Taken (historical, violent)

The Captain left and brought his nation to one of their bases and laid him down. Then he waited for him to wake up.

"Annoying," was the first word out of his mouth when he did. Then he looked down at himself. "Where is my black uniform?" he asked.

The officer smiled and bowed. "I'll have it for you in just a moment, Nippon-sama."

When he returned, Kiku spoke up again. "You are aware of what I am. Why do you follow me?"

The Captain answered without hestitation. "You are the one who makes sense to me. You are a leader. The other is...more like a child. Or a woman. Naive. And the type to take naive as a compliment, which only makes it worse."

Kiku nodded. "Thank you for your honesty. And you're right. Although, you should be careful what you say, he is the one who created me, after all."

The officer bowed. "No offense meant to you."

A nod. "Of course."

A few days later, Yeosin found herself in Seoul. She looked at the men before her. Thirty-three men had gathered as leaders of the Samil Movement. They were good men, and though they were not marching into a military battle, it was still a battle of will and determination. They had to show the Japanese government the wrongs that had been committed against the Korean people, a people who were their own country not to be owned or taken by another.

Earlier, Yeosin had made sure a list of complaints had aired over the radio. The education was not equal between the Japanese and the Koreans. The Korean people were mistreated in general, and politicians, both Korean and Japanese alike, were arrogant and conceited. Heavy taxes. Forced labor. Laws made left and right, giving the Korean people no chance to follow what was happening. Korean village teachers were forced from their jobs in an effort to suppress the Korean heritage. It was unjust.

"Yeosin-nim, if you would be so kind, we humbly as your opinion on the matter of location. It was originally planned for us to read the declaration at Tapgol Park, but some of us feel that is unwise," Hwajae said.

"Indeed. I stand by what I told you earlier. We must choose a secluded place, away from large crowds of people. Too many emotional people in one place would give rise to a riot. That is not our objective," Yeosin replied.

They conversed for a time before deciding to meet at Taehwagwan Restaurant. Nodding, in agreement, they prepared for what was to come. March 1st would arrive, and with it, a declaration of freedom.

"This is beginning to be rather bothersome."

The place was a Japanese base in Korea not far from the capital. Present were various officials and military officers. All Japanese trained, but not all Japanese.

"I apologize for the actions of others of my people," a voice said, stiff, formal, and lacking emotion in the words. "I am filled with shame."

"Of course you are," answered an equally unemotional voice. Eyes turned to someone standing in the corner, wearing a black naval uniform. It was Kiku. "I would expect nothing less. But you have proven you are better than them."

He now addressed the whole room. "Now. What are we to do about this nuisance?"

Yeosin was nervous. She had a bad feeling but pushed it to the side. She would not back down, nor would she ask her people to do so. She sat in the restaurant with the leaders of the movement, waiting for the reading to begin. Hwajae rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. Bending down, he whispered in her ear.

"Yeosin-nim, we humbly ask you to witness this, our declaration for you. You are our beloved country, and we will not let those dogs order you about, hurting your people any longer. Please bless our endeavors."

Yeosin nodded. She had very little control of the situation, but she wished with all her heart that things went well. Pride consumed her when one of the men began to read. As he read, his voice was joined by other voices throughout the country, all mouthing the same words with deep affection for their homeland.

"We herewith proclaim the independence of Korea and the liberty of the Korean people. We tell it to the world in witness of the equality of all nations and we pass it on to our posterity as their inherent right..."

When the reading finished, the men all signed it and prepared to send it to the Japanese Governor General. As was agreed upon, they called up the police and turned themselves in. Hwajae made sure Yeosin was out of the restaurant before they arrived. The events that followed had Hwajae moaning with regret, head buried in his hands.

A fire had been ignited, and it refused to be quelled. People took to the streets in demonstrations and uprisings. Yeosin was caught in the middle, Silbeo faithfully at her side. For the first time in years, Yeosin deeply feared for her people and her children. She watched in horror as the Japanese military and navy were called in to put a stop to it all.

...

March 1st 1919--Village of Jeam-ri

"Haneul-nim! Haneul-nim! Quickly! We must get out of here!" Jeonsa hissed at the boy, dragging him away from the village.

The crowed that had gathered there, shouting in a show of patriotism, sneering at the Japanese, were being herded into a church. Jeonsa hid the little boy from the Japanese, telling him to stay put before running to find his mother and sister. By the time he got back, the church was in flames. He could hear people pounding on the doors, trying to break free. Someone broke a window, trying to climb out, but to Jeonsa's horror, the Japanese police began shooting through the windows. No one was going to get out alive.

Turning away to gag, his eyes landed on the shaking figure of Im Haneul. The boy had disobeyed and followed his hyung.

