Chapter Text
The orange light of sundown in Hasetsu caught the red bead threaded on a white cord that hung on Yuri's wrist as he played with it. Laid out on the tatami with his long hair spread out he examined the symbol engraved on the bead's surface. Beautiful and strange he wondered what it meant and why it turned up. Finding it in his pocket a few hours after becoming friends with Otabek. Worried one of his well meaning fans had snuck it in there Yuri didn't give the bracelet a second glance before shoving it into one of his bags in his hotel room. Forgetting about it completely the next day felt off, his anger quicker to boil over with an unusual vicious undercurrent. At breakfast Yuri accidentally snapped at Otabek, he couldn't even remember why just one moment they were talking and the next he'd let loose a tirade of pure venom. Ashamed he ran away and tried to keep moving through the day, eventually giving up. Locked inside his room Yuri paced to and fro, some how on autopilot he started to tear through his bags until he found the bracelet. Putting it on a wave of calmness spread through him. The next day he apologised sincerely to Otabek without an ounce of Yuri's normal prickly demeanour, even offering a cursory sorry to anyone else who'd ended up in his war path. Whatever the fuck the bracelet was made of made him want to try and bridge the gaps with people he used to deem useless.
Which had landed Yuri here back in Japan to help Katsudon pack so he could move to Russia. Yuri thought Viktor used to be insufferable before but now engaged to the pig he'd become a soppy bastard. Trying to get anything productive done with Viktor whining Yuuuri every five minutes was impossible. While he shoving clothes into a box he heard a commotion happening behind him, turning around to find Viktor pouncing at Yuuri and kissing him. Closer inspection showed a sheath of posters spread out on the floor, all with the old man's face. Oh great like Viktor needed more validation that the pig adored him. When Yuuri started to reciprocate quite enthusiastically Yuri gave up and escaped into the Katsuki's family living room to contemplate what had he done wrong in life to be stuck with those two assholes. Rubbing his eyes Yuri didn't notice the hallway door slide open, a person poked their head through and stood still. Brown eyes watched fondly at the scene before breaking the silence.
“Yuri, my mother wanted to know if you wanted some tea-” Yuuri quickly stopped when he noticed the bracelet. Stepping into the room fully he exclaimed “Oh a Lotis word, I didn't know you could use them.”
Sitting up in an instant Yuri stared at the other man confused. Only working out what he meant when Yuuri pulled up a sleeve and showed off a identical bracelet. “ Lotis what? You know what this freaky thing means,” he gestured at the accessory with his arm. Yuuri moved towards the free space next to Yuri and lowered himself down.
“Maybe, I never studied them too closely so knowledge is limited. I can show you the ones I have if you want?”
“Why not, you're already here and you might have the same one as me anyway”
Bringing up his wrist to Yuri's eye level Yuuri began to go through his five beads “Okay this one is Sama meaning path, next is Ruta or persevere after that is Rangu also known as courage than its Riiya or barrier in English terms and finally Iru , double meaning of fire and passion,” Once Yuuri got to each one he held it under the slowly fading light to show off the symbols engraved on them.
Yuri shook his head “Nah, none of them look like mine,” mirroring Yuuri's action he pushed his wrist under the other skater's nose to let him have a look.
Examining it closely the pig smiled softly and replied “How lucky, its San . It represents friendship, may I ask when you found it”
“Day before the Grand Prix, I found it in my pocket”
“Well do you know if anything meaningful happened.”
Yuri mentally went over the events of that day until he remembered being accosted by his angels then rescued by Otabek. If it meant friendship than the only conclusion was him accepting Otabek's offer probably had something to do with it. Not like every day someone saves you on a motor bike than compliments you over something dumb that happened years ago. Blushing Yuri made himself smaller by bringing his knees up to his chin and hugging his legs. Yuuri with a knowing look seemed to have understood without a word his realization, his red face a confirmation. Anger welled up inside Yuri, he hated it when people assumed they understood him, like they knew the storm swirling around his head most days. An urge came over him to lash out, to hurt the well meaning person beside him. Unable to stop himself Yuri found himself speaking.
“Can't you leave me alone for once, I don't see what Viktor sees in you honestly. Sometimes I wish you weren't here.”
The words fell out of his mouth like he wasn't the one controlling them, full of vitriol and hate Yuri didn't normally have in him. Immediately he regretted what he said as guilt pooled in his gut. Slowly Yuuri stood up while the younger skater tried to apologise, his voiced trapped in his throat. A void of nothingness materialized by the hallway door, a black fog swirling out of it. The light drained from Yuuri's eyes as his face became a blank mask.
