Story: The Five Regions
Chapter: 9/20ish
Chapter Word Count: 7,943
Chapter Summary: The path forward is chosen…
A/N: Wow do I feel like a ditz. Here is was certain that I had posted this chapter just before losing all line of plot because of Hajime's appearance and it turns out I've been sitting on it being completed and ready to post for…well a long time. I am SO sorry! On the other hand, this works somewhat in my favor so that I can announce in this new chapter that all previous chapters have been edited and re-posted. While the story hasn't changed, more content has been added for continuity and even a little back-story here and there is included now. To give an idea of the difference, the original word count of the chapters up to this point was 55,424 words and now sits 62,906 words.
Through the editing process, I have figured out exactly how the story is going to end and much of what I had originally planned will work out there and even what I already had written still applies. Now that I am through editing what is already up, I am starting in writing new chapters.
Thank you to all the readers and followers and those who reviewed for your patience and I look forward to seeing you all through to the end of this fic. Enjoy!
Chapter 9: Point of View
It didn't take long to recount the events that needed to be told. This was something of a disappointment to Wataru, who wanted to delay putting his idea of how to respond to the threat off for as long as possible. This was partially because he was thoroughly afraid that he would be dismissed simply because he was the youngest and least experienced out of all his brothers in matters of warfare and battle strategies. He was grateful that Yuichi – as always – understood his need to gather himself and he and Han had engaged Shohei, Kohaku and Ryoku in a discussion of where the Regions stood defensively. The young Enlightened gave his partner a silent message of gratitude as he removed himself from the group to build himself back up.
He was suddenly aware of someone approaching him and wasn't surprised when he turned to see Asaka move toward him, stopping a few feet away. Kawamura, who was standing near him trying to remain uninvolved, looked between the two until Wataru nodded for him to give them some privacy.
"I'm going to go check the runes and give them a boost of power so they don't give out on us," he explained his retreat.
As he walked away, silence between Wataru and Asaka continued as the younger didn't know what to say and the older couldn't decide where to start. Finally, Asaka broke the silence. "I was the first to realize you weren't anywhere in the palace." A strange comment to lead with in Wataru's opinion.
"Makes sense since you were the first one I Influenced. You also required the most complex one since you had the most contact with me." Wataru scoffed as he realized something he hadn't thought of before. "I didn't even have to try and Influence my family. It was all Guardians and Defenders and civilians. How pathetic is that?"
Asaka, not unfamiliar with Wataru's mind distracting itself to remain calm, dismissed the off-handed comments. "Did you consider that I could have left with you?" Wataru looked to Asaka, having not expected him to suggest such a thing. Then again, Asaka had always taken his duty of protecting the youngest prince very seriously.
"No, I didn't consider it because I didn't need a babysitter," Wataru's response was harsh, but he truly despised being treated as an invalid. That's all he got from his family and the Defenders without even the slightest thought that he didn't need to be coddled.
"Then what of your Gifted friend? Wasn't he with you to protect you?" Asaka had gotten that much information from Kawamura on the journey to the training facility.
"He'll tell you that and I won't say he wasn't. But do you really think I, or any Enlightened, need to be protected by a Gifted or Empowered without a Bond between us? The only reason there are Defenders is because it made the people feel better. We don't need you." Wataru's independent nature abhorred the people that had been placed in the useless positions of guarding the Enlightened royal family and he couldn't help but voice his hatred, though the pained expression that came across Asaka's face made it difficult for him to continue.
There was a tense pause as Asaka seemed to struggle with how to respond to Wataru's ire. "You're saying that there is no place for me with you?"
Wataru breathed deeply as he calmed himself down and considered his response. This wasn't just the Defender that had been in charge of his guard, but someone he'd considered a friend. He was also a talented Gifted and that was difficult to dismiss at this point where he needed as much strength supporting him as he could muster. Then again, the Defender obviously held a deep desire to keep Wataru safe at any cost. As half of a Bonded pair – and with such a potent Bond and relationship as it was – Wataru couldn't encourage Asaka to hold onto such a driving force as his reason to be there. Protecting Wataru so diligently was Yuichi's right now and anyone else who tried to take that away was a hindrance.
"The place you held for Aran no longer exists for anyone but my partner." Asaka's emotions flared behind his eyes at the obvious rejection but his face and body betrayed nothing. "However, you will always be Wataru's friend and there is a place for you there." The tension left Asaka's gaze then and he sighed in relief. "Kawamura was my only friend for over three years. Han came attached to Yuichi and wouldn't let me not get to know him so he has become my friend as well."
