Thank you Maryam Khanoom! -big smile- and to those who couldn't guess Kira's secret...please hit yourselves...now!
Chapter 3 - Breaking Apart
"I guess it was kinda obvious. That something would've happened.
Kira was acting odd on that day. More nervous than usual.
But I just passed it off as nerves surrounding Lacus...Why?"
A hand passed over a few books on the long shelf, all circulating around the same topic, and paused over a thick, maroon colored book. The owner of the hand made a noise of strain and reached a few more centimeters to grab the book.
The thick book came halfway off the shelf and the hand made a renewed grab for it. They're fingers grazed the spine, causing the book to topple off the shelf. The person gave a yell of fear and made a grab for it.
"Kira? Ah! Kira!" a pink haired girl yelled at the scene in front of her.
Kira had been standing at the top of a very tall rolling ladder, trying to reach a book at the top of the shelf. When the book had fallen, he had jumped from the ladder to catch it and was now falling the entire 25 3.16/4 drop.
"Ah uh oooh..." Kira groaned as he hit the floor and bounced down the steps to land in a crumpled heap at Lacus's feet.
"Kira!" she knelt down and went to check that he was ok when he opened his eyes. "Are you alright?"
He smiled and moved his arms from around what he was holding. It was the thick maroon book. He sat up, wincing, while still holding the book protectively.
"Sorry. I almost dropped it." he said sheepishly.
"What are you, moronic?" came a voice from the door.
"Ah! Athrun!" Kira stood up quickly and hid the book behind his back. Athrun had stern expression on.
He walked up to Kira, Lacus looked between them nervously. She had never known Athrun to be harsh to Kira, but...Kira seemed nervous...So...A minute passed and nothing happened, so she calmed down. Then...
A slap echoed around the large library they were in. Kira stumbled backwards, but didn't drop the book. He had a red mark on his left cheek and a surprised expression on. Athrun brought his hand back down. He took a deep, silent breath. When Kira had stood up straight again...
"YOU IDIOT! DO YOU KNOW HOW EASILY YOU COULD'VE KILLED YOURSELF? THAT'S A 25 FT DROP! AND FOR WHAT? A BOOK? KIRA! THAT'S THE STUPIDEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD OF!" Athrun yelled.
Kira blinked, then glared.
"It's an expensive book! And special! I didn't want it to get damaged!" Kira yelled back, not as forceful, but with as much spirit.
Lacus had never, ever seen them fight before. She was worried.
"SO? A BOOK CAN BE REPLACED! HUMAN LIFE IS IRREPLACEABLE! YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT!" Athrun's glare lessened ever so slightly. Kira stopped all together.
"So should you. You should also know how important these kind of things are to me!" he thrust the book, gently, into Lacus's hands and then stormed from the room.
Athrun huffed and had his back to the door Kira left through. Lacus sighed and dusted the book off of invisible dust. She walked in front of Athrun.
"Athrun..." said boy looked up. "Kira's always been inquisitive, you know that...Anything that contains knowledge intrigues him. Books, recordings, pictures...they're all very precious to him."
"I know that." Athrun said angrily. Lacus nodded.
"I know you do. But, Kira is your best friend. He may have no family, but he found a home in your house, in your company. Books are special to him, your books...are irreplaceable." she said the last word stiffly, handed Athrun the book, and left through the same door as Kira.
He stared after her. After a minute, Athrun blinked and looked down at the book in his hands.
"Impossible Jewels, Irreplaceable Gems?" Athrun asked. "A book about treasures that...pirates would search for." he said angrily.
He tossed the book, it hit the bookcase, and three books fell on top of it. Athrun glared at the pile for a second before he sighed and walked over to the books. He picked each one up, dusted it off, and replaced each in it's rightful spot, and keeping the maroon book out. He then turned and walked out, carrying the book.
-
Kira was leaning against the white railing of the balcony. It wasn't a balcony off of a room, it was a balcony extending out from the garden into nothingness. He was looking out at the ocean, which was bright and blue. A calm wind blew by.
"Mmm...perfect sailing weather..." he said calmly, then took on a sadder air. "Oh, how I wish I could sail into your great lengths and see all you had to show...I miss such things..."
"Seems you have the heart of a sailor."
