Karneval: Voyage to Rimhakka

Voyage to Rimhakka

Author's Note: To Mysterious Q and RaeWolf313, thank you for following, I'm glad to see you're enjoying the story, and a thanks to those of you who left a Kudos on AO3. RaeWolf313, thanks also for your PM and kind words, you're the first person to let me know what they thought about how I described Nai in this one. This isn't my usual kind of fan-fic, it's closer to my usual kind of novelization stories, so I was worried that either 1. I was going to make it so good I could never out do it, or 2. That I was doing something REALLY wrong with it. I'll gladly settle for being somewhere in the middle. But, like I said in my Author's Note for Chapter 5, I'm going to try and start putting the characters (at least Yogi and Gareki) a bit more back into character. Though, part of why I've been writing Yogi this way, I think, is because I don't expect to be able to use Silver Yogi. Nothing ever happened to force Silver's existence, so both entities are one whole person, quite capable of all moods and emotions, while canonically, anger isn't something we typically see of normal Yogi. Quick age recap: Ages that haven't changed; Dr. Akari is still 36, Hirato and Tsukitachi both still 27, Yogi still 21, Jiki still 20, Shishi still 18. Ranji's age hasn't been given, but I'm going with 18. Nai's age is still indeterminate. Ages that have changed; Karoku is 20, Gareki 19, Tsukumo 18, Eleska 16, Miumarie 13, Yanari 13. I'm guessing Tsubaki is right around 27-29 and Tsubame and Yotaka around 17-19. Yes, I've gone back and corrected any mistakes in the previous chapters (and adjusted Author's Notes Accordingly). From now on, I'm sticking with what's written here. Also, I'd like to note that Yanari's last name and his father's name are never mentioned, but it is said that his father is leader of the Lindain Group, so I'm using Lindain as a place holder for Yanari's father's name.

Chapter 7: Lord Yanari and Dr. Ikami

Yogi spent the night watching over Gareki for any changes in his condition. He also did his best to keep the wounds clean, changing the bandage as often as necessary. He gently soothed raven locks out of the young captain's face. "Watching you and your crew earlier, this life seemed so carefree. It almost seemed like one I would have wanted to become a part of," he thought aloud, "But if this is common place…"

"There's always danger in life on the high seas," Jiki stated, having entered the room unnoticed. "It's doubled for pirates, we have to take any ship we cross before they can take us, and the authorities from every realm but Vantnam and Karasuna are out for our heads. We pillage and sink ships, but we're lobbed in with all the other pirates; seen as murders, town burners, slavers, and rapist. When all we really are, is a group of young people trying to make it by in a cold world that turned its back on us and our families long ago." Jiki approached the bed, "I'm sorry, your highness, I did not mean to over hear you, I simply happened in at an inopportune time. Do you make it a habit of talking to yourself?"

"I was merely thinking out loud," Yogi answered, "How much did you hear?"

"You said this almost seemed like a life you would have wanted to become a part of," Jiki observed, "You may think I'm being hard on you, but I'm nothing compared to what you'll get from Yotaka once he takes over the ship, which, even after seeing the doctor, will still happen until the Captain's fully healed. I'll warn you now, if anything I've said or done up until this point has offended you, then you're too soft for a life at sea, regardless of how many kingdoms you've been trained to rule."

Yogi bit his tongue. So far, the little Niji aside, everyone onboard had found some way to offend or embarrass him, but complaining about it was a risk to his own life with this crew. The prince's only protector currently lay unconscious and injured in the bed before him, and even he wasn't to be completely trusted yet. Rather than argue or complain, the prince simply stilled his eyes on the young captain and spoke as calmly as he could. "I won't say one way or the other if you've offended me," he stated, standing up, "But I will remind you that your captain has said I'm to be treated like a guest," fair skinned hands wrapped tightly around the bed post, "and while you're standing here trying to belittle me, he may not be able to respond, but he can still hear you." He turned and faced Jiki. "For your sake, let's both hope he doesn't remember overhearing this conversation when he wakes up."