"And this Yuichi?" there was something cold in Asaka's voice that Wataru had never heard from his friend and couldn't figure out the reason for.
"He's the one who will always be with me. He will protect me and I will remain devoted to him." Wataru's answer flowed from him without hesitation and Asaka's eyes narrowed at the certainty behind the message.
"I never expected you to say something like that. You thrive on taking care of yourself and depending on no one. How could he make you say something so completely outside your nature?"
It was something Wataru had considered at some point soon after they had Bonded and he had realized that it was how he felt. "Because I chose him and he chose me," he answered in the words he had realized when he had questioned himself.
"So did I," Asaka's statement was a whisper and Wataru couldn't be completely sure that they were the words he really heard. Either way, he no longer felt like this was a discussion that should happen with Yuichi nearby. He didn't like having secrets from his partner – the one he was already maintaining was difficult enough to endure – but he also didn't want Yuichi to hear something that would cause a fight. The insinuation that Asaka would gladly be in his position at Wataru's side would certainly invoke just that. Asaka didn't have what it took to oppose a protective – jealous – Yuichi and there were three dead Vagabonds to prove it.
"Asaka, you were ordered to look after me. Sure, we became friends, but our obligations will always be the reason we met. You are still a Defender and you will eventually be given different orders that will bring you to someone else who will mean the same thing to you as I do." Wataru hoped the message would get through Asaka's obviously strong belief that he was the only one capable of protecting Wataru.
"There will not be another person like you," Asaka's response was vehement and Wataru felt Yuichi's attention shift onto him. It was definitely time to wrap this up.
"Impossible. If you allow yourself the freedom to choose, you will find the one you are meant to look after. After all, it was my choices that brought me to Yuichi." Asaka remained silent at the confidence Wataru held in his declaration and his gaze dropped to the ground as his focus turned into himself.
Do I want to know the rest of that conversation? Yuichi's voice flowed through his mind – the sensation calming Wataru immediately – as the teen stepped up behind them with Shohei and the Fujii siblings close behind.
Not at all, Wataru responded quickly and his partner let it drop, though Wataru had a feeling the topic of Asaka would come up again when they had some privacy.
"There is no reason to change what is being done on a large scale within the Regions in response to what has happened so as to not cause any discord in the general population," ever the defensive strategist, Shohei continued to keep them on track. "So that leaves the question of what we should do to address the presence of Hajime."
"Father knew how to best handle the threat of the Vagabonds, his timing was just wrong for the people," Wataru responded confidently. He figured the more he sounded like he believed it would work, the more likely they would be to really listen to him. He wasn't so sure though when all he received in return for his declaration were confused expressions so he elaborated. "Placing us in charge of the Regions." Confused shifted ever so slightly to dumbfounded. "What?" he asked after nobody seemed to make a move to agree or dispute him.
"How could you say that with such certainty?" Ryoku finally questioned.
"My eyes are better than yours." He didn't mean for his answer to sound so rude, but it had slipped out before he could consider how it would be received.
Ryoku – who obviously took the comment as negatively as possible – was about to snap back when Han interjected, feeling a right to do so since he had said the same thing often enough to others. "He took that from me and it's not meant to be as insulting as it sounds. It's actually just a statement of the facts." It wasn't until after he'd spoken that he realized that clarification might not actually help things.
"If you are referring to the ability to see future possibilities, it is a power we all possess," Kohaku explained, misunderstanding the point Wataru was trying to make.
"Yeah, I know that. But surely you guys know how good Wataru is at seeing possibilities. I mean, he's scary good at knowing what will happen and even why one outcome is more likely than another." Han was met with a tolerant silence, as if to say that he didn't understand what he was comparing Wataru's capabilities to. Wataru understood them though.
"Time goes both ways and I can see in either direction."
And cue the return of the dumbfounded expressions from his siblings…
What's wrong? Yuichi asked, not understanding the severity of the reaction.
Post-cognition is not only rarer than telepathy, but Father said it's never emerged in males.
And Yuichi joined the crowd of dumbfounded expressions. And telling me that slipped your mind for six months?
Not really the point here! Besides, when have I ever given you a rundown of my powers? It's exhausting just thinking about it. Yuichi's lack of a response seemed more like an intention to continue this discussion later as well when they didn't have to interact with anybody else rather than accepting Wataru's rather weak excuse. Wataru was sure of this when Kohaku recovered his voice mere seconds after the telepathic link between them relaxed as it did when not being used.
