(A/N: Sorry my updates have slowed down significantly. I've become a lot busier because 1. My nephew was recently born and 2. I got casted in a show! I still plan on following through with this story :D)
The sun continued to rise and set, almost mocking Masamune with it's repetitive nature. Not to mention that lately the sun was hardly of any use with the days getting colder and colder. If the sun was going to be in his eyes and serve as a constant reminder of the time passing then it could at least be warm.
Masamune knew he didn't technically have a time limit, but with the drearier, chillier weather rolling in he couldn't help but to feel a sense of panicked urgency bubble within him. The longer he didn't know where Ritsu was, the harder it would be to eventually find him.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is forced to take shelter in a cliffside cave during a storm that prevents him from flying for at least two days. At least, he thinks it's two days. It's a little difficult to tell time with the sky as dark as it is. He hopes that awful weather like this isn't putting Ritsu in any kind of danger.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune's frustration nearly boils over when he lands on another ship and finds no useful information. When his talons come out it's not in a mere attempt to look threatening, rather a genuine desire to hurt these people who are wasting his time and looking pathetic. He leaves the ship quickly before he actually does any damage and has more trouble than usual sleeping that night.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune dreams about Ritsu drowning. For the rest of the day he subconsciously glances toward the water below him for a sign of a figure struggling in the sea, ready to dive down at any moment.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune dreams he's the one drowning Ritsu. He does not travel that day. Nor does he eat, feeling too nauseous. An unhealthy amount of time passes before he is able to sleep again.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune for the first time starts to worry he's made a mistake. I could go back to my clan, he thinks, but knows deep down that this is not a real option, not because he wouldn't be welcomed back, but because he'd never be happy there.
Sunrise and sunset.
Even if I don't find Ritsu, I'll find something. Or somewhere, Masamune thought. His mind was drifting back to the small strip of beach he had so often relaxed on. He could find another place like that. He could be happy somewhere, with or without Ritsu.
Sunrise and sunset.
Not finding Ritsu is not an option. It was stupid to even consider something like that.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune doesn't find anything useful.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune doesn't find anything useful.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune doesn't find anything useful.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune doesn't find anything useful.
Sunrise and sunset.
It's Masamune's birthday. He is seventeen and in exactly one year he will have his song. He doesn't care and doesn't think about it, knowing that if he does he'll get discouraged. This time last year he and Ritsu were together. He definitely doesn't think about that either.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune doesn't find anything useful.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune doesn't find anything useful.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is angry today. He's so unbelievably furious that Ritsu is putting him through something like this and for what?! Why?! He doesn't understand the stupid human and said stupid human is going to have a lot of explaining to do when Masamune finds him! He almost throws the bag Ritsu had given to him and all its contents into the ocean. Almost.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune's anger has been burnt out of him, but he misses it, prefers it over the aching that has replaced it. He clings on to the bag Ritsu had given him tightly.
Sunrise and sunset.
I just want to know he's safe, Masamune thinks desperately. Even if he won't stay by my side, at least let me know he's safe.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
The weather begins to warm. The seasons change.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
The sun is blistering and annoying. The seasons change.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
The air begins to cool around Masamune. The seasons change.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
If Masamune were not used to the cold weather his teeth would be chattering. The seasons change.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is eighteen.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is hungry.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is hungry.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is hungry.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is desperate.
Sunrise and sunset.
It would be easy. It would be so, so easy to just tell the men on this ship to jump off and drown themselves. Their many bodies would easily sate his hunger. Masamune swallows hard and instead commands them to hand over any provisions they have so that he can eat. They listen, unable to resist and Masamune eats hurriedly before leaving. The men might have difficulty getting home with their food stock lessened now, but at least they had a chance of survival. Masamune thought that was a better fate than being turned into dinner.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune realizes he hadn't even asked those men about Ritsu. He had been so hungry he hadn't thought of it. He beats himself up about it for several days.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is tired. Masamune needs more food. He settles on a seaside cliff and waits for ships to pass. Being a thief is better than being a murderer and he continues to demand the provisions on passing ships.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is tired. He stays on the cliff.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is tired. He stays on the cliff.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is hungry. He ransacks a ship for food. It's easier to convince humans to give their supplies than it is to convince fish to swim into his talons and die. He stays on the cliff.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune wants to go, but he doesn't know where to search anymore. The world is so much bigger than he thought it was. He stays on the cliff.
Sunrise and sunset.
It's been over a year now. Is there a point in continuing to try? Ritsu could be dead. Or he has a whole new life, one that Masamune doesn't fit into anymore. Either way, it seems rather pointless to keep searching for Ritsu. He stays on the cliff.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is nineteen.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is twenty.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is twenty one.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is twenty two.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masmaune is twenty three.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is twenty four.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is twenty five.
Sunrise and sunset.
Masamune is tired.
