[Fanfic] Tatemae 4/5
Title: Tatemae | FF.net
Characters: America and Japan
Rating: This chapter has been upped to at least PG13 for some minor violence
Warnings: Human names and, in this chapter only, minor violence
Summary: Two nations meeting is always full of tense and awkward moments. So how did one of the longest lasting friendships start, fall, and rebuild? (This story connects to my other story The Darkness Within Me, but is not needed to understand the full story.
This chapter: Pacific War
Please be aware that this chapter is a little higher in rating due to minor violence.
Kiku…
It wasn't like the last time they met. It wasn't like that at all. There were no pleasantries, no lunch, and certainly no warnings. This time, it had come to blows. Kiku had gone far too far and he knew it. Did he regret it?
Alfred was going to make sure he did.
Kiku had stayed far away from the front lines during the war and he never set foot on any of his ships. He wasn't scared, but he knew that if there was even the slightest chance him and Alfred would see one another, the war might grow worse in seconds. He couldn't put his men in that much danger. Kiku was indebted to his men and admired them so. He refused to give up. His pride was pushing him forwards, his people pushing him on, and his own desires. He had to win.
It was not the constant echo of Alfred's voice. No. That was something he woke up in the night terrified of hearing again. He'd heard from some of his soldiers, the few that returned well enough to remember, that there was a beast coming. America had changed.
One soldier had a detailed description of Alfred from when he saw him. He happened, by chance, to be spared by an American soldier. In that brief moment, another Japanese soldier had shot him. But he didn't live much longer after that.
He was hit down by a claw. I know it was a claw, sir. It had razor sharp nails. No human could have possibly had a hand like that, sir. The beast it belonged to had fangs, glowing red eyes, and a monstrous form. He was covered in darkness, so I regretfully couldn't see much. But I know it was America. He called for your name and on his back there was a terribly deep wound down between his shoulder blades. It was frightening!
Kiku had been stunned by these mans words. Alfred had been calling for him? Kiku's mind whirled of what he sounded like and a strange chill went down his spine. Later that night he had started to have nightmares of a monster with a red face, yellow fangs, wild and bugged out eyes, and stringy blonde hair looking for Kiku. He came into his house, killed his guards, and found Kiku sleeping in his futon. He killed him with a bomb. A bomb that Alfred had been hinting he had. Kiku didn't believe him, but there it was, in his dreams. He had shoved it into his mouth and growled at him to eat it.
That was when Kiku always awoke in sweat and terror. He refused to cry and refused to call for help. Still, slowly, he could feel Alfred encroaching. His people were terrified and morale was starting to slip away. It made Kiku feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he refused to let anyone outside see this. He had to keep a face to his government officials and military that their efforts weren't in vain.
Not too much longer, there had been word the Americans were starting to turn the tide. Kiku knew his soldiers needed a morale boost and what better way than their own country coming to visit them? He made almost every solider a bento box and had them delivered to the ship he was currently visiting in the sea. Seeing their country, the men remembered all of their ideals, their pride, their love and devotion for their homeland.
Kiku felt even stronger and knew he couldn't give in to that man or his people, no matter what their history was.
He thought back on the times they were always together. How loud and obnoxious he was to the point of embarrassment; how rudely he came into his life, demanding this and that, all incredibly insatiable. How he would eat too quickly, speak too quickly, and act too rashly. He would run into matters like a child. This child would not be one to defeat him in battle.
It came without warning when the sirens rang and the men sprang into action. Planes and battleships flying the American colors were spotted. Kiku was unprepared, but ran to help his men. He knew how to use the guns. Without fear, the nation protected his citizens and they protected him. Explosions overhead shattered the sky, scaring the younger men.
The ships pushed forward, shoving the ships back. Kiku noticed how one in particular was surging forward faster than the others. Kiku aimed his guns at the ship, but stopped when he saw red. Not from the flag and not from blood. No… Someone's eyes.
A shadow loomed on the deck of a ship that jumped over onto the Japanese ship. The men charged the figure, but were swatted aside as if they were flies. Kiku turned the gun on the form, but to no avail. The shadow seemed to eat the bullets. A growl rumbled from its chest as it lumbered closer to Kiku.
Kiku abandoned his gun and reached for his katana on instinct, only to remember he didn't think to bring it. The thought, for whatever reason, just hadn't crossed his mind. Now he mentally cursed his forgetfulness and stumbled around for another more suitable weapon.
"Kiku…"
The Asian stopped in his tracks. That voice. It belonged to a demon. He refused to acknowledge that it belonged to his once friend.
He was never a friend! Kiku screamed at himself.
He grabbed a piece of shrapnel and with a yell, attacked. He swiped at the nation turned beast, but it evaded him so quickly. It jumped up higher than a human and with a hard landing on the deck, broke the metal underfoot. Kiku stumbled back from the impact on the ground, but kept his attack up. Nothing else mattered as the two faced off despite the world falling apart all around them. By now the sea was red with a black and smoky sky above.
Kiku tried to catch the beast off guard, but it resulted in him grabbing his weapon, crushing it to pieces with his claws. Kiku looked at the destroyed shrapnel before he faced America bravely. He would not back down.
"Look at yourself, America. What have you become?" Kiku said quietly, but sternly.
America loomed over him. He had grown twice his size and was bursting with raw energy. Kiku didn't even want to think of how scary it was that the nation had changed. He'd never heard of such a thing happening to a country. No, he had to focus on beating the American.
America didn't reply, but stared at Kiku, his growl reverberating throughout his entire body. He then slapped his claw across Kiku's face. The man let out a scream of pain as then another and another assaulted him. He tried to stay standing, but America's hits were much harder than normal. He lost his balance and fell, but America caught him by the collar.
Holding Kiku up in the air over the side of the ship, America rumbled, "Watch as I kill your children like you killed mine… I'll tear you to pieces…"
Kiku cried and squirmed in fear. He could feel them all dying, screaming for help and from fear as these Americans killed them all. Still, America held him, forced him to watch this loss.
It wouldn't be long before America tossed Kiku to the ground. He looked back at him as he turned to leave.
"I'll see you again… And I won't be so gentle…"
Kiku watched as America jumped back to his battleship, vowing he'd rather have his children kill themselves honorably before letting that beast onto his sacred lands again.
Hoshiko2's cents: Props to anyone who can figure out this battle scene as it was a rather important one in the Pacific War.
And I do apologize if it's a little graphic for some people, but I wanted to get across the "Sleeping Beast" the America had become.
~hoshiko