"How could you not tell us you had developed Post-cognition?" the oldest Fujii was livid in his question.
"Same way I didn't tell you I had developed Pre-cognition when I did." The tone suggested how obvious Wataru thought the answer was, therefore didn't elaborate any further. He had been capable of seeing possibilities for almost a year before he got caught by his father. "Anyway, to get back on track…"
"Hold on a second!" Han interrupted once again, feeling like he was really missing something. "You've told me about being able to see what people have experienced and how it's triggered by coming into contact with them. I mean, it was a huge rumor of how you used it in your healing. So why are they so shocked to hear about it?"
"Looking back doesn't happen very often and I didn't tell them I could. And if it's not in an official report, these guys tend to not hear about it. They've been so disconnected from the public it's a wonder they know what a civilian looks like." His tone was harsh with irritation toward his siblings and the Empowered and Han – for once – took the hint and let the subject drop. He turned his attention back to his brothers and sister. "When we were attacked here, I had the opportunity to get some information from one of the Vagabonds. They are beginning to unify under the command of this guy Hajime and it started when I left. Something happened with their kind when they heard about me and after that they started listening to whatever he had to say, even if it meant their death."
"That's impressive enough," Karin commented. "One's life is the thing Father refuses to ask of anybody in his service. That they offer it to Hajime is…" she hesitated in finding a word.
"Disturbing," Wataru finished for her and she acknowledged that it was no less than what she thought of the idea. "Life is precious and to make others give theirs up is an atrocity, even for a people like the Vagabonds."
"You know they don't hold any value in life, only power," Ryoku pointed out. "And why shouldn't they follow one who can give his name so callously to an Enlightened without it destroying him?"
"It's more than that. From what I gathered from that Look, he never proved his strength, just took command and they listened."
"There are many dangerous implications being raised here," Kohaku commented. "For a people that only values power, there has never been allegiance between more than a dozen or so at any given time. It's been our only advantage so far against them. If they are truly uniting their forces, we will be forced to confront them to protect the people of the Regions." His eyes turned to Wataru as he remembered the comment that brought them to the point of the teen's Post-cognitive abilities. "Why do you think going through with shifting power over the Regions to us is the right action?"
"What exactly does it mean that you guys take over the Regions anyway?" Yuichi asked. "There are already lords that manage and report to the king. Why would this make such an influential difference to the land?" What made this an act that would have incited war?
"The ones in charge of the Regions have no connection with the land. You all know about the barrier that surrounds the Five Regions, right?" The Gifted and Empowered individuals all nodded their consent to the fact. It was a line of power that made up the borders of the land that acted as a warning system for anything that threatened those within the line. It didn't so much as prevent it as give the people a chance to build up whatever defenses would give them the best chance to survive, whether it be against nature or an invading force. "Well, when our parents got here, the barrier wasn't active because of the war between the Gifted and Empowered. What would be the point of protecting a population that was destroying itself? Anyway, once there was unity and the Regions were established, they were able to reawaken the barrier by creating a connection between them and the land."
"The barrier of the land is extremely intricate and isn't meant to be controlled by an individual. Our parents originally split the burden between the two of them, but when he knew that Mother was going to die, Father took the entire load upon himself. The immense amount of information that the barrier takes in is dangerous for one mind to process so he doesn't pay attention to anything smaller than an entire Region being in danger." Kohaku took over the explanation since he was much more familiar with it than Wataru was, being greatly in charge of defending the Regions by interpreting whatever information Kalen garnered from the barrier.
"That's how the Vagabonds are able to move so freely despite being an obvious threat to the Regions," Wataru added, putting in knowledge he had gained from the Vagabond. "If we were to take control of the different Regions, the barrier would be split between the five areas and only a part of it would be connected to each of us. The smaller area would mean a greater concentration of awareness and we would be able to monitor the movements of the Vagabonds on a much more accurate and current level. Think about it: no more scouting missions to investigate rumors of a threat which means more Guardians available to be used in the actual defense of the land. And we could actually take care of the Vagabonds that have been in the Regions for years." Noticing the denial that was building in Shohei and Asaka, Wataru continued with a sharp look to the two Defenders. "There has never been a time they haven't had a powerful force in the Regions and I've got the memories to prove it. Once again, there just hasn't been coordination between them until now."
