Renee: We no own, you no sue. Get it? *cracks knuckles* Got it? *picking teeth with switchblade* Good.*innocent smile*
Tono: Sorry this is late, I've been dead and have now returned!
WARNING: This chapter contains mild gore. Well, mild by my (Renee's) standards. Don't know how it is for the rest of y'all.
Now, enjoy!
Two days after Kiku returned from his trip to Iceland, he was preparing to leave once more. His ship had been restocked, filled with all the necessary provisions: food, water and ammunition. The ammunition was most important of all. To get to Denmark, they would have to travel through pirate infested and hostile waters near the United Kingdom.
After The Unraveling, the military tension between France and England became more stressed than ever. It didn't help that both countries started taking over most of the free world. Never had the two directly fought each other. They left that to their smaller territories and co-belligerents. But the tension was always there; it was a tension between Neo-Earth's two superpowers that most thought would never be eased.
Having experienced such tension before, Alfred knew of the great pressure King Francis must've been under. But Alfred had never resorted to the low levels that Francis had to find some type of relief. For Francis, Alfred was that relief.
It was this role that caused Alfred to run away so frequently. It was because of this role that Alfred was scared to stay in the same castle, let alone the same room with Francis. It was because of this role that Alfred had nightmares at night.
Truth be told, Alfred would've given up hope a long time ago if it weren't for Kiku. He knew that Kiku, his best friend, would always be there for him, evident by his actions in the throne room today. Lying in his bed now, Alfred shivered to think of what would've happened had not intervened. The princess smiled, closing his eyes and falling fast asleep.
The problem was that King Francis was beginning to get suspicious of the two. He had seen how Alfred looked at Kiku. His guards had given him multiple reports of the two out together, laughing and having a good time. On the outside, the king was as cold as steel. But on the inside, he was jealous. He needed to get rid of one of them, and it needed to happen soon.
Nonetheless, it was a tough decision to make. He couldn't simply kill off one of them, no matter how many problems it would solve; Kiku was his top general, the commander of his army, and Alfred was his prized possession. So he kept the two apart. He constantly sent Kiku out on missions that would take months at a time to complete. That left the king alone with Princess Alfred, a thought that always made him smile.
While the thought made the king smile, it made Alfred break out into a cold sweat. Never had he been as scared of a person as he was of King Francis. And for good reason too.
So naturally, whenever Kiku left, Alfred was a nervous wreck. He lived on a razor's edge, always ready to retreat at breakneck speed if necessary. But sometimes, Alfred couldn't run fast enough. And if Kiku wasn't there to help him when he fell, Alfred didn't know who would.
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Alfred screamed, running towards the door. Every time he reached it, every time he threw it open, he saw something that scared him down to his very core: Kiku dying. Whether it was Kiku dying in battle, being captured by the enemy or executed by Francis himself didn't matter to Alfred. Seeing Kiku die right before his eyes was enough to drive Alfred insane.
"Kiku! Kiku!" Alfred shouted once more, running forward and grabbing him after a particularly bad gunshot. The man's eyes were half-lidded; little life was left in them.
"Princess…"
"Don't worry Kiku! We'll get you patched up in no time! I promise!" Tears fell freely from Alfred's eyes, landing on Kiku's cheeks and mixing with the blood.
"Be strong Princess. Be strong for me." What little life was left in Kiku's eyes slipped away, leaving an empty shell. Alfred cried out in pure agony, pulling Kiku's body close to his own.
A hand rested on the princess' shoulder. "Do not cry, mon cheri. I will always be there for you, even if Kiku isn't." Alfred's head twisted, and he saw King Francis standing behind him, holding the gun that had killed Kiku. The king's conceited countenance turned into a mask of sadistic pleasure as he sprang on Alfred.
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Alfred's eyes flew open and he shot up from his bed. Grimacing at the sudden movement, he sat still, composing himself and trying to calm him breathing. His face was wet, and his entire body was covered with sweat. The American's head throbbed inside his skull. Alfred wiped the sweat from his face and turned to look outside.
The dawn sun rose outside the window. The sky was clear, save for a few clouds. Outside of the castle walls, the countryside stretched beneath him. Birds chirped from the trees in the gardens, animals scuttled along the grass, and the waves lapped against the docks, all reminding Alfred that there was still beauty in this world he lived in. Alfred stood and walked to the window, letting the wind cool his flushed skin and the clean air clear his mind of any darkness that lingered.
