Page 38 of Water Moon

Chapter Thirty-eight

The Lights in the Lake

The lights from the village grew smaller as Keishin and Hana paddled down the river. Fireflies swarmed around trees in animated constellations rivaling those shining down on them from the sky. Even the water was alive. Tiny glowing creatures, smaller than grains of sand, swirled around Keishin’s oar and trailed behind their small boat, filling the river with stars. Keishin peeked over the boat to get a better look. The creatures circled and swarmed, shifting in shape until they created the mirror image of his face. Keishin jolted back from his living reflection.

“We call them hansha,” Hana said. “They like to copy whatever they see.”

Keishin extended his arm over the water. The hansha twisted and swirled, mimicking the exact shape of his arm and hand. Then they dimmed, changing from a shimmering reflection to a solid form that looked as though it were made from flesh. Keishin wriggled his fingers. The hansha wriggled too.

“Incredible…” Keishin said, pulling his hand back.

“They are quite remarkable,” Hana said, her voice tired.

“I can row by myself the rest of the way,” Keishin said from behind her.

“I am not tired.” Hana kept her eyes in front of the boat. “We will get to the waterfall faster if we both row. The lake is just through it.”

“Why didn’t you want to tell Haruto where we were going?” Keishin asked.

“Because he would have only tried to stop us.”

“Why?”

“Because the Lotus Lake is exactly where he told the Shiikuin we would be.”

“What? Then why are we going there?”

“They broke Haruto’s hands to get him to tell the truth. Imagine what they would do to him if they found out that he lied. We need to go to the lake so that the Shiikuin will not think that he misled them.”

“Am I missing the part of the plan where you explain how exactly we’re supposed to avoid getting caught by the Shiikuin when we get there?” Keishin stopped rowing.

Hana twisted around, rocking the boat. “Why did you stop?”

“I understand that you want to protect Haruto, but walking into a trap isn’t going to help anyone.”

“We will not walk into any trap.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because we will be swimming into it.”

—

Fog and darkness hid the top of the waterfall cascading down the steep rock face. The thunderous way it crashed into the river made Keishin believe that it was falling from the sky. He gripped his oars, struggling to keep their little boat steady as they approached it.

Hana groaned as she rowed, fighting for every inch between them and the waterfall. “Just…a…little…more.”

The waterfall parted like a curtain, revealing the gaping mouth of a large cavern. Keishin felt the boat grow steady, gently steering itself without the need for oars. The waterfall closed behind them and fell silent, leaving them with nothing but the sound of their boat drifting over the water. Hansha teemed in the pool and made the entire cavern glow with a soft, warm light. Four caves branched out from the cavern, the light of the hansha fading into their dark mouths. Their boat stopped in the middle of the pool as though allowing Keishin and Hana to decide which way they wanted to go.

Hana pointed to the leftmost cave. “That one leads to the Mourning Mountains. The one next to it brings you to the Singing Forest. The cave beside it leads to where we need to go.”

“The Lotus Lake.”

“Yes.”

“And the last cave? Where does it lead?”

“Tokyo Station.”

“That’s…er…convenient.”

“So, are you clear with the plan?” Hana said.

Keishin nodded.

“And remember, try not to scare them. Do not make any sudden movements when you are in the water.” Hana turned her back to Keishin and began to undress.

Keishin averted his eyes and pulled off his clothes. “No sudden movements. Got it.”

Hana lowered herself into the water. Hansha swarmed around her, illuminating her skin. “If they like you, they will keep your shape longer.”

“I’ll be my charming best.” Keishin followed her into the pool, bracing himself for the cold. Warm water, just the way he liked his bath, embraced him instead.

“Be careful.” Hana drew a deep breath and submerged, disappearing beneath a swirling layer of liquid light.

Keishin dove in after her. Glowing galaxies revolved around his body, slowly exploring every inch of his limbs. They paused and then moved as one, shifting and turning until Keishin found himself staring his exact twin in the eye. Keishin blinked. His twin blinked too. Keishin waved. His twin waved back.