"Father once said that the Vagabonds are the reason he and Mother were never recalled back to our people. They are very dangerous to anybody they come across and if they were to begin collaborating their forces, they could decimate the Regions and anybody else they came across," Ryoku reflected. Out of anybody, he had the most experience dealing with Vagabonds and so Kalen had imparted more information to him than any of the other Fujii children.
"Ignoring the implications that holds for Gifted and Empowered, are you saying we should carry out your father's intention to place you in positions of authority over the Five Regions?" Shohei clarified.
"Officially the four outer Regions while Father's control was limited to the Central Diamond Region, but yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying we should do. We take away their freedom and they won't be able to stick around. They'll pull back to their own land and leave us alone." Wataru finished with a smug grin showing his confidence in the idea.
The strategy was deeply considered and a heavy silence reigned once again. This was the moment Kawamura returned and he looked around hesitantly, debating if he should just leave again. Wataru caught his gaze and gave him a look that asked him to remain there and that he'd get caught up later. Kawamura nodded his understanding and settled into place next to Han once again.
The first one to question the idea was surprisingly Han. "What if their reaction isn't what you think it will be? What if they push back instead of retreat?"
"He does have a good point," Ryoku added. "They are the kind to use the shift in power to their advantage and try to overwhelm us before we reach a stable point in our Link to the barrier."
"I actually imagined them just taking out the population and then launching a full assault on whatever's left."
"A reasonable possibility."
"Hey!" Wataru interrupted the two from their musings before they could go any further. "I actually wasn't thinking about making an announcement about it like Father did."
"That doesn't ensure the people or the Vagabonds won't find out about it. You know how hard it is to keep something like this from the people," Han pressed and Wataru accepted that it would most likely happen before they were prepared for a retaliation from the Vagabonds.
"Okay, so it's certainly likely that they would push back in response, but if they do it'll most likely be focused on me."
"Say what?" Kawamura couldn't hold the question back.
"You think that because of Hajime, right?" Yuichi asked.
"If it weren't for what he's doing with them, we wouldn't need to consider taking action like this."
"And since he has a fixation with you, you are the one he would continue to target."
"Most likely, though he seemed rather pissed by Father as well so maybe he'd go after him." Wataru's tone told everybody that he wasn't putting much faith in that possibility.
"This could work," Kohaku interjected. "Think about it: Father had you and I check the decision and we saw it succeed."
"Apparently we saw wrong if we are to trust Wataru's abilities are better than ours," Ryoku responded though there was no malice in his words as he was just making an observation.
"Maybe we didn't. Maybe we just didn't Look for the right thing. Wataru left based on the reaction of the Regions' people. I don't know about you, but I certainly didn't seriously consider that."
"And I wasn't told to include the people but to focus on the defensive state and if our Guardians and Defenders would accept the shift in the chain of command." The two took a moment to reflect on what they had seen at that time. "We saw all we allowed ourselves to see and ignored the possibilities."
"To be fair, Father should have relied on Merrin or Karin. They would have been more likely to see what was needed to find the war that would break out." Wataru tried to pacify his brothers' sudden sullen mood. There was an implication rising in their dialogue that he had accomplished something beyond the capability of anyone else.
"It's just…" Kohaku struggled to get the words out. "It was a war. How could that be difficult to identify?"
Wataru had simply lived with the knowledge for so long that he had to take a moment to think back carefully to figure out how exactly he had figured it out. "A feeling I got compelled me to Look further than I normally would. It took about ten years to reach the point of war. The first stages were so subtle that I didn't realize what they meant until things began to escalate and then there was suddenly a war in the future. I realized it would be years before we even felt it would head that way. I don't remember how many choices I tried before I settled on the disappearance of an Enlightened. There needed to be something that was shocking enough to erase the announcement and the betrayal they felt at being left in the hands of children completely from the minds of the people."
"And you elected yourself to be the one to leave since you would have known about it if you told one of us to do it," Karin realized. She had also realized how dangerous it was for Wataru to have Looked that far ahead into the future, especially considering the volatile nature of his abilities. Add onto that that he was male and how that weakened the ability to look through time and the fact that he even survived such a feat was hard to believe. "How did you survive that?"
Wataru shrugged the concerned question off. "About two weeks in a coma and I was fine."
The siblings recalled that time many months before Wataru had disappeared. However, the youngest of them had gone through so many comas that it had stopped being something they paid attention to. They had all pushed their powers too far at one point or another and had suffered the coma consequences, but Wataru was the only one of them to pay the price without actually pushing limits most of the time.
