm not trying anything. There’s no meat! It’s all just vegetables and… bleurgh." Shoma said firmly, watching as his parents just kept eating. With a sick feeling in his stomach, he turned away and left the restaurant to explore the abandoned park alone.
He took in the lanterns above his head, and climbed another set of stairs up to what looked like a red shrine. To his left, across another bridge, was a huge red building. Out of a grey tower to the left of it, thick black smoke was pouring out. Shoma stared at it wide eyed as he slowly approached the bridge.
"A bathhouse?" he asked no one, stepping onto the bridge very cautiously.
He headed over to the railing and looked over. A train track ran underneath, and he saw the yellow and red train speed across the track from under the bridge. He rushed across, leaning over the other railing to watch it go into the distance. The sun was dipping in the sky, casting long shadows and bathing the park in a beautiful, dimming orange light. Shoma sighed, tilting his head idly, when someone gasped behind him.
Shoma turned to see a young man staring at him, dressed in a white shirt, covered in gold and black swirls, and black velvet trousers. A golden belt was wrapped around his thin waist, and the breeze moved his black hair around his wide, almost black eyes. His mouth had fallen open in shock as he studied Shoma.
"You shouldn't be here," the other man said, eyes narrowing at the other when he regained his senses. He approached him, and the younger man flinched back. "Get out of here! Now!"
"H-huh--?" Shoma started talking. The other man grabbed his arm and half shoved him off the bridge.
"It's almost night. Leave, now! Before it gets dark."
The sun dipped lower, lengthening the shadows even more, and the lanterns dotted along the path light up. The other man frowned, nose wrinkling.
"They're lighting the lanterns. Go!" He shoved Shoma fully, who broke out into a run. "You've got to get back across the river! Go! Now! I'll distract them."
Shoma ran for his life as the other man stood in front of the bridge. He rubbed his fingers together and blew shards of what looked like glass across the bridge and into the breeze.
Shoma ran down the stairs, nearly tripping, as the lanterns around him started to light. Each restaurant he passed, he saw black silhouettes sitting at the tables and working behind the counters, cooking the food. He turned the corner and ran into the restaurant he had left his parents in.
"Mum! Dad! Come on, stop eating! We have to g--" Shoma gasped, cutting himself off. His parents were gone. Instead, in their place, were two pigs.
Shoma screamed and flinched back in blind panic and confusion. With another scream, he ran out into the street lit by the lanterns and the rising moon. More and more silhouettes filled the street, and he shook himself off, running back towards the river.
"Mum! Dad! Where are you? Mum! Mum! Dad!"
He tripped over his own feet running down the last set of stairs and tumbled into the river. Luckily it only came up to his waist, and he climbed back out, shivering a little.
"W-water?" He gasped, looking across the river at the entrance he'd come through earlier in the day. The orange lights made the red entrance look like it was encrusted with gold, and a brightly lit barge sailed past too.
Shoma slapped himself hard across the face. "I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming, I have to be dreaming." When he opened his eyes and found the same scenery, he tried it again. "Come on, wake up!"
He sank to his knees, covering his eyes sadly. When he blinked, however, he gasped as he saw the floor through his hands. Standing up, he could see the entrance on the other side through them too.
"I'm see through! I'm disappearing! Mum! Dad! Help! It has to be a dream! This has to all just be a bad dream!"
Next to him, the barge stopped, and masked spirits stepped off in a procession. In terror, Shoma climbed up the bank and ran through the collection of little houses around, curling up by one and hiding.
“It’s not real, it’s not real, it’s all just a bad dream, none of it’s real,” Shoma mumbled to himself, face pressed into his knees.
"Hey," Shoma nearly jumped out of his skin in terror as the young man from before gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be afraid. I’m a friend. I just want to help you."
"No!" Shoma shook his head, burying his face in his hands. "No, go away! Please just go away!"
The other man calmly moved his hands away from his face and offered him a berry. "Eat this. You have to eat some food from this world. If you don't, you'll disappear."
Shoma tried to push him away, but his hand went right through his shoulder.
"Don't worry," the other man said gently, feeding him the berry. "It won't turn you into a pig. Trust me. Chew, and swallow."
Shoma resisted, but eventually accepted the berry and swallowed, turning solid once again.
"There you go. You're all fine. See?" The other held up his hand.
Shoma lightly touched it, finger tips brushing against the other's smooth palm instead of going straight through it. “I’m okay…”
"See? You're okay. Now come on." The other stood up, offering him a hand.
"W-what about my parents? My mum and dad? They didn't really turn into pigs, did they?"
"You can't see them now, but you will..." he trailed off, eyes narrowing at the sky. He shoved Shoma against the wall and protected him with his arms and body. "Quiet! Don't move," he whispered.
