Archive of Our Own

The castle staff was in an uproar. The crown prince Daichi was nowhere to be found. It was his sixteenth birthday and it was vital that they find him so that he may greet and thank the common folk and nobility alike for their well wishes. Asahi watched his friends Noya and Tanaka along with their tutor Takeda and the head of the guard Ukai dash past him calling out for their prince.

This was not an uncommon occurrence. Daichi would frequently go missing in some capacity or another and as his best friend Asahi did not worry. He worried about many things. He worries whether Takeda will set them hard study work. He worries whether Ukai will make them do extra drills or extra sparring. He worries about nightmares catching him in the middle of the night but he never worries about where Daichi is. Because if Daichi can't be found he is always somewhere tucked away in a cosy corner of the castle, fast asleep.

Daichi was always a dreamer and Asahi was always used to him slipping off to go have a nap. It wasn't that Daichi was tired all the time, just that his dreams were always so much nicer than being awake. Today Asahi found him sleeping in the corner of the library, on a couch with a sunbeam warming him through the window. He sighed and poked his friend's cheek.

"Daichi, wake up… Everyone's probably gonna be really mad this time," Asahi called to Daichi.

Right now Daichi was in his forest. A beautiful sunny forest filled with greenery and gently perfumed wildflowers. In the distance, he could hear a babbling brook and birdsong. Wild animals happily came and went as they pleased with no fear over Daichi's presence. It was the most beautiful and peaceful dream that Daichi could have and for the past sixteen years, Daichi was blessed with this heaven every time he fell asleep.

Except he was being called back, just when things began to get interesting. In the distance, he could hear a song. It was like this every night before he woke up. He could hear the sweetest voice sing an enchanting melody and no matter how much Daichi longed to go seek out the source of the song, he would always wake up.

Daichi's eyes fluttered open to be faced with Asahi's annoyed expression.

"Daichi, you need to get up and downstairs. The entire court is here and your dad is gonna be so annoyed with you!" Asahi babbled as he dragged Daichi up and off the sofa as he rubbed the last remains of sleep from his eyes.

Daichi yawned and nodded as he allowed himself to be dragged through the elaborate maze of marbled hallways to the royal dressers who quickly stripped him and pulled him this way and that as he was changed from his informal breeches and doublet of soft cotton and warm wool to his most formal garbs of finely embroidered velvets and silks.

Still, Daichi's mind lingered on the dream, on the voice that he never could quite get to as he was escorted to the throne room. If the rest of the dream wasn't so perfect and varied so much depending on where he wandered off to in the forest, he is sure that he would have grown frustrated by the fact his dreams weren't like other boys his age. He didn't dream of slaying dragons and saving fair maidens like Tanaka and Noya nor of the day's anxieties like Asahi, just peaceful forests filled with magic and an enchanting song.

The court greeted Daichi with blessings and cheers on his sixteenth birthday. The throne room was filled to the brim with people from all over the kingdom. Bright banners showing the coats of arms of each house and family of the noble houses punctuated the tapestries that hung on the wall. If he still felt any semblance of sleepiness then it would have been blown away by the cheers and cries of the crowd which parted for him as he walked through the masses to his seat next to his mother and father's thrones. He spotted his friends in the crowd. Noya and Tanaka waved wildly at him before being smacked over the head by Tanaka's older sister. Daichi wondered how she was, it wasn't often that he got to head down to the smithies to speak to her but his wondering was cut short as his father's voice boomed throughout the court.

"Today on this glorious occasion is my son Daichi Sawamura, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Miyagi, has reached the age of sixteen" the King began.

Daichi's eyes flitted throughout the crowd and he noticed something strange among the crowd as they cheered in agreement. If he unfocused his eyes long enough he could see groups of people who seemed to have a glitter and glow about them.

"My wife and I are most grateful and humbled by each and every one of you who have chosen to be here on this blessed occasion. We invite you all to share in our joy on this day, the day of our son's birth. We thank you all for your blessings." The King then did something Daichi never saw him do before, he rose from his throne with his wife at his side and they bowed to the crowd.

The sparkling in the crowd seemed to disappear and the heavy tension that filled the room eased. It felt like Daichi had passed a test of some kind. One that he did not know why he was taking. He spotted Takeda in the crowd letting out a sigh of relief and Daichi promised to himself that he would ask why later.

Before that, he had to deal with both of his parents taking him aside and giving him the lecture of his life. They seemed genuinely frightened that he was almost late to his birthday celebration.

"I'm sorry mother I was…"

"Napping somewhere, yes we know! Your father and I do wish you wouldn't especially today! We couldn't bear it if…"

"If?" Daichi asked but his father shook his head with a small smile and a sigh.

"We're just relieved that everything worked out today that is all. There is no greater worry for parents when their children turn sixteen that they cross the threshold safely. Now go and enjoy your day son. You have done your part."

Daichi spent most of the afternoon entertaining guests and being wished sincere congratulations on his birthday. The day passed in a blur of colour, laughter and fine foods. It felt different from all of his other birthdays where he would be spoiled and the celebrations were filled with love and laughter. Instead, this day felt like a checkpoint that had been crossed. He was swept up into dances to celebrate his life. They danced like he had survived something terrible. It was all okay now, there was nothing to fear but it would be unwise to ask right now what he had to fear in the first place. He would have to wait until tomorrow for that when the new year rang in.

