Author's note: My contribution for KagaKuro week! Since I missed it last year, and I haven't written anything for my very first KnB ship since last year LOL. Prompt taken from kagakurominievents on Tumblr!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke.
Day 1: Shadow and light - New beginning
Kagami breathed heavily through his nose, lowering his sword as the enemy footman dropped. His blade dripped fresh blood on the already stained ground. No new opponent stepped forward to challenge him, so he took a moment to survey the atmosphere of the battlefield.
The sounds of battle rang all around him, metal shrieking against metal, hoarse shouts of the soldiers, gurgled screams as the dead fell. His comrades were standing strong against the Imperial Army, but he knew it was only a matter of time before the Emperor's personal guard came forward. When that happened, he knew they would fall almost immediately.
He had to get inside the palace walls.
Charging through the wall of bodies, he slashed and parried, fending off any attacks to his person. He had almost reached his destination when he caught the eye of his captain. Kagami jerked his head towards the gilded gate, thumping a fist against his breastplate. Hyuuga nodded sharply before spinning round to lop off the head of an enemy.
Encouraged by the permission he had been granted, Kagami barrelled forward. The gates were almost within arm's reach, just beyond the grove of bamboo-
He sensed more than felt the dagger flying towards his neck, and ducked quickly. His katana shot up from beside him, clanging loudly against the blade headed for his stomach. Before he could push it away, however, a cold sharp point came to rest against his collarbone.
He froze in place, glancing down at his attacker in shock. No one in his squad had bested him before.
The man was sparsely armoured, clad only in a skintight black suit. Tendrils of his sky blue hair were plastered to the sides of his head with sweat, and his aquamarine eyes burned with passion. He was wielding two blades - a pair consisting of a katana and a wakizashi. The wakizashi was blocked by Kagami's blade, while the katana touched his jugular.
Kagami swallowed slowly, his eyes fixed on the sharp metal prodding his neck. As much as he wanted to, he could not waste time wondering why the man did not complete his attack.
Two heartbeats passed, the sounds of battle muffled as if they were in their own private bubble. Without warning, Kagami swung upwards, pushing the katana away from him. He jumped backwards, trying to put some distance between himself and his attacker.
The man followed him closely, stabbing with one sword even as the other slashed across his body.
Kagami gasped as the wakizashi glanced off his armour, barely bringing his katana up in time to block the other sword. He bumped into the bamboo, and a glint caught his eye. His free hand flashed up to snatch the dagger, pushing the other man away with his sword.
They were evenly matched now, Kagami armed with the short dagger and his katana, and the other man with his dual blades.
Kagami threw the first blow, slicing at the man's face with the katana. The smaller man leapt out of the way, spinning his blades in a deadly dance. Sparks flew as their swords clashed, Kagami meeting his attacker blow for blow.
The closely packed bamboo made it difficult to manoeuvre, and Kagami soon sported a variety of small cuts in spite of his protective armour. He was breathing heavily, but the other man more so. His opponent looked ready to collapse, yet he still pulled his weapons up into an offensive stance.
They circled each other, and Kagami found himself suddenly blabbing. "Why don't you just give up? You're obviously tired."
"A true warrior never allows an enemy to walk away with his life in battle." The man panted, dashing forward to jab Kagami.
Kagami caught the incoming blade on the blunt side of his sword, holding the attack at bay. "Then let us end this. I have places to be." He parried the sword away, throwing the dagger at the man before following with a slash to his arm.
The blunette knocked the dagger aside, barely managing to block Kagami's sudden assault. "I would prefer to end you here. The Emperor must remain untouched, after all."
"So you are his principal bodyguard." It wasn't a question.
"You may assume that. The Emperor is capable of protecting himself with no external help."
A ragged shout caught their attention. "The gates are down! The gates are down! Get the Emperor!"
A cry of triumph rose up from the rebel army, and they charged forward to infiltrate the castle.
The black-clad man slumped when he heard that, jumping back and sheathing his swords. "I must take my leave of you. You fight well, stranger."
"I'm not done with you!" Kagami roared, flying forward to strike. "What was that about fighting to the death, huh?!"
The man's sword blocked his with unnatural speed, but from the trembling of the metal, Kagami knew a few more strokes would finish him. He was too weak to keep up any longer.
"As I said," the man panted. "The Emperor must remain untouched."
"So you are returning to defend him? Why didn't you just stay in the palace in the first place then?!"
"I-"
"Kurokocchi!" A yellow topped blur appeared in Kagami's vision, knocking his sword away. The force behind the hit was so large, Kagami almost lost his blade. By the time he regained his balance and his grip on the weapon, the yellow blob had already righted itself in his view, coalescing into a person.
The blond man was clad like the blunette, in tight black clothing and wielding similar blades in a defensive stance. The blunette was slumped behind him, breathing heavily. The newcomer glared at Kagami, cold fury blazing in his eyes. "Did he hurt you, Kurokocchi?"
"No. Do not attack, Kise-kun. I engaged first."
"What!" The blond's eyes widened, but he held his position. "What for? Akashicchi told you to run!"
