Iridescent Spider
Chapter 1
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Legend has it in the meiji era, there was a flower that bloomed in the forests of Mt. Fuij. The beauty of it was incomparable to the radiant diamond or the most priceless trinket. People longed to see this flower but those brave enough to venture into the forest depths find themselves at the base of the mountain by nightfall. Rumors were made, speaking talk that only one of pure heart and lacked greed would find the clear path to the flower of legend. This legend carried on for decades, eventually reaching to the modern age where technology ruled supreme. Elders who carried the story told their grandchildren and the children speak of it among friends, wondering how to see such a rare flower.
Of course, a story like this hadn't gone unnoticed by one certain boy...
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"Hey, Jinpachi! You ever hear the story of the flower of Mt. Fuji?"
Violet hues glanced over to his friend, his bike that was affectionately named "Super Shopping Cart" sitting against the wall of his home as the two were prepared to ride off at his friend's request. "That's just a silly rumor old people tell to scare you." he retorted. "It isn't! I swear! Come on! Let's go up there and see it for ourselves!" A pale face pulled an expression of horror. "Are you crazy!? I can't ride up there on my bike! It's long, the day is hot and I'll sweat!" he complained.
"Jinpachi!"
"Shuusaku!"
The two stared at each other, waiting for one to back down before the other boy finally relented. "Fine, I'll go up there myself. The climb shouldn't be bad at all. If I see it and get a picture, I'll never show it to you!"
"Then how will you prove to me it's real then?" Jinpachi questioned, crossing his arms. Shuusaku puffed his cheeks before giving a huff as he took his bike and tottered off. "I'll figure out something but for now, I'm going to go see that flower!" Jinpachi watched as his friend mounted his bike and took off for the mountain. He looked up to the bright, cloudless sky, the sun beaming down harshly on the town of Hakone. He groaned, knowing full well he couldn't let his best friend ride off to Mt. Fuji and somehow get himself lost or hurt or caught by some random weirdo. He would be in so much hot water for it. With a tentative sigh, he took his bike, hopped on and rode silently after his friend a distance away.
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In said mountains, about halfway up from the highest point where the street divided the forest in two, a petite child ran across the brush, arms laden with items. His round glasses were askew on his face as he sweated bullets carrying his burden but aside from that haggard appearance, he had a wide smile on his face. He reached the guardrail to the road and looked both way to make sure no cars were venturing up before hopping over with ease, scampering across the hot asphalt before hopping over the second guardrail. Continuing his rapid cadence, he ran through the other side of the forest and when he got close to his destination, he began to call out a name.
"Makishima-san! Makishima-san! I've brought items for us!"
In the sunlit clearing, there was a modest little shack pleasantly equipped with everything necessary for quiet living in the forest. A pond rested close by and starry-eyed as always, the young bespectacled boy watched the figure that lounged by the shore on his usual perch. Emerald green locks streaked with hints of red shone brilliantly in the light of the warm sun, almost reflecting like the shell of a jewel beetle. A yukata of flowing hues of green made a stark contrast to the pale skin of the other male as the figure turned to face the boy. "Sakamichi, you've returned. What did you find?"
He blinked quickly and shook himself out of his revere before holding out the things he had. "I managed to catch some fish from the river! And collected some berries! Tadokoro came up too so we have fresh bread!" The male smiled before standing, dusting off the shimmering silk before walking over, planting a hand on the smaller's head. "Good job, Sakamichi. Now go on and put everything away and you can make yourself a slice of bread and jam after running so long." With a quick nod, he headed inside to place everything away as he was told. The other male hummed, closing his eyes as a soft summer breeze flitted past him. The sounds of birds chirping and bugs clicking floated with the wind and he couldn't be more at peace than he was now.
Makishima let out a soft breath as he opened deep blue pools. "Things are changing...people are getting braver to come up to find me...but alas we spirits can't make too much contact with the modern world not under our pact." he murmured quietly as he closed his eyes again, emerald hair swaying in the wind.
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Shuusaku was way ahead of Jinpachi, looking up from the base of the mountain with a huge grin on his face. Reaching into his pocket, he took out his phone and checked to make sure the camera was ready to go. "Camera, check. Bike, check. Mountain forest, definitely check. Now time to go find that flower..."
