[Multichapter] Space Wonderland; Chapters 14, 15
Sorry, it's taking me ages to post all this. I had doubts about the story and maybe wanted to fix it and add things at this point, but I don't have the actual time to do that, so in the end I decided to fix only the minimum and post it like that. There is an important OC making his appearance here. He's an OC basically, but I've always imagined him with junior Nagase Ren's face (have some visual aid), but actually do as you please, it's not so important. Also, some "scary" things happen here. I've warned you.
CHAPTER 14
Almost one year passed since Fujigaya joined the circus. Time didn’t seem to pass so fast yet it did, and the day Takizawa announced they were going to land on Skallar 15 next, it felt like it had been just the day before when they had left the unnamed planet with the blue leaves. Skallar 15 must have been the planet where Fujigaya had jumped on board of the spaceship, yet, no one knew him there, and no one had reported him missing. They had checked many times sending messages to the authorities to see if someone was looking for him, but no one was. Fujigaya started to think the reason he had no memories was because he simply had never existed. He couldn’t believe no one in the colonized planets knew him, it was just too unreal to be true. But yet, that’s how it was. The only thing he had as a souvenir of his previous life was his name and his face and no one knew both of them. Not a single person was looking for him in the universe. If he wasn’t important for anyone then, he probably had never existed. Taisuke told this to Yokoo several time, a bitter smile of resignation on his lips, and Yokoo could only hug him and tell him he was important to him, and he was important to all the people in the circus and that he should never take his existence lightly, because the truth was that he was there, and that was all that mattered.
It was their last day, on the peaceful planet of Gyuran, a sunny place inhabited by peaceful people. They had the last show the night before and there was still an entire day before departure. Takizawa told them they could have some time off and relax. Gyuran had wonderful beaches, so Fujigaya and Tamamori decided to go surfing together that day. Kitayama followed them, but then decided that spending time sunbathing on the beach with a cocktail was a better deal than actually surfing. The population of Gyuran was small, so the beach was basically empty and they could have it all for themselves. Later, Marius and So joined them, with Fuuma and Kento trailing behind. Marius and So started burying Fuuma in the sand and smiling happily. Fujigaya came out of the water to join Kitayama in the sunbathing and enjoy watching the kids playing, while they enjoyed torturing Fuuma.
“Would you mind being careful? You’re dripping water on me here,” Kitayama complained from the beach towel he was sprawled on, skin already dark, cocktail already finished, the glass with a forgotten piece of lime on the little bamboo table next to him.
“Sorry madam, I was just trying to sit.” Fujigaya plopped on the sun lounger and looked at the waves for a few seconds.
“I wish we could stay here forever. It totally isn’t fair we have to start touring again and we don’t even get one week of rest,” Kitayama complained.
“You know how Takizawa is, he gets bored if he doesn’t give his dreams to people.” Fujigaya replied, still looking at Tamamori and the waves.
“Tsk and you’re the same.”
“Shut up, you like it too.”
“Yes, but I like this beach too.”
Fujigaya simpered and then focused his attention on Marius and So, who apparently were having a lot of fun catching crabs to throw at Fuuma. Fuuma wasn’t having that much fun, but pretended he did and let the kids enjoy their time. Tamamori came to join Fujigaya and Kitayama, but he just sat there saying nothing, droplets of salty water shone on his skin as he stared at the waves.
They all watched as a stranger kid arrived and joined So and Marius in their games. After a while Fujigaya saw Marius pointing at him and the kid slowly walked in his direction. When he reached them, he could see his face lit with a smile as he came closer by.
“Are you Fujigaya?”
“Yes, I am.” It was true he had always used his stage name, but lately he had started using his real name. After all, they had soon found out that he wasn’t a criminal, otherwise his name would have been on the records of some planet. He decided to start using it, maybe it would ring a bell with someone, even if Fujigaya was now convinced that trying to find out his own past would be useless. He had almost forgotten about his amnesia and didn’t care at all if there was nothing to do about it.
“Ahh I watched the show the other day and I really really enjoyed it! You were amazing!”
“T-thanks.” Fujigaya smiled, happy.
“Hey kid, we were in the show too, you know?” Kitayama said without moving his mouth from the towel he was resting on.
“Tsk, you were only pretending to be asleep,” Fujigaya commented, then he returned his attention to the kid.
“I’m glad you liked the show.”
“I... I want to tell you something, Fujigaya-san, but...”
“Sure, what it is?”
“I can’t say it now. I need to talk to you alone.”
“Oh, well how about we walk along the beach?”
Fujigaya stood up and was about to walk away with the kid but Tamamori screamed his name.
“Fujigaya! Wait”
“What is it, Tama?”
“...I don’t know. Nothing, just... be careful.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I’m just going over there.”
“I have a bad feeling.”
“Now, Tama. Really? I better be careful then, a crab might pinch me.”
Fujigaya walked away smiling, but Tamamori stared at his back with a serious look. “Maybe it’s nothing,” he muttered while Kitayama looked at him opening one eye.
“Tama, maybe you feel confused because you’re hungry. How about you go grab something to eat? If you could get something for me too...”
“Mitsu, you just want to eat right? But you’re too lazy to get up. I can’t believe you act like this sometimes. You’re always so full of energy.”
“It’s amazing how you can read people’s mind.”
“I just know you too well, I guess.”
Fujigaya walked till the kid stopped, staring at the waves splashing on the foreshore.
“I don’t know if I should tell you this. But I guess I have no choice.”
“What?”
“Me too, I have amnesia.”
“Eh? Really?”
“Yes. Plus the only thing I can remember is your name.”
“What are you trying to say and how do you know I have amnesia?”
“Because they told me you have it.”
“They?”
“The people who are looking for you. The people who are looking for both of us.”
“What? Who? Who are you? Who are these people?”
