The Shadows We Bear [Part IV / ???]
Last one for the day ahahaha orz.
Basic premise for those who do not know: this fic is set the the world of theskytides, an AU panfandom RPG set in a steampunk line in which it is totally a fandom of its own. Miles Edgeworth (from the Ace Attorney series) and Hijikata Toshirou (from Gintama) happen to be the first mate / boatswain respectively in of one of the ships in the game. In this story, Hijikata has something of a... crush towards Edgeworth that he has never told anyone, though he is aware. Which of course, will only lead to nothing but trouble...
Parts: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Part XI
THE SHADOWS WE BEAR
TST!Shadowverse fic : Part IV
“Seta Souji. You might know me as the cousin of Miles Edgeworth.”
If anything, that line had really gotten his attention. Immediately, the man shifted himself closer to the journal, glad that his door was locked and that he had bothered to install that pet door. “Edgeworth? Do you know anything about him?”
“As a matter of fact, I do,” came the response, the tone of it sounding slightly strained to the boatswain’s ears. “And I might know where he is.”
“What?!” This was most definitely new to him. “Where the hell is he? Is he alright?”
“He’s...” the Seta person started, only to pause and trail off for a moment before speaking up again. “He got kidnapped, and now he’s currently somewhere in the Badlands as far as I am informed. As for his safety... he is safe for now, but I don’t know how long that will last.”
A sense of dread passed though him at that. “What... what do you mean?”
“What I mean is,” the voice paused in order to take in a deep breath. “My cousin is in mortal peril as we speak, and he could die at any day.”
His blood turned cold upon that line. No. No. No. That was just... no. Edgeworth was in danger-his life could be lost at any moment and... no. He couldn’t let him die; he wouldn’t let him die. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t let another tragedy happen again in his life, not when he already had so much to bear. He could never bear to live with himself if Edgeworth were to die. No.
Forcing himself not to shake, Hijikata spoke quietly back towards the other. “Is there... is there any way to save him?”
The pause after that question was the longest moment of his life that the boatswain had ever experienced.
“...yes,” the answer finally came. “But to do that, I will require your help.”
“What sort of help?” the man asked tersely. If it was to save Edgeworth, he would be willing to do anything at all-
“I need you to tell me everything you know about my cousin.”
The boatswain only paused. “What?”
“I need you to tell me everything you know about Edgeworth,” Seta spoke again, still managing to sound strangely calm despite the fact he was the one who had revealed the whole situation to him. “Please. It’s very important for me if he is to be saved.”
“And how the hell does me telling you about the asshole help with this whole thing?!” As much as he did want to save Edgeworth, even Hijikata wasn’t exactly the most agreeable person to be with in any sort of situation.
“Its-It’s hard to explain properly, but I assure you that this is of great importance,” the other went. “What you tell me can be the key to properly locate him-”
“Look, I want to save Edgeworth as much as you do, but that doesn’t give you the right to ask me to tell you about his stuff,” the swordsman snapped back irritably into the journal. His patience was being tested and was already on shaky ground.
There was a rush of static from the speakers. “Fine. I won’t ask if you insist on it.”
Wait, what. What the hell was he doing? Here it was, a lead to finding Edgeworth and now he was going to let it go because of... because of something stupid. He was already on tenterhooks, and Hijikata was quite sure that he couldn’t handle any more than he was already handling. He needed Edgeworth, and he needed him back here.
“I appreciate it if you won’t tell anyone about this-” Seta went on, but Hijikata cut him shot.
“I’ll tell you.”
“-you will?”
“Yes,” he said, then paused on his own end to take a deep breath of his own this time round. “But if I do, you have to take me along with you when you’re rescuing the asshole.”
“I’ll think-”
“Yes or no, or the deal’s off.”
“...alright then,” the other responded with a hint of weariness in his voice.
After that had been nothing but a whirlwind of chaos as Hijikata had to push to get leave so that he could actually leave the ship in order to go off to rescue Edgeworth. It had been hard, given the fact that he was pretty much the only competent officer left onboard the ship, but his state of condition (plus some rather encaustic fabrication on Jade’s part) had made things much more simpler, and in the end he had been granted a week’s leave under the official reason of ‘rest and recuperation’.
