Okay before I start I want to state this: I have some important information at the end of this chapter in my little author notes crap please read it.
How the Iron Golem was Forged! Hiro-Shu's Memories!
Hiro-Shu was standing aboard the ship steering it through the oceans. The sea was calm and clear not a cloud in the sky. He was upset at that. He just go the news. Ridley left the crew. Mikoto refused to give them the reason why, but Hiro-Shu assumed he had reasons. Mikoto was passed out on the deck he was down in the dumps since they had arrived and talked, he's been leaning on the railing of the ship ever since.
Hiro-Shu was having trouble fighting that. Ridley wouldn't just betray them and it seems like Mikoto knew something. He shouldn't be that depressed if Ridley was just leaving them. It happened on the seas it wasn't like Ridley was going to die. Hiro-Shu repressed some memories from his past. He wasn't in the mood to think about something like that for now.
The entire crew was worse the wear. Sage was holed up in the kitchen cooking in a state of disbelief and sadness, Zesiro was upset that once again no one listened to him and was busying himself sharpening his swords, and he was steering the ship lost in his own thoughts. Only person on the ship that seemed to be in a good mood was Orso.
It amazed Hiro-Shu that a Marine could feel so at home aboard a pirate ship, but Orso was doing just that. He was even fixing up a few things about the ship. He even remarked on how badly it got banged up during the journey as if he was sailing along with them. Orso was messing around and running around the ship, something Mikoto would be doing if he was up with that kind energy to do it.
Another flash from Hiro-Shu's past burst into his mind. For some reason he just couldn't forget about it today. He decided to call it day and jut go back to rest. "Hey, Zesiro," called Hiro-Shu. The nearby Fishman turned his head to the current helmsman. "Can you take over for awhile, I'm still feeling kind of beat."
Zesiro sighed and then nodded. He put his swords back around his waist and went up to the wheel. He put his hands on Hiro-Shu's back almost sensing that something else was up, but Hiro-Shu ignored it and kept walking down to his room. He passed the kitchen he heard Sage's quiet and almost silent crying. Other then that the continuous bang of spoon against cast iron pot was audible. She seemed whipped into a state of bitter fury and utter sadness.
Hiro-Shu ignored his urge to open the door and help her. He was starting to feel depressed himself. With the recent loss or Ridley, the crew's sudden solemn nature, the blasted memories of his past continually reappearing in his mind after each try to push them down.
Hiro-Shu collapsed on the remains of his bed. This ship, namely the beds, weren't made to handle his weight all of the time. A few days of collapsing into the bed weary after a hard day's work or another fight and the bed's frame hit the floor. He ended up taking another bed's mattress and doubling up on the cushions to prevent him from breaking the floor too.
Hiro-Shu tried to trace his life back while lying in bed. Starting from now he had fought only one real battle as a member of the Infinity Pirates, then he fought Valerie Steel, the same Valerie Steel who just moments before had released him from prison. He was in prison because someone had framed him with stealing…he really should find out who did that. But even before then he fought on his own as a treasure hunter making a decent enough living. And before that he was just plain ol' regular Hiro-Shu who was trying to make name for himself by being part of a three person treasure hunting group with his two friends.
(~Flashback~)
Three young kids sat alone in a large library. One was a fierce, fiery redheaded female she appeared to be 13 and clearly bored at the simply fact of being in the library. The second one was skinny clearly timid, but was rather quite at peace with a colossal sized book on his lap. The third was large and bulky overshadowing both of them in his brown leather jacket with his mere size. He was carrying books from one end of the library to another for the smaller one.
"Bored!" shouted the redheaded female, "Come on, Uhn! Hiro-Shu! Why are we sitting here doing nothing? We should be going out! We just found out about this incredibly artifact and you want to read about it! We should be hunting it!"
The smaller one dropped the book to the ground as he stood up. "We've got to be prepared! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and with all of the traps in there who knows if we'll make it out alive if we don't know what to expect!"
The third, the largest one, looked at one then the other not saying a word.
"Well," said the redhead, "I'm going! Why should I wait here? Who knows if there is someone else is trying to get the artifact!" With that she left out of the closest door on her way out.
The smaller one fidgeted. The big guy looked out after her and glanced back. "FINE! We'll do things your way Mai!" said the smaller one running after her. The big one in the back lumbered after them with no real speed behind him.
They three soon neared an immense temple. It was old and broken, just how you would expect an old eerie temple to be. The trio went inside abandoning all fears, except for the little fellow who openly protested that he had not studied the make-up of the temple, common booby traps for the period, or even the passages of the temple.
"Hurry up, Hiro-Shu! You and Uhn are slowing me down!" shouted Mai continuing to just breeze over every single the booby trap. A pitfall opened underneath as she leapt into the air avoiding it by mere inches, "whoo! Almost got me that time!"
"MAI! Be careful!" shouted the skinny kid, "don't do anything too reckless!" The big guy just charged through avoiding pitfalls and other dangerous mediums. An arrow whizzed by his head, which just caused the little guy to become even more worried.