Kira flipped around so fast he nearly knocked over the person behind him. Athrun took a step back and caught himself.
"Oh, sorry Athrun. You startled me." Kira apologized, turning to face the water again.
"Startled? You? You're never startled. Never scared, except when you first got here." Athrun stood next to Kira against the railing, a worried expression on his face. Kira smiled lightly.
"Don't worry about it Athrun. I guess it's just nerves built up over time. They can't stay gone forever." he laughed slightly and closed his eyes, enjoying the sea wind.
Athrun stared at him for a moment. He seemed so...surreal. His face lit with a peaceful expression, brown hair blowing in the wind, eyes closed. He blinked, remembering why he was there in the first place.
"Oh, uh, Kira." Athrun held the book out. "Here."
"Huh?" Kira took to the book from him and gave him a quizzical look.
"Look, sorry I yelled at you. You're my best friend."
"I know that."
"And I didn't want you to get hurt so..." a hand on his shoulder made Athrun shut up. He looked up to see Kira there.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine. You know me, as stubborn as 5 ass and as durable as a battleship against water balloons!" Kira laughed. "Thanks for the book. See the cover? That's the fabled 'Mourning Star' crystal!" he pointed to the picture on the cover of the maroon book. "I've been meaning to read this for awhile. I bet that every true royal family or person of importance has a gem like that! Ah, it's fascinating!"
Athrun laughed. Kira blinked and stopped hugging the book.
"What?"
"Lacus was right. You'd die without books." Athrun said as he stopped laughing.
"I would not!" Kira said stubbornly. "For your information, I went without books for a full year once. The sea is not a friendly being to a book's pages." Kira said sadly. He looked at the water again.
"So, you used to live at sea? Did you live with your family?" Athrun asked, not trying to trick him. Kira always avoided his past if you did that, so just asking was easier.
"Yea. I lived with my father and my sister."
Athrun blinked. Kira was actually willingly talking about his life before Heliopolis?
"He was a wonderful gunner and sword fighter. Valiant in everything he did!" Kira seemed proud. "He was done in by his own captain, who gave him to the authorities to cover up his own atrocious actions." Kira scowled.
"Pirate?" Athrun asked. Kira nodded. "Bastards, all of them." Kira frowned.
"When the captain was finally captured, me and my sister left to find our own ship."
"Why go back to sailing again? It sounds like you were this guys slaves almost." Athrun asked, confused.
"A life at sea at a young age is hard to give up." he whispered sadly. "We couldn't just give it up..." he sat his head on his arms, on the railing. "Our father died in prison, no one knew we were his kids. Our last name is different you see."
"Ah." Athrun was really surprised. That's why he couldn't find any living relatives...Wait. All this time spent trying to trick Kira into telling his past...and all he had to do was ASK?
"We got ourselves a ship...and an able crew. Everything was going perfect."
"So, why are you here then?" Athrun asked. "Mutiny?"
"No." Kira shook his head. "The entire crew was really nice" he seemed to be remembering nice times. "I left the ship..."
"What? But you said-"
"I know. I left the ship though. The plan was to join up a year later but..." Kira looked at the water far below them.
"They didn't show up...right?" Athrun asked sadly. Kira paused and Athrun knew he'd said something wrong. "I'm sorry Kira. You don't have to tell me."
"Thanks Athrun...For listening." Kira turned and walked off. "I'll return the book when I've finished reading it, alright?"
"Right!" Athrun waved to him as Kira re-entered the mansion. Then he frowned. "Kira's different today...ah, oh well. Like he said, I shouldn't worry." Athrun smiled, trying to push his fears away, and went to take a walk. He was supposed to have a private tea session with Lacus anyway.
-
It was late at night, about 9. Ok, not so late. Kira was sitting in the study, ready the book on gems and treasures. His eyes gleamed brighter with every new jewel and he couldn't keep the smile off his face. He flipped the page and frowned.
"The Royal Medallion. A golden medallion known only to exist in the Clyne family lineage." Kira said quietly, looking at the picture. He turned to the window. "Is it all worth it anymore?" he closed his eyes and laid back.
BOOM!
Kira's eyes shot open and he leapt to the window, closed book in his left hand.
"Those guns..." he looked out at the bay. "They're here!"
