So I had to write a short story for one of my classes, and I decided to take Hikaru and write more about his story. Hope you enjoy! – A.R.
Hikaru's Story
It was a warm sunny day on Makara, the town of Aquarin was bustling. Business people heading to work and Empire troops heading to their shifts. The troops were usually just guarding the Empire training base located in the middle of the town, but occasionally they'd have to settle uprisings from the people.
The Empire ruled many planets across the galaxy and was taking more by the day. Their main enemy, the resistance, was fighting them any chance they could get. The Emperor's goal of controlling all the planets in the universe was slowly becoming a reality though. Some planets fought hard against the Empire, leading to losses on both sides, but Makara stopped fighting years ago, letting the Empire rule them. It had been pretty peaceful ever since, and that was all many of the younger citizens had ever known. One of those citizens was Hikaru.
Hikaru raced down the stairs and slid into the chair at the table, "Morning."
"Morning," his older brother Tadashi smiled.
"I'm thinking about heading out to the reef tonight. There's a group of us going."
Tadashi's expression turned icy, "It's dangerous for us to be out there. You never know who'll be watching. I can't lose you too."
Hikaru sighed, "It'll be fine. You aren't going to lose me."
Tadashi looked at his brother with worry, "I just wish you'd listen to me. I am your guardian, you know."
"I know, I know," Hikaru answered, sweeping his bangs from his face before filling up a plate of food. "I'm almost an adult though."
"But you aren't one just yet."
Hikaru sighed, "I'm heading to the reef to see my friends. I promise I'll be careful."
Tadashi finished up eating his own food in silence, standing to put his plate in the sink. "I have to get going, my shift starts in ten."
"Be careful."
"I will. I'm just on guard duty again, and you know we rarely ever have attacks around here, at least not any big ones," he ruffled Hikaru's hair. Hikaru nodded at the comment, continuing to eat as his brother left the house. After finishing his own food, he headed down to the docks with his fishing pole. Smelling the fresh salty air, he closed his eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath to enjoy it. He felt the sun on his cheeks, so he grabbed sunscreen from his bag and applied it to prevent being burned. The smells from the sunscreen and the ocean mixed wonderfully around him. They were two of his favorite scents in the world, he thought to himself before casting his line in.
He sat there for hours without a bite, annoyed that he had to fish the hard way. He could easily just get into the water and net up some food, but of course, his brother didn't allow it. He eventually glanced around, checking for anyone else, before reaching into the cool liquid and quickly pulling out a fish. He did it a couple more times before heading home to clean them and start preparing for dinner.
He ate his, enjoying tasting the spices he had added then saved the leftovers for his brother before heading back out toward the beach. He glanced around, making sure no one was watching before he dove into the ocean. Seconds later, his legs started to turn, going from their regular color, to a light blue, before fully becoming a tail. The sunlight beaming through the water made the light blue and purple scales sparkle, and he quickly headed off toward the reef.
Tadashi hid behind a wall in the base, listening to a group of men speaking. The first one spoke, "We'll go out there with nets, catch them all, and then they'll get sent off for research."
Another soon spoke up, "How do you know they'll be at the reef?"
"We have some intel from a trusted source," the first one smirked.
Tadashi's eyes widened before he ran off, heading to the water. He jumped in, his bright red tail appearing before he swam quickly toward his brother's location.
"I'm surprised you showed up," Hikaru smiled, surrounded by a few colorful merpeople.
"We have to go, now!" Tadashi exclaimed before looking at Hikaru's friends who were swimming around, "The Empire is going to attack the reef, they're mermaid hunting."
A wave of panic rushed over Hikaru before he nodded and started swimming toward their home.
Three large boats appeared, traveling out the mile from the shore to the reef.
Soon, a net was flung into the water, Tadashi getting trapped in it. "Run, Hikaru! Get out of here!"
Hikaru turned in shock, trying and failing to save his brother, before swimming downward, deeper into the water. He found one of his hiding spots, a dark hidden underwater cave, and stayed there crying for what felt like hours. When he finally came back up toward the surface, it was dark, so he snuck out of the water and made it back to the house.
He paced in the living room, full of fear, unsure what to do to save his brother. He doubted the merpeople captured would be kept on the planet, so he had to find a way off. The only way he could think of: The Empire.
