Fic for ltgmars! (Part 5 of 5)

[nijipair]

Fic for ltgmars (Part 5 of 5)

Back to Part 4



XXI

“It’s hatching! It’s hatching, Master!”

Ikuta opened his eyes, wincing. It was bright, far too bright. He closed them again.

“Well, well, let’s see how this one looks like.”

There’s a cracking sound and more light flashed in front of him. Ikuta closed his eyes, trying to tell them to cover the light, but the only sound that came from his throat was a high-pitched shriek. Something touched his skin slowly, caressing him softly. He took another peek. It was easier to open his eyes again as he was gradually accustomed to the light. He crawled on the ground, trying to get used of using his legs and arms when someone lifted him up. Trying to yell, he let out another shriek as he saw a pair of enormous golden eyes in front of him, looking at him with a mix of concern and admiration.

Nino.

Nino smiled. “Hello there, beautiful. I shall call you Toma.”

The view in front of him spun and Ikuta tried to hold on to Nino’s palm but it was useless. The scene changed.

Nino was there, shoving a red flower in front of him. “It’s your first assigned flower, congratulations.”

Ikuta looked up. Nino’s face was too big. His golden eyes sparkled in the sunlight, watching him. Ikuta reached out to touch the flower, and Nino’s lips turned into a smile.

He felt his mouth move on its own. “Have I done it right, master?”

Nino patted Ikuta’s head with his finger. “Yes. Good job.”

He closed his eyes and the earth was spinning again.

He was sitting on a jar of jam on the kitchen table, slowly humming and rocking his body back and forth, watching his master and friends playing cards.

Someone groaned. “Ah, I lost again. It’s impossible to defeat you in this game after all.”

His master tsk-ed. “Now, now, Sho, you fail at everything, not only at this card game.”

The last person in the room laughed. “He’s right.”

Toma looked above and gulped. It was Matsumoto, back when he was still on speaking terms with Nino.

The one who was called Sho pouted, but didn’t object to anything either. He looked at the window with a thoughtful expression. “Where’s Masaki?”

Nino sighed; his hands started shuffling the cards. “He said he needs time alone.”

“What’s wrong with him lately? He’s losing his focus.”

“Should we help him?”

“Hm, I think it’s better for us to wait. If he needs our help, he knows he can ask it anytime.”

“Perhaps you’re right. Hey, who’s your new guy here?”

“It’s Toma. Isn’t he cute? Ah!” The cards slipped away from his master’s hands, idly falling down the floor. Ikuta’s eyes followed them and the floor opened up, guiding him into another scene.

He was back in the forest, the same forest as the one in his dream. However, he was not sitting on a rock this time. He shook his head, wincing as the sun shone brightly above his head. His consciousness came back and he tried to move his neck. Finally, he could move with his own will.

He took a look around. Knee-length grass danced along with wind, vibrating slightly with every gust, green and lively. Flowers in many different colors were blooming all across the field. Trees stood tall and proud, dozens of fruits were dangling from every branch. He turned his head, listening to the birds singing and the sounds of a waterfall not too far away, as he took in the view in front of him.

He took a deep breath. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. He wanted to roll around in the smooth grass, curl up beside the tree roots, sleep, and forget all of the thoughts that had been haunting his mind lately. Nonetheless, something didn’t feel right. Earth has not been this green for a long time, at least, not in Ikuta’s entire life. Earth had never looked this beautiful; Ikuta only remembered the malformations growing more apparent after the great earthquake happened.

Ikuta jerked his head. The great earthquake! He was here to find out about the dragon, about Nino’s past, about his relation to the dragon. What had Nino said before he collapsed? Ikuta could hear the echoes of Nino’s voice in his ears. He and the dragon are very much related. This was the reason why he entered the dream; he wanted to find out about the mystery of the dragon.

He tried to walk, wanting to wander around through the forest, but he stopped as he noticed something odd. His feet didn’t touch the ground. He was floating in the air. He gasped, trying to find his balance, flapping his winds desperately. Wait, wings? Ikuta heard a slow buzzing sounds from his back and slowly, he turned his head to find what he knew were there: a pair of transparent butterfly-shaped wings. Ikuta groaned as he came to the realization. He flapped his wings a couple of times, testing the air. Yes, he was a fairy. A small one at that, not a grand-looking one like Ohkura was.

Nino’s voice echoed back in his ears. “You are one of mine.” What that meant finally sunk in to Ikuta. He shook his head, laughing at how fate played around with his life.

Ikuta paused as he heard other murmuring voices at the other side of the waterfall. He stuck his neck out, turning towards the sounds. He noticed that there were two voices talking rapidly, obviously enmeshed in an argument. Ikuta hastily flew to them, stumbling a couple of times. He was new to the sensation of having wings and flying, after all.

One of them was sitting on a rock while the other was holding his hand, pleading him to do something. It was the exact same scene as the one in his dream. Ikuta lifted his eyes to see their faces and nearly let out a joyful yell as he had guessed correctly. Nino was the one sitting with his solemn expression in his face, both of his eyes still there.

“Masaki, don’t do this, please.” Nino told the other person. Ikuta’s gaze moved to check out his face and he yelped, reaching for the nearest branch as he lost his balance.

It was not a person at all. It was a dragon. Full grown dragon as big as a hill with smooth yellow-green skin and long pointed horns. His scaly hands touched Nino’s, his violet eyes were clouded by tears, looking sad and desperate. The dragon flicked its long tail and opened his mouth, displaying yellow sets of teeth while huge droplets of water fell from his eyes to Nino’s lap. “Do this for me, please. I will take the consequences.” The dragon pleaded with a nasally voice.

Ikuta quickly hid himself behind a tree, curiously watching the two creatures.

“I can’t, Masaki, the risk is too high.” Nino shook his head, stroking the dragon’s nose gently. “Don’t do this.”

“What if I order you to do it, using your real name?”

Nino stopped stroking. “You won’t dare.”

“It’s my last resort, my only weapon.”

“Damn it, Masaki.” Nino stood up, smacking the dragon’s head. “You don’t have to do this.”

The dragon blew his nose. Nino winced, jumping away from him.

“I have to do it, Kazu, you don’t understand.”

