Fic for ltgmars! (Part 1 of 5)

[nijipair]

Intergroup Gold for ltgmars

from jerainbowbridge

Title: The Mystery of the Dragon
Pairings/Groups: Aiba, Yoko, Ikuta (the mains); Inocchi, Nino, Tokio (esp Taichi and Nagase), Sakamoto, Jun, Okada, Sho, Ohkura (the background characters); Morita, Miyake, Maru, Yasu, Ohno (the special mentions); with many hinted pairings.
Rating: PG
Warnings: None, except that this is LONG and um, complicated. Oh, and this fic should not be taken too seriously as I truly let my imagination ran freely while writing this one.
Summary: Ikuta’s life started spiraling out of control after he met a stranger on a certain cloudy day. Soon, he realized that the legends were more than bedtime stories and he was a part of it, carrying the important task that would determine the fate of everyone who was involved.
Word Count/Notes:
- The story didn’t take place in our ‘earth’. I’d like to imagine that it happened on a different planet, in a different time, in a different universe.
- All of the characters will be called with their family names for a reason that will be explained halfway through the story.
- I decided to keep Ohkura’s name as it is, but his character here is heavily based on his role in Ooku as Tsuruoka because I can’t resist pretty Ohkura with long hair ♥
- Most of the interpretation of magical beings here comes purely from my super wild imagination with some tiny, tiny bits here and there that were inspired by Harry Potter. If you find any mockery of Twilight, it’s intentional.
- Thanks to my awesome, awesome betas. I would never be able to finish this without your encouragement and help ♥♥♥ The last two sentences that end the story are from one of them.
- Lastly, dear ltgmars, I took the liberty to create this story from your prompts of magic, re-imagined fairy tale and detective story. I sort of cheated and read your prompt at je-squickfic to see that you also mentioned fairytale there. I sincerely hope that this is something you will enjoy reading, though this monster is way, way, way longer than I originally planned it to be.



I

Ikuta still clearly remembered how his journey had started. It was an experience impossible to forget. Yes, how could he forget the night when his life completely changed?

It all began on a cloudy day in autumn when he met a weird stranger at the corner of his part time office building. The man was wearing a light-brown coat twice his size and a weird-looking pointed hat. While Ikuta considered his appearance to be unusual, he tipped his hat politely and continued walking, determined to get some money from the serious article about weird malformations in nature he had written.

Nevertheless, a few steps later, he suddenly had an urge to look back, and to his surprise, the man was still there, staring back curiously at him. The wind blew towards him, and Ikuta shuddered. His feeling told him that there was something off, but Ikuta tried to brush away his prejudice. He smiled nervously and tipped his hat once more, quickly climbing up the stairs to run from the awkwardness.

At the middle of climbing, he suddenly stopped to peer down the street from the window, but the man was nowhere to be seen. Ikuta breathed out a sigh of relief, but somewhere in his heart, he felt there was something familiar missing, and he couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

The rest of the day went on peacefully, and he had half forgotten about the man before meeting him again at his favorite coffee shop down the street. Ikuta was sitting at his usual seat beside the window, on an ordinary starless night, sipping his coffee and having a little chat with the two owners, Morita and Miyake. The small coffee shop always gave him a warm familiar feeling, and Ikuta could sit there for hours, typing his article. As usual, despite the delicious coffee they served, the shop was quiet. Miyake often joked that Ikuta was one of few people who could appreciate how magical their coffee was.

Ikuta yawned and stretched his body, checking the time with the corner of his eyes. 11.00 PM. He didn’t have a deadline tomorrow, so he decided to stay longer. He glanced around, noticing that he was the only client left and was about to order another cup of coffee when all of a sudden, the door opened and the stranger showed up. The man caught sight of Ikuta and swiftly pulled out the chair in front of him, sitting on it. Ikuta blinked, surprised at the action.

He was about to make a comment about the impoliteness, but the stranger narrowed his small eyes first, crossing his hands on the table, and said in a serious tone, “I know your grandmother.”

Ikuta put his cup down and glanced at Morita and Miyake - both look stunned - before paying his attention back to the stranger. “I’m sorry?”

No one was supposed to know who his grandmother was. Ikuta grew up without one; his mother was left in an orphanage while his other grandmother died when his father was young. His father died several years ago from a car accident, and Ikuta lived alone from that day onwards.

“Well, you have her nose,” the man leaned back casually, examining Ikuta’s face and spreading his hands in front of him, posing a frame to capture Ikuta’s face, “and considering your age and the amount of glitter you have in you, I assume it’s your grandmother, is it not?”

Ikuta thought he had heard it wrong. He asked just to make sure. “Glitter?”

The man was nodding vigorously when Miyake surprised him from behind and smacked his head. “Oi, oi, Inocchi, don’t scare my loyal client away!”

The man, Inocchi, grinned widely at Miyake and offered Ikuta his hand, unexpectedly breaking up the tense situation. “Inohara. Private investigator.” He took out a card. “But, you can call me Inocchi.”

Ikuta, still surprised at how fast the atmosphere had changed, accepted his hand. Inocchi shook it excitedly. “Ikuta.”

“Nice to meet you!” Inocchi gave Ikuta the biggest smile he had ever seen on someone’s face.

While Inocchi turned to Morita to order his coffee, Ikuta took the chance to inspect the card.

He flipped it around. It was black, with Inocchi’s name written on it in blue glitter. Below it was a tagline: We’ll find anything your heart desires. Anything.Ikuta looked at it more carefully, and it seemed that the pointed hat picture beside Inocchi’s name suddenly had a face on it. A face with an eye that winked at him. Ikuta closed his eyes, and the face vanished when he opened it again. He put the card down, deciding what he had seen must have been an effect of drowsiness.

Miyake pulled out a chair. “Ikuta, this is our old friend, Inocchi. He often says random weird things, don’t mind him.”

Inocchi pouted, pretending to look broken-hearted. “That’s so unfair, I say every word with a purpose in mind.”

Miyake turned to him, raising his eyebrow. “Really?”