Jiki clicked his tongue. "Leave it to a royal brat to try and get all high and mighty," he scoffed. "You may be the captain's guest, but while he's incapacitated, his protection does not reach outside the walls of this room. There are crew members who in the past have discussed mutiny, and if they think for a moment you've turned him soft, they won't hesitate to do so. Those of us who are fiercely loyal to him will either be killed or thrown in the brig and sold off to slavers or turned over to authorities in exchange for the mutineers' own safety, and the Crown Prince of Rimhakka would fetch a nice price on any market." Jiki sighed and tossed down a tray of food, which he'd been keeping covered with his long black cape. "Whatever, I won't have him hanging me from the yardarm for not taking care of his special guest, so eat." Jiki approached the bed. "How's he holding up?"

Yogi moved away from the bed and picked up an apple from the tray Jiki had brought in. "He hasn't opened his eyes even once," the prince lamented, "But I've seen no signs of change for better or worse. I've remained steadfast and kept the wound as clean as possible, the last thing I want is to risk it becoming infected or him running a fever before we reach Vantnam."

Jiki raised an impressed eyebrow. "I'll give you that much, your majesty. You've done a better job than I'd expected." The twenty year old smirked as he changed out the bandages himself. "He makes it through this, and you might actually earn my respect."

"You said it was a chain hook that got him, right?" Yogi asked. Jiki nodded. "So there's no risk of contamination from the Varuga cells? I've heard that…"

"Yes, if the Varuga cells get into your blood stream, you're at high risk of becoming one yourself," Jiki nodded, "You're also a target for them, as they sense the blood of their comrades on others. But no, we're safe in that regard. The beast threw him when he jumped on its back to try and subdue it. At first, he'd only been scratched by it, but before he could move, the beast slammed into him, head on, knocking him back onto the hook, digging it in deep. I think it's the first time Ranji's ever been sick at the sight of blood before. Just as your bodyguards would risk their own lives to protect you and your sisters, the five of us would do the same for him."

"What was there a chain hook on the deck for, anyway?" Yogi asked.

"It was a smuggler ship," Jiki said putting the finishing touches on the bandage and turning to face Yogi, "They hunt and kill animals on Vinto, selling the meat, pelts, tusks, horns, and whatever else they can sell. The chain hook can be used to either hang the animal while skinning it, or two of them can be used to skin it quickly. In the case of transporting slaves, it also comes in handy to tie their hands to something in order to flog them, keeping their feet just inches off the ground to prevent them from running."

"Gruesome," Yogi shuddered.

Jiki covered his mouth and stifled a laugh. He wasn't at all surprised by such a comment. Jiki washed his hands and walked over to the prince, gently catching the blonde under the chin, a smile sweeping across his face. "Alright, I think I understand where his interest with you truly lies, now," the twenty year old said quietly, his golden eyes meeting the prince's violet ones. "Eat your fill, your majesty." Jiki headed for the door. "Then get some sleep, we'll be in Vantnam by dawn."

Yogi finished eating and knelt back down at the bedside. The young captain showed no signs of stirring, and Yogi didn't want to disturb him. Instead, he opted to allow Gareki to keep the bed to himself, settling back into the chair next to the desk. The chair itself was comfortable enough to doze off in, but the positions left much to be desired.

The next morning, Yogi was awakened by the sound of the door slamming open. The prince had fallen asleep, slumped back into the chair, with his feet on top of the desk and his legs crossed. He jerked when he heard the door, but doing so threw him off balance and the chair toppled backwards, landing him flat on his back in the floor. "Ooww…" he groaned groggily, rubbing the back of his head. He slowly opened one eye to find Jiki looking down at him.

"What ever are you doing?" Jiki asked, trying not to laugh. "Why didn't you take the bed?"