In the late night, after his fine clothes had been stripped off and exchanged for his favourite nightshirt, his bed called to him, promising him a wonderful walk through the forest and another chance to discover who or what sang the beautiful song.

Daichi sat up in a bed of moss and sweetly scented wildflowers. He wore a red cape and a red cap this time. It wasn't unusual for his clothes to change in the dream but they usually were into clothes that he owned but he supposed he must have seen something like this in the crowd of his birthday celebrations and liked it.

A family of deer leapt and bounded after him, silently daring him to join them. Daichi saw no reason not to, following their graceful movements deeper into the forest to find a wonderful glittering lake. He felt the wind kiss his face as they ran closer to the waterside. A group of songbirds in brilliant rainbow colours swarmed him along with an owl and they stole his cap and cape. Strange? This sort of thing had never happened before. The animals usually never directly interacted with him unless he initiated it.

But something inside told him that he had to follow after his cape and hat. He ran across the forest like the deer had taught him to. Jumping over tree roots and avoiding trampling on nests. It felt like the birds were teasing him, he would get close enough Starlight but then they would speed away. Unfortunately, Daichi didn't notice a boulder hidden in the undergrowth and he ended up tumbling head over feet, which ended up in his boots being stolen by a pair of rabbits!

They had his cape, his hat and now his boots?! What sort of dream was this?

But before he could feel upset, the sound of bell-like laughter cut through the air like a knife to his heart. His ears perked up like a hunting dog's would as he rose to follow the sound. To Daichi's delight, the laughter turned into the wonderful enchanting song that he heard every night and so he ran faster until he reached the end of the treeline to be faced with a sight that took his breath away.

There in a clearing was a young man with silver hair that glittered in the sunlight. He sang sweetly as he danced with the gang of animals that had stolen his boots. He wore a white shirt with sleeves that billowed as he moved. It was too big so a black band cinched it in at the waist to create a waterfall of fabric at his curvaceous hips that swirled with him as he danced. Any sort of frustration Daichi felt at his clothing being taken had faded away at the beautiful sight.

Daichi held his breath like a hunter watching prey as the young man swayed from side to side, spinning around and waltzing with the animals as he serenaded his forest friends without a care in the world. Daichi wished he could join in and dance with him too. But how? He didn't want to scare him off and to have him run away. For years he had wished to find out the source of this song and now he knew he was afraid that he would never hear it again. If he danced with the young man who looked a little bit younger than him, would he too disappear from his dreams?

Daichi wasn't sure he wanted that. It felt like if he did he would lose an integral part to himself. It would feel like tearing out a piece of his heart and never seeing it again. The threat of the empty void terrified him and spurred him into action.

He didn't understand why he decided that joining in the dance would be the best idea. His heart tugged him forward with great urgency. "Go forth join him!" it cried.

It looked like the silver boy was doing something similar to a waltz so Daichi took his opportunity to slip in just before the first beat of the trio when the dream boy spun away from his animal partner. Daichi's sword wielding hands gently held soft hands with slender fingers as his back gently connected with Daichi's chest.

"Oh… There you are," his heart sighed as delicate fingers grasped his own.

The youth stiffened for a moment in surprise before he spun around with a gasp. Deep eyes ringed with amber and gold widened and locked with Daichi's. To gaze upon those eyes forever would be sweet bliss.

"Oh!" he cried, interrupting the sweet melody of his song.

"Please don't stop!" Daichi begged, squeezing the soft hands gently. "I have been searching for you for so long, fair one. You have bewitched me, please allow me one dance. Please?"

The youth's pale face flushed pink and he smiled shyly before replying "I wasn't going to stop. You just surprised me. I haven't seen another person here in such a long time."

Relief. Sweet relief. Daichi was not rejected. He was welcomed! He stepped back and bowed like his mother had taught him during a grand ball as he said: "Well, I would be honoured if you would have this dance with me."

However to his horror, when he looked up the youth had vanished. Gone like he had never existed.

He shot up in a cold sweat from his slumber and in the winter morning darkness, a tiny voice whispered to him, "You're too early. Not yet!"

-

Daichi spent the next morning wandering around in a daze. The loss of the silver haired youth in his dreams shook him hard. It felt like the dream was incomplete and even more unsatisfying than the usual endings he had dealt with. He felt so tired and unrested that almost flopped into his porridge. His countenance was ghostly and his lessons with Takeda were a struggle.

"Daichi you didn't even stay up too late last night. What is bothering you?" was the concerned question that came from his tutor as he spaced out one time too many for his liking.

A large yawn escaped Daichi's mouth. "I didn't sleep so well. Something about yesterday got me wound up I think…"

"I can see that. Well… what about yesterday bothered you? It was a very successful celebration. There should be nothing for you to worry about."

Daichi shifted in his seat and huffed.

"It's just that," Daichi began. "Everyone was saying it was successful, it felt like a relief rather than something happy to celebrate. I don't get it. It's like everyone was waiting for something terrible to pass rather than… y'know, being happy that it's my birthday?"

Takeda sat back, pushed his glasses up his nose and scratched his chin as he considered what to tell Daichi. He then sighed and rose from his seat. "Wait a moment, I had hoped we would skip this until you were a bit older and thinking about children but… I don't see any harm in learning about it now."

