I said at the beginning the I couldn't promise 'regular' updates but that they would come. Life got in the way.
Hope this chapter makes up for it.
Strange… Dreams were rare for him. More frequent as of late since meeting a certain angel, defiantly more erotic, but before, Chuuya was accustomed to drifting in endless darkness while he slept.
So why, now, was he standing in a crowd of people all wearing brightly colored yukatas, with a rainbow of colorful lights illuminating the night sky? If he focused hard enough he could make out the sounds of children laughing, meat sizzling, and bells digging. A festival?
That's when he took notice of himself. He too was wearing a yukata. A bright yellow one and traditional sandals. What alarmed him was how small his body was… Well, even more than usual. Not just short and petite, he was… a child?
Yes, a little boy. And somehow he knew he was lost.
Suddenly Chuuya was afraid. He'd forgotten about everything before ending up here and was solely focused on the terror now consuming his innocent mind, and trying to find the one person who could make his fear go away.
"Dad!" He cried with a high-pitched voice. "Dad, where are you?" Then he was running, frantically looking through the crowds of people calling out over and over again.
"Dad!"
This was terrible. Before he even realized, he ended up on the other side of the festival, a secluded area close to the edge overlooking the water. There wasn't anyone around at the moment, and it was darker then back where he started. He was getting cold and his tiny body began to tremble.
He was so lost. Lost and afraid, and he didn't understand why. Then the tears started pouring down his cheeks, before he knew it, he was curled into a ball and burying his face in his hands. "D-dad!" He wept until his chest hurt, until all hope was gone that he'd be found…
Suddenly, he was lifted up off the ground and wrapped into a crushing hug. He barely had time to fathom what was happening, then a familiar deep voice spoke with a relieved sigh. "Chuuya, thank goodness I found you. I was so worried, son."
Son?
This was all so confusing. Yet also, so comforting. Especially when he took a deep inhale of the familiar scent that instantly made him feel safe, and he clutched his father tighter, sobbing again, this time with relief.
His father held him closer, bringing his head to rest on his shoulder to lull his tears. "There, there, Chuuya. You're safe now. Don't worry son… If you're ever lost, I'll always find you."
"Y-you promise?" He mumbled.
"I promise. It's what father's do."
Chuuya's sobs started to subside enough for him to pull away a bit. Only for his vision to be filled with the cotton smile of a snow white tiger plushie with black stripes.
"I won this for you."
He tentatively accepted the stuffed animal. Taking intricate note of every detail, including its goofy big ears and long tail, before hugging it close and tucking back to his father's chest. He was safe now, and so happy.
"Let's go home before your mother starts to fret."
Home?... Yes. He wanted to go home. Where he was warm and loved. Where nothing bad could touch him. Chuuya wanted to go home more than anything. He just didn't know the way. He couldn't remember the way. Nor could he remember the face of the man carrying him. Slowly, his gaze rose up; he only needed one look to know this wasn't a dream…
Water filled his nostrils and doused his face; the next thing Chuuya knew, he was coughing. Springing awake to clear his airway and rid his sinuses' of the burning sensation that comes from inhaling liquid. Once he could breath, he found himself back in his grown body, laying in a pile of debris, with a literal asshole standing over him, holding an empty water bottle.
"Oh goodie, you survived." Dazai snarked. "How utterly unfortunate"
Spurting the last of the water to the side and shaking away the grogginess, the gravity user abruptly remembered where he was and why. He sneered, meeting the anti-gifted Prince's dark glare with a murderous one of his own. "I could say the same about you, you piece of shit! What the fuck happened?"
"Your recklessness," Dazai spat. "That's what." He tossed the empty water bottle directly at Chuuya's head to emphasize. Paying no mind to how red his face turned when the plastic bounced off his forehead. "Thanks to your little impulse, we fell hook, line and sinker into a trap that nearly blew us all to kingdom come."
