Fast enough for you Maryam?
A little over 7 pages. I know it's not nearly as long as other people's 20, but this is me here!5 pages is like...a miracle!
Chapter 10 - Dad, Mentor, Memories
Since Athrun isn't in this chapter, there will be no quip from him this time.
Flames...
A young brunette sat against the inside wall of a ship, just below a window. He was holding his head, eyes closed, and shaking.
He could hear them screaming...feel their pain...He heard their hurried footsteps as they ran to get away, and could see the flash of metal as the pirates cut them down. They were just villagers!
"Kira?" a 6 yr old blonde asked in concern, placing a hand on her brother's shoulder. His breath hitched as the sounds were dimmed.
"Cagalli...it hurts...I don't wanna do this anymore!" tears were pouring down his cheeks.
"We have to keep this up though...you have to keep going..." Cagalli whispered softly. "Daddy worked hard to keep us a-alive...We have to do what they...say..." she looked about to cry too. But Cagalli knew she had to be strong for her brother's sake.
Kira's eyes snapped open, he stood up on a box and looked out the high window. Who was so innocently confused...at a time like this?
'I feel you...'
He saw the flaming city and shut his eyes. A moment later, the confusion came back again and he re-opened his eyes.
His lavender eyes met their emerald eyes. Time seemed to freeze for a moment...and in that moment, the two were connected...Then Cagalli's hand was upon his shoulder. He was dragged down as the boy looked away, the spell like moment broken.
"Kira! What if you were seen? What about Daddy?" she yelled angrily and worriedly.
"Sorry...ah!" Kira heard, no...he felt a cry of anguish. "C-cagalli...I have to go!" and he was gone.
-
Kira had somehow managed to get to shore from the ship in the center of the port, and was now running through the burning city. It was so hot...and the flames kept jumping out at him.
He turned down a street, seeing that the bluenette boy from earlier, with the emerald eyes, was sitting next to a woman. She motioned away from her and after a moment, the boy took of.
'Who is that woman to him...?' he wondered.
Anyone else could've easily thought 'his mom.' But Kira had been raised without one...so he couldn't've known...
Crack...Snap...
His head snapped to the building next to the woman. It was gonna fall! Suddenly, Kira couldn't move...
'Get out of there! I...I can't move...' he realized in fear. 'No! Run! Please run!' he mentally pleaded.
She couldn't hear him and he watched in horror as the burning building fell, killing the woman instantly. He could see through the flames, the boy paused and turned around.
"Mommy!"
Kira's entire body felt like it was frozen to the core, as if by ice.
'M...mommy?' She was his mom? 'And I...let her die...' he closed his eyes for a moment.
He heard other pirates coming and the boy ran off, hearing them too. Kira turned and began running away, he didn't want to get caught. In his mind, he was making a wish and a prayer.
'Let him survive...please let him live...Please...'
He never saw, moments after he wished that, how the boy tripped over nothing...and fell into the safety of a dark, cool ditch...
He found a tanned blonde, his age, protecting his burning house. Why? Why protect a burning house?
The captain was there, and Kira hid behind a non-burning pile of rubble. The house collapsed and the blonde 6-7 year old turned around, yelling something Kira couldn't hear as he began to cry.
They went to kill him. Kira saw the bluenette from earlier flash through his mind and rushed forward, stopping them from killing the blonde. He wasn't going to let anyone else die because he was afraid to move.
Moments later, he would pass out from the pain inflicted by the sword stabbing through his arm. The brunette would wake up after the attack was over, in the ship's infirmary...
-
2 Years Later...
"Come on Kira! Faster!" a man yelled excitedly, a laugh evident on the edge of his voice. He thrust his sword forward.
"Un..." Kira barely managed to parry the attack, miniature sparks flying as their swords clashed. "Yah!" he attacked.
"Good! Good!" the man encouraged, dodging the blow. His brown hair was ruffled as a wind blew over the ship.
Two blondes sat to the side, watching. One was male, tanned. The other was female, and had a light tan, normal for someone of her age. All three of the kids were no older than...8?
"So..." the boy started slowly. "Kira does this...all the time?" Dearka asked, leaning back against the edge of the ship in an 'I'm relaxing' pose.