Ikuta blinked, confused for a while before he realized that Kazu had to be Nino’s real name.

Nino crawled up to the dragon’s head, placing his feet between his eyes, hands reaching to touch the dragon. “No, you don’t. We can help you.”

The dragon blinked his tears away. “You all have your own problems to take care off. I don’t want to trouble you.”

Nino berated him. “You trouble me more by asking me to do this!”

The dragon made a low grunting noise before he continued with his pleas. “My power is getting weaker, you know it best. I don’t want to see the beauty of the earth fading away because I’m not strong enough to keep it. I need to see Leader. Kazu, please, you are the only one I can go to.”

Nino sat on the dragon’s head, shaking his head again. “They won’t approve of this.”

“They don’t have to know.”

“The problem wouldn’t have even occurred if only you relied on us more. You love too much, Masaki, you need to control it.”

“That’s why I need to see Leader!”

Nino groaned. Sliding down from the dragon’s head, he asked him, keeping his voice as low as a whisper. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” The dragon nodded his head firmly. “Please.”

Nino sighed heavily “Fine. Stay still.”

He closed his eyes, slowly humming something as the dragon sat up, watching him impatiently. Ikuta flew closer to their location as Nino’s murmuring voice gradually turned into song. He watched as Nino spread his arms out, continued singing in an incomprehensible language as the voice was getting louder and louder.

Ikuta tightened his grip to the nearest branch as the trees around him started shaking. Something was going on and it seemed that every live in the forest noticed it as well. Ikuta widened his eyes as his gaze swept across the field, looking at how restless the animals became. Birds chirped noisily, rabbits ran out from their holes, insects crawled from the trees, and foxes made loud, squealing calls to each other. The wind blew harshly against his cheeks as Nino projected his voice even more, singing steadily into the air.

The dragon whimpered as Nino inhaled a deep breath, gathering and shaping the air around him into an enormous sphere. Ikuta stared at the scene in amazement as he could see how Nino sucked the air around him into the sphere. When he snapped his eyes open, they had changed into gold, flashing dangerously. “One last chance, Masaki.”

“Do it.” The dragon replied, closing his eyes. He was ready to accept whatever Nino would do to him.

Nino nodded firmly. He bit his lip, concentrating on the sphere. Apparently, it was not big enough. Ikuta choked, suffocating as he felt the air gravitated towards Nino and the dragon. He shuddered as he felt the windless air surrounding him. The sphere absorbed them all. He fell from the tree, literally grasping for air as Nino continued singing, moving his hand towards the sphere. He didn’t stop until it was as big as the dragon’s chest.

Ikuta crawled on the ground, his eyes never leaving the sight in front of him. He knew he wouldn’t last long if he was left breathless like this, but he couldn’t divert his gaze. This was it. This was how it all went wrong. This was the past that had haunted Matsumoto and Sakurai alike. This was the accident that changed everything.

Nino stopped singing. He took one last look at the sphere, observing the wind swirling in it cautiously. He swallowed and let go of it. The sphere floated in the air, hovering slowly towards the dragon’s chest.

The dragon’s breath hitched. The sphere crashed into his chest, pushing its way through. The dragon trembled, his body unconsciously shaking to the left, and then to the right. Ikuta’s brows furrowed. There was something else in it. There was something else between the dragon’s chest and the sphere.

He opened his eyes wide as he comprehended what it was. Another sphere. Unlike Nino’s windy sphere, this sphere was solid. Solid and smaller and radiating a warm violet glow. If before Ikuta thought that the sun was bright, it was nothing compared to the new sphere. Nino fell, losing his strength after releasing all of his energy. His sphere was absorbed up into the smaller one, causing it to release relaxing humming sounds, vibrating slightly in the air.

The wind was back again and Ikuta inhaled a deep breath, feeling relieved at being able to breath again. He was alive but his mind was fixed on something. The sphere. Ikuta crawled closer, wanting nothing more than to get closer to it, unable to reject its inviting glow.

The dragon appeared to have the same thought. He moved his hand, reaching out for the sphere, his claws almost touching it when the sphere buzzed.

Ikuta turned his eyes away as it exploded. Nino let out a surprised yell. The explosion was so severe it sent him flying. He hit the ground head first, groaning in pain as the effect swept across the ground.

The light that came out from the sphere was so intense that Ikuta could see nothing but white. The sound was almost deafening but he could still hear a loud and long growl, so frantic that it made him shudder. The ground shook more violently and the animals around him raised their voices altogether, chirping and wailing and howling and whimpering. There were loud thumping sounds, there were more shouts; there were groans and yelling and more thumping sounds.

Suddenly, the light seemed as if it was slowly dying out. Ikuta lifted his head up, trying to see the silhouette behind the fog and blood that was blocking his view.

The dragon was crying, moaning, moving his whole body to the left and right, knocking out the trees and everything that stood in his way. The sphere was nowhere to be seen. The dragon was covering one of his eyes up, blood flowing down in his cheeks. He was badly injured with scars all over his body, blood streaming down, damaging his smooth skin. It banged his head into the ground, wailing, his claws digging into his skin.

Ikuta swallowed as the leaves started losing its color, flowers withered, fruits rotted, animals, from the butterflies to rabbits to wildcats to boars to foxes, all fell one by one, all dying.

Nino’s scream was frantic. “No, Masaki!”

He ran towards the dragon, reaching for him, trying to stop him from hurting himself, but the dragon was in too much pain to listen. He moved around violently, accidentally pushing Nino away with his claws. Nino fell to the ground with a loud bang. Ikuta could see that he had also been injured by the explosion-his breath was short, his eyes were unfocused. Still, while clutching his chest, Nino ran back to calm the dragon down. The dragon screeched and Nino was thrown into the air, right to where Ikuta was.

Ikuta yelled as Nino landed near him. Nino turned his head to face him, noticing his presence. He was about to say something but Ikuta never knew what that was because at that time the dragon rolled towards them, his claws trying to shove him out of the way.

Ikuta gasped as he felt something stab him. The claws had accidentally pierced him. Blood started flowing out from his chest. It hurt. He lifted his head and saw tears in Nino’s golden eyes. Ikuta gasped, trying desperately to prolong his life but even breathing was hard. It hurt more than anything he had ever felt in his entire life.

