*PLAYS JINGLE BELLS IN THE BACKGROUND* MERRY CHRISTMASSSSSS! YEEY WE'RE ALMOST CLOSE TO THE END OF THE YEAR, ANOTHER YEAR WITH YOU GUYS! I LOVE YOU ALL! It's been a while since KnB released Last Game and though honestly I'm still a bit devasted about how it ended. I can't help thinking how my OTP ended like that lol. I miss KnB so much, I kinda hoped there was like a bit more. I actually hoped that they made the Vorpal Sword arc into a series instead of a movie, the scene with Akashi was a bit too hurried which made me sad and the ending-the ending especially. I BASICALLY JUST MISS THE RAINBOW ATHLETES LOL. I think I'll continue writing fanfics about them until I grow wrinkly and old aahahahaha!

Anyways, yeah so we have a question for the day from FionaEve-chan! Last update we got a glimpse of Hakuryuu's true intentions which also mentioned the rings of fate, I actually wrote about the Rings of Fate in the story in Lion. Originally I planned out to make an elaborate explanation and background story about it but it was a part of Kagakuro which I thought if I elaborated would derail the whole story from the focus-which was Akafuri. So yes, the Rings of Fate actually had been around in LION, its a small detail that I've put in LION but I never really named it there. I never mentioned in LION what it is called but yes it is there. I will explain further as we get into the next chapter. Some of you may actually have an idea as well what the Rings of Fate were.

WHOA WE'RE ALREADY IN CHAPTER 11 AND THINGS ARE GETTING SPICIERRRR! WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW TO HAKURYUU, WILL HE BE ABLE TO GET AWAY FROM NASH'S HOLD, AND WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO KUROKO AND THE REST OF THE GROUP IN THAT SHIP?! READ TO FIND OUT AND PLEASE DONT FORGET TO REVIEEEW!

Thank you to all our reviewers! This will probably my last update until the 25th but I will be back very very soon!

Also to everyone in the Philippines just wanna say hi and if you're going to Yuri on Ice Convention on March 18 please dont forget to say hi to our booth! Kicchin will be joining along with three artists to sell some Yuri on Ice fanarts!

CIAAOOOOO DONT FORGET THAT I LOVE YOU GUYS AND HAVE AN AWESOME HOLIDAY!

Chapter 11: Tiger Lily

"You are my stars, my sky and my moon."

Akashi smiled as Furihata giggled at those words, the brunet lay close to him in his bed one arm tiredly draped in the Emperor's torso while his big beautiful earth colored eyes looks at his crimson eyes. It was their first night as spouses, and it is the first night Akashi had anyone in his bed. The wide room for the first time felt like home to him.

He swore on the name of his ancestors, his father and mother that he will love this man as he loves the empire, he will be his equal, the wind to his air, the flow to his river, the blood in his veins and the color to his skies. Every sigh and breathe he will take will be for this man, every words that will leave his lips must be in consideration of him, and every beat of his heart shall resound his name. Happiness isn't something he expected to have, he knew he was a difficult man and he didn't want to settle just because someone told him too.

His father made that mistake, he listened to the Royal Council to take a lady consort and the fruit of that relationship killed his most beloved wife. He didn't want to make that same mistake, he would rather have none than to have something but know it is false.

Perhaps he is indeed favoured by the Gods as what the old men said when he was born, perhaps that is why he was able to meet someone like Furihata. Some people said that the brunet was lucky to catch the eyes of the Emperor, but Akashi would beg to disagree, the one who was fortunate was him. Out of the thousands he was able to meet Furihata, he was blessed with his kindness when he didn't deserved it, he was loved when he was least lovable.

"And you are my sun."

Akashi chuckled at Furihata's reply. He reached to brush the stray strands of hair of the brunet with a gentleness he never thought he has.

"I still wonder what kindness I did to deserve you, you're just…" Akashi smiled and kisses the brunet's head. "You are the most wonderful thing this world created."

"Hm?" Furihata smiled back and kissed Akashi's cheek, "Shouldn't that be my line?"