Of course, that had been the last thing in the boatswain’s mind. As soon as he managed to get leave, he had immediately boarded a ship and headed straight for Garettstown where Seta and his gang were waiting for him. There were brief introductions and some explanations between them before they all settled down at one of the nearby cafes and discussed over what should be done. It took a while, but eventually a decision was made-Hijikata would be following two of them into wherever Edgeworth was while the others were to be on the lookout. They couldn’t risk trying to bring a full party this time due to so many unknown circumstances (something about the lack of an appearance on some Midnight Channel thing) so only two of them-plus the officer-would be entering the place.
Which brought him to where he was now, resting against the wall near the stairs that led to the next part of this strange place along with the Hanamura and Seta kid. His eyes opened as the last part of the last week finally finished replaying in his head, blinking once before they steeled with determination. He had already come so far-hell could now freeze over before he was going to let Edgeworth die. He was going to save him, no matter what it took him. He would be saved.
The silver-haired teenager decided to speak up then-it somehow felt rather... fitting, almost like the sign that signalled the beginning of something that was to come. “Alright, we’ve rested enough here already. Let’s move on.”
Hanamura nodded and quickly shifted get back up onto his feet. Hijikata took a few seconds more due to the fatigue he was starting to feel in his bones despite the rest he had just took. He pushed himself up with a grunt, the sword at his side clinking loudly as he steadied himself after a momentary loss of balance. The fog was really getting to him. But still, he wasn’t going to let it pull him down. He didn’t come here to be a burden to the kids-he was here to save the bastard.
Seta only waited until he finally was up and proper before nodding to them and turned to start making his way towards the stairs. The other two followed, stepping down the stairs towards to wherever it would lead them. There was only nothing but darkness around them as they went lower and lower, the shadows so thick and oppressing it simply just seemed to engulf them and threaten swallow them whole. The man only pursed his lips and forced himself to go onward, ignoring the fact how everything suddenly seemed so quiet and how he seemed to be alone and-
-then as he almost thought he would be forever lost in the darkness, the light burst out before him in a flash and Hijikata found himself on the next part of the ship. A glance around him also made the boatswain realize another thing: he was alone. Or rather, somehow he had been separated from the other two kids along the stairs. How that could even happen, the man really wasn’t inclined to know.
Then almost on cue, the disembodied voice started up once more. “Oh, so you all insist on containing? How so very admirable! I would have taken my wonderful hat off you you-that is, had you all not been rescuing such a useless person. Why don’t you just leave him alone here to get the death he deserves?”
“That’s not for you to decide, bastard,” Hijikata only murmured he tightened the grip on his blade, dark blue eyes flashing as he gave another look around him. There was only a single path (with a notable lack of Shadows) that laid before him from the room he was in, and it didn’t seem like he had any other option to go around this. In a sense, it was almost like he was being invited into here-and the samurai was hardly mollified by that idea. Knowing the nature of this place, it was most likely something out to kill him. Though that really wouldn’t be the first time he had to go though that then. Hijikata raised his sword, constantly on the ready even as he walked down the empty path towards the doors, the sound of his boots echoing in the general area. Nothing jumped up or flew down or lunged for him, which was both a good and bad thing at the same time. Good because he wasn’t wasting any strength, and bad because that would only be because whatever was waiting for him was most likely something dangerous.
Still, he couldn’t hide from it forever. Once he was at the doors, the man only took a moment to take in a deep breath and steel himself within before he reached for the handle and slid open the door, steeping into the dark cabin. He was quiet as he closed the door behind him, the only sound being the ones of his almost silent footsteps that echoed like drops of water against glass. The fog was considerably lesser inside here-enough for him to see properly without having to squint too much. He glanced around the larger-than-life space cautiously, taking a few steps more inside before he suddenly sensed another presence in the area.
“Who’s there?” he demanded as he whirled around, eyes and head darting around in a bit to find the mysterious newcomer. There was silence, and then a chuckle that only made the man turn in another direction. The atmosphere grew considerably much thicker, causing sweat to begin appearing on his forehead and roll down slowly as nothing but silence responded to his next few calls.
It was only after a few good minutes of spooking then did the voice come again, this time almost right behind him. “I’m riiiiiight here~”
“About time you bastar-” Hijikata started, only to stop in his tracks the moment he turned around and could only stare wide-eyed in shock at just who was before him. Even if almost everything about him was different than usual, there was no denying who it was.
