Previously on The Pirate King's Son:
The man appeared once more.
Ace clutched Kaiya and flinched back as his unshaven face appeared inches away.
"Who are you?" The man's voice was a deep growl.
Ace couldn't push away the images that flashed in his head. The way he tore apart their attacker from yesterday… the wreckage left of the coyote pack… and the headless beast that lay behind them… Ace was shaking but he kept his gaze steady.
He was surprised when Kaiya spoke.
"My name is Jaeger D. Kaiya." Her voice came out much stronger than she thought it would. She had even surprised herself. She slipped out of Ace's grasp and stood to her full height, though she was a dwarf compared to the man. He was over twice her height, but that didn't stop her from glaring at him. Ace felt a simultaneous rush of pride and fear as something extremely uncharacteristic escaped the girl's lips. "Who the hell are you?"
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The Pirate King's Son
Chapter 27: The Paper Man Pt. II
The man squatted down so he could look Kaiya in the face. Ace couldn't see her expression. There was a dark look on the man's unshaven face. Ace could feel his entire body clench up in anticipation. He was moments away from trying to make a quick move, ready to rip her away from the stranger, when the man spoke.
"That's not very ladylike," he said with a frown. "A girl your age shouldn't talk like that. People might think you have poor manners."
What sounded like a soft cough escaped Kaiya's lips. For some reason, the man's reaction caused Ace to snort in amusement.
"You didn't answer my question," Kaiya said. There was an edge to her voice. Ace didn't have to see her face to know she was irritated.
"My name is Kimimaru," he said simply. "Maru for short."
"You're wanted," Kaiya said harshly, her eyes narrowed. She cocked her head to the side slightly. "Are you a pirate?"
A pause and then, "No," he said. "I'm not." Ace frowned. The man didn't seem to be lying but… but he still didn't trust him.
"Why do you have a bounty?" Kaiya asked. The man blinked but otherwise made no movement, no indication of hearing, and showed no signs of an intent to answer.
An icy gust of wind made the children shiver simultaneously. The man gave a long, hard look at both of the children's faces before his head dissolved first and his body slowly began to drift away.
Kaiya managed to get out a "Hey, wait!" before the man spoke. His voice seemed to echo the trees as he circled them in the form of countless rustling pieces in the wind.
"Come to the cabin," he said all around them. "I'll answer your questions there." Ace barely caught the swirl of white rising up and up before the pieces all seemed to go in different directions.
Without missing a beat, Kaiya took a step uphill towards the cabin. Ace grabbed her arm and hissed, "What the hell are you doing?"
"I told you," Kaiya said firmly, "I want to-" She gasped and moved a bare hand to her side. A groan interrupted her sentence and Ace's eyes widened when he saw her jacket. It had been slashed through and he could see her dark skin mingled with red. There was a stain slowly spreading on her light cream colored coat.
Ace cursed under his breath. "We gotta do somethin' about this," he said. He clenched his jaw and looked up at the stack of smoke. He didn't like that guy at all but… Kaiya's mouth was pulled down at the corners. She was shaking. It was too cold to stay out for long. He could figure something out that didn't require some stranger's help.
"Hang on," Ace told her quickly, "I'll- I'll start a fire and dig out a shelter. We don't need his h-" Ace accidentally let a hiss slip out as his sleeve scraped across his own fresh wound. The animal's jaw had almost taken his good arm off. Ace had wounds stretching from his elbow to his wrist, and his right coat sleeve was in ribbons.
At this rate, neither of them would survive for long. A winter blast lifted snowflakes and sent shivers down both of the children's spines.
"We have to go to the cabin," Kaiya told him, "It's our best bet."
"That guy's a murderer," Ace hissed. "They have 'the Killer' right on his wanted poster!"
"He could have killed us just now and he didn't!" Kaiya told him. "I came all this way to find him, Ace, I'm not turning around now."
Ace straightened up. He was face to face with Kaiya and he could see earnest passion burning in her eyes. She had her mind set on something and something told her she didn't seem to care what he thought. He huffed in frustration.
"Get your bow," Ace snapped at her. "And don't let your guard down."
Kimimaru smirked as he watched from atop a nearby tree. He took a step off the ledge and began to plummet. His body quickly deteriorated to a flurry of white. He grabbed the fallen glove, the two weapons, and both the children, quickly rushing uphill so he didn't lose his momentum.
Kaiya shrieked as she felt her weight taken by the flurry. The sound of rustling paper filled her ears. She would have resisted more had it not been for the stabbing pain in her side.
"W-what's happening?!" Kaiya asked nervously. Ace was too busy struggling to answer, but paper pieces had taken ahold of his pants, his coat and he was flying through the air. Ace even tried to rip the bits of white off but they simply circled him and reattached elsewhere.
"Here we are," Kimimaru said as he materialized, holding both of the children up from their hoods. The man appeared between the children and he gently placed them on their feet. Unfortunately, he only had two hands so their weapons fell into the snow for them to pick up. The trip uphill had taken less than a minute… and they were standing in front of the cabin's entrance.
Kimimaru kicked the snow off his boots before opening the door and stepping into the cabin. Kaiya and Ace shared a look. She was next to step in. Ace warily looked around the woods one last time. It hadn't snowed at all. Their footprints should have been easy to track… but he hadn't seen or heard any sign of the bandits. He swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly shut the door to the small cabin.
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"Take a seat," Kimimaru said lightly. He had already shed his thick gear and was busying himself around the cabin. The kids shot each other a look, both wondering if they should obey this stranger's orders.
"Why would you help us?" Ace asked, taking a step forward. He aimed his pipe at the stranger once more. Nevermind the fact his right arm had scratches running half way down them. Ace swallowed and firmly held his ground. He was the only thing standing between Kaiya and this creep.
"It'd be shameful," the man said simply, "to turn your back on someone who needs help."
The pipe in Ace's hand slackened for just a moment.
"We didn't need your help," Ace spat. Kaiya would have snorted or rolled her eyes had the situation been different.
"You do now, though," Kimimaru said in a low voice. His eyes moved past Ace. "Don't you?"
Ace turned and looked at Kaiya. She was leaning against the wall with her hands clasped at her sides. He felt the blood drain from his face. Her clothes and hands were stained with red. The cream colored coat she wore was shredded.
She'd been silent. There was a large crease between her eyebrows and her eyes were slow to look back at Ace's. He let curses slip between his lips. His pipe clattered to the wooden floor when he rushed towards her.
"I can help you," Kimimaru offered, "if you trust me."
Kaiya's eyes didn't even look at the man. They were boring right into Ace. He could feel her trying to probe his mind, trying to find the answer to the question she didn't speak. Should we?
Ace was gritting his teeth. She was putting her faith in him right now, trusting his judgement over hers. He sure as hell didn't want to trust this guy but… Kaiya was biting her lip from the pain but it was still shaking. He could see liquid swimming in her eyes but she hadn't yet spilled a single tear from the wound. If this guy did anything to Kaiya… would Ace be able to help her? This guy was crazy fast. If it came down to it… did Ace stand any chance of being able to protect her?
Honestly, he didn't know, and that scared him. Ace could handle common thugs and many of the wild animals that roamed the island but this was a fully grown man they were talking about. A guy who was probably from the Grand Line. A man who'd already killed on three different occasions in the last two days. His bounty was higher than Ace could count (well, he probably could have counted but he was too lazy at the time) and he could move faster than Ace could blink.
But this guy, this Kimimaru, said he could help her.