"Hold it child! Are you thinking of looking for the so called "flower"?!" An aged voice yelled from the side of the road, making Shuusaku jump and near tumble off his cross bike in fright of the sudden voice. An elder man walked up to him, cane in hand and swinging. "That there is no flower to look for! Up there is a demon! An ayakashi that, if deem interested in your looks, will steal you away forever!" Shuusaku blinked while Jinpachi rolled up beside him. "A demon? Man what is with these stories..." Jinpachi muttered, making Shuusaku fall over this time.
"Jinpachi! I thought you weren't coming!"
"Well I'd get in trouble if something happened to you..."
"You boys get out of here! The forests of Mt. Fuji aren't for the weak or simple-minded." Shuusaku huffed in annoyance as he went to get up before looking to Jinpachi. "Well you don't believe in that so there's no way you'd get ruffled by this old geezer..."
"Mind your tongue, boy!"
"Yeah, sure. I'll bet we'll come back down unharmed and completely fine." he proclaimed, getting back onto his bike and began the long climb up the mountain. Jinpachi shrugged and went to follow after him. "You are fools to not heed my warning of the ayakashi that lurks there so it will be on you of the danger you suffer at its hands!" The elder called as he watched their backs. "See, I knew you wouldn't get ruffled by him." Shuusaku spoke happily. Jinpachi only huffed. "You're gonna owe me big, Shuusaku! I'm sweating like a pig and messed up my good shirt!" he whined.
Shuusaku only hummed as if he didn't hear him as they continued up the mountain in silence. A few cars drove by leisurely but hardly made any move to stop the two boys' incline. Shuusaku continued to pedal in earnest while Jinpachi followed behind him quietly, looking towards said forest in wonder and pondered if the old man was actually right in his inane stories. Japan was always a historic place of fiction and stories of demons from the dreaded oni to the charming but vile woman spirits holding terrible grudges. But for them to exist in real life much less a modern world like this? Impossible.
After a good few kilometers up the road, Shuusaku finally came to a stop and grinned. "This is the place!" he said eagerly as he hopped off his bike and kicked the stand down before hopping over the guardrail. Wiping the nasty line of sweat near drenching his forehead, violet eyes glared at his best friend before Jinpachi hopped off his own bike and set it beside the other's before following after him. 'First it was riding my bike longer than necessary in this heat and now I'm walking through a grimy old forest...so not cool...' He thought venomously but it was for the sake of his friend's safety so for now, he'll grin and bear it...that is until they got back down to the town and he proceeds to chase his friend for making this trip for a crazy legend.
It didn't take them long before they heard something and Shuusaku stopped. "You hear that? It sounds like...singing?" he murmured as the two crept closer and hid behind a bush when they spotted the sunlit clearing. There was a house, a pond and a small boy that was behind a basin washing what look like expensive silk. "This is where you so called flower is planted? Looks like some brat that's living in the forest for one reason or another. And that song..." Jinpachi muttered distastefully as the boy with the wide smile continued to sing more.
"...Hime hime, hime! Suki suki daisuki!
Hime, hime! Kira kira riin!
Kimi to minna ireba watashitte
Zettai muteki~"
"Come on, let's go..." Jinpachi began as he went to stand before hearing the door open once more. "Sakamichi, are you done out here?" A exhilarating tenor spoke from the doorway as the small boy looked up. "Almost, Makishima-san! I just have to hang them up!" he called as the figure stepped outside and both boys were floored at the sight. If there was ever a time Jinpachi could forsake the beauty of a cute girl, now was the time as he looked upon the gallant male that stood in the doorway. The small boy picked up the freshly laundered clothes and moved to the clothesline to hang them while blue eyes watched him, the small quirk on a smile across his lips. Jinpachi couldn't help but continue to stare at him and at the same time, jealous that some unknown kid was lucky enough to be with this man...no...this god of a being. Emerald hair with ruby streaks, milky white skin that looks oh so soft to the touch, the figure bathed in silk and sunlight couldn't possibly be mortal.
"That's supposed to be the great Mt. Fuji flower...?" Shuusaku questioned.
