Karneval: Innocence Lost
Chapter 2: Partings
Yogi stopped in front of the sweets shop and stared at the treats inside. He and Gareki had passed by this shop several times in the last two years, but had never been inside. "Don't even think about it," Gareki called, realizing Yogi had stopped. "Michi-San gave us just enough cash to run the errands she sent us to run. She'd kill us both if one of us used some of it to buy candy without permission." Even though Gareki was the younger, it seemed he was always the one in charge. The seven year old boy with black hair turned and looked at the nine year old blonde. "Standing there staring at it longingly isn't going to get you any hand outs either," he spoke from experience, "The people in this town know we're from Katashi Inn. They don't pity us in the slightest."
Yogi closed his eyes and sighed, he was aware of this. "Ne, Gareki-Kun, can't we just go in and look around for a bit, though?" he asked.
Gareki sighed. "Alright, we'll go in and look," he reluctantly agreed, "But we'll have to be quick, we're ahead of schedule, but not by much."
The two boys quietly slipped inside the shop. The entire store was bright and colorful, and smelled of warm sugar and freshly baked confectionaries and pastries. There was even a small corner in the back of the store set aside for toys and children's books. Yogi's eyes lit up, the store was one cartoon character passing out candy bars away from becoming a dream come true. He hadn't seen anything so colorful since his days in Rimhakka. Even Gareki had to admit that the inside of the store was an extreme contrast to the world outside.
"Coming inside was a bad idea," Gareki thought to himself. It was easier for Gareki to tear himself away from this shop when passing it on his errands because the window that allowed him to look in stood between him and the colorful sugary treats. Now that he and Yogi were both inside the store, where they could smell the toffee and licorice that was now within arm's reach, they both seemed to desire it more.
"Hello, boys," a soft voice called from behind the counter. Yogi and Gareki both jumped, as they were jerked back into reality from the voice. A beautiful young woman had just come out of the back of the store with a fresh batch of glazed donuts and crème puffs. She had seen the boys standing outside the shop several times before, but this was the first she'd ever known either of them to come inside. She smiled when the two boys gave each other silent awkward glances, as though they felt they were going to get in trouble for even setting foot inside the door. "Oh my, I didn't think you two would be so shy," she giggled. "I always thought you had other reasons for not coming in to shop."
"We're not here to shop," Gareki replied, "We just wanted to look around at least once."
She smiled and picked up four small white paper bags. "Stay right there," she giggled. Like Gareki had said, everyone in town knew the boys stayed and worked at the Katashi Inn. She took a small piece of paper and scribbled a note on it, dropping it inside one of the bags, which she wrote the letters M.K. on. She then wrote the letters O.K. on another. She then proceeded to fill all four bags with candies and pastries. She turned and handed two of the bags to Gareki and two to Yogi. "Here," she offered, "Take the two that have been written on back to Katashi-Sama and Katashi-Kun. The other two are yours."
"But we can't…" Yogi started to protest.
"These are free," she insisted, "Samples on the house. The letter I dropped in Katashi-Sama's bag is offering a discount on my goods and wares for her to use in greeting baskets for her customers. If she agrees and sends you boys to pick up her orders, you two will get more sample bags of your own as payment for running the errand." She giggled.
Yogi flashed Gareki a look that seemed to say, "And you thought nobody would pity us."
To this, Yogi received a return look, which seemed to say, "She pitied YOU." Gareki was glad for Yogi's company, but sometimes felt jealous of the blonde, it seemed as though everyone took it easier on him.
The boys thanked the lady, tucked the bags into the pack they were carrying the rest of their errand items with, and left the store to finish up what they had left to do. Michi had given them a strict time limit on how long they could be gone. They made it back with five minutes to spare. They hid their candy bags in their room under their bed and took all the other items to the kitchen, putting away anything that needed to be left cold, they left everything else for Michi to find on the kitchen table, and went back to finish any chores they had left over for the day. The less they had to deal with either Katashi the better.
There had been some customers this week who had children with them. Yogi had hoped they'd get the chance to play with these kids if they finished their chores on time. He finished his chores before Gareki and went outside to the back court yard to greet them.
