(March 17, 2024)-(Yu Narukami)-—-—-—-
This all happened at the very beginning, as far as I knew. I remember arriving at my Uncle Ryotaro Dojima's house for a visit a few days prior to when this happened. I went there a year prior to this visit because my parents ended up working abroad and couldn't take me along. I was sixteen years old at the time and just starting my second year of highschool. Suddenly it was a new school, new peers and a completely new setting. I went from being a city boy to living in Inaba, a very small rural town in the middle of nowhere. While I was there, some mysterious murders happened and I kind of got caught in the middle of it. A new power within me got awoken, and some friends and I ended up saving the town from someone who had been shoving people into a world inside a TV, which would end up killing them. I'm not crazy, I promise. Anyway, after a year of staying there before, I ended up feeling more at home in Inaba than I did at my actual home. I made amazing friends there, including getting to know this Uncle who I hadn't seen since I was a baby, and his daughter Nanako. I formed a very tight bond with Nanako during the first year in Inaba, so that made going home hurt even more. Even though Nanako is my younger cousin, I call her my Sister, and she calls me 'big bro.' If I'm being honest here, I went back to Inaba mostly to see Nanako again. I was there for two days… and then one morning… I saw a bright light. When that light faded away, I was in the middle of the desert with my Uncle and Nanako.
"What happened, Dad?" Nanako asked in bewilderment.
"I'm not sure… this is strange." Dojima said. "Yu, could this have anything to do with your strange TV powers you got last year?"
"I don't think so." I said nervously. "This doesn't feel like the TV world."
"Well, some very strange things happened last year… so I've learned to never rule anything out when it comes to you." Dojima chuckled. "We should probably find someone who can help us. We should definitely try and find some water as well." We spent most of that day looking for shelter, water, food and other various supplies. Luckily, at this point, Nanako didn't really understand we could potentially be in danger, so she was able to stay calm. I won't bore you with too many details, but we did eventually find a small town on a hilltop. It had been very recently abandoned, because we found stuff there that no one in their right mind would ever leave behind, like perishable meat and a few husks of corn that looked extremely fresh. We were set for a few days, but my Uncle wanted to go out and scavenge supplies and maybe find a better place to stay while we were still doing fine. He didn't want us to ever reach the point of desperation. Before he went out for his first supply run, he pulled me outside the little hut we were all sleeping in.
"I need you to do something for me, Yu. It's VERY important." Dojima said to me sternly.
"Anything." I said, eager to help any way I could.
"I need you to keep a very close watch on Nanako." Dojima said. "Don't let her wander off, don't let her follow me, just make sure she stays in the hut. And if you need to leave the hut for any reason, bring Nanako with you and keep her close."
"You don't need to worry." I reassured my Uncle. "Her safety is just as important to me as it is to you." Dojima placed his hand on my shoulder firmly.
"Thank you very much, Yu. I'm glad to know I can count on you." Dojima said. He then backed away and waved 'goodbye' to me. I waved goodbye back, but I had a very bad feeling. I went back inside to be with Nanako. I started poking around the hut for some kind of weapon, but all I could find was a knife in a dresser drawer. I put it in my back pocket, thinking I wouldn't ever have to use it.
—-—-—-
It started getting dark after a while, and Dojima hadn't returned yet. Nanako was getting very worried. I was worried as well, but I had to ignore a feeling of hopelessness that was beginning to gnaw at me.
"Don't worry Nanako, he should be coming home soon." I said in the calmest voice I could possibly muster.
"I'm scared, big bro…" Nanako said with tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
"Don't worry about it Nanako. Your dad has everything under control." I reassured her. "You can go to sleep, I'll stay up and keep an eye out for your dad."
"Will you wake me up when he comes back?" Nanako asked me.
"I promise." I said. I brought Nanako into a bedroom so she could sleep. I sat up against the wall right next to her. It wasn't easy for me to stay up, but I had to. After a while, I heard an engine approaching the hut. I figured Dojima found a car so I woke Nanako up.
"I think he's home." I whispered to Nanako. Nanako sat up and wiped her eyes, but then I heard voices coming from outside. Arabic accents… something my Uncle didn't have. I wasn't sure who these people were, but I had to keep Nanako safe, no matter the cost. "Nanako, hide in this closet!" I whispered. "Quickly!" I ran Nanako over to the closet. "Don't move until I come back." I closed the door and moved a dresser in front of it. I went over to the front door.