"I won't disturb an injured man's bed," Yogi answered, standing up and adjusting his clothes, "He needs his space until he's healed, and I don't care how upset he gets to learn I've been sleeping in a chair instead in the meanwhile."

"Right, in that case, it's not my problem," Jiki nodded adjusting his glasses, "We're docking in Vantnam now. I'm sending Nai to fetch Lord Yanari and bring him somewhere away from your uncle's palace that you two can speak privately on neutral ground. I'll remind you of my warning yesterday, however, that if anything happens from here on, I will hold you accountable."

Yogi scooped Nyanperowna up onto his shoulder, rubbing the top of the kitten's head. "Like I said, as long as my sisters are with his family, you have nothing to about from me." Jiki nodded and signaled for Yogi to follow him.

"YANAAARRRIIII…!" Nai called out, running up to a thirteen-year old boy with short blue hair and grey colored eyes.

The boy's eyes lit up at the sight of the Niji half. "NAI!" he exclaimed throwing his arms around the Halfling. "It's good to see you again," he laughed. "Huh…?" He looked around, "Are you here by yourself?"

Nai frowned and nodded. "That's why I've come to find you, Yanari," the Niji said, "I need you to come with me, someone wants to talk to you about Gareki."

Yanari gave the Half-Niji a confused look, but nodded. "Alright, lead the way."

Nai nodded, taking Yanari by the wrist and leading him to the place Jiki had instructed him to go, the Half-Niji's tail bounced behind him every step he took. Yanari suppressed the urge to giggle at the sight. All desire to laugh quickly faded away, however, when they reached their destination and he saw who the mystery person was. "Y-Yogi!?" Yanari exclaimed in surprise. Yanari bowed to his cousin. "Greetings, your highness." Yanari may have been known to rebel against his father's way of doing things, but he at least knew to respect the heir to the crown of Rimhakka.

"Lord Yanari," Yogi greeted, with an equally gracious bow, "You're looking well."

The two stood quietly for a moment, then both remembering they weren't amongst their royal elders, they smiled and hugged, showing how glad they really were to see one another. "I can't believe Uncle let you leave the royal city, how have you been?" Yanari asked.

"I'm doing well enough," Yogi answered, sitting down on a nearby bench and inviting the Young Lord to join him. "Has Nai told you why I'm here?"

Yanari shook his head, "He only said someone was here to speak with me about Gareki… What has the rogue done to draw the attention of the Crown of Rimhakka?"

"More than I ever care to share with a thirteen-year-old," Yogi mumbled absentmindedly with a quiet sigh, leaning back on the bench, his elbow curled on the back of it so that he could prop his cheek on his knuckles.

Yanari and Nai both blinked curiously at the blonde. "Huh?" they chirped in unison, inquisitively tilting their heads to the side.

Yogi flinched and tried not to blush when he realized where his mind had turned. "Nothing, nothing!" Yogi said waving his hand in the air, as if trying to clear his previous statement from the air that it had been breathed into. "Never mind all that. I'll come straight to the point. For reasons I can't explain right now, I'm traveling with the crew of the Kuronomei. Your surprise to see me here means that within the three days since I've left, word has not yet reached Uncle Lindain that my sisters and I are no longer in Rimhakka. Tsukumo and Miu are both safe, but are with Gareki's family. However, Gareki was badly injured yesterday and in desperate need of the best doctor you can spare here in Vantnam. We came here, rather than heading for Karasuna because it's closer, and I've been told that as Little Nai here is your friend, the Kuronomei and her crew have sanctuary here."

Yanari nodded, "This is true. My father is tired of my constant rebellion against the way he runs things, we came to an agreement that if he granted the Kuronomei's crew sanctuary and immunity, then I would endeavor to be a little less difficult for him to deal with. But really, can you blame me, his rules are so utterly boring! So, every now and then, the Kuronomei docks and I get to spend some time out on the open sea, where I'm free of them. I will fetch our personal doctor. I'm sure Dr. Ikami will be glad to assist. How bad is he?"

