Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Are we there yet?”

The cold air hit Yuuri Katsuki’s face as he stepped forward. From the weight below, he walked on a dirt path. The rocks rolled under the ball of his foot as everything turned familiar. Cold town, rocky paths. Here he was, heading to his home away from home. Too bad he couldn’t see any of it. He closed his eyes the whole time, relying on all the other senses. Kicking aside pebbles and letting his heels sink into the dirt, the noises grew louder as he brushed past people.

Home away from home. My other home. I'm gonna live here sometimes. The thought of living there for a few days every year set his soul ablaze. For years, he called it home away from home. Worth more than Olympic gold, it was the one place every skater dreamed of being in. For a few days, they all stayed here. Nestled far away from the busy cities, every figure skater got their time to recharge, practice, and grow. Yet the one thing that mattered most was their performance. This was the only reason he came here.

Yuuri balled up his fists and listened to the shuffling feet while his eyes remained shut. Even though he knew who it was, he wondered about the surprise she had. Bouncing on the bed, he slightly peered through his eyelids at his ballet teacher running ahead of him. “Come on, Minako-sensei! Tell me what it is!”

“Patience, Yuuri! All good things come to people who wait, remember?”

“I’ve been waiting for five minutes! Can’t you just let me take a peek?”

“I’m almost ready! Just give me a few seconds. Just hold out your hands and…okay!” She bounded over to his head, patting it. “You can open your eyes now.”

Yuuri squinted one eye before opening the other and faced a picture of the magic rink. A postcard. Leave it to Minako to tease him this way. He wasn’t there, yet he imagined himself on that ice. They still had a few more meters to go before getting to that building straight ahead. He could barely breathe at the sight of it in a tiny postcard. He dreamt about this moment every night.

“I like the picture.” He handed her the postcard back. “That’s not all, is it?”

“Not at all! Check it out! A bigger shot of the rink!” She rolled out the poster with its colors splashed all over. Another tease. “Granted, this is more spectacular in person. We need a little break before we get there. I don’t want to burn you out before your big night.”

At those words, every emotion hit him. Excitement, fear, anticipation, and shock rolled around. His teacher was trying to hype him up, reminding him of everything at stake. He wouldn’t be the only one performing, yet he had to be perfect. He wasn’t being judged by people, but the rink itself. It determined the kind of skater he’d become. His heart thumping, his eyes locked on the big building up ahead. No one knew what turned it into such a grand place, yet there it was. All the magic was stored in one area. The source of the magic remained a mystery. It came to life one day and no one questioned it. It was a blessing for the world. For that reason, Yakov and all the other coaches vowed to keep the magic alive by making sure everyone did their part.

“That’s where all the magic is.” Yuri breathed out, still unable to make sense of it. “The best rink in the world.”

“The very one.” Minako nodded. “It’s not that far from your home. You can go there and come back for dinner in the same night.”

“No, I wanna live there!” He bounced around, trying to make a few steps closer. “I want my own room! Everyone who gets a gift gets a magical room too! I wonder what I’ll find in mine! Oh, I want mine next to Victor’s!”

“You want a room next to Victor Nikiforov?” Minako laughed as he continued to make his way forward. She picked up her pace, walking alongside and apologizing to people they almost bumped into. “Why am I not surprised? I heard Victor’s room is very cold though. Even the rooms next to his feel that chilly winter air.”

“Yeah, but I’ll just sleep with extra blankets!” He rolled up the poster. “Tell me the story again! Tell me the story of the magic rink!”

“Well, I only know what I’ve heard and I’ve told you it before.” Minako pulled him close. “I suppose one more time won’t hurt. It took place almost fifty years ago. There were a lot of wars and fights going on around the world. Everyone was fighting to survive and many people left their homes to find a better life. One with less fighting. One of those people was Yakov Feltsman.”

“Victor’s coach.” Yuuri breathed out. He didn’t need any explanation behind that. He saw enough photos and videos of Yakov to know the rink came to be thanks to him.

“That’s right. Now I’m not entirely sure exactly what happened or how he ended up in Japan. They say he was running away with his family but somewhere in the midst of the battles…he lost almost everyone he knew. With very little, he found shelter in an old ice rink. No one used it in years yet once he stepped in, stayed there in his darkest hour, something unusual happened. Lights sprung up from the ground and the whole rink came alive. Everyone says it was a miracle, a gift to the world. And that's why no one can mess it up.”

“Magic.” Yuuri sighed. “It came to life with magic.”

“Exactly. And it gave every skater that skated across the ice a valuable and precious gift, something they could use to help others. Every year, more and more skaters get their gifts and a room in the rink to stay in. This year is your year, Yuuri! This year, you’re going to skate on that ice!”

“On that ice.” He couldn't take it any longer. "Can we go there now? Why are we waiting?"

“Ask your parents. We’re all waiting on them.”

He ran off to find the rest of his family, thinking about the upcoming nights ahead. The magic rink. A brand new gift. Seeing Victor NIkiforov in person. Everyone was in awe of Russia’s Ice King who created winter weather wherever he went. Icicles and snowflakes floated around him as he skated on ice or spoke to people. Most were intimidated by his presence but Yuuri couldn’t wait to see him in person. He wanted to touch a snowflake and take a peek inside of Victor’s room. Everyone said it was like an ice castle though too cold to stay in for long. Yet he wanted to see it in person.

“Yuuri!” Mari called out to him. “Are you ready?”

“I”m coming, I’m coming!” His poodle Vicchan ran up to him, tongue wagging while the others brought up all the luggage. Grabbing Vicchan, he counted the bags that his family took along. Squeezing his dog, he put him back down to let him run around. “We’re really going now? I’ve been waiting forever for you to catch up!”

“And we’re here! It’s finally time!” His mother handed him one of the bags. “After this month is over, you will be part of that group!”

“You’ll have that magic gift that’ll change the world!” His father rubbed his shoulders. “All you have to do is skate like you normally do and it’ll be yours.”

Skate like normal. That’s where things went south. He could skate well, yet anxiety kicked in right before competitions. For those, he competed for medals. Here, he competed for his next path in life. While they chatted amongst themselves, Yuuri began to doubt a few things. Now the excitement turned to nerves and his stomach flipped.  He wanted that power, of course. He wanted to show everyone in the world what he could do. Above all else, he wanted to give back to the community. That was the main condition of the power; to give back. Yet the more he thought about it, the more anxious he got. All these figure skaters with powers seemed so much more confident and expressive. He wasn’t like them at all. He didn't know what he could end up doing.

“Will people like me after I get powers?” He wondered out loud. “I mean, what if I can’t use it? Or I mess up? What if I hurt someone with my power?”

“Hurt someone?” His mother brushed his hair out of his face. “No, I can’t see you doing that, even by accident. You’ll be surrounded by the rink’s magic. I’m sure it’ll help you.”

“You’re going to be fine. No one ever hurt anyone with their gift. That’s why they call it a gift.” Mari patted his back. “Don’t worry. You have this. You always get nervous right before you hit the ice and you always get through it.”

The worry lingered until the moment Yuuri found himself face to face with the magic rink. The entire walk towards it, he didn’t squirm but now, his stomach knotted again.  On the outside, it didn’t appear to be special but the magic radiated off the walls. Big black walls, shiny windows that didn’t reveal anything inside, and the clean white doors that welcomed all its guests. It sparkled and bounced with the door opening and shutting as if to wave at him. His body shaking, he lifted his hand and waved back.

“Oh look, it’s saying hello!” His mother waved as the others joined in. “Isn’t that lovely?”

“Yeah.” Yuuri walked up to the door, his breathing growing heavy.  Before he got another step in, the floor jerked him forward, pushing him into the rink. Unable to grab anything, he tried to plant his feet down as he was thrust inside, cold air blasting through. “Whoa, whoa! I’m not ready! Give me a minute here, magic rink!”

“Whee! This is fun!” He whirled around to find his friend Yuko also being led inside. The rest of his friends and family followed right behind, laughing as the rink led them around, circling the giant arena. His gaze turned upwards to hundreds of rooms glowing right above. Every skater got one after their performance. Their real home away from home. His heart swelled at every single door before turning to the shiny white ice before him. Yuuko took his hand to steady him. “Hey, Yuuri! I see the rink got you too!”

“How do I get off this thing?” He couldn’t pull away from any of the magic radiating off the walls. “I didn’t ask it to move.”

“Relax. It’ll stop at the right place!”

“It will?” At those words, he stopped right in front of the magic rink itself. Dropping his bag, his eyes widened as reality kicked in. Here. He was right in front of it. Big and white, he could barely keep his breath inside. It looked like any other ice yet the glowing underneath said otherwise. It called to him. Skate on me. Dance on me. I’ll grant your greatest wish. Gripping the sides, he marveled at the rink he used to view in pictures and videos. “Whoa! It’s real!”

“It’s real.” Yuuko repeated. “Fifty years, Yuuri. People have been skating here for fifty years and getting magical gifts. Look!” She pointed above to where all the rooms circled above them. Every year, the rink grew as more skaters received gifts. More gifts meant more rooms. Yuuri dreamed of what his room would look like. Would it be spacious and filled with nature? Would it be warm like an embrace? Maybe his room would be like Victor’s, cool and icy. Or maybe it would be something completely different. In any case, he wanted it now.

The magical rink. I’m finally here. The stories are real. For years, figure skaters came here to make their mark. No one knew exactly why a rink was built or why it was located here but they agreed that it was magical. It was put here for a reason and everyone who lived around it did the best to keep it maintained. The rink withstood all kinds of weather and not once did it fall apart. No one ever needed to fix or repair anything in it. Not even a scratch on the walls.

My gift. Tonight’s the night I get my gift. He clasped his hands together and walked with the others down the long, winding path to the ice rink. No one could miss it at the end of the road. Several stories high and shaped like a giant iceberg, it was the pride and joy of the town. Just being in its presence could brighten anyone’s mood. Any skater who got their chance inside the rink became an instant celebrity. They were heroes, destined to serve their communities. The powers were always used to help others. Never harm. The most special people in the whole world.

“Can you believe it? You’ll find out your destiny tonight. You'll know who you are."

"My destiny." On the surface, so many blades left their mark including Victor Nikiforov. He still remembered that night when Victor skated across this ice and got his ability to create and use ice and snow. In addition to being Russia’s Living Legend, he was now the Winter King. Ice and snow surrounded him and his room on top of the rink.

“Look! The inscription!” Yuko eyed the polished plaque in front. Where skaters dreams come true and magic thrives all around. “Sounds cool, doesn’t it?”

“It’s the truth. So many skaters' dreams did come true. A gift…that’s way bigger than an Olympic gold medal!”

“Well, why are we standing out here? Let’s check it out!”

They made their way around the arena where bright sunlight poured into the giant building, lighting up the walls by them. Skaters walked past them though none of them showed off their magic. Typical. The magic wasn’t supposed to be used for anything besides helping others. Yuuri hoped to get a look at Victor’s abilities in person but for now, he wanted to take in all the rink had to offer. Yuko was already excited and pointed out the various places where Victor landed some of his jumps.

“Look! That’s where he landed the triple axel! And that was where he landed the quad toe loop! And there’s where he landed the quad flip!”

“I remember.” Yuuri stared down at the glassy white ice with all the marks and flecks of ice. Soon, he’d be on it too. He’d skate before the world and receive a gift unlike any other. And I’ll get my own room and use my power for good. Help people just like everyone else here does.

“I wonder how it feels.” Yuko stared down into the glassy ice. “You skate on this ice but I bet it’s not the same. I bet there’s something that makes this competition so much bigger than the Olympics.”

“Yeah, but the Olympics are for all kinds of athletes. This rink is for us. Only we get magical gifts.” Rubbing his arms, he stepped back. “Is it just me or is it cold?”

“We’re staring at ice, Yuuri. It’s supposed to be cold.”

“I know but…” A few flecks of snow blew in their direction. His words caught in his throat, he turned to her and nodded. Him. Only he could stop anyone from breathing simply with the cold air surrounding him. He turned away, afraid of catching the living legend's eye. Not yet. Not until he got a gift as great as Victor's.

He stared at every wall with its crystal windows and white snowy appearance. He was here. The magic ice rink. Everyone in the world knew it and figure skaters longed to be good enough to skate on it. They knew that any performance, even if they botched it completely, would lead to them getting something more spectacular than a medal. Every year, the field grew and more and more skaters earned gifts from the magic ice. They could never use these abilities during other competitions such as the World Championships or the Grand Prix. However, they were free to use to help others. These were gifts, after all. Gifts they could never abuse or waste.

And that’s what I want to do too. I want to help others. Yuuri decided as the ice glowed before him. Somewhere, hidden underneath that cool white, was his brand new gift. A power that would change him and, in turn, change the world. He pictured himself gaining a new strength, an ability that made him a new person. Hopefully, the ice could help those pre-competition nerves too.

“I just hope I don’t mess up my jumps…what if I forget my step sequence? Or what if_”

“You’ll be fine, Yuuri.” Yuko assured him. “Skaters mess up on this ice all the time and they still get gifts. I’ve seen skaters fall on all their jumps and it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that they tried and they got their gift in the end.”

“Still, I don’t want to fall. Victor never falls.” He shuddered over the horrible memory of the last few competitions. He tried his hardest as always, but the nerves got him and he made so many careless errors. He didn’t win first place in anything, yet always got through. Mari was right. He’d make it through tonight as well. This wasn’t where he’d live forever; just a small space for whenever a competition took place. Whenever he was needed, he’d be here.
Stop being nervous. You’re going to be fine.

“Ahhh, Victor! Victor!”

Yuuri looked up to see a group of girls and boys running after clouds of ice and snow. Yet even in the wintery mix, he could make out Victor’s laughter and long silver hair. He also caught the snow cloud right above him, sprinkling flakes around. His heart skipped beats as Victor waved his hands in the air and created small ice sculptures for the kids to enjoy. If Victor noticed him, he didn’t notice. Not that he needed to. Victor Nikiforov was a legend. If it wasn’t his powers that made him special, it was his performances. The world craved to see what new routines Victor came up with. Even Yuuri couldn’t help being mesmerized by his performances. Right now, he stared as Victor created more ice creatures for the children. “Here you go! Have fun!”

Yuko tugged on Yuuri’s arm. “Look! It’s him!”

“I know…” Yuuri breathed out as Victor created little snow for the kids to enjoy. For someone so famous and almost untouchable, he brought joy to everyone around him. His laugh sprinkled in the air as kids ran around and slipped on the ice. How could someone so perfect exist? Yuuri’s cheeks burned as Victor helped the children onto their feet.

“Careful, careful!” He warned them. “Don’t run on the ice!”

“Okay…” Yuuri breathed out. “I’ll try not to do that.”

“Can you believe it? Having a power like that?” Yuko whispered. “He can make it snow whenever he wants…he makes people happy with it.”

“He does.” Yuuri couldn’t find anything else to say. He was inches away from Victor and now the nerves spiked. He needed to put everything into tonight’s performance. Every second on that ice spelled out his destiny. Tonight. It all came down to his performance tonight. He was no living legend, but he could still skate a decent performance. If his feet did as he wanted, he’d have that power in no time.

“What do you think my gift will be?” He never stopped staring at Victor laughing as he handed out more gifts of ice and snow. “Will I be incredible?”

Yuko laughed. “Oh, Yuuri. You’re always incredible on the ice. But, no matter what gift you get, it’s going to be just as amazing as you.”

