Hello again, everyone! I'm so happy a lot of you liked this story. Here is chapter 2!
Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basket is not mine.
Chapter two: Yellow King
Standing beside the Red King were four other kings. With mighty power and glory, they stood on equal ground as him. Each was exceptionally gifted in specific areas especially in combat.
A prodigal archer, fast and deadly, he never misses his target…
A master swordsman who can bring down 10 men easily by himself with incredible agility and skill…
A warrior who specializes in shields and has an impenetrable defense as he is deadly with swords…
A copycat swordsman who can copy all skills perfectly except for his fellow kings…
Down to the Red king who excelled in all areas more than the four combined.
Together, they were 5 individuals who surpassed the greatest of all kings and become the greatest. The strongest of all.
A Generation of True Kings. A Generation of Miracles that can only come in a hundred years.
Story indicates that the first to stand by the Red King's side was the Yellow King. Calm and collected, a jack of all trades when it comes to defense and attack. He led his kingdom into countless victories, helping out the Red King once in a while.
Known for his blond hair and gold eyes, his name was Kise Ryota.
Otherwise known as the Yellow King…
'Swordplay, huh…'
A young boy sat by the window ledge of the castle tower, red eyes watching the commotion on the ground below him with curiosity. Metal to metal clashed as two swords came in contact. Sparks flew and a vibrating sound echoed as the second knight's sword hit the other's shield with a loud Bang! startling some birds perched on nearby trees. The first knight's sword sailed overhead the other as the second knight ducked the sword. With a war cry, shields bashed against each other. This process repeated until the swordsman had finally brought down the other. A triumphant smile graced the boy's lips as if he was the one who had won. His attention flitted away to the other side of the training ground. Arrows sailed in the air, fast and sharp, hitting its target with accurate precision. In another part of the field, a series of glimmering silver flew and embed themselves on the dummies. It took a moment for the boy to realize they were daggers. Not far from the dagger throwing people were lancers. Thrusting their spears fluidly back and forth, it made the boy awed how they were like a part of their bodies with how none of the spears looked awkward on them.
A knock startled him, jerking his attention away from the ground. Just as he said, 'Come in,' the door opened, revealing a blob of flowing red hair.
"Sei-chan~!" The redhead found himself being enveloped in an embrace. He was instantly lifted from the ground and he found himself clutching whoever was lifting him. "Oof!" the said person exclaimed, "You're heavier again, Sei-chan~!"
Recognizing the voice, the boy looked up to find gold orbs looking at him. "Mother," he said in relief. His mother smiled and spun around, spinning the boy with her in the process. "Mother!"
The queen laughed as she set him down on the ground. The boy clutched a part of her dress for a moment, steadying himself as he waited for the dizziness to subside. When it finally subsided, he looked up at his mother again, "Mother, please do not do that again next time." He frowned. The queen smiled apologetically.
"Maa, Sei-chan was so defenseless! If I was a kidnapper, I would have already spirited you away!"
The boy shook his head with a sigh, as he took her hand and kissed it lightly. Looking up, he said, "Well, I knew it was you from the sound of your voice and your footsteps when you entered, Mother." He smiled. And as if remembering something, the queen blushed and smacked his arm slightly.
"Mou, two years and Sei-chan already feels like a man. You have just said exactly what your father told me at a dance when I was still a princess." She squealed girlishly before regaining her composure. She cleared her throat and studied him for a moment. "But I still like my little Sei-chan~!"
"Hai?"
….
"Mou! You used to answer me with 'Yes, Mother!' cheerily and now you put that—" she pinched his cheeks, "serious cute face on me! Nooo~ Give me back my Sei-chan~!"
"Stwop uit, Mwother!" the boy protested, trying to pry of her fingers.
"Not until you say 'please'!"
"Plwease stop uit, M-mother!"