Nino growled. Opening his mouth, Ikuta watched in horror as his master’s teeth started to grow. He couldn’t see him clearly as everything started blurring into each other. Nino growled louder and his nails changed into claws, his head turned lizard-like, his skin grew scales. It happened faster than Ikuta ever thought it would, because when he took another breath, a white dragon was standing beside him. The ground shook, he coughed more blood, and the next thing Ikuta knew was darkness.

He woke up.

XXII

He was sitting on a sofa, clutching his shirt, breathing heavily. He remembered it now. He remembered everything. He closed his eyes. A long time ago, he was not just Ikuta. He was Toma, a newborn fairy, and Nino was his master, as he was the master of many others.

Everything from the past month swirled around in his head as he played the scenes over and over again.

The water was repelled by wind before touching Nino’s body. The cards were in the air, floating left and right with the wind after Nino let it go. The wind shifted its direction before Nino realized his presence behind the wall. Nino jumped from one roof to the other as if he was as light as a feather. Nino blew wind into his eyes, lulling him into a dream of the past. Nino gathered the wind into a big sphere.

Matsumoto, the sea monster with green eyes who had a habit of hiring other sea monsters-Ikuta remembered how fishes flicked their tails at the sight of him, how Matsumoto cried when it rained, how a storm happened right after his meeting with Nino.

And Sakurai. Ikuta recalled his memory of Aiba’s words. How Sakurai controlled fire so easily, how his eyes flashed red when he was angry.

With every realization, he came closer to the truth. The white dragon he took a glimpse on right before he woke up was Nino. He recalled an image from his dream of how a violet dragon turned into a sphere before he went to sleep. The green dragon he saw in his dream, Masaki, said something. “I need to see Leader.”

An image of the painting flashed in his mind. Fire, blazing strongly. Water, rippling robustly. Earth, shaking solidly. Wind, blowing freely. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, dragon. What did Ohkura say? “The dragon was not alone.”

Ikuta smiled. It was crystal clear now. Yes, the dragon was not alone. He was never alone.

Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, dragon.

He looked around and realized something. The bedroom had blue walls and a wooden parquet floor. This was the back room of their office.

There were voices outside of the room, sounds of people shouting. He could recognize to whom the voices belonged to. Yoko, Aiba, Inocchi, Matsumoto, and another voice he didn’t recognize that he assumed was Sakurai’s. His chuckle turned into uncontrollable laugh. Nino didn’t kill their lost friend, it was purely an accident. They had been fighting for centuries over a grave mistake, but it was finally time for the truth to be revealed.

XXIII

“He did something to him!”

“Yoko, Yoko, calm down.”

“Now we can’t wake him up!”

“Wait…”

“You need to help us. Wake him up, please, please.”

“There’s nothing we can do.”

“Don’t say that there’s nothing you can do! You caused this! You dragged us into your problem. If there’s anything happen to him, it’s your fault!

“Look, we are as clueless as you are about what Nino did to him!”

“You said he was a fairy, right? Nino has his way with fairies.”

“What way?”

“You don’t understand, he’s their master.”

“What master?”

Ikuta opened the door carefully. All the eyes in the room were turned to him.

“Ikuta!”

“Ikuta!”

Yoko, Aiba, and Inoochi immediately jumped at him when he walked into the room. Ikuta gasped for air as the three men hugged him tightly. Inocchi rubbed his head, Aiba patted his back, and Yoko just stood there in front of him, his mouth open. “We thought we lost you.”

“It takes more than that to get rid of me.” Ikuta smiled. He was touched to see his friends’ reactions. He only joined the team for a month yet they treated him as if he has been one of their own for a lifetime. However, this was not the time to right time to express his gratitude as there was a more urgent problem. “I’m fine. Besides, my master would never hurt me.”

“Your master? Ikuta, has he done something to your head?”

“No, you don’t understand, Inocchi. Someone here said it before, right? That Nino is the master of fairies!”

“That would be me.” Ikuta turned his head and saw a man standing next to the fireplace, crossing his arms. Okada stood calmly beside him.

“Sakurai?” Ikuta bowed his head politely, recognizing the guy as one of Nino’s friends from his previous dream.

The man gave a careful nod. “Yes.”

“Do you remember me?”

Sakurai tilted his head. Dark brown eyes were looking bat at him, yet Ikuta knew well that it was not the true color of those eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before, but I have seen too many creatures in my long life that I may have forgotten some of them. I’m sorry, have we met?”

Ikuta chuckled, noticing how his friends and boss looking at him weirdly. Everything seemed so funny but he knew no one would understand him, not until he told everyone about the truth.

“That’s it. Nino definitely had done something to his head.” Yoko commented helpfully but it only made Ikuta laughed harder.

“Perhaps you don’t remember this because I was so small back then.” His eyes were back at Sakurai and Matsumoto, to the two men who were looking at him interestedly. “But I am Toma, Nino’s newborn fairy. I was there when you played cards in his kitchen, back when he still had both of his eyes.”

Matsumoto regarded him thoughtfully with his cool black eyes. Ikuta wanted to see them turn into that pretty green shade again. “What are you talking about?”

Ikuta sighed. “Of course, I should explain it from the beginning.”

“Yes, you should, or else we would think that you have gone insane.” Inocchi pointed out.

“Okay, listen.” Ikuta took a deep breath. It was only then that he realized that he was trembling. Aiba seemed to realize that too and he came hurriedly, eager to help him get up. Ikuta murmured his thanks and when he lifted his head up, his eyes accidentally met Aiba’s. Aiba looked at him with a concern expression and Ikuta choked when he recognized something else.

Aiba’s eyes. One of them was violet and the other one was golden. He remembered how the green dragon was covering his eye, his violet eyes. He recalled how Nino still had both of his golden eyes when he transformed into a dragon, the last memory of his past life. The sounds of the green dragon’s nasally voice rang in his ears. Why didn’t he realize how familiar it was? He thought he had understood everything, yet he had forgotten one last detail. The answer was in front of his face all along but he was too blind to see it; it came at the most unexpected time. He paused, searching for the best words to explain the situation. How could he begin to unveil the misunderstanding that had been going on for centuries?