"PUT YOUR HANDS UP!" I heard. I did what I was told.
"I'm not looking for trouble." I said in a calm voice. Suddenly one of the guys tackled me and tied my hands behind my back and got me onto my knees.
"Is there anyone else here?" A guard asked me.
"Huh? Nah, it's just me." I said, sounding like I believed my lie. That's how you pass it like a pro. Anyway, the guards didn't believe me, so they started looking around. They went into the bedroom and I heard the dresser being moved! "IF YOU LAY A FINGER ON HER I WILL KILL YOU!" I yelled as loud as I could with tears being squeezed out of my eyes. I tried getting on my feet but three guards came over and forced me down. I had to calm down and think straight. I needed to find a way out of this.
"Big bro! Help me!" Nanako yelled. The guard came out of the bedroom holding Nanako by her feet!
"I got one, Brother." One guard said to the others. "Take her to Akechi. He'll decide what to do with her."
"YOU'RE NOT TAKING HER ANYWHERE!" I yelled. I couldn't stay calm, not when some D-bags wanted to harm my little sister! I got on my feet briefly but then I was forced back onto my knees.
"Take the girl away!" The guard said. "This one is being too difficult. He's not worth it." Three guards left with Nanako.
"Nanako! I will find you! Just be brave!" I yelled as the guards took Nanako away. I had to find a way out of there! I had to follow that truck! That was when I remembered I had the knife in my back pocket! I discreetly used my fingers to get it out of my back pocket and into my hand. I then started working on the ropes around my wrists. The guard then came up to me and put a Glock to my forehead.
"You won't be able to find your sister. You will be sent to Allah." The guard said with a smug voice. "Any last words?" At that moment I cut through the ropes. I realized in a flash; my life wouldn't be the same. I was about to get blood on my hands.
"You guys are animals…" I growled quietly. "SO IT'S TIME TO DIE LIKE ANIMALS!" I swung my knife at the guard's throat and it squirted blood all over my face. I grabbed his body and used it as a shield. I grabbed his Glock and gunned down the other two guys in the house. I didn't realize there were other guys in the small town looking around. They started running up to the house I was in. I stood there with a heat building up in me. That heat wasn't fear, it was rage. These bastards took my little sister and I wasn't about to let any of them see another day. I ran outside gun blazing. I kept the guards fearing for their lives, more focused on finding cover than shooting back at me. I picked a few more of them off before they started getting behind houses and trucks. I quickly threw myself over the wall of a destroyed house and kept firing back. My gun ran out of bullets pretty quickly and I didn't have any spare rounds. I made my way over to another house quietly and then around it. The guards knew I was out of ammo, but they thought I was still behind the retaining wall. They were walking towards the wall with their guns raised, so I went up behind a guard, stole his rifle, pulled the pin on one of the grenades he had on him and then threw him into the middle of his group of boy-toys. They all blew up, sending a wave of blood flying at me. I stood there catching my breath as the blood splashed all over me. I felt a lot of bad feelings having killed at least eight guys, but I couldn't focus on that. All I cared about was getting Nanako back. Suddenly I felt a bullet sail through my collar, just missing my neck. I fell to the ground in complete shock and confusion, rendering me helpless. I looked in the direction of the shot and saw two guys walking over to me. My vision was getting dark so I couldn't tell who They were. One of them was holding an M14. The one with the rifle grabbed me by the leg and started dragging me to a truck, then everything then went black.
(March 18, 2024)-—-—-
I woke up laying down in a very dark room on the floor. My ears were ringing and my vision was blurry. I tried rolling onto my stomach to get myself up, but I rolled over the shoulder that had been shot and I rolled over in pain. But that pain made me remember everything. My Uncle was in danger and Nanako was taken. I had to find a way to break out. Two guys then walked up to the cell I was in, one of them with an M14 rifle over his shoulders. The same two guys who dragged me to the truck. I'm assuming the guy with the M14 was the one who shot me.
"Oh good, you're finally awake." One guy said. He had black hair but it faded to red. He also had some eyeliner on. Another thing about him… he didn't sound like a guy. "I bet you're probably wondering… 'where am I right now?'" The guy taunted. I went up to the bars and stared into this guy's eyes, then I suddenly and forcefully grabbed the bars. Both of the guys jumped backwards a bit. I startled them.
"All I'm wondering…" I growled through clenched teeth. "...is what you ANIMALS did to my little Sister." The guy with the M14 waggled his finger in front of the bars. This particular guy had brown hair that faded to black, and had drawn on really thick eyebrows with mascara.