Losing patience with the focus shifting to him, he irritably asked, "So do we all agree to go through with it or not?" He figured he had given them enough answers and figured it was time for him to hear the one he wanted.
Kohaku looked between his brother and sister. He was hesitant to say that they would go through with it without conferring with Kalen first. He would suggest they go talk with their father but he was certain Wataru asked that they come to him to avoid that meeting.
"If I may help with the final decision," Shohei caught their attention, though Wataru wasn't sure why he'd chosen to speak up. "I'm sure you are concerned about what Kalen would say about what you are discussing." Wataru was about to dismiss the statement – this was about them, not their father – but then he saw Kohaku's expression and realized that Shohei knew what he was talking about. "I've been good friends with Kalen since before Shintaru was born. I'd like to think I understand him well enough to know how he might respond to Wataru's suggestion.
"Kalen puts very much faith in you all. He hardly ever makes any move without getting feedback from at least one of you first, just as he did when he first considered this action of separating the rule of the Regions. I believe he would support the decision you have already made."
Kohaku sighed, his conflicted mindset reverberating through the sound. "You sound certain."
"If you require more, he simply believes that you guys are the ones who truly should be in charge of this land anyway. After all, you were all born in this land and were raised surrounded by its people. He cares about the people and this land, of course, but he knows of another home he can return to. You have no exposure to any others of your kind and therefore can't be expected to feel any connection with them. You are already where you belong."
The Fujii siblings reflected on Shohei's insight, finding it hard to believe they never knew this about their father. Granted, he was a secretive man – they learned from the best – but they didn't think he would have kept such strong feelings to himself.
Karin broke the heavy silence with a light tone. "Well then, I have no objections to the plan. Let's do it!"
Kohaku had to smile at her exuberance. "Yes, I believe it is a promising strategy for addressing the threat of the Vagabonds."
They all looked at Ryoku and he allowed a small grin to cross his face. "I have no objections to this strategy. We will have to send a message to Shintaru and make sure he is ready and willing to follow the plan as well, though I foresee no problems with him going along with the majority."
"Okay, so we know what we are going to do ultimately, but how are we going to go about doing it?" Han asked. He was certain that anybody who wasn't Enlightened had no clue as to how one went about connecting to land.
"Father planned to carry out all four connections at the same time, but we'll do it one Region at a time," Wataru began. This was where most of his thought and planning had gone into. "This way, we can focus our response and control our resources much more effectively. Also, the original connection between Father and the land was created through the power of both our parents. We can't replicate that level of power manipulation as we are now. We'll have to find the most volatile spot in the center of each Region, then Karin will have to draw out whatever it is that will connect us to the land, then the one taking that part seals the deal."
"Karin has to draw it out?" Yuichi asked.
"Or Merrin would have if she was the one who came, but yeah, the sensitivity to the power of the land is one of those female specific abilities. At least I haven't been able to prove otherwise." Wataru looked to his brothers questioningly and they didn't dispute his claim. They weren't even sure what to declare the ability to be, just that they didn't have it and their sisters had never bothered to delve into it unnecessarily. "But once the connection has been made, we can start striking back against the Vagabonds. I also think that we should be the only ones to be seeking them out and leave other Guardians and Defenders out of it."
Ryoku was nodding his agreement. "Encourage them further to target us instead of the population and those too weak to challenge them."
"Exactly. Also, once word gets out that we are going after Vagabonds like this, people will be more inclined to support us. Never underestimate the usefulness of the people." He had used them as cover for over three years now, after all, while a good portion of them were looking for him no less.
"Who do we initiate first?" Shohei asked.
"Ryoku will be first. He was supposed to have the Eastern Jade Region and I'm not going to mess with that aspect of Father's plans. The Vagabonds made their first move here as well so that's where our first counter will be."
"Sounds as good of a place to start as anything. I will send word to Shintaru about what we're going to do so he can be ready for him to do his part. I will also send warning to the Defenders charged with the Region's defense that we are on our way," Shohei declared. "We should take a few days to prepare before we head out."
"Sounds good," Wataru turned to Han and Kawamura. "This is your chance to back out. I want you guys with us on this, but it is going to be your decision. We'll leave three days from now at dawn and your answer will be your presence or lack thereof." The two nodded their understanding as Wataru turned to Shohei and Asaka. "The same goes for you two. I want you to forget your duties as Defenders and make your choice as equals to us because that is how we will be travelling. There will be no orders to take part in this and I want you to carefully consider why you are here and if you want to keep going with us…" his focus honed in further on Shohei, "…not our father."