Hana swam to Keishin and motioned for him to surface. Keishin swam next to her, struggling to keep his gaze from wandering over Hana’s soft curves. She moved as gracefully as the hansha, their light twinkling like fairy lights over every inch of her skin.

Hana broke through the pool’s surface, inhaling deeply. “We did it.”

Keishin treaded water across from her. “Now if only the rest of your plan was just as easy.”

—

The only light inside the cave’s tunnel came from the two schools of hansha that had taken Keishin’s and Hana’s forms. They swam on either side of the boat, glancing up occasionally to smile at Keishin and Hana and wave.

“At least two of us don’t seem to be nervous,” Keishin said.

“I am just grateful that they decided to follow us.”

“Hana…”

“Yes?”

“If the plan doesn’t work…”

“It will work.”

“But in case it doesn’t, in case something goes wrong, you need to think about yourself. Not your father. Not your mother. Not Haruto. You need to run. Promise me that you’ll run and not look back.”

“I will, but only if you promise me one thing too.”

“What?”

“That when I run…” She took Keishin’s hand. “You won’t let go.”

—

Keishin reviewed Hana’s plan in his head as he tied the boat to a rock jutting out next to the end of the tunnel. The plan involved being in two places at the same time, a notion that less than a week ago would have made Keishin laugh out loud or roll his eyes. Now he did neither. He had lost track of how many laws of science he had broken since stepping into Hana’s world. Adding one more to his list was not going to make a difference.

“I was not sure if Haruto’s mother was going to agree to do this for us. I am glad that she did.” Hana rummaged through her bag and pulled out two origami fish. “This plan would not work without them.”

Keishin took one of the fish from Hana and stared at the waterfall covering the cave’s mouth. Though it was not as wide as the waterfall at the entrance to the cavern, it was just as powerful. Keishin had not yet gotten used to how something so mighty did not make a sound. He wished that it did. It could have drowned out the pounding of his heart and made pretending to be brave a lot easier. He pressed his back against the cave wall and inched along the narrow ledge that led out of it. The waterfall parted to let him and Hana through.

Keishin and Hana crouched behind a cascading stream of water, huddling as close together as the ledge allowed. Keishin looked out through a gap in the stream. A field of lotus stretched into the horizon, giving the appearance of a sprawling flower garden rather than a lake. Unlike the lotus in his world, which awoke only for the sun, the lake’s large white flowers smiled lovingly up at the moon. Dark figures glided over the lake, the edges of their robes barely grazing the water. Each wielded a sickle and cut down the flowers in its path.

“Shiikuin,” Keishin whispered to Hana.

“How many are there?”

“At least ten. They are clearing the lotus.”

“They think we are hiding in the water.”

“As you said they would.”

“And now we will give them something to find.” Hana released one of the origami fish Masako had made into the water and watched it dart away.

“Your turn,” Keishin whispered to his fish before setting it free. It swam after its mate as soon as it touched the water.

Keishin’s hansha twin emerged from the waterfall and chased after the paper fish. Hana’s twin followed close behind. The lotus in their path trembled over the water. The Shiikuin twisted in the direction of the disturbance and broke into a chorus of curdling shrieks.

Ice ran up from Keishin’s ankles to his spine. He crouched lower, his breath racing in and out of his chest. “Remember your promise, Hana.”

Hana clutched his hand. Her fingers trembled around his. “Remember yours.”

The Shiikuin fell silent and lowered their sickles. They stood as still as statues, with only their heads tilting to follow the movement in the water. They looked at one another, nodded, and gave chase.

“I don’t believe it,” Keishin said. “It actually worked.”

Hana exhaled.

“What happens now?” Keishin asked.

“The hansha will have their fun for a while. When they get bored, they’ll disperse and return to the cavern, but not before giving the Shiikuin a glimpse of our faces. They are mischievous that way.”

“Giving the Shiikuin no cause to doubt Haruto,” Keishin said.

Hana nodded. “And us a head start to the Night Market.”