Flor didn't think very highly of the bar. It reminded her of the way her kitchen smelled before she and Joe cleaned it; body scents combined with sour-sweet rotting beverages. The floor was sticky to walk on, and Flor felt like her new shoes were deteriorating by the second. Worst though were the people. The diversity was nearly identical to that of outside the resort - every age, hairstyle, body shape, and color scheme of being was present, even some that didn't appear human. However, the looks on their faces were all the same, generally content but foggy in the eyes. The only consolation she felt in this environment was that Yenri and Joe seemed familiar here.
The four were sitting at the front in barstools. Yenri was between Flor and Ryo, and Joe was positioned on the opposite side of Flor. They were each situated with their own beverages - Joe with a martini, Yenri with a shot glass, Ryo with a bottle of beer, and Flor with an elaborate ice cream sundae. Save for Flor, they were all happily consuming their drinks. Flor couldn't get over the sticky grossness of the barstool, or the fact that the milk in her shake was a tad bit too sour-scented, or that the neon across the walls was hurting her eyes.
"So," said Joe, "You took your cookie out of your sundae and just ate that by itself?"
She nodded.
Joe sighed. "Wasted. And not the good kind."
Yenri finished her third shot glass. She didn't appear to have any adverse effects. "Fu-chyeo, do you want a different sundae?"
Flor blinked, frozen. Her eyelids were a bit jittery.
Yenri took Flor's hand and gently rubbed her right shoulder. "I know something that should cheer you up."
Ryo winced. Only Joe seemed to notice.
Yenri placed a hand on the bar surface. She cast her eyes to the side towards Ryo. He wasn't looking at her. Then, she moved the hand on the desk in an odd way. Flor stared at it, unsure what to make of it. Then, Yenri let out a smile. "Check behind you."
Flor turned around, her heart beating quickly for just a moment. Surely enough, in the same bar as them, appeared to be Shinjidai Mirai. She had the same braid and bushy bangs, black and white color scheme, tie, skirt, and checkered mark printed on her face – something like a diamond split into four squares, the ones on the top and bottom dark and the two on the sides a bright white. However, her excitement soon faded, and her face slumped just a bit. She remembered the pack from earlier and knew that this was just another one of them, and surely nothing good could come from that.
The girl walked over, bowing towards Yenri. Yenri stood up out of her barstool and bowed back.
"Shinjidai-schi," she whispered.
"Pinku-schi," replied the girl, chuckling a bit, "And guests."
"Fu-chyeo, this is the real Shinjidai Mirai," whispered Yenri. Then, she held a finger against her mouth and shot a glare towards Flor as if to tell her, 'Don't say anything.'
The girl pulled out her identification card, and surely enough, she was the legitimate Mirai. Her picture and name were clearly stated on the front.
Joe sipped from his martini. "Charmed to meet you, Master."
Flor froze, but in an instant got out of her barstool. Yenri winced. Flor bowed as low as she could; in fact, she bowed so low that she tripped, falling on her face.
Mirai chuckled. "Cute. And.." She turned to Yenri, "You're Yenri, now?"
Yenri nodded. Flor got up, feeling disgusted that the whole front of her body was lightly coated in whatever sticky, stale material was on the bar floor. Her face turned tomato red and she returned to her seat, burying her head in her folded arms, embarrassed. Yenri didn't look to her but rubbed her shoulder sympathetically.
"Right. I got your message. I'm sorry that I haven't responded yet; I've had a lot on your plate. But I'm glad you're in this bar right about now, because you're about to be treated in a few minutes."
Ryo clenched his beer bottle. "Leave us alone."
Mirai stepped over to him. "You're their client, right? Shinjidai Mirai. And your name?"
"Ryo Sato," he replied, clenching his fists so hard his beer bottle was nearly cracking under the stress. "It's an honor to meet you, Master Mirai."
She nodded. "How about I make you a deal?"