Wataru's address to Yuichi was private. I'm sorry you don't really get a choice, he communicated to his partner. I would rather be able to say you didn't have to go as well.
You're talking like I would even consider anything other than staying by your side, Yuichi's response was mildly amused. I made the choice when I decided to Bond with you. I accepted then and there that you are Aran Nobunaga and an Enlightened and one day I would have to help you shoulder that responsibility. Just promise me one thing.
What?
Promise me that you will let me help you, that we are in this together as equals.
Wataru paused in his response and turned to look into Yuichi's grey eyes to show his the sincerity of his answer. I promise we are in this together as equals.
"I hate waiting," Wataru complained. Kawamura glanced over to him from where he was looking over maps that they had borrowed from the Defender of the training facility that had been marked with suspected locations of Vagabonds in the Eastern Jade Region, which Wataru had already updated with what he had learned from the Vagabond the previous week. There would still be a level of inaccuracy to it until Ryoku accepted the connection, but it was a start. Kawamura was the most familiar with the land so it just made sense for him to review the maps most carefully.
"I've realized that about you," he responded. Wataru was attempting to focus on going through reports submitted in response to Vagabond investigations where there was a fight as he attempted to get a better handle on their strategies. While it was paying off in some manner, he was quickly reaching the point of needing to move around. "Why did you make it three days then? You could have said we'd leave the next night and nothing would change."
"I needed to do this research first."
"You hate reading and research."
"Still needs to be done if I am going to stand a chance against them."
"Don't be so dramatic. Anyway, we leave tomorrow so just keep it up for one more day."
"I feel like we've already wasted too much time. Hajime could already be building a response."
"If he hasn't started working on a response, he's not the grand villain you're making him out to be." Wataru let out a brief laugh, the familiar back-and-forth commentary between them relaxing him. "He's had over a week now: if that isn't enough time for him, he might just be screwed."
"Nice to know you have such a solid understanding of the threat he embodies."
"I get what the threat is; I just don't want to give him more power by letting it scare me. You've known me long enough to see where I'm coming from."
"And you're wondering why I'm allowing myself to get so worked up about him."
"You got it. So why are you?"
Wataru sighed and allowed the flow of the conversation to break and take on a more serious tone as he closed the report he was no longer paying attention to. "He was showing off. He didn't do anything except give me his name and that was enough to get my attention." Kawamura looked up from the maps – he had been done for a while now but wanted to work out a few things with Wataru before they parted for the night – and observed his friend's expressions for any indication of what Wataru really wanted to say to him.
He played a hunch based on how black eyes were avoiding looking directly at him. "You don't really want me to go." Wataru's eyes stayed off of him, telling him he was on the right track.
"That's not it," Wataru responded quietly. He didn't want to dissuade Kawamura's attempts to get information from him, having long relied on his support and instincts to help keep him honest with himself at least. "I don't want you to get hurt. You, Han, Shohei, and Asaka are the most vulnerable against Vagabonds and I'm worried that he'll exploit that."
"Because of their skill with Core manipulation?" Kawamura recalled hearing about how Han had nearly lost his Core at the fight at the outpost. "Come on, give me some credit for knowing you for a few years. I've had runes that protect my Core from stuff like that since you told me what you could do."
"What good is a rune if it is removed? One like that would require skin contact to stay active. Once Hajime learns that your powers are with runes, he'll be working against that."
Kawamura grinned egotistically as he responded. "Correct you are, my friend, which is why I had it tattooed along with a few of my other stronger runes that I don't want to be without." Wataru just stared at his friend for a few seconds, shocked by the severity of Kawamura's preparation. Then he considered who this was and realized Kawamura had probably done it just to see if it would work and he shook his head at the easygoing nature of his friend toward his own powers.
Not that he probably wouldn't have done the exact same thing if it were his own powers in question.
Deciding to bring the serious subject between them to a close, Kawamura spoke again in a serious and honest tone. "Wataru, I know the point of me being around has been to keep you safe from exposure while you were getting used to life away from your family. While that role became moot once you came here, it doesn't change that we've been friends during that time and it has always been my choice to stick with you."
Wataru figured he would say something like that – they had always been upfront with each other. He never expected Kawamura to turn down going along with him but he had to know every person who did this was given the option. He believed strongly in the power of choosing the path of your own life and made sure he encouraged others to take that control as well.