“He gave his eye to you.” In the end, that was the first sentence that came out from his mouth. There were no right words to say at this kind of situation, but at least it was a start.

Aiba tilted his head. “Eh?”

Taking his arm, Ikuta told him gently, trying to convey his whole feelings within the words. “You are him, you are Masaki.”

“How do you that name?” It was Matsumoto who asked the question. When Ikuta turned his head around, he saw that Matsumoto had stood up abruptly from his seat. His voice was trembling slightly, his brows furrowed, his body was stiff. Sakurai was standing behind him with the equal confused look. One of his hands lay in Matsumoto’s shoulder, carefully holding him back.

“Because I was there.”

“There? Ikuta, what are you trying to say?” Inocchi inquired.

“The day when the green dragon was lost.”

Someone pulled him up, grabbing his collar, choking him. “How do you know about the green dragon? What lies did Nino whisper in your ears?” Ikuta’s wish came true sooner than he expected. Matsumoto glared at him with the true color of his eyes, demanding an answer.

Ikuta coughed. For a moment he was too afraid to speak. Was it really his fate to reveal the truth? Yet he knew there was a reason why Nino gave him the dream, and if it was the role he had to play here, he would deliver it without a doubt. He swallowed hard before stating the truth. “It was not a lie. Nino never killed Masaki. Masaki asked Nino to help him and an unfortunate accident happened.”

“Lies!” Matsumoto pushed him and Ikuta fell to the floor. “I should know. Fairies are the best liars, taught by their own, lying master.”

Inocchi approached him, trying to lend him a hand, but Ikuta refused it politely. He hadn’t finished yet. He had to spill everything out before it was too late. The problem had been going on too long, tormenting everyone who was involved. They shouldn’t suffer anymore.

“Inocchi, I’m sorry, but you are wrong.” Reaching for Inocchi’s shoulders, Ikuta sighed. “I am not a fairy.”

Inocchi’s jaw dropped. “It can’t be, I saw your glitter…”

“It was reminiscence of my past life.” Ikuta shook his head impatiently. “The glow that you see in me comes from my life before this one. Answering your question about what Nino did to me, he merely reminded me of what happened in the past.”

“What past?” Sakurai kneeled beside him. “Tell me what you saw.”

Ikuta gave a small nod before he went on. “I was there, hiding behind the tree the day it was happened. I saw Nino in a forest, talking with an enormous green dragon he called Masaki.”

He looked around and saw that every eye in the room was fixed on him, waiting for him to continue his story. Half of them looked at him with genuine curiosity while the other half looked like they believed he had truly lost his mind.

“I was a newborn fairy and I was playing in the forest when I overheard two people having a conversation next to the waterfall. As I flew there, I saw the two. The dragon was pleading for Nino’s help. He said that his power was getting weaker and he didn’t want to see the beauty of the earth fading away because he was not strong enough to keep it, therefore he needed to see your Leader.”

Sakurai widened his eyes. “Did he really say that?”

Matsumoto bit his lip, his expression was unreadable.

“Nino gathered a sphere of wind, opening up the green dragon’s chest, and a glowing violet sphere came out from it.” Toma went on. “But something was not right, the sphere exploded, hurting Masaki. He went wild, bleeding, his body was full of scars. One of his eyes got lost. Nino tried to stop him, but he couldn’t. The dragon spun around and his claw accidentally stabbed me. The last thing I saw was Nino transforming into another dragon, a white one.”

By the time he was finished, there was a silence.

“He still had both of his golden eyes when I passed away, but the dragon had lost one of his violet eyes. When I saw Aiba’s eyes, I realized what all of this meant.”

Aiba gasped after hearing his explanation. His hand automatically went to his golden eye, but Ikuta had not finished yet.

“There was a reason why my master was interested in Inocchi’s story about us; there was a reason why he came to our office, asking us to search for the dragon when he knew well where the dragon sleeps; there was a reason why he arranged so we can meet Matsumoto and Sakurai; there was a reason why Ohkura told us that Nino was not guilty. Nino told me before that the dragon was a dear friend of his. I dreamt about a violet dragon turning into a sphere before going to sleep, but Nino turned into a white one while the one that he talked to was green. Ohkura told us that the key to Nino’s identity is that the dragon is not alone.” Ikuta lifted his head up to meet two pairs of green and red eyes. “Fire, water, earth, wind. They are you, aren’t they? I saw a painting of you together.”

Matsumoto gave him a cool, firm look and Sakurai smiled bitterly. “We are one, yet we are many.”

“If it’s the truth, why did Nino keep it a secret for such a long time?” Yoko asked.

“You need to ask him yourself.” Okada, who had been quiet the whole time, walked towards the window. As he opened it, they saw Nino sitting on a tree, hugging his feet, shuddering. They could see tears flowing down in his cheeks. When he opened his mouth, he only whispered one word. “Masaki.”

XXIV

“Masaki?” Matsumoto turned his head. His voice was as low as a whisper.

Nino hopped into the room, spreading his hand to Aiba’s direction. His golden eye reflected the hanging light bulbs, identical to one of Aiba’s. “I’m sorry, Masaki.”

Aiba was visibly in panic. Ikuta didn’t envy him. It wasn’t everyday that people told you that you were a reincarnation of a dragon. He took a few steps back, hiding behind Yoko. “Wait, what do you mean that I’m Masaki? Why are you saying sorry to me?”

“Wait, Kazu, this can’t be true.” Sakurai grabbed Nino’s arm from behind, confounded. His brows furrowed. “He can’t be Masaki. I talked to him, okay? He didn’t say anything.”

“He lost his memory.” Tears fell down from Nino’s eye. He had been trying to act so tough for so long, hiding his guilt, concealing the truth, disguising himself as a carefree offender, carrying the sin he never truly committed. He had been waiting for this moment to come, the moment when Masaki was back again to their side, the minute where they could be together again. He had forgotten how many times he had dreamt of this, but in every dream, Masaki would recognize him, and not completely oblivious of who he was. When he spoke again, his voice was trembling. “It was a mistake, my terrible mistake.”

