Three Months Ago...

"Sir, we have the suspect in custody," a Marine soldier says. "They are currently being assessed by a doctor in the infirmary."

Fleet Admiral Akainu narrows his eyes as the soldier guides him through the hallways towards the infirmary.

"Why is the suspect not placed in a cell?" Akainu snaps at the soldier, his voice harsh.

"S-sir, it would be better if you spoke with the doctor," the soldier stutters nervously as they enter the infirmary.

Akainu enters the room and his eyes immediately catch sight of a familiar person who is propped up in a bed as a doctor speaks to them.

The doctor is the first to notice the presence of Akainu and the timid Marine who accompanied him. She immediately stands up and makes her way towards them.

"Is it all right if I speak to you in the hallway, sir?" The doctor requests.

Akainu glances over the doctor's shoulder and sees that their prisoner is looking down at the bed sheets, not looking up at them even once. She doesn't make any move to escape. It seems as if she's completely unaware of her soundings.

"Remain inside and stand watch at the door," Akainu orders the soldier who salutes in response.

Akainu and the doctor exit into the empty hallway, closing the door behind them.

"What is it that you need to report to me?" Akainu demands impatiently.

The doctor hesitates. "The girl is not faring well mentally. It would be best to take it easy on her."

"Take it easy on her?" Akainu suppresses a dark laugh. "That woman in there is the very same one who singlehandedly destroyed a military base. And yet, you ask me to take it easy on her?"

Fear takes over the doctors expression. "P-please, let me explain myself, sir. There's a valid reason."

"And what may that be? What could possibly stop me from ordering her execution right at this moment, Dr. Sazuki?" Akainu glowers, his voice deep and rough.

"It appears that she is suffering from amnesia. She has no recollection of who she is or where she came from." Dr. Sazuki explains, her voice trembling. "Therefore, she's completely unaware of anything she's done in the past."

Akainu stops whatever it was he was going to say. He was about to dismiss the concerns of the doctor until he fully realized what the situation means.

"Is that so?" Akainu drawls, a wicked smirk crossing his face.

"Y-yes, sir," Dr Sazuki nods her head rapidly, afraid of his wrath. "I'll have to monitor her further in order to find the cause behind it. However, the girl is completely lost so I can't expect her to help me with any clues. Would it be all right if I took her under my care?"

"I need to think about this a bit longer and I'll get back to you in a few days. For the time being, take care of her and whatever you do, do not, under any circumstances, tell her who she is."

"Yes, sir," the doctor sighs in relief.

~

(Y/N)'s POV

I hear the door click open again, and finally look up, knocked out of my reverie. I was aware that two men had entered the room earlier, but I wasn't paying attention since I was lost in my thoughts.

The doctor enters the room, looking really nervous. I  watch as she whispers in the ear of a man who looks to be a solider by the door. He nods his head and exits the room.

I look down at the blanket that's pulled over my legs, twisting it nervously with my hands.

The doctor approaches me again and sits beside me, a calm smile on her lips.

"I'm going to help you find out your identity, dear." The doctor smiles. "I'll take good care of you until we return you home safely."

I nod my head, not knowing what to say. I feel so lost and confused since my mind is completely blank and I can't recall anything. It's so frustrating and terrifying not knowing who I am or where I came from. What if I have loved ones worrying over me? What if I mean something important to someone, but they've lost me and are out there, trying to find me?

The thought sends a shiver down my spine.

"Hey," the doctor places her hand over my trembling fingers. "I'm going to help you get through this, okay?"

I nod my head again, refusing to speak. I don't even know what I sound like because I'm too afraid of hearing an unrecognizable voice come out of my mouth. At least in my mind, I can create a voice for myself—one that won't remind me of the identity I've lost.

"Come on, I'll bring you over to my house. I have a daughter who is about your age. Maybe the two of you will get along." The doctor smiles.

~

I fall asleep on the ride to Dr. Suzuki's house. It's better than listening to myself mentally panic about my current situation. Dr. Suzuki is sure to wake me up as we pull into her driveway.

I hesitantly exit the vehicle, following Dr. Suzuki into her home. It's a nice place, small and simple. Before we left the infirmary located in a military building, Dr. Suzuki told me that she has two kids and her husband passed away while in service to the Marines. She said that since it was only the three of them, they didn't need a very big home.

However, she also mentioned that her son joined the Marines a few years ago and no longer stays with them, so the house is emptier than before. She's allowed me to take his room for the time being.

"I know you must be exhausted, but you should eat before going to bed." Dr. Suzuki says in a kind voice as she reaches into the kitchen cabinets for pots and pans. "I'll make dinner really quick. Why don't I have my daughter show you to your room while then?"

"Mom?" A voice calls from the upper level. "Are you home?"

"Yes, dear! Come downstairs, I brought someone with me who I'd like for you to meet."

