Five Years Ago
The Tanchō traveled swiftly across the sea following closely the Xióngmāo and the метель. An enemy ship had been spotted and everyone onboard the three ships were getting ready for the incoming battle. The Xióngmāo was already within firing distance of the enemy ship and Kiku could hear and see that they didn't waste any time and were already firing at each other.
"Are we going to interfere?" Kiku turned to see Kaoru walking over. Like Im Yong Soo and Ha-Neul before him he was accompanying him in order to complete a section of his training.
"Yes we are going to." Kiku said as he turned back to the battle that was unfolding in front of them. By now the метель had caught up to the Xióngmāo and was already attacking the enemy ship.
"A pirate ship…" Kaoru murmured as the Tanchō got within firing range and, at Kiku's command, began firing. Kiku noticed that Kaoru tightened his grip on the wooden railing as the Tanchō neared the enemy vessel.
"Don't worry Kaoru. Everything will be alright." He probably still remembers that incident.
"I'm alright. When do we engage in combat?"
"When the order is given by nii-san."
"I hope it's soon."
"Looks like you just got your wish. Attack!" Kiku shouted as the Tanchō pulled up alongside the pirate ship, which Kiku quickly noticed was called the Regent. Kiku reached up and pulled down the mask he usually wore as he followed Kaoru. He quickly lost sight of Kaoru as they boarded the enemy ship and helped the others that had already boarded. The Tanchō didn't stay alongside the Regent for long and quickly pulled away in order to join the other two ships that were circling the pirate ship. The fierce battle continued both sides determined to not give in to the other. As he fought, Kiku remembered Yao's orders before they had launched the attack
Remember that these people are our enemies. Don't show any sympathy towards them because they won't show any sympathy to you. This is the last time we are going to let that pirate get away with raiding and burning our silk ships. So even though I know it's going to be hard for you we cannot let anyone survive this time. I am also going to ask you to eradicate the ship. That should warn the others to not mess with the Eastern Empire.
Obey the orders and everything will be fine. Kiku told himself as he slew another person of the enemy crew. Eventually Kiku noticed that the battle was slowly coming to an end. After a while he spotted Yao fighting someone who appeared to be the captain of the Regent. Kiku was about to go join him when he spotted that his brother was fighting alongside Ivan.
I'll leave those two then. He thought as he headed below deck. Meanwhile I have to get everything ready for when nii-san gives the order. After making sure that all of the valuables were gone and that no one from their crews remained he waited until he heard the signal that meant that everyone else had gotten off the pirate ship. Immediately he grabbed the bottles of alcohol that had been left behind and threw them at the far side of the cargo hold. He pulled out the pre-prepared arrow and using a match lit it before firing it in the bottles direction.
Almost as soon as he released the arrow Kiku quickly fled to the upper deck. It was obvious the others had followed their section of the others because smoke already filled the air and he could see the flames when he reached the upper deck. Before he could flee back to his ship he spotted something moving.
"Kiku-nii! Hurry up! We can't stay here for very long!" Kiku turned to see Kaoru looking at him from the Tanchō.
"I want you to wait a bit longer! I spotted something." Kiku immediately moved toward the moving figure as he heard Kaoru shout something after him. Just as he reached the figure he heard Kaoru shout something else that he didn't catch. Kiku immediately recognized the person he had spotted as he knelt down next to the barely awake figure.
"Captain Kirkland." Kiku murmured as he took off his mask, despite the fact that the mask was shielding him a bit from the smoke that was now filling up the air around him. It looked as though his brother and Ivan had done everything in their power to severely wound him but at the same time to keep him alive.
Nii-san said that everyone on board was going to be killed before the ship was to be burned. Then why did he keep the captain alive?
"What do you want? I can tell my ship is burning. Why are you still here?"
"I am still onboard because there is something I wish to tell you. Do you recognize this amulet captain?" Kiku asked as he pulled out the amulet that he had taken away from Peter without the child's knowledge.