Just as amazing as me. As the time ticked away, his excitement mounted with his nerves. It wouldn’t be long before he got his own gift, his room, and his new life. The whole world would watch him become one of the special skaters. Watch as his room came into view and his powers showed up.

Soon, he’d make history.

Chapter Text

A few years later...

Yuuri rolled to the side as the bed shifted and got him to sit up. Even though there wasn’t any light on, he was aware it was morning. The moment his room shook, it was time to get up. Grabbing his glasses, he shoved his feet into his slippers and squinted as the lights flashed on. He slammed down on the alarm clock and started to walk towards the washroom. The entire time, his slippers followed him as the floorboards bounced up and down. The doors to various rooms opened and closed as if to say good morning. 

“I’m going, I’m going.” He muttered. “Another new day. I know. I’m off!”

He quickly washed up and got ready as the rink shifted things around. The magic rink. Back then, it was something truly spectacular and wondrous. He lived to see everything bounce around and come alive. And now, while it was still nice to see, he saw it more like a second home. It was comfy for a good while but he didn’t need to be here all the time. Surrounded by magic, blinking doors, and every skater showing off their abilities.

Years had passed since Yuuri entered the rink and the area had grown into a nice little community for many athletes to come over. It was a place for them to practice, rest, and just enjoy themselves. Everyone used their gifts to help these other athletes along with the community. He was proud to be here, no matter what anyone said. It was home away from home. With all its noise and magic, he couldn’t hate it. Yakov and the other coaches made sure they all did their part to keep the community strong. That’s what really made all of them so special: how they helped the world.

Now, with another ceremony a few hours away, the entire place buzzed. If people weren’t decorated, they were practicing on the rink or out spreading the word. Or perhaps they were eating breakfast downstairs. Whatever the reason, everyone was up early to get ready for another life-changing night. Hence why they used their magic all around.

Well, it’s not really showing off. They’re all trying to use their gifts to help others. Just like they’ve promised. Yuuri found himself passing by Victor’s door, cold air wafting out of it. The glowing lights outside of it pulsed, revealing a carving of Victor, his name on top, and shots of ice and snowflakes falling behind him. For a long time, Yuuri wished he could step inside and see what it was like yet that cold kept pushing him away. Just touching that door tingled the hairs on his arm. The only ones who ever stayed in that room were Victor and his dog Makkachin. He figured Victor was used to the cold due to his power but couldn’t understand how Makkachin survived it. Not even the coaches went into that room. They stayed for one second before running out, snow and ice forming on them.
 
“I wonder if he’s in here…” Yuuri’s hand touched the knob and promptly pulled back. “Just I suspected; it’s freezing cold. He’s probably still inside.” The walls shifted, moving him along. “Okay, I know! I’m going!”

An arm reached out and touched the cold doorknob of Victor’s room. “Hmmm…he isn’t here.”

“How can you tell from touching that, Chris?”

“It’s magic.” Christophe pulled his arm back. “If he were here, it wouldn’t be so cold. It’s a little thing you pick when you have_” He stopped himself when he saw who spoke to. “Never mind. Let’s go down and get something to eat.”

The rink pushed Yuuri once more towards the stairs. “All right, you win! We’re on our way!”
 
He laughed as the stairs rolled him down to where the kitchen was. Many other skaters were awake and getting their breakfast so he jumped in the line and caught one of the plates. Looking around, he couldn’t find Victor in the line but he did spot a few other people he knew. Michel Crispino…or rather multiple Michel Crispinos…were busy yelling at Emil Nikola for hogging all the bread.

“I promised to save some for Sara!”

“That’s right; he promised to save some for Sara!”

“You leave that bread alone!”

“And stay away from my sister!”

“Mickey, all of you Mickeys, stop!” Sara Crispino poked her head through the table, shocking everyone nearby. “Relax. This isn’t the first time I’ve gone through a solid table. As for you”, she pulled herself through the table and waved a piece of bread around, “I have my bread. Let’s go!”

“Yeah, Mickey, let’s go!” Emil immediately shape-shifted into Sara and tugged on Mickey’s sleeve. “I have my bread!”

“Get off!” All the Mickeys yelled back. “And save some bread for me, Sara!”

Yuuri sighed and stared at the offerings for breakfast. Another typical morning in the rink. Breakfast started around 5 AM and continued until 9 AM. If anyone missed that time frame, the next meal wouldn’t start till around 12 PM. The line moved slowly as Yuuri contemplated what to take. As skaters, they had to be careful with what they ate. There were a few sugary and unhealthy options and he was tempted by the pastries up front. The smell of sugared breads and glazed fruit wafted in the air.

I can’t…I can’t…

“I hear you want something sugary.” Someone piped up from behind. “Your stomach is grumbling. It demands food of some sort…but it’s a little too early for katsudon.”

Yuuri sighed as he went for a few pieces of fruit and a cup of low-fat yogurt. “You don’t need super hearing for that, Phichit. I’m hungry.”

“Aren’t we all?” Phichit leaned in to listen to the talking in front. “Ah, I think I know why it’s taking forever. They don’t have enough eggs and that’s why everyone’s waiting. All the clones took them.”

“Well, I don’t need them anyway. I think I have enough.”

“Yeah, me too. So, did they tell you what you’re going to do tonight?”

“Tonight?”

“Yes, tonight. It’s another one of…those nights, remember? New skaters, some new powers, some old powers…that’s tonight.”

Yuuri almost choked on his fruit. “Really?! I was trying to forget about that!”

“How? Literally that’s all everyone is talking about! Everyone is starting to come in.” Phichit waved around to show off all the decorations. “And I heard this year, you may actually get to do something…besides, you know, sitting in the back and watching in the darkness.”
Yuuri forced himself to smile. “That would be nice. I can’t remember the last time I was part of this ceremony besides the…” He stopped before he could finish the rest. Besides the night when I was supposed to get my gift.

Not that he held his breath for any of it. The ceremony was still a competition and considered one of the grandest events in a figure skater’s life. Though his ceremony ended years ago, he still found himself at the rink whenever it took place. He still watched many skaters get their abilities from a distance. There was still a tiny of pride that swelled in him when more skaters from Japan came in. They put everything in this competition and, whether they won or lost, they ended up with their permanent room in the rink and their gift.

He forced himself to change the subject. “You said everyone is supposed to come in? Does that mean…what I think it means? Everyone in this place? Does that include…”

“Yes, that does include…whoa! Watch out, Yuuri! Here comes…” Phichit swerved as several kids ran in and bombarded them with multiple questions. A few clawed away at Yuuri, demanding to see his gifts. His name rang in his ears over and over and over again. One by one, he tried to fend them off.

“Um, I just part of all this…I, um, well…”

“Show us your gift! Show us your gift!” They chanted in his ear. “Show us! Show us!”

“The thing is…I…”

“You have an awesome gift! Show it! Show it!”

“You see, I’d love to! It’s just that I…”

“Yuuri never got a gift!” Phichit cut in loud enough for everyone to hear. The noises stopped as Yuuri stepped back and faced all those tiny pairs of eyes on him. Even the other skaters noticed his uneasiness yet didn’t step in. They knew the truth. Almost everyone else did. And now these kids know it too.

“You…You don’t have a gift?” Someone piped up.

“It’s not a big deal. Really!” He insisted. “My ceremony didn’t go as planned but it’s okay! I’m as special as anyone else and no one even talks about my lack of gift! They don’t bring it up at all!

“Yuuri!” Victor’s voice rang out from the end of the line. Yuuri straightened up and turned around. There he was, Makkachin trotting alongside, carrying a giant box of decorations and a trail of ice right behind him. Yuuri’s face reddened as he saw him. The infamous Victor Nikiforov. The King of Winter. Even now, snowflakes floated around him and frost clung from his silver bangs. He hadn’t seen much of Victor recently but now he was here with all that snow and ice swirling around him. Several people shivered and moved away as he approached Yuuri, cold air and all.

“Y…yes, Victor?”

“Yakov told me to give you this.” He handed over the box, still freezing from his touch. “It’s the non-magical part of decorating since…you know, you don’t have a gift and you aren’t magical.”

Yuuri’s forced smile widened. “Thanks. I’ll be sure to hang them up.”

“Thank you! I cannot wait for tonight’s ceremony! Hopefully, there are no disasters!” Victor gave him a thumbs up. “Of course, the only disaster we ever had here was your ceremony!”

“No kidding.” Yuuri pulled away, forgetting all about breakfast. Suddenly, his appetite no longer existed and now more eyes locked in on him. Yuuri Katsuki, Japan’s Ace, received no gift from the magic ice. The whole world watched in horror as he finished his routine, putting on one of his best performances. It was good enough for a medal…just not for a gift.

“Let me just put this away.” He stepped out with the box, nodding at Phichit. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Sure. I’ll let you know if anything interesting happens. Remember: I hear everything.”

Yuuri carried the box out towards the rink where much of the decorating took place. Other skaters were around as well as coaches, guiding and telling everyone where to go. He narrowly avoided Mila Babicheva hoisting several heavy tables in one arm and several heavy pots in the other. She swerved past him, still keeping everything balanced. “Careful, Yuuri! I still have two hundred more pieces of furniture to move!”

“Good luck, Mila!” Yuuri moved away from her. For someone with extreme strength, everyone relied on her to carry the heaviest things. She moved everything around and never said no to a single job. Yet anytime Yuuri passed by her, he noticed something missing in her eyes. In the beginning, she was always happy to help out. Now, she did her job with a smile but a forced smile. It was no different from the one he gave when people pointed out his lack of powers. No doubt, she was tired of doing all the work.

“Wait!” He stopped her. “Do you need any help? I can take care of this quickly and_”

“Oh, Yuuri, you’re sweet but this is nothing!” Mila dumped off several pieces of furniture and walked away. “I have it all under control! You drop all that off where it needs to go.”

She laughed and waved but Yuuri couldn’t accept it. She wasn’t happy with this power. It was helpful but then everyone turned to her when they needed something moved. Mila came to lift things, push them around, or do any heavy lifting. In a way, he was glad he never got super strength as a power. He saw how quickly she burned out. She just wasn’t telling anyone.

Something’s not right here. Or maybe I just feel that way because it’s another ceremony. Maybe they’re all nervous because I’m here. I wonder if I’ll actually be allowed to watch up close instead of a distance.

As he walked by, the air chilled but not due to Victor’s cold wintery mix. Winds kicked in as squeals from nearby filled the air. He turned to the corner where everything darkened and Yuri Plisetsky ran from a group of screaming fans. The winds picked up and started sending everything and everyone flying in the air. In the distance, he heard someone yelling. “Yuri! Stop it! You’re blowing the girls away!”

“Good!” Yuri circled around, causing thunder and clouds to roll above him until Otabek Atlin popped out of thin air. Before he could say a thing, Otabek grabbed Yuri and teleported both of them out of the way. The winds stopped and everything went to normal as several of Yuri’s fans, known as Yuri’s angels, tried to figure out where he went.

Typical Yuri I’m surprised he hasn’t caused a monsoon yet. Yuuri gathered the decorations and finally dropped them off in the next room. There, he found a few other skaters as well as his friend, Yuko. While not a professional skater, she often stopped by to help out with decorating right before ceremonies. Being so close to home helped out a lot.  It started back with his performance and continued every year. He appreciated the support from her along with other friends and his family. They knew he needed it.

“Are you okay?” She opened up the box. “I know this time of year is hard for you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just dropping off decorations. The rink can’t decorate itself.” The room shivered and lowered its decorations. “I mean, yes, you can decorate yourself! It’s just…we like to help you out! You do look good as it is, by the way.”

She shifted through all the decorations. “Well, everything is in one piece. I can’t take it from here.”

“Are you sure? I can help put some stuff up.”

“It’s not much so we can handle it. Thanks anyway.” Yuko started to take things out. “You know, you don’t have to do this. You put yourself through this hell every single time. It’s okay to relax and let everyone else handle it.”

“Are you saying that because I don’t have powers like the others?”

“No way! I told you back and I’m telling you now; you are still a great skater and you don’t need powers to prove that. You’re just as special as all the others.” She squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t worry, okay? You’re a great skater. You don’t need to have a magical power to prove that.”

Everyone reminded him of that every single night. Having a gift didn’t make one a great skater. The power was to help the community. At this point, having the magical gift was worth more than winning an Olympic gold medal. Anyone could win the gold medal. Only the truly incredible got a magical gift. Somehow, the ice determined he wasn’t worthy enough.

“I don’t understand. I did the best I could.” He stared outside as JJ created gold out of everything around him, people flocking over to his side. There he was, the golden child of the group. Everyone was perfect around him. “I’m shocked the rink didn’t throw me out.”

“Well, you do belong here. Just because you don’t have magic in you doesn’t mean you aren’t worthy of being here.” His older sister Mari entered the room with more things. “So, what are you going to do tonight? We’ve got some new performances.”

“I know.” Yuri noticed Chris reached up to the roof to grab something before stretching his other arm to sign an autograph. Everyone’s powers benefited the world. No wonder the rink gave up on him: it had nothing to give him. “I guess I’ll do the same thing as always: hide in my room until everything is over. You know how Yakov is. After I messed everything up, he doesn’t want to risk anything.”

“Still, you could go to the party afterwards. Aren’t you allowed to drink or eat anything?”

Yuuri shuddered over his memories of his failed performance. After gaining nothing from the ice, he resigned himself to drink nothing but champagne in the corner. From one disaster, he went straight to another, losing himself and trying to forget his embarrassment. He remembered nothing between the drinks and waking up in the cold, small dressing room that was now his permanent room. He didn’t get one of the fancy ones in the upper levels but a small place on the lowest part, close to the ice.

Maybe it’s best I keep away from the ceremony tonight. Yuuri shook his head as rain clouds formed over them. “Uh-oh. We have a storm coming in.”

“Oh, it’s Yurio. I’m guessing he’s pissed about something as usual.” Mari shooed the clouds away. Yuri Plisetsky was known as Yurio among them to help differentiate between them. Not that they really needed it: only one Yuri got powers. Only one was worthy of a gift.

Mari noted the troubled look on his face and squeezed his shoulder again. “Don’t be hard on yourself, okay? The night will be over before you know it. Remember, you belong with them. Unlike a certain someone else.”

“Are you talking about Cao_”

“Shh!” Yuko silenced him. “You know you can’t bring him up. We don’t talk about him anymore. I don’t want you to end up that way.”

That way. The unmentionable one aka Cao Bin. Once a part of their group, he was nothing more than a distant memory. No one knew exactly where he ran off to after he had a vision of the future. He revealed nothing about the vision, just blocked off his room and ran away. Everyone saw this as him running from responsibilities. Being selfish and caring more about himself. No one wanted to be the next Cao Bin, so no one spoke of him ever again.

“It’s okay, Yuuri.” Mari assured him. “You don’t need to make it snow like Victor or have gold coming out of your butt like JJ does.”

“Um, I’m pretty sure that’s not where it comes from_”

“The point is…don’t think of yourself as less than them because you don’t have a gift. That’s all. Focus on yourself tonight. Anything to make yourself happy.”