He ran from the room, knowing that they were most likely already in the mansion. He got to the staircase and saw Lacus being dragged across the large first floor entrance room by men dressed in clothes that clearly said 'pirates.'
"Lacus!" Kira yelled. Her eyes and the eyes of the pirates jumped to him as he jumped onto the railing of the stairs.
He slid down the banister and landed right in front of the pirate not holding Lacus.
"What d'you think you're doing?" he asked quietly. Kira blinked and grabbed the pirate's sword from it's sheath. "Back away! Let her go!"
"But..." The pirate stuttered. He caught sight of Kira's eyes, full of determination, and flinched involuntarily. "Why should I?" he asked fiercely.
"Mmmph!" Lacus yelled through the other pirates hand. She shook her head and the hand slipped. "Kira!"
"Lacus!" Kira whisper yelled almost, turning from the sword-less pirate to the one holding Lacus. "Let her go!" he yelled again, his eyes the same as before.
"Heh heh...sure kid...sure..." he said in a joking way. Just as Kira's face showed confusion, Lacus yelled through the hand replaced over her mouth and Kira was whacked over the head with an expensive looking vase.
"Uh...mmmm..." Kira fell to the ground, unconscious.
Athrun ran out of a door on the left side of the room as the now re-sworded pirated picked up his fallen enemy and slung him over his shoulder. He saw Lacus, in her light pink outfit, struggling.
"Lacus!" he gasped when he recognized the unconscious guy as Kira. "Kira!" he glared at the pirates. "Pirates! Put them down!"
"We need no more prisoners. Come on, let's get back before he wakes up." the larger pirate, carrying Kira, said, motioning towards aforementioned unconscious boy.
As they walked out of the house, ignoring Athrun, Lacus yelled through the hand to him and Athrun grabbed a sword that he kept on the wall for show.
"Drop Lacus and Kira!" he shouted, making the pirates pause.
They turned around and smirked at Athrun before continuing their walk. Athrun blinked in confusion before he heard knuckles cracking behind him and flipped around. A tall blonde and a shorter red head were behind him, both holding boxes that no doubt held riches taken from his house.
"More pirates?" Athrun asked in anger and surprise. "How the hell did you get in here?"
"Our captain is a very sneaky man." the red head said. "Best pirate I know."
"Come on, leave the little weakling." the blonde ordered, beginning to leave with the red head tailing him.
"I'm not weak! You pirates! You're evil!" he jumped forward and began slashing at them.
The blonde blocked with the box and then shoved Athrun back and into the stair railing that Kira had slid down earlier. The air was knocked out of his lungs and he slid to the ground, coughing. The two pirates followed the first two in leaving through the front door.
It took about 5 minutes for the bluenette to catch his breath.
"T-the town..." Athrun managed, standing up and running outside.
The town wasn't ablaze, like Raiton, but as he ran through the streets he saw that all the windows and such were broken and people were running everywhere. But the church and other really important places, besides the mansions, were nearly intact. Odd...Also, no one seemed to be dead...
Athrun got to the docks and saw a ship in the bay. It was...white? A normal ship, only half painted. So...it was brown with white on the boarders and somewhat on the hull itself. He blinked, odd ship too...If it weren't for the pirate flag, which was odd enough in itself, he'd have thought this was a navy ship of some sort!
The flag was white with black skull and crossbones instead of the other way around, and behind the skull...were light blue wings...Athrun's head hurt.
He saw a rowboat nearing the ship and saw Lacus and Kira in the boat, now both unconscious. He removed the jacket he'd been wearing and leapt into the water. Athrun swam out to the ship and hoped he hadn't been seen.
It seemed he hadn't been spotted so he started to climb up to side of the ship. It was hard work, the ship sides were really smooth, so by the time he got to the first window, he was already tired.
Athrun knocked on the window, then banged on it. The window fell open and he slid inside. Athrun looked around.
He must be in the captain's room. There was a nice wooden chair with a really soft looking cushion and a wooden desk. Both looked like they hadn't ever been used. There was a large cupboard in the corner that stretched from the floor to the ceiling and was excellently carved. There was a somewhat expensive looking carpet and many treasures hanging on the walls.