Aboard the Emerald, what was once a young, nervous boy is now a twenty three year old man by the name of Onodera Ritsu. Though, no one ever refers to him as Onodera. Ritsu does not take it as a sign of disrespect by any means. He is younger than everyone here, so it only makes sense for them to refer to him as Ritsu (or, as some still affectionately call him, Richan) and his last name only serves as a reminder of a past life he has left long behind.
Ritsu, still stubborn and ever the perfectionist, had grown into the life of a pirate quite well. His voice no longer shook when facing an opponent, his mistakes in swordplay had significantly lessened, and he had gained the confidence necessary to make both himself and his enemies believe he had the upper hand at all times. That's really what was important in fighting, Ritsu had discovered: the belief that you would win. When people lost their morale, they lost everything, including the battle. Ritsu owed all of this to his Captain, though. Ritsu would have never gained the ability nor the attitude he currently had if it weren't for Kisa.
And Kisa, well…
"Sneak attack!"
Some things just never change.
Ritsu spun around, withdrawing his sword as he did to parry Kisa's sudden attack. He smiled, deeply amused at Kisa's attempt to catch him off guard. "You know, people don't usually shout when they're trying to be sneaky."
"Don't give your Captain lip! I'll have ya thrown overboard for that." Kisa threatened, though he was completely unable to sound serious. It didn't help that the Captain still had a major case of babyface, which made the threat all the more amusing.
"And what have I done to be attacked like this?" Ritsu asked, raising an eyebrow. It's been quite a while since he and Kisa had any kind of sparring.
"Just want to keep you on your toes, Richan!" Kisa beamed, ruffling Ritsu's hair despite Ritsu now being taller than him. "And congrats, you passed!"
Ritsu snorted a laugh and rolled his eyes.
"But there is something I wanted to talk to you about." Kisa said.
Ritsu patiently waited for him to continue.
"Hatori and I have discussed this, though we haven't spoken to the rest of the crew yet. I wanted to talk to you about it first since we would probably need your help in particular." Kisa started to explain, watching Ritsu for any kind of reaction, but the brunette gave none. "There's been rumors of a lone siren, one that doesn't wreck ships. Rather, she steals from them and then lets them go. Hatori and I have been thinking for a long time, ever since you boarded our ship and told us about your...ahem, past with sirens. Then you actually saved our skins from sirens all on your own! And not with your sword, but with your words. So, we've been thinking: what if we could convince a siren to ally with us?" Kisa's eyes shined at the thought, obvious excitement rising inside him.
What.
What?
"What?" Ritsu frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. What was his Captain going on about?
"Richan, we would be totally unstoppable!" Kisa said.
"If we are not eaten first." Ritsu deadpanned.
"It's certainly risky, but if sirens can be spoken to and reasoned with, and you've proved that they can be, then they might have extremely valuable information or even treasures they'd be willing to trade. We don't know the possibilities." Kisa said.
"Captain, that's insane! The siren I befriended when I was a boy was a special case and we got lucky when we escaped that attack. It was nothing short of a miracle that none of us died. Not all sirens are like that!"
"Have you ever met another siren?" Kisa asked, already knowing the answer was no. If Ritsu had ever met another siren it would have been while boarded on this ship and Kisa certainly would have heard about it.
"Well-no-but-" Ritsu attempted to continue to protest, but was cut off.
"Don't worry, Richan, we're taking the necessary precautions if things go south." Kisa patted the top of his head. "Besides, that's why we're approaching a siren who is rumored to be a loner. Less possible danger."
Ritsu smacked his hand away. "No." He said firmly. "You can't do this, you're leading your men to their deaths and for what? So you might get some information? Or some gold? That's ridiculous!"
"Best case scenario would be gaining allies; additional crew members, even." Kisa said. "Richan, if we had sirens as part of our crew the possibilities would be endless!"
"Hatori-san actually agreed to this?" Ritsu asked, baffled that Hatori would okay such a suicidal plan.
"Risk and reward, Richan, that's what it's all about. You should already know that by now." Kisa said. "We all know perfectly well that we could die. We could die everyday on this ship: to other pirates, to terrible creatures, to the sea itself, but we still choose to be here because of the possible rewards."
"This is madness."
"This is business." Kisa smiled. "It's just one siren. One. And if you help us then there's no way anything bad will happen."
"It's rumored to be one." Ritsu reminded him.
"We can't do this without you Richan. You're the one not affected by the song." Kisa said.
"Then you can't do it at all because I won't help." Ritsu said, crossing his arms.
Kisa crossed his arms as well. "So if we just so happen to enter this siren's territory and she starts robbing us you're just going to let her?"
"Yes."
"You know the one thing you have never gotten better at is lying." Kisa said. "Hatori and I are going to talk to the rest of the crew and let them know the plan."