The smaller man disappeared in between the bookcases, humming and muttering to himself as he searched for the books he needed. He took enough time for Daichi to just close his eyes and get a couple of extra minutes in. Maybe he would get the ending he wanted. A dance in the forest with the gorgeous boy of his dreams.

Yet as he was about to truly slip off, Takeda's hand on his shoulder and the scent of sweet tea lured him to consciousness.

Daichi looked at his tutor with sleepy eyes and was greeted with a sympathetic smile. Scholars often dealt with poor sleep so Daichi was in good company.

"Right, you wanted to know why the celebrations yesterday felt unusual in comparison to a normal birthday celebration?"

Daichi nodded.

"Ahh, youthful curiosity! Good, I like that!" Takeda cleared his throat and handed Daichi a book from his pile open at an illustration of a vibrant and glorious kingdom of long ago. "Now Daichi, tell me what you know about our closest neighbouring kingdom?"

Daichi barely glanced at the illustration as he answered, "Isn't Nekoma our neighbour? They trade us in luxury goods in exchange for our agricultural boons like wool, wheat and wine."

"Well yes… that's not untrue. They are our neighbour but not our closest." Takeda's finger tapped the drawings in the book in front of Daichi. "This kingdom here is our closest. It exists just beyond our borders to the East."

"Then why I haven't heard anything about it? I thought the East was filled with wild lands? The forest is forbidden and dangerous, no one wants to go in there." Daichi imagined the forests there to be the opposite of those in his dreams. If he closed his eyes and focused for long enough he could see gnarled roots and the monsters that skittered around them.

"Well… that is because the kingdom was cursed almost a hundred years ago. No one remembers precisely why unfortunately those who were around at the time didn't think to record the events or the records have disappeared. But stories that have been passed on through the generations suggest that it happened on the sixteenth birthday of the crown princess."

"So that is why yesterday was odd? Because I lived past my sixteenth birthday?" Daichi didn't dare to ask anything else. He feared what the answer would be. He was afraid to end up like that crown princess.

"In a nutshell, yes. But a whole kingdom was lost on that day Daichi! So much knowledge and civilization gone! Oh, what I would give to only be able to see what life was like in that kingdom. If it wasn't so treacherous I would go there myself."

"How do you know it's that dangerous? Has anyone been there since the kingdom fell?"

"Some have tried over the years but no one ever came back. Not only from our kingdom either. You see there's a rumour that a great treasure lurks in the kingdom but unfortunately no one knows what it is. No one probably ever will."

-

After that day things changed for Daichi. His responsibilities had been amped up to the nth degree. Gone was the blissfully ignorant days of childhood, the days of learning how to be a king were here. His education ramped up in both an intellectual and a combat sense. His father dreamed of him leading vast armies to victory and his mother dreamed of his diplomacy and grace. Dreams that were hard to fulfil with a piece of your heart lost.

Daichi no longer had time to dream. He no longer had time to sit among the stags and the rabbits. He no longer could just sit back and listen to the birds and walk with the squirrels and the chipmunks to the water's edge. He could no longer hear the beautiful song from his youth. A year passed without the dreams. A year of hard work and training and dreamless sleep. Daichi turned seventeen. His responsibilities in the castle grew larger and larger, his time to himself lessened and it was all that he could do to distract himself from the hollow feeling in his chest.

Asahi noticed the change in his best friend. He could see the way his shoulders squared and his jaw tightened as he tried his best to handle the responsibility of a future king.

"Please Daichi, just take one day for yourself. One day to rest and recover from whatever is burdening you," he begged. Tanaka and Noya who sat with them nodded fiercely in agreement.

"If I'm feelin' bad I go spend time with my sister. She always makes me laugh. Y'know I think the coach is sweet on her. It's super weird," Tanaka chimed in.

"Ukai doesn't like it when you call him that…"

"It's no biggie, it's just a nickname," Noya chimed in.

Daichi sighed and flopped back in his seat and listened to his friends chatter amongst themselves. Asahi was right. He did need to rest. He was wearing himself thin like a well-worn pair of trousers. Maybe a trip to Tanaka's sister wouldn't be a bad idea. She stayed on the edge of the castle town, closer to the farms and countryside. If he went during a lovely day the hay would be sweet for the horses and the air would smell of sunshine. It would surely do him some good.

So on the next fair-weather day, Daichi snuck out of the palace and rode through the town, to the edges to visit the town blacksmith. If Tanaka was right her advice was sure to be good.

Saeko's workshop was filled with both the warmth from her forge and the joy of her work. Daichi could hear the clang of her hammer and her dusky humming as she crafted metal into gorgeous yet practical swords and shields. Daichi smiled as she looked over his way.

"Hello, Prince Charming! Ryuu told me you'd be along at some point."

"Hello Saeko, I'm sorry if I'm intruding just…"

"You needed to get away from it all, yeah I hear ya!" She came towards him and enveloped him in a massive hug, quite an unbecoming to greet the crown prince but Saeko was never one for courtly behaviour. "Let me get some tea on and you can tell me all about what's bothering ya or not if you just wanna sit for a bit. I'm working on some cool stuff that I could show you if you'd like or we could go for a walk. Whatever suits ya."