“I don’t know. I don’t remember. I only remember from the moment we landed on this planet and we set out to look for somebody named Fujigaya Taisuke. I was with them, but after seeing your show I managed to escape. I didn’t dare coming to the circus because I’m sure they are watching it. So I followed you here.”
“Why are they looking for me?”
“I suppose they want to... do something to you, but they are not ready yet.”
“What the hell is this? You don’t remember anything else? How do you know me?”
“I don’t know. I can’t even remember my name. But I think we must have something in common.”
“This is crazy.”
“Maybe if we stay together we’ll find out.”
“Yes but, how about the people you were talking about?”
“They’re here!” The kid shouted and pointed at some point behind Fujigaya’s back.
Fujigaya looked at the grove at the border of the beach and saw four figures running towards them. They were wearing some sort of gas mask and heavy suits. They held blades in their hands and looked frightening. The kid screamed and crouched, Fujigaya instinctively covered him with his arms, trying to protect him.
“Who are you? What do you want?”
The masked people didn’t reply, they just breathed heavily through their masks and one of them launched himself on Fujigaya, his blade raised to hit him. Fujigaya dodged it, pushing the kid away from danger. A second man attacked him, but before he could strike, a knife grazed his hand and he was forced to drop his blade just in front of Fujigaya, who grabbed it the moment after.
Miyata was standing a few meters away from them, ready to throw another knife, if needed. Fujigaya was glad that guy always carried around his knives everywhere he went.
“What’s happening here, Fujigaya? Is Tama in danger?”
“I don’t think so,” Fujigaya said while avoiding another masked men trying to slice him with his blade.
Tamamori and the others had noticed the fuss and were running towards them to help, screaming at the masked people to stop. Kitayama reached the group before the others and jumped to hit with a kick one of the masked men. The four looked at each other and decided to retreat and ran away as fast as they could towards the grove and the road, while Kitayama shouted behind them.
“What the hell was that?” Tamamori asked.
“I don’t know. But he might know more. We need to take this kid with us.” Fujigaya said while the others nodded.
--
Back to the spaceship, Fujigaya and the others listened to the kid’s story. As he already said to Fujigaya, he didn’t have memory, he didn’t know his name, he didn’t know who those masked people were, he only knew they were looking for Fujigaya.
The kid looked frightened and shocked, he had to force himself to talk about those masked people. He said that when he woke up they were around him, and he was confused because he didn’t remember anything. The masked men looked scary and seemed to hate him, they were obsessed with this Fujigaya person and constantly repeated his name. They sent him to watch the show and told him to find Fujigaya, but he didn’t trust them, so after the show, he ran away.
Takizawa listened with a serious look in his face till the boy stopped talking. He nodded and tried to reassure the kid when he finished with his story.
“Looks like we might find out something about you soon, Taisuke,” he said as he patted the kid’s shoulder. Then his gaze shifted and a shadow darkened his face. “Maybe something we didn’t really need to know...”
Kitayama looked at him curious, but the others seemed not to have heard what he said.
Fujigaya looked into the terrified boy’s eyes and felt terribly sorry he had to go through all that. He remembered the confusion when he woke up, when the only thing he could remember had been his name. But he remember that even if he was confused, he hadn’t been alone nor surrounded by scary masked men. The poor kid must have been traumatized.
“Takizawa-san... can we bring this kid with us?” Fujigaya asked, wariness in his tone.
“I see no other choices to be honest,” Takizawa replied. “We have to leave as soon as possible, those men following you might know something more, but it doesn’t look like they’ll cooperate.”
“Plus if they know that you are in the circus already, I have the feeling we will meet them again,” Kawai said, with a sigh.
“I’m sorry I’m giving you all these troubles.” Fujigaya said. He looked distressed and worried.
“Taisuke, what are you talking about?” Takizawa smiled.
“We all want to help you,” Yokoo nodded.
“Right! Help you and protect you.” Senga said while all the others nodded.
“You’re part of the circus, that’s given.” Kitayama said, gently punching his arm.
“Kitayama...”
“If even Kitayama says that, you can’t deny it!” Marius smiled.
Fujigaya was glad he had met people like them. After all the events they’ve gone through together he knew he could trust his friends to be always on his side. But this time it was different. This time some ghost from the past seemed to be about surface, menacing to erase the bonds he had created during all that time in the circus.
--
They left Gyuran and headed to Skallar 15 that very night, leaving as quick as they could. They saw no traces of the masked men and departed without problems.
Fujigaya had taken the kid to his room and kindly gave him his bed to sleep. He sat next to him and looked at his innocent face in the dimness of the room.
“You should sleep a bit,” Fujigaya said. “Or do you want me to read you a bedtime story?” Fujigaya said, even though the kid didn’t look young enough to need a bedtime story to sleep.
“Fujigaya-san...”
“Yes?”
“I don’t have a name. Everyone has one. When So asked me what was I called, I didn’t know what to answer.”
“You’re right. We must find you a temporary name.”
“Could you give me one? I feel like you are the only person I can trust.” The kid’s eyes were shining reflecting the feeble light of the bedside lamp. Fujigaya knew that he was innocently trusting him because he believed they had something in common.
“Me? Oh well... I believe you can trust everyone in this place.” Fujigaya smiled, trying to sound reassuring. He knew that the kid needed to feel safe.
“I’ll trust them if you do. But I trust you the most, because you’re just like me.”
Fujigaya looked at the boy’s glimmering eyes, the yellow dim light in the room was creating shadows around them.
“Mh... then, how about Ren?”
“Ren?”
“It’s a nice name.”
“I think so,” the kid smiled. “I’d be happy if you call me Ren.”
Fujigaya smiled and tucked in the boy in bed.
“Good night Ren.”
He went out of the room and found Yokoo in the corridor, waiting for him, arms crossed, back on the wall and a sweet smile on his lips.
“That was really cute, Taisuke.”
“Can I sleep in your bed tonight?”