Time was ticking and Ace had to make a decision. Trust this guy and hope for the best… or… Kaiya gasped as she tried to stand up straight. Ace's hands shot out to steady her. He supported her weight as she took a few steps forward. She was eyeing the man up and down, too, no doubt trying to figure out whatever she could. Ace was half expecting them to glow, expecting them to suck the guy in like a black hole, but they never did. Her eyes were half-lidded and tired.
She wasn't going to last long, not like this. Ace had to take the risk with this guy… for her sake. He couldn't think about the alternative right now.
"Why should we trust you?" Ace asked Kimimaru.
"I'm from the Drum Kingdom," he said. Kaiya gasped.
"You're a doctor," she said. Ace raised a brow and looked at her like she was crazy. How she'd come up with that idea, he didn't know. The man looked much more like a hobo than a doctor. Much to his surprise, the man laughed.
"No," he said, "but I've been around many. My parents were doctors. I can help you."
Kimimaru took a step forward; Kaiya quickly took a step back. Ace was still half-holding onto her. She tensed up in pain. She was shaking.
"I don't want your help," she said, "until you tell me who you are."
"I already told you my name," he said.
"Kimimaru the not doctor from Drum," Kaiya said, her eyes never leaving the man's, "isn't enough information for me to trust you."
"Little girl," he growled, taking another step forward, "if you don't get treated you will bleed out and die."
"Well then," Kaiya said, trying her best to keep her voice steady, "I hope you talk fast." Ace felt her grip tighten on his left arm. It was actually starting to hurt, but he wasn't gonna say somethin' and risk sounding like a bitch about it. She was getting better at keeping her voice steady, but he could still feel her shivering. "I'm not letting a stranger touch me."
Ace swallowed and nervously looked down at her wounds. They looked pretty gnarly He was both irritated at her stubbornness and… a little impressed.
"Alright," the man said with a nod. "Tell me what you want to know."
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Ace helped Kaiya sit on the bed. Kimimaru bustled around the small cabin, readying what appeared to be medical equipment as Kaiya kept pressure on her wound and pounded him with questions.
"How did you do that back there? Disappear into thin air?"
"I'm a paper man," he told her. "I ate the Sawa Sawa no Mi."
"Sawa like… the sound of rustling paper," Kaiya said. The man nodded. Ace eyed her warily. He'd always thought the Devil Fruit myths were always just… well, something seemed to exist in the Grand Line. You didn't see power holders here in the East Blue. Not really.
"Well then, Mr. Paper Man, if you're not a pirate and you're not a doctor," she said, "then what do you do for a living?"
The man was running water at the moment. Unfortunately, Ace could only see his back when he answered, "I killed people."
Yeah, that didn't send a shiver down his spine. No, must have just been a breeze that entered the cabin or something. Ace swallowed and kept his eyes trained on the middle of the man's shirt.
"You said that in past tense," Kaiya said. Ace gave her a side glance. He'd seen the bandits question people before but their version was… much rougher. Kaiya didn't seem like the "beat the info out of 'em" type of girl. If it was information she wanted, though, this was a weird way to go about it.
"I was a mercenary for hie. Pirates, travelers, merchants, and the military all used to call me when they needed to get rid of someone fast," Kimimaru answered, "or when they needed someone to publicly take the blame for something." The faucet squeaked as the man turned off the water. "But that was fine… whatever bounty I had acquired, the military would pay me a good percentage of however much it had increased." Ace watched him lean over the counter. "I was good at what I did," he said, "I lived rather comfortably thanks to my contracts."
"What changed?" Kaiya asked.
"...there was a man I couldn't kill."
Ace shot a nervous glance Kaiya's way. Her face was focused, thinking… but oddly unafraid. Kimimaru turned towards them with a bowl in his hands.
Kaiya asked, "Because he was too strong?"
Kimimaru gave a bitter grin. "No," he said, "I could have beaten him easily… if he hadn't been my friend."
"You refused to hurt a friend and they put a big bounty on you," Kaiya guessed. Ace turned his head to look at her. She still had both hands clasped at her side. Her face was stern and serious as she looked at the man. He gave a low chuckle.
"You're a smart little girl," he murmured quietly. Kimimaru put the bowl down on a tray that had various tools on it. He pulled a chair and side table up to the bed so he could face Kaiya. "You've got a pretty serious wound there." His voice was low and earnest sounding. Ace frowned at him. He kept both eyes on the man, just in case he pulled a fast one. "You need to let me look at it."
"I still have questions," she said.
"I'll answer them later," Kimimaru said. "Right now we don't have time."
Kaiya gulped. Her eyes met Ace and he gave her a single, solemn nod. He almost offered to do it himself… but Ace didn't have steady hands. Cleaning a scrape and putting a bandage on her was one thing but the idea of having to stitch her up, well, that scared the shit out of him.
"Okay," she said a bit unsurely. Her eyes went to the floor and she murmured, "Only because you're from Drum."
"I'm surprised you know that island," Kimimaru said. His right eyebrow quirked upward.
"My dad was from Drum," Kaiya said. "My grandparents were doctors." The man's eyebrows pulled together for a moment in thought before they relaxed.
"I see," he said. Kimimaru nodded towards Kaiya. "You'll need to take all your top layers off." He quickly stood and turned away. "Let me know when you're ready."
Ace looked at Kaiya. She looked like she was going to be sick. Her eyes were focused on the floor. She crossed her arms in front of her in a weird way and grabbed onto the bottom of her shirt before she noticed Ace.
"Turn around," she snapped. He blushed but quickly did so.
"Hey," Ace said in a low voice. He started turning his head towards her but quickly caught himself. "What's Drum?"
"Drum Island," Kaiya said matter-of-factly, "has the best doctors in Paradise. Maybe even the world." Ace had his arms crossed and his back towards Kaiya. "It's a medical powerhouse in the Grand Line. My dad was just a musician but he always knew what to do when any of us got hurt."
Ace made sure to store the information for later. He turned his head to make sure Kimimaru wasn't sneaking any peeks at Kaiya. The man had his back turned and his arms crossed. He didn't even tap a finger as he waited. He was like a statue.
Kaiya cried out in pain. Ace instinctively whipped around… then he turned beet red.
He was thankful Kaiya had also chosen to turn away from him. She was trying to take off a tank top and the long sleeve shirt she wore as base layers. Her arms were locked about shoulder height. His eyes trailed downward, skimming over what seemed like a sea of brown skin when he saw it.
Half of her wound was exposed. There were three claw marks total, pink and red layers visible beneath her brown skin. Right in the middle mark, a piece of her white tank top had torn. The now-pink cloth was sandwiched between the wound.
"Ace," she said through clenched teeth, "I. Need. Help."
"...okay," he muttered. It didn't make sense. Bumps and bruises, scrapes and scratches, those were his life. He'd been hunting and trapping since he was three. Killing animals since he was a little kid. He was no stranger to blood and guts and gore. Why did this make him feel so nauseous?
It was in that same moment Ace realized he'd never taken off a girl's shirt before. Tch. No, that was stupid. That couldn't have been it. Ace looked at her hands holding the bottom hem of her shirt. No wonder she'd gotten stuck. He lifted his shirts up by grabbing it at the back, right at the nape of his neck and pulling. It was the easiest way to do it. Her way was weird and overly complicated… but he supposed it was just because she was a girl. That's how they were.
The tank top she wore was previously white, but there was now a rusty looking stain where the cloth met the gash. He warily eyed the cloth stuck between her broken skin. Just looking at it made him want to shiver.