The tea was brewed dark and sweet, nothing like the fragrant blends from the castle, and Daichi was sat down on a warm blanket under a tree for shade. The early Summer sun told nothing of the Autumn that lurked behind the corner. Saeko's smile and manner seemed to be summer itself in its warmth and liveliness as she chattered about projects from lords and nobles far and wide for the finest swords and shields that she crafted straight from her heart with such deftness and bravery. To be a blacksmith, to face the fires of the forges each day took bravery. The bravery that Daichi wished to have.

"But my stories of swords and shields ain't why you're here princeling. Somethin's got you all wound up tight. Care to share?" she asked with a gentle nudge.

"I feel like I've lost a piece of myself. I used to have pleasant dreams but they've changed now. I don't sleep the same way I used to. My mother and father keep saying how proud they are of me but… I feel like I've lost something important."

"Ahhh you're growing up! Soon you'll hit eighteen faster than you know it and then onwards and upwards to your kingly destiny!" she teased but something sad still hung in his eyes. Something that made Saeko respond with a melancholy smile of her own. "It's not just growing up though is it Daichi? It's truly something isn't it?"

Daichi nodded and blew a sigh over the tea, watching the steam curl away from him. It had been so long since he had those dreams. "Those dreams weren't normal dreams. I feel like they were trying to tell me something and I just can't grasp it… Maybe I'm just afraid to grasp it."

Saeko smiled fondly at Daichi and ruffled his hair gently "Well it sounds to me like you know what to do already yer highness. Go and grasp it. Whatever it is."

So that afternoon, under a shady tree near the edge of her garden, with Saeko's encouragement in his mind, Daichi settled down to sleep.

Grasp it… Reach out and try to get back to the forest. He knew it so well, he could make maps of it. He just needed to be there but could he get there after so long. It had been almost a year.

The warm early summer air cooled and when Daichi opened his eyes lo and behold there was his familiar and beloved forest. He hadn't lost it after all! And there in front of him, kneeling there was his dream boy.

"Oh good! I was worried!" he said with a relieved smile, flopping back to sit on his bottom, crossing his legs without a care if the hem of his white shirt got dirty. "I wondered when you would be back. I wasn't sure if I scared you off with my strange dancing."

"Your dancing isn't strange!" Daichi found himself almost yelling with passionate feeling. "It's the loveliest thing I've ever seen."

The silver haired youth blushed a deep rose and covered his hand with a face as twinkling amber eyes looked away in bashfulness. His thick eyelashes fluttered upon his rosy cheeks with the grace of a butterfly's wing. He was just as lovely as Daichi remembered him. "O-Oh… Thank you. I guess I'm just not used to having others see me, aside from my friends here."

"Your friends?"

He motioned to the animals that shyly watched the pair, hidden behind trees and in the branches to give them some privacy. "These guys of course!"

Daichi smiled his heart warming and feeling complete once again. "Oh yes… I am familiar with them. I think of them as my friends too."

The silver haired youth rose and dusted the leaf litter from his shapely behind before offering Daichi a hand. "They told me about you, for so long. I was beginning to think they were telling tales until you showed up. I thought that if I sang, we would find each other eventually."

"You've been singing for a long time then." Daichi gripped the boy's arm and was pulled up with a tug. He dusted his red cape off.

"Really? It hasn't been so long I feel."

It had been almost eighteen years in Daichi's mind. How long had it been for the youth? He wasn't sure if he wanted to ask.

They walked together arm in arm through the forest, a comfortable silence falling over them as they listened to the birds and wind sing together in harmony. In all honesty, Daichi was a little intimidated. He had entertained heads of state, princesses from lands far away and yet when it came to the boy in his dreams, he didn't know what to say.

"I'm Suga and you are?"

"I'm Daichi."

Suga poked Daichi's cheek "Cat got your tongue Daichi? It's okay I don't bite or anything."

Daichi laughed and gently grasped Suga's poking hand, taking it in his own. "I'm sure you don't I'm just… nervous for some reason." Despite how wonderful it was to finally put a name to a face after months of wondering when he finally got to it the words "Not yet. It's not time" rang through his over and over again.

"There's no need for that. Come on, I'm sure some tea and cake will settle you." Suga grasped his other hand and led him through the forest to a cottage in the clearing. Daichi never noticed it before. It was a sweet little thing with a thatched roof, wooden windows and doors. Roses climbed up the walls in pinks and reds, their green thorns creating a woven effect. Something about the roses made Daichi uneasy but he couldn't understand why. A woman singing could be heard from inside the house.

"You live with someone?" Daichi asked. It never occurred to him that they weren't the only ones here.

"Yes. I live with my guardian Yachi. She's looked after me since I was very small. I'm originally from the kingdom to the East of here at the edge of the forest, Karasu. Where are you from Daichi?"

Daichi searched his mind for knowledge of the kingdom of Karasu but nothing came to mind. "I've never heard of that place I must admit… I am from Miyagi."

"You must be terrible at geography Daichi, we are neighbours!" Suga said with a dazzling smile, excitement glittering in his eyes before he puffed his cheeks out in a pout. "I'd love to visit Miyagi one day but I have too many chores and things to do here."

Daichi was led inside the cottage by Suga, rabbits and squirrels dancing past their feet ahead of them into the shady building. Despite the small look of the outside, there were two floors. Downstairs held a modest kitchen, a dining table, a hearth and a little bed. Upstairs held another bed and a sewing area.