“And where am I supposed to go?”
“Stupid, you’ll be right there next to me.”
--
CHAPTER 15
The mirror house was part of the funfair the circus carried around and built in every planet, except that unlike the other parts of the funfair, it was located inside the spaceship, right next to the Bubble, and could be accessed from outside the spaceship, when on land but also from inside, when in space. Fujigaya didn’t like the sight of so many reflections of himself - even though he had no problems with his look in any other mirror - so he always kept away from it. On the other hand, Ren loved to spend hours in that place. In the few days that it took to reach Skallar 15, Fujigaya grew fond of the kid. It was just like Ren had said. Maybe there was something between them, maybe they were connected somehow. Fujigaya felt a bit like he had found a family member or something very close to it. It was nice having to take care of someone. He liked to donate smiles to Ren, because he wanted him to be happy. He wanted him to forget his horrible awakening with those masked men. He wanted him to start trusting the people in the circus, but Ren seemed to like him best of everyone else, and always toddled around him.
They landed on Skallar 15 and noticed there was agitation in what was once a quiet planet. Apparently a neighbouring planet was getting too arrogant, and the relationship between the nearer planets were starting to get tense. Kyorkham was a planet that had always lived in autarchy. The government had put distance between their planet and the intergalactic assembly, and decided to live in austerity and closed to almost all exchanges. This politic had been easier to follow granted that Kyorkham was provided of a magnetic field that made entering the planet impossible, unless deactivated. There were all sorts of rumors about the planet. Many believed it was a dictatorship, others believed it was an utopic place, where the inhabitants lived in harmony with the nature. The latter, was the image that Kyorkham wanted to give to the outsiders. But no one could ever check, and no people had ever arrived from Kyorkham to tell their story. Maybe they didn’t want to leave, or maybe they couldn’t leave because of the magnetic barrier, no one could tell, so the other planets just accepted the fact without asking too many questions. The official news about the planet were given by the planet itself and no other authority was allowed to enter it. The only ships that exported Kyorkham finest technological products, were controlled by cyborgs. It seemed like the natives of that planet didn’t want to have any contact with outsiders. The assembly let it go, because they feared that imposing controls would scare them or cause rebellions. After all, it was just a small insignificant planet and their production was limited, but far advanced compared to anything else in the universe. Stopping them wasn’t worth the price.
In the last month, spaceships had been seen leaving the planet. They looked like armed spaceships, so Skallar 15 was getting worried and was pushing on the Assembly to convince them to check the intentions of Kyorkham. Of course Kyorkham refused to open the door of the planet to a representative, with the result that the entire system felt threatened. People hardly had time to go and have fun at the circus, but Takizawa decided not to skip Skallar 15. Perhaps they could bring some hope and let people forget about the tension and fear of a war.
Fujigaya was fixing his skates just outside the mirror house. Ren was inside, but Fujigaya usually let him play there, while he waited for him on the doorstep. Hashimoto was playing with the boy inside and Fujigaya could see them in the maze from outside at least until they moved further down. Hashimoto was making stupid faces every time he found the right way to go and Ren seem to be having lot of fun. Kitayama arrived and went to seat next to Fujigaya to get some of the equipment he was using to fix his skates, and distracting him from his own work.
“So, we are almost back at the beginning,” he said as he started turning a screw on the wheels of his red skates.
“Are you here to make a sentimentalist speech?”
“Why are you always so defensive?”
“Not always. I’m defensive because when you try to say something kind you probably want something back,” Fujigaya said, stealing back the screwdriver as soon as Kitayama finished using it.
“You... anyway. Did Ren remember something? I see that you guys are always together, Yokoo might become jealous.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I don’t know. Lately you seem quite gloomy. Maybe you’re tired of all this and want your memory back? I understand if you want to remember, but it makes us all sad when all you think about is that.”
“You know? I never wanted my memory back but...”
“But Ren arrived.”
“I feel sort of nostalgic when I’m with him. I feel like he can understand me. Undoubtedly there is some link between us.”
“I see. I wish we could do something to help you both.”
Fujigaya raised an eyebrow, he was always surprised when he could spot Kitayama’s real kindness, even if it were just words.
Suddenly a scream filled the air and they could see Hashimoto running back from the dept of the mirror house but failing to find his way through the labyrinth. Fujigaya and Kitayama ran inside the mirror house and reached Hashimoto.
“What happened? Where’s Ren?” Kitayama asked.
“It was him screaming right?” Fujigaya asked, worry all over his face.
“Help, please. He’s crouching on the floor, kicking everything and refusing to move!” Hashimoto looked extremely scared.
Fujigaya ran ahead without waiting, even if the other two were screaming his name. The mirror house was claustrophobic like a narrow tunnel and yet so wide with all the reflections expanding the space around. Fujigaya started to feel lost, he didn’t know the mirror house went so deep inside the spaceship. He couldn’t hear anything in front of him and behind, he was alone, with thousands reflections of himself. He started moving around restlessly, feeling dragged inside the mirrors, sometimes crossing them, like he was actually walking inside the world reflected in those pieces of glass. Maybe he was already drowning in the glass, maybe he was already in a different dimension, made of fear and sense of loss. He had to find Ren, he had to rescue him from all the monsters in the walls.
A glimpse of Ren in a mirror appeared and disappeared in an instant. Fujigaya ran after it, only to reach an empty corridor. He heard footsteps and called Ren’s name.
“Fujigaya! I’m here!”
“Where?”
Fujigaya ran around, looking into every mirror, and finally he could see Ren, but he was like trapped inside the reflection and he couldn’t reach him. He started banging his fists on the mirrors, feeling like he was in a cage and he was running out of air. He needed to take Ren out, and Ren was there, he could see him, he could hear him, but where was he? Now there were hundreds of Rens, all with the same smile and all started running away into other mirrors, scattering like beads inside a kaleidoscope when you twist it around, forming new patterns in an infinite cycle.