Gareki was outside sweeping the front porch when he heard a commotion from the kids out in the back yard. He closed his eyes and gave an exasperated sigh. "What has my little idiot gotten himself into this time?" he grumbled, clenching the broom tight with both hands. He could feel the veins trying to pop in his hands and forehead out of agitation. Gareki spun the broom and slung it over his shoulder, turning toward the back of the building.
When Yogi had approached the kids, they had agreed to play something similar to cops and robbers with him. It wasn't Yogi's suggestion, he would have preferred hide and seek or tag, but the others had insisted on cops and robbers. The trouble was, they had appointed him the robber, and the one kid playing the 'bad cop' had taken things too far. When Gareki rounded the corner, he was greeted with the sight of the blonde on his knees, with his hands held by one of the three boys like he was supposed to be cuffed for interrogation. Gareki would have over looked this as part of a game, except that Yogi was sporting a bruise on his left cheek. Even Michi had never struck Yogi hard enough to leave a mark on his face.
"Let…him…go," Gareki said flatly. He didn't care who these three brats were; guests or not, they had exactly two seconds to get the hell away from Yogi or, if they truly were playing, to apologize for getting too rough.
Yogi realized Gareki's intent right away. He had learned how to read the younger boy's cold blue eyes, even when no one else could. "Gareki-Kun," he called softly. He knew the bruise was on his face, how could he possibly convince Gareki they were just playing?
Gareki's challenge was accepted. The boy playing 'bad cop' had a stick in his hand that he had been patting to mimic a Billy club. In the end, it was his own hand that had struck Yogi's cheek, not the stick, but he was still holding it. The boy didn't see any reason to apologize to the two 'Katashi Inn Orphans' for getting too rough during a game. His family were guests who came to stay once a year, and never had Gareki tried to join them in a game. Yogi was a fairly new face, but the boys already viewed him at Gareki's social status. Rather than let Yogi go, or apologize, this boy decided to continue the 'game', catching Yogi under the chin with the flat of the stick and tilting the blonde's head back up so that he was looking at him.
"Looks like you've got an accomplice?" the boy smirked. "We'll just have to interrogate him too."
The boys thought Gareki would be just as easy to subdue, but much more fun than Yogi. While the blonde still held his simple childlike innocence, Gareki had long been cold toward the world. Gareki fought them all off with the broom and by the end of it all, he and all three boys were black and blue. Of course, the Katashi couple punished and scolded him for fighting with the guests, but he didn't care. He had made them pay for striking Yogi, for leaving a blemish on the blonde's beautiful face, that's what mattered, and three against one, he was proud of himself for coming out with the least amount of injuries.
Gareki, now age eight, and Yogi, now age ten, were ushered onto the slave ship, packed in with other kids. The Katashi couple had been paid a high price for both of them. "Gareki-Kun," Yogi whispered, "I'm scared. What'll happen to us?"
Gareki sighed and pulled Yogi close. "Stay close to me, Yogi," he replied, "We'll be alright." Gareki had silent fears, himself. When they reached their destination, there was no promise he and Yogi would be kept together. There was no promise where either of them would end up. They could wind up with someone just as bad or worse than the Katashi couple, or with some sick sadistic pervert, or in a research lab being used as human specimens. Yogi never explained why, but Gareki had come to realize the blonde had a terrible fear of doctors and hospitals all together. The odds of getting someone kind were very slim. He hoped that if they did get split up, Yogi would be lucky enough to be sold to someone kind hearted. What he didn't realize was that they weren't to be sold anywhere else once the ship reached it's destination. Everyone on the ship was headed to the same place. They were all already part of a diabolical experiment.
After a few days at sea, the inevitable happened. The slaves began to single out and haze the weaker people on the ship. Gareki was by no means weak, but was the smallest one there. He did his best to prevent Yogi from becoming a target, only for both of them to be picked on. Three on one, Gareki could handle, but here on the ship, there were enough bigger people to over power him. The two were tied up and beaten. For the next several days, their food was stolen from them. Gareki began to become suspicious of the food, however. As the days progressed, the more the others ate, the more crazy they became.