Inocchi pretended to glare back, tapping his chest. “Really.” He raised his left hand up dramatically, swearing. “I don’t lie about glitter. Have you seen him properly?” Inocchi pointed at Ikuta with his other hand, almost sticking his finger into Ikuta’s eye. “He’s sparkling! I accuse you for hiding this gem away from me!”

Morita put Inocchi’s cup on their table, joining their conversation. “You know we can’t see the glitter like you do.”

Ikuta shoved the hand away, looking at the three men in turn. “Is this some kind of joke?”

Inocchi shook his head solemnly. “No, no.” He opened his hat, and Ikuta almost yelled. Inocchi had a pair of long, pointed ears.

Inocchi raised his head up, ignoring the surprised look on Ikuta’s face, and went on to grabbing Ikuta’s hands instead. Ikuta was speechless; he tried to get his hands free, but the man was surprisingly stronger than he looked like. “Fairies do sparkles.” Inocchi stated matter-of-factly.

Ikuta took a glance at the clock, trying to find a reason to excuse himself. Morita and Miyake’s friend or not, this man was obviously crazy. Or, to his fright, perhaps they were also participating in a joke and at the end, they would open crackers at his face and shout ‘Surprise!’ because they remembered his birthday wrong. “Oops,” he pretended to tidy up his things. “I guess I have to go, I have an appointment….”

Inocchi didn’t budge. He strengthened his grip instead, looking at Ikuta straight in the eyes. “Have you ever had any weird experiences before?”

“W-what?”

“Has it ever stopped raining outside when you wanted it too? Have you ever dreamt of dancing below the moon? Have you ever woken up, realizing that your tasks were already finished while you were sleeping? Have you ever seen magical, unexplainable things that other people didn’t see?”

Ikuta’s mouth gaped open. “H-how…”

Miyake grabbed his shoulders, shouting excitedly, “So, they did happen?!”

Morita hurriedly came over to him and pushed Miyake away, shaking Ikuta’s body. “Why have you never told us about this before?!”

Ikuta tried to calm down both of his friends when Inocchi approached him, smiling from ear to ear. “Congratulations, Ikuta, you’re a descendent of fairies!”

Ikuta widened his eyes. This day could not get any weirder. “I’m a what?”

“A descendant of fairies.”

II

After that announcement, Inocchi had brought him back to his seat, excitedly explaining to him about magical beings and how he also had goblin blood in him, thus the pointed ears. He touched his ear shyly and smiled proudly. Ikuta failed to see what was so great about it.

Ikuta had refused to believe him at first and kept waiting for the announcement that it was a joke. But then Inocchi sang something in a language that he had never heard before and Ikuta’s skin glittered, lighting up the small coffee shop. Morita and Miyake screamed in delight and turned off the lamp for a more drastic effect. They brought out candles and lit them up, making the whole situation more frightening in Ikuta’s eyes. He tried to wipe the glitter, but it wouldn’t come off. Fairy’s natural dust, Inocchi told Ikuta. It was supposed to bring out the magic in him.

Inocchi muttered more words, and two tiny beings popped up on the table out of nowhere.

Ikuta let out a scream as Inocchi poked the two tiny beings softly. The creatures bowed courtly, introducing themselves as Maru and Yasu, the elves who had been following him all along and helped him finishing his tasks.

Maru was dressed in all orange, complete with what appeared to be an orange helmet with wings and a pair of matching goggles, while Yasu was dressed in all blue. Maru pretended to pout a bit due to Ikuta’s yelp upon their appearance, but both of them started jumping up and down soon, happy because Ikuta could finally see them. It appeared that helping fairies earned them more points to be later exchanged with sparkly candy.

Ikuta could not suppress his shock upon touching them and realizing that they were real. In general, he just sat there with his mouth open, unable to comprehend everything that had happened.

Miyake and Morita kept congratulating him, shaking his hand and patting his shoulders as they revealed that they were actually shape-shifters. Miyake changed into a cat, and Morita the dog ran wild to the kitchen and came out with four glasses of some bubbling green substance, claiming it was the most magical beer magical creatures ever created. They had a toast to celebrate how Ikuta had become a part of their world; even Maru and Yasu were given a spoonful of the beer each before they ran tipsy. Maru grinned goofily, biting Ikuta’s hand while Yasu danced in delight, drunk. Before the night ended, Inocchi offered him a job in his private investigator office, and Ikuta, out of confusion and being really intoxicated, accepted it.

Yes, Ikuta’s life changed in just a night, but it was nothing considering what would happen to him next.

III

Inocchi forgot nothing even though he was drunk. The next day, he appeared in front of Ikuta’s door, ready to drag him to his new office.

To Ikuta’s surprise, Innochi’s workplace surprisingly stood between his apartment and the coffee shop. In fact, Ikuta passed it almost every day on his way to his newspaper’s part-time office. He never paid attention to it, though, and it’s no wonder considering how grim the façade was. The paint was fading away, the roof was falling apart, the windows were covered in dust, and the door shrieked alarmingly when it was opened.

Ikuta always assumed that it was an empty building, because there was nothing on the outside to attract a passer-by’s attention; there was not even a sign up to show that it was an office. To sum it up, he could only think of one word: forgettable.

On his first day, Ikuta asked why they didn’t put up a sign, and his new boss merely answered with a mysterious smile, saying that their clients already knew where to go and that the building served them better than it looked like.

Fortunately, the interior of the office was not as gloomy as its façade. When he opened the door, Ikuta found a large circular room with the floor and wall covered in wood parquet, the floor brown and the wall blue. Fire crackled, warming up the room from the fireplace in the back between four antique working tables, two each on its left and right. A large window invisible from outside allowed him to freely watch people passing by, while tons of small light bulbs floated in the air, brightening up the room with a magical atmosphere that persuaded Ikuta to stay.

It had been a month since the weird night happened, and there was not a single day that passed without Ikuta questioning himself of why he accepted the job. True, Inocchi looked very convincing with his pointed ears, but Ikuta was a complete amateur in regards of magic. He was still doubtful that he had fairy blood in him at all. He was not even sure that magic existed, not even with Maru and Yasu beside him, following him around, offering unnecessary comments about the way he lived until he begged them to leave. Not that it mattered, since they would only vanish for a while before popping up again the next day, giggling, asking him for milk and biscuits.