"This is gonna fuckin' hurt," he warned.
"Then make it quick," Kaiya told him angrily.
Well, okay, he thought. Ace yanked. Kaiya cried out as the embedded fabric irritated the wounds. Her eyes flooded instantly. Her top teeth clamped down on her lip. The tears spilled over her cheeks and she took a big sniffle. She still had her back to him.
Ace watched her bow into herself and take a few shaky breaths. He looked down at the bloodied cloth in his hand. It was so warm. She started crying and he instantly felt like a big, steaming pile of shit… but it had to be done.
"Th-thank you," she said weakly.
"Uh, yeah," he said emotionlessly, dropping her shirt to the floor. "No problem."
Kaiya grabbed the single pillow that rested on the bed and brought it to her chest. Ace probably should have been looking away but etiquette wasn't something he thought about on a regular basis. Besides, he wasn't really peeking at anything, anyway.
He was too busy taking in how tightly she squeezed her arms, how her fingernails dug into her tender flesh. He could see her sway slightly, as if she were about to fall. His arms instinctively reached out but she steadied herself. Kaiya laid down on her side and clutched the pillow tight. She faced the wall with her open wound facing the ceiling. Easiest access for whatever treatment Kimimaru had to do. Her legs were pulled up slightly, allowing Ace to sit in the same spot. Her body was still shaking but her voice was still.
"I'm ready," she told Kimimaru.
The man had been still as a statue while he waited. "Kid," he said to Ace, "it'd be easier if you stood at the foot of the bed."
"No." It was Kaiya who spoke. Ace could see the pillow clutched to her body like it was a lifeline. She was glaring at the wall. Her frame was shaking, whether from the cold or the pain, he didn't know. Ace crossed his arms and turned to glare at Kimimaru.
"I'm not goin' anywhere, old man," Ace said firmly, his eyes boring into Kimimaru's. The man held his gaze for just a moment before he nodded his head. He didn't look very old at all, actually, compared to Garp and Ryoku. Most adults got ticked off when Ace called them that but Maru didn't even acknowledge it.
"Very well, then."
Ace stared as the man pulled up a seat. If the guy made a single move Ace didn't like… he might have to kill him. Ace swallowed. The whole situation put him on edge. He eyed the tweezers shining in the firelight. Kimimaru had pulled his hair back into a low ponytail but a few wavy strays stuck out. He had a cloth on his shoulder and a bowl of water in each hand. The man slowly dipped the cloth in a bowl of water.
"Are you cold?" Kimimaru asked Kaiya in a low voice.
"No," she responded dully. Ace watched the clean water as it was wrung out of the cloth. There was something soothing and simultaneously unsettling about watching that clear liquid drip from the man's fingers. Perhaps it was the knowledge that was the only time it would look that clean.
"Is it the pain?"
Kaiya clutched the pillow tighter to her chest. She gasped sharply as he began to clean the area around the wound. Ace watched her face sink into the pillow for a moment as Kimimaru observed the wound.
"No," she said after the pain had subsided. Another wring. Another sweep of the cloth on her skin. She repeated her actions as well: clutching the cloth, fighting tears with a frown. "I just don't like my back," Kaiya said quietly.
Kimimaru eyes flickered to the girl's face but he didn't respond. He was silent as he worked. It was quiet in the cabin, aside from the sound of the fire crackling and the wind moaning outside.
Ace had seen Kaiya's back once before, briefly, during a cold and very embarrassing bathing experience. He remembered thinking her burn marks stuck out like bays and peninsulas on a map. Her skin was raised here, dipped there, and some areas were lighter where others had darkened.
He thought it was pretty cool, actually. It was way bigger than any injury he'd ever gotten. He and Sabo liked to compare scars with other kids from the Grey Terminal. Ace always won. Kaiya's scar, though… damn. She really had him beat. He'd really have to do something crazy to top that. Like get shot or something...
Kaiya whimpered and Ace was brought back to the present. He kept his guard up as the man tended to Kaiya's wounds. Kimimaru remained silent and stoic. Kaiya sniffled, hissed, and tried her best to hold back groans of pain. Ace watched her squeeze her eyes shut every time the cloth dragged against her skin.
"They say scars on the back are shameful," Kaiya said to no one in particular.
Kimimaru's eyes hardened. The man squeezed the red soaked rag above one bowl. Ace watched the dark red stain the water pink. "That's what swordsmen believe," the man said, "because a cut on your back means you turned away from an enemy, away from a fight."
Kaiya didn't respond right away.
"How old are you?" he asked her.
A pause then, "I just turned eight."
"Are you a swordsman?" Kimimaru asked her gently.
"No."
"Then you shouldn't feel any shame in this scar," he told her. "Fire can be wild, unpredictable," he said. "It makes sense you'd turn away from it."
"It's ugly," Kaiya said bitterly. "When I'm bigger I'm gonna get rid of it."
Ace snorted. "You can't get rid of scars, dumbass," he said. "It's impossible."
"Nothing's impossible," Kimimaru said. "If you ever did find a way to heal this… I hope you don't."
"Why not?" Kaiya asked.
"Scars tell stories," Kimimaru said. "It means you've lived through pain."
Ace had to admit, the guy had a point there. The traveler's skin was covered with wrappings beneath his layers. He wondered how many scars the killer must have hidden. Kaiya cried out suddenly as he touched the cloth to her skin once more. This one was louder than the others. Ace had instinctively leaned forward. He raised his left fist up, ready to deck Kimimaru right in the face for hurting her. The man looked his way for just a moment, almost as if he'd read Ace's thoughts
"What the hell?!" Ace asked.
"It was unintentional," Kimimaru told Ace calmly. The boy stiffened up and crossed his arms.
"Don't let it happen again," he muttered. The man took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
"The wound isn't terribly deep," Kimimaru said, looking down at Kaiya once more, "but that coyote scratched you good. This will be painful."
"It already is," Kaiya told him dully.
"I meant the stitches," Kimimaru said.
"Stitches?!" Her voice came out high and loud. She shot up in surprise but ended up collapsing back onto the bed. Ace scratched the inside of one ear. He had a clear view of her scratch marks. He could see the different layers of pinks and reds. It was pretty gnarly looking… it definitely needed to get closed up.
Ace dug his nails into his forearm. The scenario replayed in his head. He had been dragging her away from the coyote before it jumped. He'd underestimated how fast the big beast was. If she hadn't slipped out of his grasp back there… No, if he'd just held on tighter in the first place, this wouldn't have happened…
"We don't have anesthesia," Kimimaru continued, "but I could quickly knock you out to make it easier."
"No," Kaiya said quickly. Ace saw her clutch the pillow even tighter to her chest. His eyebrows pulled downward at a sharp angle.
Kimimaru shook his head. "Little girl," he said.
"My name is Kaiya," she said sharply.
Kimimaru spoke slowly. "Kaiya, you don't want be awake while I do this."
"If I pass out, fine," she said through her teeth. "It'll go by faster." Kaiya was staring at the wall with a hard expression in her eyes. Ace was clenching his fists so hard they were beginning to ache.
"No," Kimimaru said firmly. "I'll be sticking a needle through your skin," he told her. "Repeatedly." Kaiya was getting angry now. She was young but she wasn't a dummy. She knew what stitches were.
"You can cauterize it, can't you? It'd be faster."
A vein appeared in Ace's forehead as he thought. He was trying to place the word. Cauterize. Cauterize… It seemed so familiar but he couldn't quite remember what it meant until Kimimaru spoke.