…
…
With outmost disappointment on her face, the queen let him go. "Mou," she released him, pouting childishly, "you're no fun, Sei-chan~"
The redhead, Akashi Seijuro, now 7 yrs. old, sighed in relief, rubbing his cheeks. "I am not a subject for your fun, Mother..."
The queen ignored him, sighing dramatically to the side, muttering things like 'Sei-chan is so mean—' Ah, I want my little baby… Sei-chan~ Come back!' and so on. Akashi sighed softly, completely used to his mother's ramblings. He tugged the hem of her dress.
"If I may ask so, Mother, what brings you here at the moment?"
"Oh yes, I almost forgot." She clasped her hands together, mimicking a child excited for a gift. It did occur to Akashi that she seemed more childish than him. And ever so little, her smile seemed to be a little wider than before. "We are expecting a visitor in a week's time."
"A-n-d…" the boy said slowly, finally guessing why her smile was a little wider, "you want me to…?"
"Stop playing pranks on the servants, disrupting their works of course!"
Akashi looked away guiltily. "So… you did know—"
"That it was you?" she put a hand on her hip, shaking her head, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. There is nothing mother doesn't know, Sei-chan~!"
If ever, Akashi pouted, "And you…?"
"No." the queen answered, fully knowing the question left hanging. "While at first, it was a charming prospect to see Sei-chan do clever—"
"Was that sarcasm just now, mother?"
"— pranks such as putting a bowl of flour just above the door with a makeshift bar that fell on your instructor; a snake (that I don't even know where you took) on the vase in the kitchen that frightened an innocent maid who was changing the flowers; a nail on the maid's dress against the carpet wood; strolling in the middle of the night dressed as a reaper; and many others that the servants have a new nickname for you—"
"Which is?"
"—and I expect you not to hinder them even at the least this week, Sei-chan~! Your father is most displeased about the constant complaints from the servants. Tell me though Sei-chan: what brought about this attitude on you lately?" Akashi opened his mouth to answer when the queen gave him a sharp look. "And I expect nothing but the truth, Sei."
Grimacing at the name that his mother uses when she is completely serious, he stared at the floor, shifting from foot to foot. It was kind of unfair somehow though. His mother didn't answer any of his questions at all!
"It was the assignment my instructor gave me. And— yes, I am not lying, mother. So stop giving me that look.— The assignment was about feelings of a person. How they react when it comes to love, patience, fury, anger, sadness and all sorts of emotions you could see when you are with a person. The task was to discern on how to read a person's feelings since we are discussing basic etiquette when speaking and how to read the mood. Since you and father were busy and I didn't want to ask." He scoffed to the side, "It would have not been fun if I asked because I deprived myself of the chance to find out! So… I kind of did pranks to see… that's all." He finished lamely, finally standing still.
The queen nodded, "I understand but did it ever occur to you to ask other people excluding me and your father?"
The boy shook his head.
"Then how about reading books?"
The boy frowned, "It would all be the same, Mother. I would be depriving myself of the chance to find out."
A terse silence went on as the boy waited for his mother's verdict—or what felt like a verdict in coming. Finally, after multitudes of what seemed like minutes or seconds probably, the queen finally spoke, "I understand but it isn't nice to do that to other people, Sei-chan. Make sure you do apologize to them afterwards, okay?"
Smiling widely, the boy's eyes lit up. "If that's your verdict, Mother, then I will be glad to do so."
The queen noddedthen patted him on the head. "I see the fault is also on our side as your parents. We unconsciously left you without a playmate. It isn't right that you do not have someone of your age to bond with. Geez, that's why I told you to slow down from growing, it makes me forget that my Sei-chan is still a little boy~"
"A playmate, mother?" He didn't have any playmates except for his mother and the maids who sometimes came to play with him. Most of his time was spent with lessons from his instructor or by reading his time away in his father's room. He didn't understand though why he would need one now. Everything was perfectly fine for him.