On the other hand, no matter how unsure he was about the new job, Ikuta still diligently went to the office every day. If he had to be honest, it was more out of curiosity rather than responsibility, since he couldn’t help but be truly fascinated with the world he had just discovered. Who knew that he had lived side by side with the magical world his whole life without even noticing it? Now that Inocchi had lightened up his glitter, he could sense magical vibe everywhere, seeing things for what they actually were.

After working for Inocchi for a while, Ikuta was informed that he was not the first person Inocchi had recruited randomly. Apparently, Inocchi had a hobby of gathering those like him with magical blood but little awareness of their capability. To train them, or so he said, but he rarely stayed at the office. As a result, Ikuta was often left with two other staff, Aiba and Yoko.

Aiba, the first one who greeted him, was the cheerful warlock with a warm smile, light perm, brown hair, and eyes with different colors: violet and golden. Aiba talked with a nasally childish voice, and Ikuta immediately got close to him. It was hard not to like Aiba, even plants liked him, and he could communicate with them in one way or another. There was a special corner at the office dedicated for Aiba’s scientific experiments that included ‘magical liquids’, vegetation, and strangely enough, mapo tofu. Ikuta noticed that it was a far more admirable talent than sparkling and being able to see elves following them around. If Aiba’s talent really worked of course - which rarely happened - something that Ikuta’s other co-workers never fail to remind Aiba.

Yoko was the loud and odd one, having the human appearance of a tall man with thick full lips, pale skin, and short jet black hair. He bombarded Ikuta with his stories, whispering secrets and asking random questions, throwing stupid comments, voicing out complaints, and accusing Ikuta of things he didn’t do that turn into an endless debate and end up with Ikuta giggling. When Yoko was not in the mood to talk, he would pout and retreat back to his lamp. Having a panther shape-shifter as a mother and a father who was a jinn turned Yoko into half panther-half jinn, histrue appearance including a panther’s head with a jinn’s tail. Yoko hated it, but he bragged that he was luckier than his two younger brothers in terms of appearance. Ikuta didn’t dare to ask what they looked like.

He passed the month quietly as both Aiba and Yoko supplied him with magical world information. They were even nice to Maru and Yasu, providing them candy and allowing them to participate in the office’s affairs. Aiba asked his permission to include the elves in his experiment, but the idea was quickly forgotten after Yoko smacked Aiba’s head, scolding him.

So far, Ikuta couldn’t ask for better co-workers. With no actual work assigned to them, Aiba busied himself with his experiments, Yoko with his bongo practice, and Ikuta with his deadlines. Sometimes, they would discuss the natural malformations that happened too often in recent years all across the world. Ikuta had hoped that the magical world would have an answer for how plants were mysteriously drying up, or how earthquakes occurred without giving any sign, or how plants failed to produce fruits and flowers, or how the color of leaves sometimes changed from green to purplish, or how rain became continually rarer. He was disappointed, because the magical world seemed as clueless as they were of how to fix the situation. Aiba would always smile sadly, informing them that the plants that had talked to him were also afraid of what was happening to them.

On other days, when they were not in the mood for serious conversation, they gathered around the fireplace to play cards, such as on that night when a new client - the first one he saw during the whole month - came knocking at their door.

It was late, and Inocchi was not there as usual, but they couldn’t go home due to the storm raging furiously outside. Yoko was the one who took out the cards, proposing a poker game.

Ikuta took a peek at the street outside. He had never seen a storm so strong before. One moment the sky was clear, the next second the cloud appeared, and it started raining heavily. The first rain in a month. Wind and water alike slapped the window angrily while lightning flashed threateningly in the sky, and people below ran in panic.

Their concentrations were fully focused on the game, and Ikuta was about to win when they heard a knock. The three of them quickly turned their head. The door opened and a stranger’s face showed up, asking them if they were open. Yoko hurriedly ushered the person inside while Aiba prepared a cup of hot tea.

The client stepped inside calmly, and Ikuta tried to silence his gasp, when he noticed that the client was completely dry. He failed.

The stranger was skinny and pale with a boyish look that made it hard to guess how old he was. A playful smile curled in his lips as he sat on the chair Yoko brought for him, crossing his legs and sipping his tea. Ikuta shuddered. First, because of the fact that the storm outside apparently had not been able to touch him, and second, because of his eye.

The place where his right eye was supposed to be was covered with a black eye patch, and the stranger stared back at Ikuta with his left brown eye that glistened golden. It was the eye that assured Ikuta that the stranger was older than he looked like, for it was an eye that showed grief and wisdom and determination beyond his appearance.

Ikuta quickly tried to look somewhere else, avoiding the eye before getting too lost in it. It was the first time Ikuta could sense it: a magical vibe so strong it made him feel like he was having a headache. The stranger seemed to let out his power on purpose. He knew they could sense it, and he merely smirked, adding the perplexed feeling Ikuta and his co-workers experienced at that moment.

“Sir,” Yoko was the first one who was able to catch his breath back. “How can we help you?”

The stranger smiled lazily. “Perhaps you could start by telling the pretty boy to stop looking at me.”

Ikuta hastily diverted his gaze away, ashamed. “I’m sorry, sir, I’m new in this world.”

The stranger nodded. “It’s okay, boy. Even if you’re an expert, you wouldn’t find anyone as fascinating as me.” He turned his head a little to the right. “You see, I’m one of a kind.”

Ikuta looked around, becoming aware that Aiba and Yoko looked as stunned as he was. Aiba quickly covered the awkwardness with a question. “I’m sorry, sir, how should we call you?”

The stranger put his cup down. “It’s Nino. Call me Nino.”

Yoko coughed. “Well, Mr. Nino, how can we help you, sir?”

The stranger, Nino, squinted his eye and pointed out at the deck of cards on Yoko’s table. “Are those cards?”

“Well, yes.” Puzzled, Yoko offered the cards. Nino took them and shuffled them with skillful hands. “I want you to search for someone.”

Yoko grabbed a pen and prepared to write down the information. “Okay, sir, who is it that we need to find? Why do you need to find that person? You see, we would prefer not to deal with illegal things.”

Nino stopped shuffling. His eye twinkled mischievously. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

Aiba nudged Ikuta and they loomed closer, curious to hear the answer.