Yuuri appreciated the words but the fancy decorations, the noise, and being around the rink were all reminders of his failure. How he’d never get a room of his besides the little dressing room. How he wasn’t allowed at ceremonie for fear of another disaster. Even as he walked around, he remembered Yakov telling everyone else that tonight had to be perfect. Every single second had to go without a hitch. They wanted him to focus on himself, yet the only thing to make him happy would be getting a gift. Maybe then everyone would respect him, see him as a worthy competitor on the ice. Be allowed at the parties and help the community. But he wouldn’t get that chance tonight.

Tonight would just be another reminder that, no matter what he did, he did not belong. 

Chapter Text

For the remainder of the day, Yuuri helped with various chores while avoiding the other skaters showing off their abilities. The rink didn’t need help with decorating, it did that on its own. He only helped out because it gave him something to pass time with. After a while, he’d spend the remainder of the night either in hiding or up in his room. Once he completed his smallest tasks, he headed on up where he passed by several other people. They ignored him as he listened to the chatter around. Sara passed through she ran by.

“Sorry, Yuuri! I have to get ready!” She called over her shoulder as she ran through the door and into her room. He moved to the side as Mila carried several things around, nearly dodging some giant decorations.

“Oh, careful! I don’t want that to land on your head, Yuuri!” She dropped over this load and ran off to get more. “Watch where you go!”

“I will!” He yelled back as he came to a quieter part of the rink. Well, the music started up, screeches from the audio system, and things falling down didn’t make it quiet. He was just glad to be away from all the noise. It would only get louder after the ceremony, provided all things went well there. In the distance, he caught Yakov and Yuri bickering with new storm clouds forming over Yuri’s head.

“Clean your room, Yuri! I don’t care how big it is!”

“Clean what?! It’s always raining there! It can’t get cleaner than that!”

Yup, it’s another ceremony. He paused in front of Victor’s freezing door. It glimmered and lights flickered behind it yet he couldn’t bring himself to know. Years went by of him passing this door and never approaching his idol. He couldn’t do it. Who’d want to talk to the lone person without a gift? Regular people saw him as weird and didn’t accept him. Victor most likely wouldn’t get an inch closer to him.

As he backed up, he found all the pictures of previous skaters during their ceremonies. All of them were so happy, showing off their skills right away. Only one spot on that wall remained empty; his spot. For not getting a gift, his spot stayed empty.

“I may have to move some of those pictures around.” Yakov piped up from behind. Yuuri jumped back and moved to the side so he could see it. “With all the new gifts and the expansion of the rink, we need to make changes.”

“Yeah.” Yuuri didn’t know what else to reply. He rarely spoke to Yakov as it was. He knew him as a great coach, who led Victor and many other skaters to victory. Beyond that, he usually steered clear of him. He wasn’t pleased with the failed ceremony so talking to him only mounted that tension. 

“Yuuri, tonight is a very important night.” Yakov turned away from the wall. His eyes narrowed, silently warning Yuuri not to screw anything up.  “As you know, another competition and gift giving ceremony will start in an hour.”

“I know. I can tell from all the people and decorations.”

“So, I know you want to help out but…perhaps it’s best if you…don’t help as much. I appreciate all you’ve done! It’s just…”

“Don’t worry.” Yuuri held up his hands. “Before the competition starts, I’ll wait in the hallway. Like always.”

“Thank you for being understanding.” Yakov squeezed his shoulder. “I promise you that once the ceremony is over, you can join in the festivities. Remember, you are a part of all of this.”

“Of course.” I’m a part of everything but the actual ceremony. “I’ll wait until it’s all over.”

“Good. Tonight must be perfect.”

Once Yakov left, Yuuri stared out at the glitz and glamor of the rink below. Even from where he stood, he made out all those ice blade etches in the ice. No Zamboni machine could remove them as they were a reminder of all the gifts the rink gave out. Some gifts were old and used many times. Others got brand new ones. As long as they got something, they were special.

You are just as special as anyone else is.

He wanted to believe this but Yuko was right; this night always burned him out. He tried to be happy for other skaters and never complained when they showed off. Yet deep down, he wished to be part of them. He was in this rink yet he still didn’t belong. In the end, it didn’t matter if he won competitions or gold medals. He remained the only skater with no gift. At the rate things went, he’d never get one. He could win all the competitions, and still be the worst skater in the world.

“Where’s Minami? We need Kenjirou Minami out there!”

Minami. Yuuri remembered him all too well. The young skater who looked up to him, who beat him last time in competition, couldn't breathe without Yuuri Katsuki staring at his direction. No one could find him, yet Yuri had a sneaking suspicion where he could be hiding. While the others scurried around the rink, he headed straight to his tiny closet of a room and sat on the bed. Tapping his hands on the mattress, he listened for the ragging breathing coming from underneath. No doubt about it; he wasn’t alone.

“Well, Minami’s not around.” He reached over and found his old skate guards. “Guess I have no one to give my lucky skate guards to…”

“Oh my God!” Minami popped out from under the bed, red and yellow hair covered in dust bunnies. He stretched his hand out for them. “Please! I would do anything.”
“Even go through your ceremony?”

Minami pulled himself out. “I’m scared of it.”

“Scared of what? You’re just skating on the ice. It’s not a big competition where you’ll have multiple judges.” Yuuri helped him out and got him to sit on the bed. “I get that you're nervous. Tonight’s the night you get your gift. You’re not sure what it could be. You don’t know if you can use it or not.”

“What if I fail?” Minami stared down at the ground. “What if…I’m not trying to be mean but what if…what I’m saying…”

Yuuri caught him before he finished. “Look, you are a good skater. Everyone knows it. If for whatever reason, you end up with no gift, then you’ll still be allowed in the rink. You’ll get a room like mine. It’s not huge, but it’s a bed to sleep in and a place to be alone in for a while. It’s good enough. And not getting a gift doesn’t mean you can’t win competitions later. Remember, you can’t use your gift in the big competitions anyway. They judge you only on your skating, not how special your gift is. No matter what happens tonight, you’re still on top of your game.”

As he said those words, the memory of his failure flooded back. No, the ceremony competition wasn’t judged like other competitions, but people remembered those. Years ago, after he finished on the ice, landing every jump and performing his heart out, he waved over at Victor. Everyone cheered for him as bouquets and toys shaped like his favorite food landed on the ice. Victor smiled while they waited for something. Then the smile started to fade as the ice below Yuuri turned black. Yuuri stared down before looking around. In the corner, the commentators talked amongst themselves.

“I…I don’t believe this, ladies and gentlemen. This has never happened before!”

“The ice is turning black! What does this even mean? What did Yuuri Katsuki do?”

“I’m not sure what’s going on. One thing is clear though: he didn’t get a gift.”

Yuuri turned towards Victor who continued to gaze in shock. He had no answer for this. No one did. Yuuri performed his soul on that ice, yet it gave nothing in return. Even after he got off the ice, no one approached him since they didn’t want to comfort him. They didn’t want to see him at all. He messed up.  One way or another, he messed up.

What did Yuuri do? For years, everyone whispered that same question around him. His performance was fine. People fell on the ice all the time, and they got gifts. It wasn’t due to that. Yet he came off the ice with nothing to show for it. Once he left, it went back to normal, clearing up and letting others skating on it. He had no new room, no abilities, nothing. No one talked to him. No one wanted to get close enough to find out what happened. Defeated and empty, he wandered off to do one thing to heal him: drink.

Not that this calmed him down. After several glasses of champagne, he lost all senses. He barely remembered doing much outside of dancing and falling around. The reporters took down every movement he made, splashing it all over the front pages. Yuuri Katsuki, no gift and a complete drunk, made a fool of himself in the most important event in the world.  Because of that mess, Yakov and the other coaches determined Yuuri couldn’t watch the ceremonies anymore. They didn’t want any more disasters.

The clock rang for them as Yuuri nudged Minami. “It’s time. I’ll see you downstairs.”

“Downstairs? But…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll check on you, and then I’ll go hide in the darkness. As always.” Yuuri picked up the alarm clock and placed it on his nightstand. “I’m not going to ruin anyone’s night, okay? You’ll be fine. Now let’s go out there.”

“Thank you, Yuuri! I’ll do my best!” Minami bounced off the bed and ran downstairs as Yuuri followed him. By now, people had gathered in their seats but they had to go where all the skaters went for prepping. Yakov would give him a big speech before anything started. The others stood around him while he hid in the doorway, wishing to be right there. It didn’t seem fair; he was allowed to stay here, yet not take part in anything. He wanted to sit with them and cheer the skaters on. He was a skater too. He deserved to be there.

Or do I? I did fail to get a gift. He found his spot in the dark corner while the others chatted amongst themselves. He spotted Victor sitting with several others, laughing as snowflakes danced around his head. The actual party wouldn’t start for several hours, but people gathered from all around for every second. It was one of the few times the rink opened up to everyone in the public. The ceremony would run the whole night with plenty of entertainment and food to go around. That was the one thing Yuuri got afterwards. When the others finished eating, he could come and get some food. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

“It’s time.” He whispered as other skaters and guests gathered around Yakov. An audience and the media waited outside of the doors but after the speech, they’d be ready. All the performers always got that pep talk right before anything began. Or rather, Yakov told them the same story of the magical rink. Yuuri leaned back and listened to it for the hundredth time.

“Many years ago, during one of the darkest moments in my life, I stumbled upon this rink. Cold and desperate, I came into it for shelter yet what I found was something far more magnificent. This rink came to life as I stepped in and slowly provided shelter for all who were lost in the cold. Since that night, I have vowed to protect this rink as well as the community around it. In turn, every skater who has performed on this ice has received a magical gift to help uplift this community and, in turn, uplift the world.”

“Yeah, almost every skater.” Someone chuckled from the crowd. “Let’s hope tonight doesn’t end with another disaster.”

“Yeah, no one needs Yuuri Katsuiki 2.0.”

Yakov cleared his throat. “Now begins another night where more skaters will receive their gifts and a room in this magical rink. This is also their home. This is where they will serve the community and strengthen the world. This is how we will help the world.”

“All skaters but one.” Someone smirked while others followed. “As long as we keep him from the drinks, I think we’ll be okay.”

I can hear you. Yuuri cringed at all the laughter. They laughed at everything he did. No one would let him forget. Even if they couldn’t see him, they talked about him. He slumped down and listened at the cheers outside. Thankfully, Yakov finished his talk and they all ran out, ready to find their seats. Only a few hours and then it would end.

After a short presentation by the rink, Minami went up first for the ceremony. He stood under the warm bright lights as skaters and press members encouraged to move on. He couldn’t do it. Face flushed, he turned towards the corner where Yuuri waited and motioned him to come. Yuuri shook his head.

“I can’t…” He whispered. “I’m not supposed to…”

“Please, Yuuri…please. I need you…” Minami whispered. “For a little bit.”

By now, others encouraged Minami to start walking yet his eyes were on Yuuri. Over and over, he mouthed ‘Please’ to him and Yuuri’s heart sank. He still recalled those eyes on him. Yuuri Katsuki couldn’t win anyone over. He couldn’t encourage anyone. He shuddered as he slowly stepped into the light and walked towards the anxious Minami. Suddenly, the eyes locked on him once more. They watched for one reason; to see if Yuuri would screw up.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Yuuri Katsuki has arrived. As you all recall, Katsuki was the lone member of this rink who never received a gift. Many have wondered why that is and few have answers. For what we know, he normally never shows his face at these ceremonies.”

The press kept quiet yet loud enough so he could hear. Maybe they were trying to embarrass him. Maybe they pitied him. For whatever reason, he couldn’t go back. Swallowing, he held out his hand. “I’ll walk you to the ice but from that point on, you’ll have to perform on your own.”

“Ok.” Minami clung to him as they walked together, leaving the comfort and security of this small room and heading out to the arena. Cameras flashed around them and Minami slowly started to loosen his grip. That old feeling. Yuuri’s heart raced again and he found himself a young child, eager for a gift. He gave everything into his performance and even the crowd cheered…until the moment the ice turned black. The crowd gasped back and they gasped now. Yuuri Katsuki came out to them after his failure. He was here as the lights brightened the room and he let go of Minami’s hand.

“It’s your turn.” He squeezed Minami’s shoulder. “Good luck.”

Minami’s eyes widened. “Thank you! I’ll do my very best!”

As others whispered about him, Yuuri sank back into the shadows as Minami took center stage and skated his heart out. All nerves disappeared after he landed that first jump. Lights sparkled from the ice as everyone waited with baited breath. Above, a door formed and glowed as the room appeared. Minami wrapped up his performance to thunderous applause and standing ovations. Yuuri clenched his fists as something swooped down and landed on Minami’s arm.

“A bird.” He realized out loud. The bird chirped and Minami nodded. In the distance, everyone could hear. “Yeah, yeah, they can come along! Bring them all in!”

Within seconds, a stampede filled the halls and animals of various kinds ran onto the ice. The ice glowed and Minami’s door formed above. Below, they saw the picture of his power; ability to communicate with animals. Yuuri let out the breath he held in and cheers erupted through the rink. He got his power. Minami had a gift, something brand new.

“A new gift!” Yakov clapped his hands. “Everyone! We have a new gift!”

Thank goodness. He got a gift. He won’t be like me. Yuuri watched as everyone ran onto the ice, whether they could skate or not. They slipped around to enjoy the new power and others ran upstairs to Minami’s room. With all the whooping and hollering, Yakov tried to pull all the skaters in for a photograph. His annual tradition. Whenever someone got power, they got a new photo. Everyone was allowed to be in it.

Well, almost everyone. Yuuri hung back as the camera bulbs flashed and everyone showed off their abilities. In the corner, he spotted Victor making it snow around and icicles dancing in the wind. Every inch of him wanted to run over and be part of this. He wanted his miracle and to use that power for good. He wanted to belong. He wanted to be part of every ceremony, drinking or not.

Don’t be upset or mad at all. Don’t feel regret or sad at all.

He stared up at the doors above, all of them for the skaters with gifts. He got the lone boring room off in the corner with nothing spectacular. Sure, they let him eat with them and go out when he wanted but he still didn’t belong. Without a gift, he’d never belong. He wasn’t fine with this. He couldn’t move mountains, grow flowers, or control anything. He had nothing inside of him that anyone saw as special. Yakov didn’t even invite him to take a photo with the others. Several ceremonies passed, and he never got asked to be part of that smiling group. Even now, as they showed off their powers, not one of them wanted him with them.

I’m so sick of waiting on a miracle. I’m ready and yet…nothing ever happens. Why me? Why didn’t I get anything?

As the others finished their photos and ran up to check out Minami’s room, Yuuri headed towards his own bedroom. The last thing he wanted was to party all night. He stepped away from the rink, eyes to the ground. Away from the lights and flashes, everything darkened around him. It was strange. The main rink was always bright and lively yet when he walked away, it changed. He didn’t find anything worth admiring about these dark halls or dimmed lights. Yakov claimed years ago that this was where he hid during his darkest times. The rink was his protection and his savior. He couldn’t let anyone hurt it, no matter who they were. He refused to sell it to anyone. No one got away with vandalizing it. No one hurt this place. The magic stayed here, deep in the walls and hallways. It belonged to them only. Yakov vowed to keep that magic burning as long as he could. That meant no one could get lazy with their duties. No one could mess up. All skaters had their jobs to keep the place safe.

“I can’t see what’s so safe about this.” Yuuri touched a wall and noticed the crack in it. Unlike the previous rooms, where the rink healed itself, this one stood out. He ran his finger down it as it started to split up. “Rink? Are…Are you okay?”