He hated the nightmares. Like any sane person, he hated them with the passion of a thousand burning suns. He hated them almost as much as he hated King Francis, and that was saying something. Considering Francis was the reason he had those nightmares, he hated them both with every fiber of his being. More often than not, Alfred would lie awake at night, not wanting to risk falling asleep for fear of what lay behind closed eyes.
More often than not, Alfred would relieve that night, months ago, when Kiku wasn't there to protect him, and feel the pain all over again. That was a night Alfred would never forget, one where he screamed so much his throat was raw for days afterward. More often than not, Alfred would have nightmares about when Francis took over his country, starting with the capital and slowly but surely spreading his influence and poison all over. Alfred dreaded those memories; He hated and feared them.
The problem was that fear usually trumps hatred, especially when the fear Alfred felt for the king was so great.
Princess Alfred sighed, wiping tears from his eyes before closing the window. He walked over to his wardrobe and began rifling through it, trying to find an adequate dress for today. Once in his chosen gown he walked along the corridors, glancing out the castle window, only to see Kiku's ship getting ready to leave. Yes… Kiku will be leaving again. Once, in Alfred's childhood, someone told him that dreams were a powerful thing. Who was it that told him? All he could remember was a hand extending out to him with a blurred face. That wasn't the point; what if all of these nightmares meant something? Alfred could no longer ignore the pain in his chest, so he ran to Kiku's quarters.
The door opened slowly, then quickly to reveal Kiku staring in surprise, "Princess Alfred! Y- You can't be seen here with me-"
"Don't go."
"Excuse me?"
"Kiku I- I've been having these dreams… about you… and! And…" Alfred found himself unable to speak; he tried clearing the throat, "Kiku I fear that when you leave… you will fail to return."
Kiku stared into Alfred's eyes, and for the first time in so long, Kiku's dark eyes hinted emotion, "Alfred- Princess-"
"Please stop it with the Princess. It's me, Alfred, not Princess. I haven't changed who I am; I am still me. I am still… I'm…"
Kiku could see the American about to break down in the corridors, so he pulled him inside the room and locked the door behind him. "We have to be quick Alfred. If you are seen here-"
"Yes I know. Kiku, I'm worried; I don't want to be alone. I can't let you leave! What could happen to me this time… and what could happen to you! I just know it! I know that you won't return. I—"
Alfred stopped when he was hugged by Kiku, "Alfred, don't abandon me yet. I'm still here, we're still together. I promise you I will return and when I do I will take you away from here."
Alfred couldn't believe his ears, but before he could reply the door opened and he was flung to the side and he saw Kiku instantly appear before the guard, "Yes?"
"We are prepared to leave sir."
"Yes, one quick minute if you will."
"Of course sir. I shall meet you at the docks."
"Right," Kiku said closing the door and turning back to Alfred, "you had better go."
"Kiku I—"
"Hurry, they'll be returning soon."
"Yes…"
Alfred was about to leave when Kiku whispered in his ear, "I will come back for you; I promise." Alfred wanted to cry then and there, but he would have to stay strong, just until Kiku returned. The last thing Alfred felt was Kiku's soft lips grazing his forehead before he was released from the embrace and Kiku led him back to his quarters. It was there, behind his safely closed door, that the Princess broke down, flinging himself onto the bed and letting the tears fall.
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Four days after Kiku returned from his trip to Iceland, and two days after he set out from King Francis's castle, Kiku was back at sea, surrounded by its captivating beauty once more. However, he couldn't concentrate on the grace of the sea this time. He was too preoccupied with worrying about Alfred back at the castle. The two days they had been separated had been hell on Kiku's mind; it was probably even worse for Alfred. Kiku hadn't been able to sit still, pacing his quarters much like he was doing now.
"Calm yourself Kiku. Meditate," Kiku told himself softly. Following his advice was much harder than speaking it. Eventually though, Kiku managed to meditate for a good hour, secluding himself from the outside world and letting the gentle waves rock the ship. Halfway through his meditation, the waves became more erratic and choppy, as if something was stirring up the sea. Kiku opened his eyes for a fraction of a second, irritated that his meditating was ruined. When his eyes opened, he came out of the trance-like state he was in. All his senses became as heightened as ever, and he immediately knew that something was wrong. Boots were stomping around on deck, and swords were clashing. Kiku stood up quickly, reaching for his katana. But before he could grab it, the door to his quarters was kicked open and three pirates stormed in.