“The one that I want you to find,” their client leaned his body forward and spread the cards on the table upside down, “is the sleeping dragon.”

There was a pause. Yoko looked taken aback, and Aiba gasped. They both looked at each other before Yoko scratched his nose, suddenly looking more serious than before.

Nino didn’t seem affected by their reactions. He grazed the cards lovingly and picked out one, turning its face. “He was someone dear to me. That’s all you need to know.”

Ikuta stuck his neck out, trying to see what the card was.

It was a Joker.

Their client sighed happily at the sight and stood up slowly, walking towards the door. He told them, “Find him, and you’ll be well-rewarded.”

Aiba squeaked, trying to stop him. “But, if we had found him, how could we tell you?”

Opening the door, Nino let water splash inside, wetting the floor. Ikuta winced, noticing that the water seemed to avoid their client. No, the water was repelled before touching his body.

Nino turned back before disappearing into the storm, his eye sparkled golden. “I will know.”

IV

After he left, the three of them looked at each other for a few minutes, trying to digest what had just happened. At first, Ikuta thought that he was the only one who was left awestruck, but seeing his co-workers’ expressions made him realize that it was not something that happened often, even in the magical realm. They stood quietly for a few minutes until Yoko coughed, trying to find his voice back. “So…”

Aiba eyed him. “….Do we take the task?”

Yoko’s mouth was gaped open. He glared at both of them with a surprised look. “Do we have a choice?” He started blabbering, pointing his finger at the door. “Did you see him? Did you actually see him? I have never seen anyone with such a powerful aura before!”

Ikuta breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he was not the only one who was threatened by their client’s presence.

“Do we take the task?” Yoko continued, hands moving around aimlessly. “My question is, could we turn it down? What if he attacks us if we decided not to take the task?”

Ikuta and Aiba widened their eyes; they had not considered that possibility. Yoko was right, Ikuta thought, their client didn’t give them a chance to accept or refuse his request. He simply stated his business and left, and from the looks of it, he would not accept no for an answer, nor failure. Ikuta silently wondered what Nino would do if they failed him. He seemed to be capable of doing them harm.

Yoko sat down, rubbing his hair, fingers playing with the cards. “What should we do, now? Inocchi, where are you when we need you?” He threw the cards at their boss’s table, looking frustrated.

“So,” Ikuta sat on the table, trying to look calm. “We have never received a case like this before?”

“Well,” Yoko shrugged. “We did have some pretty weird cases. Looking for a lost granddaughter, searching for lost magical artifacts, driving ghouls away from haunted houses, helping fairies and gnomes with their businesses. We even came between goblins’ fights before,” he explained. “We have been assigned to search people up several times, but clearly dragon is on a different level!”

“What’s so different about a dragon?” Ikuta asked.

Yoko stopped rubbing his hair, staring at him in disbelief.

Ikuta merely shrugged. “I’m a newbie, remember? A month ago, I would never have imagined a creature that is half panther and half jinn even existed.”

Yoko pouted, mumbling something about how it was not his fault that his parent decided to marry.

“Well,” Aiba told him, “the problem with dragon is, it’s extinct.”

“Or perhaps it never existed in the first place!” Yoko cut in furiously. “Perhaps people just saw a chimera or a griffin and imagined a creature greater than it actually looked!”

“Wait, wait,” Ikuta asked, “Chimeras and griffins exist but not dragons?”

“No, Ikuta, it’s not dragons, but dragon. There is only one dragon. The sleeping dragon.” Yoko shook his head. “Common people love imagining how there were many dragons in the ancient times before knights had slain them all, but they also think that vampires are capable of romance, and shape-shifters are miserable beings who were forced to turn into wolves every full moon.”

“I met a vampire once!” Aiba claimed. “Tiny vampires, they’re about one meter tall, and they bite a lot!” He wrinkled his nose. “They look like gargoyles.”

“The point is,” Yoko quickly added, “there is only one dragon ever created. Legend said it was a giant creature the size of an island, radiating overflowing energy. It was described as something so enormous and so powerful you could not see him directly, just like the sun.”

“Wait, I’ll get the book!”

Aiba ran to their storeroom and came back with several thick books. He dumped them all on the floor, opening one and gesturing them to kneel down beside him, reading the information eagerly, summing it up for them. “According to the legend, a long time ago, the creator planned on destroying earth and all its being. Therefore, earth united all its energy to prevent the demolition, creating a dragon to fight against the creator. The creator and the dragon fought for years until the creator decided that it would withdraw the attack, and left earth the way it was. The dragon later served as earth’s vice to help protect the realm and to rule in the creator’s place, arranging nature and overseeing the needs of creatures walking on it.”

Ikuta sat down, trying to absorb all the information. “Wait, this is a completely different legend than what I have heard about dragons!”

“Dragon, Ikuta. Not dragons.” Yoko smacked his head. “We are very protective about our version of the dragon. It was a story not often told and even among us magical creatures, there are some who still don’t know the true legend up until now.”

“However,” Aiba continued, “creatures on earth grew rapidly and the dragon realized that it was no longer needed. Therefore, it asked earth’s permission to retreat back from the world’s affairs, and earth consented. The dragon traveled to the heart of the earth and went to sleep, waiting for the time when it was needed again.”

“See? He was not needed anymore; therefore it sleeps for good. That’s why we call it the sleeping dragon.”

“If it’s so, why does our client want us to find him?” Ikuta asked.

“Don’t ask me!” Yoko shouted his reply back, half furious and half frustrated.

“He said that the dragon was someone dear to him. Someone. And that it’s a ‘he’. Find him, and you’ll be well rewarded, he said,” Aiba told them.

“Aiba, please don’t make this more complicated than it already is!” Yoko growled.

“Wait, Yoko, think about it!” Aiba said. “This could be a blessing in disguise. Don’t you always say that you want an adventure?”

“Aiba,” Yoko frowned. “Listen, I hate to break this to you, but we’re about to search for something that people haven’t seen for a thousand years. Open your ears.” He scooted closer, making a circle with his thumb and index finger. “Our successful rate is about zero.”