The floor below him began to crack and slowly run up the walls. One by one, more cracks appeared as he stumbled backwards. Dust dropped on his shoulders as the rink shook, ready to fall apart any minute. He gasped as pieces fell out of the walls, yet no one screamed. No one else complained about the rink shaking. No one ran out of the doors. No one knew.

“The rink…” Yuuri turned his heel and started to run out with the cracks widening. As he ran, more pieces of the rink fell apart and cracks opened in the ground. It was coming undone.

His home away from home was in trouble.

Chapter Text

Yuuri raced down the stairs as they crumbled below, making sure to get the next step before it fell apart. He leaped down on the floor as the walls fell, screaming into the rink. All the other skaters and guests skated around the ice to festive music and lights, laughing and dancing. None of them reacted the way one would to a building falling apart. No screaming, no running around, no diving down for shelter. Everyone was happy and laughing, joking around and dancing on the ice. They stayed on that rink like the party never ended. “Stop the music! Kill the music!”

The music cut off as Victor called out his name. “Yuuri! Come over here!”

“No, stop the music!” Yuuri gasped as he caught his breath. “The rink…it’s…can’t you see…it’s…it’s…”

Seung-Gil got the message and immediately froze everyone in place. Yuuri relaxed at the sight of frozen dancers and skaters around the rink. Only those who lived in the rink weren’t affected by Seung-Gil’s time freezing abilities. They moved and spoke without a care. Everyone else stood in place and wouldn’t unfreeze until he allowed them to move. Yuuri swallowed at all the happy people dancing around the lights. They didn’t know. None of them knew.

“I…uh…” Yuuri stammered over his words. He couldn’t explain this when there was nothing wrong in this room. “The rink…I think it’s…”

Yakov held up his hand before anyone else spoke. “What is wrong with the rink, Yuuri?”

“It’s falling apart! Look at the ground…” Yuuri turned his gaze to the floor and found no cracks out of it. “Then look at the walls…” He pointed to a completely crack-free wall. “But the stairs…” Once again, he found all the stairs intact. Nothing falling apart, nothing broken. “I…I don’t get it. The rink was shaking! It’s like an earthquake, only there was…”

Around him, the others snickered and whispered between themselves. Some of the skaters rolled their eyes and shook their heads, all thinking the same thing. Yuuri made something up. His family and friends appeared confused by his confusion. “I didn’t imagine this at all! I would never do anything to ruin tonight! It was really falling apart! All of it was going under and…”

“Oh, Yuuri. Poor Yuuri.” Chris reached over, stretching his arm out to grab his water bottle. “I know it’s late, and you’re probably seeing things. I get it…the lights are too bright, the music’s too loud, it’s too much.”

“Ah, you’re a little stressed.” JJ dropped several gold coins in his hands. “Here! Use that to buy yourself some stress free stuff…and maybe a life.”

“No, no, you don’t get it. There were cracks when I was running down here!” Yuuri stepped around the room, stomping down on a few spots. “Look! It’s…it was…there was…”

“We get it. You saw cracks and now the rink is falling apart.” Yuri rolled his eyes. “Did you drink too much again?”

“What?! No!” Yuuri’s face burned bright red. Of course everyone remembered that night he lost all his inhibitions. “I’m serious! The rink was falling apart! Everything here…it was all_”

“That’s enough!” Yakov cut him off. “Please do not disturb the celebration, Yuuri! I want to see you upstairs in my room in five minutes! We’ll talk about that omen later.”

“But…” That did it. Going up to Yakov’s room spelled trouble for that skater. He picked the wrong time to interrupt as the others snickered. Poor Victor paled as Yuuri sulked off. If there was a time for the floor to disappear, it was now. He didn’t want to deal with any of the laughter aimed at him. None of them saw it. None of them knew what he talked about.

I know I’m not crazy. I felt that. Why didn’t anyone else?

The party fell back into full swing as everyone began dancing again. No one knew outside of the other skaters about his interruption. Yakov made sure they stayed happy and festive, not dealing with anything else for the next five minutes. All the same, Yuuri didn’t shake this out. He didn’t imagine it. He wasn’t drunk. It happened. The rink came undone.
Well, I can’t hold it off any longer. I might as well get this over with.

Yuuri dreaded every second he climbed the steps to Yakov’s room. He passed by several rooms and stopped at the one no one dared to enter; Cao Bin’s room. Once glowing and showing off the future, it now stood dark and dead inside. Boarded up and locked, no one spoke of him. No one went into his room. He left one day, claiming to have seen a dark future for all, and never returned. The only clues to his existence were his room and the rats that scurried by the doorway. It was the only area where rats gathered around. They knew something was up, yet he couldn’t understand it. Then it hit him. Right before he left, Cao Bin brought up an omen. He never explained what it was, but it was enough to push him away.

I wonder what he meant. Was he talking about the rink falling apart? If so, why not tell the others? What did he see that was so terrible? Kneeling down, he caught sight of a few green pieces sticking out from under the door. Pieces of Cao Bin’s tablets. Curious, he grabbed some of those pieces, the glow from Cao Bin’s door glimmering before dying. Something was in there. Not the owner of the room, but something else lurked below. Something wanted him to come and find it.

But what can it be? Does it have to do with these pieces?

He walked away from Cao Bin’s room and found Yakov’s place, the lights low and windows closed. Yakov faced the window, unable to face Yuuri or anyone else. Knocking on the door, he let himself in and took a deep breath. The time arrived to explain himself. “Um, about tonight…”

“You don’t need to explain yourself. I saw what happened tonight.”

“I wasn’t trying to ruin the night, I swear!” Yuuri blurted out. “I know how important these nights are and I would never try to mess them up! But the cracks on the walls were real! The rink was coming apart! And I know no one else saw them_”

“I saw them.”

“No one else saw them but…wait, what?” Yuuri paused. “You saw them too?”

“Yes, I saw them. I’ve been seeing them for some time now. I thought I was the only one.” Yakov pulled away from the window, took a chair, and sat down. He motioned Yuuri to grab a chair. “Please. Take a seat. I wanted to confirm what you saw, but I didn’t want to do it in front of everyone. That’s why I asked you up here to talk in private.”

“So, you also saw the same cracks?”

“No, I saw different ones. They’ve been appearing in the rink for some time and I do think it is falling apart.” He agreed. “I thought I might have been going crazy. No one else brought it up with me so I kept it to myself. I didn’t want anyone to worry about it. I figured maybe it’s the magic weakening, but then we get a celebration and all goes fine. Then you mentioned seeing some.”

“Well, if things are falling apart, we should let the others know. Everyone should be prepared for what’s to come.”

“Not yet. I’m not sure exactly what it is. Causing a panic is the last thing we need. Plus there’s that friend of yours who can hear everything. There’s a reason I asked you to come here as this is the only place he can’t hear anything.” Yakov rapped on the walls. “I know he’s itching to know what happens in my room.”

“Then you’re confirming that I was right. This place is falling apart. Does it have to do with_”

“No!” Yakov shook his head. “Absolutely not! We do not speak his name!”

“Why not? Maybe he saw something in the future…”

“We don’t talk about Cao Bin, Yuuri! Not today, not ever! He left this place and he hasn’t been heard of since! Let’s keep it that way.”

“Still, whatever he saw, do you think it could be related to this? He mentioned an omen right before he disappeared! We should at least try to reach out to him or go into his room. He might have left a clue_”

“His room is off limits! And I wouldn’t know where to start looking for him. He disappeared and honestly, the less said about him, the better.” Yakov held up his hand. “Now, for the sake of everyone, please do not discuss this outside of these walls. It’s best not to alarm anyone.”

“And if I see the cracks again?”

“Come find me. Don’t try to stop anything alone.” He nodded. “Whatever is happening in this rink, it’s too big for you to take on. That, and combined with the fact that you have no abilities…”

Everyone really loves reminding me of that when they get a chance. When will it stop? Yuuri winced though he chose not to let Yakov see this annoyance. “I understand. I may not be able to save the rink.”

“For now, keep this quiet. This shouldn’t go beyond you and me. If it continues, we’ll work on a plan to fix this. I just want you alerting anyone and getting them stressed out. Not until I know what is going on. Are we clear?”

“Got it.” Yuuri stood up. “I guess I should head back to my room. I don’t think I’ll be allowed back in the party after that mess.”

“It’ll be over soon. Try not to let the cracks bother you too much.”

“I won’t. Good night.” Yuuri left Yakov’s room, hands deep in pockets where the green pieces were. Parts of Cao Bin’s prediction. If he could find the rest of the pieces, he’d know what this was. No doubt Cao Bin left because he saw something he couldn’t explain. Either that or he feared the future to come. Yuuri fiddled with the pieces, their cool jagged edges rubbing against his fingers. Cao Bin never predicted anything that didn’t come true. Whatever he saw last, it was enough to chase him out and for others to forget him.

I can’t talk about this too much but maybe…maybe I could ask someone if they noticed anything weird. There’s nothing wrong with that. He passed by Victor’s door, chilly as always. Snow and frost hung off the hinges and knob, cool blue light glowing behind it. For a second, he contemplated asking him. Victor stayed in this rink longer than most other skaters had. He’d seen Cao Bin perform and get his ability to see into the future. He might have known what the problem was.

“No, I can’t.” He stepped away from the door and hurried back to his room. Victor barely knew of his existence. Why was he going to tell him about Cao Bin’s last night or what was going on in the rink? Victor wouldn’t give him the time of the day, let alone any history behind the rink. He needed someone else’s help.

“But not Phichit. He’ll tell the whole world.” He closed the door behind him. If Phichit heard that bit, he didn’t react or do anything. Going over to the various photos on his desk, he struggled to find someone else to help him. Besides his family, he had pictures of the other skaters after their gift performances. They didn’t let him get in the photo but still gave him one. He now had walls plastered with them. Pictures of everyone who lived and skated in this rink now danced around him. All of them lucky. All of them with powers.

His eye fell on a photo and he took it off the wall to get a better look. “Well, if I can’t ask Phichit, maybe I can ask her. She knows what’s going on between these walls. She goes through them, she’s probably found something strange.”

Fiddling around his pockets, he laid the pieces of green tablet out on his desk and tried to put them together. While he didn’t have enough, some of the pieces made out a face. He started to work on the puzzle with the face slowly coming together. The eyes, the nose, the mouth…familiar glasses…no, it couldn’t be. There were other people who had similar glasses. Maybe Cao Bin saw them. Yet the more he stared, the more familiar that face became. It wasn’t right.

“It can’t be me.” He shook his head, putting the pieces in his drawer. “I’m probably not thinking straight. I’ll try this again tomorrow and I’ll ask her for help. Someone else had to see and hear something.”

Around him, the walls shook in reply. Cao Bin was right. Whatever omen he saw, it would affect everything in their lives and no one could stop it. Not until Yuuri himself figured out what to do first.

”I’ll save this place.” He promised. “I don’t know how, but I’ll do it. Don’t worry, rink. “I’ll help you out. One way or another, I'll find out how to stop this from happening.”

Chapter Text

Nothing else happened during the night, yet Yuuri remained unsettled by it. Yakov confirmed everything. The rink was crumbling. Something weakened the magic in it. Something caused it come undone, so if anyone could save it, it had to be him. The more he dwelled on this, the more he understood why Cao Bin left. The rink crumbling added another layer of pressure to all the skaters. So many of them grew thanks to their gifts. What could happen if they lost them? He tossed and turned all night, wondering why Yakov wanted to keep this a secret. If someone else knew, he needed their help. It was a relief when dawn broke through so he could put his plan into action.

No matter what Yakov says, it all falls on that vision. The answers are in those green pieces. What did Cao Bin see? And was it enough to chase him away? I’m so confused. I gotta start with what I have right now.

Yuuri found Sara at the breakfast table the next morning, loading up on various pastries. His mind still fresh over Cao Bin’s vision and the cracks, she couldn’t hide any secrets from him. She saw everything in between. Her eyes shifted around as he stood next to her and lowered his voice. “Um, Sara. Sorry for bothering you right now but this is important. Since you can go through walls, I was wondering if you noticed anything inside of them. Anything weird, strange, out of place…anything at all. I know you’d see it if_”

“Emil! Stop pretending to be Sara just so you can take all the food!” Michele snapped from behind. Yuuri noticed that Sara was right next to him while the other Sara immediately shape-shifted back into Emil.

“Oh, Mickey, I just wanted seconds!”

“Leave some for everyone else!”

As they continued to bicker, Sara squeezed her way between them, passed through their bodies, and stood next to Yuuri. “To answer your question, no, there is nothing strange in between the walls. Nothing weird is going on. The only thing might be…well, not it's not just you. Victor doesn’t seem like himself.”

“He doesn’t?”

“No, he’s pretty quiet and his eyes are twitching. Now he’s sneezing all over the place and he left a lot of ice patches of snot around. Phichit says he hears them twitching. If you want to start somewhere, start with Victor.”

Victor. The last person Yuuri wanted to talk to was him but Sara had a point. The few times he caught sight of Victor at the ceremony, he seemed so far away. He was sitting there and watching all the performances but his mind and heart were elsewhere. Yuuri hadn’t seen any twitching eyes but Victor wasn’t acting like himself. When he smiled, the sparkle disappeared from his eyes.

Maybe I should have stopped by his room after all. He might know more than the others. Yuuri made his way to the dining room and found a spot next to Victor’s, squeezing in before anyone else took it. Victor didn’t react so he spoke to get a reaction. “I hope this seat isn’t taken?”

Victor gazed up, spoon in his mouth, and shook his head. “You can sit here.”

That was easier than I thought. Yuuri put his plate down as the others came and took their seats. “Um, so…I was wondering…um…” The words didn’t come out of his mouth as easily. Here he was, right next to Victor, yet he couldn’t say what he needed to. “It was a nice ceremony last night!”

“It was.” Victor agreed. “I haven’t seen Yakov that happy since the first time I won gold at the Grand Prix.”

“Really?”

“Really. I think he’s just glad to see a new gift.” Victor took a sip of his coffee and turned to Yuuri, eyes somewhat empty. He smiled with no excitement behind it. Sniffing, he took a deep breath to stop a sneeze. It still came out, but quieter than before.  “I missed seeing you out there.” He sniffled before wiping his nose. “Sorry, Yuuri. I have a little cold.”

“You have a cold? You were fine last night.”

“I know but it happens. Someone must have given me something.” He coughed, covering his mouth with the napkin. Frost formed over the cloth as he pulled away. “Oh dear. I wish you stayed for the after party.”

“Yeah, well, I’m usually not welcome at the after parties or the ceremonies or anything else for that matter. I guess people think I’m cursed so they don’t want me around to curse anyone else.” He stared into his cup, grateful that it was coffee. The last time he drank after a ceremony, it led to a drunken disaster. I already embarrassed everyone enough as it is. I better keep quiet until I figure out what’s going on.

“Well, I would have liked to see you. Even if you didn’t enjoy the party, you could come upstairs.” Victor nodded to where his door was. “You should stop by. It gets lonely in my room and no one ever wants to come.”

Yuuri swallowed. As tempting as it was, there was one big reason he never stepped foot in Victor’s room. “It’s very cold in there. Only you can stand it because of your gift.”

“Put on a jacket and come in! It doesn’t get that cold!”

