Chapter 2: Echoes of Love

Still deeply asleep as dawn approached, Victor laid, curled around several large pillows, his resting mind wandering through a mingled haze of dream and memory. As had been the case for several nights, a man's voice sang softly in the background, the tune comforting and familiar. When anything disturbed the peace within him, the singing stopped and the voice spoke to him.

There now, little one. It will be all right. Whatever it is, I am here for you. If you fear the darkness, I will bring light. If you feel lonely, I will fill the spaces. If you search, I will help you find the answers and if you ever despair, it is here that you will find hope.

His sleep deepened and the soft voice continued its singing while images rose up and scenes played out like old movies. Some made no sense at all and some wandered aimlessly, but with the approach of dawn, a sharp, piercing vision struck with painful force.

Victor stood in a quiet garden, surrounded by a vast array of bright flowers and a pathway lined with pretty sakura trees in full bloom and shedding petals in pale swirls onto the breeze. A tinkling laugh somewhere on the trail ahead of him brought his body to alertness and he moved towards the sound, a name on his lips.

"Yume?"

The little girl's voice laughed again, but even though he hurried towards the sound, he could find no trace of her. He called her name more urgently, breaking into a run with tears leaking out of the corners of his anguished eyes, running down his face.

"Yume!"

He was nearly sobbing the name when suddenly a warm hand wrapped around his arm and he turned.

The person he saw there was surrounded in blinding light, and although he knew the person to be a man, his silhouette shimmered oddly, looking at first male, then female. His voice remained as Victor always remembered it, soft, melodic and filled with tenderness.

"Little one," he breathed worriedly, "I know it hurts. Still, even in loss, worlds of opportunity continue to flourish in front of us."

Victor's head shook firmly.

"I just have to find her!" he sobbed, "I know she is there. I heard her!"

He felt gentle hands on his face and the press of lips against his forehead.

"What you heard are the echoes of a future that was lost," the voice said sadly, "Child, you must not linger here anymore. I know exactly how much you loved her, but this place is only filled with shadows and shades of regret."

"No!" he insisted, "She is here! I feel her here. I just need to…"

"Little one," the voice pleaded, "don't do this. Her voice becomes so loud in your ears and her image in your eyes that you are losing sight of what is in front of you. You will lose yourself if you do not find a way to let go!"

"NO!"

Victor sat up suddenly, his body shaking all over and his heart pounding. He swallowed hard, reaching absently for Maccachin, only to remember that the old poodle had taken to sleeping with Yuuri once his master had fallen asleep each night. He slipped out of bed and changed into his workout clothes and a warm jacket before leaving the hot spring inn at a jog. He thought he might have heard Hiroko's voice calling after him, but the thought of having to explain himself yet again was too much to take. Instead, he set his body in motion, letting the restless energy out as he considered what he remembered.

I've heard this voice in my mind before, and always in times where things were chaotic and my heart was in some kind of turmoil. I don't know if it's a voice I've ever really heard before, or if maybe my head just created it so that I could soothe myself. I talked to Yakov about it and he just shook his head and said not to worry about it. If it was a comfort, just allow myself to be comforted.

I do need to allow myself to be comforted now, but I think it's hard because Yuuri doesn't know about her. I feel like I'm suffering alone. It seems like it should be so easy. Just tell him and we'll be able to get through this together.

I don't know though.

Yuuri is so…

Victor's feet stopped and he found himself standing on the beach, looking out at the rolling waves. Seagulls filled the sky over him, their cries both unsettling and somehow soothing. He felt a sense of being adrift in one way, but in another, so close to finding his way home.

It will be all right. I'm not really alone. I just have to go back to Yuuri and I have to get to know him better. As we grow more comfortable with each other, I'll be able to tell him these things that I can't right now. I'll be able to open up and tell him about everything.

It will be all right.

It will be all right.

He slowed his breathing, listening to the steady rush of the water and the cries of the sea birds until his heart had finally calmed. Then, he turned and headed in the direction of the ice rink, smiling as he pictured finally being alone with Yuuri, taking the first steps in the direction of the Grand Prix Series. By the time he reached Ice Castle Hasetsu, he was his usual cheerful self again.

"Good morning, Victor!" Yuko called out, smiling at him as he entered the building.