"We're not burning it shut," he told Kaiya.
Ace's jaw dropped slightly at the suggestion. Kimimaru had finished cleaning the wound and Ace could more clearly see the gashes in her skin.
"Cauterization would cause more harm than good," he told her. "Heat will cause unnecessary damage tissue damage and it could still get infected. Stitches will actually allow the skin to heal."
Ace let out a breath. The wounds were still bleeding.
"So stitches it is," Kaiya said. "And I'm staying awake." Her voice had lost all emotion save for the burning determination Ace could see in her eyes. A slight pause and Kimimaru nodded. He could sense her resolve as well.
"Stitches it is."
Kimimaru quickly began to bustle around the cabin once more, retrieving fishing line and some stuff out of a medical box by the sink.
"Hey," Ace said to Kaiya. "You sure about this?"
"No," was the small reply. She was still shaking. Ace sighed. He'd already taken off his winter coat. It was actually pretty stuffy in the little cabin.
"Here." Ace slid off another layer. It was a green cardigan Dadan had given him. It was a little too large but it was made of thick material. It did a good job keeping him warm today. Ace placed the sweater over Kaiya's bare arms like a blanket. He had to fold it under a bit to make sure it didn't touch the wound.
It took a moment but her shivering finally stopped. Kimimaru came and sat down again. He had hooked a fishing line to a big ass needle that curved inward.
"You ready?" Kimimaru asked the girl solemnly.
Her eyes shifted sideways so she could look at Ace. Her voice was tiny and unsure.
"Will you hold my hand?" Kaiya asked him nervously. Ace's eyes widened slightly, but he recovered. Her lip was quivering in that… pathetic, baby-ish way. She had his sweater clenched between her fingers. Her eyes were watery as she stared up at him.
Ace scratched the nape of his neck. He could feel his neck grow hot. He had to clear his throat to utter the single-syllable response.
"Yeah."
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These kids were something else.
Kimimaru wiped his brow. He was a third of the way done. The first set of stitches turned out… okay. They definitely weren't as neat as mom or dad would have done but, hey, they worked.
This little girl… man, she was a tough cookie.
She had to be about Lecia's age, if he had to guess. His girl had been so small and so fragile, though. Kaiya was pretty tiny, as well, and though she wasn't particularly strong, there was a ferocity about her. It was oddly familiar somehow.
Kaiya's entire body tensed as the needle went into her skin. She was biting down on a cloth. Her eyes squeezed shut every time the pain hit. Beside her, Ace looked down sternly, watching the procedure with close attention. They were holding hands. The boy's left arm clenched up and relaxed in time with her.
He was a surprisingly good support person for the girl. They both had an air about them that seemed too wise for their age. Ace was unphased by the procedure, it seemed, and more worried about the girl being in distress. It was quite endearing.
"One scratch down," Ace said to her. "Just two more to go." Kimimaru saw the boy give her a slight squeeze. The girl gave a sniffle and squeezed back. She was staring at a spot on the wall, though he had a feeling she wasn't really seeing it.
Times like this, Kimimaru wished he had become a real doctor. Kaiya gave another muffled scream as the needle pierced a hole in her skin. Her young protector only frowned and tensed up alongside her. It felt so cruel to cause this young girl pain, even though it was for her own good.
He felt his heart break with every sob. He wished he could have taken all the misery he was causing her and take it upon himself.
This wasn't the first time he felt like this. Kimimaru wiped the sweat from his brow. He was working as quickly and efficiently as he could, but time seemed to be move so slowly.
"Two down," Ace told her encouragingly. Kaiya nodded in misery. The young man's eyes shot up to meet his. He didn't have to speak. Kimimaru could feel the anxiety from the boy. Hurry up, his angry eyes seemed to say.
They all wanted this to be over.
"Almost done," Kimimaru promised.
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"You're crazy."
Kaiya gave a weary smile while up at Ace. Kimimaru had given her one of his shirts. She looked ridiculously tiny in the massive amount of cloth. At the moment, she was lying on the bed with her hands on her stomach, just as she'd been since the conclusion of the procedure.
"She's strong," Kimimaru said from the sink. Ace had a frown on his face. He had to agree… but he didn't do so out loud. The man had successfully stitched up Kaiya and, much to Ace's annoyance, wrapped up his scratched arm. It was Kaiya who insisted on letting him do it. She'd insisted on trusting this man.
The smells in the cabin were enough to make Ace's mouth water. Bread and what appeared to be soup with meat and lots of hardy vegetables. His stomach rumbled loudly.
"Here." Kimimaru walked over with two bowls and a basket of bread. Ace eyed the meal as the man set it down. It smelled so good but… "It isn't poisoned," Maru said, seemingly reading Ace's thoughts.
Ace scowled. "Tch. Prove it." He crossed his arms and waited for the man to ace the first bites. To prove his point, Kimimaru dipped a piece of bread in Kaiya's bowl first. He chewed, swallowed, then repeated the action with Ace's meal. Ace watched the man tear off pieces of bread and dip them in the bowl.
"Ace," Kaiya said, "I want to sit up."
"It's better if you just lie down," Kimimaru said with a frown.
"I want to sit up," she repeated with agitation. Ace gave her a nod. Every movement seemed to be painful for her. He imagined it had to be when you got your side split open. He managed to help her sit against the bed frame so she could eat.
Kimimaru hadn't keeled over so he assumed that was probably a good sign. He was still leery of this guy's motives but hot food just sounded so good…
Ace took a cautious bite… and that was it. He began to lap up the soup like a hungry dog, taking large scoops of the thick liquid. Kaiya ate slowly, tearing small pieces of bread to soak up the liquid just like the stranger did. As she chewed, her eyes kept drifting over to the mysterious man sitting in the center of the room.
"This is a Drum Island recipe, isn't it?" she asked.
The man paused mid-bite to nod and say, "Yes. It is."
She stared down at the liquid. Ace couldn't see her eyes, but the sheets were clenched in her hands.
"My father used to make this whenever he came home from a voyage at sea," she said, looking down. Ace had finished his first bowl. He was actually ready to get another but something about Kaiya stopped him.
It took him a moment to realize that she was crying. A shiny tear slipped down her nose and dripped right into the center of the bowl.
"I always hated it," she said with a little laugh. Kimimaru was silent. He had stopped eating as well. Ace couldn't stop staring at her hands. They were shaking. "I never liked beans… and we didn't always have meat so he'd make up for it by putting so many vegetables…"
Kaiya's tears were flowing steadily now.
"I always complained…" she said with a big sniffle. "Mama would always tell me to just be happy we had food to eat…" She covered her face with her hands. Her bangs were messed up and he could see the day old bandages around her head from last night's encounter. Ace had to look away.
"It tastes the same." Kaiya's voice was cracked and muffled, but they could both make out what she was saying. "It's just like Daddy used to make."
Ace swallowed. Her emotion had sparked something in him. He wasn't sure why but his throat felt hoarse, too, suddenly. His heart clenched up and his stomach was in knots. Her emotion was so raw and overwhelming. He never knew his mother… and he had nothing but pure hatred for the man that was his biological father… but Kaiya…
She had nothing but love for hers. Her adoration and respect made him feel odd, somehow. Was that how a child was supposed to see their father? Ace clenched his jaw. Was that what most people thought of their parents?
Ace stood. "Idiot," he murmured to Kaiya. He grabbed the bowl from her lap. "Your food's gonna be too salty now."
She gave a choked sounding laugh and wiped her eyes with her sleeves. Kimimaru watched Ace replace her spoiled soup with something fresh before he refilled his own portion.