“It’s always snowing in it and_” An elbow nudged Yuuri in the back, followed by a grunt “Move! You’re taking up all this space!”  A thundercloud rumbling nearby, Yuuri moved over so Yuri could sit down. The thunder stopped but the cloud continued to linger around. “What’s gotten into both of you?”

“Nothing! We’re just_”

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

Yakov rapped his spoon against the table and everyone’s attention fell on him. As he moved around and tried to sit, several animals squeaked at him and he pulled away. They ran back towards Minami who piped up. “They were making the seat nice and toasty for you. Is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine. Thank you.” Yakov chuckled. “Now that I have everyone’s attention, I have a big announcement to make. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had the press come over. Usually, they come for the ceremony but they don’t stay long. This time, it will be different. They will ask all of you various questions about your gifts and your long term plans. I will expect that you remain courteous and professional at all times. Remember, you have a duty to uphold, not just as skaters but as members of the community. Everyone counts on you to come through when they need you. Understood?”

Murmurs of ‘yes’ replied and Yakov continued with his talk. All the while, Yuuri caught Victor’s eyes twitching and hands shaking while holding his spoon. His eyes and nose red, he listened to every word but something else bothered him. Yuuri lowered his voice, trying to calm him down. “Um, are you okay?” Victor nodded as his eye twitched again. “Should I do_”

“No.” He mouthed, shoving the spoon in his mouth. Sniffling, he wiped his nose and waved everything off. “I’m fine.”

“Really? Cause your eye is twitching, your nose is runny, and_”

“Yuuri Katsuki! If you cannot stay quiet, then I will bring you up front to listen!” Yakov snapped. “Now rink, if you may_”

“I’m fine! Really! I’ll…whoa!” The chair moved Yuuri away from Victor and pushed him to the front of the table. Yuuri’s face reddened as he sank down in his chair. So much for asking Victor what’s wrong. I guess I’ll have to try another time.

“As I was saying, this group is coming from all over the world.” He turned to Phichit. “Now do you know if any of them have arrived yet?”

Phichit listened carefully. “The majority have arrived and are in their hotel rooms right now. Two guys forgot their socks, three forgot their toothbrushes, four need clean towels, one cannot get the wifi to work, one is struggling to order room service, and one does not have cable TV. Overall, they are satisfied with the hotel. They just wish there was a bar close by and that the hotel offered free breakfast.”

“That was more than I needed but it is good to know they are here. I need all of you on your best behavior. Even if something seems off, do not bring it up. Is that clear?”

Once again, murmurs of ‘yes’ filled the room. Yuuri knew that the last bit was sent to him yet he couldn’t help it. While the others discussed the big day, Victor slipped out, snow and ice trailing him all the way out of the rink. Yuuri pushed back his chair and started to follow the bits of water melting on the side. Yakov continued to ramble on, but didn’t stop him from walking away. No one was coming to see Yuuri anyway. None of those reporters wanted to know what he was up to. Yakov would most likely send him to hide in his room during that time. At the moment, Yuuri was worried about someone else. Someone currently cold and quiet. It didn’t matter how much Victor liked these meetings. He wouldn’t run away.

This isn’t like him at all. He doesn’t disappear like that. He followed the droplets of water out towards the town. Without looking, he nearly bumped into JJ who dropped more gold coins on the ground. Excusing himself, he tried to catch sight of Victor or anything odd in the rink. This wasn’t normal. Nothing here was normal.

“Whoa, Yuuri! If you needed money, all you had to do was ask!” He teased as he handed over more gold. “Here you go!”

“Sorry, sorry! I’m, uh…I’ll be back!” He brushed past a few other skaters and ran into town where he spotted Mila helping multiple people move large objects. As he passed her, he noticed her eyes twitching as well. The more people calling out for help, the more twitchy she became. She didn’t turn anyone down, taking on more and more jobs. The more she did, the more they demanded of her.

“Mila! Can you help me move all these sacks of rice?”

“Oh, Mila! I need the piano moved into my living room! Do you have the time?”

“There you are, Mila! If you have a second, can you uproot this shed for me? I’m making room for a swimming pool!”

Each time, Mila chirped with “Yes!” or “I will!” or “In a little bit!” While her voice rang with excitement, her face and eyes told a whole other story. She wasn’t fine. Neither she nor Victor were acting like their usual selves. That happiness was completely faked and hiding the pain they were under.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Yuuri found himself asking as she ran from place to place. “Maybe you need a little break.”

“I’ll take a break when I need one, Yuuri. Right now, it’s time to work.” She lifted up several large rocks as her eyes twitched. “I wish this would stop though. Makes it hard to do anything.”

“The twitching?” Yuuri stepped away as she dumped the rocks in a corner. “When did that start?”

“Oh, I don’t know. It’s just eye twitching, it’s not like I’m injured. I can still skate, I can still work, I can do everything.” She heaved another rock over her shoulder. “Twitching eyes doesn’t affect my performance.”

“Maybe not, but it’s not something that normally happens.” Yuuri swallowed as she finally sat down, kneeling over. Her heavy breathing and sweating told another story. She couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t handle any more jobs. “Really. I think you might be overdoing it a little bit. Maybe it’s time for a break. Just a few minutes. And if that’s not enough, just tell them you can’t do it.”

“Me? Overdoing it?” Mila laughed as she wiped her brow, her eyes twitching again. “Don’t be silly, Yuuri. If anyone is overdoing it, it’s Victor.”

“Victor? What do you mean?”

“Haven’t you noticed? He’s been_”

“Oh, gross!” Yuri screamed from the other end as thunder boomed in the rink. “Goddammit, Victor! You blew your icy snot all over the place!”

Mila sighed. “Yeah, that’s what happened. Victor has a cold. He got a cold right after the ceremony and he hasn’t stopped sneezing since. He’s got a runny nose, a cough, chills…think about it, Yuuri. Victor lives in a room full of ice and snow, yet he’s never gotten sick until now. Isn’t that odd to you?”

Yuuri heard another giant sneeze in the corner and more thunder booming. “You’re right. That’s not normal.”

“If you want answers, you should start with Victor before anyone else. He’s the one who’s acting strange.” Mila hoisted a few more things over her shoulders. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to finish my work.”

Yuuri followed the sounds of the sneezing to a back corridor where Victor huddled over a box of tissues. A blanket draped over his head, he sniffled and coughed, wading up balls of tissue and throwing them around. Around him, a circle of ice formed, blocking anyone from getting close. Yuuri took a few steps forward as cold air wafted off Victor’s body. He wasn’t okay. “Victor? Are you…is something wrong?”

“Oh, Yuuri.” Victor wiped his nose and took off the blanket. “I’m fine. Just a little cold, like I said. It happens.”

“To regular people, I can buy that. But you’re…well, you’re you. You’ve never gotten a cold ever since you got your gift. Even before that, you rarely got sick. You’ve performed even when you were under the weather.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything.” He sniffled into another tissue. “I’m fine, Yuuri. I’ll get over this cold.”

Yuuri inched a little closer and sat right outside of the ice ring surrounding Victor. As cold as he got, he couldn’t pull away. “So, you didn’t notice anything weird happening to you. You didn’t see anything happening to the rink.”

“Please, Yuuri, not this again.”

“No, I need to know! You believe me, right? You believe that I saw something. And as strange as this is going to sound, I think it might have to do with why Cao Bin disappeared.” Victor shuddered once Yuuri brought up Cao Bin, but he wasn’t done. “You can’t tell me that you aren’t curious about it. There was no reason for him to leave. I don’t think me failing to get a gift would be enough to chase him away.”

Victor sniffled. “So, what do you want to do, Yuuri? If something is wrong with this place, how are you going to fix it? You weren’t given a gift by the rink that might help it. What can you do?”

“I…” Yuuri closed his eyes. “I’m not sure yet. That’s why I need your help. I need you or anyone to tell me what’s going on with this place. Yakov won’t say anything. I don’t think any other coach will either. If something’s bothering you_”

“Nothing is wrong!” Victor snapped, wiping away his runny nose. The snow flurries around him dropped to the ground as he cleared his throat. Breathing hard, he pushed aside the tissue box and covered himself with the blanket. “Look, Yuuri. I’ve been through a lot lately. With a new season coming up, I promised myself to put together something new. This cold is holding me back but it’s nothing. Just a little pressure on myself, that’s it.”

“Pressure? I…”

Victor sneezed. “Nothing’s wrong, okay? I’m fine, the rink’s fine, everyone’s fine. I’m going to be okay and this cold will be over. You’ll see.” He patted Yuuri on the shoulder, his cold fingers pressing through Yuuri’s clothes. “Everything will get better in time. I’ll feel better. Trust me.”

As he smiled, his eyes blinked and twitched as the wall behind him started to crack. Yuuri gulped. Victor knew. He knew something was wrong with this place. He couldn’t do anything about it.

And without any answers, neither could Yuuri.

Chapter Text

The first time Yuuri saw Victor on the ice, he figured this was someone special. The way he danced around that cool, slippery ice like it was the sidewalk, captivating everyone who laid their eyes on him. Cool and smooth, no one suspected he could make mistakes. He didn’t make mistakes. He was the king of the ice, which came true the moment he got his gift. No matter how much snow fell around him, people remained in awe of his calm demeanor.

Well now, there was no calm demeanor. Victor’s face twitched as the snow fell. Instead of the usual sprinkle of snow, it piled down on him. He sat there letting it pile up while his eyes opened and closed. Then he sneezed. Rinse and repeat, the snow on him went on. Something was wrong. Something bugged him. Something got under Victor’s skin now, and the cool facade cracked.

He’s not okay.

Winds picked up as Victor pulled himself onto his feet and paced around. Patches of ice popped out with each step while flurries danced around his head. His eyes continued to twitch yet the storm refused to slow down. Yuuri carefully inched closer as snowflakes landed on him.

“Uh, Victor?” He attempted to poke him, but pulled back when the cold winds hit. This was it. Victor hit his limit and now his power went into overdrive. Yuuri pushed through the ice and snow and grabbed Victor's side to keep it from spreading. No one needed a snowstorm now. The pressure got to him.

“I’m fine, Yuuri! Really!” Victor chuckled as snow piled on top of him. “I’m completely okay!”

“Completely okay?! You’re getting buried in snow!”

“I’m always buried in snow and ice! It’s my gift!”

“Not like this.” Yuuri coughed as he tried to stop Victor from walking around. “Come on! Calm down! I know you’re under pressure…”

“Pressure?” Victor stopped as the snow died down. “Oh, Victor Nikiforov doesn’t fall under pressure. He’s got nothing to worry about except his pride, his country, his coaches, his teammates, his family, his friends, his gift ... .nope, no pressure here! I told you already! I’m okay! You can give me more things to do, I’ll be fine!”

The sarcasm came out as quickly as the ice formed under them. Yuuri gripped onto Victor who began to hyperventilate. Under the surface, he crumbled. The Living Legend was put under too much pressure to be perfect and perform without a flaw. He couldn’t keep it together anymore. He wanted to fall apart and rest and forget about the ice. The pressure pushed on him took its toll.

Victor breathed hard as Yuuri slowly pulled him down, sitting him on the wet pile of snow. The flurries and winds slowed down as he calmed down. Blinking, he found Yuuri right next to him, struggling to stand on the ice. “Oh Yuuri! When did you get here?”

“Oh, Victor!” Yuuri squeezed his shoulders. Before he got another word out, he embraced Victor as he slowed down his breath. The ice melted around them as Victor returned the hug. “I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”

“No, Yuuri. It’s okay.” Victor sniffled as the ice turned to water. “I…I’ve been stressed. And you’re right. Something’s going on in the rink.”

“Do you know what it is?”

He shook his head. “All I know is that I have a cold and my eyes twitch. I’m not the only one. We’re trying to find out how to stop it but….” He lowered his voice. “I think you’ll find the answer in Cao Bin’s room.”

Yuuri swallowed. “But, I can’t get in there. It’s completely boarded up.”

“I don’t know, but I can tell you that whatever he saw…it might explain all of this. Just don’t tell anyone else what you’re doing.” Victor pulled away. “I’m going to…I’m going to my room now. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

Yuuri let him go as more ice patches appeared under his feet. Maybe now wasn’t the time to ask more questions. He needed the rest. The pressure pushed on him, and Victor finally pushed back. He confirmed everything Yuuri feared; all his answers were locked away in Cao Bin’s room. Somehow, he had to break in and find those remaining pieces. He’d never been in that room before but, judging from what others told him, it was deemed the most dangerous room in the rink. So many sloping cliffs and hills with tons of holes that led anyone to their demise. How anyone survived it remained the second biggest mystery, right after what happened to Cao Bin.

“Oh great, what am I going to do?” Yuuri gazed up at the rooms, zeroing in on where the boarded up room was. Unlike the others, the door no longer glowed. It no longer showed Cao Bin’s figure or his name, written in English and Chinese. No sign of him remained in this rink. For Yuuri to break in, he’d have to rip every board out and sneak in when no one watched. The only problem was finding the right time. How could he get in without no one noticing?

It’s times like these that I wish I had a gift. I could figure this out on my own. He stared down at his hands, knowing very well he couldn’t pull those boards apart. He had no superhuman strength to break down that door. He couldn’t slip through solid walls. He couldn’t burn a hole or create any kind of diversion. He needed someone with a power to get in.

“What are you doing down here?”

A few drops of rain splattered on Yuuri’s shoulder as a shadow loomed over. He didn’t bother looking up at the storm clouds brewing. “Oh, Yurio! I didn’t see you there.”

“How could you not? I got these stupid clouds over me. That, and I’m trying to escape my fans. I lost them in a whirlwind, but they’ll be back.” Yuri sat down beside him, glaring at all the wet spots. “Okay, those aren’t me.”

“No, Victor was here a little while ago. I think he's under a lot of stress. A lot of them are.” Yuuri snapped his fingers as the idea hit him. “Hey, Yurio. How much do you remember about Cao Bin? Or the night he disappeared?”

“That guy? I didn’t speak to him. I know nothing.” Yuri huffed. “He was always really quiet except when he had some prediction. I don’t know why he left. Yakov just said he’s gone and we can’t ask any questions.”

“Well, I think he left because of what’s going on in this rink.” Yuuri focused on the only door not glowing. “He saw something and he doesn’t want us to know about it. I just wish I knew what it was. If I could just talk to him…”

“How can you talk to him? He’s…” Yuri glared at the giant clouds gathering over them, rubbing together to form lighting and thunder. “Do you mind?! I’d like to have a conversation without getting wet if that’s okay with you!” The clouds immediately dispersed as he stood up. “Look. He’s gone. I don’t know where he went, but it’s not here. You don’t know what he saw.”

Yuuri remembered the pieces back in his room. Only a few were found under that door, so the rest had to be inside. “We could find out.”

“We can?”

“Yeah, he always makes a slate of the vision after he has one. We never saw that slate so chances are…it’s still in his room.” Yuuri closed his eyes, wondering if his next idea would work. “By any chance, could you make lightning strike that door so it opens?”

Yuri gaped at him. “Seriously? You have no idea how these gifts work, do you?”

“I don’t.” Yuuri cursed himself for asking that. Of course that couldn’t happen. Yuri’s gift worked with his mood. He couldn’t make any lightning strike just because he wanted to. He had to get angry enough, and even still, that didn’t mean lightning would strike where it should. “I just need some help getting in that room. Maybe even finding that slate. Yurio, I know it’s a lot but…”

“You need my help.” Yuri contemplated it for a second. “Let’s see, get in trouble breaking into a locked room or staying out and waiting for my fans to come and swarm me.” The decision took seconds to make. “Let’s break into that room.”