"Good morning," he called back, patting the heads of the triplets, who scampered out to meet him, "Well, you're bright and cheerful as your mother, aren't you young ladies?"

Yuko started to scold the three as they followed the Russian legend to the bench beside the ice rink, chattering happily as Victor laughed merrily, answering the swarm of questions they peppered him with, but Victor only shook his head slightly, laughing again.

"It's fine," he assured her, "They're not being any trouble, really."

"Are you sure?" Yuko asked, arching an eyebrow, "Don't let them keep you from your practice. I know you have your own training to do before Yuuri arrives, so don't hesitate to shoo them away if they bother you."

Not that I'm supposed to be training so soon after…

"I was thinking they could help me stretch and warm up," Victor reasoned, noting that the three girls were already wearing their skates, "Come now, follow me."

The three removed their blade covers and joined Victor on the ice.

"Why don't we play Follow the Leader?" he suggested, setting off a spirited exchange of hops, turns and spins as the girls giggled madly, trying to copy Victor's gradually more and more difficult moves.

"He's so good with kids," Yuko sighed appreciatively to her smirking husband, who turned and gave the Russian a friendly wave.

"Hey, you wanna keep'em for awhile?" he chuckled, "I warn you, they're bundles of trouble, that's for sure."

"Oh, they're just having fun," Victor laughed.

Yuko let the frivolity continue for several more minutes before shooing the girls off of the rink and giving Victor a little nod.

"I'll keep them out of your way now. You should get some real practice in before Yuuri gets here."

Victor glanced at his watch and felt a twinge of relief that it was nearly time for his student to arrive.

We'll just start with what he knows and work from there. Yuuri did well in the first test of his Eros program. It wasn't easy to compete against Yurio, and I think Yuuri knows now that he has to make every second of his training count if he is going to win this season.

But he is also filled with new confidence…

Victor closed his eyes as he continued to skate, dreamily recalling Yuuri's sexy Eros to his mind and losing himself in the memory. By the time he emerged from his reverie, it was already well past time for the start of their training, and Yuuri had still not arrived.

Maybe his parents needed some help at the hot spring inn and he's just running behind.

But more minutes passed with Victor waiting patiently on the ice and his tardy student remained absent.

Should I call him, I wonder.

He turned to skate back to where he'd left his cell phone, but at the moment he moved, Yuuri burst into the rink, red-faced and panting hard from running.

"I'm so sorry!" he shouted in a panicked voice, "I overslept!"

Victor met the younger man with his brightest smile.

"Why, good morning, Yuuri," he said cheerfully, "You're impressively late. I think only Aeroflot has kept me waiting longer."

He watched in amusement as Yuuri dropped onto the ice, still apologizing furiously.

"Oh, Japanese dogeza!" he laughed.

Several minutes went by with Yuuri slowly realizing that his new coach didn't really seem angry at him. He picked himself up off the ice and faced Victor, wearing a calmer, but still serious expression.

"I…really am sorry," he said solemnly, "Your time is valuable and I've inconvenienced you."

Victor matched his seriousness and gave him a little nod.

"Show me how sorry you are by blowing my mind with your beautiful skating today and we will call it even, all right?"

That brought a shy smile to the Japanese man's lips.

"I'll do my best," he promised.

"Come, let's warm up together."

"Sure," Yuuri answered, "Do you want to use the Yume moves? I think I've memorized them."

Victor froze for a moment.

Yume.

"You liked that little practice program that much?" Victor mused, his heart flickering.

"It's…really beautiful," Yuuri answered softly, his eyes locking with his suddenly breathless coach's, "and your expression while performing it is…so serene."

"Hmm, okay then."

Victor wasn't sure how he managed to get to the side of the rink, where he set the music playing and he returned to Yuuri's side to take up the beginning pose, but it was heavenly, even though painful, feeling Yuuri's quiet presence at his side, having someone moving with him through the soulful reenactment of his lost hopes.

Yume, if you had lived, I would have been able to tell Yuuri everything sooner. We would have had the chance to skate this hopeful piece as a family someday. It's strange, but even though you're gone, the dream here hasn't completely ended. Although there is sorrow inside me, and Yuuri, too, will need to mourn you, with him at my side, maybe there will be a future, maybe someday we can work things out and have a family. I know Yuuri isn't ready for that, yet. Right now, we are strangers to each other…just strangers who are learning about each other. With every new day, we add to our growing connection.