"Well," the queen clasped his hands into hers, "I have stayed far too long. I will tell of this matter to the king so in the meantime, find yourself something to occupy with. There are a lot of things to do, Sei-chan, not just pranking. You can help with the activities around if you want. It'll be fun!"
'A playmate, is it?' Kuroko thought as he straightened himself from leaning on the wall. True enough, the boy doesn't have anyone he can call playmate as he was but holed in the tower with his instructor or in his father's room, reading books.
Certainly, he needs a change of routine, he mused as he wistfully played in his head the memories of the prince's pranking…
Prank 1
The redhead immediately sat on his desk when he heard footsteps coming his way. Willing his regal/poker face, he sat, trying to keep his smirk from his face. The door opened, revealing his instructor, a bespectacled man who wore long robes like a scholar and looked like he was in his early 20's. The boy stiffened, waiting with a barely suppressed smirk.
Not so soon, the said man was covered in flour.
Just as the bowl fell, Kuroko held it suspended in the air for a moment before releasing, lessening the supposed impact on the instructor. Nevertheless, the instructor was red-faced and furious. Akashi was having a hard time containing his laughter.
"Prince Seijuro! What in blazes were you planning to do dumping this—" he pointed to his head which was covered in white, "flour on me?!"
Contain.
Contain.
.
.
.
.
The boy burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as another wave of laughter echoed in the classroom. The teacher looked shocked then turned to exasperated. Akashi stopped for a moment, looking at his teacher again. He grinned at him.
And laughed.
Kuroko on the sides, sighed, shaking his head.
Prank 2
It was another one of those days with the perfect weather. Kuroko just finished his work in the garden (which really didn't even take a day) and as usual, went to the castle to check on his charge. Then frowning visibly as he watched as Akashi held in hand a sack that he was sure, he took from the garden. He remembered stowing away that sack somewhere secluded…
Nevertheless, he had been sure he had bound the creature's mouth before putting it in that sack. Otherwise, he would have already snatched the sack from the boy's hand a long time ago.
He was curious as to why the boy had taken it though. Was it for study perhaps? He had a tingling sensation that it wasn't for that though. Was it perhaps for…?
…
…
…
…
He knew he shouldn't have thought of it.
The maid stumbled backwards, shaking with fear as the snake rose from the vase, swaying a dance of death. The rope he had tied to the creature's mouth was still there but even without it, the maid crawled backwards with fear.
How is it that after three hours of taking his eyes off the boy, the boy had already found mischief?! Although his face was still blank blank blank, he sighed. The snake was harmless, he knew that, even with those swaying movements it's doing to frighten the innocent maid who was just changing the flowers.
He searched for the boy's location and found him hidden behind a table just across the room, watching with wide eyes. Relieved, Kuroko turned towards the snake and spoke to it discretely.
The snake recoiled but stubbornly stayed, making Kuroko stare/glare at it. "Return."
…
The snake stared at him. After a while, it slowly returned to the vase.
Looking around, he found the maid fainted on the ground and the guard had just come in with a sword. The man intended to kill it when Akashi moved from his hiding spot and stopped him.
"Wait. Do not kill it here. The blood will smear the tiles."
The guard obeyed and instead dumped the snake back on the sack and went away. After a while, Kuroko found Akashi jotting down notes, all the while mumbling.
"So that was fear… interesting…"
The maid grunted, slowly coming to her consciousness. Akashi turned and smiled as he saw the confused look on the maid's face.
And Kuroko sighed.
Prank 3
The next day, Kuroko found the boy again under a table beside a maid who was standing there, watching the construction workers who were working on the garden. Surprisingly, the boy himself held a small hammer in hand and a nail.
Tack!
Tack!
The sound outside bounced throughout the walls and it finally dawned on Kuroko what the boy was trying to do.
Tack!
The nail sunk a little and the boy frowned a little. He raised his hammer…
Tack!
The nail sunk deeper..
Tack!