"No, no." He says in a whisper, "I am far from perfect, but you are."

"That's quite presumptuous Your Majesty."

"Is it?"

"Yes, compared to you I am—"

"No more." Akashi said as he placed his index finger on the brunet's lips, "Let us just settle on the fact that we are of the same essence."

Furihata nods, "I can agree with that."

"Today, I became you and you became me. We are of two halves of the whole."

"Indeed."

"I love you My Empress, forever."

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Akashi stood in his office gazing outside from his window. Since the day of their marriage, Furihata has never left his side, since the war he has never seen him shed a tear. When Furihata declared that he will be going to Shuutoku to find assistance with the whole ordeal regarding Hakuryuu alone it felt like a blow to his pride. Furihata never made a decision without him, the same in his case, they always treated each other as a part of a whole and without the other it is yet valid or effective, and yet he left without him.

Akashi has lived in the Crimson Palace since he was a child and yet for the first time the familiar walls, hallways, doors and rooms seems different, colder, emptier and bigger. There is a void in his soul that seems to have left him as soon as the brunet left his side. The same bed he slept in since he became the Emperor seems bigger and uncomfortable without Furihata.

It has only been a few days and yet it felt like years. To say that he longs for the brunet would be an understatement, his sleep is always shallow at night, every small noises wakes him up, secretly wishing it would be the Empress coming back to their shared chamber. His food tastes bland without the other eating with him. He wanted to put the blame on someone and yet he couldn't find anyone at fault other than him.

His lips presses in a thin line every time he reminds himself of the last image of the brunet he saw with tears streaming down his small face, small body shaking asking him just what more of a proof he needs. He told himself that he will never let anyone hurt him again, and yet there he is repeating history like a hypocrite. His desire to protect always seem to end up ugly, the same went for Kuroko back before the war, then to Kouki, and now. His inability to trust others other than the brunet has never been a problem before, it always seem to be just all advantages. It kept them from danger…but…

Red eyes and scarlet hair, Akashi couldn't help but think of those things. He couldn't trust that child and yet something strange is calling to him towards him, the voice in his head is whispering to him drawn towards the red eyed child almost strangely similar to the pull he felt once meeting the brunet. The child is a stranger he knows that well and yet the voice inside his head tells him otherwise. It was almost putting him to the brink of madness.

It is hard to trust the voice when the last time he allowed that resulted to Furihata bleeding out in his arms.

He couldn't risk something like that.

The Royal Council doesn't seem to help at all, if not only worsening his migraines every time one of them opens their mouth. They have been alarmed for the Empress independent movements, the traditionalists often do not allow such bold actions of the Empress alone. They saw such actions are rebellious and unbecoming of a lower ranking royal. Empresses were traditionally subservient to the Emperor and depending from the Empress' upbringing they were considered mostly a decoration, they cannot pass laws or make a decision to one, they cannot command the army unless they were given the power to do so. They were images of gentleness, kindness, obedience and humility and thus were rarely given much tasks.

But Furihata Kouki is not a decorative flower that one puts in their chest pockets to amuse and flaunt to others, Furihata Kouki is a man of his own. It was fortunate that when the Royal Council spoke to him about those dealings he was tired from the lack of sleep the night before, or else he would have sliced their throats on that very spot where they stood.

He sighs again, he hasn't been sleeping well and this seems to be getting quite a better hold of him. He hoped he could have asked anyone to help him with the whole ordeal, his brothers can but obviously they would side to whom is right—and that is not him. He wish he could just ask for the brunet's forgiveness, but that would mean he acknowledges that he is wrong and that child is indeed theirs which he couldn't…or perhaps he just—

Akashi sighs again, he have to do something. He knows he is wrong, there is something about that child that is indeed his and Furihata's but how? There is no logical answer, nothing seems to fit right in and yet there the child is, alive and looking exactly just like him and Furihata. If Furihata says it is then it probably is but how does he make things clear to himself. How can this child not be just some fraud trying to earn the sympathy of his ever kind beloved spouse?