Someday…

"V-victor?"

The Russian blinked in surprise and found he had stopped near the center of the ice and tears had leaked onto his face. Yuuri looked shaken as he stood facing Victor, one hand reaching out to take his.

"Are you all right?"

Victor took a steadying breath and shook his head to clear it.

"Sorry," he answered, forcing a smile and brushing away the offending tears, "Sometimes I just get caught up in the music."

"Yeah," Yuuri agreed, following as Victor began skating again, "I do that too."

But it's such a pretty, hopeful song.

Why is he sad?

"Come, Yuuri," Victor urged him, "We're starting late and we have a lot to do."

Yuuri might have arrived late, but he threw himself into his training with a fervor that more than made up for his tardiness. Victor was completely enchanted, but he set the tone for their meetings with high expectations, picking at every little thing and pushing his new student to gain new ground.

"We've laid some groundwork for a successful season," he explained as they finished their session, "I think you've convinced your fans here that you have already changed for the better, but it's a framework we have to build on, since this was a small competition and there are many people who didn't see this performance. You're going to need to keep pushing yourself as you start the new season."

"I will. I promise!"

"Good," Victor sighed, weariness catching up with him as they exited the ice and sat down to change into their street shoes.

"So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" Yuuri asked.

"Hmm," Victor said, rubbing his chin as he considered, "I was hoping that now since we have a little time when we're not working, you could show me around. I know the hot spring and the ice rink, but I haven't gotten to see much more than that."

"Heh, you've only been here about a week," Yuuri chuckled and we've been pretty focused on the competition with Yurio, but I'd be happy to show you around."

"That sounds great," Victor said enthusiastically, "What do you want to show me first?"

"I was thinking about that," Yuuri answered, nodding, "We could go down to the beach, of course, or to the town museum. There's a little market area that can be fun…oh, and horseback riding. You ride horses, right?"

"Horses?" Victor repeated, tilting his head, "Not really, but I'd like to learn how."

"Huh? But, wait a minute, I know I saw you on a horse before…for that magazine layout."

"Oh that," Victor chuckled, "Yuuri, that was fantasy! It was a photo shoot, just made for publicity. I just basically sat on that horse and they airbrushed out the signs that it was about a hundred years old and not energetic enough to buck me off."

"Really?" Yuuri laughed, "That's so funny!"

"I'm sure you know that a lot of fantasy goes into making a celebrity," Victor reflected, a hint of sadness touching his handsome features, "Yakov used to nag me to just go along with whatever his publicity people wanted, because it wasn't enough to just be myself. Fans want someone who is larger than life, not a little spoiled brat who doesn't listen to anything his elders say and spends all of his time daydreaming."

He paused, realizing suddenly that Yuuri was looking at him with a sad. thoughtful expression.

"What is it?" he asked curiously, "You are…disappointed in me for going along with them or something?"

"No," Yuuri said, "I was just thinking that this is probably why you told Yurio and me we needed to work on our images."

Victor nodded.

"Getting fans to support you, to root for you is an important part of marketing yourself. It's most important to be a strong and talented skater, but it won't be good if you don't attract fans. Whether we like it or not, we need to be powerful representatives for our sport, so that our events earn the money that pays everyone involved."

"Yeah," Yuuri agreed, "you've got a point there. I guess I never thought about that part of things."

"It's okay. Neither did I until Yakov pointed it out to me. But we have time now, da? While we're working on your programs, we'll also be reinventing your image. I'll be preparing you for the kinds of questions you'll probably have to answer and also what decisions you'll have to make as you attract more attention from sponsors and that kind of thing."

"Eh, that all assumes I get popular enough that those things become important," Yuuri sighed.

Victor's eyebrow arched and he leaned closer to his somber looking student, placing a hand on Yuuri's knee and looking into his widened eyes.

"Don't underestimate yourself, especially now that us working together has gotten you so much attention."

"That's mostly because of you, though."