“Ren! Where are you?”
“I’m here, Fujigaya come! You need to see this.”
Fujigaya ran deeper inside the mirror house, following every reflection of the kid but he couldn’t grasp any of them, he couldn’t feel any real movement slicing the air around him. All was stale and yet everything was moving. It was hot, the surroundings started to feel like a cave that ended up directly in hell. Fujigaya was panting heavily and when he felt the desperation assailing him, he fell to his knees and closed his eyes.
“Ren...” he sniveled, then he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned around.
--
Yokoo tucked Fujigaya into his bed, wiping his forehead with a wet cloth. The temperature didn’t seem to go down and the fever was still burning his body. Yokoo didn’t look away even when Kitayama entered the room.
“What the hell happened, Kitayama?”
“We found him like this inside the house of mirrors. He ran to get Ren and then we found them, and Fujigaya was already unconscious. Ren was scared he had been his fault.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where is he now?”
“I’m here,” Ren appeared behind Kitayama. It’s my fault. Because I looked in the mirror and I remembered something, then I had Fujigaya look there too and... this happened. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry...” the kid was almost in tears, fear and guilt mixed together in his expression.
“What did you see?”
“I remembered the place where we come from. I could see it in the mirror.”
Kitayama and Yokoo looked at each other. Outside, they could hear Senga’s voice as he was explaining what had happened to the others. They were all cramming in the corridor in front of the room, all worried about Fujigaya.
“Where is this place?” Kitayama asked.
“It’s Kyorkham. We lived in Kyorkham.”
--
Yokoo spent the night watching Fujigaya, while heavy rain tapped on the little window of their room, and on the metal of the spaceship. Fujigaya blabbed during his sleep and Yokoo could only catch part of sentences and words, but nothing made sense to him. He called Ren’s name, and apparently he was convinced he was still in the mirror house. When the daylight invaded the room, it was still raining, so the sky was gray and the atmosphere gloomy, but the darkness was gone. Yokoo had fallen asleep next to Fujigaya, on a chair, but as he felt a hand touching his arm he woke up. Fujigaya was looking at him from his pillow.
“Wataru, did you stay there all night?”
“Mm... Taisuke, do you feel better?” Yokoo asked, going to place a hand on the other’s forehead. It looked like the temperature was normal now.
“Yes, I do. You didn’t sleep?! Come here.” Fujigaya made some space on the bed for Yokoo and he snuggled inside the covers.
“Wataru, please hug me.”
Yokoo obeyed and sighed. “I’m glad I didn’t lose you, Taisuke.” Fujigaya knew he was talking about his memory.
“Wataru, I think I remembered something.”
Yokoo raised his head from the pillow to look at Fujigaya’s face from a better angle.
“It’s a green place with trees and butterflies. I remember how happy I was there. I remember Ren and other people smiling.”
“Ren said you are from Kyorkham. Apparently he remembered too.”
“Mm, I’m not really sure, as I don’t remember everything. But I trust him. I must be from Kyorkham.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I want to go there, Wataru.”
“Sure. Maybe... maybe there’s a way we can go.”
“Yes. There must be.”
Yokoo tried not to think about Kyorkham and how difficult it was to get in and out of that planet. He tried not to think about the fact that if Fujigaya was to go back there he might never come back again. He just hugged him and closed his eyes, lulled to sleep by Fujigaya’s breath.
--
When Yokoo opened his eyes again, Fujigaya was still fast asleep. He looked at the feeble rays of light on his cheek, and at his profile with his eyes closed. He slipped out of the covers and got up as quietly as possible not to wake him up. It was early in the morning, but since the night in Skallar15 lasted only for a few hours, people were still sleeping. Ren wasn’t in his bed. Yokoo was sure the boy went to sleep there the night before. He had appeared extremely worried about Fujigaya, and kept on feeling guilty, even if everyone told him it wasn’t his fault. Yokoo hadn’t woken him up when Fujigaya had woke up during the night, but now he decided to go look for him and tell him that Fujigaya was feeling better and he didn’t need to worry.
He walked around the spaceship looking for Ren. He knew where to find him so he headed directly to the house of mirrors. He opened the door and looked inside. A triangle of light invaded the floor and created stripes on the mirrors. The corridors’ lights were dim, and it took a little to get used to it. But Yokoo knew all the passages of the mirror house very well, since he was usually the one who took care of the cleaning in that particular place, so he started walking towards the depths of it, never looking at one of his many reflections on the walls.
Suddenly the air felt stale and hot, and Yokoo started to feel uncomfortable, as if there was some unknown thing lurking there. He turned the corner and saw Ren. He wasn’t facing his way, his head was bent, looking down at the floor.
“Ren? Are you okay?” Yokoo moved a step forward.
“Fujigaya is fine now, let’s go away from here, there must be something wrong with the air system, it’s too hot.”
Ren didn’t move. Yokoo walked towards him and stumbled on something. Looking at the floor he noticed a cable that went behind a panel. He looked at the other end of it and saw that Ren was holding it.
“What are you doing with this-”
But the words didn’t form as he noticed that the cable actually ended in Ren’s eye, except there was no eye, but just an empty socket instead. Ren turned around to face him, the huge snake of the cable crawling on his face. The other eye looked like glass as he registered Yokoo’s presence. He was holding the removed eye in his hand, and he raised it so that it turned to look at him too.
Yokoo winced, but Ren’s other hand was already around his wrist.
“You’re an android?!”
Ren scanned him with his eye, then smiled. His natural smile, the natural warmth of his hand were disturbing, now that he had a cable coming out from his face.
“No, I’m not. I’m a kid. What are you talking about, Wataru?”
Yokoo felt a jolt of electricity throughout his body, a terrible pain pervaded it and he was forced to bend to his knees.
“I’m a kid.”