A black bird with a human head circled the area, looking down from above. The other man's eyes narrowed at it as he protected Shoma from view, watching as it circled the area from above before it took off towards the bath house.
"That bird was looking for you. You have to get out of here. There’s no time."
Shoma's knees locked as he tried to stand up. "I-I can't move..."
"Calm down. Take a deep breath. It's okay." The other man held his hand over Shoma's leg, frowning at them. "In the name of the wind and water within thee, unbind him. Now. Get up."
He pulled Shoma to his feet and, before he properly had time to register what was going on, he tugged him along. The pair ran together, past the buildings, through countless doorways that the other opened with magic, down a set of stairs, through a food storage room, a pig pen, out into the open again, and up to the bridge. Hundreds of spirits walked along the bridge, and they stopped together.
"You have to hold your breath as we cross the bridge," the man explained quickly and quietly to Shoma. "Even the tiniest breath will break the spell, and then everyone will be able to see you. Clear?"
Shoma nodded, holding onto his shoulder and arm. "I'm scared."
"Just stay calm and keep quiet," he said softly, unlocking a gate that brought them out right next to the bridge. He turned to the attendants with a neutral expression and schooled features. "I'm back from my mission."
"Welcome back Master Hanyu!" one of the attendants said brightly. Hanyu didn't even bother responding; he headed right towards the bridge.
"Take a deep breath," he whispered. Shoma followed the instructions quickly, covering his nose and mouth. "And hold it."
They stepped onto the bridge together, and Hanyu walked as fast as he dared. He didn't look in any other direction, only forwards, as they approached the end of the bridge. At one end, countless ladies smiled and bowed to the visitors and guests who approached them.
“Just a little further,” Hanyu whispered to him and the other nodded rapidly. Shoma desperately needed to breathe, but he could make it! He could—
"Yuzuru Hanyu!" A frog jumped down in front of him, less than a full step before the end of the bridge. "Where have you been?"
Shome broke and snatched a breath. The frog's look turned to a glare.
"A human?! Wha--"
Yuzuru trapped the frog inside magic and grabbed Shoma's hand, flying through the crowd with him. The pair slipped out of a little gate, which Yuzuru shut firmly behind him. They hid behind the bathhouse together in the gardens, listening to the commotion that Yuzuru's return and a human intruder had caused.
"They know you're here," Yuzuru mumbled.
"I'm sorry, I took a breath."
"It's alright. I should have moved faster. You did very well Shoma." Yuzuru looked at him seriously, holding his shoulders protectively. "Now, listen and I will tell you what you need to do."
Shoma looked at him seriously with wide eyes, and Yuzuru frowned, clearing his throat. "You can't stay here. They'll find you. And then you'll never be able to save your parents. I will create a diversion. In the meantime, you will escape, okay?"
"No! Don't leave me alone. Stay with me, please!" Shoma held Yuzuru's hands tightly, trying to hide his terror. The other man smiled very kindly and squeezed his hands lightly.
"It's okay Shoma. You don't have a choice if you want to help your parents and want to survive here."
"They did turn into pigs," Shoma mumbled mournfully, "I... I wasn't dreaming..."
Yuzuru pushed Shoma's hair out of his eyes gently. "It's alright. What you have to do is head down to the boiler room when things quieten down. Go out through the back gate. Then take the stairs, all the way down, until you reach that room, where they stoke the fires. There you will meet Kikuchi, the boiler man."
"Kikuchi?" Shoma repeated slowly.
Yuzuru nodded. "Yes. You must find him and beg him to work here. Even if he refuses, you must insist on it. If you don't get a job, Plushenko will turn you into an animal."
"W-what?" Shoma whispered in disbelief.
"The sorcerer who rules our world and the bathhouse in particular." Yuzuru explained, rubbing Shoma's hand gently as he spoke. "Kikuchi will try to turn you away, or trick you into leaving. You must insist. You must work here. Just keep asking. It will be hard work, but you will be able to stay close to your parents. It’ll give you a chance, and even Plushenko won't be able to harm you if you work here."
"Master Hanyu? Where is he? We need him!" Someone shouted. Yuzuru squeezed Shoma's hands gently.
"I have to go, Shoma. Remember, please, that I am your friend."
"How did you know my name is Shoma?"
"I've known you since you were small, Shoma. My name is Yuzuru, but everyone else here calls me Master Hanyu." Yuzuru said softly, squeezing his hands again. "Good luck Shoma, and, whatever you do, don't make a sound."
He stood up and walked out of the garden area, leaving Shoma on his own.
"Master Hanyu, where are you?"
"Calm down," Yuzuru said sternly, heading into the bathhouse. "I'm coming."
"Master Hanyu, Plushenko wants to see you!"
"I know. It's about my task."