"Are… Are their drugs in the food?" he wondered as he watched.
"Ne, Gareki-Kun," Yogi whispered, awkwardly shuffling his way over next to the dark haired boy, "Are you alright?" His voice sounded weak and frightened. "Something seems wrong with the others."
Gareki blinked. So Yogi noticed it too? He smiled softly at Yogi. "I'm alright, Yogi," he said, trying to reassure the blonde. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm hungry," Yogi reluctantly admitted, "But other than that, I'm fine as long as I know you're here with me."
A scream was heard from the other side of the cargo hold. Yogi and Gareki looked up in horror as one of the weaker slaves was being attacked by a group of the others. "Yogi, close your eyes and look away," Gareki insisted. Yogi didn't know why, but he obeyed Gareki's order. Gareki watched in horror and Yogi cringed at the sounds as the slave was torn apart and eaten by those that had attacked him. "Oh God," Gareki gasped. Yogi could feel Gareki shiver. "They really are starting to go mad."
Meanwhile
Two nineteen year old males, one with glasses and black hair, the other with red, both wearing top hats, sat in the command tower of Circus. The dark haired male was Hirato and the red head Tsukitachi. They were the ones who had rescued Yogi in Rimhakka. They were members of an elite government defense force specially created for hunting down and eliminating creatures called Varuga, which were created by an organization called Kafka. This initiative goal was what had taken them to Rimhakka, and since then the two had been promoted to captains of the Second and First Ships of Circus, respectively. They stood listening as the chain of command, appearing via holograms, briefed them on their next mission.
"We have received word that Kafka has a large vessel carrying a full cargo hold of slaves, being shipped to one of their remote laboratories. We have already sent operatives to intercept the lab, but have discovered there are drugs carrying the Varuga cells already being dispersed to the slaves on board the ship. It is imperative that this ship does not make port. If a single infected specimen reaches land and escapes, it could be disastrous," one voice instructed.
"The two of you have been chosen for this task," a second voice began to inform them, "Because it relates back to another mission you were once on. The tracking device Akari-Sensei planted on Prince Yogi of Rimhakka; we're still uncertain as to why it's been silent after he escaped the Research Tower, but after all these years, it appears we are able to pick up its signal once more. As of this moment, the signal is coming from this very ship. If at all possible, the boy must be retrieved unharmed."
"Understood," Hirato and Tsukitachi both answered in unison.
Yogi fell asleep, curled up as close to Gareki as he could get. If he had been alone, he wouldn't have been able to sleep at all. Gareki certainly couldn't. He'd never seen anything as horrendous as what had happened earlier, and while he was glad Yogi's eyes had been spared the sight, he couldn't help worrying how long it would be before he and Yogi were targeted next. He suddenly found himself regretting those thoughts, as the others received the second and final meal of the day. No longer eating like humans, they forced their faces into the plates and began to scarf their food like wild animals. Slowly, as they began to finish, a group of them turned their eyes to Gareki with hungry smiles and wild eyes.
Gareki tried to back away, but he was already as far against the wall as he could get, and moving anywhere else would leave Yogi vulnerable if they didn't follow him specifically. The boat began to toss and turn, as if it had passed into a storm. Yogi was shaken awake by the sound of Gareki's voice. The blonde opened his eyes to find Gareki struggling against the group, of slaves who were trying to pull him away from the wall. Yogi forced himself to a sitting position. "Ga…? Gareki…? Gareki-Kun!" Yogi called out worriedly.
"Yogi? Oh God, no, Yogi, look away," Gareki thought as he struggled.
