Chapter Seven: Of Destiny and Hope
Lady Emeraldas and Tochiro Jr. could only watch as the gate opened, and Young Emeraldas and Maya returned with Young Harlock, Fang, Lightningtooth, Winter, Kagemaru, Gemini, and Hiko striding through it behind them. Yet it was the sight of the elder Harlock that made Lady Emeraldas' mouth go dry; his face was extremely pale, and what she could see of the bandages on his left shoulder were bloodstained.
"Oh, my friend…..what the hell have they done to you?" Lady Emeraldas wondered, as she silently approached and placed a hand gingerly on Harlock's face.
"His ki is weak, but steady. He'll be all right, once he gets the proper care." Hiko murmured; sensing how troubled Lady Emeraldas was at the sight, and trying to reassure her as best as he knew how. She could only nod in agreement to that, and then motioned for him to follow her towards the sickbay.
"Have you made it to the Queen Emeraldas yet, space pirates?" Nevich asked, over the comm.
"Yes." Young Harlock replied, coolly.
"Good. I now regret my attacks on your ships…..and I hope that we will meet again under better circumstances." Nevich said, quietly.
"Not likely." Young Harlock silently growled, yet said nothing out loud in response to that; instead, choosing to wordlessly follow Lady Emeraldas and Hiko to the sickbay, so he could watch over his father from there.
"Harlock, should we follow?" Tochiro asked, as he watched his friend enter the hallway.
"No." Young Harlock replied; his expression darkening as he went, "But I need to have a word with you later…..I think we need to go back to Surimatake Cluster….."
"Surimatake……That's where our Arcadia is!" Tochiro yelped, and was stunned by what his friend said next.
"It might be time to finish it…..and then hand Nevich his ass." Young Harlock growled; his desire for revenge growing as he said that.
"But what can I do or say that'll stop him? He should know by now that vengeance won't do anyone any good!" Tochiro thought, in dismay, as he watched his friend disappear completely down the hallway.
"Sometimes, Tochiro, the heart gets in the way of what the mind knows is right or wrong. He's too worried and upset about his father, right now, to even listen to you if you tried to talk him out of it. Right now, it might be best to let him be. Maybe after Harlock recovers, then you can talk to him about this again." Lightningtooth silently said, in reassurance, as he placed his head against Tochiro Jr.'s back to help brace him from the full impact of Young Harlock's words.
"I hope you're right, Lightningtooth…..I just don't want to see my friend turn into another Darghund……" Tochiro mentally sighed, sadly.
"He won't. And I'll make sure Harlock doesn't die, in the meantime. Just have faith in that, Tochiro." Lightningtooth encouraged, before limping off in the same direction his master had been carried in; feeling some gratitude towards his son and Gemini, when they got on either side of him and helped him walk.
"I'm going back to Luviji…..We might still need Snowtail's help, before we reach the Pirate Islands." Winter said, calmly.
"Are you sure you can do that, so soon, Winter? That combined gate had taken a lot out of you, Kagemaru and Gemini." Lightningtooth said, concernedly, as he briefly looked over his shoulder at the silvery-white wolf. At this, he got a grim smile.
"At this point, Harlock's life matters more than my own. Besides, if it weren't for your master, I would never have found my master……so I have that much of a debt to repay." Winter replied, boldly.
"Go ahead and do so, then. I don't think there is anything I can say to convince you otherwise." Lightningtooth said, with a resigned sigh, yet felt grateful for the ancient wolf's stubbornness, all the same.
"Just don't overtax yourself, soul brother. Return to Luviji, tell Snowtail-san that her powers as a Death Healer and maybe those of one of her Life-Healer friends are desperately needed, and then stay there. Don't try to come back here, until you have rested." Kagemaru growled, worriedly. This got a nod and another smile from Winter as a response, before he opened his gate and leaped through it; hurrying on his way so he could relay the message to the healers about what needed to be done for the pirate clan's current leader. They all could only hope that it wouldn't be too little, too late.
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Falko awoke from troubled slumber with a start, when the comm-link in his cabin beeped.
"Falko, here. Go ahead." Falko said, prompting whoever was on the other end to start talking.
"It's begun." Was all the voice on the other end said; those two words sending a jolt of adrenaline through Falko's body…..and it meant only one thing.