Aiba was unmoved. “It adds to the excitement, doesn’t it?”

Yoko stood beside the fireplace, both hands in his pocket. He put his head down, shaking it repeatedly. “No, no, no. I don’t like where this is going. I don’t like the optimism in your eyes.”

Aiba came towards Yoko, laying both of his hands on his co-worker’s shoulders. “Our own adventure, Yoko, just like what we always talk about! Aiba, Yoko, and Ikuta,” he nodded in Ikuta’s direction, “in a journey to seek the sleeping dragon.”

Yoko made a tsking sound. Ikuta could see that he was slowly yielding. It was hard to say no to Aiba, after all. It was even harder to say no to excited Aiba. “Do we really, really, really have to?”

“Well, you’re the one who pointed to us that our client may not like it if we fail him. At least, we could tell him that we tried.” Ikuta joined Aiba in persuading Yoko. Yoko started to give in, and Ikuta wanted to know more about the legend of the sleeping dragon. Besides, they had nothing to lose, didn’t they?

Aiba gave him a thumbs-up, and as if he knew exactly what was going on in Ikuta’s mind, he continued, “Yes, Yoko. There’s nothing to lose with trying.”

Yoko sighed, raising both of his hands dramatically. “Okay, okay. I understand. Now, what’s our first step?”

“Yay!” Aiba cheered, pulling Yoko into a tight hug. He thought for a moment or two before adding, “I think we should start with a visit to Tokio.”

V

Several hours later, Ikuta found himself deep within the woods in a forest he never knew existed.

After hearing Aiba’s advice, Yoko’s face immediately brightened up. He grabbed Innochi’s keys, ushered them all inside the old car, and driving at full speed, carelessly rotated the steering wheel like a maniac while Aiba at his side kept shouting left, right, left, right, turn here, no, no, the next turn, and wait we missed it, we must turn back! Yoko took the wrong turn several times, used the chance to scold Aiba back, turning around, and took the wrong turn again, groaning at his own mistakes.

Ikuta sat in the backseat with eyes glued to the window, disbelieving the view he was seeing outside. The longer they travel, the weirder the town seemed to be. The lights gradually dimmed, the buildings grew taller, the architecture became more ancient, the sky turned purplish. People on the streets suddenly had tails and horns and pointed ears and fangs. The easiest way to say what was happening is that for each correct turn Yoko made, the town reshaped itself.

The transformation happened faster and faster while Yoko drove the car at an insane speed. Head spinning, Ikuta leaned back, finally giving up on following the route they were going. He put his seat belt on and gripped it as tight as he could, treating it as his lifeline. He felt grateful that the street was quite empty, but on second thought, was it really? Ikuta was not sure he wanted to know the answer, not after everything he had discovered this past month. He closed his eyes, fighting the urge to vomit as Yoko took another violent turn.

Aiba turned his head, grinning. “The spell is being lifted.”

“Who are we going to see now?” Ikuta asked, taking a peek.

“Tokio? They’re the best informants in the realm. They hear everything, they don’t forget anything, and they are willing to share as long as you follow their rules.”

Ikuta raised his eyebrow, curious. “What rules?”

Aiba giggled and turned to face the street. “You’ll see.”

“Well, it’s not like I can go back now,” Ikuta mumbled, but Aiba didn’t hear him, because Yoko took the chance to steer the car violently to the left. Ikuta closed his eyes again, unable to wait to get out.

As Yoko took several more turns, the building started to grow roots and branches, reshaping themselves into trees. More shouting and correct turns - all were done without slowing down - and the trees were growing even taller, standing closer and closer to each other.

Just when Ikuta felt he couldn’t stand it anymore, the car slowed down. He snapped his eyes open. Yoko poked him. “We’re here.”

Ikuta got out, shivering. His eyes carefully wandered to the forest they were standing at. The town was nowhere to be seen. Grasses danced against his knees, wind sang in his ears, and the purple moon ray escaped through the trees, adding the mysterious atmosphere. Looking above, Ikuta realized that they had stopped below the tallest tree in the forest, so high Ikuta couldn’t see the tip anymore. Ikuta gulped, silently wondering if the forest was magically enchanted or if magical plants indeed grew faster. Either way, the view looked fascinating.

Behind him, Aiba yelled triumphantly as he found three small tubes the size of a finger in his bag. He handed one to each of them, and Ikuta shook his, observing the purple-greenish liquid under the moonlight with high suspicion.

Yoko opened his tube’s cap. “We need to drink this to enter.”

Aiba followed, and they both turned their heads at Ikuta, waiting for him to imitate their actions.

Ikuta shrugged. He opened his tube’s cap. “Well, I don’t even know what Tokio is, but I guess I have to drink to find out.”

Yoko raised his tube, gesturing for a toast. “For the sleeping dragon.”

Aiba and Ikuta echoed. “For the sleeping dragon.”

Together, they poured the liquid down their throats.

Ikuta swallowed his. It was more drinkable than he thought it would be, tasted like a mix of ink and vegetable juice somehow - not that Ikuta ever had that before. He threw the tube away as he dropped to his knees, starting to feel dizzy again.

Surprised, Ikuta looked at his hands. His skin was bubbling as if there was something boiling inside. He lifted his head up, watching in amazement as the grass grew taller and taller around him. Spinning his head around, he caught sight of his co-workers and apprehended something. The grass was not growing taller; it was them who grew smaller.

Aiba winked at him, waving as his body shrunk. Ikuta replied to the smile dryly and closed his eyes, feeling as though his body was squeezed and spun inside a washing machine. A washing machine with very hot water spray. This was a weird night indeed.

The shrinking process took several more seconds, and when it was done, Ikuta found himself lying on the ground, gasping for air. The wind blew towards him and he could feel his body again. He stood up slowly, stretching his arms and legs, trying to get the numbness away. Finally paying attention to his surroundings, he let out a gasp when he realized that they were only a little bit taller than grass around them.

Mesmerized, Ikuta approached a leaf of grass. He grazed its face slowly, realizing that the grass was richer in color than he had expected. It was a little bit orange on its edge, red at its base, and blue on the tip. Ikuta took a step back. It was pretty.

Next to him, Aiba embraced the grass, inhaling the sweet smell. “I love being this close to earth.”