"I apologize," Kimimaru said to her.
"Huh?" Kaiya's eyes widened. "For what?"
"...for making soup you don't like," he said with a small smile, "and for bringing up painful memories."
"No," Kaiya said, shaking her head. Ace placed her bowl in her lap before taking his previous seat at the foot of the bed. "You've been nothing but courteous to us! And you didn't bring up bad memories at all…" Kaiya was smiling down at the liquid, idly moving beans around the bowl. "I haven't tasted this in so long I almost forgot about it."
Kimimaru gave her a sad sort of smile.
"But I like it now!" Kaiya said.
Kimimaru raised a brow. "Yeah?"
"Yes," she said with an eager nod, "it reminds me of home."
Kimimaru smiled. "Good."
. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .
"I'm sorry I can't help you clean up."
"Ah, it's no big deal," Kimimaru said. The man was standing at the sink yet again, cleaning all of the dishes. Ace was sitting on the floor, his back resting against the bed as he picked his teeth and rubbed his full stomach. Maru had ordered Kaiya to lie down as soon as she'd finished eating. "It's not a child's job to do such a thing."
Ace yawned. The fire was warm, his belly was full. It was so hard not to drift off to sleep. The only thing keeping him awake was the knowledge that would leave Kaiya alone with this stranger. He supposed Maru did have multiple chances to kill them, but still.
"I have a question to ask you," Kaiya said, turning her head towards the man. All she could see was his backside.
"Sure."
"Did you… did you have a brother?"
Kimimaru continued his work and answered, "Yes. Just one. A very troublesome little brother."
"What was his name?" Kaiya asked.
Without hesitation, the man answered, "Killian."
"Oh." Ace didn't have to see her to hear the disappointment in her voice. "Nevermind," she mumbled. Ace gulped. He remembered what Old Man Ryo told him last spring.
"I suppose it isn't too surprising," Ryoku pondered aloud, "that your fates would be intertwined like this."
This sparked Ace's curiosity. He turned towards the merchant and asked, "Why?"
"Because her father served under yours. Gol D. Roger," Ryoku said, "was Killian's captain."
Ace looked at the pale, moonlit waves and took in the information.
"Killian," Ace said, "Kaiya's dad was on a crew with… him?"
Ryoku nodded. "Killian was what he went by back then, anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"After the execution, anyone associated with the pirate king was hunted down. The order was that anyone who aided Roger in any way was to be put to death," Ryoku explained. "Some went on and became captains of their own crews. Some hid in the shadows in the hopes of maintaining a peaceful life. Killian the pirate became Kisuke, the traveling musician to escape his fate."
"Did he get it?" Ace asked.
"Hm?"
"Killian. Or Kisuke," Ace said with a frown. "Did he get a peaceful life?"
Ryoku scratched his beard. "I think so." The merchant thought about it a bit more and nodded his head. "Yes. I believe he did."
"When I first saw you," Kaiya said, her voice pulling him back to the present, "I really thought… I thought you looked a lot like my dad."
"Do I?"
"...not really," Kaiya said. "You have similar features… but your face is more pointed and your hair is lighter."
"...I see." Kimimaru clanked around a bit more as he cleaned up. Then, he asked, "What was your father's name?"
"Kisuke," she answered.
"How old was he?"
Kaiya hummed as she thought. "...thirty something?"
Ace wished he could have seen Kimimaru's face.
"I lived on Drum Island until I was sixteen," he said, "and I never knew anyone with that name."
"I see," Kaiya said. Her tone was forlorn.
"...but I heard about a musician that went by that."
Kaiya gasped. "A violinist?"
"Yes. He only traveled the East Blue but some of his songs were recorded and distributed across the world. I came across a few of them in Paradise."
"Wow!" Kaiya grinned up at the ceiling. "I knew he and my mom traveled a little but I didn't know their music spread across the globe!"
"What is your mother's name?" he asked.
"Kora."
"That's beautiful," Kimimaru said. Kaiya's cheeks pushed her eyes up as she smiled at the ceiling.
"Yes," she agreed. "It suited her. Everyone who saw Mama perform seemed to fall in love with her…" Kaiya remembered wistfully. "Daddy always said she had the voice of a siren and the grace of a mermaid."
Kimimaru chuckled. "She sounds lovely."
"She was," Kaiya told him.
The smiles faded from both of their faces before he dared to speak again. "What were two children doing wandering the mountains? Where are your parents now?"
Kaiya tensed up for a moment. She tried to turn her head to see Ace but he was slumped over, his back against the bed while his head leaned forward. She could hear him snoring.
"...we don't have parents," Kaiya admitted quietly. "Not anymore."
"Are you two related?" Kimimaru asked.
She shook her head. "We're just friends."
"Ah."
After moment's hesitation, Kaiya decided to say, "My parents died in a fire two years ago… and I don't think Ace ever knew his."
Kaiya looked down at the boy but all she could see was his head, flipped forward as he gently snoozed.
It was so odd. When she first got here, she could vaguely remember something weird happening where their memories had connected together. In that moment, she felt like she knew everything about him. She really wished she could have talked to him about it sooner but now it was like the more she tried to remember about him, the harder she tried to access his memories, the more she forgot. If anything, all she could recall were feelings and flashes of faces here and there.
"Ah, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that," Kaiya said hurriedly. "...that wasn't my secret to share. Please don't say anything. He wouldn't be happy if-"
"It's alright," Kimimaru said warmly. "I won't mention it."
She sighed in relief. "Thank you."
Maru gave her a nod. The girl was staring up at the wood grain in the ceiling with a very thoughtful look on her face. "I'm very sorry to hear about your family," Kimimaru said to her.
"It's okay," Kaiya said with a weak smile. "Daddy always said you can't live life regretting things. If it hadn't happened, I wouldn't be where I am now."
"Do you have any other family?" he asked.
Kaiya's face screwed up. "...yes and no."
Kimimaru took his seat and sat beside Kaiya's side. "Would you care to explain?" His voice was low and deep and gentle. Kaiya stared into his face… and all she could see was an earnest curiosity. She didn't know if she should really be trusting him… but something in her really wanted to take that chance.
She sighed. "I moved to this island two years ago to live with an aunt and uncle I'd never met."
"That must have been scary."
"At first, it was. But my guardians were very warm and loving. They took me in and treated me as their own. They even enrolled me in a private school in the city so I could learn the violin like my dad."
Kimimaru leaned back as he listened, one ankle over his knee in the way men often sat. His hands were steepled on his stomach. Kaiya didn't make a lot of eye contact when she spoke. Her eyes were gazing somewhere far off, somewhere past the ceiling.
"Things were… wonderful," Kaiya said quietly. "Until my aunt died." She sighed and closed her eyes. "It… it changed something in my uncle. He told me he didn't want me around anymore," she said blankly. "He said I just remind him of her."
"She was your biological aunt, then," he guessed.
Kaiya nodded. "My mother's older sister. I always thought Mama was an only child." Her gold eyes went half lidded. "My sisters were such a huge part of my life. It seems like… such a big thing to hide," she murmured. "I wonder if my dad had secrets like that. Secrets he never told us."
The man leaned forward on his knees. "Everyone has secrets," Kimimaru said to her. His dark eyes met hers. "Some are too dark or too painful to think about. Perhaps he meant to tell you… but he never got the chance."
"I never thought about it that way."
Kimimaru smiled down at her. "Sometimes we just need to see something from a different perspective."