Two of the pirates went for Kiku's arms, aiming to restrain him, while the third ran back up the stairs to the main deck. The smaller of the two pirates reached Kiku's arm and latched on tight. Kiku's many years as a samurai paid off quickly as he threw the pirate over his shoulder in one quick movement. The pirate crashed into the table, breaking it into pieces. Kiku evaded an attack from the other pirate, spinning on his heels, grabbing his katana and unsheathing it.
The two pirates picked themselves off the floor. Snarling, they both drew their own cutlasses and charged. The smaller one was quicker; he reached Kiku first. Slashing towards Kiku's torso, he was cut down himself as Kiku's blade moved along his chest, leaving two deep gashes that formed an X. The pirate looked down at his chest in mild surprised then looked back up, only to see Kiku drive his blade straight through his skull. With a thud, the corpse fell to the floor, still twitching. Kiku removed his blade and stood at the ready.
The bigger one, blinded by rage at his comrade's death, swung aimlessly towards Kiku, seeking for anything important. Kiku easily sidestepped his random movements, slicing through the pirate's sword-wielding arm. Blood pumped out the open wound as the pirate's heart continued beating. With a scream, the pirate fell to his knees.
Kiku stepped in front of the pirate, face emotionless. The pirate screamed more, bowing his head and clutching the stump of what was his arm so he would not have to face Kiku. Then, Kiku raised his arm way above his head, poised to sever the screaming man's head from the rest of his body. His arm started downwards before gravity took over the rest of the job.
After decapitating the pirate, Kiku looked at the mess that was his cabin in disgust. He re-sheathed his katana and turned, walking towards the door and into the tip of a blade.
"My my. What do we have here?" Another pirate walked inside Kiku's quarters, blade poised at Kiku's throat. Quick as lightning, Kiku had his own blade out of its resting place and started to bring it up to cut the pirate's arm off. Before it could connect, Kiku felt a burning pain in his shoulder as it was popped out of its socket. His arm - and his sword – fell uselessly by his side. The katana clattered to the ground, skidding out of Kiku's immediate reach as the ship lurched more.
H-He dislocated my shoulder…but how? The pirate didn't look as if he had moved at all. His emerald eyes stared into Kiku's dark ones, only mildly amused at Kiku's failed attempt.
"Sorry about that love. But we couldn't have you killing me with that blade of yours. You're no use to me dead. You're so much better as a hostage, don't you think?" The pirate smiled lightly.
So they plan to keep me hostage. In that case… Kiku tensed himself, sliding the short tantō blade he kept in his sleeve into his good hand. But before he could plunge the blade into his stomach, his wrist was caught by the pirate who still held the blade to his throat.
Kiku could feel the continuous pressure being applied to his wrist. He winced as he could feel the bones being compressed into places they shouldn't be. The bone snapped, sending pain all throughout his arm. Kiku's arm felt to his side, both arms useless.
"Now why would a lovely thing like you try to commit suicide? How unnerving." The pirate's green eyes stared into Kiku's dark ones, searching.
"Who are you?" Those three words held so much hatred, mixed with pain.
"Have you not heard of me? I'm saddened," The pirate lowered his sword and pushed the blonde hair out of his face. "Well then, let me introduce myself to the most admirable Kiku Honda, Commanding General of the French Army. I am Arthur Kirkland, Captain of the Andromeda; at your service." The pirate bowed. Kiku used this opportunity to attack, sending a knee up towards Captain Arthur's face. It connected, and Kiku heard a satisfying crunch before he was sent sprawling as the Captain knocked him to the ground. The Captain chuckled and placed his knees on either side of Kiku's torso. Blood dripped from his nose, splattering on Kiku's robes.
"You're a feisty one, aren't you?" Kiku spat at the captain's face. "Feisty indeed. Looks like that's going to have to change then." The last thing Kiku saw was the hilt of the sword swinging towards his temple. The last thing he felt was the pain, an explosion of red and black, before the darkness overwhelmed him.
Renee: You don't know HOW good it feels to have finished that. LIKE A BOSS!
Read and review!
~Renee and Tono