"He was thrown by a Lake Cow which had turned Varuga, he took a chain hook to his left shoulder and the cow slammed its body into him. He's been unconscious all night," Yogi answered, his violet eyes dropping to the floor, his voice soft and worried, "We're unsure what other damages he may have suffered from the force of the beast running into him."

"It might not be a good idea to remove him from the ship, then," Yanari sighed worriedly, "At least, not until Dr. Ikami can get him stabilized. I'll fetch him and meet you at the dock as soon as possible." Yanari rose to take his leave, giving a quiet bow to excuse himself.

"Yanari, wait!" Yogi said. Yanari froze and turned back to his cousin. "There's one more, important thing." The prince bit and licked the bottom of his lip before he spoke. He rose and turned to face the boy. "Anyone from the Kuronomei could have come and given you this information and asked your assistance, since you and Little Nai truly are friends," Yogi reasoned, "I came to you myself to ask not only for the services of the doctor, but for a big favor."

Yanari turned back to fully face the blonde, curiously blinking his gray eyes. "And what, prey tell, is that? Majesty, my father and I are sworn to protect the Crown of Rimhakka at all costs, do not ask a favor of me hesitantly, you know I will carry it out."

Nai blinked curiously, finding the royal politics confusing. The Half-Niji didn't understand if Yanari and Yogi were cousins, why Yanari was using such formalities with him, or why the Crown of Rimhakka would hold any power over Yanari and his father. "Pirate life is so much more simple," the Halfling thought quietly.

Yogi gently caught Yanari by the shoulders. "My father knows I'm gone, but he doesn't understand why," Yogi explained, kneeling so that he was eye level with the boy, "I want you to promise me that you won't let Uncle Lindain know that the Kuronomei is here. My father thinks I was taken by force, and if he asks it, then your father will be forced to turn the crew over to him."

"So," Yanari smirked, "You're finally rebelling against all of your own rules and regulations, too, then?" Yogi blinked, that wasn't exactly the response he was expecting. Yanari gave a chuckle and gently caught Yogi's hands with his own, pulling them from his shoulders. "Relax, cousin." He shook his head, "I won't do anything to endanger my friends."

"That's not exactly what's going on either," Yogi sighed, "I'd explain it, but we're pressed for time, right now."

Yanari nodded. "Right, I understand. I'll fetch Dr. Ikami immediately, and we'll meet you back at the docks. Maybe then, you can tell me what's really going on."

"Perhaps," Yogi nodded. "Nai, would you like to go with Yanari so you can lead him back to the ship?"

Nai nodded. "If that's alright?"

Yogi smiled and nodded. "Run along, it'll give you two some time to catch up on the way. I have to get back before someone sees me."

The two children nodded. "Be careful on your way back," Nai waved as he and Yanari took off to fetch the doctor.

Yogi returned to the ship as quickly and quietly as possible, doing his best not to draw any attention to himself. Granted, he was in the clothes he'd gotten on board the Kuronomei, they weren't anything regal, but the fact that Yanari hadn't mentioned them during his initial interrogation meant that they still held some trace of elegance while he was wearing them. Add that to his unmistakable golden blonde tresses, his ivory skin, and violet eyes, and he was certain anyone who knew anything about his family line would recognize him if he wasn't careful. He heaved a quiet sigh of relief the moment he was back on the ship.

"No one saw me," he assured Jiki, "I looked back several times to make certain I wasn't being followed as well. Yanari and Nai are on their way to fetch the doctor now. They're going to meet us here. When they get here, I'm going to better explain things to Yanari, so he'll understand what's really going on. But, you can rest assured other than the doctor, he will tell no one that we are here."

Jiki nodded. "Very well," he agreed. "Forgive the request, but when the doctor arrives, I would prefer if he and I be the only ones to enter the room."

Yogi nodded. "I'll speak with Yanari in the galley while you and the doctor perform whatever tasks are necessary."