Looking up at the pictures on the wall, he tried to keep himself calm. He didn't know what he'd do without Tadashi. It had been just the two of them since their parents were taken a few years before, and though they had their fights, Tadashi was his best friend. He ended up falling asleep on the couch, wrapping a blanket around him that faintly smelled like Tadashi.
First thing in the morning, he combed his hair, staring into the mirror with his dark brown eyes. He hoped his plan would work. He headed to the Empire base, meeting with a few soldiers to get signed up to fight.
"Are you old enough? You look twelve," one laughed.
"I'm eighteen," the boy lied, raising his age by two years.
"Well, you're all set," another finished filling out some papers and handed a couple over. "Go here to get your uniform, and then tomorrow morning you'll be sent out with the other new recruits to go to training," he circled a location on the base map.
Hikaru headed home, packing up a few belongings into a small bag. He grabbed a family picture, one with Tadashi and their parents, staring sadly at it for a while before shoving it in.
In the morning, he woke up feeling nervous, unsure what to expect. Tadashi never told him much about his job, so he didn't know what the Empire would be like to work for. He headed to the base, climbed into the transport pod with the other recruits, and was launched into space.
It was the first time he'd been off his planet and he was surprised to see the stars so close. He had no idea where they would be training, but he knew it was a closer step to finding his brother than just staying on Makara.
In a few hours, the pod landed at its destination. Hikaru frowned, not seeing any water sources in sight. He climbed out of the pod, surprised at how hot the planet was. He followed the group along, meeting up with other groups of new recruits. Soon, he was assigned quarters and released for the day.
He wandered the new base, trying to find his way around the large buildings and training areas. Eventually, he made it to the dining hall. He quietly got his food and sat down in a corner, watching the others enter the room. Two slightly older boys approached, one with light brown hair, the other with black hair. They gave him a smile.
"I'm Hiroki," the one with light brown hair introduced. "And this is Hibiki."
"Nice to meet you," Hikaru nodded before introducing himself.
"Where are you from? We're from Sotra."
"Makara," Hikaru answered.
The next while they kept talking, getting to know each other a bit more.
Upon arriving to his quarters, he realized Hibiki and Hiroki were also assigned to the same room. He smiled at them, taking the single bed, as they took the set of bunk beds.
"So why did you join?" Hikaru wondered.
"Everyone on our planet joins when they're old enough," Hiroki answered. "What about you?"
Hikaru shook his head, "It's a long story. I don't really want to talk about it."
Hibiki and Hiroki nodded in understanding.
Over the next few weeks, they trained in different fighting techniques, learning skills that would help them in battle.
They sat around during their free time, playing card games.
Hikaru laughed, "I swear I'm not cheating, how can you guys keep losing?"
There was a sudden knock on their door which pulled them from their fun, "You three are being assigned a mission, you'll get your exact orders in the morning, but you leave at 0800."
Hiroki nodded before closing the door back up. "I wonder where we are going?"
"Hopefully somewhere that isn't as hot," Hibiki spoke up from in front of a fan.
Hikaru laid back on his bed, staring at the ceiling and hoping that wherever it was they were going was closer to Tadashi.
Come morning, they received their orders, climbing into a pod and heading off. Soon though, they were being fired upon.
"What's happening?" Hikaru asked their team leader.
"Looks like a resistance fighter," Hiroki answered as he tried to maneuver the pod from being hit.
The pod rocked violently as it took a hit. "We've lost engine power," Hibiki informed.
"Buckle in and prepare for a crash landing," Hiroki ordered.
Hikaru pushed himself back into the seat, buckling the straps around him as he stared out the window, unsure if they'd make it through the crash.
Soon, another hit struck, and the lights went dark. They tumbled through space, approaching a nearby planet. Hikaru was thrown about in his seat, hitting his head hard on the headrest. The ship finally hit the surface, and he realized they were still moving. He tried to make sense of it as he looked out the window. He then noticed they were sinking in the water. He checked his head and noticed his hair was starting to get matted with blood. He shook his head, working on getting to Hiroki and Hibiki and getting them freed. Both men were in their seats unconscious. Water started slowly seeping in, and he quickly pushed the hatch open and grabbed them as the water rushed into the pod making it sink faster. His tail appeared and he swam upward, trying to get his friends to the air. He struggled to keep them both upright in the water, pulling one by each arm. He had trouble trying to swim with them but finally found an empty beach. He pushed them onto the sand, listening to their breathing to make sure they hadn't inhaled too much water. He was so focused on helping them, he didn't realize his tail was still showing.