His teeth were exposed, and his pace of speech was slow. "I'm tired of paintings screwing me over. Y-You sound exactly like her. And you," he pointed at Yenri, "You sent my music off to bloody Shinjidai Mirai?"
Mirai put her hands on her hips. "I take it you're not a fan. I'm a cute girl, guys like you are supposed to go crazy about me."
Grabbing the handle of his beer bottle in his teeth, he bit it off, spitting it off onto the counter. Then, he drank the rest of the beer in a single gulp, seemingly unphased by the glass.
The bartender came up, handed him another beer, and then finally made eye contact with Yenri and Mirai. "May I help you ladies to a shot on the house, down the bench?"
Mirai nodded. "Absolutely."
Joe stayed behind. However, Flor, Yenri, and Mirai scooted down about ten seats, near the end of the bar. He poured Yenri another shot, getting Mirai fixed with a cup of coffee and Flor with another cookie. Flor made sure to sit right next to Mirai, nervously eating her cookie.
The bartender leaned in, speaking quietly. Then, he bowed. "It is an honor to meet you, Mirai-chyeo." He peeked down the table to make sure no eye contact was headed his way. "Enjoy anything you want on the house."
Mirai sipped her drink. "I will." Then, she snapped her fingers, and a small bubble appeared around the four. Flor couldn't help but poke it - it was far too enticing. "Speak as loudly as you like."
He nodded. "How much of Sato-schi do you ladies know?"
Yenri downed her shot, her face unphased. "I'm his Tetsudai."
He clicked his tongue. "You deserve better, Pinku-schi. Good luck getting any kind of deal through with that man." The bartender got himself a beer, opening it and taking a sip. "He's an ex-member of the Ryonogun. Had Shogun status. Used to be a big name in here. Still has Dragon rights. Don't know why. We keep trying to talk him into getting a wipe, but my theory? He needs a reason to feel bitter."
"What's your advice, then?"
"He has nothing to be proud of. He used to have a decent rank in the military. He claims to like music. Hates pop, really doesn't like Mirai-chyeo." He pointed to Mirai.
She cleared her throat. "Mirai-schi. I deserve your respect."
"Of course. Mirai-schi. My apologies: I am a huge fan. Have a good evening," and then, he left the three to their own, taking care of people down the line.
Mirai smiled and nodded. She pulled a pen out of her hair, signing a napkin and leaving it for the bartender. "Compliments are tired." Then, she turned Yenri. "I'd like to see you on tour," said Mirai, "it could do really, really well, but you're getting the last slot, and you know what that means."
Yenri took a sharp breath. "Competition."
Flor could tell something was bothering her. She leaned in, whispering, " is that a good thing ? "
She smiled. "We'll be fine. You'll have fun. I saw you singing back at the resort. You did well."
Flor blushed.
Mirai smiled. "She's so cute, that Flor girl. Just a doll. You keeping an eye on her? She has no idea what's going on and that's probably for the best."
Yenri nodded. "Of course." Then, she pointed down the table at Ryo. "What do I do about it?"
"How hard of a nut is he to crack?" Mirai slapped her glass down especially hard, trying to get the bartender's attention by leaning in and making eye contact.
"He's the most ryoshi-like ryoshi I've ever met."
Mirai laughed. "You've got a few chances to make this work, I don't know anyone more talented at this sort of thing than you. Stop by my castle this evening and we'll make something happen."
She lifted a finger. "One chance. Likely just one."
. . .
The walk from the bar to the tube station was tense. Everyone was quiet, as Ryo's sullen expression set the mood. Yenri walked smugly behind him, a slight smile on her face, as did Joe. But Flor felt a tad conflicted. She had finally met her idol – she was able to sit right next to the girl from the catalog, but she felt smaller than she ever had. Mirai had been nice, but.. perhaps dismissive of her? And she could still feel the gross.. whatever it was.. from the floor of the bar. And then there was Ryo. No matter what happened, Ryo and Yenri were in direct opposition. Flor thought back to what Yenri had said, about their situation being a bad one and how she was a child with a curse. But nonetheless she had begun to fantasize a future in which Ryo was smiling.