Chuuya kicked a piece of tin off himself and hopped to his feet, glad to find his hat close by and dusted it off. "How was I supposed to know it was a trap? Weird shit like that happens all the time out here."
Dazai threw his head back and sighed heavily. "It should've been obvious the moment you didn't find a detention source. Had you realized it sooner, you could have warned us and prevented the outcome." He placed his hand in his coat pockets and turned away. "Damn it! I told Sis you'd get us killed."
The mention of their third party member shook Chuuya from his ire. His head swiveled around every which way; panic began to set in when he saw no sign of her. "Akiko! Where is she?" He exclaimed, concerned.
Dazai's expression turned grim, "I don't know."
Chuuya fumbled over the piles of garbage and debris to reach Dazai, grabbing him by his coat collar, the Prince wasn't fazed. "What do you mean you don't know?" He fumed, "Didn't you look for her?"
"Of course I did! I've been up for an hour nearly breaking my back looking through all this junk." He wrestled out of Chuuya's grip and snuffed. "You didn't think I found you on purpose, did you? I was hoping you'd been incinerated!"
Chuuya balled his fist, voice low but sharp. "I'd say the feeling's mutual, but somehow I know that even if you did get blown to smithereens, you'd still find a way to run that condescending mouth of yours and annoy the shit out of me."
"You're one to talk about being annoying."
"Ahhh! Quit yapping already and let's find her!" With a stomp of his foot, the surrounding carnage rose high in the air, giving the two men a better scope of the surroundings. They split up to cover more ground but Akiko was nowhere to be seen.
They called her name with no response and Dazai roamed the edges while Chuuya focused on tearing through the rubble with his power. Frantically he searched, both relieved and distressed when he didn't find the Princess under the larger, heavier, pieces of wreckage.
He was starting to recall the moment before he blacked out. Familiarity in seeing the old man standing at the center of the cataclysm; he knew what would come next and his first instinct was to protect her, if he could only touch her, he could've shielded her from the impact. He remembered seeing the panic in her stunning lilac eyes and the wind whipping short strands of her black hair as she reached out to him. He'd called out to her over the defining thunder. They were only fingertips away when the blastwave erupted and he was knocked unconscious.
Damn it, I was supposed to keep her safe! He wanted to punch himself but settled on a large hunch of rock, crushing it to dust. If I'd only moved a second sooner… Fuck!
No. Berating himself wouldn't help now. Akiko was strong, the strongest woman he had ever met. Not to mention stubborn. She wouldn't be done in so easily. I just have to find her… After that, I'll never fail her again.
BuUtt youuVe aLReaddyyy FaaiLd her… Chuuya
Gooseflesh ran down both of Chuuya's arms, eyes blown wide. It can't be…
It was faint like a breath on the wind, but unmistakable.
YOu…faiLD HEEEr--cChUU-Yaaa
Anger started to well up within him. It was just like five years ago. A sickly voice hissing poison.
yOU Fa…lD… faILDd… FAIid… Chuu…YA… Chuuya…
"Chuuya!"
A distant call pulled Chuuya from his reprieve, like a lifting fog, something in Dazai's voice almost forced him out of the haze of despair for a second time. The first being the previous day when he'd beaten Shirase within an inch of his life.
He shook his head like a dog out of water; the voice was gone, it came and went so fast that he briefly wondered if it had even been there or if it was just the aftershock of the explosion.
"Chuuya, over here!" Dazai called again.
He'd worry about it later. For now there was only one thing he cared about. Finding Akiko was all that mattered. Immediately, he dashed to see what the prince had found.
Dazai stood near the western edge holding a familiar black bag. Dusty and scuffed but otherwise unharmed. "It's Sis' medical bag." He said, not even bothering to look at Chuuya. "And not all, look…"
Chuuya's gaze followed where Dazai pointed; landed on very prominent sets of footprints leading away from the wreckage site. "What the hell?" He breathed.