"I need someone to protect me, or I'll die out there. I saw him as I was leaving, and I think he'll do fine. Brief him."
Kise hesitated, still eyeing Kagami warily. The man's voice came again, and it was laced with steel. "Do you doubt my judgement? That was an order, soldier."
Kise sighed heavily, then sheathed his swords and raised his hands. He stared at Kagami, eyes glimmering with distrust."You heard the boss. Lay down your weapon, we want to talk."
"Like hell I believe you!" Kagami burst out. The scene was just too confusing for him. Wasn't that blunette the Emperor's principal bodyguard? Why did he have to run? And what was that about him needing protection?
Kise shook his head, amusement crossing his lips. "Tell me, stranger, have you ever seen the Emperor?"
"No, but-"
"Have you ever seen him order a decree that hurt his people?"
"Not really-"
"Do you have any proof that your rebellion will bring better days?"
"Well, maybe-"
"What are you fighting for?"
"To bring down the monarchy so the rest of us can have a fair life!" Kagami burst out, seething. Why was this blond fellow questioning the rebellion's motives? Shouldn't he already know, as part of the Imperial Court?
Kise raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any evidence that life will be better after you've taken over?"
"The palace is full of riches! Spend some of that to help the people, you rich, spoiled bastards-"
"You're wrong." The cold voice of the blunette reached his ears, and he flinched. He owed that man nothing, yet somehow, he felt like he was being rebuked.
"The palace is poor, and overrun by corrupt officials. They are the reason why the common folk cannot receive aid. The Emperor cannot overrule them, for they sit on high seats in the council, and if they are removed, the royal family - and the kingdom - will be destroyed by their lies. Although, it seems that your rebels have sped up the process for them." The man chuckled weakly. "Teikou will fall, and she will be a withered nation by the time the rebellion is quelled. More will die, and the people you fight for will turn against you."
Kagami was shocked. The Emperor, powerless in his own domain? Surely it was not possible!
He didn't dare to believe it, yet his gut felt that it was the truth. His instincts had never failed him before, yet he still hoped that he was wrong. Kagami spluttered angrily, "Why should I believe you? You are the Emperor's bodyguards, you're supposed to defend him!"
Kise stifled a laugh with a closed fist. "You told him you were a bodyguard, Kurokocchi?"
"I didn't." The shorter man sighed. "He assumed I was, and I let him believe it."
"Wait, if you're not a bodyguard, then who are you?" Argh, his brain was splitting. Politics and honeyed words had never been his forte.
"He is-" A jab to his side made Kise shut up, and the blunette took over speaking.
"I will not reveal that to you just yet. Come with me, and be my protector. If the country does not fall like I have predicted, you may kill me. If it does, you will protect me for the rest of my, or your life." The man was calm as he delivered his proposal, and Kagami felt suspicious.
"Why would I do that when I could kill you right now?"
"Kise-kun would stop you before you could." He replied matter-of-factly. "I assure you, it is in your best interests to see me alive. And I am serious about the protection. I need someone that nobody knows - someone not of the Court - to accompany me. I can make things better for Teikou, but first those politicians must die. Your rebels will do that for me, and I will return in the aftermath to rebuild the country. By helping me, you are still helping your rebellion. What say you?"
Kagami wanted to say no, wanted nothing more than to throw his katana at them and tell them to die like the horrible people they were. Yet his gut was still giving off that unsettling feeling that these men spoke the truth. As much as he didn't feel like it, he would follow his instincts. They had never led him astray before, and he hoped that this time, they wouldn't either.
Kagami grudgingly sheathed his sword. He folded his arms, addressing the blunette. "I don't believe you, but my gut says you're not lying. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely holding you to your word. If the kingdom falls, I'll protect you. If it stands, I'll kill you."
The blunette nodded. "It's settled then. Will you swear on your honour not to harm me until the news of the war is confirmed?"
Kagami grumbled, but raised a fist and thumped it against his breastplate. "I do so vow."
"Excellent. Let us be off. I have an escape route plotted through the bamboo. Oh, Kise-kun." He turned to the blond. "Go back to the others. Tell them 'thank you'. If any of you survive, you know how to find me."
Kise latched on to the smaller man, hugging him tightly. "We promise, Kurokocchi. You," he turned to glare at Kagami. "Take care of him."
With a last wave to the blunette, the blond disappeared back the way he came. Kagami stared after him - he moved so quickly - until a tugging at his elbow made him look down. The blunette was pulling on his sleeve, directing him in a different direction.
"This way. Just follow me. Few people know how to navigate the maze, so I must ask you to remain close."
Kagami saw no choice but to jog after the blunette. After several minutes of dodging branches, the sounds of battle grew softer, and he began to relax. He got a shock when the man started speaking to him.
"What is your name? We cannot be nameless acquaintances forever if we are on the run together."
"Oh, ah, Kagami Taiga." He congratulated himself on his steady voice. Even though he had been surprised, he sounded unruffled.
"Nice to meet you, Kagami-san. I am Kuroko Tetsuya." Kuroko slowed to a brisk walk, allowing Kagami to walk by his side.