"Yea. Since you've been forced to work below deck the entire time you've been here...I guess there was no way you could know." Cagalli shrugged. "But yea, dad's been training him since we were...what? 4?"
"Wow..." was all Dearka could managed.
"Yea. The first mate, Row Le Croissant or whatever, keeps wanting dad to let him teach Kira. But there's no way dad'll let that bozo teach his son as long as he's still here." Cagalli stated nonchalantly.
Before Dearka could say anything, a sword stuck into the wooden deck right in front of him, causing said blonde to fall over backwards off the box he'd been sitting on. They both looked over at the fight to see what had happened.
Kira stood, breathing hard, with his sword to his father's neck. His dad was smiling as both caught their breath. After a minute of staring, Cagalli and Dearka burst into cheers and whoops. Kira moved the sword slowly away from his dad, his eyes an odd purple-ish red color.
"Great job Kira." his dad ruffled his son's hair once the sword was moved. "You finally beat me!"
Kira's eyes returned to their calm purple like always.
"I...I did?" Kira managed, surprise all over his face. Cagalli and Dearka's cheers suddenly penetrated his mind and he turned to look at them.
"Come with me Kira." and he was led away by his dad to the confusion of the two onlookers.
Once they were in their dad's (and their's) quarters, Kira's dad turned to face his son. He reached into his pocket and took out a jade necklace. Kira's eyes widened at the sight of the familiar gem...this time not bathed in the light of a fire.
"This is the Royal Jade. It's what Manson wants. I found it, unharmed, around the neck of a dead woman I believe was a royal." Kira flinched.
(A/N : His dad would be such a good salesman, seriously. -sarcastic-)
"I prayed for her peaceful rest, and said I would protect the necklace. Tomorrow Kira...tomorrow I will be doing my final act of loyalty to the captain." he seemed sad now as he placed the necklace in Kira's hands. "Take care of this Kira. Take care of it...with your life." he stood up, leaving the room.
Kira stood there staring at the stone with his eyes gleaming. Even after 2 years, it was still warm to him...It's flame seemed to burn through him and Kira's eyes flashed.
-
2 years later
It had been two years since their father gave himself to the authorities, in Manson's place. Cagalli would never tell but she still cried sometimes. Kira could hear her, at night.
They'd long since discovered Kira's sudden obsession with jewels, and had banned him from the treasure room. Manson took him whenever they stole because he could tell where the good stuff was now.
Dearka had yet to get a job on deck, so he had to sneak up constantly. Cagalli often went down and helped him with his work so he could come up with permission. Today was one of those days.
"Where is he?" Dearka asked, knowing Kira was around there somewhere.
"I don't know." Both blondes looked around until the light footsteps caught their attentions.
"Come Kira! Keep like that and you'll break the mast soon!" came a cool, commanding voice. The 10 year olds turned their heads to see Captain Manson's first mate, Rau Le Creuset. He was also a blonde, and his blue eyes glinted in an almost evil way...
Dearka narrowed his eyes. This man was not trustworthy in his opinion. Cagalli snapped her head up to the masts and smiled.
"There he is!" she alerted Dearka.
Kira was currently running circles around the center masts. Shallow indents proved he must've been doing this for awhile. Kira shot a low glare at Rau before he lightened his steps, however that was possible, and kept running.
"Good. Keep it up." Le Creuset ordered, walking off.
"He really is a ba-"
"Shh!" Cagalli snapped, her hand over his mouth. "Yes he is. But don't let him here you say that!" she whispered angrily.
Snap!
The blondes blinked and looked up at he noise. Kira had stopped running and was now looking about 3 meters up on the rope. A shiny silver dagger was implanted in the mast.
Kira's eyes dilated as he saw, upon closer inspection, that the rope tied around his waist had been severed ever-so-much. His eyes widened as the rope snapped and he fell.
"Kira!" Cagalli called.
"Kira!" Dearka leapt from his sitting position and over to the masts, Cagalli behind him.
Kira shot his arms out, grabbing for anything, and hit his left armon the pole. Instantly drawing his hand back in, Kira felt the necklace. Images of a burning city flashed through his mind as he held it protectively.
'Take care of it with your life.'