Matsumoto stepped forward; his green eyes were also misted up with tears. “What actually happened?” His determination to hate Nino disappeared for a few seconds. Nevertheless, he was stubborn. Perhaps he just needed more explanation or perhaps he was just too accustomed to blaming Nino that he already forgotten how it was to not hate him. Matsumoto didn’t know what he was actually feeling. There was too much emotion: anger, frustration, relief, confusion, disappointment, happiness. There was only one thing he knew for sure, and that was how he wanted to know the truth.

Nino nodded his head slightly. The time had come to answer all questions. “Masaki.” Nino lifted his head up to look at Aiba, his expression stricken with guilt. “You don’t remember this but you are Masaki, our Masaki.” There was a pause as Nino let go of Sakurai’s arm.

Everyone went silent. It was as if the world went still too, holding its breath as its fate was being decided.

Ikuta bit his lip as he realized what the progress would mean. The rise of the earth dragon, if Aiba was truly the one he believed Aiba was, would put an end to nature’s malformations. He unconsciously moved his feet; his shoes’ soles rubbed against the wooden floor. The sound was thunderous in the quiet room yet no one even noticed.

Matsumoto was standing awkwardly beside the fireplace, unsure of how to react. His eyes were fixed to Nino’s back. Sakurai’s hands were still hanging in the air, unaware that he wasn’t holding Nino anymore. Inocchi eyes kept on growing bigger and bigger, trying to catch up with the situation. Ohkura were looking at them from the tree. He sat on the tree, spreading his beautiful wings wide. Okada leaned his back to the window, saying nothing. In the middle of the room, Yoko looked around nervously. He was still protecting Aiba behind his back. Ikuta could understand what was going around in his mind. Nino, their scheming client, the one that had manipulated them for his own advantage, was crying, calling Aiba his long lost friend. This was certainly felt like a joke and yet it was not. Aiba clutched Yoko’s shirt. His expression was unreadable.

Everyone was waiting for more explanation.

Nino stepped forward, expectant. “I know you were most probably dead, yet your body was never found and thus I couldn’t give up the hope that you still lived somewhere, laughing happily with your nasally childish voice and pretty violet eyes. Sho and Jun,” (Ikuta noticed that Matsumoto winced at the mention of the latter name, to which Nino paid no attention), “changed their appearances several times throughout the years, but I didn’t want to change mine. I want you to be able to recognize me when we met again. The moment when Inocchi told me about his friend with one golden eye and one violet eye who can talk to trees, I knew that it was you. I’ve been looking for centuries, traveling to every place where there was a mention of someone with an earth-related ability, hoping to find you for even the slightest rumor, but all of them were false. Yet you are different. No one can talk to the earth like you do, like Masaki did. From the first second I laid my eye on you, I knew that I’ve found the one that I’m looking for.” Nino stopped for a while, searching for the words to say. He allowed himself a sad, bitter smile that turned quickly into sullen thin line on his lips. “Now, you were standing on my arm’s reach and you don’t recognize me at all. I guess that’s the price I have to pay for what I have done.”

Ikuta saw Aiba tightening his grip on Yoko’s shirt. Yoko grabbed Aiba’s arm, holding him from falling down.

Ikuta knew his friends needed him but when he walked, his feet unconsciously moved to his master, kneeling beside him. “Master.” He whispered the name, treating it like something sacred. It was something has not said for centuries and finally, as everything became clear; he understood why he couldn’t avert his gaze away from Nino ever since the first time he met him.

Nino lifted his head up. He spread his hands, gently touching Ikuta’s cheeks. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t save you, Toma. I’m sorry that you had to die.”

Toma. It was his name once, a long time ago. A name only his master could say. Yet he was not the weak fairy anymore. There was no such thing as coincidence. He wanted to believe there was a reason why he met Inocchi that day, why he became Aiba’s co-worker, why Nino chose to remind him of his past.

“I’m sorry that I used you.” Nino whispered, pressing his forehead to Ikuta’s.

Ikuta closed his eyes. He had a louder voice in this life and it was meant to speak the truth. “It’s not your fault.” He shook his head firmly, snapping his eyes open. “I was there when it happened. It’s not your fault.”

“Yes, it was.” Nino’s expression was grim. “I should’ve objected to his request. I should’ve told Jun and Sho about what happened to Masaki, yet I didn’t. I was arrogant. I thought I could save him with no one’s help and I was wrong.”

“What happened?” Toma glanced. It was surprisingly Aiba who inquired the question. “What happened to Masaki?”

“Tell us, Kazu,” Sho called him. His gentle hand touched Nino’s shoulder. “It is late but it is better than never.”

Nino sighed, spreading his hand out. When he reached out this time, Aiba didn’t reject him. Their palms were tangled together and it reminded Ikuta of two dragons that were involved in a heated conversation, in a past where everything was forgotten. Ikuta recalled the loving look in Nino’s eyes that day, how much it had betrayed his concern for Masaki to the point that he couldn’t refuse his request. Even with one less eye, Nino still showed the same concern. “You love too much, Masaki. You love far too much. There was a limit to our strength and you chose to ignore it. When you love, you gave everything that is in you, and if what you love was earth, there was plenty of power that you needed to give.”

Aiba swallowed. He touched Nino’s eye patch and then his own golden eye, asking carefully. “Does this eye belong to you?”

Nino smiled. A relieved smile. “I used it to seal your rage. You wouldn’t stop moving around, destroying things, so I plucked mine out and gave it to you. We both collapsed after it and I had never got the chance to see how it looks on you.” Nino observed Aiba’s face. “It looks good.”

“I-I don’t know what to say.” Aiba started to sob. “It’s so hard to believe this, but this is true, right? Somehow, I know that it’s true as I’ve never seen anyone who has the same ability as I do. Somehow, I know that I have seen you guys somewhere. I wish I remember, but I don’t. I’m sorry.”

“Well,” Nino chuckled. “It’s a bit of a trouble, giving my eye to you. Your power was transferred into me and mine into you. It made little Jun suspicious.”

“It’s…” Matsumoto glowered, but stopped his tongue from giving away his temper. Ikuta turned his head to the window. The rain had started, setting the perfect mood to the whole situation. With every teardrops falling out from his eyes, Matsumoto’s face turned bluer, his eyes flashed greener, his appearance turning more lizard-like. He buried his face in his hands before lifting it up. When he spoke, there was a set of fangs in his mouth. “It’s not my fault if you never explained anything.”