"That amulet… it belonged to my wife… she perished five years ago when the ship she was travelling on was attacked and sunk… why do you have it?"
"It's not what you think. My family and I were returning home after a business trip to the west. We came across a burning passenger ship and my brother's crew began to do everything to try and save anyone that might still have been onboard. While that chaos was occurring I spotted a child floating on a makeshift draft and I rescued him. I found this amulet in his pocket."
"A child? Was it…?" the pirate began coughing as the smoke began to affect him.
"Yes Kiseki, I mean Peter, is alright. He is back home in the Imperial Palace."
"Kiseki… you renamed him…"
"I did. I didn't want my brother to use him in the war that is going on between our families." Kiku began coughing as the smoke started to fill his lungs. I have to go soon but I can't leave him like this. But if I try to take him to the Tanchō brother will find out and he will questionnaire me and I can't put Peter at risk! Without thinking about it Kiku quickly found the small package of medicine that he carried. But before he could administer it to the pirate he was stopped by the weak grasp of the pirate's hand on his arm.
"Don't… I am almost gone anyway… even though… you are part… of his family… I want you to do me a favor…"
"Shh. You shouldn't be speaking…" Kiku said as he took the pirate's hand.
"I… want you to… ensure that my sons… won't fall victim… to the emperor's… wrath… protect them… just like you have protected… Peter… can you… promise… me that…?"
"… I promise." Kiku said as he looked into the pirate's faded green eyes. The pirate smiled at him before his eyes unfocused and his grip loosened. Kiku tightly held onto the pirate's hand as he felt himself on the verge of tears.
You remind me so much of my own father. Putting his children in the protection of a stranger. My father the sea and you… me.
"Kiku-nii! Where are you?"
"I'm coming!" Kiku quickly replied as he closed the pirate's eyes and picked up his mask. He looked up to see the Tanchō closely circling the Regent. He waited until his ship was close enough before he took a running start and leapt onto the Tanchō.
"Are you crazy Kiku-nii?" Kaoru asked as he wrapped Kiku in a blanket and at the same time ordered for the ship to pull away. "You could have suffocated! Why did you stay on board the enemy ship for?" Kaoru waited patiently as Kiku cleared his lungs of the smoke.
"I left something on the deck and it took me a while to find it." Before Kaoru could continue interrogating him they both looked up when one of the crew shouted that another pirate ship was coming their way.
"Orders?" Kaoru asked as Kiku stood up and both of them rushed to see where it was coming from.
"Everyone to your stations! We are attacking it but unlike the Regent we are not going to burn it. We are simply going to capture the ship and try to capture the crew alive. Is that understood?"
"Yes captain!"
"Fire!" Kiku shouted as the approaching pirate ship began its assault. Kiku quickly put his mask back on as the Tanchō turned and headed for the pirate ship. Both ships quickly closed the distance between them and the Tanchō's crew immediately went on the defensive as the enemy crew came aboard. Just as he had commanded his crew was quickly immobilizing the enemy crew and tying them up. He had just brought down someone else when he heard gunshots, accompanied by a shout of "Murderer!"
Almost immediately he began looking around, for he knew that none of his crew possessed those weapons from the west. He quickly moved and spotted Kaoru at the mercy of who looked to be the captain of the Mary Celeste (he had spotted the ship's name when they had gotten close enough).
"I suggest to let him go if you want to remain alive." Kiku interrupted the enemy captain as he pressed a knife at Kaoru's neck. The captain looked up and Kiku quickly noticed the similarities between the person holding Kaoru and the pirate that had died in the burning ship behind them.
"Who are you?" The captain finally asked as he tightened his grip on Kaoru.
"The captain of this ship. And I am going to repeat myself one more time. Let the boy go."
"If that's your wish captain." The pirate sarcastically said as he flung Kaoru away before standing up.
"Who you are and why have you dared to attack my ship?"
"My name is Arthur Kirkland."