"Seems someone arrived on the scene while we were all blacked out."
Dread started to burn in Chuuya's chest as he continued scanning the grounds, and then his gaze landed a few yards away. "Dazai, look there." The men bounded over to find even more footprints, these significantly different from the first set with more disturbances in the dirt and lead in the opposite direction.
Dazai knelt down for closer inspection. He was so deep in thought that his silence was irritating, even more so when he got back up and looked at everything but Chuuya, as if imagining what had transpired.
"The person who made these was the same one who lured us into the trap." He said at last, then gestured back to the first set. "The one who made those scared him away."
A single crimson eyebrow nearly touched his hairline as Chuuya pondered Dazai's assessment. "And just how the hell do you figure that?"
Exasperated, Dazai breathed in deeply, prepared himself to explain. "Look at how the dirt framing of that set of prints is more disorderly." He said looking at the second set. "They're like that because the perp kept shifting his weight while digging through the wreckage. But he was disrupted when someone else came upon the scene and fled."
Chuuya blinked. Even if the observation held plausibility, who in the hell looks at the details that closely right off the bat? "So you're saying that old man we saw, came back after the explosion, had a look through the carnage, then hightailed outta here when someone else showed up?"
"No." Dazai huffed. "I'm saying the person controlling the former Port Mafia boss, came digging for his prize but was forced to run away because he was weekend from exuding that much energy."
"Wait, that was the former boss of the Port Mafia?" Now that he thought about it, Chuuya did recall the surveillance footage shown that night at dinner. The old man who attacked them was the same as the one inside The Agency vaults. "What do you mean by controlling?"
"I was right, the former boss didn't just walk out of his grave. Someone pulled him out and is using him as a puppet. The moment before I blacked out, I saw someone in a brown cloak run behind the alleyways, headed towards the former boss. They wouldn't have done that unless they knew they'd be safe. That was our perpetrator. The one responsible for the old boss raising hell in the city."
"And you're so sure of this… how?" Chuuya asked, patronizing because Dazai's deduction seemed both far fetched and most credible. It was really starting to irk him.
"Because I am." Dazai assured, as if offended, Chuuya would even question his analysis. He stared back at the prints with a renewed interest, knitting his brows in concentration.
"What?" Chuuya probed.
"There's something about these shoe prints… they look… familiar. Almost like I've seen them before."
Chuuya groaned, antsy. "We can worry about that later. The bastard's long gone by now anyway. What matters is finding Akiko."
Dazai closed his eyes with a heavy sigh. While Chuuya was correct that the culprit was gone, that didn't mean there wasn't still more to learn. And this pestering feeling in his gut told him he was close to the answers they needed. But he wouldn't controvert his sister's safety so he filed away the data in his mind for later observation. Having an eidetic memory was one of the Dark Prince's many attributes.
"We're not going to find her here." He said, marching past Chuuya, towards the first set of prints. "She was taken."
A lump formed in Chuuya's throat; he quickly followed suit. "Dare I ask how you know that?"
"Look at the footprints." Dazai pointed. "They were made with large boots. While heavier than mediocre shoes, the prints leading away from the scene are deeper and firmer than the ones leading towards it. Which mean–"
"--Which means the fucker was carrying more weight when they left than when they first got here." Chuuya concluded, Dazai nodded.
"Exactly. They must've found Sis and carried her away. Probably didn't think to look for other survivors."
"Or didn't care too since they had her."
Of course Chuuya would voice the ominous speculation they were both thinking. While confident in Akiko's defensive skills, there was no telling what condition she was in. Sure she could heal herself, but would she have the strength too? And would she be in any shape to fend off assailants who'd only want one thing from her like she did the other day?
If anyone touches her, I swear I'll rip them apart.
YOu…oN't…sAVe--heR…
Chuuya's head swivelled back to look over shoulder, nothing was there. He didn't have time to ponder for Dazai.