"Mmm-mmm-mmmmmm." He said as he shook his head. "Is that any way to be speaking to someone who was kind enough to spare your life? I could have shot you in the head… but I decided we could use a good fighter like you."
"Well lucky me…" I said to this guy whilst being filled to the brim with rage.
"I will make a little deal with you…" The half-red-half-black haired guy started. "You can see your sister again some day, as long as you behave. Seeing as how that is your only choice… I would highly advise you to heed my words." He then called two guards over to where my cell was. They stood there and watched me as red hair opened the cell door. The guards then entered the room and grabbed me by my arms and put me in shackles against the wall. The two guys then strutted into my cell as the two random guards left. Red hair put his hand on my left shoulder, the one that had been shot. "Some of our rules may seem a little unorthodox, but you'd do very well to follow them. Rule number 1, don't pass out!" He then dug his thumb right into my wound. I couldn't move my arms at all so I could only stand there and take the immense pain. He kept digging his thumb into the hole where the bullet was until I realized he was pushing the bullet through my shoulder. My vision was going red, and then black. Just like his hair. There was overwhelming pain and a burning sensation that made its way through most of my body, engulfing my entire torso in white hot pain. My legs went limp and I was hanging by my wrists. Finally he yanked his thumb out of my wound, bent over and picked up the bullet.
"I… won't… give you… what you want…" I uttered in unbelievable pain. The guy held the bullet in front of my face. I watched some of my blood on the bullet stream slowly downwards and drip off.
"I will get what I want from you… eventually. It may be a long and frustrating process, and more of these may go into you during that time…" He said as he licked some of my blood off. He then unbuttoned my shirt and started tenderly feeling my chest. I was too enraged to be creeped out. His fingers slowly wandered over to the bloody hole in my left shoulder. "You want to know the ironic thing?" He whispered to me. "I didn't give you this boo-boo… you did. You did that by killing my soldiers. That is something I can't tolerate… so be glad I decided to keep you alive despite your actions." The guy and his friend then turned around and started walking out of my cell, which was ok with me. He was just so damn annoying. "Oh, and one more thing… My name is Lucas, and this is my friend, Devil." He said. "We'll get to know each other very well over the coming months. If you behave during this time, you'll get to visit your Sister." Lukas and Devil strutted out of my cell and locked the door, leaving me shackled to the wall with my shirt unbuttoned and blood streaming down my shoulder.
"Nanako…" I whispered to myself. "I'll find you… just give me some time. Be brave… please."
(March 19, 2024)-—-—-
I was stuck in that cell, trying everything I could to get out of these shackles. I had been lunging forward repeatedly to try and wear down the shackles, which was actually starting to work. My mind was going to some dark places, but I kept reaching out to the light at the end of the tunnel, as dim as it may have been. I didn't sleep at all and I had been standing without any kind of rest. My wound had scabbed, so I wasn't bleeding anymore, but it still hurt and there was the most maddening itch. I had to keep my head out of my ass, for Nanako's sake.
"I can feel it…" I heard someone mutter to himself. Then a frizzy-haired highschool-aged boy came in front of my cell then quickly hid behind an alcove. He made eye contact with me and put his finger over his mouth. I knew he wanted me to pretend he wasn't there, so when I saw a guard walk into view, I broke eye contact with frizzy-hair. The guard came up to my cell and opened the door.
"Lunch time." He said as he held a bowl with dry oats up to my mouth. He was then assassinated by frizzy hair.
"You new here?" Frizzy hair asked me as he took his knife out of the guard's throat and dropped him to the floor.
"Yeah…" I said. "Undo my shackles." Frizzy hair obliged, even though looking back I probably said that in a mean tone.
"Stick with me." Frizzy hair said after he unchained me using the guard's keys. "We're getting out of here, but we need to stay undetected." He then took the guard's knife and handed it to me.
"I don't need a lecture." I snapped as I took the knife. "Just lead me out of here so I can find my Sister."
"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the wall this morning." Frizzy hair said with a smirk.
"Not funny." I snapped. "Let's just get going." With that, we started down the hall.
"I'm Ren Amamiya." Frizzy hair said without warning as we carefully made our way down the hallway.
"Yu Narukami." I whispered back. "Call me Narukami, but if you help me find my Sister then maybe you can call me Yu."