It couldn’t be...
“E-Edgeworth?!”
Basic premise for those who do not know: this fic is set the the world of theskytides, an AU panfandom RPG set in a steampunk line in which it is totally a fandom of its own. Miles Edgeworth (from the Ace Attorney series) and Hijikata Toshirou (from Gintama) happen to be the first mate / boatswain respectively in of one of the ships in the game. In this story, Hijikata has something of a... crush towards Edgeworth that he has never told anyone, though he is aware. Which of course, will only lead to nothing but trouble...
Parts: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Part XI
THE SHADOWS WE BEAR
TST!Shadowverse fic : Part IV
“Seta Souji. You might know me as the cousin of Miles Edgeworth.”
If anything, that line had really gotten his attention. Immediately, the man shifted himself closer to the journal, glad that his door was locked and that he had bothered to install that pet door. “Edgeworth? Do you know anything about him?”
“As a matter of fact, I do,” came the response, the tone of it sounding slightly strained to the boatswain’s ears. “And I might know where he is.”
“What?!” This was most definitely new to him. “Where the hell is he? Is he alright?”
“He’s...” the Seta person started, only to pause and trail off for a moment before speaking up again. “He got kidnapped, and now he’s currently somewhere in the Badlands as far as I am informed. As for his safety... he is safe for now, but I don’t know how long that will last.”
A sense of dread passed though him at that. “What... what do you mean?”
“What I mean is,” the voice paused in order to take in a deep breath. “My cousin is in mortal peril as we speak, and he could die at any day.”
His blood turned cold upon that line. No. No. No. That was just... no. Edgeworth was in danger-his life could be lost at any moment and... no. He couldn’t let him die; he wouldn’t let him die. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t let another tragedy happen again in his life, not when he already had so much to bear. He could never bear to live with himself if Edgeworth were to die. No.
Forcing himself not to shake, Hijikata spoke quietly back towards the other. “Is there... is there any way to save him?”
The pause after that question was the longest moment of his life that the boatswain had ever experienced.
“...yes,” the answer finally came. “But to do that, I will require your help.”
“What sort of help?” the man asked tersely. If it was to save Edgeworth, he would be willing to do anything at all-
“I need you to tell me everything you know about my cousin.”
The boatswain only paused. “What?”
“I need you to tell me everything you know about Edgeworth,” Seta spoke again, still managing to sound strangely calm despite the fact he was the one who had revealed the whole situation to him. “Please. It’s very important for me if he is to be saved.”
“And how the hell does me telling you about the asshole help with this whole thing?!” As much as he did want to save Edgeworth, even Hijikata wasn’t exactly the most agreeable person to be with in any sort of situation.
“Its-It’s hard to explain properly, but I assure you that this is of great importance,” the other went. “What you tell me can be the key to properly locate him-”
“Look, I want to save Edgeworth as much as you do, but that doesn’t give you the right to ask me to tell you about his stuff,” the swordsman snapped back irritably into the journal. His patience was being tested and was already on shaky ground.
There was a rush of static from the speakers. “Fine. I won’t ask if you insist on it.”
Wait, what. What the hell was he doing? Here it was, a lead to finding Edgeworth and now he was going to let it go because of... because of something stupid. He was already on tenterhooks, and Hijikata was quite sure that he couldn’t handle any more than he was already handling. He needed Edgeworth, and he needed him back here.
“I appreciate it if you won’t tell anyone about this-” Seta went on, but Hijikata cut him shot.
“I’ll tell you.”
“-you will?”
“Yes,” he said, then paused on his own end to take a deep breath of his own this time round. “But if I do, you have to take me along with you when you’re rescuing the asshole.”
“I’ll think-”
“Yes or no, or the deal’s off.”
“...alright then,” the other responded with a hint of weariness in his voice.
After that had been nothing but a whirlwind of chaos as Hijikata had to push to get leave so that he could actually leave the ship in order to go off to rescue Edgeworth. It had been hard, given the fact that he was pretty much the only competent officer left onboard the ship, but his state of condition (plus some rather encaustic fabrication on Jade’s part) had made things much more simpler, and in the end he had been granted a week’s leave under the official reason of ‘rest and recuperation’.