"Don't look, Haneul-nim. Don't look!" Jeonsa pleaded in a hoarse voice as he stumbled forward, grabbing the boy and covering his eyes. He mumbled this over and over, his legs clumsily carrying them away from the wails and the screams and the gunshots and the fire.

...

Yeosin would never fully know if it would've been better to have been arrested with the leaders or caught up in the riots. Did it matter? The jail, the streets, the villages. Everywhere, the air was filled with screams.

The scene was chaos. Chaos...was not acceptable. They had went to suppress this movement, but it was not working as planned. There would have to be changes after this was said and done. Major changes to how they handled things here. Something like this couldn't be allowed to happen again.

Not that he had a problem with death, not at all, as was pretty clear. Just not...like this. This must be rectified.

Oh well, leave that problem for after. He couldn't fix it now, anyway, it was too late.

In the meantime...

He spotted her, an expression of horror on her face. His own expression was blank. For a moment, he just stared at her, silent and still amongst the chaos, like the eye of a storm.

---

Sorry this took me so long! orz

She couldn't think. She never felt so helpless before! What should she do? What could she do? Her body was shaking violently, and her heart seemed to be beating in a blur. Yeosin gasped as her stomach clenched, knowing what was coming. She stumbled a bit before dry heaving. Her stomach kept trying to expel its contents, but there was nothing except bile. She heaved again, but her stomach's efforts were in vain. Yeosin knew now, without a doubt, she would not be able to rid her land of the invaders. Despite its emptiness, her stomach still fluttered angrily with fear and anxiety. Her people were still fighting back, but they were not going to win.

"Silbeo...Silbeo, it burns. It's so hot," she gasped quietly, her voice cracking.

Her body temperature increased. The warmth of patriotism had turned into a raging inferno that was burning her alive. So much anger and fear. This was nothing compared to war, but the pain was intensified because they were at a time of peace, however disgruntled she may have been about the circumstances.

Everything was magnified. So much screaming and shouting. Her people were being massacred or arrested. Some were wise enough to stay away from the demonstrations and protests, and she knew they would be safe.

A chill overcame her. Her eyes searched the crowd until they landed on an unwelcome sight. There, standing in the midst of this chaos, was Honda Kiku. His expression--if you call such a look an expression--was absolutely, infuriatingly, blank. She stumbled away. She didn't want to be near him, but her legs weren't functioning properly, as if to tell her she could no longer escape him.

"I refuse..." she mumbled.

It was like a game. A game of cat and mouse, of fox and hare. She would run forever if it meant staying out of his clutches. Even if she told herself that, she knew the reality. She couldn't run forever. She would never make it. Even if she was caught, she'd fight back. The game would end when she could no longer fight back. So how long did she have? How long until her time ran out?

Tick Tock

---

Sorry for the weird storyline. I'm trying to tie up some loose ends from the other thread.

Kiku watched her run...sort of...more like stumble away when she saw him standing there. He chased after her. Not very fast, he didn't need to go fast. Just...deliberately.

He caught her on a stumble and held her tight against her struggling. He spoke quietly right into her ear. "It's no use, Satsuei. You know this. It's hopeless. If you run, I will catch up. If you fight, you will lose. That is the reality of the situation."

He let her go, as if to prove his point, but his face remained expressionless.

"How much more time will you waste fighting against the inevitable?"

---

No need for apology. The connection there was fantastic. *shivers*

Why couldn't she go any faster? It was infuriating. Through the haze of her thoughts, she could hear him following. He wasn't even trying. He didn't need to. Like this, she would never outrun him. Her eyes watered at that discouraging thought and she stumbled again. Immediately, arms circled around her, grip firm even as she struggled against her captor. She could feel his breath on her ear.

Was it really hopeless? Would she lose the game before it even really began?

The arms released her. His actions seemed to mock her. Even he knew there was no point in restraining her when she was like this. She tried suppress her tears. She wouldn't cry in front of him. She wouldn't break. But her resolve was cracking. As the screams around her increased, she fell forward. She needed to retreat, to protect herself. She needed a mask to disguise her crumbling facade.

Lurching forward, she tried to run again, but this time she wasn't running from Kiku. Maybe if she ran hard enough, she could run away from fate itself. If she ran long enough, she just might be able to put a much needed space between her and the self that was collapsed on the ground at Kiku's feet. As the Empress, she was weak in both mind and spirit, but as the Taken, she would learn to truly fight back.

By now, her body was worn from the rebellions that sprang up across her land. She was tired. She looked to Silbeo who was running at her side.

Sleep, Empress. I will watch over both sides of you.

Falling, she watched the world fade. As her body hit the ground, Yeosin was spirited away, kept safe and sound, far from the screams and the pain.

Kiku saw her collapse, and walked up to her limp body, standing almost directly over her and looking down. Was it really over already? He had thought she had a bit more in her than that.