An hour passed before Yanari, Nai, and a scruffy looking doctor with a short black ponytail arrived on the docks. Jiki hurriedly ushered them onto the ship and lead the doctor to Gareki's quarters. Yogi lead Yanari to the galley.

"So," Yanari asked pouring himself a mug of mandoradora juice, "What's REALLY going on here? Uncle has never taken you outside of Rimhakka, has never granted you permission to leave. You said so yourself that he doesn't understand why you're gone."

"What do you know of Emperor Palnedo?" Yogi asked.

"He's ruler over the kingdom of Kafka. He's an elderly old sod who isn't very pleasant to converse with and has a tendency to stare at younger women. Rumors have it that he approves of and even funds the experiments that created and still continue to create the Varuga that run rampant in his country. If you believe rumors, that is. I've only met the man once, but it was long enough to know I didn't care for his company." Yanari took a sip of his drink then slammed the cup back on the table as he blinked. "Come to think of it, I'm pretty certain he thought I was a girl when he first saw me, too."

"Perhaps your page-boy hair cut confused him," Yogi teased.

"I like my hair!" Yanari scoffed indignantly, taking another sip of his juice. Yogi closed his eyes and gave a soft chuckle at this reply. "So, what does that old codger have to do with any of this?"

"He was in Rimhakka, as my father's guest when I left," Yogi explained.

Yanari nearly choked on his drink. He forced himself to swallow what was in his mouth and quickly slapped the mug back on the table, hand over his mouth, while he searched for something to wipe his face dry with. "TELL me Uncle hasn't consented to betrothing you to Princess Eleska!?"

"I…" Yogi glanced toward the floor, folding his hands together, pressing his two forefingers together and pointing them in Yanari's direction. "I honestly don't know."

"Oh, that is rich!" Yanari chuckled, "Imagine, the Crown Prince of the most powerful kingdom in the world, married to the most spoiled rotten girl in all the world."

"That's not funny, Yanari!" Yogi scolded, the look on his face becoming serious. "I know nothing about this girl, beyond the fact that her grandfather spoils her and that she's sixteen. I certainly hope my father has done no such thing. After all, he's turned down several other proposals for not just myself, but for Tsukumo as well. He always wanted us to be free to choose who we married for ourselves, as he was. But, there's a very high probability that such a thing was exactly why Emperor Palnedo and his granddaughter were in Rimhakka."

"So you ran away with a group of pirates and sent your sisters off to Karasuna in order to avoid it?" Yanari asked.

Once more, the blonde prince deadpanned at him. "Nothing of the sort! The royal carriage was attacked by a Varuga, while Tsukitachi and Hirato were fighting it, some men tried to kidnap us. Captain Gareki and his crew rescued us. He sent the girls ahead of the ship, but kept me with him. He knew the men who attacked worked for Palnedo and was certain that the attack on the carriage would be pinned on him once they reported back, so we're still under his 'protection' until Palnedo goes home."

"Nothing in it for him?" Yanari asked raising an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like Gareki."

"I've promised him I'll do what I can to give the crew immunity in Rimhakka," Yogi sighed, shifting his eyes toward the door. "Plus, when you and Miu were both three, he and I had met once before. He and his brother were born in Rimhakka."

"So, duty to his birth country?" Yanari surmised. Yogi gave him a look of 'why not'? Yanari shook his head, "That STILL doesn't sound like him. But, I'm willing to believe the two of you have met in the past. He's often asked me what news I had as to whether you were well or not. I never did understand why he was so interested, though."

Yogi tried not to blush at those words. "Has he now?" the prince asked. "Some kindnesses are just never forgotten, I suppose," he mumbled aloud, rubbing the back of his head.

There came a loud clang from one of the shelves behind the bar and the two royals jumped from their seats. Yogi whirled around to see what had caused the noise. A bottle had been knocked over. Nai and Nyanperowna both rushed in, having heard the noise as well. Yogi let out a yelp as something small, soft, and pink landed in his face.