Of course, that had been the last thing in the boatswain’s mind. As soon as he managed to get leave, he had immediately boarded a ship and headed straight for Garettstown where Seta and his gang were waiting for him. There were brief introductions and some explanations between them before they all settled down at one of the nearby cafes and discussed over what should be done. It took a while, but eventually a decision was made-Hijikata would be following two of them into wherever Edgeworth was while the others were to be on the lookout. They couldn’t risk trying to bring a full party this time due to so many unknown circumstances (something about the lack of an appearance on some Midnight Channel thing) so only two of them-plus the officer-would be entering the place.
Which brought him to where he was now, resting against the wall near the stairs that led to the next part of this strange place along with the Hanamura and Seta kid. His eyes opened as the last part of the last week finally finished replaying in his head, blinking once before they steeled with determination. He had already come so far-hell could now freeze over before he was going to let Edgeworth die. He was going to save him, no matter what it took him. He would be saved.
The silver-haired teenager decided to speak up then-it somehow felt rather... fitting, almost like the sign that signalled the beginning of something that was to come. “Alright, we’ve rested enough here already. Let’s move on.”
Hanamura nodded and quickly shifted get back up onto his feet. Hijikata took a few seconds more due to the fatigue he was starting to feel in his bones despite the rest he had just took. He pushed himself up with a grunt, the sword at his side clinking loudly as he steadied himself after a momentary loss of balance. The fog was really getting to him. But still, he wasn’t going to let it pull him down. He didn’t come here to be a burden to the kids-he was here to save the bastard.
Seta only waited until he finally was up and proper before nodding to them and turned to start making his way towards the stairs. The other two followed, stepping down the stairs towards to wherever it would lead them. There was only nothing but darkness around them as they went lower and lower, the shadows so thick and oppressing it simply just seemed to engulf them and threaten swallow them whole. The man only pursed his lips and forced himself to go onward, ignoring the fact how everything suddenly seemed so quiet and how he seemed to be alone and-
-then as he almost thought he would be forever lost in the darkness, the light burst out before him in a flash and Hijikata found himself on the next part of the ship. A glance around him also made the boatswain realize another thing: he was alone. Or rather, somehow he had been separated from the other two kids along the stairs. How that could even happen, the man really wasn’t inclined to know.
Then almost on cue, the disembodied voice started up once more. “Oh, so you all insist on containing? How so very admirable! I would have taken my wonderful hat off you you-that is, had you all not been rescuing such a useless person. Why don’t you just leave him alone here to get the death he deserves?”
“That’s not for you to decide, bastard,” Hijikata only murmured he tightened the grip on his blade, dark blue eyes flashing as he gave another look around him. There was only a single path (with a notable lack of Shadows) that laid before him from the room he was in, and it didn’t seem like he had any other option to go around this. In a sense, it was almost like he was being invited into here-and the samurai was hardly mollified by that idea. Knowing the nature of this place, it was most likely something out to kill him. Though that really wouldn’t be the first time he had to go though that then. Hijikata raised his sword, constantly on the ready even as he walked down the empty path towards the doors, the sound of his boots echoing in the general area. Nothing jumped up or flew down or lunged for him, which was both a good and bad thing at the same time. Good because he wasn’t wasting any strength, and bad because that would only be because whatever was waiting for him was most likely something dangerous.
Still, he couldn’t hide from it forever. Once he was at the doors, the man only took a moment to take in a deep breath and steel himself within before he reached for the handle and slid open the door, steeping into the dark cabin. He was quiet as he closed the door behind him, the only sound being the ones of his almost silent footsteps that echoed like drops of water against glass. The fog was considerably lesser inside here-enough for him to see properly without having to squint too much. He glanced around the larger-than-life space cautiously, taking a few steps more inside before he suddenly sensed another presence in the area.
“Who’s there?” he demanded as he whirled around, eyes and head darting around in a bit to find the mysterious newcomer. There was silence, and then a chuckle that only made the man turn in another direction. The atmosphere grew considerably much thicker, causing sweat to begin appearing on his forehead and roll down slowly as nothing but silence responded to his next few calls.
It was only after a few good minutes of spooking then did the voice come again, this time almost right behind him. “I’m riiiiiight here~”
“About time you bastar-” Hijikata started, only to stop in his tracks the moment he turned around and could only stare wide-eyed in shock at just who was before him. Even if almost everything about him was different than usual, there was no denying who it was.
It couldn’t be...
“E-Edgeworth?!”