Kaiya found herself returning the small smile. She liked him. There was something about this man… something she couldn't quite put her finger on, but she felt like their connection was deeper than he might have let on.
"Do you have any family?" Kaiya asked quietly.
"I did," Kimimaru told her.
"What happened to them?"
"...they were very sick," Kimimaru told her. His voice was quiet. She could see pain flash in his eyes and she instantly regretted bringing them up. "Lora and Lecia," he said. "My wife and daughter. Lecia was just a little older than you before she… before she passed away."
Kaiya looked at the man but he had turned his head downward. She could see his thick brows, see the crease in the middle of his face. One hand went up to shield his eyes.
This man, Kimimaru "the Killer," as his poster said, sat with one hand closed so tightly that his knuckles were white. Kaiya clenched her jaw, ignored the pain coming from her side and slowly moved a hand towards him.
When Kimimaru looked up, she could see tears shining in his eyes. Ever so slowly, he unclenched a fist and reached for her. Her hand was so small compared to his. They were silent. Kaiya finally understood what it meant when adults said sometimes saying nothing was better than speaking.
She didn't know this man… but she could tell he had a good heart. His poster said one thing, but his actions said another. He was a husband, a father. Even though his family was gone, she could tell, he was kind, he was a good caretaker.
She wondered what the man thought of her, thought of Ace. They were two strange children who'd sought him out purposely and gotten hurt in the process. His eyes were deep and dark, thoughtful. Knowledgeable.
He held her hand so gently. She could feel calluses on his hands. She liked the way his rough thumb caressed the back of her hand… just like Daddy used to. Then the moment passed.
"It's getting late," the man said with two quick squeezes. "Ya-chan, you should get some rest."
"Okay," Kaiya nodded. He let go of her hand and hopped up. Kimimaru slowly began to put on his winter gear. "Uhm, Maru-san?"
"Hm."
"Are you going somewhere?"
"Yes," he said with his back to her. "I won't be long."
Kaiya's eyelids drooped. She'd heard that before. Plenty of times. "What are you going to do?"
Kimimaru looked at her, probably debating on what he should share. Kimimaru bent down beside her bed with a stern expression. He surprised her with honesty. "There have been some dangerous people around here lately," he said. "I'm going to check the surrounding areas."
"What if someone comes here?" she asked fearfully. She could barely shoot a bow at full strength, she certainly couldn't shoot one now. And Ace… well, he was hurt and tired.
"I'll stay close," Kimimaru said. "I won't let anyone hurt you or your friend."
"Promise?" she asked in a small voice. Kimimaru's eyes softened a bit.
"Promise," he said with a nod. The man stood and his regular voice resumed. The low voice, the stern tone of a fighter, a defender. "Now go to sleep."
Kimimaru took a blanket from the couch and covered up Ace, who had slumped over and sprawled on the floor. One more quick glance at Kaiya and he was gone.
. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .
Paradise, The Grand Line, Three Months Ago
"Daddy?"
"Yeah, honey, it's me. I'm right here."
Lecia turned her head away and coughed weakly. Kimimaru placed his daughter's small hand in his own and stroked her smooth skin. It felt like fire.
"Daddy, I don't feel so good," she said weakly. A violent fit of coughing wracked her frail body. She held a laced handkerchief over her face and turned her head away. When the coughing subsided and her hand fell, he could see dark red stains on the white cloth. "Will you make this go away?"
"Baby," Kamimaru said, tears sparkling in his eyes. His calloused hand ran over the young girl's silky black hair. "I'm trying," he said. "Daddy's trying."
She looked at him but he couldn't help but feel as if she were looking through him instead. Her eyes had dark patches below them from a lack of sleep. Her usually plump face had been hollowed and her cheeks were sunken.
"I want this to go away," she said quietly. "I just want to be better."
"I know, baby," he whispered. A few tears traveled down his long nose and fell onto the girl's head, where it sparkled in the low candlelight. "I want you to get better, too. You and mommy."
At that same moment, his wife gave a groan. Kimimaru looked over to see her thin, skeletal hand beckoning him.
"My Maru," she whispered. Kimimaru took her hand in his own and kissed it.
"Yes, my love?"
"I have a favor to ask." She had a hard look on her face. "One I will never be able to repay, I'm afraid."
Kimimaru swallowed. He didn't like the sound of that. "What is it?" he asked her quietly. Lora beckoned him closer, and closer yet, until his ear was inches away from her mouth. Her voice was but a whisper so that Lecia didn't hear.
The man gasped and pulled away. "Honey," he said, his voice cracking, "No. No, absolutely not. I can't. I could never do that to you."
She tried her best attempt at a smile and raised a thin, shaky hand. She used to love stroking his cheek, feeling the stubble on his handsome face. Now, she was too weak to even do that. "Do you love me?"
"Of course I do," he said, falling to his knees. He clasped her cold fingers in his own. "You know I do."
"You used to tell me you'd do anything for me."
His mouth opened and closed, dark eyes hardening.
"Kimimaru, if you love us," she said in a raspy whisper, "please. Please. Put us out of our misery. She doesn't deserve to suffer any more."
"No," he said, grabbing her hand, "you two could still get better."
She gave a weak, humorless laugh. Her beautiful skin was speckled with large, uneven patches of white. "No, darling, I don't think we will."
"Honey, I-I can't do that. I can't..."
"If you can't…" Lora said, her eyes boring into his, "I will find someone who will."
. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .
Ace groaned and stretched. The floor felt harder than usual this morning… His hand bumped something and he sat up instantly. Ace's head whipped this way and that. It took a moment for him to remember where he was.
Ah. Yep. This old ass cabin on Mt. Sova.
Ace realized he'd fallen asleep on the floor after all… Ah, shit! That meant he'd left Kaiya alone with that guy! The boy jumped up instantly to see Kaiya. She was lying sideways on the bed. Her dark hair was spread out like a fan over the pillow. She was snoozing peacefully with her hands tucked beneath her head.
His heart slowed down at the sight of her. She was just sleeping. She was okay. Good. That was good.
Loud snoring came from the "living room" portion of the one room cabin. Kimimaru was lying on the floor. He was flat on his back with his coat underneath his head as an impromptu pillow. His large bamboo hat hid his face. The fire was gently crackling but it would soon die if no one tended to it.
Ace fed the fire before putting on his winter boots and slipping out the front door. It was much warmer than it had been yesterday. In fact, Ace could see icicles dripping from the side of the cabin. The sun was shining, making the snow blindingly bright. The sky and sea shone, white and gold and blue. Birds called and sang from somewhere not too far off. There was no wind but he could feel the sun trying its hardest to warm the still-frozen ground.
The boy sighed as he relieved himself. Sure, there was a bathroom right in the cabin but there was something refreshing about pissing in the wind. It felt like rebellion. Like freedom, somehow. He didn't know how to really describe it, but it was a nice way to start the day.
When Ace stomped back inside, he saw Kaiya had just woken up. She was sitting up, sleepily rubbing her eyes with one hand as she stifled a large yawn with the other.
"Oh, good morning," she murmured to him. Kaiya blinked a few more times as Ace shed his boots and sat at her feet. "How are you feeling?" Kaiya asked.
Ace snorted. "I'm fine," he said. Well, sure, his right arm stung. There was a dull ache in his left elbow that came and went randomly. Seemed like today was going to be a bad day for it but he could deal. His body was sore from sleeping on the floor without a futon but he'd been through worse. Compared to being stabbed in the stomach or getting his ass kicked by a horde of angry monkeys… this? Ha. This was nothing.