"Gareki-Kun," Yogi whimpered. He looked on horrified as his friend was drug by the feet into the group of slaves. Yogi closed his eyes and whipped his head back and forth. "Let him go!" he pleaded. "No," he thought, as he felt something inside his head snap, "I can't… I can't loose him too!" Yogi opened his eyes and forced himself to a standing position. His eyes were no longer filled with fear, but with an unimaginable fury. With a flash of bright light, Yogi's golden locks slowly turned silver. Gareki was too busy trying to kick his way free from the others to realize what was going on. One of the slaves jumped on top of Gareki and slammed his head against the floor, knocking the dark haired eight year old out cold. "DORNKISTE!" a voice that both was but was not Yogi's exclaimed. A wall of thorns ripped through the ropes binding Yogi's hands. "I said let him go," Yogi's voice said coldly, as the thorns splintered into a mess of vines, whipping wildly at the attackers. Some of the attackers were ripped apart by the thorns, others were simply slung across the hold. Yogi quietly approached the unconscious boy with raven locks.
Gareki had been Yogi's companion and protector for the last four years now. As Yogi's eyes settled on Gareki's face, his hard cold eyes began to soften again. The thorns were still wildly whipping around the two boys, holding the maddened masses of slaves at bay. The now silver haired prince knelt down next to Gareki. Before Yogi could call out to wake Gareki, a massive wave rocked the ship. Hirato snatched Yogi up and carried him out of the hold, before Tsukitachi's attack ripped the ship asunder.
Yogi blinked and shook his head, his blonde locks returning. "Eh? Wha…? Where?" he grumbled groggily. He realized someone was holding him. He looked up. "H-Hirato!?" he exclaimed. His eyes darted across to Tsukitachi. But he didn't care for the sight he saw. The three of them were flying above the remains of the ship wreck, but Gareki was nowhere to be found. "Ah!? Gareki?" Yogi exclaimed. "Hirato, where's Gareki-Kun?" He looked up at Hirato hopefully.
"Whom?" Hirato asked.
"Gareki-Kun, my friend," Yogi insisted, his eyes beginning to brim with tears. "He was on the ship with me. Didn't you save him too?"
Hirato and Tsukitachi exchanged uncomfortable looks. "I'm afraid we didn't know about him," Hirato answered solemnly.
"No!" Yogi whined, looking back down at the water which was tossing pieces of the ship about. "He was in trouble, why didn't you save him too?"
Hirato gently hugged the distraught ten year old. "I'm sorry, Yogi," he said softly, brushing a comforting hand through the prince's golden locks. Had they known, they would have done anything to attempt saving the friend Yogi was so desperately longing to have found with them. Perhaps with a friend at his side, the prince wouldn't try to run again.
"Perhaps he's alright," Tsukitachi suggested, hoping to comfort the prince.
Hirato felt his black jacket becoming soaking wet with tears as Yogi buried his face into it. "He was tied up and they had knocked him unconscious," Yogi sobbed. "My hands were tied, too, I couldn't help. I know they were about to do something awful to him. Hirato, I don't wanna' go back to the Research Tower without him."
Hirato quietly nodded at Tsukitachi. He held Yogi tight and close. From what Yogi told them, his friend may already have been lost forever. "Shh… There, there, Yogi," he said quietly. "Tsukitachi and I will look for him."
Yogi let out a quiet gasp as Tsukitachi injected a sleep aid into him from behind. "For now, just sleep. Everything will be ok when you wake up," Tsukitachi said softly. Yogi's eyes became heavy, in spite of himself, he couldn't stay awake. "I'll look for survivors. In the meantime, Yogi needs to be taken back to Akari-Sensei to make sure he's alright."
Hirato nodded. "I'll meet you back on the ship," he agreed, turning and flying away.
Tsukitachi spent the whole night watching the waters, but found no signs of a survivor anywhere. He reluctantly returned to the ship, hoping that an innocent hadn't just been caught in their wake.
Gareki opened his eyes and groaned. He coughed and spat out some water. Looking around, he found he had washed ashore somewhere. "I'm alive?" he sputtered. His eyes widened and he jerked to his feet, frantically looking around. "I'm alone? What happened?" He found a sharp shard of wood and awkwardly maneuvered his body so that he could use the ridges to cut the rope binding his hands. Rubbing his wrists, he stood up, his eyes desperately scanning the area. "Yogi? YOGI!?" he called. "No… Am I really all alone?" Gareki flopped back to the ground and closed his eyes. He wasn't one to cause a scene, but he couldn't stop the tears he felt in his eyes. "He was the only warmth I ever had. I think I would have preferred to have been separated from him when the ship took port. At least then I would have known he was alive."