"Rissun, you little rascal!" Yanari scolded, catching hold of the pink and white squirrel with pink heart-shaped tufts of fur on his stomach. "I didn't realize you'd followed me." Yanari gave a sigh. "You scared us half to death you little pink puff ball!"

"If you ask me, this ship's getting too full of little fur balls lately," a voice came from the doorway.

Yogi and Yanari spun around just in time to see a few members of the crew entering the room, the one who had spoke turning to kick the royal kitten out of his way. Yanari almost dropped his pet squirrel.

"Nyanperowna!" Yogi exclaimed, rushing to pick up the kitten. He looked at the young pirate angrily. He recognized the faces of these crew members, but they were nameless to him, as he'd never had any real interaction with them. As Jiki had said, there were only five who were deathly loyal to Captain Gareki, the rest had to be watched. Yogi was willing to guess these were some of the alleged mutineers Jiki had been speaking of earlier. "Just what the devil do you think you're doing?" he scolded the pirate.

This kid couldn't have been but sixteen or seventeen, next to Nai, he was probably the youngest member of the crew. He was dressed in head to toe in black and red, with an assortment of belts, spiked bracelets on either arm, and a gold dangling earring in his right ear, around his neck, a string of animal bones and teeth. His hair was done in a Mohawk of red and black stripes and his skin was just slightly darker than Gareki's.

"Whatever the Hell I want," the little ruffian answered, "She was in my way."

"That's no reason to kick her!" Yogi, Nai, and Yanari all exclaimed, Nai having taken on his half-human form again.

The pirate's eyes darted toward Nai. "Shut up, you filthy little animal, or you're next," he warned. His eyes flashed to the squirrel sitting on the table. "Young Lord Yanari, so nice of you to bring along a snack, too bad he's too small to share with the whole crew."

"You so much as lay a finger on Rissun," Yanari started to warn him.

"And you'll what?" another member of this gang asked.

"The two of you have no business being on this ship," the first stated, "You're both too soft. I don't see any reason not to throw you both off the ship right here and now."

Yogi handed Nyanperowna over to Nai and his swords formed in his hands. "You touch any one of us," the prince warned, pointing one of his swords at the pirate, "And you forfeit your life."

Yanari's eyes grew wide and he scooped Rissun up onto his shoulder, quickly caught hold of Nai, and gently pulled the Halfling and the royal kitten toward the back of the boat. Yanari was well aware that his cousin was hard to anger, but when it happened, it was a frightening sight. The swords were something he was only capable of using if he knew he had to or might have to fight. The thorns around the hilts, he could control only if he were protecting someone important to him.

"You're too much of a coward to actually poke somebody with that thing," the pirate laughed, moving closer.

Yogi shifted, keeping the point of the epee trained on the young pirate, and poking the other directly into the floorboard. "Care to try me?" he asked, catching the ruffian under the chin with the flat edge of the blade and being very careful not to let the sharp tip actually touch him. "Tell you what, I'll give you a fighting chance and take you on with just this one."

"Cocky little blue blood bastard, aren't you?" the pirate laughed. "You and them brats are out numbered, unless you count your two pathetic little pets, and I'm positive I've handled myself in more battles than you have."

"Too bad you haven't handled yourself in more battles of wit than of muscle," Yanari berated.

"So, you mean to gang up on us, then?" Yogi inquired, "Not very sporting, but that's the pirate way, I suppose."

The pirate laughed. He could see the reluctance to spill blood in the prince's violet eyes. "You haven't got the nerve." He reached out and grabbed hold of the epee, jerking it from Yogi's hand and quickly snatching up the other. Both dispersed as quickly as they had formed. The prince was the only one who could use them. "Now, here's a fair fight." The pirate took a swing at Yogi, who quickly managed to dodge out of the way, allowing the aggressor to stumble forward, slamming into the side of the table, stomach first. To add insult to injury, the force from hitting the table knocked over Yanari's mug, spilling the remaining mandoradora juice all over himself.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON DOWN HERE!?" Ranji's voice broke through the air.