"Let's go, if we follow these, we'll find Sis. We still have our tethers to her so that should help in wading the labyrinth."
"Did you hear anything just now?" Chuuya asked.
Dazai piqued. "Like what?"
"Nevermind." He dismissed and caught up with Dazai. Who grabbed Akiko's medical bag and forward on.
"We lost our supply bags so our best bet now is to find Akiko and leave Suribatchi City as soon as possible. The GSO can keep poking around but they won't find anything. That I'm sure about."
"Then maybe you shouldn't have wasted the last water bottle to douse me awake like an asshole." Chuuya grumbled.
Dazai's mouth formed into a cheeky smile. "Who said it was water?"
"What do you mean?"
"When I woke up I found that bottle of water and was so thirsty, I downed it all in one gulp… then I really had to pee and wasn't going to waste a perfectly good bottle."
Chuuya stopped dead in his tracks as the implication rang loud and clear. He suddenly felt nauseous and filthy, his skin started to crawl. "Ehhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" He exclaimed in disgust, frantically patting and tearing at his clothes, hair and skin, as if suddenly infested with ants. He'd much rather he was.
Dazai's merry laughter filled the air, causing Chuuya to pause, then lunge, grabbing the taller man by the collar and readying his fist for a punch.
"Kidding! Kidding! I was only kidding Chuuya." Dazai said, raising his hands up in defense. "Don't take me for a Neanderthal, of course it was water."
The vein in Chuuya's head looked about to grow legs and run away; he reluctantly released the Prince and stomped onward. His aggravation only lifted Dazai's spirits.
"Or was it?..."
Chuuya stopped to take a deep breath, calling upon every ounce of willpower he had, not to kick Dazai's cheerfully smug head off his shoulders. "I fucking hate you with every cell in my body, you piece of shit Mackerelface!"
"Likewise… Slug Breath." Dazai threw back. "Let's move."
Chuuya groaned but followed, anger still high and his mind reeling. The explosion, the dream– If it was even a dream.-- Dazai's deductions, Akiko's terrified face… The voice…
If only gifted's could hear it then why hadn't Dazai? Or maybe it was never there and he just hit his head? And what about the person responsible? Why go through the trouble of trapping them only to run away at the first sign of trouble, weakened or not? And also…
"What were they looking for?"
Dazai paused, glancing back. "What do you mean?"
Chuuya gestured back at the carnage site. "You said the bastard responsible went digging to find something after the explosion… What do you think they were looking for?"
Dazai exasperated with a shake of his head. "Isn't it obvious Chuuya?..." He fixed the gravity user with a narrow glare. "They were looking for you."
The first clear coherent thing Akiko was conscious of was darkness. How long she'd been enveloped in it, she couldn't say.
At first she'd been shrouded in silence, unable to remember how she'd come to be there, ignorant to any pain, sound, or danger. But now her head was killing her. Throbbing, searing just above her right temple. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, along with an irritating ringing sound. Most likely a concussion, her medical mind deduced.
The second thing she started to take notice of was that she wasn't on solid ground, she was… floating?
No, not floating. Despite the pain in her head she willed herself to focus. The ringing was slowly dissipating enough for her to make out the distinct sound of footsteps against hard surfaces, and the way her body was bobbing with every step; and felt something under her knees and back told her she was being carried by someone.
She was becoming aware of being held against a warm, hard chest and the beating heart beneath it. A musty masculine aroma invaded her senses, so naturally she was being carried by a man.
Her mind was hazy but due to the ach of her body, she felt every step her mysterious holder took. Try as she might to reach it, full consciousness was still out of her grasp.
It wasn't until some indefinite amount of time later when she stopped moving and was laid on something mildly soft, did she start to force herself awake.
Something cold and damp was pressed to her forehead and she groaned from the dull pain in her head. Despite the grogginess, her eyes began to flutter open.