His mouth mechanically began to move and a low depressed voice chattered,“I'm sorry for being a nuisance. Guess I can't help but mess up I mean you're right what does Viktor see in me. I'll go now before I do anything else wrong.” Turning his back to Yuri he walked towards the void and let it envelope him.
Yuri blinked and then everything seemed to go back to normal. The room appeared fine, nothing out of place except for the absence of Yuuri. Tears began to stream down his face as he tried to make sense of what happened. It must have been a hallucination from the sleep deprivation or he ate something that didn't agree with him. People just don't vanish out of nowhere, maybe Yuri made up the entire last few minutes and Katsudon would be with Viktor. Taking a in a few deep breathes he forced himself to not have a panic attack as the feeling of wrongness over took him. Scrabbling off the floor Yuri slid the hallway door with a bang and ran to Viktor's old room. At this point seeing the two of them making out was preferable to the dread making its home in his abdomen. Barging in Yuri just found Viktor pottering about with his belongings without a care in the world. Collapsing onto the floor Yuri had expected to find Yuuri cuddling up to Viktor, being the lovey dovey idiots he loathed to admit he cared about.
Noticing him Viktor turned around, his usual grin faltering when he saw Yuri's face. Dropping the books in his hands he rushed to the younger skater, worrying overtaking his normally delicate features. “Yura what's wrong? Please tell me,” Viktor asked not even bothering with the stupid nickname and instead used the one he'd called Yuri last year as rinkmates.
“Yuuri's gone,” he managed to whimper out, not caring if he sounded pathetic.
“What do you mean gone, like to the ice rink, to the shop. You need to be more specific than that”
“Like fucking gone. We were talking and I shouted at him but not like how I usually am, it had more nastiness behind it. Afterwards he looked so downtrodden then he disappeared into thin air.”
“This is not good, the last few days he's been on edge from the move. I'm sure if you say sorry he'll understand. Come let's go look for him, he can't have gone to far.” Helping Yuri up off the floor the two of them separated to get ready to go search.
Leaving the warmth of the inn for the darkened streets of Hasetsu Yuri and Viktor stayed close to each other for comfort. The air thick with gloom, a cold wind bit at the two men. Even though both of them were Russian they found themselves wrapping their coats tighter as they found the once happy streets of the town unwelcoming. Desperately Viktor started to call for Yuuri while Yuri scanned every road they went past. Any passer bys were few and far between and interrogated fully if they'd seen the skater, all of them shaking their heads and replying no. Outside Minako's dance studio they found it dark and empty, hopelessness started to set in. Where could Yuuri have gone without telling anyone at the inn, without someone noticing him walk by. Viktor tried desperately to remain calm, his fiancé left all the time whenever his anxiety got to bad. A traitorous voice at the back of his head unhelpfully adding not like this, not without a note. Viktor's worried thoughts went into overdrive, coming up with horrific scenarios on what happened to Yuuri, each one worse than the last. A solitary tear rolled down his cheek, giving into the fear within. A sharp tug broke him out of it as Yuri started to drag him forward and Viktor let him. Not stopping until they made it somewhere familiar.
Outside Minako's bar they stood for several minutes, the lights on the sign beckoning to come in yet neither Viktor or Yuri could find the strength to take the few steps to go inside. The pull of remaining in their despair to great. Finally Viktor broke the stalemate by pushing open the door and entering. Minako had her back to them as she went about counting glasses for opening. Viktor strode forward with Yuri trailing a few steps behind notifying her to their presence. Facing them Minako gave him a piercing gaze, taking in both his ruffled clothes and tear stains on his face. Without a word she took out a shot glass and filled it with the vodka she acquired specially for Viktor who dropped himself onto a barstool and knocked it back.
“Judging by how bad you look someone has had a fight with their brand new fiancé”
“Wish it was that but we can't find Yuuri, we were hoping you'd seen him”
“He told me he was taking a few days off to pack so no,” Minako replied ignoring Viktor for a moment to appraise Yuri, hood up he seemed to fold in on himself while slight rocking back and forth. Bring attention to him she asked “Yurio what happened, come on tell me”
For a moment it seemed her question would remain unanswered than the floodgates broke, Yuri hysterically babbled “I didn't mean it to happen. With all this crap going on things got to me and I lashed out. It's not even like they were my words they just forced themselves out of my mouth. I really didn't want Yuuri to go.”