“I always thought grass was green,” Ikuta said. “Just green.”

“All leaves are more than just green,” Aiba stated. “People always fail to see it, because they don’t want to see. They are amazing, aren’t they?” He rubbed the grass lovingly, but suddenly his face turned sad, and he dropped his smile. “But they are dying. Nature is dying.”

“Enough about grass,” Yoko reminded them sharply. “Don’t forget what we are here for.” He pointed at the root, and it was only then Ikuta noticed that there was light coming from the hollow space below the giant tree. Ikuta took a step further, paying more attention as he heard other sounds besides grass stroking against each other. People yelling, loud cursing, sound of music thumping, fire crackling, and high-pitched laughing. He turned back, brows furrowed, as he was about to ask his co-workers if his ears were correct.

Yoko laughed at his expression. He and Aiba approached him from the left and right, both patting Ikuta’s back cheerfully. “Welcome to Tokio!” The two of them grinned widely as they started walking to the tree, arms spreading wide. “The most well-known pub in the magical realm!”

Bewildered, Ikuta followed them, stepping towards where the sounds came from. Once inside, he immediately took a glance around, afraid of what would appear once he placed his foot inside. However, it appeared that his worry was unnecessary.

VI

Ikuta had been to pubs before, and thankfully they were not that different from this magical one aside from its clientele and its ‘earthly’ interior. The space was large, with soil as its floor and wooden chair and tables spread around the periphery. Leaves and red berries dangled from tiny branches, replacing the function of ceiling. Right in the middle, a huge bonfire was set up with hundreds of magical creatures screaming and dancing around it, socializing with their friends.

At his right, a pack of shape-shifters were trying to flirt with women inside a large pool. Looking more carefully, Ikuta could see the women flicking their fish tails whenever a shape-shifter tried to impress them. At the center back of the room, a female jinn floated from her lamp, singing a song on stage. At his left, a bunch of ugly-looking monsters with bat wings were drinking red liquid from tall glasses.

Aiba whispered into Ikuta’s ear, “Vampires. Don’t get too close, or they’ll bite.”

“Inocchi’s boys!” A man yelled, greeting them from across the room. Ikuta turned his head. Naked apart from his underwear and polka dot tie, the man shouted cheerfully, quickly running towards them and pulling them all into a hug. “We haven’t seen you for a while!” He observed their surroundings and pouted in disappointment. “Where’s your daddy?”

Aiba giggled. “Too bad we’re by our own today.” He pointed at Ikuta. “We have a new staff member now.”

“Ikuta, this is one of Tokio’s owners, Nagase,” Yoko introduced them.

“New boy!” Nagase screamed his heart out, pulling him into another bone-breaking hug. As Ikuta tried to struggle free, Nagase raised him up as if he was just a kid. Ikuta let out a shout, but Nagase didn’t seem to hear it. He continued grinning, carrying Ikuta to the corner of the pub. Ikuta looked down, trying to ask for help, but Yoko just snickered, shaking his head in pity.

“Hey, Matsuoka,” Nagase called, “Inocchi found a new boy!”

Matsuoka, the man behind the bar, lowered his sunglasses. “Fairish boy?” He only wore a boxer and nothing else - save for his sunglasses.

Nagase beamed and brought Ikuta to the bar, dumping him into one of the chairs. Matsuoka worked fast, serving him with a bubbling white drink. Pulling a tiny tube out of his drawer, he opened the cap and poured glitter into the glass. “A sparkling drink for the fairy boy. Special gnome’s treat for first-time customer.”

Ikuta took a sip. The drink burnt his throat, sending a chill down his spine. The second sip went straight to his head. “Gnome?” he asked.

“Well, yes.” Another man appeared from behind his back, placing a surfboard on the table. “We’re gnomes, new boy.”

Ikuta glanced around at the hectic pub. The man only wore swimming trunks. “Aren’t gnomes supposed to take care of the garden?”

Matsuoka snorted. “What garden? We haven’t really had a green garden for a few hundred years, not since the time of my grandfather’s father. We refuse to call several meters of nice biological grass, trees waiting to die, and pretty artificial flowers in a vase a garden.” He averted his gaze from Ikuta to the man who had just arrived. “Yamaguchi, put your board somewhere else.”

“You should see how furious the mermaids were when I turned on the waves setting at the pool!” Yamaguchi laughed. He turned his head to Ikuta, offering his hand, “Yamaguchi, but you can call me Gussan.”

Ikuta shook it, and Gussan pointed behind Ikuta’s back. “Here come your friends.”

Yoko and Aiba were finally able to get through the crowd. They stopped behind Ikuta, breathing heavily.

Nagase shoved several warlocks who sat at the bar, ordering them to give their seats up. The warlocks hissed furiously below their hoodies, unwilling to move. Nagase didn’t stir. He gnarled back, ready for a fight.

Matsuoka coughed, simply reminding them of their debt, and the warlocks agreed to leave, glaring at Yoko and Aiba as they passed by. Staring at their backs, Matsuoka shook his head, “Warlocks. Hermits and always in debt.” He caught a sight of Aiba and swiftly apologized. “Not you, of course, you’re a rare sane warlock.”

Aiba smiled cheerfully. “I often wonder myself!”

Yoko saluted Gussan and Matsuoka. “I see that you have met half of Tokio’s owner, thanks to Nagase’s extravagant way of welcoming people,” he told Ikuta.

Nagase grinned. “Everyone loves it.”

“Nagase, not everyone loves to be lifted up by a half-naked man.”

Nagase’s grin got wider. “People always laugh. They love it.”

Yoko was about to continue arguing when Aiba stopped him. “We’re here on business. We need your help.”

Matsuoka took off his sunglasses, leaning closer. “And what can we help you with, I wonder?”’

There was a short pause during which Aiba and Yoko looked at each other. Aiba nudged Yoko, and Yoko turned his head to face the pub’s owners. “Well,” Yoko started, “you’ve helped us several times before with our assignments....”

“We merely repeated the news we heard through the grapevine.” Matsuoka waved his hand impatiently.

“Or what some people said when they had been drunk,” Nagase continued.