Next to the stove worked a small woman with blonde hair held back by a pink cloth. If Daichi looked at her a certain way, she sparkled. She turned around with a gasp and looked at Daichi, deep into his eyes, deep into his soul.

"No no no no! Not yet! It's not ready yet!" she said. Suga's hand clung tighter to his as he stepped forward to try to calm his guardian.

"Yachi this was the boy I was telling you about."

Yet still, she huffed and rang her hands together nervously, eyes flitting between Daichi and Suga. "Yes… but he's not supposed to be here yet. Not for another while yet!"

"Is it because the pie isn't done yet… we can come back later if you like?" Suga tried to appease her but Daichi felt a coldness seep into his bones. It wasn't working. He was going to wake up soon. He just knew it.

"Yes… I mean no… I mean… oh just be gone!"

-

If Daichi wasn't sure before, he was certain now. His dreams were trying to tell him something and that was he wasn't in control of his dreams. Was he being transported to somewhere else? What was happening?

As soon as he had changed his clothes and eaten, he ran to the library and hit the books. He had to climb some ladders and do some acrobatics to get to get some but eventually, Daichi had a sizable pile of books on the history of Miyagi's lost neighbour, Karasu.

Just what did she mean by not yet? What couldn't he do yet? See or speak to Suga? Spend time with him in his dreams? That just didn't feel right.

Daichi poured over the pages looking for any clue why admiring the beautiful illustrations of this lost place. The little villages bustling with life, the intricate fashions of the land. The market squares, the architecture. They all filled him with a sense of nostalgia and longing to go see what was there in person but the voice inside him, Yachi's voice told him that now was not the time. Not yet.

Then eventually after many hours of reading all he could, he stumbled upon a passage about the fall of Karasu. It told him about the curse Takeda described to him the day after his sixteenth birthday. The princess fell into a deep sleep and the kingdom fell. According to the book, many adventurers and treasure hunters had ventured into Karasu over the years but very few returned alive, or if they did they came back half mad. Daichi also read that after the fall, many princes tried to go to help but none came back. It was probably the reason Takeda told him everyone who went all died. There's no use trying to instil hope on a young man who will only do something dangerous and get himself killed.

But still… it felt like he needed to do something. If only he could figure out when.

And then Ukai stormed into the room, huffing and hollering for Daichi. He had forgotten about drills. He would need to think about this later.

But being a prince, a crown prince at that, later never came. His sleep was dreamless, he tried to find Suga there but there was nothing. The forest was empty of the little cottage and its two inhabitants. The animals disappeared, the sky grew darker and strange thorny plant life began to grow.

Then after three days, his father approached him with some news Daichi didn't want to hear. Daichi was to be married. To who or when they did not know but his portrait would be painted and sent out to eligible princes and princesses in hopes of a good match.

He was out of time. This was the final straw. The time for Daichi to act was now. This was the sign he needed, his growing nightmares only increased his determination.

So the next day, he told Asahi about his plan. He told him everything about the dreams, about Suga, the silver haired youth.

"You're crazy Daichi. Do you really think you'll find what you're looking for in a dead kingdom, with dead people, where you will probably die?!"

"I do. I know I have to do something. I'm not sure what it is but I won't know unless I go there."

Asahi sighed and stepped aside, letting Daichi go. "If you go now, you should be able to get a horse without anyone noticing. Please come back alive."

"I will. I promise."

And with that Daichi ran to his room, changed into his sturdiest clothes, a black and brown shirt and doublet to hide the dirt with black leather breeches that would be sturdy and protect his legs. He dug in the back of his wardrobe and grasped for a cloak and to his surprise, he pulled out the cloak from his dreams. A bright scarlet cloak, soft and sturdy. It would surely keep him warm on his travels.

After a sneaky trip down to the kitchens, he was ready. Asahi had done him the honour of saddling up his trusty steed Falada so all that he had to do was hook the pouch on and ride off to Saeko's to beg her for a sword and shield.

And beg he did. He got on his knees in front of the kingdom's blacksmith and begged her for a strong shield and a sturdy blade that she might have. He spilt his heart to her about following his dreams and his gut instinct, it almost left her speechless.

"Well… you sure do know how to tell a story to a gal," she said, pausing to think about what she had available in her arsenal right now. "Hmmm I tell you what princeling, you can take these two with you, and this dagger, just in case." She handed him over the dagger along with a sword and a shield with the kingdom's emblem on them. "And if you bring them back to me safe and sound with a good story to tell… I'll be happy."

So Daichi promised Saeko that he'd return safe, that he'd have a good tale to tell before riding east towards the edge of the kingdom where he met a deep dark forest on the borders. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath centring himself. If he took his time and was steady in his approach, he should be okay.

Falada was a wonderful steed, despite all the creepy noises, the screeching, the burbling, the eerie wind, he stood fast and carefully helped Daichi to find the safest path through the treacherous forest. Almost no light could get through the thick canopy and they had to avoid vines which threatened to hook around their throats and choke them. Bats swarmed and lizards snapped but still, they continued onwards through the darkness, using his shield and sword to protect them, until they reached the other side. Daichi knew that if he didn't dream about this place, he probably would have been lost forever. It was sad to see it in this state but he hoped that if he did what he was supposed to, the forest would return to its original beautiful state, the one Daichi knew and loved.

