"There you go again, talking shit!" Karhu's older brother Daichi said as he punched him in the mouth, causing his lip to split and begin to bleed as he fell back on his rear, wearing a black yukata. "Like you know anything about anything- you're just the third son!" He laughed out. "Third son with that gaijin name of yours."

"Mother knew you were a joke, not even fit to be named a Japanese name." Eiji, Karhu's second brother said as he backhanded their youngest brother. He was fourteen, with Daichi being seventeen and Eiji being fifteen.

"Fuck you both. We both know that Daichi couldn't do anything besides smile and wave for the cameras, he's subhuman. You too Eiji, you're dumb as rocks." Karhu stood up and spit blood in his brothers face before hitting Eiji who was a half head smaller than him, knocking him into the rock garden before turning and head butting Daichi who was his height, wincing as he did that because of how his head hurt before hearing the whip of a bamboo stick in the air.

"Stop this instant!" Taichi Hirohito, His Majesty the Emperor of Japan and the one who brought them out from the dark ages and into a modern empire. A man large, with long black hair, slanted black eyes, a wide jaw and skin that was sunken in his face, making him resemble a skeleton more than a man. He hit Karhu through the yukata, splitting it open and making the boy scream as he was kicked to his knees.

"Father, no!" Karhu screamed as he held his hands over his head, trying to block as he was hit over the head with it, causing his knuckles to break open and bleed. He couldn't say anything though; one his fathers rage was struck he was set on his path. Eiji and Daichi got up and stood back, watching as Taichi grit his teeth.

"Boy doesn't listen. Boy likes to hit, likes to not think because he's bigger than his brothers." Taichi swat through the yukata again, slicing open Karhu's back as he let out a pained cry. "Boy is only the third son!" He barked out, slicing vertically his time across his back. "Boy is only the third son!" He hit him again, causing him to scream out even more as he placed both hands on the rocks on the ground, closing his eyes as hard as he could as his father whipped him with a piece of bamboo until it broke, making him think the suffering had ended as he was given a moment to only hear his sobs and his fathers panting. His back was cut open and red from the brutal beating- his yukata now fallen off and draped on the floor. "Grab the family sword Daichi." He barked out to him, making the boy run quickly as Karhu looked back, eyes wide and filled with tears before his father kicked him back.

"Don't kill me!" Karhu begged, holding up his hands as his father had the sword placed in his hand, giving him a cold look before simply unsheathing the sword, pressing it into his chest and twisting the tip a bit to make him bleed.

"Worthless child." Taichi said while pressing him down, looking into Karhu's eyes to find there was nothing there. "If you weren't your mothers you'd be dead- never forget that." He said before sheathing the blade.

---------

Karhu that night found himself in his room reading a book about botany, finding plants to be rather interesting. "Castor beans make ricin? Huh." He said before hearing his shoji opened, seeing his mother there. "Yes mother?"

Kaida Hirohito, Karhu, Daichi and Eiji's mother walked in holding a fresh yukata for her third child, knowing that he had endured a severe punishment from his father today. "I have brought you fresh clothes."

Karhu looked at her with his eyes still red and puffy, with bandages wrapped around his torso that were covered in blood on the back from his wounds splitting. He turned his face from his mother, biting his lip and now regretting looking at her as he didn't want to cry. "Thank you."

"Look at me." Kaida spoke softly, placing the yukata on his futon and sitting down near him, grabbing his head gently and bringing him close to her chest.

Karhu nuzzled up close, gritting his teeth hard as he forced himself not to cry as he looked at her, remembering the pain to overwhelm the sadness.

"You have cold eyes Karhu." Kaida brushed her hand against his cheek, moving his hair out of his face. "But they're sensitive, I can tell behind them you feel much but do not let others know."

"Why should they know?" Karhu asked her. "They don't care."

"I care, my youngest son. Do you know why your name is Karhu?" She asked him. "Why your name is Finnish?"

"Why?"

"Because you were the one I knew who'd my favorite." Kaida brushed his hair out of his face, looking at him. "We were in Finland when you were born- we couldn't make it back in time to Japan. I thought that I should name you after something that would remind you of this and because my favorite animal is the bear."

"Why would you name me bear?" Karhu asked her, sniffing and grumbling a little, not wanting to be held so close.

Kaida realized her son was getting a bit claustrophobic and let go of him a bit, simply holding onto her son as she smiled. "Cute and vicious. You came out flailing like an animal, practically killing me when you were born."

"Huh." He said before pouting. "Well I hate that name. Daichi and Eiji use it to say I'm not Japanese, that I'm lesser."

"They're just jealous that you're larger than both of them, look more like your father than both of them and have amazing marks in your education. You're very blessed Karhu, because you'll be able to live a life where you can follow your dreams and nothing will be able to stop you."

"You're wrong." Karhu growled. "I want to be emperor."

"The one thing you can't be, my son." Kaida spoke out softly. "You need to let it go. You know you must let go of your hatred for you brothers, for your father...and to accept it.

"Get away from me." Karhu said to her. "I will not hear of this."

"You can't push me away; who else do you have Karhu?"

"I'll be alone." Karhu spoke out through gritted teeth. "And quit calling me that."

"Then your father was right to consider sending you to Britain." Kaida slapped him, taking the scowl right off his face. "I hope you're ready to leave tomorrow then, for you forsake even your own mother."

"Then I will!" Karhu barked out. "But know that I will never forgive you! I'll come back, and I'll have you killed along with father and the others."

"Good thing you'll never come back!" Kaida huffed out. "Because you won't be wanted back."