Deeper…
It repeated until the nail was stuck enough to the wood. Seeing as the maid intends to move, Akashi retreated under the table. Just as he did so, Kuroko bent down immediately. Muttering a low 'sorry, Akashi-kun' under his breath (he was going to waste his hard work for his 'prank' though he also muttered a sorry for the maid. He wasn't allowed to interfere directly with his charge's actions, mind you), he loosened the nail.
Instead of being thrown outright, the maid stumbled a little almost falling face down on the ground. She fell on her butt. Just as Kuroko expected (though he still felt guilty). "Ouch!"
She moved to examined her dress and found it torn from the impact. Seeing a nail lying innocently on the ground she grumbled, muttering low curses under her breath. She intended to stand up when she saw red eyes peering at her from under the table.
"Seijuro…sama?"
"So that's frustration…" the boy muttered, jotting down notes. Smiling at the maid who looked at him horrified, he said, "You sure do know a lot of colorful words, nee-san!"
"S-Seijuro-sama, please do not tell the queen!" Knowing the queen who said 'I-don't-want-my-oh-so-innocent-Sei-chan-learning-any-bad-words-or-else-you-lose-your-job' to all servants, Kuroko muttered another apology. He was still going to make sure the queen wouldn't find out and hope for the best Akashi-kun wouldn't even remember half of those words. Heck, even he didn't want the boy spewing out words of profanity. Not his 'so innocent Akashi-kun'…
Though that sounded a bit almost like the queen…
"Oh, but I must tell mother what I learned today! I ditched my teacher today and I have to say something to mother!"
What? Akashi ditched class?
And Kuroko almost wanted to face palm. What else did his charge do during the time he wasn't watching?
"B-but Seijuro-sama!"
And Akashi giggled.
Kuroko sighed.
Kuroko tried to keep the grimace from his face as he remembered the latest of all Akashi's pranks…
Prank 5!
It was a chilly night and for one reason or another, Kuroko's charge seems to be awake. Kuroko thought the child was just chilly and followed him as he went out of his room. But disturbing as it is… why was the boy wearing his black blanket around himself?
'If anyone sees him…'
He almost faced palmed when a maid who was checking the halls screamed.
"GRIIM REAPEEEER!"
Red eyes peered from through the black blanket and COINCIDENTALLY, a window was open and the wind rushed in adding more drama to his grim reaper like appearance.
The maid screamed.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
As the maid ran away, Akashi laughed.
The last laugh will always be his, it seems.
And Kuroko— his sighs…
Sigh.
Kuroko sighed for the nth time, following the boy to the kitchen. Following his mother's suggestion, the boy decided to help around, finally not thinking of pranks in the meantime.
And I just hope he stays that way for a while… he thought, as he flew outside the window and perched on a tree so he wouldn't get in the way inside (people kind of went right through him most of the time but it was never a pleasant feeling so.. yeah. He didn't want to get in the way instead)
Speaking of trees, he had just noticed he unconsciously planted a tree to every window where the boy mostly stays. Like a tree outside the boy's bedroom (that was a given), a tree outside the north tower where the boy and his instructor had their lessons (though sometimes they had lessons under that very tree on Akashi's insistence), a tree outside the King's office, etc.
Lost in thought though, Kuroko didn't notice Akashi dumping the vase water outside the window, earning a yelp from a poor creature outside...
Which is unfortunately him.
Sigh.
A young blonde ran in the hallway, face brimming with a wide smile. Finally… Finally he was given a chance. Oh joy!
He can finally go out the castle walls and have an adventure. Oh… how he wanted to do that! He was getting sick of staying in the palace, listening to his instructor repeating the same lessons he had already grasped. He was a quick learner and he didn't have trouble understanding most of his lessons. It was a problem of conduct that he wasn't able to grasp yet. But! He was getting sick of the repeating process over and over again!
Taking a quick turn, he finally skidded to a halt in front of two big doors. Panting, he pushed open those big doors.