"Ranji, we can explain," one of the crewmembers insisted.

"It's nothing, Ranji," Yogi answered, "Just a simple misunderstanding."

Yanari tilted his head to the side. "This fellow accidentally stepped on little Nyanperowna with his boots. She was stunned, but seems to be doing much better." He reached over and gently stroked the now purring kitten.

"He then proceeded to trip and fell into the table," Nai added.

"I see," Ranji said quietly. The two royals wouldn't tattle about rude or threatening behavior, they were taught to be above that sort of thing, but Ranji had figured out the truth of the matter rather quickly. In fact, he was already well aware of what had transpired, having heard the entire commotion from above deck. "I hope that's all there is to it," he said, "Captain Gareki would not be happy to learn that his guests are being treated poorly."

"Yeah, but Captain Gareki's not exactly able to tend to his captainly duties at the moment, is he?" the ruffian pirate asked, turning to face Ranji.

Within the blink of an eye, Ranji was upon the pirate, legs wrapped around his neck. Ranji bent backward, moving to do a summersault and dragging the pirate down with him. The young ruffian was thrown flat on his stomach, Ranji sitting on his back and pulling his arms behind his back. "True, at the moment, Captain Gareki is indisposed, but Little Lord Yanari's doctor is patching him up as we speak. He'll be back up and running circles around all of us in a matter of days. In the meantime, I'm still chief security aboard this ship. If you have so little respect for our Captain, then perhaps you'd like to share the brig with the smugglers for the remainder of the voyage, or until the captain decides what to do with you."

"No," the pirate grumbled, jerking free when he felt Ranji loosen his hold. "There's no need for that!"

"Good," Ranji sighed, climbing off of him. "Now, report to your bunks until further notice, the lot of you!"

The five pirates left. "Um… Thanks, Ranji," Yogi said, extending his hand.

Ranji smiled and shook Yogi's hand. "You promised you'd help our captain, and you've done so, it's the least I could do, no need to thank me. I'm only sorry they behaved that way at all." Ranji turned his attention the kids and animals. "Are all of you alright?" he asked. "Nai?" Nai nodded. "Lord Yanari?"

Yanari nodded, "I'm fine."

"Good," Ranji said with a relieved sigh. "What about the royal kitten?"

"She was only stunned," Nai said, still cradling the kitten in his arms. "She says she's fine now."

"Nyanperowna?" Yogi called to her. The kitten twitched, mewed, jumped from Nai's arms and ran to her owner. "Aw, come here, baby. Did that big old meanie hurt you?" He scooped the kitten up in his arms and nuzzled her. She mewed and purred at him affectionately.

Nai giggled. "She insists she's fine," he assured the prince.

"I'm glad nobody was seriously hurt," Ranji said with a smile. "You all chose not to tell me what really happened, though I'm already well aware of it. There may be more trouble from that lot later. When Yotaka gets here, or when Captain Gareki is able to man the helm again, I'll let you be the judge of whether or not to fill in all the details then. Otherwise, my report will simply be that there was a disturbance."

Yogi nodded. "Right. I don't wish to antagonize them further by doing so. Therefore, I think it best we stick with the story we gave you."

"Very well, your highness," Ranji said, giving a nodding bow before heading back up to the deck. "That decision is yours."

Yogi and Yanari followed Ranji back up, Nai changed back into his Niji form and scampered up the stairs along side them, Rissun and Nyanperowna each hopping down next to the Niji and following suit. Nyanperowna puffed out her fur and held her head up, behaving like a proper cat, she kept her nose in the air, refusing to make a sound, unlike the chittering pink squirrel next to her. She'd just been injured and insulted, she was in no mood to play with the little rodent.