“Besides, Inocchi is an old friend.” Gussan nodded approvingly.

“You’ll be surprised to hear what people say when they’re drunk.” Another man spoke from behind Matsuoka, and the three gnomes stepped aside.

“Leader.” Yoko and Aiba greeted him.

Leader, Ikuta noticed, dressed more flamboyantly than the others. Wearing a blond spiky wig with a pink fur shawl around his neck, he was also as bare-chested as the others. What was it with gnomes and their nakedness, Ikuta pondered.

“What kind of information do you need?” Leader sat in front of them, hands slowly rubbing his fur shawl.

“Shouldn’t we move to a more private place first?” Ikuta asked.

“We don’t promise anything,” Leader explained. “As we convey what we have heard to you, others should be given the chance to listen to us.”

“If they could hear us, of course,” Gussan added.

Ikuta looked around and noticed that there was no one else around the bar. Even if the gnomes seemed ignorant and relaxed, Ikuta could tell that they were more serious than before. They were standing to the left and right, keeping the bar safe from unwanted customers. Nagase watched the crowd, and Gussan crossed his arms, standing in full guard pose.

Matsuoka put his sunglasses back on, smiling wickedly, “And you still remember the rules, I believe?”

Yoko replied first, raising his voice. “I ask.”

Aiba pushed him. “No, you’re the questioner last time. This time, it’s my turn.”

“Fine. I’ll drink.”

Nagase guffawed, clapping as if he was celebrating something. “Okay, Ikuta is the stripper.”

Ikuta blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“Aiba ask. Yoko drink. You strip. Easy,” Matsuoka stated in a flat tone as he started preparing a new drink. Ikuta watched as Matsuoka’s hand grabbed a tall mug from his cupboard, shaking something and pouring it into the mug, muttering some words Ikuta didn’t understand. Gnome’s language, most likely. He looked positively serious.

“You’re kidding, right?” Ikuta laughed, but no one laughed with him. He turned his head to Yoko, raising an eyebrow, demanding an explanation.

“It’s the rule here, Ikuta,” Yoko explained shyly. “For each question to be answered, someone must drink, someone else must strip, and the gnomes take your clothes.” He leaned closer to Ikuta, whispering in his ear. “Gnomes love nakedness too much.”

Leader nodded thoughtfully. “We don’t joke about being naked.”

Ikuta looked horror-struck. “You strip then. I drink.”

Yoko shook his head. “No, no, stripping is a new guy’s job.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this before?” Ikuta complained. He should have suspected that no one could get secret information easily, but still, going home naked was not part of his plan.

“It’s okay, Ikuta. We’ve all done it before. It’s not as bad as it sounds.” Aiba made a promise. “We will stop before you become totally naked.”

Ikuta rolled his eyes. “Very helpful.”

“You can start with your sweater,” Gussan offered.

Ikuta tsked. “Can I refuse?”

The gnomes looked at each other, snickering. “Not if you want the information,” Leader said.

He looked at all the gnomes in front of him. All of them were nearly naked. Ikuta glanced at the crowd behind him, sighing. They seemed busy enough to pay attention at what he was about to do. Ikuta could only hope that people in the pub had been used to nakedness, due to the owners’ habit. Moreover, he really wanted to know more about the legend of the sleeping dragon, as it was something Ikuta had never heard before.

After a quiet moment, he took a deep breath, rubbing his hands. “Okay, let’s start this.”

They all cheered. The gnomes looked suspiciously too happy to see him naked. Ikuta winced; this was not as ordinary as he believed it was. Yoko shouldered him, “That’s our friend!”

Beside him, Aiba gave a cheerful smile, patting his back excitedly before turning his head to the gnomes. “Should we start?”

Leader waved his hand, signaling Aiba to proceed.

“First question. What do you know about....the sleeping dragon?”

The look on the gnomes’ faces changed in an instant. To Ikuta’s amazement, their expression shown a look equal to part horror and part fascination. They moved closer to each other, discussing something in a serious tone, and after a few minutes, Leader emerged, observing them with a careful look. “Why do you ask about it?”

“For each question to be answered, someone must drink, and someone else must strip,” Ikuta repeated.

Gussan growled. “Fair enough. We won’t ask you why you need the information.” He went quiet for a moment, calculating something before he continued, moving his hands around as he spoke. “Now, what do we know about it? Legend says that the sleeping dragon was born by the earth to prevent us from being demolished by the creator. We also heard that he is currently in a deep sleep, pulling himself away from earth’s affairs, waiting for the time when he is needed again. “

“Wait, everyone knows that!” Yoko whined. “You didn’t tell us anything new.”

Matsuoka shoved a tall glass mug shaped like a skull across the table, the green liquid bubbling dangerously inside. “We answered the question, didn’t we? Now drink, and you,” he pointed at Ikuta. “Sweater off.”

Ikuta sniffed. The smell of alcohol was strong even from his place. That and the smell of something else that equally stunk along with a smell of soil. Another special gnome’s treat, perhaps. Ikuta wrinkled his nose, pitying Yoko as his co-worker slowly grasped the mug with both hands.

Nagase gave a snort, looking too eager to see Ikuta opened his clothes. “That’s the first question!”

“Aiba!” Yoko shouted in desperation, scolding his friend.

Aiba clapped his hands together, smiling apologetically.

Ikuta took off his sweater and threw it to Nagase’s arms while Yoko swallowed his first sip of the drink. The gnomes pounded the table eagerly until Yoko swallowed it down. Their smiles were devilish.

Yoko put the mug down, shaking. His face turned green, and Ikuta suddenly felt lucky for being the stripper.

“Okay, what do you know about the sleeping dragon that was not written in the legend?” Aiba was ready with their second question. “And information that most of us probably don’t know yet?” he quickly added.

“That it was dangerous to seek him,” Leader answered with a solemn voice.

“Why?” Aiba asked.

“At what kind of time should he be needed again?” Ikuta followed with the question that had been haunting his mind ever since he knew about the legend.

“That’s two questions,” Gussan said. “But first, drink. And clothes.”

Ikuta opened his shoes, and Yoko took another sip, rubbing his head as he finished, burping green gases to the air. His hand reaching for Aiba’s below the table, clenching his hand in his, face turning brown this time. Aiba raised his hand, rubbing Yoko’s back.