Wincing in response to the dim light, it took more than a few blinks to push away the blurriness and hone in on a pair of solemn chocolate brown eyes and gruff stubble staring down at her with an impassive expression.
"You're finally waking up. That's good." Oda Sakunosuke said, gently dabbing the cut on her head. "You've got a nasty cut on your head but it's not deep. Given that explosion, you're lucky that's all you got."
Explosion?... Yes. Now it was all coming back to her. The old boss. The purple sphere of energy, Chuuya rushing towards her… Chuuya?... Dazai?... Where were they? Where was she? And who was this stranger currently hovering over her?
Confusion turned to alarm. Her defensive instincts boiled to the surface, shoving away all incoherence and pain with searing adrenaline rocketing through her veins.
She wasn't aware she threw the punch until the gruff stranger was stumbling back, holding his right eye, moaning in pain. She leapt off the bed– or cot, as it appeared– and didn't even hesitate to give the man a hard kick in the family jewels with her scuffed heel.
Once he was incapacitated in the way only a man could be, she ran for the open doorway and down a narrow stone hall, best described as some kind of underground fallout shelter.
There was a staircase at the end of the hall, leading up. She just had to reach it and find the way out of here… Wherever here was.
A wave of dizziness fell over her just before she made it to the first step. Followed by nausea and the throbbing in her head returning with a vengeance and causing her world to spin.
She fumbled to lean against the wall, grabbing her head and trying to regain composure enough to climb the steps. Alas, her vulnerable state hindered her long enough for the stranger to recover and catch up with her.
He grabbed her from behind and she kicked and thrashed as he tried pulling her back down the way she came.
"I'm not going to hurt you, miss!" Oda tried to reason.
Akiko wasn't buying it. She struggled to break free, her opportunity presented itself when Oda's hand moved up and she bit into it until she tasted blood and he howled. Once he loosened his grip she stomped on his foot and sprinted for the stairs.
Only Oda recovered faster this time and hurried to grab her again. When she spun to punch, he blocked her fist, then another and another with expert precision.
He was predicting them somehow. Her moves must've been more sluggish than usual.
"Will you just listen?" He said. "I mean you no harm!"
"If you think I'm going down without a fight, think again!" She shrieked, then attempted to roundhouse kick the stranger but was briefly overcome by another dizzy spell, which would have made her fall backwards had Oda not been quick to catch her.
"You've certainly made that obvious." He gruffed, easing her down on the steps. "If this is how you respond to someone who's only trying to help you, I'd hate to be your enemy."
Head still spinning, Akiko still wasn't convinced she could trust this person, and she had a million thoughts racing through her mind, she couldn't help but voice the first lucid one she managed to latch on to. "W-where am I?"
"You're safe." Oda said, lowering himself to her eye level. "That may not sound possible for Suribatchi City, but I guarantee nothing and nobody will harm you here."
Suribatchi City… yes. The next thoughts had her trying to get back to her feet. "Dazai… Chuuya… I– I have to find them…" Sadly she was still too disoriented and Oda had to stop her moving.
"Whoa there. Just calm down, Princess."
Akiko's eyes widened with surprise. "You know who I am," She hadn't meant it as a question.
Oda mirrored her expression, if not even more surprised. "Well I do now."
Damn! Akiko thought. How could she be so careless, even if she had a concussion. If she wasn't in danger before, what would this guy do now that he knew he had the King's daughter to hold prisoner. What he did next definitely wasn't what she was expecting.
Instead of trying to restrain or apprehend her, he stepped back and dropped down to one knee and regarded her with formal respect. Completely flabbergasted her.
"Princess Akiko, Your serene highness… Apologies for alarming you before. But please rest assured, my lady, that I mean you no harm and that you are safe here under my protection."
Dizziness gone, replaced with confusion, the Princess wanted to ask a thousand questions but settled on the most obvious. "Who are you?"