"Marian's in labor. Damn." Falko silently cursed, before he stood, donned his cloak again, and then rushed out of his cabin at top speed. Ever since the DeathShadow's return, hours earlier, Marian had acted strangely. And now he knew why.
"Damn it, Harlock, where the hell are you?" Falko thought, anxiously, as he raced down the Atlantis' hallways, stopped just long enough to open the hatch, and then continued his sprint in the direction of the room where Marian was now giving birth; determined to be there to lend moral support, if nothing else.
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With a swiftness that could only be attributed to desperation, Winter ran as fast as his paws could carry him; at times even shifting forms into that of a cheetah, so he could get to Crystal City with time to spare. Newly-fallen snow flew wildly about, as he charged through the empty streets; the sound of his claws scratching on the ice awakening a few of the inhabitants from sound slumber.
"Winter-san! What in the world has brought you here in such a state?!" a feminine voice called, as its' owner appeared before him.
"Need…..to find…..Snowtail…..Harlock…..needs her help…." Winter panted, as he reverted to his wolf form to speak; his words causing alarm to fill the other wolf's heart.
"This way! Follow me!" the wolf cried, as she then turned on her heel and rushed in the opposite direction; fully understanding, now, the desperation that had spurred the ancient wolf into his mad dash through the streets…..and hoping they would reach her in time.
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At about the same time, Kagemaru was returning to his master's side, and finding a sight that brought some reassurance to his worried spirit.
"Looks as though the son has finally decided to rest for a while." Kagemaru commented, as he entered the sickbay, and spotted Young Harlock lying on one of the beds, in deep slumber.
"Though it wasn't without some reservations against doing so. His own injuries have caught up with him." Hiko replied, from his seat in a corner of the room; keeping a close watch over the father and son of the Harlock clan, and the two wolves who watched over them, as well.
"Cracked ribs are nothing to joke about or take lightly…..as you know only too well." Kagemaru agreed, remembering keenly the pain Hiko himself had gone through, after he had passed the ougi on to Kenshin hundreds of years before.
"Indeed. So, how close are we now, to the Pirate Islands?" Hiko asked, as the great cat came and sat down in front of him.
"We're about twenty minutes away, now. The Arcadia has also been sighted……but it is in bad shape." Kagemaru replied, then added, "It looks worse than even Tochiro had thought it would."
"I thought as much." Hiko silently muttered, knowing that the sorrow and horror he'd sensed earlier had mainly been that of Tochiro.
"Has Black Jack been called, yet?" Lightningtooth asked, as he looked up at them; his blue eyes distinctly worried.
"Someone had alerted him to what is going on……and he has Snowtail and a wolf named Rainfall along with him and Rook." Kagemaru replied, his words getting a sigh of relief from Lightningtooth for a response.
"Good. Harlock now has a better chance of surviving than he has had in hours. Let's just hope Black Jack is able to do something for him." Lightningtooth silently said; turning to look when Lady Emeraldas entered the sickbay.
"How are they doing, Hiko?" Lady Emeraldas asked, concernedly.
"About as well as can be expected. The father seems to be holding on, and the son seems to be getting some sleep. How are you holding up?" Hiko asked, surprising Lady Emeraldas with his concern for her.
"I'm all right…..It's just that I am hoping I won't see another loved one die like this. Losing my husband had been bad enough." Lady Emeraldas said, with a sigh; watching as Hiko then stood, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"With as many allies and friends hoping for his survival as he has, Harlock should be able to find the strength he needs to continue living. Don't give up hope yet." Hiko said, sternly; getting a nod from Lady Emeraldas as a response to those words.
"You always seem to have the right words to say, in situations like this." Lady Emeraldas murmured, after a few moments of thoughtful silence. Hiko only shrugged in response to that, and then gave her a wry smirk.
"The Baka Deshi would have had plenty to say to the contrary, if he had been here to hear you say that." Hiko jokingly stated, and as an honest smile appeared on Lady Emeraldas' face, at that.
"I'm sure he would." Lady Emeraldas agreed, then said, "I came down to let you know that we're docking now, in case you're wondering."
"Might as well wake the son, then….." Hiko said, as he watched Lady Emeraldas carefully place a hand on Young Harlock's scarred face; rousing him from slumber after a few moments.