When the four got out of the transportation tube, they were presented with a walkway. It was shaped like a long, stone path that sloped gently over and around green hills, nestled amongst sakura trees. Flor couldn't help but kneel and rub her hands against it - pleasantly surprised that it had the texture of satin. She could feel the sweet smell of the sakura trees in the wind that mildly tousled her hair over her shoulders. Surely this was the gentlest place in the world.
"Fu-chyeo," asked Yenri, "You coming?"
She looked up. Ryo was already far ahead of them, his head down as if he were ploughing through the soup-thick fog. Yenri and Joe were standing there, waiting behind for her. She held out her hands, and Joe and Yenri each took one. Then, they began to walk down the path together.
Joe was attempting to take sips from a bottle as he walked, one hand occupied by Flor. "This is different. The first time he's gone somewhere that wasn't his house or the bar in.. something like years. Besides the mall, of course, but we all knew that."
"You can't fix ryoshi," sighed Yenri, speaking almost silently. "Far too volatile."
Ryo was stepping farther and farther ahead of them, now to the point that there were almost ten feet between him and the three. That's when Yenri stopped walking.
Flor turned to her, blinking. " is everything alright, yenri-schi ? "
She smiled, taking off her hoodie. "I have something to show you." She waved her hands in the air, and the hoodie began to expand in size. She laid it on the ground. "You two sit down first."
"I like you," chuckled Joe, getting down on the hoodie.
Flor sat down in-between them. " why is - "
And then she knew. Surely enough, like an invisible string was pulling her from her chest, the three were gently pushed forwards. Flor grabbed onto the hoodie, acting as if it were a plush sled, and as if gravity were irrelevant, they sled upwards.
"Joshu can't stray farther than a certain distance from their clients," explained Yenri, "Or an invisible force pushes us."
Flor blinked. She looked upward towards the sky, once again taken aback by the sheer overwhelming beauty above her. The sky was a rich obsidian black, tinted in some places to almost a dark orchid, dotted with thousands upon thousands of tiny stars. Planets of blue and green hung in the sky the size of her head, some with rings, some without. Just like she had been shown in the transportation tubes, the Magic Penguin Train was puffing its way from world to world, leaving a track and a trail of smoke behind it. She felt an overwhelming sense of warmth.
But then she looked down to Ryo. He was still ploughing through the air as if he were an ox. Even from the back, Flor knew that his face was likely low and heavy, his eyes shrouded by his own hair. Nothing about Ryo made sense.
" joe-schi , yenri-chyeo , " she asked, " why... why is ryo-schi so sad ? "
"Me," laughed Joe, "He has to put up with me."
Yenri thought for a moment, but quickly raised her eyes to face Flor. "...Fu-chyeo, I'd like to give you an example."
Her eyes turned to face her older sister. " yes ? "
"This is a fable. Not all of it is true, but it will help you understand. You have one mind. It makes decisions impulsively, but it can be trained. Once it is trained, it acts a certain way. Reliably. Repeatedly. And if it is bad, it can be replaced. But ryoshi... ryoshi have two, and the stronger one is the one you see. That's a problem, because even if the good one is in control, the evil one is still dangerous, and if the bad one is in control..." She glared at Ryo.
"You can't kill 'em because there might still be hope," finished Joe, sipping some more of his drink. "And then there are other little details, but Yenri here did a phenomenal job of summing it up."
Flor pondered this quietly to herself for a moment. " while i still do not understand , i feel as if i am closer ."