"My name is Oda Sakunosuke, my lady." He said stoutly. "I am a direct descendant of Yokohama's first emperor, Natsume's captain of the guard. As such, I'm blood bound to aid and protect royalty such as yourself for the duration of your stay in Suribatchi City."
Taken back by the proclamation, and still more than a little bit skeptical, Akiko cautiously decided to appease the dour man--if only to receive some much needed answers.
"Well then, Oda Sakunosuke… If you really don't want to hurt me, then can you at least tell me why you brought me here?"
"I'll answer any questions you have to the best of my ability, my lady. But first, we should really see to that gash on your head."
Gloved fingers reached the gash he spoke of; wincing from the sting. With the right tool she could heal herself no problem. However, Akiko's curiosity peaked. Perhaps her judgment wasn't very reliable right now, but much the same as it had when she first met Chuuya, the doctor's gut instinct assured her that she could trust this man's word.
So she relented, accepting his help back to the single cot room, watching intently as he retrieved a small first-aid kit and wet rag. Giving her ample time to observe her galant rescuer.
He was tall, likely at least a head taller than Dazai, with dark brown hair and eyes. Young, despite what his calloused hands and frown lines would lead one to believe. He was handsome in a rugged sort of way, he'd certainly turn lady's heads if in a crowd. But his 'lone wolf' aura made it clear that socializing was not something he took part in regularly, if at all.
"You'll have to excuse my sorry excuse of first-aid. A band-aid is worth more than gold out here." Oda said, coarsely. Yet there was gentleness in his voice that made him so sincerely humble, it wouldn't be so far fetched to categorize his chivalrous semblance so far as genuine.
But Akiko refused to let her guard down for a moment. She may have lost her bag, but she could still feel her trump card on her person. The best gift her father ever gave her. "Then don't waste them on me, just clean it up and I'll take it from there."
Oda pulled up a small stool and proceeded to carefully rid the side of her face of the dried blood and grime. Thank goodness her butterfly hairpin had survived the incident, but she still huffed in annoyance from the irony of her needing medical treatment.
"Fortunately it's not deep. I think you were knocked for a loop but given your highness' ferocity when you first came to, something tells me you'll pull through. More than I can say about me."
The faintest of smiles graced her lips at his poor attempt at a joke, but seeing the black and purple swelling now circling his left eye made a slight flutter of guilt well up inside her chest. She chose to ignore it by hunting for answers.
"Tell me what happened?"
"I followed the source of the explosion and found you unconscious in the aftermath." Oda said, wiping the last of the dried blood off. "Gotta say, of all the strange things I've found out here, the King's daughter certainly takes the prize of most bizarre."
"What were you doing out there?" Akiko asked, suspiciously.
"Scavenging mostly."
Something about his tone had Akiko discern that wasn't the whole truth. "Why did you bring me here?"
"Would rather I left you out there to die, or worse?"
"What I'd rather know is if I'm your prisoner or hostage… or both?"
Oda smirked, pensively, reaching for some antiseptic cream. "You're not a prisoner, I assure you… This might sting a little."
It did, but she refused to wince. "So you're not going to ransom me?"
"Now there's an idea…" He almost smiled from how tense she became. "While I'm sure their majesties would pay any price to have you back unharmed, I'm not that kind of man, my lady. And besides, something tells me holding you against your will would mean more pain for me."
"You're not wrong." Akiko agreed. Which amused them both. Oda reached for a band-aid, but she snorted and shook her head. "Oh no. You said those are worth more than gold, keep them for someone who really needs them." The rugged man was about to protest but she raised her hand before he could. "I'm a doctor… and I know my own body well enough to know that I'll be fine." Especially if I get the opportunity to use my ability. She wasn't about to do that in front of him and reveal her hidden trump.
Curiously, Oda didn't argue the subject. Instead his eyes widened with what she could only describe as a spark of hope. "A… doctor?" He muttered. "Then the rumors about you healing people are true, can you heal anyone?"