He didn't expect to come face to face with a seemingly endless wall of thorns. They were black thick things that locked together so tightly in an unbreakable weave. Daichi swore that in amongst the thorns he could see the bones and rusty swords and axes of lost adventurers who tried to traverse the treacherous wall.

"So what do I do now Falada?" he asked the horse. Despite his namesake, the horse did not reply and only snorted at him. Daichi sighed and dismounted. "You don't know either… but I have to get in there. There is no other way to find out what caused the forest to become like this."

Daichi shooed Falada away back to the edge of the canopy and began to approach the wall before he stopped. Something didn't feel right. The ground sloped downwards when it looked flat. Daichi looked down at his feet and found a pebble. He threw it shallowly towards the wall and to his amazement, the pebble did not reach the other side, instead of disappearing down into the ground. He listened to see if it would hit the bottom but there was no bottom. He marked on the ground where the chasm was likely to begin and then found another pebble to throw. This time he wanted to see where the other side of the chasm was so he continued to throw pebble after pebble until one did not fall in down at the other side. To his displeasure, the chasm was too wide for him to cross alone by merely jumping but if Falada jumped it… maybe they could do it.

"Alright Falada, I'm going to need us to jump over to where that rock is. If I give us enough build up do you think you could do it?"

Falada snorted and nuzzled Daichi's hand before Daichi mounted the horse. They rounded back towards the forest, as far as they could go without tripping over any roots or hitting any branches. Daichi pressed his body close to Falada's flank to try and make sure they built up as much speed as possible for their jump.

"Alright, Falada. I believe in you. You can do this," he murmured before gently tapping Falada's sides with his heels three times to make him gallop. Falada raced forward towards the edge. Daichi kept his eyes on the mark he made with his sword and as they came as close as they could Daichi kicked Falada's sides and they leapt into the air across the chasm. The enchantment faded away and Daichi could see the dark and treacherous pit that lay below. They seemed to fly as they cleared the drop, Falada's hooves making the touchdown on the ground with confidence. Daichi let out a cheer of delight as he petted Falada's mane.

"Good job! You did it! Now we just have to get past this wall of thorns and we will find out what this mess is all about."

Daichi leapt off Falada and unsheathed his sword and began to make work on the wall. He hacked and slashed and hacked and slashed some more, watching the branches fall and give way before they pulsed to life and gyrated to form a tighter knit, keeping Daichi locked out. He tried again and again, on different parts of the wall but to no avail.

"What do I have to do to get in here?!" he cried. "I just want to help, why won't you let me in?"

"Because there is magic at work Prince Daichi," came a voice from the air.

“Who are you?! Show yourself!”

“I can’t, I’m too weak to show myself,” replied the voice. “I am the fairy Yachi and I think we’ve met before.”

“In my dreams… but how are you talking to me? Why did you keep telling me ‘not yet’? Aren’t you supposed to be dead like all the others in the kingdom?”

“Dead? Pah! I’m a fairy. Not a very good fairy, I’m still in training… but I’m doing my best to fix this mess that was created. That’s where you come in!”

Daichi scrunched up his nose and sneezed as he felt something brush the tip of it before asking, “Why me?”

He could hear Yachi snort and guffaw at him, “If I knew I’d be able to bottle and sell it but the hundred years have passed. The curse should be weak enough now to crack it, you just need the right tools to do the job.”

“I have my sword and shield. Won’t these be enough?” He held them up as if to demonstrate his point.

“Yes… but not yet. Why else do you think you couldn’t get through the thorns? I just need to…” Daichi heard a fizzle in the air and then a pop before the sword and shield glowed. “There! All fixed. These should get you to where you need to go. Now… I can’t help you any more than this but I know you can do it Daichi. Follow your heart and you will find what you’re looking for.”

“What am I looking for Yachi? Follow my heart? What do you mean?” he asked but Yachi’s voice faded further and further away repeating over and over again to follow his heart.

Now it truly was all down to him. Daichi mounted Falada and faced the wall of thorns once more, took a deep breath and began his work of cutting them down to create a path. To his delight, bit by bit the wall gave way. Yachi’s magic worked and even when the thorns tried to grab at him and Falada, his shield batted them away as they tried to drag them to their doom.

They finally reached the other side and Daichi was met with not the scene of death and destruction that he had expected but a castle town fast asleep. As he rode through the town he could see people in tableaus of their daily lives but they had fallen asleep in the middle of it. Soldiers rested on their spears, bakers held their trays of bread as they slumped on the ground. A dog and a cat caught in a chase were resting together mid run on the ground. Everywhere, people were slumped over surfaces and on the ground fast asleep mid actions. It was a surreal and unnerving sight. They had been here for a hundred years, fast asleep, with only blankets of dust to cover them. Daichi went up to a soldier and snapped his fingers in front of his face, but there was nothing. They were unaging, unmoving and unwaking.