"How do you feel?" Ace asked.
Kaiya touched her side and winced. "Tender."
"Yeah. It's probably gonna be like that for a while."
"I figured as much," she said with a sigh. Kaiya turned her head to look at the long figure lying in the middle of the floor. "Oh. He must have been out late…" Kaiya murmured to herself.
Ace cleared his throat. "Oi," he said, looking at her. "I wasn't plannin' on falling asleep so early." He clenched a hand. "That guy didn't… he didn't do anything to you, did he?"
She shook her head. "We just talked."
"'bout what?"
"...our families," Kaiya said quietly.
"You find anything out about him?"
"Um, a little," Kaiya said. Her eyes grew sad. "He lost his wife and daughter. I think it was kind of recent but I don't really know for sure."
Ace frowned. People died all the time. Sure, he felt a little bad for the guy but he was still a criminal. A killer. With a crazy bounty. Kaiya was too soft, too naive. She loved her dad and this guy… well, he was her uncle, after all. He didn't know if that truth had been revealed to her yet but already Ace expected her to react this way. He wasn't going to let his guard down so easily.
"Anything else?" Ace asked. "Anything useful?"
Kaiya's mouth made a "tsk" at him in disapproval. "I didn't prod him for information," she said defensively. Then, a little gentler, "We just talked. Really."
Ace crossed his arms and looked away. "Look," he said, not wanting to meet her eyes, "I know you think this guy… might remind you of your dad or somethin' but he's not."
"I know that," Kaiya snapped. "I'm not stupid."
"I didn't say you were!" Ace's voice came out louder than he meant. Kimimaru snorted and rolled over. The kids caught sight of him scratching his junk briefly before his arm fell to his side. Ace's voice was a loud whisper. "I'm just sayin', you're too…"
Kaiya's eyes narrowed. "Too what?"
He struggled to find the right word. Soft? "You're too…" Ace could see the anger in her face. Trusting?
"Well, spit it out already."
They'd just woken up and he'd already ticked her off. Ace stood up. "Tch. Forget it."
Kaiya made a disgruntled noise. "You're the one who-"
"My, my," Kimimaru said. The man gave a yawn and stretched upwards. "You two sure are lively in the morning."
"Oh!" Kaiya turned her head towards the man. "Maru-san, I didn't mean to wake you!"
Ace swallowed. He tensed as the man stood up. Kimimaru groaned and stretched this way and that, his joints popping as he did so. He rotated his neck. Pop. The other way. Pop. Bent backwards. His spine quickly went crack crack crack.
The man looked down at him with that cold, steel gaze. Other than a look, he barely acknowledged Ace. The man moved like water, smoothly gliding over the floor until he was at Kaiya's side.
"Ya-chan," he said gently, bending down, "did you sleep well? Are you feeling alright?"
"Uh, yes," Kaiya said with a nod. Ace didn't miss the way she smiled at him. Her cheeks pushed her face upwards… and there were those tell tale little dimples at the side of her mouth. Ace clenched a fist. The man had her fooled already.
"It was a little odd not sleeping on my left side… and for some reason my ankle hurts but I'm feeling okay," she said.
"Your ankle? Did you sprain it yesterday?"
"No, I broke it early in the year," she explained. Ace remembered the day she began talking about so he ignored her words and watched the way they interacted. There was a warmth that wasn't present in the man yesterday. Maru kept his eyes focused on Kaiya's face as he took in the story. Ace frowned. How close had they gotten since yesterday? He couldn't help but think there was something he was missing. He didn't like it.
"We're going home," Ace announced. Kaiya and Kimimaru stopped in the middle of their conversation to face him. "Dadan's probably pissed," he told Kaiya. "Not like we told her where we were goin' or anything. You better hope she didn't call your old man."
Kaiya's eyes dropped down and he saw her clench the sheets. "Do you… do you think she would do that?" she asked timidly. She obviously wasn't keen on meeting up with Old Man Ryo again.
Ace snorted. "Hell if I know. Maybe." He looked into the fire and scratched the back of his head. "Anyway, we're not staying here."
She made a small noise of disappointment. "But…"
"You wanted to find this guy, well, we did," Ace told her. "You got your questions answered, right?"
"Right, but-"
"We got no more business being here."
Kaiya's eyes were shadowed and she was silent. Ace gave an aggravated sigh. He hated having to be the hard ass all the time but someone needed to.
"He's a killer," Ace said harshly, pointing at Kimimaru. The man's eyes hardened. "Or ex-killer, whatever, but there are probably more bounty hunters crawling all over the mountains. It's not safe."
"But…" Kaiya began.
"He's right," Kimimaru said, looking at her. "It isn't safe in these mountains. Especially right now."
Ace harrumphed. "See? Even he agrees." Ace could see sadness in Kaiya's face. She was doing that damn lip biting thing again that made him feel guilty for doing what had to be done. "Take a bath or whatever," he told her harshly, "then we're gonna grab our shit and go. Got it?"
Kaiya didn't answer.
"Got it?" he repeated.
Kaiya sighed and quietly muttered, "Got it."
Ace let out a slow breath. He couldn't stand her sometimes. Pouting over something so trivial. It made his blood run hot, how she got so upset over such stupid little things… "I'm gonna shit and shower," he said angrily. "Then we're leaving!"
He slammed the bathroom door shut and left Kaiya and Kimimaru alone with nothing but the sound of the fire.
"Well," Maru said, "would you like me to help you pack up?"
"...no," Kaiya said.
"It's no big deal," he said with a small smile. "I'm sure you're sore."
"No," Kaiya said, "I meant, I'm not going anywhere."
The man raised a brow. "Your friend seems to think you are."
Kaiya placed a light hand on her injured side. "I know," she murmured. Her fingers carefully ran over the stitches. She could feel them even through the oversized shirt she was wearing. "But I… I want to get better soon and repay you for your kindness."
"That isn't necessary," he said. "I had the ability to help you… so there was no reason not to."
"If… if you don't mind…" She twiddled her thumbs. "Can I stay here a little longer?"
"Why would you want to do that?" he asked her, genuinely curious. She seemed like a smart girl, yet she had shown no fear of him. Apprehension, nervous tension, yes, but not fear.
"It hurts to move," she confessed quietly, looking downward. "And… I feel like we met for a reason. I feel like there's something I'm missing, still. I'm sorry if this request is selfish but I'd like to stay. I'd like to learn more from you, learn more about you."
"There really isn't much I could teach you, I'm afraid."
"Then just tolerate my presence for a little longer," she said, "please. I feel like we're… like we're kindred spirits. Ace might want to go but I don't."
Kimimaru's eyes softened. "Why didn't you just say that earlier?"
She sighed. "I don't know…" Kaiya looked away from him. "I got nervous. Sometimes when Ace says something… I just kind of go with it 'cause he knows better than me." The blanket on the bed was old. Her fingers had found a loose thread and she was idly rolling it back and forth between her fingers. "...when we're in the mountains, anyway," she added hastily. "Otherwise I'm definitely smarter than he is."
The man sat back and gave a laugh. Kaiya's eyebrows drew close together as she waited for an explanation.
"I don't mind you staying here at all," Kimimaru said with a smile. "It isn't my home but I certainly like the company."
"Really?" Kaiya asked. "Aren't we troublesome? We're two extra people. Two mouths to feed."
"Some people are worth the trouble," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "If you'd like to stay, you're welcome to. On one condition." Kimimaru held up one finger. "You have to tell your friend yourself. I won't be the one to do it."