The trio crossed through more dangerous traps. Rocks falling from the ceiling and rolling around trying to crush them. Steel saws rolling around in a threatening manner. Pitfall after pitfall after pitfall. After a few of those people really just get tired of seeing them, but apparently they were easy to make as there was at least a dozen of them.
The crew quickly came upon a large open and empty space hidden far off in the corner of the temple. Only someone who ignored vast treasure, avoided traps, and kept an eye open for secret passageways could've made their way here. However it was painfully uninteresting. It was a huge empty room with rocks all around an inscription on the door and a giant steel ball in the middle of the room.
The small kid was standing there transfixed to the giant steel ball. His eyes never once parted from it, he was being pulled in by some unknown supernatural force. It wasn't until a punch from the red-haired shocked him out of his trance that he was forced to turn around. She was pointing at the inscription.
"Look, I can't read this!" she shouted, "so can you please read it for me!" She picked him up by his collar and forced him around to face the inscription.
"Those with courage are like a roaring flame. Those with fear are brittle like rock. But one must have both to truly be as strong as Iron," said the smaller kid only barely just glancing at the inscription his eyes still truly on the iron ball.
The small kid wandered up to the ball. His hands wavered mere inches from the cold iron ball. Finally with one final inch his hand came into full contact with the ball. The ball glowed briefly before shrinking and being absorbed into the small kid's hand. The kid's hand briefly lit up before cooling down like the ball did.
Then in that same instant a black hole opened up in front of him. It was dark perpetually swirling around and sucking in small objects into its black body. The smaller kid was being picked up by the vortex his body started to creep towards the hole.
The girl stood back. The bigger boy was the first to react he jumped from his position moving with speed that was surprising for him. His giant hand grabbed hold of the kid and he quickly braced himself. It didn't help. The hole was still roaring, sucking up everything and anything around it. The two boys included.
The bigger one twisted with all his might and tossed the smaller kid back. The kid collided heavily with the ground. The kid recovered and looked up just in time to see his friend being sucked into the hole. The hole slammed shut apparently content with its newest bounty.
The smaller kid mortified bolted to the place where the black hole just vanished. He started digging and clawing up the dirt, as if he firmly believed that the way to bring the hole back was underground. "Mai, don't worry we'll save him! We'll save him!" He twisted back his body filled with an emotion all too new to him, rage.
The girl was standing there, wide eyed. She, too, was experiencing an emotion new to her, fear. She couldn't move, her body was frozen in terror. The girl then sprang into action just not the way the kid was hoping. She twisted around and escaped the temple at top speed.
The kid got up and chased after her. He charged after her shouting her name asking that she slowed down. He narrowly escaped the booby traps, which all tended to slow him down further. Not only that, but his body seemed slower and it appeared to lag behind him and slow him down.
He finally the temple and headed towards town determined to set things straight and get to know his friend again. He needed her strength now! He already lost one of his friends, he wasn't going to lose another one without a fight.
He finally got to the town when he froze. Mai was there, but she was surrounded by four men in business suits all with handguns. She meekly pointed at the kid. The four men lifted their guns up at pointed them at him.
"You gots somethin' we want," said the first man. He waved his gun at him. "Ya gots that?"
The kid looked at Mai, "W-Why?" It seemed to be the only word he could think of.
Mai looked away. Another man spoke up. "Well, its like this, son. She doesn't care for you anymore. It's the sad truth, but it's the truth nonetheless. She just handed you over to us. I'm sorry to say it Hiro-Shu, but since you killed your friend, Uhn, I'm afraid I'll kill you."
"You have no right," said the kid, a young Hiro-Shu, "Uhn saved my life! I will not give it up!" The first man pistol whipped Hiro-Shu sending him to the ground. Hiro-Shu struggled to stand. He then blacked out.
As Hiro-Shu blacked out he could've sworn he heard Mai's voice say, "I'm sorry".
(~Back to today~)
Hiro-Shu shifted uncomfortably in bed. He was unaware of his power at that point. He figured the only reason why he survived was because he went berserk and his other half took over. The other spirit defended him and flattened the enemies. He shuddered at the thought of what happened to Mai. He never heard from her or of her again. He tossed around in the bed again. He wish he knew what had happened to her. A loud clunk against the ship at the hull made Hiro-Shu shoot up from his bed and rush to the top level to see what had caused the impact.
Is There a Doctor in the House? The Mending of a Patient and a Crew
Well, well, well. We finally learned a bit about Hiro-Shu's past. Also in case you couldn't tell a doctor OC is going to be joining the crew soon! However, I am currently at a four-way tie! And since I am lazy (wait something good is about to happen) I AM LETTING YOU GUYS PICK! Over the next few weeks I will post a poll on my profile please go there and vote. (VOTE!) Also over the course of many chapters I will be leaking information you may not know about those characters so read my chapters! Also please do not vote more then once and please wait to get a good grasp on the OC's personalities before voting. If this goes well it may happen more often!