He closes his eyes as he reaches for his forehead to massage it, however as soon as he opens them he finds himself in a very familiar darkness.

"It has been a while hasn't it?" the heterochromatic eyed Akashi greets him.

The Emperor sighs, why does it has to be now of all times? After the war, Akashi rarely heard of felt the other, it almost like they've become one—or perhaps it was simply their shared mutual feelings towards the brunet that gave him the illusion they've somehow became one. Coming back there in their shared consciousness does not bring any pleasant feelings. This place always reminded him of his biggest regret.

"Why did you pull me back here?" The Emperor asks his mirror image standing right before him.

The other shakes his head silently.

"I was always told to be the stubborn one, and yet here you are."

"Why are you saying this to me?"

The mismatched eyed Akashi frowns, "You've hurt him again."

"Do I have to remind you that you were the one who stabbed him?!"

"But was I the naïve one?"

The two glares at each other. No matter what he still couldn't understand how they could be sharing one body when they are perfectly two different people. He loathed the fact that they even share the same face even in their shared consciousness.

"What are you even doing lazing around the palace like an imbecile?" the mismatched eyed Akashi asks. "Why are we not with him?"

"You sound like a child, always dying to have My Empress near you."

"Don't pretend that you do not wish for the same thing." He replies in cold tone, "I can hear your thoughts, I know what you feel and you just want to be with him just as much as I do."

"Unfortunately you will have to wait until he returns."

"I am sick and tired of this!" the other exclaims making the Emperor's eyes widen, the mismatched eyed Akashi stomped over towards him and grabbed the hem of his kimono, "You stop playing like a fool!"

"Let me go!"

"You cannot order me! You are nothing but a coward!"

"Am i?!" Akashi exclaims as he pushes the other off him.

"Yes!" The mismatched eyed Akashi replied, "You act tough, you pretend that this is all because you don't know where that child is from, you talk as if you are just concerned of Kouki but you are not! I can hear it here, I can feel it, you selfish useless piece of flesh!"

"Y-You—"

"You are just scared! You are so frightened that the child is really yours and you simply don't know what to do, you are scared to disappoint Kouki, you are scared to take responsibility for another life—a child. All of these because you are a coward!"

"Oh and because you can, right?!" Akashi fires back, "We are freaks! How can we be trusted with a life, a child, Kouki's child! All we have ever been is chaos! All we have ever held were weapons, before Kouki all we knew was betrayal and hate so how can we ever deserve to father a child! We didn't even deserve Kouki, so how…how do we even raise a child?"

There is a brief silence leaving the Emperor to his own thoughts, his swallows thickly. Indeed it is true that you can lie to anyone but yourself. His bits his lower lip, this is the truth he had perfectly convinced half of him not to acknowledge. He is an Akashi and aside from Furihata and his brothers he didn't need anymore weaknesses. But…there really is one.

Hakuryuu is everything he found himself frighten of. He was never really much around when Aomine, Murasakibara, and Midorima were growing, the moment they were old enough they were sent to their respective tribes, Kuroko was the only one who remained with him and looking how Kuroko had difficulties reaching towards others proved to himself that he's not an excellent person to guide anyone in life. He grew up with so much betrayal going around him, his mistrust is bone deep, and he isn't really the most stable person. To take care of fragile, dependent and pure life, how can he possibly do that?

If Hakuryuu is their son it would be his fear would has come to life. What if he fails, what if he ends up giving the child the kind of life he grew up into, what if he hurt him, what if he is not enough, what if he fails? What if he lets him experience the pain he swore never to let anyone else feel?

The truth is that he is far from perfect, he is flawed and broken, he's scared and hesitant. Human lives are far more difficult than politics or finances, one mistake and it goes downhill from there, there is no return, no redo. And out of all he has to fail, he is afraid it is his son.

"We're not normal." He says, "Can you blame me?"

"So you will just let Kouki agonize it over like this on his own just because you are so frightened to fail them?"