Up in the distance was a structure, and upon seeing it, Flor knew that her beautiful surroundings were merely a backdrop. It was a castle of sorts, constructed of wood and nearly tall enough to touch the sky. It had slanted roofs and a multi-storied structure that looked like something you might find on a desk or a shelf. All the numerous windows shone with just a hint of light, mirroring the sky. It was as if the closer they came to it, the taller it became, which is why Flor didn't quite notice it behind the cherry blossom trees. Numerous balloons filled the sky, floating and glowing playfully around the top of the structure. Soft music played through the air, like a scent in the breeze.
But something wasn't quite right.
Yenri's face sobered up. She tilted her head a bit, quietly casting her eyes to the side as if there was something just out of her eyesight. "You need to sleep."
Flor's eyes widened. " is everything alright ? "
She put one hand on Joe and Flor's heads. Then, she began to whisper something under her breath. Joe leaned back a bit, confused, but didn't remove his head from her hand.
"Do I have your permission?" asked Yenri.
"Sure, why not?" said Joe with a hint of uncertainty.
Flor thought something similar but didn't say anything. The moment she did so, she felt her eyes roll back into her head involuntarily. She then felt herself lifting off the ground, and then all was black.
As she was in the void, she thought she heard a horde of people closing in. A sword unsheathed. A creature roared. Fire. Screaming.
Quiet.
When she came to, she was in the center room of a cozy structure; a light house that barely imposed itself on the nature surrounding it. Each of the sliding doors was open, letting a strong breeze pass through the building. The walls were nothing more than paper, and the floors were nothing more than wood with rice pads. She was on the floor, on her knees, blinking rapidly.
On the other side of the room was Joe, equally as confused. He stood up. "You think we're dream sharing? What do you think she's doing out there?"
Flor stood up and left the house. Right outside the house was a small garden, irrigated with a stream and surrounded by tall trees. Right outside of her immediate near vision were clouds, and as with her previous dream, she assumed that she must have been on a floating island.
" i don't know , " she replied, " but i feel as if someone is hurt in the real world . "
She stepped over to the end of the garden, letting her legs hang over the edge of the island. Surely enough, there was nothing but clouds and sky above and below her, her hands holding onto the grass to give her some peace of mind.
Joe appeared behind her, arms crossed. "You're gonna fall off if you sit that close to the edge."
" i would like to feel the clouds under my feet . " Something about the lack of earth beneath her feet felt calming and helped get her mind off whatever was going on outside.
His arms still crossed, he peered over the edge. "You know, I'd really recommend that you pull your legs back."
She slowly pulled her legs back. " what do you mean , joe-schi ? "
That's when she scraped her leg against what sounded like a tree root. Or at least she thought it was before it wrapped around her leg.
She froze, gripping onto the grass behind her even tighter. Her breathing accelerated.
Joe closed his claw hands around her arms and began to tug away from the edge. "KICK, DAMN IT!"
Flor began to start crying, kicking her legs. They heard a cracking noise, and then her legs were free. She never got more than a passing glimpse of whatever had her ankle, but whatever it was, it was dark and vaguely resembled a hand.
Letting go, Joe stood up, laughing. "Sorry about that. Heh. Probably she just a root."
Flor was frozen. It didn't feel like a root. She thought back to her previous dream. Yenri's warning was bouncing around in the echo chamber of her mind, increasing in ominousness.
The world's noises began to jumble, like fruit in a blender. Flor began to spin, getting sick to her stomach, and in a flash, she woke up. She was back to the pathway. Yenri was there, as was Ryo, at the foot of Shinjidai Mirai's grand castle. The two looked exhausted, but at peace. Joe and Flor got up, shaken but unharmed.
Yenri snatched Flor's shoulders. "Do you feel fine?"
Her breathing was rapid. " what is going on ? "
She smiled after a moment. "There is no reason to worry. You will be fine."
Flor took a moment to examine Ryo's face. He was breathing hard as if he had just finished running a marathon. The tips of his hair were singed, turning them a deep graphite black. He kept looking to Yenri, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know quite how to word it. He walked over to the front door of the castle, knocking on it and stepping back, crossing his arms. "We made it. After you."