All of this happened within about...3 seconds. Maybe 5. Then Kira hit the deck with a dulled 'thud.' Dearka slid the last meter or so on his knees, coming to a stop next to Kira. Cagalli fell down next to them both less than a moment later.
"Kira? Kira! Come on Kira Wake up!" Dearka shook the brunette, worry etched on his face. Cagalli looked close to tears.
"Nn..."
Both blondes froze as Kira sat up, seemingly unharmed. He crossed his legs and held his head as he shook himself.
"Ow." he whispered, it seemed he meant his head hurt. "My arm." he held his left arm, the one he'd hit.
Dearka rolled his eyes. Cagalli...
...slapped him.
"Ow! What was that for, sis?" Kira asked, confusion and hurt in his eyes. Cagalli was crying.
"I thought you were dead...You were so high up...and you fell...I was so scared...you'd leave like dad!" she was trying to stop crying.
Kira and Dearka gave her sympathetic looks, then Dearka hugged her.
"Don't worry. Kira's not going anywhere." he assured her. His tone much lighter the next time he spoke. "He's gonna be a captain!"
"Huh?" the twins looked at him.
"Yea." he pulled away from Cagalli. "When Manson's caught, we'll leave and get our own ship. Kira'll be the captain, and we can be his mates!"
"We'll need a crew. Who's gonna follow a 10 year old?" Cagalli asked, unbelieving.
"Uh..." Dearka didn't know.
"Anyone that joins." Kira smiled happily.
"So...how long til he's gone...do you think?" Cagalli wondered.
"You!" a voice called. "What was that noise!"
Dearka flinched. It was the guy who'd tried to kill him 4 years prior with a sword. His name was Simon, he hated it and it made them laugh.
"Sorry sir!" Kira stood up instantly. "I fell down."
"Mmm...Be more careful." Simon grumbled, upset he couldn't punish the kids.
"Bye Simon!" Cagalli and Dearka called as he left, and laughed softly when he flinched. Simon sooooo hated his name.
-
3 years later (I'm a time skipper!)
"Hey Kira! Whatcha lookin at?" 13 year old Cagalli asked.
"Look..." Kira pointed through the shop window.
Cagalli, Kira, and Dearka had finally gotten free of Manson and his crew. Dearka managed to loot some loot (heh heh) from the ship too. He was currently looking for possible new crew members. They already had one, Mwu La Flaga, who had said yes instantly...They still didn't know why...
"Hm?" Cagalli looked too.
They were shopping while Mwu watched the ship.
"Isn't it...wonderful?" Kira breathed out.
"Kira..." Cagalli had a disbelieving, yet agitated look on. "It's a book."
"Yea...I know..." the brunette said in awe.
'Idiot...likes books more than treasure...' Cagalli cursed in her mind. She checked her mini-money bag.
"Ok."
"Hmm?" Kira blinked at her as she walked inside the shop.
He watched her walk up to the store owner, but their conversation eluded him. The man walked closer to the window and smiled at him. He reached down and picked up the book. Kira's eyes shown as it's gold trimming reflected in the sun, the creamy blue/white bindings an almost magical sight to him.
The shop keeper handed the book to Cagalli and she gave him some gold. Then, the blonde left the shop. Kira turned his chibi, glittering eyes on her instantly and she handed it over.
Now, close up, Kira could see that waves were inscribed on the lower half of the outer covers and spine in a slightly dark blue. The brunette ran his hands over the engraved, golden letter in the title.
"Wind and Water - A Pirate's Tale. By Jessi Maxwell." he read aloud.
(Oh sue me. I used my own story as the title of the book and altered my name. -rolls eyes-)
"I hope you're happy. That book cost a fortune." Cagalli said in a scolding tone. Kira nodded his head violently.
"Yes yes yes yes YES!" he cheered. "And besides! We'll have a hundred fortunes by the time we're 20!" (A/N: -clears throat-)
Cagalli had to smile at her younger brother's innocence, and wonder again why he was the captain and not her or Dearka. Of course...Kira was the most skilled, the bravest, and the kindest of the three of them...that's why.
"Come one...Let's go find Dearka and meet up with Mwu." she waved and began to walk, Kira following happily moment later.
Ta da! Oh, a note. Jessi Maxwell isn't my real name, but those are my real initials.