Ikuta knew that was not what he meant and Nino realized that as well. He touched Jun’s hand gently with his other free hand. The part where they touched, the flush of skin on skin, made that spot shed, revealing each one’s scales beneath. Blue and white, side by side. Nino’s voice was thick with emotion. “I couldn’t deny what you said. You are right, Jun. I was the one who killed him. If I didn’t perform the ritual by myself, none of this would ever happen. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t regret it. It was my fault and I deserved the punishment.”

“No!” Aiba shouted. “If there was anyone to be blamed, it was Masaki, I mean, me. Sorry,” he smiled sheepishly, “I am still not used to that name.”

Sakurai chuckled. Just like his friends, his eyes had become red, but it didn’t convey a warning. There was pure bliss and relief in his eyes. “We were all at fault. If only Jun trusted you more, if only I pursued the answer from you more stubbornly…”

“It’s useless to think about whose mistake it was, isn’t it?” Okada raised his voice. It was the first time Ikuta saw him smiling. He walked towards the four old friends and punched Sakurai lightly in his arm. “Your dream has come true now.”

“It has.” Sakurai smiled at Okada, agreeing at his words. When he put his hand on top of his friends, its color slowly changed into gold. “It truly has.”

“Wait!” Yoko chose that time to shout, distracting everyone from what seemed to be a sacred reunion. “So, where does the dragon actually sleep?”

Nino, Sakurai, and Matsumoto quickly exchanged glances. They were too absorbed in their meeting that they had forgotten about the other people in the room. It was a confusing situation and more explanation was needed.

“Don’t you understand?” Nino was the one who replied to him, his lips curving into a teasing smile. “The dragon was sleeping in the heart of the earth. Toma said it before, right? A long time ago, there were five dragons. Fire,” he pointed at Sho, “Water,” he pointed at Jun, “Wind,” he pointed at himself, “and Earth.” His finger stopped at Aiba as his smile went wider.

Ikuta coughed as he realized what the old folklore was actually saying. The ritual that Nino did in the forest was starting to make sense now. He murmured the stories they have heard throughout their journey. “The dragon was sleeping in the heart of the earth and there was only one person who can open the key to the dragon’s sleeping place.”

The dragon was sleeping in the heart of the earth. The heart of the earth. The Earth Dragon.

“Was Aiba the key to the dragon?” Inocchi appeared to have the same conclusion as Toma.

“We are the dragons.” Matsumoto replied curtly. “The legend told of only one dragon, but legends and folklores often do not tell the complete truth. We were divided, but we are one. A single soul dwelling in five bodies. As our leader left to go into a deep slumber, he told us to guard the world on his place. Everything went wrong when we lost Masaki, as three couldn’t replace four, and we started losing control of nature. Now that we have found Masaki, the earth will return to normal. We are back together at last.”

“I’ve always know where leader sleeps, but with Masaki gone, there was no way for me to reach him. When I see Toma, I began to plot a plan, but the challenge was never to find the dragon’s place. It was to open up either Toma’s or Masaki’s memories. Toma is faster after all, I should’ve known.” Nino chuckled. “Even before the earthquake, Masaki is always slow to grasp a situation, but that’s okay,” Nino opened his hand, gesturing for Aiba to get nearer. “Come. It’s fine if you don’t remember how to use your power, we will teach you how to do it. The earth will regain its protector back. We can stop the malformations, we can save everything. There is finally hope for us, for earth you once loved so much.”

By the time Nino finished speaking; Aiba had accepted the fact about his past. Ikuta could see the determination in his mismatched eyes, and if he was not wrong, there was also excitement dancing about in there. Aiba moved his feet; he was going to accept Nino’s hand when he abruptly stopped in his tracks. Ikuta immediately raised his brow. Just as he was about to ask what made Aiba hesitate to take the hand, the long lost dragon turned around and tilted his head, unexpectedly asking for Yoko’s permission. “Can I?”

Yoko was startled as well, but as he had always been with Aiba, he quickly regained his composure. He bit his lip. He had stood in the side all the while, unsure of how to react or how to call Aiba. He thought he had been subdued. Everything was so surreal but he was willing to accept it if it was what Aiba wanted. It never crossed his mind that Aiba would ask for his opinion, so the best response he could give was a grimace. “I only want to see you happy.”

Aiba shook his head. “I want to know who I am, but I don’t want to do it without you.”

Yoko cleared his throat. The three dragons were looking curiously at him, waiting patiently for Yoko’s answer. A warm flush began to creep over Yoko’s cheeks. “Why me?”

“Because you are important to me, Yoko,” Aiba replied, completely unaware that everyone in the room was watching them. His smile was as bright as the sun. “You have never judged my ability to speak to trees. You were the first one who accepted me without even knowing who I am. Before I realized it, you were always there beside me, and there was nothing that hurt me more than seeing you in trouble. You were the one holding me together when I was lost. What would happen to me without you?”

Yoko took a suspicious glance at the three men standing beside Aiba in the middle of the room, forming a circle. “But you have found your family now.”

“That’s not it,” Nino commented helpfully. “We were there before but there was still something missing in Masaki’s heart. If you could help us to control him, we would be more than happy to accept you in our family.” He wrinkled his nose. “I hate the sound of that word, family.”

“But you will bring him back, right? He can still be Aiba, right?” Yoko asked. He started to look scared. Sakurai could live normally with Okada in the mountain and Matsumoto had a company to run. He couldn’t leave the company just like that and elope to some dragons’ nest, could he? Yoko was terrified at the thought that he would never Aiba again.

“Of course.” Sakurai answered, and Yoko breathed. Sakurai’s red eyes were twinkling impishly. “Without all of you, we may never have found him.”

It was the answer Yoko was looking for. He thought carefully for a moment before pulling out something from his pocket, looking at it once then shoving it into Aiba’s hands, forcing him to accept it.

Aiba opened his hands. It was Yoko’s lamp. He lifted up his head, questioning Yoko silently.

“You have never asked me anything though you have the right to. You were the first one who rubbed that damn lamp.”