Yokoo looked up at Ren’s face as a tear dripped down his cheek and fell on Yokoo’s face, moist and warm. It was the last thing Yokoo felt before another jolt of electricity stroke him, this time too strong to resist.
--
Comments are always appreciated <3
CHAPTER 14
Almost one year passed since Fujigaya joined the circus. Time didn’t seem to pass so fast yet it did, and the day Takizawa announced they were going to land on Skallar 15 next, it felt like it had been just the day before when they had left the unnamed planet with the blue leaves. Skallar 15 must have been the planet where Fujigaya had jumped on board of the spaceship, yet, no one knew him there, and no one had reported him missing. They had checked many times sending messages to the authorities to see if someone was looking for him, but no one was. Fujigaya started to think the reason he had no memories was because he simply had never existed. He couldn’t believe no one in the colonized planets knew him, it was just too unreal to be true. But yet, that’s how it was. The only thing he had as a souvenir of his previous life was his name and his face and no one knew both of them. Not a single person was looking for him in the universe. If he wasn’t important for anyone then, he probably had never existed. Taisuke told this to Yokoo several time, a bitter smile of resignation on his lips, and Yokoo could only hug him and tell him he was important to him, and he was important to all the people in the circus and that he should never take his existence lightly, because the truth was that he was there, and that was all that mattered.
It was their last day, on the peaceful planet of Gyuran, a sunny place inhabited by peaceful people. They had the last show the night before and there was still an entire day before departure. Takizawa told them they could have some time off and relax. Gyuran had wonderful beaches, so Fujigaya and Tamamori decided to go surfing together that day. Kitayama followed them, but then decided that spending time sunbathing on the beach with a cocktail was a better deal than actually surfing. The population of Gyuran was small, so the beach was basically empty and they could have it all for themselves. Later, Marius and So joined them, with Fuuma and Kento trailing behind. Marius and So started burying Fuuma in the sand and smiling happily. Fujigaya came out of the water to join Kitayama in the sunbathing and enjoy watching the kids playing, while they enjoyed torturing Fuuma.
“Would you mind being careful? You’re dripping water on me here,” Kitayama complained from the beach towel he was sprawled on, skin already dark, cocktail already finished, the glass with a forgotten piece of lime on the little bamboo table next to him.
“Sorry madam, I was just trying to sit.” Fujigaya plopped on the sun lounger and looked at the waves for a few seconds.
“I wish we could stay here forever. It totally isn’t fair we have to start touring again and we don’t even get one week of rest,” Kitayama complained.
“You know how Takizawa is, he gets bored if he doesn’t give his dreams to people.” Fujigaya replied, still looking at Tamamori and the waves.
“Tsk and you’re the same.”
“Shut up, you like it too.”
“Yes, but I like this beach too.”
Fujigaya simpered and then focused his attention on Marius and So, who apparently were having a lot of fun catching crabs to throw at Fuuma. Fuuma wasn’t having that much fun, but pretended he did and let the kids enjoy their time. Tamamori came to join Fujigaya and Kitayama, but he just sat there saying nothing, droplets of salty water shone on his skin as he stared at the waves.
They all watched as a stranger kid arrived and joined So and Marius in their games. After a while Fujigaya saw Marius pointing at him and the kid slowly walked in his direction. When he reached them, he could see his face lit with a smile as he came closer by.
“Are you Fujigaya?”
“Yes, I am.” It was true he had always used his stage name, but lately he had started using his real name. After all, they had soon found out that he wasn’t a criminal, otherwise his name would have been on the records of some planet. He decided to start using it, maybe it would ring a bell with someone, even if Fujigaya was now convinced that trying to find out his own past would be useless. He had almost forgotten about his amnesia and didn’t care at all if there was nothing to do about it.
“Ahh I watched the show the other day and I really really enjoyed it! You were amazing!”
“T-thanks.” Fujigaya smiled, happy.
“Hey kid, we were in the show too, you know?” Kitayama said without moving his mouth from the towel he was resting on.
“Tsk, you were only pretending to be asleep,” Fujigaya commented, then he returned his attention to the kid.
“I’m glad you liked the show.”
“I... I want to tell you something, Fujigaya-san, but...”
“Sure, what it is?”
“I can’t say it now. I need to talk to you alone.”
“Oh, well how about we walk along the beach?”
Fujigaya stood up and was about to walk away with the kid but Tamamori screamed his name.
“Fujigaya! Wait”
“What is it, Tama?”
“...I don’t know. Nothing, just... be careful.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I’m just going over there.”
“I have a bad feeling.”
“Now, Tama. Really? I better be careful then, a crab might pinch me.”
Fujigaya walked away smiling, but Tamamori stared at his back with a serious look. “Maybe it’s nothing,” he muttered while Kitayama looked at him opening one eye.
“Tama, maybe you feel confused because you’re hungry. How about you go grab something to eat? If you could get something for me too...”
“Mitsu, you just want to eat right? But you’re too lazy to get up. I can’t believe you act like this sometimes. You’re always so full of energy.”
“It’s amazing how you can read people’s mind.”
“I just know you too well, I guess.”
Fujigaya walked till the kid stopped, staring at the waves splashing on the foreshore.
“I don’t know if I should tell you this. But I guess I have no choice.”
“What?”
“Me too, I have amnesia.”
“Eh? Really?”
“Yes. Plus the only thing I can remember is your name.”
“What are you trying to say and how do you know I have amnesia?”
“Because they told me you have it.”
“They?”
“The people who are looking for you. The people who are looking for both of us.”
“What? Who? Who are you? Who are these people?”
“I don’t know. I don’t remember. I only remember from the moment we landed on this planet and we set out to look for somebody named Fujigaya Taisuke. I was with them, but after seeing your show I managed to escape. I didn’t dare coming to the circus because I’m sure they are watching it. So I followed you here.”
“Why are they looking for me?”