"Father!"
A man with equally blonde hair looked up from his papers, brown eyes looking at him with surprise which quickly turned into a small smile.
"Yes, Ryota?" he said, gently setting aside his paperwork, before lacing his fingers under his chin. The boy grinned.
"Father, I heard you are going somewhere. Can I go with you? –ssu" the boy asked.
The king smiled, a little mischievously before answering. "No."
The boy protested almost immediately. "Father! Please take me with you! –ssu!" he bellowed, latching himself on his father. The man grimaced slightly as the boy tugged him whining."Faaather!"
The king sighed, holding in the urge to scratch his blonde hair. 'It is an unbefitting act for a king.' as his queen always reminded him. He turned to his son, picking him up with ease.
'Damn. He's become heavier again.' He mentally said before his consciousness scolded him again. 'A king doesn't curse!' A voice that sounded suspiciously like the queen's voice...
He internally shuddered. Setting aside the queen's strictness when it comes to manners and speech (he shuddered again), he turned to his son who was constantly whining in his ear as he carried him. Good thing the queen isn't here, he thought. Or else she would be lecturing the both of them. He stood up, making his way to the balcony.
"Now, Ryouta, pray tell me why you want to go with me?" he asked, shushing the child.
"Because I want to! –ssu!" the boy whined.
"Yes, but do you know where I'm going?"
"To another kingdom!–ssu" answered the boy enthusiastically
"And what do I plan to do there?"
"To make a visit! –ssu" He twitched slightly. Where did he get his loudness from? Him? Or the queen?
Hm.
…
Okay, Ryouta got it from him alright.
"Stop with the '-ssu's', Ryouta." He opened the door.
"Hai! –ssu"
He grimaced slightly as the winds blasted at them full force. He held the boy's shoulder's in case he falls. "Ryouta, stop adding '-ssu' at the end of your sentences. It's unbefitting for a prince."
Okay, now the last part sounded like what the queen would say.
The boy pouted, "Mou! You sound like mother, Father."
"Yeah.. I thought so…" he muttered absently, looking over the balcony ledge. "So, Ryouta." He started, holding the boy by his shoulders again as another blast of wind blew at them. It seems a storm is brewing somewhere. He turned his attention to the boy again, studying him for a moment. He looked like the very replica of him that it made him proud. "How old are you again, Ryouta? 6 or 7?"
"I'm seven! –ssu"
"Seven, eh? Well, I think you might be able to understand what I'm going to say then. Unless you have been ignoring your instructor and learned nothing." He smirked.
"How rude, Father! I do listen to my instructor! –ssu" the boy protested.
The king chuckled, "Very well, I shall hold to your words then. I am indeed making a visit to another kingdom. The Kingdom of Rakuzan. You have heard of it from your instructor, yes?"
"Etto…" the young blonde scrunched his brows together, thinking deeply, to which the king smiled. He even inherited his thinking pose! Imagine the look on the queen's face when— ehem. He quickly shook his head, clearing all thoughts away. It won't do well to tease the queen…
"Sensei said Rakuzan is the strongest kingdom on the land." His eyes sparkled as realization dawned on him, "Sugoi! So you're visiting the strongest kingdom, Father?! –ssu"
"Yup." The king said, patting the boy's head. "I'll be going to make an alliance with the king there."
"What is an alliance? –ssu" the boy said, titling his head to the side, showing confusion.
"Well, in simpler terms, I'm going to make 'friends' with the king. Do you get what I mean?"
The boy's turned into an 'o' shape as he marveled about this. "Then please take me with you! –ssu" he said excitedly. He almost fell from the balcony if the king didn't hold him. The king was about to answer when a cough interrupted him.
He slowly turned his head and saw the queen, looking disapprovingly at him? Or at the boy?
Or ultimately, at the both of them.
He just had the feeling that it was both of them. He set the boy into the ground, straightened his back and faced the queen.