Daichi continued onwards steadfast towards the castle, following his gut. He remembered the story he heard the day after his sixteenth birthday, the one about the princess. In old stories, there was an ounce of truth. Maybe if he found the princess, he would find out what to do. For a moment Daichi worried that if he was successful in his mission he would be made to marry the princess. He didn’t want that. The thought of marrying a princess, no matter how wonderful they were, they didn’t make his heart race. By being here he was probably upsetting his parents if he refused the engagement he would disappoint them. That would be the worst thing of all. He didn’t want to disappoint his own kingdom or have the sleeping kingdom never wake.

Daichi instead let his thoughts drift to what he really desired as he entered the castle and made his way through the hallways. The boy from his dreams, Suga. He wondered about what it would be like to kiss him, to have a proper dance with him, to spend his life with him, getting to know him and becoming friends before something more. It made Daichi blush and sigh. Even if he woke the kingdom up, it was unlikely that he would ever find Suga. Or if he did would he even know who he was? Did he even exist?

Daichi had to step over servants and pages, taking care not to tread on any of them as he entered what seemed to be the throne room. Within the king and queen were fast asleep on their thrones, clutching at each other’s hands desperately as the curse hit them. It looked like they had just got the news of their daughter as a page was kneeling before them. The scene tugged at his heartstrings and made him realise that he had no choice. He wanted nothing more than for Suga to be real but it looked like he would have to give up on his impossible dreams for duty. He had to grow up. He had to become the prince his kingdom and Karasu needed.

He left the throne room and continued on his way through the castle, climbing stairs and peeking into rooms to see what he could find. He could see that this was a happy kingdom. The servants were well dressed and cared for. Everyone seemed to take pride in their work. The higher he climbed up the floors of the castle, the fewer people there were. He presumed these were the royal quarters but something told him that he wouldn’t find what he was looking for here. If he was a treasure hunter there would be so much to choose from but no jewel or gem could distract him from his task.

Higher and higher Daichi climbed, following his gut, following his heart up spiralling marble staircases until he reached the tallest tower in the castle. Daichi wasn’t sure what he expected to find behind the wooden door but it sure wasn’t a bedroom. Gorgeous cloth embroidered with silver and gold draped around to create starlight canopies. Wooden chests held books, clothes and trinkets galore. It was almost like a child’s hidden playroom. The kind of place where Daichi would have loved to make a secret hideout of as a child. Spacious windows let light into the circular room, perfect for seeing all the comings and goings in the kingdom. Perfect for star gazing. At the other end of the large circular room rested a bed, hidden to the world by curtains. Daichi knew that this was who he was looking for.

Daichi didn’t realize he was holding his breath as he went back to peel back the curtain before he heard a pair of hands clapping slowly. He turned to see a woman with raven black hair applauding him.

“Congratulations, you made it further than anyone else did. I’m sure you’re very proud of yourself but I am going to have to ask you to leave… out the window.” The woman threw her hand out in front of her and Daichi felt a blast pushing him towards one of the windows. He dug his feet into the ground and did his best not to be knocked out the window, to his death.

“Who are you? Did you do this?” he asked through gritted teeth as he stood steadfastly

“Yes I did boy, I was the one who cursed this wretched land to oblivion. I am the great fairy Kiyoko and you will now perish!” She blasted a red beam of magic out of her hands but Daichi raised his shield which absorbed it. He silently thanked Yachi as his shield absorbed blast after blast. He couldn’t keep deflecting though, he needed to attack, so he readied his sword and flew at her, trying to slash or pierce her skin. Not to kill but enough to subdue her so she would leave him alone.

But she only got angrier and angrier. Daichi dodged and parried everything he could get in quick hits where he could. He silently thanked Ukai for his training and Tanaka and Noya for being such good sparring partners. If he lived through this, he would be sure to do something nice for them. Kiyoko and Daichi were stuck in a dance of combat, a kind of stalemate with strikes not quite hitting as they took turn after turn around the room until Kiyoko’s blast caught his leg. To Daichi’s horror his foot was stuck to the ground like stone but still, he struggled and fought.

“Why don’t you give up?! What use is it to you to save this place?!” she screeched as Daichi deflected another red blast with his shield.

He managed to release his foot and stood next to the bed, gripping at the heavy curtain to help him. “Because I dreamed of how beautiful it could be. Because I dreamed of kind people here who need help because…”

“Your heart led you here. How quaint. Well, you will sleep forever like the rest of them as soon as you turn to stone! Give up Prince Charming, it’s time for you to take a nap.” Kiyoko wound her hands up in the air as she charged up a big blast, eyes glowing a wild red before hitting his legs again. The stone slowly travelled up his body. If he didn’t do something and quickly he would most likely die as soon as the petrification spell hit his heart. He could hear Yachi scream.

“GO FOR HER PENDANT! SHATTER IT DAICHI! I KNOW YOU CAN!”

So Daichi pulled the dagger he kept on his belt before the spell hit his waist. He looked at Kiyoko, took a deep breath and threw the knife, aiming at the chest, praying it would strike true. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. He heard silver bells with fizzles and pops as the knife sped towards her pendant, Yachi was probably helping in her own way. Daichi felt more sluggish as the stone travelled higher past his waist, but just before it hit his heart, the knife hit its mark and Kiyoko let out a horrific screech as she tumbled to the ground. Yachi appeared next to her to catch her, relief on her face.

“Thank you, Daichi! You saved us!”