"But I…" Kaiya began.
"He's a strong willed kid," Kimimaru said with a smile, "but so are you. Stick up for yourself. Say something."
"He'd probably call me a mean name or something like that," she muttered. "And insist on going back to Mt. Colubo."
Kimimaru gave her a smile and stood. "Well, it's not a good day for a hike. I think we'll be seeing a storm here soon."
Kaiya raised an eyebrow. The sun was shining and rays of light penetrated the cabin. She could even hear birds chirping. "But it's beautiful outside," she said.
Kimimaru chuckled. The man walked to the fridge and gazed into it. "Call it intuition," Kimimaru said. He stood straight and tossed Kaiya a smile over his shoulder. "Are you hungry?"
"Yes! I'm starving."
He gave her a warm smile and wink. "Alright," he said. "I'll have breakfast ready soon."
. . . . . L ~ I ~ N ~ E ~ B ~ R ~ E ~ A ~ K . . . . .
"...what's this?" Ace stared at the table. It was no feast, by any means, but the man had put out meat, eggs, rice.
"Breakfast," the man said.
"You should try some, Ace," Kaiya said with a smile. "It's delicious!" She was sitting up in the bed, her pillow propped up behind her as she ate off the plate in her lap. Ace's eyes flashed with anger as he stormed over to her.
She had a piece of meat on the end of a fork. He growled and slapped it out of her hand.
"What was that for?!" Kaiya asked angrily.
"You don't just eat food that some stranger offers you!" Ace said, his voice louder than he meant for it to be. "It coulda been-"
"Poisoned?" Kimimaru said behind him. Ace turned his head to see the man. He was sitting at the table with his hands steepled in front of him.
"He already fed us once," Kaiya said. "Why would he poison us now?"
"Even if I had poison," Kimimaru said to Ace, "I wouldn't need to use it on two children. There are plenty of ways to kill someone that don't involve wasting precious resources."
Ace clenched his fist, ready to swing it back and aim it's right for the guy's face. He narrowed his eyes and snarled, "Why you bast-"
"Stop!" Kaiya cried, reaching out to grab Ace. Her body tilted over in the bed and her plate of breakfast clattered to the floor.
Unfortunately, the only thing Ace had on at the moment was the towel around his waist. The damp cloth wrinkled in her grasp but quickly fell to the floor when she gasped and let go.
Ace felt his entire body heat up in embarrassment as he snatched it off of the floor. Kaiya didn't notice. She had gasped in pain, not shock at his sudden nudity. There were tears in her eyes as she clutched her side. If Kimimaru had witnessed the mishap, he didn't acknowledge it. He was already at Kaiya's bedside with a concerned look on his face. His arms were quick to catch her before she fell.
"You have to be careful," he warned in a low voice. "You won't heal overnight." Kaiya bit her lip. Kimimaru sighed. "Are you alright?" he asked in a softer voice. She nodded. "Okay," the man said. "May I look at your stitches?" Another nod, this one slower, more cautious.
She pulled the pillow up to her chest as Kimimaru carefully rolled up the large shirt she was wearing.
Ace simply stood feeling like a piece of shit. He didn't watch Kaiya or Kimimaru. He was busy staring at the floor, at the now-dirty fork and the wasted food. He realized Kaiya's blood stained clothes were gone and there was what appeared to be a fresh change of clothes laid out at the foot of the bed for her.
"Ah," Kimimaru said, "you ripped a few stitches."
"...that doesn't sound like a good thing," Kaiya said in a small voice.
He sighed. "No. It isn't. They'll need to be replaced."
Kaiya's lip quivered at the thought of going through that again, at the fresh memory of that curved needle puncturing her skin again… and again…
"Okay," she whispered. Ace clenched his teeth. She was trying so hard to put on a brave face… but she wasn't fooling him. He doubted she was fooling Kimimaru.
"You dummy," Ace said without thinking. He glared at her with angry eyes. "You can barely sit up." Kaiya's eyebrows furrowed in shame. "Were you really gonna try to make it back to Dadan's like that?!"
"Now, now," Kimimaru said, "first things first. Let's get you patched up," he told Kaiya. "Then you two can discuss details later."
LINE BREAK
"See?" the man said with a smile. "I told you it wouldn't take as long as last time." Kaiya sniffled and wiped away the last of her tears. "You were very brave."
"Thank you," she murmured quietly.
Kimimaru stood and went to the sink to clean and disinfect his supplies. Ace, who had stood at the foot of Kaiya's bed with crossed arms, walked over to her. He was fully dressed.
"Oi," he said to Kaiya, "I've been thinking about it. It'll be a pain in the ass but I bet I could make a sled or something."
"...why?" Kaiya asked.
"So you didn't have to walk, idiot," he snapped. "We can still make our way back to Dadan's today after all. We'll just slide downhill and when we go up, I'll pull you."
Kaiya was quiet as she mulled the idea over. Then, at last, she looked at Ace and said, "No. It'd be too much of a hassle."
He snorted. "Being with you is always a hassle." Kaiya frowned. "I don't like being here," Ace continued. "This mountain always gives me the creeps…"
"Well I've already decided," Kaiya said firmly. "I'm staying."
Ace scoffed. "No," he said, "you're not. I don't wanna be here. I'm goin' home and you're comin' with me."
"If you don't want to be here then leave," Kaiya told him coldly. "I'm staying."
Ace's mouth opened and then snapped shut. He glared at her and she returned it with equal intensity. "Are you serious?" he asked in a low voice. "You're really gonna stay here with him?"
"Yes," Kaiya said very matter-of-factly. "I am."
Ace grit his teeth together. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she had her heart set and her mind made up. "You know what, fine," he snapped. "You wanna be an idiot and bunk with some stranger 'cause you think he looks like your daddy, then fine. Don't come crying to me when you find out he's some psycho killer!"
Kimimaru was silent. He didn't turn or stop working as Ace angrily got on his winter gear. Kaiya was quiet the entire time, too. She simply sat in bed with her face turned downwards, her thumbs nervously twittering.
The boy stomped over to the door and shoved on his winter boots, grabbed his steel pipe. Ace placed one hand on the door. He half turned towards Kaiya and, in a dead voice said, "You're really not comin', huh?"
She gripped the sheets. "No."
"...what the hell am I supposed to tell Dadan?" he asked her in monotone.
"Tell her…" Kaiya said slowly, "thank you for taking care of me for a little bit." Ace swallowed and faced the door once more. "I'll be fine here."
"Fine," he said, "whatever." Ace opened the door and cold winter air entered the cabin. He took a single step into the snow.
"Ace," she called. He glared at her. "Please… be careful."
He scowled. What a stupid thing to say. He was always careful. Without so much as a goodbye, he slammed the door… and that was that.
"...he really left," Kaiya said in a small voice. "I thought… I thought he would have stayed."
Kimimaru slowly walked to the bed and knelt down, so his face was level with the girl's.
"Well, now that he's gone," he said with a small smile, "there's something I'd like to tell you… if you'd like to hear it."
Kaiya stiffened. "What is it?"
"It's about your father," he said.
"You knew him?" Kaiya whispered.
Kimimaru nodded. "Yes. He… he's my younger brother."
Kaiya gasped.
"There were secrets he didn't tell you," Kimimaru said. "And it may come as a surprise… but I think you deserve to know."
"Okay," Kaiya nodded, "then please tell me. I want to know everything… even if it's something painful."
"Alright," Kimimaru said, "as you wish."