Yuri sighed and clapped his hands. “Thank you, Yurio. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do this.”

“Eh, I’m bored and I’ve got nothing better to do.” Then Yuri’s face darkened. “Are you sure something’s wrong with this place? I mean, I noticed funny stuff…”

“You did?!” Yuuri’s heart leaped into his chest. “Oh good, I’m not alone! What do you see?! Was the cracks?”

“What?! No! I mean…JJ’s acting weird all of a sudden. Then again, he’s always weird so that’s nothing new. Victor’s quiet now. And my gift…eh, sometimes it just…” The storm clouds brewed right over. “Oh great! Just what I wanted now! Go away!” He chased them out before resuming. “See what I mean? They pop up whenever they want now! I don’t need them!”

Yuuri decided not to say anything regarding the clouds. Something was wrong with the rink. He couldn’t keep quiet about it, no matter what Yakov said. Someone had to fix it. Someone had to find out what was destroying his home away from home. He motioned Yuri to follow him up the stairs where they could get started. No one else clung around, either with practice or helping the community. With reporters heading over soon, they had to be quick.

Climbing the steps towards Cao Bin’s room took longer as they dragged their feet up. That door. The one door no one entered anymore. Yuuri ran his fingers over the etched drawing of Cao Bin’s body. Yet behind that wooden door, something warm pulsed. That only happened if someone was around. He put the other hand on it and got that same warmth.

“Someone’s here.”

“Huh?” Yuri also touched the door, carefully moving around the boards. “You’re right. There’s no way this door would be warm if it was empty. Even Victor’s door glows and that place is nothing but snow and ice!”

Yuuri leaned in to hear something, anything, to give away someone lurking around. If Cao Bin left, then his door wouldn’t glow. He tugged on the wood…only for it to come out in his hand. Staring down, he tried with the other piece. The wood wasn’t hammered in. “What the…”

“It’s not even locked?” Yuri helped him pull out the rest. “What the hell?! No one ever boarded this up! What the hell is the point of all this?!”

“That means anyone could get in. These boards were supposed to keep others away, but someone got in. And maybe…” Yuuri yanked the last board now. “Maybe someone’s in there now! What do we do?”

“What the hell do you think? We get in too.”

Yuuri wiggled his fingers right as his hand went on the handle. Warm. The door wanted him to open it. Turn the knob and get in. All the answers to the rink and what was going on lay right behind that door. He swallowed, unable to turn the knob.

“Oh, come on! Let me!” Yuri pushed him aside and kicked the door. “Finally! Geez!”

The door swung open to reveal darkness inside. No one. Yet the warm air wafted out, revealing nothing but dust and sand. Musky stenches weighed down on them. So hot and stuffy, they struggled to breathe in it. The two of them snuck, their feet sinking into the ground, all soft and dry. Cao Bin’s room. So huge and dirty. How did he ever sleep in this place? Yuuri couldn’t make out a bed, nightstand, or any furniture. There wasn’t even a closet to put things away. He coughed and rubbed his eyes as they went in. They were here.

“All right, now what?” Yuri asked. “We made it in.”

“Let’s find that slate.” Yuuri continued to make his way through the sand. As warm as it was, he didn’t get anything that made him comfortable here. How could they find anything in this mess? His eyes zoomed in on the wall where a few words scrawled across it. He didn’t know who left these here, but it gave away everything he feared.

BEWARE. YOUR FUTURE IS HERE. ENTER IF YOU DARE.

Then he gazed up at all the giant cliffs above. This room. Those pieces were in this room. The truth behind the rink, how to fix it, maybe his own future.

It all lay in the sand that was Cao Bin’s room.

Chapter Text

Cao Bin’s room didn’t give anyone comfort with all its darkness and sand. Yuuri couldn’t find any furniture or personal belongings within it. Just sand and drawings all over the walls. He checked each drawing out with Yuri right at his heels. They imagined something more grand than this. For a bedroom, he expected a bed, dresser, a closet, a nightstand, anything that resembled a place some slept and spent time in. It wasn’t this, endless piles of sand and predictions. It didn’t give him the warmth or life that the other rooms radiated. This place reeked of sadness and worries.

“This is Cao Bin’s room?” Yuri scoffed. “It’s nothing but sand! How the heck does he sleep in here? Or do anything?”

“I’ve always wondered what all your rooms look like on the inside.” Yuuri murmured. “I mean…Victor’s is cold, I know that. I go by it, and the doorknob is frozen. You say yours is raining all the time. But this…it’s nothing I expected. It’s a lot bigger than mine, that’s for sure.”

“Bigger, probably, but you don’t have to deal with sand. Ick!” Yuri took off one of his shoes and poured the sand out. “No wonder he left. He got tired of this stupid place.”

“No, I don’t think that’s it.” Yuuri remembered the pieces of green glass as he walked on, checking out the walls. The sand wasn’t just on the ground but covering every inch of the area. Around him, he found several pictures like drawings with caves or pyramids. As he squinted, he caught more of the details in each one. Pointing them out, he grabbed Yuri for a closer look. “See that?! Do you remember that scene?”

Now it was Yuri’s turn to squint and frown. “Yeah, that’s when Victor won the last world championship. And it’s dated…” He studied the numbers below. “What the…he predicted Victor’s win three months before it happened?! That was the time when Victor wasn’t feeling well, and he still pulled off the win!”

“Here’s when you won the Junior World Championship. He predicted that two years before you did.” Yuuri gulped at each of the predictions on the walls. Cao Bin truly saw it all before it took place. He knew who’d win and who’d taste defeat. Yet those didn’t bother him as much as some of the bigger predictions on the walls. Scenes of forests on fire, cities ripping apart, war…all of them happened, taking place in other countries. “There’s the earthquake that happened last year…some giant fire in California in the USA…a flood…a tsunami…when did he have time to predict these? Cao Bin’s been gone for a while but…”

“He’s just too weird.” Yuri agreed. “Then again, I’m not expecting much from a guy that predicted this.” He pointed to another familiar sight that Yuuri wished wasn’t there. “God, why didn’t he warn anyone about your mess last time?”

Yuuri swallowed hard at the scene of him getting drunk and dancing alongside other people. It wasn’t one picture either. Cao Bin had several predictions of what Yuuri did after he failed to get his gift. The drinking, the pole dancing and stripping with Chris, the dance offs with Yuri and Victor, him crawling all over Victor who was burying the entire place in snow. All of that faded away when he woke up with a hangover the following morning. No wonder no one spoke to him. He was a disgrace that night. A drunk without a gift. The rink couldn’t give a gift to someone who couldn’t pull himself out of darkness. He got left out for good reason.

I can’t dwell on this right now. I have to know his last prediction. Maybe then I can start saving this place. Struggling to ignore the predictions along the wall, each one more offensive than the last, he beckoned Yuri to follow him to the edge. This couldn’t be all Cao Bin had. This didn’t answer anything. As they walked on, they came to the edge where a chasm separated them from the other side. Yuri shuddered at the broken rope bridge dangling next to him.

“Oh, great! How are we gonna get across?”

Yuuri stared down at the chasm below, kicking some sand into it. He never heard it hit the ground or found anything that dark. “Okay, we have to be careful with our next move. There’s no telling how far that goes down. We can try to swing across it.”

“How? Where are you going to hang a rope here and swing across that?” Yuri waved around the area. “In case you didn’t notice, this stupid place is nothing but sand. There’s nothing high enough here that we can swing from, and we can’t jump over that.” His face darkened as Yuuri started to take a few steps back. “Oh, fuck no…Katsudon, don’t tell me you plan to jump across this!”

There it came. Yuri only resorted to calling him ‘Katsudon’ when he was angry, shocked, or beyond scared. For this part, he probably was all three as he watched Yuuri prepare himself for the jump of his life. Granted, he was the only one about to die of fright in here.

“It might be our only chance to get to the other.” Yuuri didn’t like the idea either, but it was their only shot right now. He wasn’t the strongest jumper on the ice, but maybe it would be different if he had to cross sand. Not that he ever tried doing a long jump like this. The chasm terrified him, yet it didn’t matter. If he fell to his death, then he’d go out trying to save the rink. Using his toes to make his mark, he got down and pressed his hands on the ground. He could make it if he didn’t think about what lay below. Don’t dwell on what’s at the bottom, Yuuri. You can make it. “I’m going to do it, okay? I’m going to try and jump across.”

“What the fuck?! That’s a long jump there!” Yuri argued, holding his arms out wide. “If you trip and miss, you won’t make it! I don’t even want to know what’s down there!”

“I have to try…I have to know what he saw.” Yuuri took a deep breath and counted down to the three. Even with Yuri yelling and begging him not to make the jump, he got onto his feet at three and started running. You can do it! You can do it! Don’t think about the chasm and you can do it! As he got closer to the edge, his feet left the ground, and he started to sail towards the other side. Concentrate! Pretend you’re jumping over ice…even though it’s a long jump over ice.

Every good and bad moment of his life flashed before him. The first time he learned to skate. Dancing in Minako’s studio. Watching Victor perform for the first time. His failure to get a gift. Minami’s gift-getting ceremony. The rink coming undone, Mila struggling with her load, everyone else showing off their powers, him getting drunk and failing to impress anyone, Victor falling under pressure, all that snow around them. The press constantly hounding people. His mind flooded with memories as he continued to fly over that chasm, praying that his feet hit the ground. Oh God, let it be over soon!

“SHIT!”

Yuri’s scream nearly broke his concentration as he almost landed on the ground. His hands went out as he grabbed onto the sand, then he tumbled on it. Inches from the edge, he rolled away and gasped for air. It worked. He jumped all the way to the other side and made it one piece. Laughing to himself, he sat up, wiped the sweat from his brow, and beckoned Yuri to do it. “All right, it’s your turn.”

That didn’t sit with Yuri. “Seriously? You want me to jump over it now? You almost missed it!”

“I didn’t miss it though! I jumped when I was ready. It’s like with skating. We always jump when we’re supposed to.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not ready. This isn’t the same as skating, Katsudon!” Yuri whirled around. “Screw this room! I’m going back!”

As he stomped on the ground, the sand shifted around him and slowly lifted out of the ground. Both stood in awe as all the sand came together, forming a brand-new bridge to get across the other side. Yuuri got up and waited till the bridge formed before placing his foot on it. Firm. Somehow, Yuri managed to hit a secret spot that created their way across to the other side. Bits of sand fell off when his weight went on it, so he motioned Yuri to run and jump the same length.

“Come on! I don’t think this will last very long!”

“Fuck, you don’t have to tell me twice!” Yuri raced across the bridge as the sand slowly started to fall apart with each step he took. Each part of the bridge came undone as he left it and on the final step, he leaped across and landed a few inches from the edge. The bridge fell apart then, leaving a cloud of dust behind. Coughing, Yuuri waved it off and held out his hand.

“If I had known there were secret traps like that, I’d make you angrier a lot sooner.”

“Shut up, Katsudon.” Yuri grumbled as he hoisted himself up. “We know that now though. This guy probably has a lot of traps in his room, but how do we know where they all are? It’s still nothing but sand.”

“I guess we won’t know unless we start walking.” The two of them headed towards the other end, which contained more sand and darkness. Yuuri couldn’t blame the other Yuri for being unnerved by this place. Cao Bin could tolerate it, but no one else would unless they knew where the traps were. Then again, he knew very little about Cao Bin in the first place except that he was a quiet man, a good skater, respected by others, and he could predict the future. He didn’t mingle much with everyone, but he was always friendly with them. He got his own place at the table, and took part in every ceremony until he left. He was trusted and liked by the coaches. He had no reason to run away unless what he saw broke him down. Yuuri still didn’t believe it was just his mess that caused him to run away. Something deeper lay in those sands. Those bits of glass with Yuuri’s image revealed something he didn’t want anyone to know. The rink, Yuuri…all of it came together.

“It’s too dark in here.” Yuri grumbled as they went deeper into the room. “How can we find anything?”

“…I don’t suppose you can become happy enough to make the sun come out and light our way?”

“Seriously? My gift doesn’t work like that.” Yuri’s hand pressed against the walls. “Ah, this is all freaking sand. I really don’t get how he lived here all this time. How does he expect anyone to find shit here?”

“…That’s because he doesn’t expect us to find anything.” Yuuri stepped forward upon finding some green bits glowing ahead. “Come on! I see something!”

“Good cause I can’t see shit!” Yuri followed him over to the giant pile of sand where the green glows came. Getting down, he helped dig out whatever lay below. “I hope this is all gonna be worth it in the end. Maybe you’ll find some answers.”

I hope so too. Yuuri dug away at the sand, plucking out another green piece. Then came another one. By now, they started pulling more pieces out and holding them up to find out what they all were. While he couldn’t put them together yet, some parts made sense. Yuuri saw himself in the middle of it all and he found the rink covered in cracks. There was rubble around him along with blowing winds, snow, and fire. His back turned from the rink. Smoke rose out of the rubble. More flames. Electric wires flying around. People lying on the dirt, injured, possibly dead. Everyone crying out in despair. No, this couldn’t be right. He couldn’t be the one who destroyed this place.

“No no no…” He whispered. “It can’t be. It’s not possible!”

“Is this…” Yuri squinted at two pieces, connecting them together to reveal a small fire poking out of one window. “What happened to the rink?!”

“I don’t know! Someone’s destroying it and I think…” Yuuri found another piece with him in it. “I think Cao Bin predicted I destroyed it.”

“You?” Yuri put together another piece snowing off electric wires on the ground. “How can you destroy anything? The rink likes you! It responds to you when you talk to it! Why does he think you would destroy it?”

“That’s why I’m trying to find out. What did Cao Bin see in this prediction?” Yuuri found two more pieces as more sand fell over his hands. Then a giant pile landed on his head as the ceiling began to cave in. Patting Yuri on the back, he started to move away. “I think we need to run! This place is gonna crumble!”

“Fuck, you’re right!” A giant wad of sand landed on Yuri as he spit bits out. “Shit! Get everything you can and get out of here!”

Stuffing his pockets full of the green pieces, Yuuri grabbed the last two buried in that dirt and ran as the ceiling came undone. One by one, the walls began to fall apart as the ran out of the darkness and towards the chasm. This time, they didn’t wait to find the spot again. They both leapt at the same time as the sands slowly fell apart, leaving only a little piece for them to land on. Somehow, both made it as they rolled towards the door, everything coming undone. Much like his prediction, Cao Bin’s room was going away. Yuuri grabbed the doorknob and pushed himself out, tumbling with more sand and Yuri right behind him. Slamming it shut, dirt flew around in the air as they stared at each other, shaking from the ordeal. No one could go in there now. Nothing existed. With the green pieces still in his pocket, Yuuri couldn’t wait too long for the truth. The rink was in trouble. It was dying. It was only a matter of time before all of it fell apart.

And if the prediction was correct, he was the one killing it.

Chapter Text

Some time ago, right after the worst ceremony…

Yuuri dragged himself into the party room, avoiding eye contact with anyone wanting to talk to him. The bright lights blinded him when he entered, grateful that he struggled to see. He didn’t want to face anyone. He didn’t want to answer them. He knew exactly what they thought. He knew they’d try to reach out, sympathize with him, and let him know that he was still a good skater. He was still Japan’s ace, and no magic rink could take that from him. They’d remind him that magical gifts weren’t allowed in other competitions like Nationals and World Championships. It had no bearing on whether he made the team or not, whether he got to the final competition or not. The gift was to help the world, not himself.