“It’s no problem,” he said as he tried to move his waist, the rock fell off and disappeared in sparkles as he did so. He walked to the window and looked outside at the kingdom with the hope that by defeating Kiyoko that the kingdom would wake but everyone still slept. “Why isn’t anyone waking up? I broke Kiyoko’s spell.”

“Well… sort of?” Yachi began, her hands carding through the sleeping fairy’s dark hair. “It’s both of our spells really. Over a hundred years ago she found the pendant that you destroyed and it changed her. She disappeared for the longest time and then well… when she wasn’t invited to the birth of the royal child of Karasu, she snapped and came out of hiding to curse the child to die on their sixteenth birthday. I tried to do my best to stop it, I tried to make it better so that they’d only sleep but it would be horrible to wake up and have everyone you love dead around them so… I was the one who cursed the kingdom to sleep until someone… until you came along to free them.” She looked down and stroked Kiyoko’s hair. “I’m just happy to have her back. I missed her.”

“How do I break the spell? How do I wake everyone up?”

Yachi and Kiyoko began to fade in a haze of sparkles. Yachi smiled and giggled girlishly as she replied, “Like in the stories of course! True love’s kiss!” And then Daichi was on his own with only a curtain between him and the princess.

“True love’s kiss huh…” he muttered to himself as he drew back the curtain to look at the princess.

Except it wasn’t a princess at all. Daichi’s heart sighed “Oh… there you are! I’ve been looking for you, my love!” It was Suga, fast asleep without a care in the world. His thick eyelashes kissed his cheeks, his hair had grown longer than the last time Daichi saw it in his dreams and his lips. Oh, his lips looked so sweet and so kissable. And there was nothing stopping him, no pesky fairies telling him that it’s not the time, no fairies trying to kill him, no pressure from parents or friends. It was just him and Suga. So he sat down on the bed and willed his noisy heart to calm down before leaning down to gently, softly press his lips against Suga’s in a sweet kiss.

It was like the breath of life returned to Suga as Daichi leaned back as he breathed in, his eyes fluttering open to meet Daichi’s. A small look of confusion passed Suga’s features as he asked in a soft voice, “Have we met?”

Daichi smiled warmly and he grasped Suga’s hands in his own, “Yes… Don’t you remember? We met once upon a dream.”

Suga’s eyes widened and tears gathered at the corners as he removed his hands from Daichi’s to cover his mouth in a gasp. “So you were... I called for you. I looked for you for so long!” He pounced forward, to envelop Daichi in a warm embrace. “You came for me!” Suga cried before cupping Daichi’s face in his hands to draw him in for a sweet kiss and another and another and another. They kissed like they needed to breathe in one another to live. Daichi clung to Suga tightly after so long, after so many years of looking and searching for his sweet voice, to find him and now to be with him… the relief reduced him to a puddle of tears in Suga’s arms. Tears that Suga was happy to wipe and kiss away, stroking his hair and singing sweetly to soothe his brave hero.

“You did so well Daichi… I’m so proud of you. Thank you for saving me. For saving all of us.”

-

After spending a blissful afternoon in bed together, kissing and getting to know one another, responsibilities came knocking for both of the princes. Daichi had to return to his kingdom and spread the news of Karasu coming back to life. Suga had to help with the recovery of Karasu after lying dormant for a hundred years, especially seeing as he had very little training in comparison to Daichi on princely matters. Daichi quickly discovered that he spent almost his entire childhood being raised by Yachi in order to run from Kiyoko and that he’d only technically been in this castle for a day before falling under the curse from pricking his finger on the spinning wheel in his room.

Daichi had to beg to get the engagement to the princess cancelled. His father was incredibly reluctant but his mother saw it as an opportunity to reintroduce Karasu to the wider world and what better story would there be for the neighbours than their son dashingly rescuing an entire kingdom from eternal slumber? The kingdom was ecstatic, their brave prince rescuing pretty princes and defeating evil fairies, performing feats of heroism to do Miyagi proud. Noya and Tanaka took great joy at their heroic friend's dashing deeds and Ukai and Takeda were proud that their teachings had paid off. Saeko laughed at the stories quickly spiralling out of proportion. Asahi's blood-pressure only skyrocketed at the more fantastical tellings of the tale. The fairies transformed into dragons, the bottomless pits morphed into battles with giants for potions to melt the wall of thorns. Some say that Daichi scaled the wall of thorns with his bare hands to launch himself over the top of it in a mighty feat of strength and bravery.

But Daichi and Suga knew the truth. And on a glorious sunny day, they met once again in the forests of Karasu to get the dance they always dreamed of. Suga serenaded his true love as they waltzed over the wildflowers, their steps light and airy. But that didn’t stop Yachi or Kiyoko from interfering as they used their magic to augment the couple’s experience. Music could be heard drifting through the air as they were swept off their feet, dancing through a cloudy dreamscape, laughing all the while at how much fun they were having. Just being together, just dancing together after all this time was such sweet bliss. A dance a hundred years in the making. Daichi did his best not to trod on Suga’s toes as they turned and twirled and stared into each other eyes, completely and utterly in love. They didn’t need Yachi or Kiyoko to bring the special effects or the sparkle, just being with one another was magical enough. If they were together they could do anything, their love was more powerful than any curse and had the power to transcend time and space. Their dance ended in a loving kiss before they tumbled into a bed of wildflowers and into their happily ever after.

The End