Ikuta’s jaw dropped. He had always known there was something else between Yoko and Aiba than just a co-workers’ relationship, but Aiba being Yoko’s master was a thought that had never crossed his mind. He looked up at Inocchi who nodded considerately in the corner. Inocchi knew it, but Ikuta didn’t feel alone as he could see that everyone else except for Inocchi was just as surprised as he was. Even Ohkura stared curiously at them from the branch he was sitting on.

Aiba widened his eyes. “Yoko, you could only grant one wish. I don’t want to take it from you.”

Yoko shrugged. “If there was any wish I would like to grant, it’s yours. Don’t you want to remember your past?”

Aiba shook his head. “No, I do not wish for that. All I want is for your happiness.”

“My happiness is your happiness.” Yoko hugged Aiba. His thumb brushed his co-worker’s cheeks lightly. A huge grin was plastered on his face. “Say it.”

“No.” Aiba shook his head persistently.

“Say it. I am more than happy to grant the wish.”

“No.”

“Aiba, I know you. You want to know about the truth, don’t you?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to know the truth…” Aiba protested but Yoko cut him, shoving the lamp back to Aiba’s hands. His tone was firm. “Wish for it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Never been surer.”

After those words, Aiba took a deep breath, preparing his heart as rubbed the lamp. He declared the request. “I want to know about my past.”

Yoko purred. “Your wish is granted.” He blew his lamp and it glowed for a few seconds.

When the glow died out, all of them stood awkwardly, waiting for something to happen. At first, nothing happened. Then suddenly, something came out from Aiba’s chest, floating in the air. Ikuta recognized it immediately; it was the violet sphere. All eyes in the room followed it as it drifted calmly in front of Aiba’s face, letting out a small humming sound.

Ikuta could see that Aiba was mesmerized by the violet glow. He touched it with his hands, trying to hold the sphere. Remembering what happened in the past, Ikuta wanted to prevent him but before he was able to do so, before anyone else could react, the sphere exploded with a deafening sound once more and Aiba was thrown back, collapsing into the floor.

“Aiba!”

“Aiba!”

“Masaki!”

“Masaki!”

The room was in a frenzy, what with all the shouting and yelling, everybody calling Aiba both with his old and new name. Yoko was the loudest and the most frantic of them all. Violet smoke was filling the room. Despite of all the chaos, Ikuta fumbled, trying to find a way to Aiba. The smoke hurt his eyes and he was unable to see anything. He accidentally bumped into someone.

“It’s okay, he’s just dreaming.”

Ikuta pinched his eyes, an attempt to see the view in front of him better. The smoke was starting to evaporate and he could see clearer. A short stranger was standing in front of him. The silhouette was familiar somehow.

The stranger turned his head to smile at him and Ikuta’s heart missed a beat. “Who are you?” Even as he blurted out the question, he already knew the answer. This was the man in his dream, the man in the dragon’s dream, the man who truly existed in their past. This was the man who asked Nino to take care of things before he went somewhere to sleep for centuries, oblivious of what happened to the friends he had left behind.

“Leader?” Sakurai was looking at the man with an expression of utter disbelief, confirming Ikuta’s guess.

The man waved. “Hi, Sho.”

XXV

“Leader?” Nino’s surprised question came next. He stopped searching for Aiba and stood where he was, dumbfounded.

Matsumoto rubbed his eyes as though he thought the man was a part of his hallucination.

Ikuta carefully examined the stranger-well, no, not a stranger-the leader of the dragon. He was short with dark skin and sleepy eyes. His smile was patient and his kind eyes glowed blue, as blue and as clear as the sky. He certainly didn’t appear as what Ikuta expected as the leader of the dragon, but the look shown in his underlings’ eyes clearly proved that he had all their respect.

When he was finally sure that the man truly stood in the room and was not an illusion, Matsumoto moved forward to touch his arm, shaking it lightly, chanting his title as if he could make the man stay longer if he did so. “Leader. Leader.”

“It’s been a while.” The man bowed his head. His voice sounded strange as he struggled to use his tongue. He turned his head to Okada. “Junichi.”

“Satoshi.” Okada saluted him. “How was your sleep?”

He touched his lip. His expression was troubled as if he was trying too hard to remember. “I dreamt. I dreamt of everything that happened. I tried to wake up but I couldn’t, but it appears that the problem had been solved now?” His voice was low, his brows furrowed, making him look even more like a child. He yawned, stretching his arms, and yawned again. “It was a long sleep.”

“Well, thankfully I refused to accept the title, otherwise I will miss a lot of things.” Okada smiled.

“Hmm,” the man, Satoshi, gave a careful nod. “I wish I had refused the offer too, but not really.” He turned his head and his eyes found Aiba who was still lying on the floor, unconscious. Yoko was holding him. “Ah!” the man let out a quiet gasp, “I almost forgot Masaki.”

He kneeled before Aiba and Yoko stepped back, giving a space for the leader. He held Aiba’s hand, sliding it into his own. With a slight tap, Aiba‘s eyes snapped opened. His eyes were changing from violet and golden to black and to violet and golden again. His teeth grew into fangs, his nose transformed into snout, his smooth skin transformed into scales. He gave a low growl.

Ikuta held tightly to the table as the ground started to shake. Everything seemed to happen at once. The small plants in pots Aiba kept in his desk were suddenly getting taller; their leaves turned greener; the flowers bloomed. They ran to the window and saw trees outside moving to the left and right. The dried grass was suddenly alive again, the bushes getting thicker, and Ohkura jumped inside the room as fruits starting to sprout out from the trees, dangling in the branches. They watched in awe as the earth welcomed their master home.

Satoshi gave another gentle tap and the shaking stopped. He called out the earth dragon’s name with a loving tone. “Masaki.”

Aiba’s eyes were black. He shook his head, blinking. His fangs grew back and his skin went back to its smooth appearance. “Leader.” Aiba abruptly sat up. He fell and Yoko caught him, helping him to stay upright. “I remember everything. Everything,” Aiba gasped. “I remember about us. I remember when you went to sleep. I remember how my power was drained out. I remember asking Kazu to help me, and the explosion…” Aiba stopped. He was distressed.

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” The leader tilted his head with a quizzical look on his face. “Do you regret it?”