Soon, Hiroki started to blink his eyes open, coughing quickly. He glanced around and stared in shock at Hikaru. "You're a mermaid?"
"Merman, actually," Hikaru said nervously before turning his legs back to normal. "Please don't tell them. They'll take me away, just like him."
"Him?" Hiroki looked at the merman in confusion.
"My brother. That's why I really joined, was to look for him. The Empire kidnapped him."
Hiroki nodded in understanding as he moved to check Hibiki. "We don't have issues with non-humans, so we won't tell anyone. Just be careful."
"We landed in the water, I had to get you guys out quickly," Hikaru informed.
"Thanks."
Hibiki groaned as he started to move.
"Good to see you're with us," Hiroki spoke.
Hibiki's eyes fluttered open and he nodded, "What happened?"
"Hikaru saved us."
Hikaru stood, looking around, "What do we do now?"
"Let's figure out where we are. If there's an Empire base, we can get help there."
They walked for a few miles, finally spotting a large building in the distance. They approached, finally giving sighs of relief when they saw Empire troops protecting it.
They entered slowly, unsure what they were getting themselves into.
Hikaru gave a small smile when he realized they were in a research center, "How lucky are we to have landed here?"
"I'd rather have not crashed," Hibiki shook his head.
Blending in with the other guards as they made their way through the building. They walked long hallways, passing multiple rooms on both sides, glancing into them in search for Tadashi.
Finally, they came to a large room, a clear, giant pool in the center. Hikaru looked in, seeing a few mermaids tied up. He growled, looking up at the scientist in the room. Glancing back at his teammates, he sighed, going back to their sides.
"He's not here."
"You might not like it, but he might be gone already," Hiroki said sadly.
Hikaru shook his head, "He can't be…"
Hibiki put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "We might be able to find something in the computer systems under his name. They might have moved him to a different facility or a different room?"
Hikaru nodded, heading out to one of the other rooms. He went to a computer console and started it up, searching by name first. After nothing came up, he typed in 'Merpeople' to see what would show. His face turned red with rage as he found them listed by numbers.
"They don't even have them named, they've degraded them to animal status."
"It's the Empire, what do you expect?" Hiroki sighed. "They look down on non-humans."
"How can you stand to work for them?"
"It's either join them or die, and maybe I'm just a coward but I'd rather not die."
Hibiki nodded, "If we're describing it like that, then I'm a coward."
"I only joined to find my brother. How can anyone seriously support this type of treatment of other living beings?"
Hikaru sighed and started through the information. Hiroki kept guard, but luckily no one came by to question what they were doing. Hikaru scrolled through each number, growing sicker by the minute as he saw before and after pictures. The before pictures were normal, mermaids and mermen bound up. The after were all different, some cut open for dissections, some covered in bruises and beaten.
Hikaru searched through a couple hundred, finally coming to 233. He gasped when he saw his brother tied up, chained to the side of the pool. He braced himself for the after pictures, finally clicking the button to look. Tadashi surprisingly looked normal, like he was fast asleep. He read into the file, finding that they tested a few different poisons on him.
Hikaru's eyes filled with tears before he started to sob, "He's gone."
"I'm sorry," Hibiki came to his side.
"Someday, we'll shut this place down. And all the places like it. But for now, we need to get out of here," Hiroki decided.
Hikaru nodded slowly, trying to calm his breathing.
He wanted to attack the scientists, and shut the place down now, but he knew they were outnumbered. They headed back out to their transport ship, setting course for the training base they had originally flown out from. They never actually finished their mission, but at least Hikaru now had answers.
"I promise, as long as we're a team, we'll fight to avenge your brother," Hiroki spoke once he set the ship to autopilot.
"Thanks," Hikaru said sadly as he thought of home. "I guess nothing will be the same now, will it?"