"My queen," he kissed the queen's hand. The queen smiled. She curtsied gracefully, her blonde hair cascading from her shoulders as she bowed her head. The king nodded in approval.
"May I ask what displeases you, my queen?"
"Nothing, sire." She answered, sending a glare to him. He flinched slightly. "I just don't like how you put our boy in the balcony ledge, what if he falls off when you're not looking?" before the king could answer, the queen spoke again turning to the boy, "And Ryouta."
The queen beckoned him forward. She crouched down as the boy tip toed as little to kiss her cheek.
"Yes, mother?"
"What have I taught you about asking permission, Ryouta?" her brown eyes were gentle but her tone was strict. The king silently recoiled in the background, holding in the urge to scratch his head again. The boy looked away uneasily. "Look at me, Ryouta." the boy complied albeit a little scared. "Now, how do you ask your father?"
"I will pay tribute and state my request. –ssu"
"Good. Just quit adding those '-ssu' and you'll be fine." The queen smiled, "Now go and ask him properly." She kissed his forehead. "Mother will be behind you." The boy nodded.
With a straight back, he walked towards the king. The king watched him expectedly. The boy stopped and bowed then knelt. "My king, may I state a request?"
"Shoot." The queen glared at him, "I- I mean, you may." The king said, nervously.
The boy raised his head, looking up the king. "May I be given the permission to accompany you on your trip, Father? –ssu."
The queen sighed at the '-ssu' to which the king smiled amusedly.
"I'm afraid I can't permit you to come with me, Ryouta." the boy looked ready to jump and cling to him again so he hastily added, "Who will accompany your mother while I'm absent if you come with me?"
"But…" the boy pinned his gaze on the ground dejectedly.
"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, my king." The queen interjected. "I propose you take Ryouta with you. I heard the King of Rakuzan has a child of the same age as our boy." The boy's eyes sparkled. Literally, at the mention of another boy at his age "It would also establish good relations with the king seeing our children friends. It is also for Ryouta's future as Crown Prince."
The king fluctuated between the queen and the boy's gaze. He studied the matter for a minute before the boy's pleading gaze made him agree. The boy shot up, clinging to the king's waist happily. It took another minute for the king to calm him down before he turned to the queen who was smiling serenely at the both of them.
"Are you sure you'll be fine while I'm gone?" he asked worriedly.
"Yes, my king. You know me," she grinned girlishly before she slipped her serious face again, flushing a little. The king chuckled, shaking his head with a smile.
"So… when are you going?" the queen asked.
"The trip takes three days by carriage so I think I'd be best to go tomorrow at dawn to avoid detection as well."
"Of course…"
A man with dark hair, stood stoically outside, perched on a branch of a tree, his gaze calculating on the family who were happily chatting. Oh really, happy even with the woman scowling at something her husband said and the boy equally saying something that annoyed her more. 'Well, happy in terms of that maybe.' he thought as the woman now seemed angry and smacked the father and son who laughed in turn. He shook his head.
"So, the loud brat is my charge?" he asked instead. His companion, who was perched on the branch opposite his, chuckled lightly.
"You make it sound as if it's a curse, Kasamatsu." His companion said. The man with dark hair, Kasamatsu, rolled his eyes.
"I don't like loud brats." He answered. Kiyoshi laughed.
"Maa, maa. Don't say that. You'll come to like him, I'm sure." He said encouragingly in which Kasamatsu gave him a 'no-way' look and scoffed. Kiyoshi shrugged. "Maa, if they are going to Rakuzan anyway, you'll be sure to meet Kuroko."
"Who's that?"
"Someone I know. Maybe he'll even help you."
"Che. Help me in what way? I'm a veteran when it comes to being a guardian angel. I don't need anyone's help."
Kiyoshi smiled enigmatically. "That's for me to know and for you to find out."
Chapter end…
That's another wrap! Kise is here~ Was the chapter good or bad? Please leave a review~! :D