"Kirkland?" Aw! So this is one of his sons! I can tell he is mad about the burning ship behind me. Looks like I am going to have to provoke him a little… "Oh I see. You are related to the captain that has recently been annihilated."
"How dare you attack my father you bloody wanker!" Arthur shouted as he attacked Kiku.
"What could you possibly mean by that?" Don't tell him the truth. It's best to keep him at bay for now. "After all I am not alone."
"Do you mean the other two ships?" Arthur asked Kiku dodged and quickly cut him on the shoulder
"Maybe. You never know. After all, jumping to conclusions is quite dangerous. You must get all your information straight before you do something reckless. But if you must know yes I did attack the Regent."
"So you were also the one that set my father's ship on fire?"
So that's what he wants to know? Sorry but you cannot find out to the full extent of what happened here today.
"And if I did what are you going to do about it? After all, what's done is done and there is no use to linger on events that cannot be changed."
"Bastard! I will make sure you pay for what you have done to our family!"
As if I have done anything to your family! But I am the emperor's brother so I guess I do carry some of the blame and blood that has been shed.
"Augh!" I think I might have dislocated his shoulder a bit… hopefully I didn't break it…
"Sorry. Did I break your shoulder? And why should I pay for today's events? Your father received his final judgment today. We have warned him for a very long time to stop his attacks on our ships. He didn't listen so he had to pay fire for fire." Kiku took advantage of Arthur's wounded shoulder to quickly tie him up and he forced him to stand next to him as he shouted commands to his crew. While he was busy ordering his crew around, he heard two other people calling out to him. Turning he spotted Yao and Ivan walking over.
"Oh. You two didn't have to come. I have everything under control here." Kiku spoke in Japanese to Yao who obviously recognized Arthur.
"Why didn't you kill him like we did to his father?" Yao snapped at him in Chinese.
"Yes, why didn't you?" Ivan spoke in Russian as he took Yao's side of the argument.
Great. I am going to have to convince them to not kill them so that I can uphold the promise that I made.
The three of them argued as Kiku tried to convince both of them to spare Arthur and his crew from the fiery inferno that had occurred about an hour ago
"Fine then. If that's your decision." Yao said at last, in English as he looked at Arthur. "But wouldn't it be better if we get rid of this nuisance?"
"Da, it would be. But it's also his choice no?"
"It is. Well then. Finish up quickly. We shall be waiting." Both of them looked at Arthur briefly before they turned and left. Kiku watched them go before giving some more commands to his crew. Kiku almost winced as he heard Arthur quietly complain about the pain in his shoulder. The tied up pirate crew was already onboard the Mary Celeste and Kiku handed Arthur over to some of his men so that they could tie him to the mast. He also spotted Kaoru helping despite the injuries he had sustained.
I am going to have to make sure he rests before he can continue his training.
"Be very glad I have decided to spare your life and the life of your crew. Despite the fact that my companions wished otherwise. I would have agreed with them if you had severely harmed the child. You should be glad he is okay or else you would have joined your father in the fiery inferno. Men, let's go!"
Like I would ever tell any of you the real reason behind my actions
"Don't think that this is over!" Kiku turned and stared at him. "I will hunt you down and make you pay for everything that you have done."
"Then I guess I should look forward to our next meeting, but I will warn you I am not an easy person to catch. Until we meet again… Arthur Kirkland."
And hopefully you won't find me for a while. It's best if you stay away from me Arthur Kirkland. If we cross paths again and if Yao is with me… He won't hesitate to repeat what happened today. But if we do meet again one day… one day… I will reveal everything to you. That is a promise…
Author's Note:
So here is Kiku's version of the events. I hopefully explained (and answered) some of the questions you guys might have.
This chapter did reveal quite a lot of stuff, but I am sure I raised some more questions. ^^;
So like I said before (in Because I Love Him) my college semester has ended so my updating will start to speed up again! Yay!
Xióngmāo:Panda (Chinese)
метель: Blizzard (Russian)