"You might not have your real family, but you have us. You aren't alone," Hibiki assured.
"And we're going to fight for peace. No longer will we be cowards. But we must be smart about it. I've heard rumors of a peace movement starting up in both the Empire and resistance. Maybe we'll be able to find some of them soon," Hiroki informed.
Hikaru nodded, starting to daydream about what a peaceful universe would look like.
One Year Later:
The Empire was taken over by a new Empress, Andy, who was kind and wanted peace for the universe. She took out her father to take control and tried to lead the Empire in a new way. However, most of the Empire did not approve of her choices. Finally, after a bigger threat came against both the resistance and the Empire, the two sides decided to work together for the time being.
Andy visited the training base where Hikaru and his friends were located, looking for a team to take with her as they fought their new enemy. She met them and instantly clicked, especially after finally learning they wanted peace between both sides as well, so they joined up with her crew who was made of a mix of both non-humans and humans.
Hikaru opened the door to his room when he heard a knock.
"There's a research facility being attacked," General Akasa informed. "The Empress wants you to go."
"The H team is ready to go," Akasa smiled at Andy when they got down to the transport bay.
"H team?" Andy raised an eyebrow.
"Because our names all start with H," Hiroki grinned. "Easier than having to say all of our names, right?"
Andy nodded in agreement and waited for her husband Kiba.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Kiba slid into the pilot's seat. "I was trying to see if I could pick up anything abnormal in the readings." He quickly keyed the launch sequence.
"So where are we heading exactly?" Hiroki wondered.
"An Empire research facility on Manitou." Andy answered, "We are receiving a distress signal.
Hikaru growled but didn't say anything. Hiroki put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.
Andy raised an eyebrow at them but didn't question it.
Kiba launched, setting the autopilot and swiveling in his chair. "My instincts are telling me this is a trap. There were no signs of the energy left behind after one of Thana's attacks."
"So be careful and keep your eyes wide," Andy ordered.
Kiba sighed. "Stick together unless absolutely necessary. If this is a trap, two fighting at once is better odds. I'll stay here in the transport in case we need a fast getaway."
Andy nodded, "Just comm every few minutes so I know you're okay."
He sent her a grin. "Yes ma'am."
"How many energy signatures did you see when you did the scan?"
"Seven. Now, there could be bodies. But this research facility is a black bag place. No intel on how many people there are supposed to be."
Andy watched as it got closer, hoping they'd all make it out safe.
Kiba swiveled his chair back around, keying for landing. As soon as they'd settled, he opened the hatch and kissed Andy, "Good luck. Stay safe."
Andy nodded and looked at the others before leading them out. She soon found herself in an empty hallway, then wandering down the different halls.
They glanced in each room, not finding anyone. At one point something caught Hikaru's eye, "Let's see if these rooms have any intel inside?"
Andy nodded and went in the room he was looking at. She got on the computer and found a map of the building while the others looked around.
Hikaru scowled at the shiny objects.
"What are they?" Andy looked over and asked.
"Scales from a merperson," Hikaru answered. "They have a large water room here where they perform tests on different sea animals or merpeople. They like them for the scales because they can sell for quite a bit."
Hiroki and Hibiki gave him worried looks before continuing to look through the papers on the table.
Andy memorized the map before turning back to the others, "Let's check out the water room."
She went back into the hall, making sure the others were behind her before leading the way.
Walking in, they noticed a giant clear pool in the middle of the room.
A white coated scientist turned with a smile. "Empress! You actually came…"
"Are you the one that sent the signal?"
He nodded vigorously. "Yes. Wasn't sure if it would be enough to get you here though." The scientist looked over at another door with a smirk.
Two large teams of troops ran in, quickly surrounding Andy and the team.
Kiba's alarmed voice shouted over the comm. "Andy, there are a lot of life signs near you. What the hell is going on?"
Andy looked at the scientist with anger in her eyes, "What do you want?"
"This truce between the Empire and resistance is an offense to every honorable member of the Empire. Teaming up with you, a worthless Empress? Unforgivable."
The troops quickly disarmed her and the H team, keeping their laser rifles aimed at their heads.
"Andy!" There was a sudden scuffle heard from the comm, then silence.