Gareki sat on the beach for a moment, his head on his knees. What happened on the ship? The last thing he remembered was hitting his head. How had he survived? Try as he might, he couldn't piece it together. He slowly opened his eyes as the realization hit him that he was hungry. Very hungry. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten something. He forced himself to stand up and start walking in search of food. He walked until he could walk no further and collapsed once more.
"Oh my, are you alright?" a soft voice called out. Gareki opened his eyes, to find a beautiful young woman with long flowing hair standing over him. He attempted to shuffle away from her. She saw the look in his eyes, but couldn't tell if it was a look of fear and distrust or one of anger and sadness. Perhaps a combination of all of it? "Oh, no!" she said, "Please, don't be frightened. I mean you no harm," she assured him. "You poor dear, you look injured and hungry. You must have really been through something awful. Where are your parents?"
"I don't have any," Gareki answered flatly, looking away from her.
"Do you have a name?" she asked. He looked at her quietly. "I see, don't talk to strangers, right?" she asked. "My name's Tsubaki," she introduced herself.
"Gareki," he answered dejectedly.
"Gareki? It means Gravel Flower, right? That's a nice name," she said with a smile.
"Whatever, it's all pointless anyway," he said looking away. "Why are you trying to help me?" he slowly shifted his eyes back toward her. She seemed pleasant enough, but he knew looks can be deceiving.
"I have a younger brother and sister, just about your age," she replied, "So maybe I feel obligated to help you. You said you don't have any parents, are you here alone?"
Gareki fell silent again, his mind torn in torment over two thoughts in particular. The fact that he was absolutely starving, and what could have possibly happened to Yogi? After a pause, he sighed and nodded, "Yes, I suppose I am."
Tsubaki gave him a sad, sweet smile, and she extended her hand out to him. "Come with me, Gareki, I can give you something to eat when we reach my home."
Gareki was reluctant, but he nodded and accepted her hand. Tsubaki smiled and gently pulled the boy on her back, carrying him back to her house.
Yogi awoke to find himself in a bed on the Second Ship of Circus. A girl, about the age of nine was standing at the foot of the bed. She had a set of curly blonde twin pigtails. She smiled at Yogi. "Yogi, I'm glad you're awake," she greeted him.
"Eh?" Yogi blinked. He was sure this was the first time he'd seen the girl, but she knew his name, and somehow he knew hers. "Tsukumo-Chan?"
"Hirato-San will be glad to know you're up," she said, "I'll let him know." She turned and left the room.
"Hi-Hirato?" Yogi repeated. He shook his head and rubbed the top of it with his left hand. It throbbed. Something didn't seem quite right, but he couldn't place it.
Yogi had been asleep in the Research Tower for two whole weeks, and before he woke, they moved him to the Second Ship, believing he'd be less tempted to flee again. In the process of healing, Akari-Sensei had given Yogi something that would allow them to alter the way he remembered the last few years. It was nothing harmful, but everyone thought it for his own good. Hirato was a little disappointed, when the first words out of Yogi's mouth were, "Gareki-Kun, did you find him? Is he alright?"
In attempt to calm Yogi, Hirato explained that Yogi had been taken aboard the ship as a spy for Circus, at his own choice. A lie, but one Hirato thought necessary. He continued the lie by mentioning that Yogi had befriended the boy Gareki while on the ship. Leaving out everything Hirato didn't know about the years spent at the Katashi Inn, Hirato managed to sweep it all under the rug as though anything negative that had happened to Yogi during that time had either been dreamt or had happened on the ship. It confused Yogi at first, but he managed to accept it. "As for your friend Gareki…" Hirato really hated lying to Yogi like this, but what could he do? "Tsukitachi found him. We can't let you two see each other right now, but the boy is safe and being taken care of. Circus will watch over him from afar."
"That's a bit of a relief," Yogi sighed, digging his fingernails into the blanket that swaddled his legs. "Thank you, Hirato."