Feeling that anything else on the subject would be pointless, Wataru piled a few reports that he had already gone through and passed them over to Kawamura. "These were relatively useful. There are some other accounts of the abilities I was exposed to at the outpost. Seems like a pretty standard ability for Vagabonds is some form of telepathy where they force your mind to visualize weakness. They use it as a distraction to move in and take out the Core."
"Or to keep an archer from taking out their numbers," Kawamura added as he took the reports and opened the one on top and began reading. "Think about how embarrassing that would be: the ability to invade people's minds and they get taken out by an arrow." Wataru smirked at his friend's observation.
"To be fair, they were given a boost."
Kawamura laughed at the statement. "I don't think that makes it any better." He took on a mocking tone. "'There was this gust of wind. If only there wasn't that natural element, I could have totally taken that guy out.'" Shaking his head at his friend's antics, Wataru couldn't help but laugh. It was nice to remember that every once in a while he could still find reason to laugh. There were times when he would go so long without doing so that he would lose faith in that simple indulgence.
He doubted there would be many opportunities to do so in the near future.
"Man, if I'd known getting you Bonded was going to get me into stuff like starting a war against those damn Vagabonds, I would have taken the duty a lot more serious. This is so beyond awesome!" Han had been gushing in this manner for over an hour now and Yuichi had been tuning him out for about the past hour. Normally he would have cut Han off by now, but he had a feeling it would be a while before his friend would be able to go off like this again with the company they would be keeping.
"I doubt we would have gotten the same results if you had tried to Bond me to any of your previous candidates," Yuichi added, feeling that his friend was approaching a lull. In the first few months they had known each other, Han had tried to push Yuichi to expand his social circle with no positive results. Yuichi was strict in who he chose to approach – which made his decision to go along with Han's insistence the first time he talked to Wataru so shocking – and Han considered himself extremely lucky to have passed muster and become Yuichi's best friend.
"Means to an end," Han responded amiably. The two were in Han's room going over an inventory of supplies Shohei had given them, double-checking it for anything to add or remove. They would then start getting the items together. As familiar trainees to the facility, they would cause the least commotion by gathering provisions for an extended time. It also gave them the chance to just hang out and be friends.
"Speaking of means and ends, why are you choosing to go? Out of everybody involved, you have the least reason to take this risk," the question had been plaguing Yuichi since Wataru had asked and Han's expression had told him the decision was already made.
Han looked over to Yuichi – he'd guessed the question would come out eventually. As one who hardly ever buckled down and took things seriously, it seemed strange for him to agree to a course that held such significant importance to the world around them. He sighed dramatically as if to punctuate the point Yuichi was trying to make. "Five years we've known each other and you have to ask?" The slightest shift in Han's demeanor signaled a more profound response was about to be made. "I grew up dealing with the Vagabonds and now I have the chance to help take care of them once and for all. Of course I'm going to go along."
"And I'm sure that's what you will tell Wataru and he will accept it because it's not a lie. Becoming a Guardian was your parents wish for you, not your desire. The question remains, and this time remember that I've known you for five years." The paraphrase earned him a small grin from Han.
The grin was only momentary though before there was a much more obvious shift in Han's expression, especially to Yuichi who knew how much intelligence lay behind the downright goofy exterior. This intelligence was very complimentary to Yuichi's and was the reason they managed to get along so well: Yuichi's was proactive where Han could react and adapt so flawlessly you wouldn't know he hadn't planned everything from the start.
"Wataru saved my life. I irritate the hell out of him and he didn't hesitate in protecting me."
"So you talked to him about what happened at the outpost while you were unconscious?"
"Yeah, I knew something significant happened, but I didn't think it would have been something that important to me." He took a breath and collected himself from what was becoming quite an emotional revelation for him. "I want to be someone who would do something like that – take care of others regardless of what it does to me – and the best way I can think of to do that is to be around someone who is."
"Everything else is just a bonus?"
"You got it!" Relaxed Han was back and the moment of sincerity was finished for him.
Yuichi, however, wasn't finished. "I'm relieved you are going. It will be nice to have someone I know who agrees that Wataru and I should be Bonded. I'm quite positive Shohei and the Fujiis want nothing to do with it."
"What about Kohaku? Didn't he do that thing to make the Bond stronger?"
"I'm still not entirely convinced he didn't do that to satisfy some obligation. Apparently it is a really big deal for me to be an Empowered."
"That's like saying it's a big deal for you both to be male. It's just preposterous. But enough with that, what do you think they were talking about me and Kawamura being not Gifted or Empowered? Is that a crazy thought or what? If we aren't, then what do you suppose we are?"