“I suppose they want to... do something to you, but they are not ready yet.”
“What the hell is this? You don’t remember anything else? How do you know me?”
“I don’t know. I can’t even remember my name. But I think we must have something in common.”
“This is crazy.”
“Maybe if we stay together we’ll find out.”
“Yes but, how about the people you were talking about?”
“They’re here!” The kid shouted and pointed at some point behind Fujigaya’s back.
Fujigaya looked at the grove at the border of the beach and saw four figures running towards them. They were wearing some sort of gas mask and heavy suits. They held blades in their hands and looked frightening. The kid screamed and crouched, Fujigaya instinctively covered him with his arms, trying to protect him.
“Who are you? What do you want?”
The masked people didn’t reply, they just breathed heavily through their masks and one of them launched himself on Fujigaya, his blade raised to hit him. Fujigaya dodged it, pushing the kid away from danger. A second man attacked him, but before he could strike, a knife grazed his hand and he was forced to drop his blade just in front of Fujigaya, who grabbed it the moment after.
Miyata was standing a few meters away from them, ready to throw another knife, if needed. Fujigaya was glad that guy always carried around his knives everywhere he went.
“What’s happening here, Fujigaya? Is Tama in danger?”
“I don’t think so,” Fujigaya said while avoiding another masked men trying to slice him with his blade.
Tamamori and the others had noticed the fuss and were running towards them to help, screaming at the masked people to stop. Kitayama reached the group before the others and jumped to hit with a kick one of the masked men. The four looked at each other and decided to retreat and ran away as fast as they could towards the grove and the road, while Kitayama shouted behind them.
“What the hell was that?” Tamamori asked.
“I don’t know. But he might know more. We need to take this kid with us.” Fujigaya said while the others nodded.
--
Back to the spaceship, Fujigaya and the others listened to the kid’s story. As he already said to Fujigaya, he didn’t have memory, he didn’t know his name, he didn’t know who those masked people were, he only knew they were looking for Fujigaya.
The kid looked frightened and shocked, he had to force himself to talk about those masked people. He said that when he woke up they were around him, and he was confused because he didn’t remember anything. The masked men looked scary and seemed to hate him, they were obsessed with this Fujigaya person and constantly repeated his name. They sent him to watch the show and told him to find Fujigaya, but he didn’t trust them, so after the show, he ran away.
Takizawa listened with a serious look in his face till the boy stopped talking. He nodded and tried to reassure the kid when he finished with his story.
“Looks like we might find out something about you soon, Taisuke,” he said as he patted the kid’s shoulder. Then his gaze shifted and a shadow darkened his face. “Maybe something we didn’t really need to know...”
Kitayama looked at him curious, but the others seemed not to have heard what he said.
Fujigaya looked into the terrified boy’s eyes and felt terribly sorry he had to go through all that. He remembered the confusion when he woke up, when the only thing he could remember had been his name. But he remember that even if he was confused, he hadn’t been alone nor surrounded by scary masked men. The poor kid must have been traumatized.
“Takizawa-san... can we bring this kid with us?” Fujigaya asked, wariness in his tone.
“I see no other choices to be honest,” Takizawa replied. “We have to leave as soon as possible, those men following you might know something more, but it doesn’t look like they’ll cooperate.”
“Plus if they know that you are in the circus already, I have the feeling we will meet them again,” Kawai said, with a sigh.
“I’m sorry I’m giving you all these troubles.” Fujigaya said. He looked distressed and worried.
“Taisuke, what are you talking about?” Takizawa smiled.
“We all want to help you,” Yokoo nodded.
“Right! Help you and protect you.” Senga said while all the others nodded.
“You’re part of the circus, that’s given.” Kitayama said, gently punching his arm.
“Kitayama...”
“If even Kitayama says that, you can’t deny it!” Marius smiled.
Fujigaya was glad he had met people like them. After all the events they’ve gone through together he knew he could trust his friends to be always on his side. But this time it was different. This time some ghost from the past seemed to be about surface, menacing to erase the bonds he had created during all that time in the circus.
--
They left Gyuran and headed to Skallar 15 that very night, leaving as quick as they could. They saw no traces of the masked men and departed without problems.
Fujigaya had taken the kid to his room and kindly gave him his bed to sleep. He sat next to him and looked at his innocent face in the dimness of the room.
“You should sleep a bit,” Fujigaya said. “Or do you want me to read you a bedtime story?” Fujigaya said, even though the kid didn’t look young enough to need a bedtime story to sleep.
“Fujigaya-san...”
“Yes?”
“I don’t have a name. Everyone has one. When So asked me what was I called, I didn’t know what to answer.”
“You’re right. We must find you a temporary name.”
“Could you give me one? I feel like you are the only person I can trust.” The kid’s eyes were shining reflecting the feeble light of the bedside lamp. Fujigaya knew that he was innocently trusting him because he believed they had something in common.
“Me? Oh well... I believe you can trust everyone in this place.” Fujigaya smiled, trying to sound reassuring. He knew that the kid needed to feel safe.
“I’ll trust them if you do. But I trust you the most, because you’re just like me.”
Fujigaya looked at the boy’s glimmering eyes, the yellow dim light in the room was creating shadows around them.
“Mh... then, how about Ren?”
“Ren?”
“It’s a nice name.”
“I think so,” the kid smiled. “I’d be happy if you call me Ren.”
Fujigaya smiled and tucked in the boy in bed.
“Good night Ren.”
He went out of the room and found Yokoo in the corridor, waiting for him, arms crossed, back on the wall and a sweet smile on his lips.
“That was really cute, Taisuke.”
“Can I sleep in your bed tonight?”
“And where am I supposed to go?”
“Stupid, you’ll be right there next to me.”