"So, what's your plan? Just kill us?"
The scientist laughed. "Yes. Well, maybe keep him alive for science's sake," He leered at Hikaru.
Hikaru's eyes widened before he growled, "You're the one who took my brother, weren't you?"
The man's eyes glinted. "Oh yes. Pity he didn't last very long. Wonder if you will?"
He glared at the scientist but stayed quiet.
Hiroki spoke up, "We won't let you have him!"
"Look around, my dear boy. You are outnumbered. You can't stop me from taking him any more than you can stop me from killing this one."
He turned to show them a limp Kiba being carried in on the far side of the room. The troops lay him down, beginning to attach weights to his feet.
Andy's eyes widened before they started to glow, beginning to drain the energy of near her with her powers.
The scientist laughed. "I made sure we were prepared for you, Empress. Personal shields." He nodded to the others, who picked Kiba up and threw him into the pool.
Andy pushed the soldiers, trying to get to the pool.
Kiba quickly began sinking towards the dark bottom.
The scientist kept laughing at Andy.
Hikaru rushed around and jumped into the pool, starting to swim to the bottom. Soon, his legs turned into a beautiful large purple and blue tail.
Andy watched for a moment before using the opportunity to grab a weapon from one of the soldiers and starting to shoot.
The scientist's laughing was cut off as the laser burned a hole in his throat. He dropped to the floor, dead.
The rest of the team started grabbing weapons, quickly taking down the other soldiers.
Hikaru pulled the weights off Kiba before dragging him to the surface. Andy rushed to them, pulling Kiba out and starting to check his vitals.
His pulse was weak, his breaths wheezy. A needle mark was visible on his neck.
She spent time trying to get his breathing back to normal, getting the water from his lungs.
He began to cough, instinctively curling onto his side. "A-Andy?"
"Hey, everything is okay."
His eyes cracked open. "What happened?" He fought to stop the coughing, lungs burning.
"You almost drowned."
"Knew this was a trap." He growled angrily. He pushed himself up, finally getting his breathing under control. "We need to leave."
Andy nodded, "I think we got rid of everyone. We might want to try to find more intel before we leave?"
He closed his eyes briefly, then nodded. "Okay. But be careful. Who knows the extent of this trap?" He winced at the dual throbs of his head and chest.
"Hibiki, get Kiba back to the ship. Hiroki go see what you can find about these personal shields."
The two nodded. Hiroki knelt by the dead bodies, trying to find what the shields looked like.
Hibiki held a hand out to Kiba to try to help him up.
Kiba blinked for a minute, then took it. He swayed as he was pulled to his feet.
"Are you sure you can walk?" Hibiki wondered.
"Do I have a choice?" Kiba scowled, hoping the room would stop spinning. "Those jerks stuck me with a needle, then dumped me in a pool. I'm surprised I'm alive right now."
"You can thank Hikaru for that," Andy spoke, still kneeling by the pool. Hikaru was leaning on the edge, still mostly submerged.
"Remind me to buy you a beer when we get back." Kiba chuckled. He finally nodded to Hibiki and headed for the door slowly.
Andy looked at Hikaru, "Why didn't you tell us you were a merman? You know we don't care."
"Like I said, scales sell for a lot. I like to be careful about who knows. Hiroki and Hibiki knew, they helped me hide during school."
Andy nodded, "So what happened to your brother?"
Hikaru looked up at her with sadness in his eyes, "The Empire took him on a raid against merpeople. That's another reason I hide, not everyone in the Empire is understanding."
Andy gave a soft smile, "Well you're safe with us. And you'll love the beaches of my home, Eshana, whenever we visit next."
"Lots of dolphins, right?"
Andy nodded again, "Tons. They're great. I really miss it."
"I know what you mean," he pulled himself out of the water, flicking the water from his tail.
"Do you want to see if they have information about your brother or other merpeople?"
He shook his head, "No. Might go get those scales though."
Twenty minutes later, they all arrived back on the transport.
Kiba lay unconscious in the back, Hibiki monitoring him.
Andy scanned him over, making sure he was okay before launching.
Hikaru smiled as he watched her, knowing she would find a way to bring peace to the universe, just like she brought him the peace he'd been wanting.