"Is your time already up, then, Satsuei?" he voiced aloud. He clicked his tongue.

He grabbed her with his hands and dragged her upwards, staring at her face. His expression still betraying no internal emotion.

"Satsuei?" he prodded again. He dropped her back to the ground.

"Che." Then he started humming Kimigayo, still looking down at her body.

Some part of her felt her body being dragged up and then dropped, but she did not open her eyes. Her ears heard that man hum his national anthem, not hers. Still, she did not wake. This too, was her way of coping. She would sleep, safe and sound in a corner of her mind, an outsider in her own body. Until then, perhaps another her could be created to live in this shell. After all, if she wasn't the one living and interacting with Kiku, surely, he could never capture her. Surely, the day would never come when she would see the destruction of her homeland.

Part of her knew, though, that it was her fault. Maybe if she had not caused such a ruckus, her people would have been able to at least live somewhat peacefully. A cold dread settled over her limp body, somehow causing it to shiver violently.

Was this her fault?

As a country, there was little she could do, but in a way, she accepted Kiku into her home. What was she to do? She had always been under Yao's care, and Kiku was her dear younger brother. She couldn't very well just slam the door in his face. But then, if she didn't turn him away, what did that mean?

Did she invite him into her home?

You ask that as if you don't already know the answer, Yeosin...

---

I'm baaaaacckk! But I don't know that I'll be able to post everyday. At least twice a week, though, should work. Hopefully more. I'm extra paranoid though, about posting about such a topic while in Japan. It's good to be back, though!

After he finished his humming, he kicked her once, sharply. "Are you dead, Satsuei?" he asked in a flat voice.

He leaned down to examine her state more closely. She appeared to still be breathing, if shallowly or not very well.

"Che." He stood up and kicked her for a second time. Then he looked around him again. That other brat inside of him would find it horrible and mind-numbing. But then, that's why he himself existed, wasn't that right? That...girl of a man couldn't bare to associate himself with such things, even though he allowed them to happen. How weak.

Sometimes he wished he could seperate himself and beat that one senseless too. He imagined it for a moment and gave another kick.

---

Okay. Good to see you can get on at least sometimes.

And yeah...I can imagine that would feel awkward. The situation with Koreans is still so strained, even now. And this topic is....yeah.... *sigh* What kind of privacy can you manage, if at all? Like is it public and you just have to hope no one looks at your screen? I would get paranoid about that too. Like when I went to the library for internet when I had my computer fixed. It is generally just paranoia, though, no one really cared what I was doing, I'm sure. lol

Anyway, good to see you. Yes. *end ramble*

Kick. Satsuei could feel the other's breath on her face as he examined her limp state.

Kick. Satsuei was slowly being roused from her slumber, a newborn being thrust into a cruel era.

She tried to resist, the dark tendrils of sleep recoiling as her consciousness began to surface.

Kick.

"Bastard. It's a cowardly thing to do, kicking someone when they're down," her eyes snapped open, glare burning cold.

She bolted up and stood toe to toe with the man so much like herself.

"What, have you run out of playthings already? You feel the need to torment a slumbering soul for amusement? Tell me, Honda Kiku, are you proud of this?" Satsuei opened her arms wide, framing the chaos with her gesture. "I suppose someone with a heart as black as yours wouldn't care. Tell me, what do you intend to do? Yeosin may have been naive, thinking a peaceful demonstration would change things, but I know better. What do you intend to do with the people who protested today? There are women and young adults here, but you don't care. They will all meet their unfortunate fate at your hands, won't they?"

Satsuei snarled, lunging forward and wrapping her hands around his throat. Her words filled the air like the hiss of steam being forced out under pressure. Anger exuded itself from her very body. If Yeosin had been weak and naive, Satsuei was strong and distrustful of others. Yeosin had been defensive but kind. Satsuei was always on the offensive and as cruel as her counterpart. But unlike her counterpart, her other self had willingly given her complete control of the body in which she resides.

"Well, Honda Kiku? Where shall we go from here?" she grinned maliciously and tightened her hold.

---

Actually, I have free wireless in the home I'm staying in, so I shouldn't have to worry too much. It's just awkward. Hopefully, no one will ask what I'm doing.

Sorry it took me so long to reply. I've been pretty tuckered out these past few days. I really only say a few times a week because I'm not sure how classes will go. Once I get settled more, it'll hopefully be easier for me to post once every night or two.

Kiku was surprised when she got up. Even more surprised when she grabbed his throat. And perhaps slightly alarmed, but not enough to show it, and it dissapated quickly.

His mind became calmly blank. One hand grabbed the arm that led to his throat. The other grabbed her throat.

Twisting her arm away should have been easy. She was weakened, after all. But for some reason it wasn't, like she had some unknown energy surging through her, leting her work past her frail and partially broken body. He felt her nails digging into his skin.