--
CHAPTER 15
The mirror house was part of the funfair the circus carried around and built in every planet, except that unlike the other parts of the funfair, it was located inside the spaceship, right next to the Bubble, and could be accessed from outside the spaceship, when on land but also from inside, when in space. Fujigaya didn’t like the sight of so many reflections of himself - even though he had no problems with his look in any other mirror - so he always kept away from it. On the other hand, Ren loved to spend hours in that place. In the few days that it took to reach Skallar 15, Fujigaya grew fond of the kid. It was just like Ren had said. Maybe there was something between them, maybe they were connected somehow. Fujigaya felt a bit like he had found a family member or something very close to it. It was nice having to take care of someone. He liked to donate smiles to Ren, because he wanted him to be happy. He wanted him to forget his horrible awakening with those masked men. He wanted him to start trusting the people in the circus, but Ren seemed to like him best of everyone else, and always toddled around him.
They landed on Skallar 15 and noticed there was agitation in what was once a quiet planet. Apparently a neighbouring planet was getting too arrogant, and the relationship between the nearer planets were starting to get tense. Kyorkham was a planet that had always lived in autarchy. The government had put distance between their planet and the intergalactic assembly, and decided to live in austerity and closed to almost all exchanges. This politic had been easier to follow granted that Kyorkham was provided of a magnetic field that made entering the planet impossible, unless deactivated. There were all sorts of rumors about the planet. Many believed it was a dictatorship, others believed it was an utopic place, where the inhabitants lived in harmony with the nature. The latter, was the image that Kyorkham wanted to give to the outsiders. But no one could ever check, and no people had ever arrived from Kyorkham to tell their story. Maybe they didn’t want to leave, or maybe they couldn’t leave because of the magnetic barrier, no one could tell, so the other planets just accepted the fact without asking too many questions. The official news about the planet were given by the planet itself and no other authority was allowed to enter it. The only ships that exported Kyorkham finest technological products, were controlled by cyborgs. It seemed like the natives of that planet didn’t want to have any contact with outsiders. The assembly let it go, because they feared that imposing controls would scare them or cause rebellions. After all, it was just a small insignificant planet and their production was limited, but far advanced compared to anything else in the universe. Stopping them wasn’t worth the price.
In the last month, spaceships had been seen leaving the planet. They looked like armed spaceships, so Skallar 15 was getting worried and was pushing on the Assembly to convince them to check the intentions of Kyorkham. Of course Kyorkham refused to open the door of the planet to a representative, with the result that the entire system felt threatened. People hardly had time to go and have fun at the circus, but Takizawa decided not to skip Skallar 15. Perhaps they could bring some hope and let people forget about the tension and fear of a war.
Fujigaya was fixing his skates just outside the mirror house. Ren was inside, but Fujigaya usually let him play there, while he waited for him on the doorstep. Hashimoto was playing with the boy inside and Fujigaya could see them in the maze from outside at least until they moved further down. Hashimoto was making stupid faces every time he found the right way to go and Ren seem to be having lot of fun. Kitayama arrived and went to seat next to Fujigaya to get some of the equipment he was using to fix his skates, and distracting him from his own work.
“So, we are almost back at the beginning,” he said as he started turning a screw on the wheels of his red skates.
“Are you here to make a sentimentalist speech?”
“Why are you always so defensive?”
“Not always. I’m defensive because when you try to say something kind you probably want something back,” Fujigaya said, stealing back the screwdriver as soon as Kitayama finished using it.
“You... anyway. Did Ren remember something? I see that you guys are always together, Yokoo might become jealous.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I don’t know. Lately you seem quite gloomy. Maybe you’re tired of all this and want your memory back? I understand if you want to remember, but it makes us all sad when all you think about is that.”
“You know? I never wanted my memory back but...”
“But Ren arrived.”
“I feel sort of nostalgic when I’m with him. I feel like he can understand me. Undoubtedly there is some link between us.”
“I see. I wish we could do something to help you both.”
Fujigaya raised an eyebrow, he was always surprised when he could spot Kitayama’s real kindness, even if it were just words.
Suddenly a scream filled the air and they could see Hashimoto running back from the dept of the mirror house but failing to find his way through the labyrinth. Fujigaya and Kitayama ran inside the mirror house and reached Hashimoto.
“What happened? Where’s Ren?” Kitayama asked.
“It was him screaming right?” Fujigaya asked, worry all over his face.
“Help, please. He’s crouching on the floor, kicking everything and refusing to move!” Hashimoto looked extremely scared.
Fujigaya ran ahead without waiting, even if the other two were screaming his name. The mirror house was claustrophobic like a narrow tunnel and yet so wide with all the reflections expanding the space around. Fujigaya started to feel lost, he didn’t know the mirror house went so deep inside the spaceship. He couldn’t hear anything in front of him and behind, he was alone, with thousands reflections of himself. He started moving around restlessly, feeling dragged inside the mirrors, sometimes crossing them, like he was actually walking inside the world reflected in those pieces of glass. Maybe he was already drowning in the glass, maybe he was already in a different dimension, made of fear and sense of loss. He had to find Ren, he had to rescue him from all the monsters in the walls.
A glimpse of Ren in a mirror appeared and disappeared in an instant. Fujigaya ran after it, only to reach an empty corridor. He heard footsteps and called Ren’s name.
“Fujigaya! I’m here!”
“Where?”
Fujigaya ran around, looking into every mirror, and finally he could see Ren, but he was like trapped inside the reflection and he couldn’t reach him. He started banging his fists on the mirrors, feeling like he was in a cage and he was running out of air. He needed to take Ren out, and Ren was there, he could see him, he could hear him, but where was he? Now there were hundreds of Rens, all with the same smile and all started running away into other mirrors, scattering like beads inside a kaleidoscope when you twist it around, forming new patterns in an infinite cycle.
“Ren! Where are you?”
“I’m here, Fujigaya come! You need to see this.”
