[The Yellow-Scarf Merman]
The ship was burning.
Young Emperor Mikado had decided that a day out on the sea would be fun. The court agreed, and had moved from the capital to one of the mansions by the sea side. A flurry of activity followed, Izaya pulling strings to keep assassinations attempts out of the way, and Shizuo keeping the guards in line.
Then, the court had decided one day that Emperor Mikado could hold court on a ship, out on the ocean, and somehow Izaya was pulled aside on urgent business, and Shizuo heard his brother had collapsed, so Emperor Mikado went onto the ship with his court robes on and thought nothing of being attacked.
Emperor Mikado glared coldly at the pirates.
They had pulled up alongside them and without any reason, had simply flung burning oil onto the larger ship. The court panicked and jumped off ship, and Emperor Mikado could hear them being fished out of the water. A group of the pirates boarded the ship, to find the young Emperor still on his throne, glaring at them.
He noticed that they seemed to want him to go with them.
"You attack us without warning. Why?" Emperor Mikado addressed to the leader.
He grinned. "You're a false Emperor, brat. You belong back in Saitama, not in the Capital. We're just going to relocate you back where you belong."
Emperor Mikado reigned his temper in.
"I am the son of the previous Emperor, before the Vassal. Have I not ruled fairly? Heard out everyone's complaint? Why then, do you call me false?"
"You're creating new classes, you idiot! And the beggars- used to be a beggar was a beggar, not an informant! The gangs are scared of you, but you don't address them, you don't deal with them! You bring change that no one knows how to deal with! And what the hell are the 'Dollars' anyway? Those freaks just wander wherever they want to, and informally treat each other as close friends, even if they've never met before! You are unnatural! You aren't a god! You're just not!"
Ah. The man heaved, his screaming fit at Mikado having subsided. Emperor Mikado raised a hand.
"I shall explain. The gangs are not unduly violent, and I do not have the resources to pay a police force large enough to control all of the villages. We are not in any impending war, so I argue that military law is out. The 'new' class is an expansion of the merchant class, and the beggars are actually just that. Beggars who give news for some food."
Emperor Mikado blinked at him.
"Wait, how does this make me unnatural? And why attack us, instead of lodging a complaint- through the court?"
Emperor Mikado held very still as he assessed the fact a knife had lodged itself by his head in the throne. Perhaps he was out of time for reasoning with these men?
"Just get up, and we'll take you back to Saitama. Then you'll announce that you abdicate the throne, and we'll be done." The man was twitchy, as though he expected Emperor Mikado to resist in some fashion.
Emperor Mikado stood up.
"I refuse. You have no idea whose hands the Empire will fall into. I cannot in good faith step down without a successor. I will not abandon my people in such a fashion."
The court robes were heavy, but perhaps…
The pirates rushed the dais- all of them. Emperor Mikado hustled as fast as he could in his measured steps to a far corner from their approach-
And jumped.
Now, the design of the ship is important. So is being able to reach out and grab some rigging. But the line snapping under the weight of the silk robes and the outward force carrying you and then losing your grip all combined to mean one thing-
Today would be marked in Izaya's calendar as the day Emperor Mikado committed suicide and martyrdom instead of being exiled and captured.
Izaya is so going to chase me down in my next life and give me hell for doing this to him. Emperor Mikado thought as he cleared the side of the ship.
And Shizuo…Shizuo is going to become violent. He'll be so angry in himself, so disappointed in himself… he really should learn to blame me for my own mistakes.
I'm going to miss them while I wait across the bridge for the next life, Emperor Mikado realized. He heard a distant roaring, probably the pirates realizing what had happened, and then he heard a steady drum beat.
Ah, my heart is calm…
The waves are really cold, and I'm
Not
Moving
Up.
Emperor Mikado clasped his hands together, knowing the chances of being recovered were slim but, he wouldn't cast any doubt upon accidentally falling into the ocean and drowning and dying horribly. Instead, he'd fake it to look peaceful.
"Wow, they missed one."
"Well, what are you waiting for, idiot, help him!"
"Geez, Saki, going, going…"
Mikado decided that Shinigami must be very bored for all their work.
…..
He came to wearing decidedly less than he had drowned in. His clothes were hanging above him, dripping onto the cool stone floor, and light danced around. Sitting up, Mikado noticed there seemed to be rock wherever he turned to look, and that the light came from some water collected at the far end where his feet were.
He went over to check for a way out, crawling as he didn't feel up to walking. After confirming that the only way out he could see would be to swim through the water, he looked down to catch his reflection.
Golden eyes and golden hair reflected back at him.
And then a decidedly toothy expression crossed the face. Mikado shoved his hand in to see what in the world that was.
The face darted away, and then water moved further out, and the face which was attached to a head came out of the water.
"Wow! Most people scream and jump back! You're the first to try and see if I'm real or not!" For someone with a mouthful of sharp teeth, the naked youth was rather chatty. He hauled himself up on his arms and leaned closer to Mikado.
"My name is Kida Masaomi! What's yours?"
"Ah, Ryugamine Mikado. It's nice to meet you. Did you save me?"