"Hn? What? Have we made it…..?" Young Harlock asked, drowsily; wincing slightly when any move he made sent stabs of pain through his ribcage.
"Yes. Better get ready to disembark." Lady Emeraldas said, gently; feeling her heart clench slightly, when he slowly sat up, and the grimace that briefly appeared on his face, as he did so.
"I wonder how pissed off my crew is going to be?" Young Harlock muttered, as he got to his feet, and watched as Hiko carefully lifted his father from the bed; taking as much care as possible not to jostle the elder pirate's wounded shoulder in the process.
"There's no way of knowing…..but you'd better hope that no one decides to keelhaul you before you can get some words in, edgewise." Fang mumbled, as he also roused up and glanced at his master, as well.
"No shit about that." Young Harlock agreed, before they quickly made their way out of the Queen Emeraldas' sickbay, and towards the hatch that led out. They never even realized just what kind of stir their presences would cause…..but they were soon going to find out……
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It was the first cry of shock and disbelief that brought Falko back to the docking area; drawing him away from the hall where he had been waiting for news about Marian, and inexplicably towards a sight that even almost made him cry with relief. In front of him, now docked alongside the severely damaged Arcadia and DeathShadow, sat the Queen Emeraldas…..and in front of her, surrounded by his overwhelmed crew, stood Young Harlock. The younger man looked the worse for wear, but he was alive!
"You must have one hell of a guardian angel, cousin, to have survived what your crew had described to us, earlier!" Falko said, grinning as he approached, and gave the younger captain a firm handshake; reassuring himself that he wasn't seeing a ghost, just then.
"If guardian angels can have black fur, blue eyes and paws, Falko, then I've got one of the best!" Young Harlock replied, with a smile of his own; even snickering when Fang grumbled under his breath 'Just don't go changing my name to that, please', and then directed an almost dirty look at him for that.
"Where is your father? Is he all right?" Falko asked, concernedly; his worry growing, when Young Harlock's expression fell.
"Hiko's taken him to the sickbay here…….But Dad's in bad shape, Falko." Young Harlock replied, grimly, as he looked in the direction the swordmaster had gone in; having located Black Jack's presence arriving on the Pirate Islands, and wasting no time getting the injured pirate to the renegade surgeon's care.
"Damn……And the situation isn't made any better by the fact that Marian's in labor now….." Falko muttered, disparagingly.
"Yeah. It's just gone from bad to worse in a heartbeat." Young Harlock growled; cursing the bad timing of his brother's birth, and his father's current fight for life…..and knowing without even needing to be told that Darghund would be laughing his ass off at them, if he had known.
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As the hours slowly dragged on, all of the pirates and their allies waited anxiously for news. Faintly, they could hear Marian's screams of pain as she struggled to give birth; shuddering in sympathy at the agonized note in her voice. On the same token, only tense silence hovered around the room where Black Jack was operating on the elder Harlock; putting his skills to the test, in an effort to keep the captain alive. The single thought that now crossed their minds was, would they make it? Would there be a new life, and would one they have known for so long, be restored? Or would they lose them both? Almost in answer to their anxious, unspoken questions, the sound they had been waiting so long to hear finally came to their ears……the sound of a baby screaming his head off.
"It's a boy!" Arashi's voice cheerfully shouted, as she stuck her head out of the room and grinned at them; getting cheers and sighs of relief from the pirates for that. Then, seconds later, Black Jack emerged from the operating room. As the mixed group before him settled down again, and got quiet, the mercenary surgeon slowly removed his bloodied gloves and surgical mask, looked up, and smiled.
"He'll pull through." Black Jack said, his words causing yet another round of cheers and even some relieved tears (especially from the crew of the Arcadia) in answer to that.
"Good……and it seems that Leetah, Cutter, Skywise, Redlance and Nightfall have just arrived, as well…..Harlock will soon be well enough to see his newborn son." Lightningtooth murmured, sighing in relief when he felt the effects of healing magic reach him; the combined efforts of the elven healer and the two wolf healers soothing the shared pain, and healing what remained of the wounds.
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Marian looked up, when she heard the door to her room open; barely managing to stifle a cry when she saw who it was that had entered.
"Y-young Harlock!" Marian stammered, as stunned and overjoyed tears suddenly started flowing down her face; her relief overwhelming her, as he quietly approached and sat down in the chair beside her bed.