Slamming her hand down on the counter Minako made both of them jump “Yurio give me the exact details on what happened. For Yuuri's sake it's important you don't leave anything out”
Yuri began to recount what occurred only an hour ago, starting with the strange bracelet. Explaining that Yuuri found him messing with it and showed he had one too. When he got to the part where he snapped and said some very horrible things he broke down. Sobbing quietly Viktor comforted as Minako poked at him to continue. Finishing his story with Yuuri vanishing into a hole of darkness. Grabbing a second glass Minako poured herself a glass of the clear liquid and drank it in one gulp.
“This is bad, really really bad.”
“How bad and does it have anything to do with Yura's strange bracelet cause” Viktor showed off his wrist with a flourish and presented an identical trinket to Yuri's.
“Well congrats you both can use Lotis words. Why am I not surprised two new people gained the gift after spending years searching for more masters.” Minako started to hunt underneath the bar while Viktor and Yuri tried to understand what she just said. Finding it she brought out an old cardboard box and emptied it onto the counter. Three wooden boxes were put to one side while Minako placed a book and chart with the same odd symbols on each bracelet. She then went into a long winded explanation on the Lotis and how it came to be. Its use in helping people and the history behind the words. The original master Lotsan had ten disciples and one of them went rogue perverting the practice by creating their own dark words that took power from the blackness within humanity's hearts. Something that still plagued people today.
Viktor interrupted her as she went over each symbol and what it represented, “So you're saying we have magical powers,” he sounded like he didn't believe everything he was just told. Even after being shown Minako's sixteen Lotis beads and her filling up a glass with water she conjured after saying one of them.
“In a way yes,” exasperated Minako answered, annoyed at her authority being questioned.
“How does this tie in with Yuuri's disappearance and Yura's involvement again?” Viktor asked.
“Yurio accidentally used the Maram words and sent him into the inner darkness of his heart,” Minako curtly replied. Yuri continued paced from end of the bar to the other whispering under his breath that it was all his fault.
Minako tried to sooth the youth by saying “Don't beat yourself up about it Yuri, this was always a when it would happen not an if. Yuuri's fears have run deep for many years, even after he learnt a few Lotis words he could never shake them off. Last year I honestly believed the Maram monsters would consume him last year after he failed the Grand Prix, Viktor actually saved him when things were turning critical. It's why the two of you will need to go into Yuuri's heart and defeat his demons before they devour him whole”
the last bit Minako had told them perked Yuri's attention yelling “Wait why the fuck do we have to go, you seem to know more than us”
“I can't, last year I tried and he blocked me out. Only the people closest to him will be able to enter and that's you two”
Before Yuri could make a retort Viktor stopped him to reply “We'll do it, can you please recite the words we have to say to get in again?”
“ Na Sadaru Lotis Raan but you need to be somewhat physically close to him for it to work.”
“Don't worry Yura, I know where he is” a smile went across of Viktor's face, Yuuri was easy to predict after all. Grabbing the chart of symbols he exited the bar, not even waiting for the other skater to follow him.
With purpose Viktor walked quickly towards the one other place Yuuri would go when upset, the Ice Castle. Yuri out of breath was trying to keep up with the older man's pace, wishing his legs would finally grow so he could catch up. Night had finally settled in, the sky filled with a blank mass of clouds blocking out the moon and stars. Yuri thought over how Viktor received the bead Utei , the banquet Yuuri couldn't recall had given his idol an awaking long needed to pursue more in life than just figure skating. Which is what Utei meant, to either awaken or see. Much better than goddamn friendship anyway. Viktor stopped suddenly causing Yuri to bump into him and fall on his ass. As he was about to let out a tirade of anger he realized they were at the ice rink. Grumbling he picked himself up and waited to see what Viktor would do. Sensibly he went and tried the glass doors, finding them locked tight. Leaving him to try and pry open the door Yuri circled around the building, looking for another way in. Every loose window or door refused to budge, all stuck fast as if something glued them shut. Back at the front Viktor had also given up, resting against the glass he waited for Yuri.
“No luck, everything is shut tight.”
“Yuuri's in there, I can feel him. We're at the right place,” ever since they arrived Viktor had heard his fiancé call to him. Not in words but with music, Stammi Vicino played quietly inside. “Now let's say the words and hope it works.” Viktor closed his eyes and concentrated, in duet the two skaters recited Na Sadaru Lotis Raan. Nothing happened than their bodies shifted. The sensation of travelling a miles without taking a step overtook him. Opening his eyes Viktor found himself somewhere new but familiar. Yuri and him were at the Inn.