She was nearly taken back by his sudden enthusiasm. "What? Not man enough to take a shiner from a woman?" She quipped.
Oda didn't waver. "Your highness' right hook is something to admire… and fear, not shame. Please, my lady, tell me how good of a physician you are?"
He didn't even try to hide the desperation in his voice. And the fact that it wasn't himself he was concerned about meant one thing that she didn't need Ranpo's skill to conclude. Someone this man cared about was in need of medical treatment. Even if she didn't trust him completely, her oath to save lives was above any errors. He already knew she was the King's daughter, he may as well know her resume too. She'd deal with the repercussions later.
"I'm one of the best in the country, and the second best in Yokohama. The first being my father the King, and even he says I surpass him. I may be young, but I'm a first class surgeon and trauma specialist. I don't like to boast but my skill is sought after by doctors and hospitals worldwide. Though I must apologize for not having my credentials on my person at the moment."
Oda's hand went to his eyes, he let out a shaky breath. If she didn't know better, Akiko would've mistaken it as a weep of relief.
"In that case…" He said, lowering his hand and fixing her with pleading dark eyes. "Please… I humbly ask for your help, my lady."
She followed him through several corridors and hallways, more than confirming her suspension of being underground. This place was definitely some kind of bomb shelter, what it was doing in Suribatchi was anyone's guess. He led her to a large- opened area where she saw an exit door, momentarily debating making a run for it until Oda called, "This way."
If there was one that Dr. Yosano was accustomed to, it was pain. She'd endured more mental pain in her youth than anyone that age should, and physical pain was merely a key for her ability. And while she spent years building titanium walls around her heart to keep emotional pain away, every now and then there's a patient that causes the floodgates of those walls to burst open.
When Oda finally stopped at a single door well away from the rest of the complex and opened it for her, those emotional floodgates didn't burst… they fell, along with a large chunk of the titanium wall.
In the dimly lit room was a water basin and a small cot, much like the room she'd just come from, and laying on the cot was a tiny little girl no older than five, possibly younger. With deathly pale skin covered in sweat, she was shivering despite the mountain of blankets covering her small frame and what tore the Princess' heart to shreds was the constant dreadful weezing of the little girl's breathing. Like every intake of air was rattling a jar of coins.
Akiko didn't hesitate to approach, immediately sitting down on the edge of the cot to perform a standard examination, throwing the blankets back to check her heart rate and pressing an ear to the small, frail chest. "What's her name?" She asked, placing a hand to the little girl's burning forehead.
"Sakura." Oda answered.
"Is she your daughter?"
"No."
Akiko looked at him, remorseful, "She has pneumonia."
"I know. Can you save her?"
Gently running her fingers through little Sakura's damp burgundy colored hair, the Princess knew dreaded the thought of using her ability on a child. Teenagers and adults were no problem but small children, that was when she despised the conditions of her gift. "I need my medical bag." She told Oda. "I can save her one way… or another. But first I need my bag." She stood to face him. "My brother. If my bag survived the explosion then it will be with my brother. Go find him and our guide and bring them back here."
Oda looked perplexed. "So his highness, the Prince is here too huh? What exactly were you doing out here, my lady?"
"Oda, if what you said about being able to trust you is true, then I promise we will explain everything later. But first I need to save this little girl's life. So please go and find my brother, Dazai." And Chuuya.
Glancing down at Sakura then back to the Princess, Oda took a deep breath then moved to the doorway. "Gide!" He called, making Akiko pique. A few moments later an older man in a tattered dusty cloak appeared. Clearly foreign, with long white hair and red eyes, most likely European the Princess thought, but he spoke their language flawlessly.
"What is it, Sakunosuke? What happened to your eye?"
"Nevermind mind that, I'm heading back out," Oda said. "I need you to watch over her highness the Princess while I'm gone. Get her anything she needs and protect her with your life."