He noticed then that he was sitting on a window bed. It was carved out of a thick piece of wood and stuck to the wall during the building of the ship. Light blue and dark blue curtains hung from either side that would be drawn closed at night when the captain slept. The bedding was white, as was the mattress and pillow. Pretty plain compared to the rest of the room.
All in all, Athrun would say that the captain, who he suspected to be the tall blonde pirate from earlier, was a very grand man who liked to show off what he had but didn't show off his own personal wealth too grandly. Expressed by the bed and chair. The trophies were to show off how great his crew was.
Athrun suddenly heard footsteps approaching and panicked. He saw the cupboard and leapt inside. For a moment, he was caught off guard by a beautiful and wonderfully crafted sword that sat in the corner and leaned against the door, but the footsteps grew louder and he closed the door behind him.
"-the plan." came a male voice.
"I know it was part of the plan. But did he have to hit me upside the head? I'll have a lump for a week." the door opened, revealing Kira and the blonde dude. Kira was rubbing his head.
"You liar. You'll be fine by tomorrow." the blonde said. "That girl on the other hand. If we'd hit her on the head, she'd take about two weeks to heal." he laughed, Kira glared. Athrun was staring out through a hole in the side of the door.
"That too! Why'd you take her prisoner? That wasn't part of the plan. All you were supposed to do was capture me and the Royal Medallion!"
"Thanks for the book. See the cover? That's the fabled 'Mourning Star' crystal! I've been meaning to read this for awhile. I bet that every true royal family or person of importance has a gem like that! Ah, it's fascinating!"
Athrun nearly gasped. Kira was reading about Lacus's necklace?
"Deeply sorry, Captain. But you know me. I can't help myself!" he smiled good naturedly.
WHAT? Kira was the captain? Of a PIRATE ship?
"Yea. I lived with my father and my sister. He was a wonderful gunner and sword fighter. Valiant in everything he did! He was done in by his own captain, who gave him to the authorities to cover up his own atrocious actions."
"When the captain was finally captured, me and my sister left to find our own ship. A life at sea at a young age is hard to give up. We couldn't just give it up...Our father died in prison, no one knew we were his kids. Our last name is different you see."
"We got ourselves a ship...and an able crew. Everything was going perfect. The entire crew was really nice"
"I left the ship though. The plan was to join up a year later but..."
Kira...his dad...He'd been a pirate! And Kira was one too! How could he hide something like this! And it wasn't that his crew hadn't shown up! The year just wasn't over yet!
"Mwu, you're hopeless." Kira sighed. "But either way, we're leaving, now. The necklace...it's just a golden locket made of rare gold." Kira explained.
"Nothing compared to the one you already have, huh?" Mwu asked, smirking. Kira's face darkened.
"Don't talk about that."
"Oh, right. You don't like your old captain, do you? Sorry." Mwu pat Kira on the shoulder.
Athrun felt his blood boil slightly, but it was overrun for a moment by surprise and grief. He staggered slightly, knocking over the sword. It knocked the door to the cupboard over and he fell out after it.
"What?" Kira and Mwu turned to see what had happened and Kira froze at the sight of Athrun.
"Pirates...bastards...all of them."
"Pirates killed my family...I'll never forgive them."
"I hate pirates!"
"Argyle! Get in here!" Mwu yelled. "We have a stowaway!"
The red head from earlier entered the room and paused when he saw Athrun.
"Hey, I know you!" he pointed. Kira looked between them. "You're the guy from the manor. So, you're Mr. Zala right? It's an-"
"Sai..." Mwu put his head in his hand.
"Oh, sorry. Come on, I'm gonna take you below deck." he pulled the still stunned Athrun up from the floor and made for the door. Athrun made sure Kira wasn't at all in his sight.
'You've betrayed me...Pirate...'
Athrun closed his eyes as they left the room.
"Well captain, we'll make sure he's given the usual prisoner treatment." Mwu assured him.
"No." Kira mumbled.
"What?" Mwu blinked in confusion.
"Give him better than that...He deserves it." Kira whispered. Mwu slapped him on the back and laughed.
"If you were a normal captain, I'd swear you'd gone soft in the time you spent with them! But you've always been like this, haven't you? What would you like me to do, sir?" he asked, almost eagerly.
Kira thought for a moment, then started to tell Mwu his idea.
...9 pages...don't expect them this long often...