"That's no flower..." Jinpachi whispered as they continued to watch the boy hang the laundry to dry before running back over to the ethereal person and received a pat on the head for his work. "Well it ain't a flower but hey! We can put that rumor to rest now!" Shuusaku spoke as he dug through his pocket for his phone and Jinpachi froze. While the trip was well worth it, at least now it was, he knew if Shuusaku blabbed about this to anyone, that would send desperate people up here to find him and possibly make it a goal to sell him off in the red light district or worse. He couldn't allow that. "Wait, Shuusaku!" he hissed, grabbing his arm. "We can't do this!"
"Why not?! We can prove to the school that there is no flower up here!"
"But what if someone else finds out?!"
Their bickering began to get louder, catching the attention of Makishima as he looked towards the bushes that surround their quiet home. "Sakamichi...head inside." he murmured as he began to move towards the bushes. Sakamichi nodded as he went to head inside but quickly peeked out the window to watch. Reaching for the bushes with one spidery hand, he parted them, causing the kids to look up to him in shock. "Now you shouldn't be here..." he murmured, raising a hand to them. Shuusaku squeaked as he hopped up, dragging Jinpachi with him and ran out of fear of what the other could do. Makishima sighed softly before raising a hand, turning it upright before snapping. Shuusaku continued to run with Jinpachi stumbling behind when the first fell and Jinpachi near stumbled over him. "Hey, Shuusaku...what's wrong..." he whispered and found the other was sleeping. "What..."
"He'll awaken by nightfall. And so will you." A soft voice spoke from behind him and he turned to see Makishima before him. "I can only imagine you came up here via the rumors but that's all you need to think of my presence. The story of the rare, unobtainable flower of Mt. Fuji. Let your heart believe the fiction of my presence and live in your modern world." he spoke, raising a thin, spidery hand once more. "I see your interest but this pact is not for the weak-willed." he whispered, snapping his fingers and slowly but surely, Jinpachi couldn't stay awake. As he began to fall back, he could see translucent threads, almost like spider's silk, catch him in its webbing and slowly brought him into a forgetful slumber.
Pact...pact...pact...
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When the two awoke, it was getting dark outside and they were off to the side of the street at the base of the mountain. Shuusaku couldn't remember why they were here but seeing it was getting late, he gave a rushed goodbye to Jinpachi before grabbing his cross bike and rode off to head home. Jinpachi blinked himself, unaware of why he was out on his own mommy bike and stood as he dusted off his pants. "Jeez, I'm all sweaty and gross. Stupid Shuusaku..." he mumbled as he looked back up to the mountain. He didn't know why but he felt as if he should remember something very important about the mountain. But he shook his head instead and rode off.
But during his third year of high school, known as the best climber in Hakone Academy and titled Mountain God did the fragments of his childhood days come back to him slowly the moment he had caught the sight of a jewel beetle during one of his climb races. That shell of emerald and ruby had cracked the fine filaments that were to block his memory and keep him from ever remembering the true god hidden deep in the mountain that a woman couldn't rival in looks or grace. From then on, that image was burned in his mind and even the fan club made in his name wasn't as appealing to him as it were before. Jinpachi kept up his natural charm among the girls for posterity's sake but he knew full well that the sight from his childhood had taken complete hold of him. He wondered now if the elder was true in his ramblings of the so called ayakashi of the mountain to truly take hold of anyone appealing to his gaze.
He had to know.
No longer was he the weak child that ran away with his friend at the sight of the male. He was strong, as Fukutomi always boasted proudly with a stone-faced indifference of his cycling team, and he was going to prove that now. Looking at himself charmingly in the mirror in his room, he hummed a bit as he looked over his selection of headbands. "What to wear...what to wear..." he mused softly as he picked up his hairband choices, one white and the other baby blue, in both hands as he looked between the two. He weighed his option before going with the white, sweeping his hair back and placed the band over it, three silken strands framing his face per the norm of his classic style. With another smirk, he left his room, headed downstairs and out the door. Taking his favored road racer, he stepped out from the grounds of the ryokan his family owned and rode off. Graceful and silent, he rode towards his destination, humming softly a tune that suited perfectly to the gracious image he was going to see once more.
The simple tune of the children's classic nursery rhyme "Itsy Bitsy Spider"...