"Then what do you suppose me to do?!" Akashi exclaims, "I barely even know what to say to a child in distress, how can you suppose me to be there with Kouki and not destroy everything!"

The other remains still, his expression blank almost cold towards him. Akashi can feel the other's desire to be close to the two, there was sadness that combines in those as well, sadness from the thought he loves Furihata as much as the Emperor, he has no body of his own to embrace the other and be able to hold a child.

Since Furihata sustained injury on that war, the other Akashi agreed it was for their best interest that he would not manifest again, though the brunet had told him it was alright he couldn't leave the guilt. There is a constant fear that one mistake could set him in the fit of rage and history would repeat itself—he couldn't have that, not the second time. The fact that he is just some beast residing inside another's consciousness does not make things any better.

"You've forgotten to open your eyes." He says to the Emperor who furrows his eyebrows in confusion, "You've been consumed by your fears again."

"What are you saying?"

"Think."

Akashi eyes widen at that word, it is cold and stern but there's a hint of urgency in it. He quiets down, what has been happening in the past few days, what has he been letting slip because of the ordeals in the palace. He closes his eyes trying to retrace his steps, the faces he met, the news that were brought to him, letters, conversations and gatherings. His eyes snap opens as things starts to fall off at the right places.

Before Hakuryuu came the Kingdom of Jabberwock had been in distress, many of it's people fled their kingdom as the lone woman called Alice lead the uprising against their royal family. The illegal immigration of the refugees was then their problem but recently that wasn't the talk of his subjects. He remembers Mebuchi said something about it but he was busy thinking about the brunet and the child then, there was a rumor that the heir to throne was almost captured but managed to escape along with a few men. The vicious man was spotted in some areas raiding cargo ships and shipping vessels with seemingly no exact destination.

His eyes snaps open he finds himself struck by a realization. He remembers a vision, amber eyes, cold, angry and fiery eyes and a voice very much familiar. He brushed it off thinking it could be anything else but now it makes sense.

The uprising in the Kingdom of Jabberwock started when Kouki became the Empress of the Teiko. When the former Prince of Seirin revealed that he was taken in the port and was supposedly sold as a slave across the borders, Alice realized the possibility of the same thing happened to her brother. She led an investigation herself and soon came out with the truth. Fuelled with rage, pain and need for vengeance, the woman gathered all those who had similar experience and revealed the wrongdoings of their Prince. The small faction gained more sympathy until the revolution became full blown.

If there is anyone whom he would hate the most it would be…him.

Akashi's eyes widen, his body trembles at the thought he looks at the mismatched eyes of the other before him. When the other had decided to submit himself to him, their abilities gradually was supressed, however Nash was never like him from the start. Nash has the eyes that can see through things, people, bonds and more, he can predict one's decision using a high precision analysis of patterns of behaviour making almost anyone vulnerable to him. There is only one person almost completely immune to that, the only person that he could ever hate so much.

"Kouki…"

The mismatched eyed Akashi nods, "He's that kind of man, he won't stop until he has finished everyone whom he thinks owe him."

"H-How is he—Kouki's in Shuutoku." Akashi says as he tries to compose himself. "If it is him, he'd try to keep himself low, he can't afford a massive force against him. How does he—H-Hakuryuu."

The other nods again, "He knows of his existence just as much as I can feel the bond he has with you and Kouki."

Akashi body trembles at the thought.

"I…I need your help."

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.

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"Your Highness!"

Kagami rises from his seat as he heard Koganei's hurried voice, he discards his paper works and proceeds outside his office with Hyuuga following him close by. As soon as the King opens the door he finds the young man soldier with a grim expression. In the young soldier's shoulder is Kagami's beloved Fire Eagle, the creature calmly stares at his master before letting out a sound. The young King motions for the creature to come to him by putting out his arm for it to perch on. The trained animal flies from Koganei's shoulder towards the King's arm.

"H-He came just now and it seems like Kuroko-sama sent him."

