THE TRUE CONFESSION OF TERACHI SHINYA

by Kurara

+part 7+

--Shinya's Journal--

August 12, 1864

I'm still very disturbed about ratting on Toshiya. Yoshiki had scared
me so much into thinking the Round Robin as a horrid symbol, I
panicked. Kaoru still doesn't talk to me, and I don't blame him.

I'm glad for Die's company, and I don't know what it'll be like when
I get home and he's not there. It's becoming to be like a way of
life, being a sailor, and I know that after this trip I must go back
to my old life and this will have just been a short adventure in my
life.

Yoshiki... I must avoid him as much as possible. He strikes fear
within me and I know that at any time, he can kill me and he'd never
be put to jail. Yoshiki tries to attack me often and I always end up
sobbing in Die's arms. It's rather humiliating.

Only four more weeks. I can survive.

***

Kaoru nodded as he listened to Die talk about Shinya's safety when
Yoshiki was present. He knew that with the actions building up, there
was not much more time until they needed to go against the captain,
but they still had no idea how, or when. The eye of the storm was
almost up, and Shinya clutched to Die's arm as they spoke. Kaoru
watched as Shinya practically trembled on the red haired man and
sighed. "The storm is going to probably hit us again in two days.
Yoshiki wants to drive us into the storm because he wants to use the
force he believes the storm holds to speed us up even more."

"He wants us to go FASTER?!" Levin cried out from Kyo's arms.

Kaoru nodded. "So, we'll all have to be extra careful else the ship
might go down." Kaoru looked to Shinya, then to Die. "Especially our
rookie. Die, he's your responsiblity."

Die nodded and held Shinya closer. "I won't let Yoshiki get to him."

Kaoru nodded.

***

"But..." a familiar voice whispered across the room.

"Shh... not yet... not yet..." another voice was whispering.

Shinya blinked open his eyes, but couldn't see anything in the pitch
black and he could only see a slight outline of a person. He squinted
his eyes to try and see who it was, but he couldn't even guess. He
decided to shrug it off and he went back to sleep.

***

Shinya ran out into the storm that had picked up suddenly. He tried
vainly to sheild his eyes, but gave up as he got to Die. They were
trying to adjust the sails so that they could take the storm, and he
helped Die best he could. Eventually, it seemed as though he needed
to climb up the roping again and so, he went up. The rain pelted
onto his face as he looked up, and saw what he needed to get: Kyo.
Kyo was stuck up in the top, hanging by a rope around his neck.
Shinya gasped and hurried, remembering that Kyo was occasionally
clutzy and would get himself into situations like these, but the
storm made it worse, causing him to swing and restrict his breathing
even more.

Shinya remembered now why it was him that had to go up. He had
learned to be the fastest climber of them all, and he was the best
hope Kyo had. He bit his lip and climbed faster, but his long hair
kept whipping around in the air, slapping him in the face, tangling
in the netting, and all in all being a nuasance. He wished it would
just fall off and it was then that he remembered about the knife Kyo
had given him oh so long ago. Every day since he became a sailor he
held it with him, and now, he decided, he'd use it for the first time.

Gripping the rope tightly with one hand, he was able to get a good
enough grip to stay on without his hands and he took out the knife,
pulling his hair back with one hand and with the other, he took out
the knife and cut the hair to the top of the neck. Quickly, he shook
out his hair while putting the knife in his pocket and continuing up.

Through the storm, Shinya heard something of a muffled warning from
Die below, and he looked down to him, who pointed to his side.
Shinya looked and gasped.

Yoshiki.

Coming at him.

With a knife himself.

Shinya's heart quickened. //I have to save Kyo!// Shinya went
faster, pulling himself higher and higher and he could almost sense
Yoshiki coming for him. //Why does he want me?! Why not anyone
else?!// He looked up to see Kyo, still struggling, but he had his
hands loosening the rope just enough to breathe enough to stay
concious. //I'm coming Kyo... I'm coming...// As soon as that
thought was finished, Shinya felt a sharp pain in his leg and he
cried out.

Looking down, he saw Yoshiki with an insane glint in his eyes, the
knife in his leg. Shinya whimpered and tried to kick at Yoshiki with
his free leg, causing Yoshiki to get off balance and the knife left
his leg. Shinya stiffled a sob and scurried higher up on the ropes.

However, Yoshiki soon recovered and was coming up quickly, being more
expirienced than Shinya. Shinya felt Yoshiki pull his wrist away
from the netting and he was caught offbalance. Shinya gripped
tightly with his hand still attached to the ropes and cried out as
Yoshiki punched him in the stomach, trying to get him to let go.

Shinya gasped for breath and he could feel his hand loosening it's
grip on the netting. Yoshiki saw this as well and slashed at that
hand, causing Shinya to fall. Shinya slid along the ropes until he
could grab it about 15 feet below Yoshiki. He gasped as he saw
Yoshiki start to go up to Kyo. //No.. he can't...//

Shinya ignored the blood running down his arm and leg and the searing
pain as he struggled to get up before Yoshiki. Yoshiki didn't notice
him coming up, and Shinya was able to pull on the other man's hair,
leaving him at a disadvantage as Shinya struggled to get higher.

Yoshiki saw Shinya as a threat once again, and lunged at him with the
knife. Shinya was pinned against the netting as Yoshiki aimed for
his chest, but got his shoulder instead. Shinya stared wide-eyed at
Yoshiki as his vision blurred. Yoshiki pulled out the knife and
prepared to plunge it into Shinya again when suddenly his eyes
widened and he fell down, falling down into the ocean, turning mid-
air to reveal to Shinya three throwing knives in his back.

Shinya looked up to see a cloaked figure higher up on the netting
scamper up and help Kyo before he found himself slidding down the
netting, luckily staying on it until he got to the bottom to an
awaiting Die.

Die rushed over to him and hugged him close to his chest. Shinya
whimpered at the pain and looked helplessly to the red-haired man
before blacking out.

***

Okay, this was above all the suckiest chapter....
anou.. Yoshiki's sudden snapping will be explained in next part..
I suck at action scenes, and I hope you all at least got the visual I
was trying to get in this chapter...
Hmm.... well... kay.. it sucked, I know... gomen...
~kurara

to be continued~

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