"Not true," Victor insisted, "I got their attention by leaving Russia to come and train you, but when everyone started to question why, it was you who found your sexy Eros and showed them what I came here for. You have their attention on you now, Yuuri. Lots of people will be watching you skate and me coaching you. This is our chance to do something really special. We'll talk about that more tomorrow, but for now, why don't we go to this place for riding horses? You know how to ride, da?"

"Yeah," Yuuri affirmed, "I can show you how or we could take some lessons there."

Victor gave him a wide, friendly grin.

"Well, since I am your coach on the ice, you can be my riding coach. How is that?" he chuckled.

"You have a deal," Yuuri said gamely.

Heading out of the ice rink, Yuuri led Victor to a bus stop on a route that went out of town and into the countryside. Victor's breath caught and his eyes rounded as he took in the deep, vivid colors of the trees and blooming flowers.

"I never got to see this side of Japan before," he gushed appreciatively, "I mostly just saw the hotels and the ice rinks and restaurants. This is so beautiful, Yuuri!"

"I'm glad you like it," Yuuri laughed.

The Russian continued to chatter happily about everything that caught his eye as they exited the bus and walked over several streets to a large open gate with a sign reading Sora's Haven.

"This ranch is run by Kenji and Mai Kimura," Yuuri informed Victor as the two passed through the entry gates and paused in front of an information kiosk that featured a picture of a young, dark-haired girl with eyes that were ocean blue, much like Victor's own, "Some years back, they had a little girl named Sora, who loved horses. They bought the ranch and a pony for Sora. They were content living here and Sora wanted to someday raise horses there. But during the storm season, Sora left the safety of their house to make sure her pony was safe, and she found that it had escaped the barn. In a panic, she ran off into the storm, and neither she nor the pony were found. They suspect that they may have gone too close to those cliffs over there and fallen down into the river below, but no one really knows what happened."

"That's horrible," Victor said sadly, his heart aching as his eyes looked into those of the smiling girl on the kiosk.

"Yeah," Yuuri agreed, "Kenji and Mai were beside themselves and didn't know what to do after that, but with time, they decided to stay here and turn the ranch into a place where kids could come to learn about horses and riding. They have lessons here for groups of kids, camps in the summer, and they also rent horses for riding on the trails."

"It's really beautiful here," Victor said, looking around at the slightly swaying trees and a group of horses grazing nearby, "I'm glad we came here."

"Me too."

Yuuri led him into the ranch office, where the two filled out the necessary forms and were issued the equipment for their venture. Victor relaxed easily into letting Yuuri guide him through the process of putting tack on their horses, then mounting and giving the horse proper cues. Soon, they were riding slowly in one of the corrals, watching as a group of trail riders left.

"That looks like fun," Victor commented, "We should go on one of the trail rides."

"We'll do that next time," Yuuri chuckled, "You've learned a lot already today."

"It doesn't seem like too much," Victor laughed, patting his mount's shining brown neck and running his fingers through the pretty beast's thick mane, "and Kaito, here, is being a perfect gentleman."

"You're doing really well," Yuuri praised him, "especially considering you didn't really ride before. You've learned how to put the tack on, mount and guide the horse. You didn't even fall off once while you were learning to manage trotting."

"Yes," Victor giggled, "I've learned how to hang on and let Kaito do everything. I think he's smarter than you and me put together. So, when do we learn how to race horses. I feel like running somewhere, now that I can hang on."

"Let's try just around the corral, here, okay?"

"Okay!"

Victor proved his athleticism all over again as Yuuri showed him how to signal the horse to go faster and slower, working his way from walking to short bursts of speed. Yuuri seemed to finally relax completely, talking and laughing with the Russian until their riding time ended and they left the corral, riding back towards the barn. They were almost there, when they heard the panicked sound of a woman's voice crying out.

"YUMA!"

Victor's head turned and he caught sight of a flash of blue clothing on a small child on the back of a running horse. The little girl clung tightly with her legs, hanging onto the horse's mane with her hands as the reins dangled dangerously, around the spooked beast's legs and chest.

"Yuma!" the woman called out again as one of the employees ran to help, "I was getting off. We were riding together and the horse saw something that spooked him!"

Before he quite realized what he was doing, Victor put his heels to his mount's sides, guiding him swiftly in the direction the girl's horse had run.

"VICTOR!" Yuuri cried, turning his own horse to follow, "You only just learned how to ride. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"