Kagami didn't like the way this bird came to him too soon, Kuroko promised to send a letter only after they've reach the middle off their journey seeing there was nothing much to say. The King always lend Kuroko his Fire Eagle to keep them in touch, the massive bird could fly in long distances in a shorter time and can even withstand harsh weather conditions. Kagami inspected his pet and finds a parchment tied in its feet. The King quickly removes it and read its content, his eyes widen and his heart drops to his gut.

"Y-Your Highness?" Hyuuga asks quietly. "What could be the matter?"

Kagami purses his lips for a moment as he crushes the paper with his free hand.

"Bring out our fastest ship, we're sailing tonight."

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.

Kuroko sighs, with one arm carrying Hikari, he picks up his sword. It has been a long time since he has held it again. He never imagined he'd have to use it again after the war and in the presence of his child to boot. Well, Hikari could use some adventure anyways. The infant looks at Kuroko with mild curiosity, his big blue eyes stares at him while his tiny chubby hands hold Kuroko's face.

"You seem like you understand our situation." Kuroko says to the infant as they stood in the dim lit room of the storage of the ship. The Former Prince of Teiko steps out with grace painting his form, a grace he's known to hold the moment he learned to speak, the grace of a child born with the blood of the shadow clan of the Kuroko Tribe.

Kuroko opens the door of the room and finds the blonde King standing there with determination painting his amber eyes, beside is Miharu who seems quite both curious and baffled. Kuroko offers the child a small smile.

"Do not worry, we'll protect you."

Kise and Kuroko do not wait for their enemies to come to them, there was no need to hide from them. Minister Aida and her men would need some help after all. As soon as Kuroko and Kise reach the deck they found themselves looking at their expected scene. Bandits and men of unknown origin cross swords with the rest of Aida's men. Kuroko frowns as he finds some of their soldiers wounded now.

"Kuroko-sama! Kise-heika!" Aida exclaims as she turns towards them, "Please find a way to escape now!"

Kuroko shakes his head, "I would never abandon my people."

Kise nods in agreement. He is not just a King for a show, he had trained with Aomine, Teiko's best fighter and he fought side by side with that man. It would be a mud smeared in his name if he would simply run away now without a fight.

"Keep close Miharu." Kise says to his son before unsheathing his sword. The boy nods and stands close beside the blonde.

"Kagami-heika would be furious!" Aida exclaims as he dodges a man's attack.

Kuroko chuckles at that. He doubt that, if there is anyone who knows him most beside his brothers, it would be his betrothed.

"Got you little shit!"

Kuroko's eyes quickly turn towards the source of the noise and found a man quickly approaching them with a lance. Instinctively the former fifth prince's grip in his sword tightens at the sight of an attack but he knows there was no need to exert effort for this one.

"Kuroko-sama!" Aida exclaims which was followed with a few of her men's voices.

ROAR!

Blood splatters in the wooden deck of the ship and silence follows quickly. Everyone stops and stares at the image they've never seen before. Kuroko stands with a complete placid expression, his blue eyes glistening under the warm lights of the ship and the moon above the sky, the child in his arms quiet and calm while a massive White Tiger stands before him with half of the man's arm between its big teeth. The lance snapped in two lying in the beast's feet like a toy.

Aida has seen this creature before but no one has tamed it like this. Kagami got the creature when he ascended to the throne, the wild beast was caught by the poachers and was supposed to be sold illegally. When the King found it out, he immediately had the poachers caught and imprisoned and took the beast back. However no matter how many times Kagami had tried to free it, it kept returning to the King's side. There was no one who was able to touch the creature except the King himself and sometimes even the King himself fail to make it follow him.

But Kuroko Tetsuya stands there under the light of the full moon with the scent of the salty sea in the air, his teal blue hair like the zircon gems, his blue eyes shimmers like an inviting glimmer of death and beside him stands the most beautiful creature to walk on four legs. It is a sight Aida Riko will never forget, the future Queen of Seirin in all his glory, beauty and danger.

"I think you picked the wrong enemy."