So he pulled at her arm as hard as he could, finally breaking it away. And break it did. He heard a crack as it fell from him. The energy required also made her nails tear gashes in his neck. But he was free of her grip.

He raised her up a bit off the ground and finally spoke. "I'll admit this is a bit interesting. It seems you have changed as well. But I have no need to speak with you."

He held her up higher, letting gravity add additional pressure, cutting off her air supply.

---

Okay. Much less likely to get "caught" then. lol

Sorry this took me longer than I'd like. I saw you got on before and I felt bad I didn't have a reply for you yet.;

Don't worry about how long your replies take. Whenever is fine.

She hissed when he pulled at her arm, nostrils flaring when she heard the crack. She smirked in satisfaction, though, seeing she drew blood before being pried away.

Her feet left the ground, air supply growing stale. She couldn't speak. Rather, she wouldn't. She wouldn't waste what precious air she had on this monstrosity before her. This wasn't the real Kiku, just as she wasn't the real Yeosin. Was that what this would become? A war between fabrications? For that's what they were. Times would change, and they would no longer be needed, a figment of history. They were awkward existences, both real yet fake. Perhaps needed but also unnecessary.

Her thoughts began to fade. Before the blackness took over her vision, she swung her body and kicked Kiku hard in the stomach. Gasping for air, she fell to her knees. No matter how much air she took into her lungs, she couldn't seem to get enough. Looking around her, she took in the grim sights that surrounded her. And here she thought it couldn't get any worse.

How many times more would she think that very thought before this was over and done?

Cradling her arm, she tried to ignore the screams and the pain. Even if she blocked out the sights and sounds, a burning reminder of her situation scorched her spine.

"You don't need to. Nothing you say or do, Honda Kiku, could be worse than what you have already done."

Satsuei bowed her head for a moment before raising her eyes to pin him with a gaze of sorrow and hatred.

"Naming is the greatest violence one can possibly commit."

---

No worries!

Also, to explain a bit, the naming thing is something my religions professor here said. He labeled it a violence because it takes a kind of arrogance and sense of power to feel you have the right to name something. After all, names can carry good or bad/harmful connotations and have the potential to endure through time. I just thought it kind of fit in this situation.

Kiku doubled over with the kick and released her from his hold. He recovered as soon as possible, dealing with the pain. The pain in his stomach, the pain in his neck.

He smiled at her words. Smiled. Indeed. His biggest and most ruthless act of violence was the moment he gave her that name.

And in a way, he had created the monster now standing before him. That fact gave him an absurd sense of pride. That he had created something, despite coming from nothing himself. From a void in someone's heart.

Naming was something usually reserved to gods and parents.

Which would he be?

Silent. And smiling.

---

The image I have in my head of what I wrote just now is rather creepy. I hope I portrayed it effectively.

And it does fit. And I feel that black!Kiku has that kind of arrogance. Actually, in your post where you have about that they were fabrications that would disappear in time, I don't think he would think that way (even though it's obviously true about him). He thinks he can take over in time and become the dominant one instead. Arrogance. Total arrogance.

That bastard was smiling. It pissed her off more than anything, but it was somehow fitting that he would smile. Did he think he was playing god now?

"Only an arrogant man like you would take pride in knowing he created a monstrosity. Because no matter what I would like to think, that is what I am. That is what you are. We are twisted realities. No matter what you may think, you are not, can never be, a god," Yeosin spat.

What a fool Kiku was for even entertaining the thought. It just showed how different the two really were. She was not fool enough to flirt with that thought. She scowled. Slowly, she stood, turning her back on the man who shared a body with Yeosin's brother. Regardless of his relationship with Yeosin, Satsuei was determined to bring him down. He would regret today for the rest of his life.

"I will never forgive you, Honda Kiku. This," she gestured at the dwindling chaos around them, "was not necessary. This was cruel. This is...sad. But you can't understand that, can you? You, who smiles at the suffering of others."

Yeosin turned her head to look at him. Her look was cold, but a sparkle of sadness fluttered through her eyes for a single moment before dying.

"You have created nothing more than your own maker..." she whispered too soft for him to actually hear.

Turning her back on him once more, she walked away from the twisted man with a matching smile and a mangled sanity.

---

Sorry it took me so long to respond! It was my first week of classes.

She was sniping at him with her words, but he remained unaffected. If he were anything but what he was...even if he were one of his officers that followed his every word...perhaps even if he were the Emperor himself...his smile might have dropped for at least a moment. But nothing she said to him changed his thoughts for even a second.

He may have bee a twisted reality, as she had put it, but in that case, the world could be twisted to suit him. And he would be doing the twisting.

He watched her walk away - a figure befitting of this chaos. And he let her walk.

He turned and walked away himself. Away and onward. Leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

---

Not entirely sure where to go from here.