"Which is what?" Ritsu frowned.
"We would stay locked below deck while you stay up here to negotiate."
"Oh, so this isn't a suicide mission for the whole crew, just for me."
"Ritsu, you and I both know you can handle yourself perfectly fine." Kisa frowned at Ritsu's dramatics, though under a normal circumstance he might be amused by it.
"I can handle humans." Ritsu insisted.
"Don't think you can just make me forget about your multiple run-ins with sirens. You've talked to them before, you've befriended them before, you can do it again." Kisa tried to smile, patting Ritsu on the shoulder. "Besides, who can resist a cute face like yours?" He reached up to pinch his cheek, attempting to lighten the mood.
While something like that would normally cause Ritsu to crack and revert back to a blushing, nervous, and shy boy, right now he was too angry with his Captain. He simply swatted Kisa's hand away.
"You're going to do this no matter what I say, aren't you?"
"I mean, I am the Captain." Kisa said with a shrug. "And I think it's what's best for us."
"If things go horribly, horribly wrong I will abandon ship and everyone on it." Ritsu threatened. "Self preservation, right?"
"Using my teachings against me. When did you get so mean, Richan?" Kisa pouted. "But fine. I understand, but I already know that things will turn out okay."
Kisa's positivity was normally infectious and welcomed greatly by Ritsu, but now Ritsu feared that it would end up getting them all killed.
Ritsu resisted the urge to reach up and grip the singing stone around his neck. It was a familiar weight to him now, having hung there all these years. Ritsu had never disclosed the true abilities of the stone to anyone on the crew, though he was certain Kisa had his own suspicions about it. Kisa had tried to question him several times about the stone and Ritsu's ability to resist the song, but Ritsu only ever lied (poorly) or dodged the question. Eventually Kisa decided (after Ritsu insisted that this ability is not something he could teach to the others) to leave it be.
If Ritsu really wanted to, he could throw the stone around Kisa's neck, finally explain its meaning, and insist that the Captain take on the negotiations himself. Tempted, Ritsu chewed on the inside of his cheek before ultimately deciding against it. If they were going into siren territory no matter what then Ritsu wanted to be sure that his free will would not be stolen from him by the winged creatures. The singing stone was the only way to be certain of that.
"Was that all, Captain?" Ritsu asked tensely.
"Yes. Does that mean you've agreed?" Kisa asked.
"I'm not being given much of a choice." Ritsu huffed. "How many days will it take to reach the sirens territory?" He asked.
"Three." Kisa said.
"Go talk to the others then. I don't have any other questions." Ritsu was normally not so short with Kisa. He cared for the Captain greatly, just as Kisa cared for him, but Ritsu was frustrated and downright furious at the Captain's reckless decision. And to think Hatori had actually agreed! Maybe the sea salt in the air was starting to get to their heads or something.
Kisa patted his shoulder once more, not oblivious to the tension now between them. "I know you're not happy about this, not happy with me, but I know it'll be alright. I've never taken a fight I can't win."
"You're not the one fighting."
"And you won't be either. You're going to charm the pants off that siren, Richan!"
Ritsu rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Captain." He said, not as amused by Kisa as he normally would have been.
Kisa gave one more reassuring smile before finally leaving Ritsu be to go talk to the rest of the crew about their current goal.
Ritsu let out a sigh, shutting his eyes and holding his head in his hand as he felt an oncoming ache in his temples. Kisa was a good captain, a great captain even, but good God he was going to start giving Ritsu migraines.
Although Ritsu had done his best to suppress the memories and emotions of the siren attack he had endured at fourteen years old, now those feelings were resurfacing: the panic, the fear, the intense dread and the even more intense responsibility at suddenly having everyone's lives in his hands. He curled his other hand around his stomach, beginning to feel nauseous.
Ritsu took a shaky breath as he tried to remind himself that he was fine. He was no longer fourteen, was no longer inexperienced, and was no longer frightened of the difficulties that the sea endlessly supplied. He could handle this. He had done it once before on a whim and now he had three days to prepare to do it again. The other men on board wouldn't be caught off guard this time around either. All the men would already be safely tucked away below deck. He wouldn't have to worry about saving any lives. He just had to talk, that was all. He might have to fight if things went really badly, but he had taken on more than one opponent at a time in the past and had done so successfully, so surely he could take on one siren? If it was one siren. God, he hoped that it truly was only one siren.
Even if it was more than one siren, Ritsu could take them on! They had the advantage of flight, but that was all. Sirens, to his limited knowledge, didn't wield weapons. If they tried to get close enough to Ritsu to claw or bite him then Ritsu could easily land a particularly fatal blow with his sword.
It would be fine!
Everything would be fine!
…
Yeah, right.
Despite Ritsu endlessly trying to reassure himself, one thought continued to speak above all others:
This was going to go terribly.