“First, according to the legend, as we all know, the dragon was so powerful it could even stand against the creator,” Nagase said as he took the shoes. “That said, we don’t know what he will do after he wakes up.”

“Some say he will be furious when he sees the current condition of the world he had protected, how we have ruined it, contaminated it, how it is dying, how different it is from the time when he was still walking on the earth,” Leader told them in a flat voice. He hesitated for a while, toning his voice down as he spoke again. “They say that his rise would mean an apocalypse to us all.”

“On the other hand, and this answers your second question,” Matsuoka spoke after that, “others say that the dragon is a being full of compassion, and this is the time that he needs to be woken up. The perfect time before the earth falls apart. They say he will once again save us.”

Yoko, Aiba, and Ikuta were startled upon hearing those answers. Ikuta had never thought that the awakening of the dragon would somehow relate to the future of the earth, not even once. By the expressions on his friends’ face, Ikuta assumed that they had never considered that possibility too.

This was bigger than his expectation, Ikuta thought. Was this the reason why their client was searching for the dragon? To wake him up to save the earth?Or to destroy the earth instead? Remembering Nino, Ikuta believed he was able to do anything.

“You keep calling the dragon a he...” Ikuta started, but Matsuoka stopped him

“Don’t try to cheat, boys. Aiba is the questioner. Now, proceed with the drink and the stripping.”

Ikuta looked below, thinking fast. He took off his belt and socks, handing them to Nagase, who eyed Ikuta as he took them.

Ikuta shrugged. “Well, they still count.”

Two seats from him, Yoko looked at his mug with a terrified look. He inhaled a deep breath and braced himself, hastily swallowing two gulps. The gnomes started pounding the table again, yelling their encouragement. Matsuoka acted even crueler by holding the glass up until Yoko took his third gulp, shuddering as he placed the mug on the table. “That’s...hic...stronger..hic...than I remember it.” He whined, pushing happy Matsuoka aside as his face color changed into orange.

“Bear it for a few more minutes,” Aiba supported Yoko, whispering in his ear. As Yoko nodded, he lifted his head up. “Please, is the dragon a male?”

“We heard that he is,” Leader answered.

“Where did you hear it from?”

Yoko pulled Aiba closer, laying his head on Aiba’s shoulder. “No, no, cancel the question, Aiba, please. They will answer that it was merely a rumor they had heard from the birds.” He gestured at the skull mug. “I’m not sure I will be able to stand this drink of doom much longer.”

“And it’s getting cold here,” Ikuta pointed out.

Aiba agreed. “Okay, ignore the question please.”

Nagase raised an eyebrow, but made a sign that Aiba could continue.

“If we want to search for him, where should we start?”

“Serious, aren’t you?” Leader stroked his fur shawl slowly. “I will give you a warning though, out of my friendship with Inocchi. Others have sought him before you, and no one has ever returned. Do you still want to seek him?”

Aiba and Ikuta nodded. Yoko buried his head deeper in Aiba’s neck, burping.

“Well,” Leader proceeded, “legend says that before the dragon went into his deep slumber in the heart of the earth, he told his dearest friend where precisely he would sleep, how to wake him up, and when he needs to be awakened.” Leader leaned his body forward, giving them a careful look. “That friend, and that friend alone, knows how to find the great dragon.”

“I have never heard this.” Aiba bit his lip. “What kind of creature is this friend?”

“No one knows, that’s why no one ever succeeds.” Matsuoka shook his head. “You don’t have to drink or strip for unanswered questions, but for the previous one, yes,” he reminded them, tapping the skull with a wooden spoon.

Together, Ikuta and Aiba helped Yoko to take another sip. Yoko’s face turned into purple, but at least the skull was almost empty. Ikuta took off his watch and threw it to Nagase, eager to ask more questions. Nagase widened his eyes, ready to blaze. Gussan put his hand on Nagase’s chest, calming him down, chuckling. “This one is smart, I like him.”

“That’s all we can offer you,” Leader said. “That’s all we know about the dragon. The matter of the sleeping dragon had been a taboo subject for centuries. People whispered their curiosity in secret, as they were afraid that they would be laughed at for believing the legend to be real. Youngsters claimed the dragon was just a fairytale, that no creature of such power could ever have existed.”

All of the gnomes nodded solemnly, approving their leader’s statement.

Ikuta and Aiba exchanged glances, both unsure of how to react and feeling just as unknowledgeable as when they started, only more afraid and unsure. They looked down at Yoko, who was giggling happily in Aiba’s neck. Was that all the information they could get? Ikuta fidgeted in his seat, trying to think of more questions they could come up with when another gnome, who wore a fedora and shorts, came to the bar.

“I’ve heard of another rumor though.”

Everyone involved in the conversation quickly fixed their eyes on him. He was smaller than the rest of his friends, with a careful knowing look and a smile that didn’t really reach his eyes. Ikuta’s gaze followed him as the new gnome took a seat beside his leader. “What kind of rumor?’

“I’m not the right person you should ask.” The gnome looked thoughtful. “But, I know someone else who knows more about the dragon than we do. A dear friend of mine.”

Aiba scooted closer, hands carefully supporting Yoko’s head. Yoko was whistling a song, his feet moving around as if he was dancing and hands tapping the air the way they do when Yoko played his bongo. It looked even more obscene considering how purple his skin was, but Aiba didn’t stir. “Who is it, Kokubun?”

“His name is Sakamoto.” The gnome called Kokubun waved his hand toward the stage. “He used to be a singer here. You can search for him at his new workplace.”

Gussan narrowed his eyes. “Sakamoto? I didn’t know he is well-informed about dragon.”

“So it seems,” Kokubun said dryly. “Ask him, and decide for yourself. He owes me. Tell him that I am trading the debt with that piece of information.”

Ikuta and Aiba looked at each other once more, trying to process the whole information they had received that night. There was silence as the gnomes were apparently also lost in their thoughts. Yoko’s was the only voice heard, yelling and cursing and calling Aiba’s name.

The stillness was broken when Nagase suddenly raised his head. “And that’s two questions.”

On to Part 2