“No,” Aiba shook his head harshly. “I need to remember.”

“Then it should be fine.” Satoshi smiled at Aiba but his eyes were set on Yoko. “Thank you for waking me up.”

“Ah,” Yoko was taken aback. ‘You’re welcome.”

“Leader,” Aiba spoke again. He blinked with innocent eyes that were clouded with tears. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I was panicking as my power drained out. I shouldn’t have tried to wake you up before the time came. I should learn to control my power instead of trying to ask you to give me more. I’m so sorry that I have failed you so, and Kazu, and Jun, and also Sho. I’m so sorry, everyone.” He bowed his head deeply, looking as desperate as he sounded.

“It’s okay.” Satoshi hugged him tightly. “It’s okay.” When he let him go, he took Yoko’s hand and put it on Aiba’s. It was difficult to say no to the dragon leader’s smile and Aiba found himself speechless.

“You were lost once, but now you have found your anchor, right?” He winked playfully at Yoko and Aiba smiled sheepishly. “Help me to take care of him, will you?”

Yoko was astonished, his mouth was left opened. After a while, he closed it, nodded his head firmly.

Satoshi was satisfied with the response. He stood up and reached for Nino. “Kazu.”

Nino’s eye was red, but there was only joy in it. He rubbed his eye off, smiling. “Leader.”

“Sho.” One of his hands was opened for Sakurai and the other was for Matsumoto. “Jun.”

“Leader,” Matsumoto called him. “We are sorry that we have disappointed you.”

They stumbled forward, accepting the warmth that was offered to them. Satoshi hugged them all, struggling to get them within his arms. “Thank you for taking care of everything in my place. It was a hard task and please know that I didn’t expect it to be perfect.” He was still smiling.

Aiba stood up with Yoko’s help and joined the circle. With their leader in the middle, Ikuta was reminded of the painting Ohkura showed them last night. The dragon was not alone; he repeated the sentence in his mind.

Satoshi took a glance at his back to Okada and Ohkura who was standing close to each other, watching them. His gaze swept Ikuta briefly for a second and Ikuta would swear later that he saw mischief glistening in those sleepy eyes. “I see that you have alll found your anchor as well. I wish I could talk to you more, but for now,” he yawned widely, “I must go back to sleep. The world will lose its balance without me. Wake me up when you truly need me?” His voice was groggy.

“We will do just that.” Matsumoto replied with a smile on his face. “We won’t let any misunderstanding happen again,” he promised his leader and got a smug smile as a reply.

They all stared at Satoshi as he let go of all his friends’ hands and walked dizzily to the sofa, curling himself up on it and slowly went back to sleep. “See you later.” He told them before he yawned again, unable to keep his eyes open. Sakurai rubbed his hair, sitting beside him. “Yes, see you later, Leader. Have a good sleep.”

Satoshi squeezed Sakurai’s hand. A satisfied smile formed on his lips before he started to fade, slowly curling back into the sphere. It floated back to Aiba’s chest. Aiba gasped as he held the warm violent glow, grasping it as he guided it slowly into his heart. He whispered, “Sweet dreams, Leader.”

By the time the leader had disappeared, the rain had stopped, the ground had calmed down, the sun was shining, its bright rays blinding, and everyone was standing clumsily with a smile on each of their faces.

Matsumoto dropped himself on Ikuta’s working chair, dumbstruck after all that happened within a fortnight. Nino approached him and Matsumoto bowed his head down, apologizing for all his inappropriate rage over the years while still managing to scold Nino for hiding the truth. Nino nodded airily while shuffling his cards, suddenly letting them out of nowhere. Ikuta recalled the occasion in the alley where Nino placed several cards in the air, claiming that everything will be revealed soon. Four aces, one for each dragon, with the Joker in the middle. He silently wondered for whom the Joker was meant for, the leader or… Nino winked at him behind Matsumoto’s back and Ikuta chuckled. Perhaps it was better if he never knew the answer.

Sakurai was talking with Aiba and Yoko, apologizing for the fact that he didn’t recognize Aiba when they first met. Aiba introduced Yoko properly to his old friend. It had to feel overwhelming, having his heavy past suddenly inflicted on him. Ikuta noticed that Aiba was still holding Yoko’s lamp in his hands and Yoko’s hand was on Aiba’s shoulder. He grinned. They would be alright.

Okada, Inocchi, and Ohkura were talking in the corner, trying to get to know each other. Okada said something and Inocchi laughed loudly. His ears twitched and his eyes became mere slits. Inocchi seemed to accept the current development easier than any of them, but that was how Inocchi truly was and Ikuta loved that about him. He took a glance at Ohkura. His wings flapped beautifully, refracting the sun’s rays into rainbow colors. Ikuta wished he still had his wings, even though it was not as grand as Ohkura’s.

Okada was smiling generously and Ikuta observed him last. Remembering the conversation between the dragon leader and Okada about refusing a certain title, he pondered what kind of creature Okada actually was.

He averted his gaze from all the creatures in the room and stared at the window. Out of nowhere, he suddenly remembered that he still owed a shirt to Nagase. Chuckling, Ikuta pushed that thought away, hoping that the gnomes would be too busy to welcome their master back to remember about his debt. He wanted to know Kokubun’s reaction too about everything that just happened. The earth was alive again at last and the gnomes would have much work to do. Hopefully they would still open the bar; he could use a few drinks as long as it’s not another gnomes’ secret recipe. They could invite Morita, Miyake, and Sakamoto as well, encouraging the last name to sing. He couldn’t stop smiling, images of naked euphoric gnomes running about in his mind. That would be quite a party indeed.

In the end, they only managed to wake the dragon up for a few minutes, but what they had learnt was more important than that. When he started the case, he had never expected that he would find his past, his master, a new family, a solution to centuries old mystery, and even saving the earth. Looking at everyone’s awkward activity, Ikuta smiled. It was a bizarre situation but he would not exchange it with any other ending. There would be plenty of time to ask questions later. He would just enjoy the moment as it was. After all, things would be alright eventually.

He inhaled deeply. It was time for a new journey. He smiled at Matsumoto, who made a move to walk towards him, a pleased, if tentative, look on his face. Yes, it was the ripe time for new journeys indeed.