"Okay." Amamiya said nonchalantly. We kept going, suddenly Amamiya went behind an alcove and motioned me to go behind the adjacent one. Three guards came walking down the hallway. Amamiya took his knife, cut one of the buttons off of his shirt and then he threw it at a wall behind the guards. They all turned around and started slowly walking towards where the sound came from. I knew I'd need to remember that trick. "Get the guard closest to us." Amamiya said. I ran at the guard and stabbed him in the upper back. Amamiya ran past me and slotted the two other guys in front. We kept sneaking our way through the prison in silence until we got to a cell with a girl in it.
"Hey! Hey you!" She said somewhat quietly. "Any chance you two wanna help me out of here?" She asked. I barely looked at her.
"We don't have time!" I snapped. "More guards may be coming!" Amamiya grabbed my collar as I started back down the hall.
"What is wrong with you?" Amamiya growled. "We must save everyone we can." Ren took a makeshift lock pick out of his pocket and got the cell door open. This girl was pretty short, being honest. She had curly blonde hair, green eyes and lots of freckles on her face. She stretched her arms and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you so much!" She said. "I am now as free as a muffin on Free Muffin Friday!"
"Not a problem, miss." Amamiya said as he adjusted his glasses. "Let's get out of here quickly and quietly, we don't exactly have the hardware to take out an entire army." We headed back down the long depressing halls.
"By the way, my name is Dew. Dew Coletyn." The girl said.
"My name is Ren Amamiya, and that's Yu Narukami." Amamiya said while we were behind cover, making sure the way was clear.
"Yu?" Dew asked.
"Yeah…?" I answered feeling miffed.
"Yu and me! We… We're friends!" Dew laughed. "Get it? Because you're 'Yu' and I'm me!" I rolled my eyes.
"You want to take this seriously, fairy princess?" I snapped at Dew. "We're trying to dodge an army being led by 2 freaks that want us dead!"
"You want to lighten up a bit, Yu?" Dew retorted. "There's nothing wrong with making light of a serious situation!"
"I like her already…" Amamiya mumbled to himself. We snuck through a few more rooms and guard posts… Looking back, I owe it all to Amamiya for getting us out of there undetected and unharmed. We made it to a room with some stairs which we used to get down to the bottom floor. We were in the entryway hall, but there was a door across from the massive gate. We were getting ready to make a run for it, when we heard an alarm going off, along with a bunch of guns cocking from outside the entryway.
"I'm well aware of a prisoner escaping from one of these cells." Lucas announced. "Give yourself up now so we can all go about our daily lives! This is your only warning!"
"They're watching the entryway… we won't be able to get to the other side without them spotting us." Ren whispered.
"What's on the other side?" Dew asked.
"The garage." Amamiya answered. "I wanted us to get a vehicle, so at least we wouldn't be out in the desert."
"I'll give you ten seconds to come out before I send my men in there to kill every single prisoner in the fort!" Lucas yelled. He started counting down slowly.
"There's only one thing I can do…" Amamiya said confidently. "They think there's only one of us… I'll be that one." He got up and started walking towards the gate.
"Wait, you're going out there?" Dew asked.
"You two need to get out of here." Amamiya said. "Wait until it's safe, then get to the garage." Dew then turned to me.
"Aren't you going to stop him?" She asked me.
"Nope." I said. "I have to get out of here alive." Dew scowled at me with her mouth hanging open in disbelief.
"Don't shoot. I'm unarmed." Amamiya said calmly as he walked out to the guards. A few seconds passed, then I heard a gunshot. I saw blood splatter on the wall Amamiya was standing in front of even though he was pretty far away. Dew waited a few seconds then peered around the corner slightly. It was clear, so she started running towards the garage, so I followed her. We got to the garage which was full of trucks. I locked the door behind us, but then Dew pinned me against the wall.
"What the crusty-dried-up heck is wrong with you?" She said through very clenched teeth. Looking back, I deserved that. Damnit Amamiya… I wish there had been another way. The way I acted back then… this hurts to write. "He got you out of your cell and you're only concerned about YOUR getting out of here? Why is that? Why is your life so much more important than everyone else's?" I shoved her off of me.
"My little sister got kidnapped by Lukas's men. I need to find her." I walked over to one of the trucks and opened the door. "Get in." I ordered.