"What's with the 'Kurokocchi' then?" Kagami wanted to slap himself the moment the words popped out. It was none of his business, and he shouldn't have been prying into someone else's life, especially someone he just met.
You mean, someone you were on the verge of killing a few minutes ago, his mind whispered.
However, Kuroko didn't seem to find it strange, and simply brushed off the question. "Kise-kun adds the suffix '-cchi' to the names of people he respects. Any other questions?" He gave Kagami a knowing look.
Kagami scratched his head awkwardly. Was he that obvious? "Who are you? I thought you were a bodyguard, but Kise says you're more than that, so who are you?"
"I am the Emperor."
"Huh- Wait, what?!" The revelation was said in such a straightforward manner that Kagami jumped backwards in shock, slamming into a wall of bamboo. "You're joking."
"I make very poor jokes, Kagami-san. I am indeed the Emperor of Teikou. What did you expect the Emperor to be like?" Kuroko continued walking calmly, and the redhead scrambled to catch up.
"Uh, I don't know! Maybe someone a whole lot scarier and controlling?"
Kuroko chuckled. "I think you are mistaking me for my brother. He is the manipulative one."
"I didn't know the Emperor - uh, you had a brother. Your Majesty." He added hastily. Oops. Am I too late for formalities?
"No need for formalities." As if he could read his mind, Kuroko waved away his attempt at politeness. "Now, I am just Kuroko Tetsuya, no longer the Emperor. As for my brother, he is a well-kept secret of the throne, but I see no harm in telling you, since we will not be returning any time soon.
"My brother and I share the same father. He was the only child to be conceived of all the concubines, and to protect him from being used against the throne, he was raised with me as Crown Prince. We took turns making public appearances with our hair dyed black, and no one was the wiser. Of course, as an added precaution, he took his mother's name.
"He will never be the true heir to the throne, since in the public eye, he does not exist. However, he looks enough like me to take my place while I escape." Kuroko's voice was monotonous, as if such a story was completely boring to him. Kagami, on the other hand, was horrified.
"How could such a big thing be kept from the public? Are you saying none of the Court knew that the two of you were different people?"
"Well," Kuroko pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Some of our most trusted advisers could tell the difference. The rest of them assumed that my brother was the Crown Prince, until my coronation day. Even then, they could not tell the difference. It was quite amusing to fool them."
"That's your definition of amusing?" Kagami snorted. Palace people are so weird. "How was it possible to hide your identities? Surely someone had walked into your rooms and saw the two of you together before."
"Oh, it was possible." Kuroko smiled wryly. "I have quite a low presence, and unless you are actively looking for me, you would miss me completely. Even then, it would be difficult to locate me. That is why our advisors often spoke to my brother, believing him to be me."
"You sure are weird." Kagami mumbled. "Never heard of someone being so invisible before."
They walked on in silence for a few minutes, the redhead contemplating the information he had been given. A thought came to him, and glancing down at his companion, Kagami asked, "You're leading us to safety, right?"
"Yes. Do not worry, Kagami-san. We will be living undercover for quite a while, which, in hindsight, should be no different from a commoner's lifestyle. Think of it as a new beginning. Nobody would know who we are, where we're going."
"You know how to live like a commoner?" Kagami snorted in disbelief. New beginning my ass. More like rebirth.
"Do not underestimate my abilities."
He was doing it again, the mind reading thing. Kagami suppressed a shudder. Kuroko was still speaking, unaware of his turmoil.
"In order to hide my brother and I, my father, the late Emperor, ordered a minimal number of servants to attend us. We had to learn to complete the most menial of tasks on our own in order to keep the secret."
"You speak of your brother a lot." Kagami noted, trying desperately to keep his cool at the Emperor's frightening qualities.
Curse it all, he just had to be the one who got stuck with the mind reading Emperor. How was he ever going to survive if he kept getting heart attacks?
Offhandedly, he wondered how important this illegitimate heir was, if the Emperor held him in such high regard. "Do I get to know his name? So I won't accidentally kill him if we meet?"
Kuroko chuckled. "Of course. Though I doubt you will best him. He is a better swordsman than I.
"His name is Akashi Seijuurou. He has red hair and eyes, perhaps a shade lighter than yours. He is slightly taller than I, but otherwise we look wholly alike."
"That sounds entertaining." Kagami thought aloud. "Having someone strong to spar with."
A sharp jab through the holes in his armour had Kagami doubling over in pain. "Are you implying that I am an unworthy opponent?" Kuroko's voice was cold.
"No," Kagami wheezed. "You're plenty strong, Kuroko-san."
For such a small fellow, he hits hard!
"Hmph." Kuroko's footsteps faded as he stepped up the pace. Kagami sped after him, laughing nervously.
"We could have a sparring session after we find safe harbour, Kuroko-san. Would that satisfy you?" Don't be offended, don't be offended... I don't wanna die yet.
"...maybe." Kuroko still sounded offended, but... Was he pouting? "I will teach you your place, Kagami-san. Mark my words."
"Looking forward to it, Kuroko-san." Kagami snickered. Suddenly, the Emperor didn't seem so bad. He was just another short guy who didn't like people looking down on him.
Maybe their arrangement could work out after all.
"Show me your best."