"Yep! Well, Saki ordered me to save you, and then we swam. The ship was on fire, and you nearly drowned, but I am so awesome that you survived!"
"Swam?"
Kida grinned, and then arched back so violently Mikado was afraid he suddenly had a fit. Golden scales rippled past and then a loud splash soaked Mikado. He noticed wryly that he had nearly finished drying out.
"Well?" Kida beamed at him.
"I'm soaked again." Mikado dead panned. Kida's jaw dropped. "But it was impressive. Did you do that from a stand still?"
Kida enthusiastically nodded. "I'm strong for a merman. Hey, want to meet Saki? She swam off to find something to dress up in."
Mikado looked at him blankly, and then swept an arm out to indicate all of the silk clothes surrounding him, before gesturing at his own thin layers. Kida shook his head.
"Those are yours. Plus, they're silk. It would only slow us down, and it's hard to rip, not to mention all those strings." Kida squinted at him, and pointed a finger, tracing it in the air. With a start, Mikado realized that Kida's eyes were golden, and very human looking in the reflected light. Was he actually tracing the path of a thread?
Kida's serious face disappeared, and he snorted. "You…you actually believed that?" Then he started laughing.
Mikado smiled as Kida flailed about, chortling. Then, he started laughing.
"Pfft, hm, hee…ha! Hahahahahaha!"
"Ahahah, whoo, hee. You actually…aren't you ever teased?"
"No. No one gets to tease the Emperor, Izaya-san sees to that."
"Who's Izaya-san?"
"My advisor. He wanted to come on the trip, but he got delayed. He was yelling reasons why I shouldn't go as Shizuo escorted me out- AAAAAH! Izaya-san is going to kill them! The pirates!"
"They got what's coming to them." Kida stated.
Mikado turned to reprimand Kida about how all life is sacred, and caught the expression on Kida's face.
Hardened and angry and fierce.
Water erupted behind Kida.
"Hello! I'm back! Is he up?"
Kida's expression shifted, and Mikado wondered if he had really seen it, except yes, Kida had expressed the pirates should be killed. Same thing Izaya-san would say…
Saki, a short brown haired chipper girl swam closer.
"Hey! Saki, pleased to meet you!"
"Ryugamine Mikado. The honor is mine."
Saki whistled. "Really formal, aren't you?"
Kida grinned and hooked a thumb backwards. "We rescued the Emperor!"
"Does that mean we have to return him?"
"Do we have to return you?" Kida repeated, twisting back around to look at Mikado.
"Well, a lot of people will be sad if you don't." Mikado replied. "I'm necessary to running to kingdom. Plus, I'm rather afraid what Shizuo-san and Izaya-san will get into if I don't go back." I think they'd sooner see the country in ruins before me dead.
Saki's eyes widened.
"You run the country!"
"Well, actually, it's that a court cannot be held without my presence. So no official proclamations without holding court. A lot of things can be done behind the screens, but if we need something public or a final decision, they come to me. Izaya generally helps me with the tough decisions, like when I need math or accounting, or even weather charts. And there's Shizuo, and he looks after my health and my safety. There's a large group of people who look after me, so I try to do my best to look after them. So far, there haven't been any droughts, plagues, famines, or floods during my reign. I'm hoping to keep it that way."
Kida waved his hand. "So, we'll get you back. But we're actually at a pretty far island, and I don't think you can swim to shore. Plus, silk gets heavy when it's wet."
"Then leave the silk. It's only my ceremonial robes, and I could buy more. Izaya might cry about the purchase, but I actually have a few robes in storage I could have altered. I think the best thing to do here is build a raft out of the wreckage."
Kida and Saki blinked at him.
"You mean a small boat?" Saki questioned.
Mikado raised his hands and waved them. "I- sorry! You saved me, and I didn't even think about asking for your help! Uhm, will you please help me? The raft doesn't have to be big, and if you bring the materials to me, I can help build it…"
Kida and Saki were looking at each other and laughing behind their hands. Frankly, if they didn't look so gleeful, the image would be disturbing. They were lighter in the chest and the back was darker, scales trailing up their back and gills were cut into their chest and two slits along their necks.
Up to the first knuckle was webbed with a skin, and Kida's tale was scaled, but Saki's was a pale tan, and skin.
Saki showed rows of curved needle teeth. "That won't be necessary. In the panic, most of the court fought back and they were finally retrieved by a larger fleet out looking for you. There are little boats all over the place. The problem is, so are the pirates. So having you 'wash' ashore on the mainland is for the best. Apparently a man too strong for the ships to carry is watching the shore?"
"Ah, of course Izaya-san wouldn't let Shizuo-san on board. Worried he might get carried away and sink the ship."
Mikado gave a small, genuine smile. Izaya-san and Shizuo-san might not like the decision, but they would do what was best in his interests.
Kida and Saki were inches from his face when he came back to the present.
"You are so cute." Saki pronounced. Kida nodded in agreement.
"I'd be jealous, but I'm handsome, not cute. And cute works on you." Kida proclaimed.
Saki shoved backwards and splashed against the water, managing to not soak Mikado. She resurfaced further out.
"I'll get a boat! See you soon!"
End Chapter One