Gide's ruby eyes widened, "The… Princess?" He looked back and forth, stupefied. "What on earth?..."
"Oh, it gets better, I've gotta go find the Prince as well. Now Gide was at a complete loss for words. "Hopefully we'll get some answers after that but she's agreed to help Sakura so your job is to look after them."
Gide nodded. "Of course."
Oda turned back to Akiko and gestured to his foreign college. "This is Andre Gide, my second in command, I trust him expediently and so can you, my lady."
Gide smiled softly and bowed to her much the same way as Hirotsu has most of her life. "It is an honor, Princess."
Akiko reciprocated his smile before reaching into her skirt pocket and procuring the locks of hair she'd taken from Dazai and Chuuya, offering them to Oda. "I know you need tethers for the labyrinth, these should help you find my brother and our guide."
"That's not necessary, your highness." He waved. "The labyrinth isn't an issue for me. I'll find them, I promise."
Akiko's features turned suspicious but she wouldn't pry, for now. "Then, when you find them, my brother will need confirmation that I'm alright. Tell him I said 'Fukuzawa's broken cat statue' and he'll know I sent you."
"Just please take care of Sakura, I'll be back as soon as I can." He turned to Gide. "Have Pops make plenty of curry tonight, seems we're hosting royalty." He left his lieutenant amused and the Princess confused.
The only remedy for the awkward silence was Akiko returning her full attention to Sakura. After several long silent moments, Gide cleared his throat. "Would your highness care for some tea?"
"Do you have some?" She asked.
"Of course, I'll only be a minute, your highness."
"Please, stop with the Highness." She scuffed. "I'm a doctor above all else. I prefer to be respected as that more than princess."
Gide's uncertainty turned to veneration. "As you wish, Doctor."
Finally, alone with her thoughts, Akiko was able to sort through the day's events. She hadn't had a chance to process the cataclysm, or seeing the old boss alive? Could she even call him that? Regardless of his official status, her body shook with rage that he'd still manage to nearly kill her and Dazai again. She vowed to send that bastard back to his grave personally if her brother didn't beat her to it.
She remembered calling out to him before the blast, but also hearing someone call out to her. She'd followed the direction of it and saw Chuuya reaching out to her. Those sapphire eyes bore into her so full of determination. She'd extended her hand out to him, hoping beyond all hope they would meet... Then everything went black and the next thing she knew, she was waking up to Oda hovering over her and her instincts acted on their own.
Oda? A very suspicious fellow. Was what he said about being descended from the first emperor's guard true? His apparent code of horror towards her when he learned she was Yokohama's princess seems to point yes. Not to mention his name. According to history Oda Sakunosuke was a great samurai devoutly loyal to Emperor Nastume. Not only that, he was also…
An aggressive bout of coughs from little Sakura pulled the Princess from her thoughts. She started caressing her hair once more. This poor child. What was she doing in a place like this, where were her parents?
A sinking dread turned Akiko's stomach, fearing she already knew the answer. She could worry about her many questions later, for now, all that mattered was saving this beautiful little girl with her whole life ahead of her.
Please hurry Oda. Dazai… Chuuya, please be alright.
Of course they were alright. The only force capable of killing her brother was her brother. And Chuuya is too stubborn to die. A trate she and him shared. The thought made her blush.
She only hoped they don't kill Oda before he gets a chance to speak to them. Somehow she doubted he'd make it easy for them. Everything she's learned so far has a plausible theory forming.
In truth, her greatest concern now was the thought of Dazai and Chuuya alone together, and how they'd keep from killing each other.
Be honest, would you expect anything less from Oda?
Or Akiko's first reaction to be anything but that? Lol!
Do you think Chuuya's dream was just a dream, or could it be more?
And which is worse, hearing that horrible voice again or being alone with Dazai?
Next time, Dazai Chuuya run into trouble, but also make a new acquaintance.
Buckle up because we are beginning the approach to some critical points in the story. Stay tuned.