Fujigaya ran deeper inside the mirror house, following every reflection of the kid but he couldn’t grasp any of them, he couldn’t feel any real movement slicing the air around him. All was stale and yet everything was moving. It was hot, the surroundings started to feel like a cave that ended up directly in hell. Fujigaya was panting heavily and when he felt the desperation assailing him, he fell to his knees and closed his eyes.
“Ren...” he sniveled, then he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned around.
--
Yokoo tucked Fujigaya into his bed, wiping his forehead with a wet cloth. The temperature didn’t seem to go down and the fever was still burning his body. Yokoo didn’t look away even when Kitayama entered the room.
“What the hell happened, Kitayama?”
“We found him like this inside the house of mirrors. He ran to get Ren and then we found them, and Fujigaya was already unconscious. Ren was scared he had been his fault.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where is he now?”
“I’m here,” Ren appeared behind Kitayama. It’s my fault. Because I looked in the mirror and I remembered something, then I had Fujigaya look there too and... this happened. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry...” the kid was almost in tears, fear and guilt mixed together in his expression.
“What did you see?”
“I remembered the place where we come from. I could see it in the mirror.”
Kitayama and Yokoo looked at each other. Outside, they could hear Senga’s voice as he was explaining what had happened to the others. They were all cramming in the corridor in front of the room, all worried about Fujigaya.
“Where is this place?” Kitayama asked.
“It’s Kyorkham. We lived in Kyorkham.”
--
Yokoo spent the night watching Fujigaya, while heavy rain tapped on the little window of their room, and on the metal of the spaceship. Fujigaya blabbed during his sleep and Yokoo could only catch part of sentences and words, but nothing made sense to him. He called Ren’s name, and apparently he was convinced he was still in the mirror house. When the daylight invaded the room, it was still raining, so the sky was gray and the atmosphere gloomy, but the darkness was gone. Yokoo had fallen asleep next to Fujigaya, on a chair, but as he felt a hand touching his arm he woke up. Fujigaya was looking at him from his pillow.
“Wataru, did you stay there all night?”
“Mm... Taisuke, do you feel better?” Yokoo asked, going to place a hand on the other’s forehead. It looked like the temperature was normal now.
“Yes, I do. You didn’t sleep?! Come here.” Fujigaya made some space on the bed for Yokoo and he snuggled inside the covers.
“Wataru, please hug me.”
Yokoo obeyed and sighed. “I’m glad I didn’t lose you, Taisuke.” Fujigaya knew he was talking about his memory.
“Wataru, I think I remembered something.”
Yokoo raised his head from the pillow to look at Fujigaya’s face from a better angle.
“It’s a green place with trees and butterflies. I remember how happy I was there. I remember Ren and other people smiling.”
“Ren said you are from Kyorkham. Apparently he remembered too.”
“Mm, I’m not really sure, as I don’t remember everything. But I trust him. I must be from Kyorkham.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I want to go there, Wataru.”
“Sure. Maybe... maybe there’s a way we can go.”
“Yes. There must be.”
Yokoo tried not to think about Kyorkham and how difficult it was to get in and out of that planet. He tried not to think about the fact that if Fujigaya was to go back there he might never come back again. He just hugged him and closed his eyes, lulled to sleep by Fujigaya’s breath.
--
When Yokoo opened his eyes again, Fujigaya was still fast asleep. He looked at the feeble rays of light on his cheek, and at his profile with his eyes closed. He slipped out of the covers and got up as quietly as possible not to wake him up. It was early in the morning, but since the night in Skallar15 lasted only for a few hours, people were still sleeping. Ren wasn’t in his bed. Yokoo was sure the boy went to sleep there the night before. He had appeared extremely worried about Fujigaya, and kept on feeling guilty, even if everyone told him it wasn’t his fault. Yokoo hadn’t woken him up when Fujigaya had woke up during the night, but now he decided to go look for him and tell him that Fujigaya was feeling better and he didn’t need to worry.
He walked around the spaceship looking for Ren. He knew where to find him so he headed directly to the house of mirrors. He opened the door and looked inside. A triangle of light invaded the floor and created stripes on the mirrors. The corridors’ lights were dim, and it took a little to get used to it. But Yokoo knew all the passages of the mirror house very well, since he was usually the one who took care of the cleaning in that particular place, so he started walking towards the depths of it, never looking at one of his many reflections on the walls.
Suddenly the air felt stale and hot, and Yokoo started to feel uncomfortable, as if there was some unknown thing lurking there. He turned the corner and saw Ren. He wasn’t facing his way, his head was bent, looking down at the floor.
“Ren? Are you okay?” Yokoo moved a step forward.
“Fujigaya is fine now, let’s go away from here, there must be something wrong with the air system, it’s too hot.”
Ren didn’t move. Yokoo walked towards him and stumbled on something. Looking at the floor he noticed a cable that went behind a panel. He looked at the other end of it and saw that Ren was holding it.
“What are you doing with this-”
But the words didn’t form as he noticed that the cable actually ended in Ren’s eye, except there was no eye, but just an empty socket instead. Ren turned around to face him, the huge snake of the cable crawling on his face. The other eye looked like glass as he registered Yokoo’s presence. He was holding the removed eye in his hand, and he raised it so that it turned to look at him too.
Yokoo winced, but Ren’s other hand was already around his wrist.
“You’re an android?!”
Ren scanned him with his eye, then smiled. His natural smile, the natural warmth of his hand were disturbing, now that he had a cable coming out from his face.
“No, I’m not. I’m a kid. What are you talking about, Wataru?”
Yokoo felt a jolt of electricity throughout his body, a terrible pain pervaded it and he was forced to bend to his knees.
“I’m a kid.”
Yokoo looked up at Ren’s face as a tear dripped down his cheek and fell on Yokoo’s face, moist and warm. It was the last thing Yokoo felt before another jolt of electricity stroke him, this time too strong to resist.
--
Comments are always appreciated <3