"I'm really here, Mom." Young Harlock said, softly, keeping his voice down, since his little brother was slumbering in Marian's arms.
"It's such a relief to know that…..We should've had more faith in you." Marian whispered, tearfully, as she freed one of her arms, and placed the hand to the young man's face; reassuring herself that he was real, and not a ghost. At this, she got a rueful smirk.
"Maybe……yet, then again, maybe not. If it hadn't been for Fang's quick thinking, I wouldn't even be here." Young Harlock murmured, honestly; his smile softening when the baby in Marian's arm started to rouse up.
"And I have said the same, of Lightning, from time to time….." another voice murmured, as its' owner limped into view, with the mentioned wolves on either side of him; determined to support him, in case he fell.
"Good God, Harlock……what the hell happened?" Marian asked, concernedly and with a hint of anger in her tone, as Young Harlock vacated the chair, and stood aside so his father could sit down.
"You don't want to know." Harlock muttered, as he wearily sat down; giving Young Harlock a nod of thanks, when the younger man offered him a glass of brandy as well.
"You look awful." Marian said, bluntly; getting a flinch from Harlock, for those words.
"Yet this is the best I've felt in hours…..Being shot at point-blank range isn't exactly an easy thing to live through." Harlock admitted; hinting at the ordeal that had nearly taken his life, before taking a sip of the strong liquor and putting the glass aside.
"…..I see….." Marian whispered, now realizing just how close she had come to becoming a widow, and letting the subject drop.
"Would you like to hold your son?" Marian asked, after a few moments; seeming relieved when Harlock nodded and allowed an unreadable smile to appear on his features.
"I'd like nothing better." Harlock replied, as he carefully took the baby into his arms, and gazed at the face of the child he hadn't honestly thought he'd ever see. Lightningtooth grinned, when he sensed his master's quiet joy over seeing the newborn; and allowed relief to fill him, when he felt the residual hatred of Nevich in Young Harlock's heart fade away, only to be replaced with an elder brother's pride and the strong desire to protect.
"What is his name, Marian?" Harlock asked, his voice even softer than before. Marian gave him a warm smile.
"His name is Franklin Harlock III……though I suppose he'll prefer to be called 'Frank' later on." Marian said, in response.
"Then welcome to the family, Frank. It's good to finally meet you." Young Harlock murmured, as he reached over and gently took his younger brother's tiny hand in his, and shook it; grinning when the baby's hand gripped his forefinger as tightly as it could.
"And I hope you'll allow us to meet him, as well." Falko's voice said, as he and Fritz entered the room; smiling as well, when they saw the 'handshake' between the two brothers.
"You're the boy's uncle, Falko." Harlock said, as he stood and handed Frank back to Marian, watching as they approached and greeted the newest member of the family, as well.
"And I'm his cousin, then, right?" Fritz asked; beaming when Harlock gave him a firm nod.
"Right." Harlock agreed; looking aside when Lightningtooth perked up, and an elated smile appeared on the wolf's face.
"I'm a father again!" Lightningtooth said, before quickly opening a gate and preparing to jump through it, "Sorry I can't stay, everyone, but I need to get to Angel's side right now!"
"Go on, then. I've held you up here long enough, old friend." Harlock stated, warmly; chuckling when the scarred wolf took a flying leap through the opened gate, and almost tripped over a tree root as soon as he was on the other side.
"Guess I'd better go and visit Mom too." Fang said, before rushing off as well; as eager to meet his new siblings as his father was.
"Hope you're able to keep your dad out of trouble, Fang." Young Harlock muttered; fully aware when Harlock gave him a dry look in response.
"I hope so too…..Though it might be easier said than done!" Fang mumbled, in agreement, before running through his own gate, and taking off after his sire. And yet, even though the day had ended without the loss of both pirate captains, the shadow of war still lingered over them. In the days to come, would they be able to hold back the threat that loomed in the distance? Or would the earth fall to old enemies again? Only time would tell……and even it could be a fickle thing, indeed.
Owari
Or is it?
Author's Note!
Sorry for the wild ride and strange ending, minna, but this leads into an RPG on Ligthingtooth's site called 'Zero Time Trouble'. Of course, where THAT will lead, is anyone's guess, at this point! Hope this was all right, and please review!
Gemini14