Still, he couldn’t shake that black ice out of his mind. How did a performance go so badly that the ice turned on him? He landed his jumps, his step sequence was one the best he performed, he put his entire heart and soul into it. Even Victor found it amazing, clapping for him until the moment the ice darkened below Yuuri’s feet. Everyone was happy for a few minutes. Everyone loved it. Yet it wasn’t enough for a gift. It didn’t please the rink. It kept him away from the others, turned him into an outcast. The announcers rang in his head well after he came off the ice.

“There will be no gift for Yuuri Katsuki. The rink rejected him.”

“It makes you wonder what he did wrong. I saw very few flaws in that performance. Maybe it was nerves…”

“Nah, it isn’t nerves. We’ve had skaters falling all over the place getting gifts. He must have done something wrong that we couldn’t spot.”

“Whatever it is, I hope he can learn from this mistake.”

Done something wrong. Even he couldn’t figure out what it was, so he went looking for Cao Bin right afterwards. If anyone could see into his future, he would. Yet as he searched around, desperate for an answer, he never found him. The news of his failure on ice became history the moment everyone noticed Cao Bin went missing. He left everyone with a lot of questions unanswered, and Yuuri with a broken soul wondering if it was time to retire. Who wanted to invest in a figure skater that had no gift to help the world? That became the hard part. Sponsors that were looking into him suddenly lost interest. His teammates couldn’t speak to him. Phichit did try to talk before he went to the party. He convinced him that he never heard anything wrong.

“You did everything you could.” Phichit assured him. “I heard nothing weird in your performance. You landed everything. You nailed every element. Maybe the rink made a mistake.”

Yuuri didn’t buy it. “The rink never makes a mistake with gifts. It knows what fits everyone. If Cao Bin was around, I could ask him.” He snapped his fingers. “Did you hear Cao Bin moving around by any chance? Anything he said? Did you listen to what he was doing?”

“Oh, him.” Phichit frowned. “I’ll be honest; I hear a lot of things between these walls. Rodents, Sara slipping in and out of them, cockroaches, people arguing…and something weird.”

“Something weird?”

“Yeah, it’s…I can’t really explain. I don’t know if it’s him, but I think someone else lives between these walls. I’m not sure who, but I hear them every day. I asked Sara if she could see what’s there. She has no idea what I’m talking about. Anyway, we better go to the party. They’re expecting everyone even you.”
Yuuri didn’t have any desire to hit up the party, wanting to lock himself in his bedroom. He went down there anyway to find everyone else laughing and dancing on the floor. With bright decorations dangling from the ceiling and music blaring from room to room, he wished he stayed upstairs. It was a decision he wished he’d done earlier. Even all that delicious food on the table didn’t entice him. Of course, Yuri was also pouring rain down on a plate of frozen pierogies. He grimaced at the sight, wanting to throw them away as a thunder cloud formed over his head.

“What the…it’s the biggest night and they’re feeding us frozen crap?! Can’t they afford anything here?!” He glared down at the food. “Otabek, can you_”

POOF! Otabek appeared right in front of him with fresh pierogies. “I found the closest that’s selling them. You’re right. I don’t know why they’re giving us frozen food.”

“Fucking finally!” Yuri grabbed a few of them as the cloud disappeared. He was happy. Everyone in the room was happy. Yuuri’s stomach lurched as he made his way over to the champagne table. He wanted to be able to teleport like Otabek or control the winds like Yuri or do anything. By now, everyone ignored him. They didn’t want to talk to that failure who didn’t please the rink. He didn’t get his own room. He couldn’t help the world. He wasn’t worthy of being in this place. Staring at the wall, he found himself asking a few questions out loud.

“I don’t get it. Everyone says I did well. I thought I did well. Was I that bad?” The wall shivered, which he couldn’t figure was a yes or a no. “Did I do something so bad that you couldn’t give me anything?” Again, it shivered. “That doesn’t really help. If I knew what went wrong, I could fix it. Maybe you could give me another chance. I can try again. I can do better. I just…” He turned towards the group of skaters showing off their powers. “I wanted to be part of something. I wanted to belong.

As he poured himself some champagne, he remembered Phichit’s words. Someone lived between the walls now. Could that person manipulate everything? He didn’t know anyone who had the ability to turn ice black or stop anyone from getting powers. It was all the rink’s doing. It didn’t want him to get a gift. That alone was enough for him to drink one glass of champagne. Maybe two or three more. Anything that could dull his pain. He brought the glass to his lips, still mourning his performance. Bit by bit, that pain subsided but one name stayed in his mind. The one person who could answer everything. The one person he couldn’t find.

Cao Bin…where are you?

~ ~ ~

Yuuri’s throat burned over that memory. He forgot the rest of that night thanks to all that champagne. Both coaches and skaters grew disappointed in his behavior. Dancing with Yuri while rain poured on them, pole-dancing with Chris stretching all over the room, the snow in Victor’s hair falling all around as they had fun. He remembered that being the only time he truly smiled. Of course, he was wasted and breaking down on the inside. Being close to Victor, holding him in his arms, the cold air blowing against his body…it killed all the hurt inside for a few minutes. He didn’t remember making his way back to that little closet of room. Someone carried his drunk ass back to bed. He stayed there until waking up with a hangover the next morning.

“No wonder you didn’t want to give me a gift. I can’t control my drinking just like my father.” He cringed over the memories of his father getting wasted during parties. No, he couldn’t let himself do that again. Not long after he came downstairs, the coaches put in a new rule. From that day on, Yuuri Katsuki could not take part in any ceremonies or the after parties. They wanted to keep the rink presentable to the public. The best he could do was stay in his room until it was fine to come out. He hated it but understood why it went into place. He couldn’t blame Yakov or anyone else for wanting to preserve the magic. For his own health and sanity, Yuuri agreed to follow that rule.

Well, not right now. He began putting together all the pieces of the last prediction. No doubt there he was standing around the destruction of the rink. Fire, electric sparks, wind, a landslide in the back, rocks falling…how could he cause this by himself? Yuri left him to figure everything out, but now he was baffled. He didn’t have any powers. He couldn’t destroy the rink just by standing around it. Something else caused this. Maybe the person between the walls, whoever they were, destroyed everything. Then again, he had no idea if there was a person between the walls. Phichit was confident, and he wouldn’t say anything unless he believed it. What if Cao Bin lived between the walls? How did he survive here?

“Still, he doesn’t have the ability to destroy things. He only sees the future.” Yuuri put the final piece into the puzzle. There it was: a picture of himself standing around the remains of their rink. “I think he left because of this. After what happened, he didn’t want anyone to know what I did. That’s why he left.” The room shivered, which he assumed was a yes. By now, he understood certain quirks within this place. “I can’t blame him at all. He was trying to protect me, right?” Another shiver. “I should have realized it. Now that I have Cao Bin’s final prediction…” He sat back, taking in all the details of the fire and landslide around him. “I have to find a way to stop it from happening.”

BOOM!

His door flew open, hitting against the wall as Yuko bounded in. “Yuuri! Oh, Yuuri! There you are!”

“Yes, I’m here!” Yuri threw a blanket over the green pieces as she caught her breath. “Is something wrong? Did you_”

“Something wrong? No, not really. You’ve been stuck in here for a long time that your mother asked me to check on you. I brought over some katsudon and other snacks, left them in the kitchen, and then I heard you say…” She narrowed her eyes. “That name.”

“What, Cao Bin?”

“Yuuri…” She inhaled. “I thought you knew that we don’t talk about him. The people around the place, the ones with no gifts, don’t bring him up. Why do you keep mentioning him?”

“I’m sorry! It’s just…I think he left for a good reason. He didn’t abandon the rink because he wanted to. He must have seen something.” Yuuri eased into everything. “He wasn’t a bad person, Yuko. Up until he left, he never did anything wrong. I think he may have had a prediction_”

“Did someone say Cao Bin?!” Takeshi jumped into the room, grabbing Yuuri into a bear hug. “Hey, Yuuri! Long time, no see! You don’t come around much. So, you’re still wondering about Cao Bin?”

“We don’t talk about Cao Bin!” Yuko snapped. “Don’t you start too! I hear enough about it from the triplets as it is!”

“Oh, come on!” Takeshi let Yuuri go for a second, giving him some seconds to catch his breath. His friend did tend to squeeze people to the point of cutting circulation. Yuuri rubbed his sides as he hid the green pieces sticking out. “The guy just took a vacation. He didn’t hurt anybody. He didn’t kill anyone. He just left without a word. That doesn’t mean he’s evil.”

“That’s what I’m saying!” Yuuri chimed in. “I know it’s crazy, and we’re not supposed to bring him up, but I believe Cao Bin predicted something that made him leave. I think he was worried about the rink after I failed to get a gift.”

“So, why not tell anyone about it?” Yuuko frowned. “Why not leave a note explaining why? No one would get angry.”

“I…I’m not sure about that. His predictions were always accurate. If we found out beforehand, we tried to stop anything awful from happening. Sometimes we succeeded. Sometimes, it happened before we got a plan together. I do know that his predictions never harmed the rink though. We may not have been able to stop a lot of natural disasters, but we did try to save people. We protected this place. Even I tried whatever I could. He said it mattered if I had a gift or not, I could still help people.” He lowered his gaze, wishing he got more out of Cao Bin before he left. He wanted to stop this prediction. The only way to do that was get Cao Bin to have another one. “Anyway, he may not have understood what he saw last time.”

“Well, then you need to figure it out!” Takeshi poked him in the shoulder. “I think you might be a little soft on the guy though. He’s never been that kind.”

“Which is why we don’t talk about him!” Yuuko threw in. “Yeah, he made a lot of accurate predictions, but they didn’t make life better for everyone. You have to stop believing that he did everything right.”

“I didn’t say he did everything right! It’s just that…” Yuuri contemplated telling them about the predictions. Yuuko and Takeshi were his oldest friends, the ones he showed and told everything too. Even before they learned about his bad night at the rink, they showed him plenty of support. They didn’t care that he got no gift; he was still their friend. They stood by his side through every competition, whether he succeeded or failed. They cheered him up after that disastrous party. They allowed him to stay at his house if he ever came around. For those reasons, he stuck by them. A part of him wanted to spill out the truth. He went into Cao Bin’s room, found the missing prediction, and needed help in stopping the rink from dying. “Well, some of his predictions weren’t said because he wanted to be cruel. I truly think he didn’t know what he saw last time. He couldn’t make sense of it.”

“Then I guess it’s up to you to make sense of what he did.” Takeshi smacked him on the back. “Creepy predictions, his disappearance, a magic rink…yeah, you got your work cut for Cao Bin’s…”

“Shh!” Yuuko put her finger to his lips. “No more! We’re not supposed to say his name.”

“Cao Bin? Oh please, he won’t show up here! Cao Bin, Cao Bin, Cao Bin! See, I said his name three times and he wasn’t here! What’s he gonna do to us?”

“We don’t talk about Cao Bin!”

“Uh, guys?” Yuuri cut in. “I think we need to…we gotta find him.”

“Oh no, I’m not getting involved with that.” Yuuko shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re planning, Yuuri. I don’t know what’s going on. I can only hope you figure it out sooner than later. You’ve got guests coming over later anyway. Those reporters scheduled their meeting for tonight. That’s also why we’re here to remind you. And please…whatever you do, don’t bring him up.”

The reporters. With all the excitement around him, Yuuri blanked out on their arrival. No wonder no one else was around. They were all busy for one of the biggest nights outside of the ceremonies. While the coaches probably preferred that he stay away, Yuuri had to show up and be on his best behavior. An evening meeting also meant they’d have dinner here. Still, he couldn’t help himself. He wanted answers. “And Cao Bin_”

“We don’t talk about Cao Bin!”

With that, Yuuri fell quiet and prepared for a long barrage of why no one brought him up anymore.

Chapter Text

Yuuri leaned back in his chair as his friends prepared to launch into their story. He knew it all too well as they talked about it often. Years ago, a particular date, when Cao Bin entered and changed their lives. He made one prediction that came true. That prediction was the beginning of everyone else turning on him. He couldn’t understand how that happened, yet before he could say a word, the other began to banter between each other. They went into every single detail, dancing around the room, and reminiscing about the hours before disaster struck. Not that it was much of a disaster to begin with. Yes, people screamed and wailed as the skies opened and let the rain fall. There were a few decorations and set pieces that fell due to the wind. Some of the guests grumbled over the wet patches on the ground, but they never left. They stayed due to having reservations and the rest of the wedding went without fail. A joyous occasion despite the weather, Yuuri expected them to be over it now.

And clearly, they aren’t. Every few months, when they got the chance, they regaled everyone about their wedding day. Whether those people heard it for the first time or heard it a million times before, they never failed to go into details of Cao Bin walking in with his mischievous grin. Yuuri turned them out after a few minutes since he knew everything. He was there on that day, wallowing in pity, and wondering when everything would be over. Yet the only ones who dwelled on it were his friends. The weather ruined it all for them.

Yuuri couldn’t remember being miserable at the wedding. Sure, it was wet and windy, but he took it in stride when everything started. For the first time, no one focused on him because they were too busy trying to stay calm. No one cared that the lone skater without a magical gift arrived at this wedding. They didn’t care for him sitting by himself in the rain, trying hard to stay warm and dry, while the ceremony went on. For that reason, he was grateful for Cao Bin’s prediction and even more grateful that everyone else chose to ignore it. That way, he could get through the day without someone reminding him that he had no gift. That he didn’t belong in the group. That he’d always be on the outside, looking in. Everyone else turned Cao Bin away. They’d do it just as easily to him.

“It was our wedding day!” Yuko threw her hands in the air. “We were getting ready. Not a cloud in the sky.”

“No clouds!” Takeshi threw in. “No clouds were allowed in the sky. Our wedding was supposed to be bright and sunny and full of bliss…until he walked in. He brought in the omen.”

Yuuri nodded. “Right, the omen. I remember. He told you that it was going to rain and then…”

“It became a hurricane!” Takeshi flung his arms around. “People flying everywhere! Buildings being torn apart! We’re getting drenched and tossed around and_”

“Excuse me! Are you telling the story now?!” Yuka cleared her throat before turning back to Yuuri. “Sorry about that. He gets carried away when talking about our wedding. We were able to get married, of course, but if it wasn’t for his prediction…”

“That was a good thing though! You knew it was going to rain because he told you!” Yuuri got up and began to pace around. “Think about it. He gave you a warning that the storm was coming. Sure, it looked great outside but a few minutes later, it began to pour. Don’t you think that he was helping you?”

They paused for a second, thinking over what he revealed. Yuko stepped forward, brushing her hair back with her hand. “He said it would rain, Yuuri. He didn’t predict the hurricane. He never said our whole wedding would be destroyed by that. For that reason, we never talk about Cao Bin.”

“But…”

Yuuri never got a word out as Takeshi pressed a finger against his lips. “We don’t talk about him. Not today, not tomorrow, never. If you want answers, you better figure them out on your own before he comes for you!”

Yuuri sank into his chair. “I don’t see…”

“We don’t talk about Cao Bin!”