"Why?" Dew asked me. "So you can throw me at some guards to save your precious life? I don't think so." Dew walked over to another truck and got into it. She started the truck then headed out of the garage. "You're on your own, you jerk." I watched in anger as the truck drove out of the garage and sped off into the distance. I started the truck I was in and drove off in search of another prison. I wish I could tell you I knew everything I did wrong in that moment, but I didn't. I was still blinded by rage. I searched two other prisons that day before it started getting dark. I couldn't find Nanako, but I found a few maps with codes and markings on them. I figured I could find a safe place and decode everything on the maps. It took a while, but I eventually found my way back to the old house my Uncle brought me and Nanako to. I went inside, exhausted and enraged, but that enraged feeling soon turned into a feeling of dread. And for a few seconds… regret. Those were the moments when I really thought about Amamiya. Dew Coletyn was right… What was wrong with me? I tried to get some shuteye that night, but how could I sleep comfortably knowing Nanako was in some dingy cell somewhere? Alone and scared. I couldn't sleep. I spent that entire night looking at maps next to a candle that didn't want to stay lit.
(March 22, 2024)-—-—-
At the crack of dawn, I got back in the truck to continue searching for Nanako. I went to five prisons the previous day, but I couldn't find her. That day, there were multiple times where I came close to being killed. Eventually I realized I probably couldn't find Nanako alone. As much as I wanted to work alone, I wouldn't live long enough to see Nanako again if I kept doing it my way. If I was going to die, I wanted to know Nanako was safe… then I could die at least feeling accomplished enough to rest. I set out once again, not only to find Nanako, but also to find someone who would be able to fight with me. I made it to this multiple-story brick building and snuck in through the back. I searched all the cells, but I only found one prisoner in shackles against the wall who I thought was dead. Black long ears, a blue cap, a blue t-shirt and very sickly. I tapped the bars lightly to try and get his attention, but he wouldn't wake up. I deemed the place another dry hole, but as I was on my way out, I saw Lucas and Devil talking to some guards.
"Are you sure that's what Akechi wants?" One of the guards asked Lukas and Devil.
"Yes. He wants me to film the execution of the prisoner." Devil answered. "Doesn't a little fear mongering sound like something that would make everything easier? Plus, I've got my rifle just in case something goes wrong. I'll be watching and filming from the roof." The guards then just shrugged.
"I wish I could be here to watch, but I'm needed in the neighboring region." Lukas said. "Please do your best to capture the prisoner's agonizing screams." Devil nodded with an evil smile and he headed to the roof access. Lukas and the guards left. I followed Devil quietly, thinking I could take his rifle and try to rescue the prisoner that was going to be executed. He finally made it up to the roof and started setting up the camera. I wrapped my arm around his neck and forced him to the floor.
"Remember me?" I whispered. Devil looked at me with fear in his eyes. "My shoulder's doing better, thank you for asking." The fear in Devil's eyes turned into a hopeless gaze.
"Do what you must." Devil said. I Took Devil's M14, then I beat him to death. It only took a few moments. I then perched on the edge of the roof, overlooking the courtyard. I saw two guards dragging the prisoner I saw in the cell before out to the courtyard. They were being followed by a guard wearing flame-retardant gear and wielding a flamethrower. That was my chance to rescue a prisoner that would help me get Nanako. I only had a few moments to get the shot just right… The flamer was pacing in front of the prisoner intimidatingly. I positioned the M14's reticle on the fuel canister the guard wore on his back… and I pulled the trigger.
That prisoner I saved ended up not only helping me save Nanako, but he became my Brother… someone who I came to trust more than most others in my life. He is, to this day, someone I would die for. He and I went on to fight battle after battle, and I'm proud to say I've kept an eye on his six this entire time. Throughout this entire story… I was only thinking about myself and my Sister, and no one else mattered. It makes me sick to write this… because I know what impact having friends has on fighting something that seems bigger than anyone. After all this time… I regret not helping any prisoners I found prior to that fateful day… and I remember Ren Amamiya. He saved my life, and I couldn't return the favor. I didn't even try thinking of a different way out. Rescuing that prisoner was the best decision I had ever made in my life, because not only did it clear my conscience a little bit, but that prisoner made me a better person… and I ended up rescuing my best friend… and my brother.
The prisoner I saved that day, that was you, Klonoa. Thank you for sticking with me even though I was a jerk to you at the beginning. Thank you for insisting that I think of the lives of others back when the only life I cared about was Nanako's. Thank you for taking a few extra steps to make sure we could rescue Nanako from a massive enemy fortress. Everything you've done… I still feel like I will never be able to fully repay that debt. Don't worry about the future, Klonoa. As long as I'm out there with you, I will never let anything happen to you.