"Nyanperowna, there's no need to be rude to Rissun! He didn't do anything," Yogi scolded her, taking notice of the kitten's behavior. The kitten deflated, gave a quiet mew and nuzzled up to Rissun. Yogi smiled. "That's better."

"First mate on deck!" Shishi's voice announced.

"What?" Yogi asked.

"Yotaka?" Ranji said, giving Yogi and Yanari both a glance showing he was just as confused as they were. "Well, that was quick."

Jiki came out of Gareki's quarters upon hearing the announcement. "Yotaka? How did you? I didn't think you'd get here for another day or two at the least," Jiki greeted him. "Where's the…?"

Yotaka shook his head. "The Kuroi Hitsuji is a fast ship, I'll give her that, but even you know she couldn't get me here that quick. I left as soon as you told me where to meet you, plotted the shortest rout to take, I would have been here tomorrow if I had stayed, but…" He smiled and glanced over his shoulder, flexing his wings. "These things carry me a bit farther, much quicker, and I think we can all agree that it's not a good idea for either of our ships to sit still for too long outside the safety of Karasuna for the time being. What were you thinking bringing him here, Jiki? If word reaches Lord Lindain that the prince is on board, they won't let us keep our immunity, they have a duty to their precious crown, after all."

"I was thinking I needed to make reach the nearest doctor possible and save his life before you came back and turned cannibal or a mutiny happened one," Jiki answered in a hushed whisper. "Besides, I wasn't the one who made the call."

Yotaka glared at Jiki for a moment. "Then who did?" he asked. Jiki sighed and held out his hand, pointing toward Yogi. Before noticing the prince, he saw the two royal pets running around playing with the little Niji. He raised an eyebrow. "When the hell did the Kuronomei become a zoo?" He shook his head. "Never mind, you mean to tell me that you let HIM call the shots?"

"It's not like that," Jiki assured Yotaka. "He never asked me to give up control of the ship, but made the call to bring him here. He promised me that if we brought him here, he'd talk to Lord Yanari and make certain that we remain safe here."

"And you trusted him?" Yotaka asked.

"He's kept his word so far, hasn't he?" Jiki answered.

Yotaka growled. "What about Gareki? How's he holding up?"

"He hasn't opened his eyes yet. The doctor's still in there with him," Jiki answered. Yogi, Nai, Ranji, Shishi, and Yanari quietly approached the ship's two authority figures, all listening for word of Gareki's condition.

"Lord Yanari," Yotaka greeted, "It's a pleasure to see you again. I regret it's not under better circumstances."

"As do I, Sir Yotaka," Yanari returned the greeting. "I assure you, however, Dr. Ikami is the best doctor in all Vantnam, he tends to my father and myself personally. I have every faith that Captain Gareki will be up and on his feet, and back to his usual roguish ways quite soon."

"In two weeks, as a matter of fact," Dr. Ikami stated, as he walked out on the deck. "He's stable, and I've got him patched up as best I can. Keep him in his bed for at least three days, and he'll be up and walking again at least. No stressful activities, no visits from surly wenches, and he'll be back fit and fighting in two weeks. His shoulder will be fine, nothing vital was damaged. However, when the cow slammed into him, it broke a lower portion of his arm and broke a few ribs. Thankfully, there are no signs of internal hemorrhaging. I suggest you stay docked for the night, I'll check back on him in the morning and then you can all set sail. Until he's better, you might want to appoint someone to keep a close eye on him."

"I'll do it," Yogi offered.

"You?" Yotaka asked.

Jiki, Ranji, and Shishi exchanged knowing looks and nodded. "Why not?" Shishi and Ranji asked.

"I can't think of a better person," Jiki chuckled.


Author's End Note: I don't normally do notes at the end of the chapter, but I'm curious if anyone can guess who I designed that one pirate to look like, and this just didn't feel like a question I needed to ask at the beginning of the chapter. Hint, the character he's based on isn't a pirate, but has fought them and I mentioned something about some characters he's affiliated with in an earlier Author's Note.