They went back into the memory of their wedding as Yuuri heard someone calling out to him. Turning around, he found Phichit standing a few feet from the door. While the other two continued to argue over who remembered the day, Yuuri snuck off and joined his friend in the corner. Phichit pulled him into the nearest dark corner and motioned him to stay quiet.

“I heard you talking about Cao Bin.” He glanced around the room. “I hear him too.”

“You hear him? But where_”

“Shh!” Phichit silenced him. “I hear him stuttering and stumbling around this place. He’s always sorta muttering and mumbling….the sounds he makes.” Phichit listened against the wall. “It’s like falling sand. You barely hear it, but it still makes a sound.”

“Sand makes a sound?” Yuuri blinked. “I always thought…”

“Keep quiet!” Phichit glanced around the corner before pulling Yuuri out of it. “Follow me. Listen closely. He’s around here somewhere. He never left.”

“Cao Bin never left the rink? How? His room is completely boarded up. No one’s been in it.” Yuuri rubbed his forehead. The more he questioned everything, the less answers he received. Cao Bin was gone. He wouldn’t hang around a place that didn’t treat him well. “We got the note. He said he wasn’t coming back. He was going far away but…”

“And you believed every word?” Phichit shook his head as he brought Yuuri into another dark corner. “No one ever saw him leave, Yuuri. All we had was a note that he left. I never heard his footsteps go out the door. I never heard him tiptoe through the hallways the day he ‘left’. However, I heard the rats murmuring between the walls. I hear them talking about something else in their presence. It’s not another rat. Of course…” He stepped out again and dragged Yuuri outside where people walked around. “I hear these people too. Bemoaning what prediction Cao Bin gave them. Dead pets, weight gain, hair loss…their fates are sealed the moment he predicts something about them.”

“That’s nothing though! That can happen! It can happen to anyone out there.” Yuuri gazed over at JJ showing off all the gold he could create. People flocked to his side as more gold poured out, gathering whatever they could. “That doesn’t mean they have to be unhappy forever.”

“Maybe not but look at JJ. Cao Bin told him that his powers would grow. He’d be able to do so much more than he does. Still, all he makes is gold.”

“That’s good though. People like that!”

“It’s fun for a while but I can hear what JJ feels deep down. He wants to do more as well. He knows he can.” Phichit cocked his head to the side and swallowed. “Oh God, they’re coming. Yakov, the reporters…they’re on the way!”

“The reporters?” Yuuri’s heart sank. With the Cao Bin mystery, he forgot all about the big event tonight. In the corner of his eye, he found Chris stretching up and ringing the bells on every rooftop. He also found Phichit gazing over at him. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just…Cao Bin made predictions for me too. That I’d never find true love because my real love wouldn’t notice me.” Phichit closed his eyes as each bell went off. Ding! Ding! Ding! “That he’d always be out of my reach no matter what I did.” He stood up. “Anyway, we better get ready for dinner. It’s almost time.”

Yuuri’s head swirled with all this new information. Cao Bin never walked away from the rink. He stayed in the same place according to Phichit, but where was he hiding? Everyone chanted around him as he remembered all of those previous premonitions. Hair loss, weight gain and loss, death…he prepared them for that. That didn’t make him evil. This was just people not wanting to accept what would happen.

In the distance, he spotted JJ spreading more gold to the people. A stronger power. He already made people happy with the gold. What else was there to do? He always noticed that JJ’s smiles these days appeared forced. He was trying to be happy, but what was it like on the inside? Did he still dwell over what Cao Bin told him? Of course, there was also Phichit with his unrequited love that he couldn’t reach. What would happen to him later?

I can’t focus on this now. I need the truth about him. Yuuri remembered all the pieces back in his room so he jogged back inside, nearly running into other people. Yuri grimaced as he almost pushed past him.

“Oi, pig! It’s an important time!” Yuri snapped. “If you’re going to be there, you gotta be quiet! Yakov said he wants no sound out of you!”

“I won’t say anything! Don’t worry about that!” Yuuri ran back to his small closet he called a room. By now, his friends left but the pieces stayed on the table. He went over to them, putting everything together. All the words echoed in his head. Cao Bin did this. Cao Bin caused all their pain. Cao Bin left them behind. That’s why no one spoke of him yet here…with the pieces forming a picture, Yuuri saw what he feared. The rink was on fire and falling apart. Everything in shambles. Yuuri standing in front of the destruction. His hands flew to his mouth as the prediction came together. Him. He was the destruction of the rink. He was the cause of Victor and Mila slowly losing their abilities. It wouldn’t be long before the others followed suit. How many of them were losing their powers now and hiding it?

We don’t talk about Cao Bin. We don’t talk about Cao Bin.

Those words rang in his head. No one wanted to hear that name yet it stayed with him. The only way to fix anything would be to find the man himself. No more dancing around the subject. It was time to get Cao Bin back in the rink and get everyone else back to normal. He could do it, but the picture…they’d never let him stay with them again if he destroyed the rink.

Why did I talk about Cao Bin? His heart beat rapidly as he remembered the truth: Cao Bin was here. He was always here. This prediction was the reason he left. Yuuri was why he left. Without him, the rink stayed in place but at what cost? Would leaving fix Victor and Mila? Would it save everyone? As time ticked away and he heard the dinner bell once again, he got up to go down and sit with the others. No reporter would ask him questions tonight. They only wanted to hear from the ones with the gifts. Still, he had a lot to say and think about. He wanted help from someone. With the full picture before him, Yuuri found himself with one more question to ask.

“I never should have brought up Cao Bin.”

Chapter Text

Yuuri couldn’t breathe for a few seconds. He ran his fingers over the cracks and pinpointed every detail of the prediction. Him. He would cause that rink to collapse. He was the real reason it was collapsing now. Cao Bin ran away before anyone else could learn the truth. He never left instructions on how to stop it, when it would happen, or why it fell apart. All Yuuri could do was blame himself for a bit, then look for a solution.

“Me. It’s going to be me.” He stared at the flames spewing out of the windows, the piles of rock, and the wind blowing around. He had no powers. No, this wasn’t Cao Bin’s real message. Yuuri wasn’t strong enough to bring down the rink. He wouldn’t do it on purpose no matter what anyone told him. There had to be more. “Come on! You probably had another vision out there! You know how to fix this! Where are you?!”

“Hey, Yuuri!” Mari opened the door as he scrambled to hide the pieces to no avail. Her eyes narrowed at him, hiding whatever he could. “Are you okay? It’s just me. I came to tell you that it’s time…wait, what are you hiding?”

“Uh, nothing!” Yuuri waved it off, a piece of green landing on the floor. “Uh, that’s nothing important. I accidentally broke something earlier and_”

“Uh-huh.” Mari went around him and gazed down at the prediction. It took her only a few seconds to put it all together. “Wait, isn’t this…oh God!” She whirled around as he held out the missing piece. “You found one of his predictions? Wait, he predicted something and didn’t tell anyone?”

“His last prediction.” Yuuri shut the door and lowered his voice. At least it was his sister in this room and not one of the coaches or skaters. He could tell Mari anything without her judging him for having no gift. “Look, I broke into Cao Bin’s room because I think something’s wrong with the rink. Even though Yakov told me things would be fine, I don’t believe it. This place is falling apart. I think Cao Bin knew and that’s why he left. I had to go into his room to get his final prediction, put it together, and…well, that’s the result. He predicted the rink would fall apart. I’m not going crazy after all.”

Mari blinked a few times to process the information. “Yuuri…he predicted you were the cause of it. That looks like you, right?”

“Um, I don’t know about that. I am standing in front of the rink, sure, but how can I cause it to crumble? I don’t have that kind of power. I don’t have any powers.” He shrugged. “That’s why I’m here trying to figure out what he’s trying to say. What do I have to do with the rink? When does this happen? I just…I want to stop it.” He rubbed his forehead. “I don’t know how though. I think the rink is the reason Mila’s getting weaker and Victor’s sneezing a lot. Did you notice anything else?”

Mari cocked her head back for a second. “Emil keeps shapeshifting into the wrong people sometimes. Yurio can’t keep storm clouds and lightning away…though that’s normal for him. I see little things here and there, but I always thought it was nerves. You guys are all top athletes, after all. Are you sure it’s because the rink’s falling apart? What about the other athletes around town? You think they might have something to do with it?”

“It has to be connected. It didn’t start until I noticed the cracks.” Yuuri’s mind went to the athletes who lived around the rink. All these people were skilled in their sports though had no magical powers. The rink wouldn’t harm them. It didn’t care about anyone else around it, just the skaters with the gifts. “The other athletes probably don’t know everything that happens in here. They come to see the gift-giving ceremonies, stay for the after party, and that’s it. That’s why I think this is all up to me. He has me in that prediction for a reason.”

“Well, you’ve got to figure out the reason later. Right now, they’re calling you for the conference. Dinner’s about to be served and…” She grabbed the pieces, hiding them under a blanket. “You can’t show this to anyone else! Don’t bring it up at the conference! Don’t bring it up at dinner. Keep quiet, eat, and listen. That’s all you have to do. I’ll help you figure this out afterwards. For now, don’t draw any attention to yourself. No one else needs to know about what’s going on.”

The door flung open right then as Yuuri straightened up. A soft “I already know” broke through the silence and his hope of a quiet night faded away. Phichit knew. Of course, he knew everything. No one, no matter how quietly they spoke, could hide their words from him. He heard the smallest pins dropping and the squeaking mice between the walls. He heard their conversation the moment Mari stepped in. Unfortunately for everyone, he couldn’t keep quiet for long. Yuuri’s throat ached as his worries increased.

“He’ll tell everyone. He’s itching to do that.” He bit down on his bottom lip. “I won’t be able to stop him.”

“I know.” Mari rubbed her forehead. “Hopefully, there will be a lot of talking at the dinner and conference. It may be enough to take his mind off this. It might do you some good too.” She snapped her fingers. “Tell you what. After this is over, you should come home for a few days. Just for the weekend. Take your mind off everything. I know Minami’s ceremony probably brought out some bad memories so…you might want some time to relax. Calm down a little bit. In fact, I bet you’d figure out what’s going on quicker without everything going on here.”

Yuuri nodded. Going back home for a little bit wouldn’t hurt. They wouldn’t have a ceremony for a long time. Yakov and others didn’t want him lingering around in fear of someone else getting no gift. At least at home he’d get some peace and quiet. No magic rinks, no gifts, no one to remind him of what a failure he was. “I’ll think about it. Let’s get tonight over with. I hope Phichit can keep quiet for an hour or two.”

His heart grew heavier as they went downstairs. In the dining room, he tried his best to stay out of the way and focus only on Phichit. His poor friend kept shoving food and drinks into his mouth to keep from speaking. He was minutes to bursting with how much sweat dripped down his face. It wasn’t even hot in here, yet Phichit struggled to stay still. Victor peered over him, his nose running and holding wadded-up tissues, with snowflakes circling down his body. He glanced over at Yuuri who lowered his gaze and tried to drink his water.

“Is everything okay, Yuuri?” He sniffled. “You look pale.”

“Me? I’m fine!” Yuuri stabbed his fork into the pork on his plate. “Perfectly okay! It’s…I’m…You…You still have a cold. Your sneezing didn’t stop and now your nose is running.”

That was enough to change the subject. Victor blew his nose before trying to cut his steak. “I know. I’m trying everything and it’s not going away. I’ve been sleeping in a lot lately. Yakov told me to leave my room, go somewhere warmer. Every time I do that, I stay awake. I have to be in the cold.”

“Do you need to see a doctor?”

Victor sniffled and wadded up another tissue. “I’m not sick, Yuuri. It’ll go away. I don’t know when, but I just need some rest. There’s so much that happened the last few days.”

“You said that before. I think…” His gaze turned towards Mila struggling to open a bottle. “Um, is everything okay over there?”

Mila glanced up, clenching her teeth and smiling. “I’m fine, Yuuri! I just have sweaty hands! Makes it hard to open a bottle.” She waved at the people sitting around. “I’ll have this opened in a second. Give me some time.”

It’s getting worse. Yuuri sank in his chair as he stared at Phichit. By now, all his food was long gone. He drank plenty of water during that time and no one came around to fill his glass. Yuuri narrowed his gaze with that silent message. Don’t say anything out loud. Don’t tell anyone anything during the conference.

Phichit shook his head, turned around, and tapped Chris on the shoulder. After whispering in his ear, Chris threw his glass in the air and almost spat his water out. Fortunately, he reached up high enough to grab it before the rest of the liquid spilled over. Yuuri stared down at his plate as people around him chattered. After dinner, things would start. Phichit had to keep quiet until the conference was over.

Come on. Don’t tell anyone else what’s going on.

Still, Yuuri wanted others to see the same issues. Mila struggling to open bottles, Victor sneezing, Emil changing into the wrong person…it was all connected. As he turned to speak to Victor again, JJ came up from behind and let out a sneeze, gold coins spilling everywhere. A few people tried to pick them up while others hesitated. JJ laughed as he took a tissue from Victor.

”Relax! I’m not contagious! The gold’s fine! Take it!”

This time, Victor sneezed into his tissue while Chris whispered something to Leo and Guang-Hong, who nearly set their table on fire. Fortunately, they put the flames out before they could spread. Yuuri sank deeper in his chair, his mind swirling over the prediction. Mari was right. He needed to get away from the rink. He had to forget about Cao Bin, gifts, and everything in between.

After this, I might head home for the night. I can’t think like this.
He winced as Victor sniffled and coughed. No, he couldn’t sit and watch him suffer like this. He couldn’t think about going home with so many questions left unanswered. If no one else believed him, he had the prediction in his room. In the corner of his eye, he spotted Leo telling a few others at the table about what happened. Nothing happened but Yuri walked by with giant storm clouds forming over him.

”Yuri! Take care of your clouds!” Yakov barked at him as the rain poured down. “Keep them out of the room!”

”I’m trying, old man!” Yuri closed his eyes and whispered. “Clear skies, clear skies, fucking clear skies, where the hell are you?” The clouds dissipated for a bit and he relaxed. “Good. Stay the fuck away.”

Okay, some things aren’t going well, but it’s not a disaster yet. Yuuri let out a deep breath. His heart raced as he stared at Mila struggling to open another bottle. She laughed it off, wiping her hands and trying to open everything. Yakov didn’t notice any of the commotion as the rest of the skaters tried to hide their discomfort. As long as he never asked them for anything, they’d be okay.

”Yuri!” Yuuri sat up as rain drops fell on him. Again, the Yuri was causing storms indoors. “What did I tell you about your clouds?”

”Shit! I’m trying to stop them!” Yuri tried shooing the clouds away. “Come on, go! Can you stay away for a few minutes?”

Yuuri glanced around the whole room as Phichit whispered to others. They turned him while he turned towards the table. Below his feet, the floor began to crack. Oh no. Not now. We can’t have this place fall apart now!

”Yuuri?” Victor nudged him as Yuuri sat up. “Come on, they’re about to begin. Are you sure you’re fine? You don’t have to stay here.”

”I’m okay.” Yuuri checked the floor once more. The cracks faded away, but he feared the worse. The prediction was coming sooner than he wanted. “I hope this ends quickly.”

”Oh, it will. These meetings aren’t going to take forever. We’ll be out of here before you know it.”

Oh, I hope not. I hope it doesn’t fall apart. He stared down at the floor. He wanted everything to go by smoothly.

With his secret going from person to person and powers going haywire, he doubted that it would.