"I don't recall him including you in that part of the conversation."
Han looked smug as he responded, "It was implied in the training he's been putting me through over the past week while we were waiting. I got the feeling he just didn't want to draw attention to me while I was right there." Yuichi wasn't going to doubt Han's instincts on this.
A knock on the door cut into Han's train of thought for about a second before he was right back to his musings. Yuichi shook his head as he stood to answer the door. He was somewhat surprised to see Asaka waiting on the other side. He hadn't really spoken to the older male in the past two days and he hadn't known Han to have either.
"Hello Asaka. We haven't finished going over the inventory yet," he took a guess at what the man wanted.
"I didn't expect you to be," Asaka answered smoothly. "I was hoping to speak with you, actually."
"Yeah, that bodes well," Han called from his spot across the room. Yuichi rolled his eyes as he stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him.
"What was that supposed to mean?" Asaka asked, his eyes looking between Yuichi and the door behind him.
"You are welcome to ask him as I've long given up trying to interpret his every observation. What do you want to talk to me about?" Asaka was nervous, if the tension in his shoulders was any indicator.
"Wataru," he answered simply, causing Yuichi to immediately become defensive as he recalled how the two had behaved around each other the other day. Wataru was certainly treating Asaka as a friend he had wronged, but Asaka seemed to act like there should be something deeper. Yuichi wasn't nearly as skilled at reading people as Han was, but he was proficient enough to recognize restrained emotions.
"What about my partner?" It was a reminder he felt he needed to start with.
"I have known him for many years and am familiar with how impulsive he can be when he thinks he is doing the right thing. I can't count how many times he's put himself in a coma because a person's ailment was just beyond his ability to heal, yet he still pushed himself to accomplish the task." Yuichi saw what Asaka was implying – their Bond was Wataru following an impulse – but he chose to focus on something else more factual.
"And he hasn't experienced a single coma since I've met him, despite him being under constant stress to maintain his cover as a Gifted. That includes him utilizing his Pre-cognition when Kohaku was last here and I know that to be a regular cause for his loss of control. Does that significance escape you?"
"His power and control are greatly improved…"
Yuichi interrupted, "Kawamura told me of at least one time he experienced a coma while they travelled together." Asaka seemed ready to continue to disprove him so he sighed and raised a hand to quell the response. "I get it, you have history with him, but history isn't the only thing that matters. Wataru and I are Bonded and the connection between us is very strong. Now I want you to stop trying to make what you had with him better than what there is between us and say what you came here to say."
Asaka looked affronted at Yuichi's tone but seemed to accept the message.
"How can you be so sure he wasn't merely satisfying an impulse in Bonding with you?"
Yuichi – uncharacteristically – rolled his eyes and couldn't keep a laugh from escaping. "That's all you have to say? I don't know who you have spoken to about the point of Bonding, but it seems you have missed it greatly. We are Bonded because we love each other and anything that happens is for us to handle. I choose to be with him and I will use the rest of my life to keep him safe and happy. What do you want for him with whatever it is you imagine is between you?"
"The same thing I've always wanted for him – safety."
"You should learn how to separate the duty you were given from your real priorities, then you can answer that honestly. You know he's alright, you've seen him with your own eyes. Now allow yourself to let him go as you haven't been able to."
"You don't want me to go with him," Asaka accused.
"No I don't, but that's not why I'm saying you shouldn't go. You were the first to realize he was gone from the palace when you were supposed to be in charge of keeping him safe. From what my brother has said, your search efforts since then have bordered on obsessive. I think that morphed in your mind to a love you have misunderstood in yourself. As long as you think you love him and try to push him away from me, you will only push him away and lose his friendship. He still values you as such. Consider that before you show up tomorrow."
Without waiting – or even looking – for a response, Yuichi turned and went back into the room with Han. His friend looked over to him, observed him for a few seconds, and then went back to what he was doing.
Yuichi was sure Asaka would still be going, but at least he had given the Defender a wake-up call. Wataru wasn't the man's responsibility anymore and Yuichi would make sure that wasn't forgotten.
A/N: I think this is a good 1st act finish right here, which makes me even more frustrated with myself that I didn't post the chapter sooner and I thoroughly apologize for doing that. I mean, I know I'm a scatter brain, but this is more than proving it. This is like a defining example of a scatter brain…
Well, moving forward now and hopefully the new chapter was enjoyed along with the updates of all the previous chapters. I hope to hear from you.
See you next time!
Kira Dattei