I stand awkwardly by the kitchen doorway and hear footsteps on the staircase by the front door. A girl comes rushing down and makes her way toward us. She has bright red hair and a kind smile on her face. However, her expression falters when she catches sight of me.

Dr. Suzuki steps in with a big grin on her face. "I'd like for you to meet my daughter, Aeiko."

I incline my head in greeting, too nervous to do anything else.

"H-hello," Aeiko says hesitantly, a crooked smile on her face.

"Aeiko, dear. This girl here is a patient of mine and suffers from amnesia. Please do be patient with her as she currently refuses to speak," Dr. Suzuki informs her.

"But mom, isn't she —," Aieko starts to say.

"No, we do not know what her identity is yet," Dr. Suzuki replies sharply. "Don't be rude to our guest. Please show her the way to your brother's old room which is where she'll be staying."

Aieko nods her head nervously and motions for me to follow. The two of us make our way upstairs and she leads me into a bedroom that is well furnished with a small bed, a dresser, and a table in the middle of the room with books strewn across it.

Aeiko clears her throat. "T-this is where you'll be staying."

I smile at her and nod my head in thanks. I walk further into the room and seat myself on the twin bed. Aeiko continues to stand in the doorway, nervously wringing her hands. I see visible fear in her eyes. Is she afraid of who I could've been? For all I know, I could be a murderer or some sort of criminal. The thought rankles me.

As Aeiko tries to gather the right words to say, I think back to the name she was going to call me. Is it possible that she knows who I am?

I nearly scoff aloud at the mere thought of it. Dr. Suzuki has been nothing but kind to me. There's no way she'd be lying to me.

Aeiko finally pulls herself together and looks me right in the eyes.

"H-hey," she begins in a soft whisper, "I know you may not remember, but I'm sorry for what I did to you in the past."

My eyes widen. Does this girl genuinely know who I am? I open my mouth to speak, but before I can say anything, Dr. Suzuki pops up beind Aeiko, a tray in her hands.

"Aeiko, it would be best if you went to bed now. Our guest must be very tired and needs to get some rest after she eats," Dr. Suzuki tells her daughter. Aeiko nods her head and makes her way to her own bedroom.

Dr. Suzuki turns her attention to me. "Ah, I apologize for Aeiko's behavior," she says, setting the tray down upon the table after pushing aside a few books. "My daughter is mentally scarred after her childhood friend passed away in an accident. Now, every time she meets a girl around her age, she believes it's her deceased friend and tries to apologize for a mistake she made long ago." Her eyes are filled with sorrow as she tells me this.

I relax myself, mentally chastising myself for jumping to conclusions. How could Aeiko possibly know who I am? There are billions of people in the world. It's unlikely I'll meet another person who knows me in such a short span of time. After all, I washed up on this island in a boat with no recollection of who I am.

Dr. Suzuki leaves me alone and I finish my dinner, slowly drifting off into a restless sleep.

~

A few days pass and I enjoy my comfortable stay at the Suzuki's residence. Aeiko hasn't tried speaking to me again, but I don't mind. I do feel bad for reminding the girl of the friend she lost. It's best if we stay away from each other.

Today, I pass by Aeiko's closed bedroom door and make my way downstairs and into the kitchen for breakfast while lost in thought. Dr. Suzuki looks up at me from the book she was reading whilst sitting at the dining table. She shoots me a bright, cheery smile.

"I have great news for you!" She says excitedly, setting her cookbook down. "I've made contact with someone who claims to be related to you."

A warm feeling bleeds through my heart. A family member who knows me is trying to reach out to me? Dr. Suzuki laughs at the smile on my face.

"I told them to come over as soon as possible. Apparently, they've been traveling from island to island looking for you. They'll be having breakfast with us this morning. Isn't that great?" She asks happily.

I nod my head as my eyes become watery. I want to know who I am and where my home is. I feel so alone and empty without any idea of the person I'm supposed to be.

As I settle in at the kitchen table, a knock comes at the front door. I fidget in my seat nervously as Dr. Suzuki gets up from her seat and greets the guest. I hear a deep male voice in the foyer and wait expectantly for the person to enter the kitchen.

When he finally does, my eyes widen as I take in his appearance. It's a middle aged man with black hair and tan skin. He has a grim look on his face, but he smiles a bit when he sees me.

I hesitantly stand up from my seat, looking hopefully at the man who stands before me. Is he my father? An uncle? Or even an older cousin?

"Ah, Akina," the man rumbles joyfully, taking a step towards me. "I missed you, my daughter."

"A-akina?" I echo, my voice and the name sounding unrecognizable. The combination sends a chill down my spine.

The man's eyes fill with tears. "I've been looking all over for you. You went fishing on my boat alone one day and got caught in the middle of a storm. I was afraid I'd lost you for good."

His hands clasp mine and I stare at our interlocked hands.

"You're my father?" I ask timidly, looking back up into his dark eyes.

"What do you mean?" He asks, clearly confused. "Of course I am."

Dr. Suzuki clears her throat. "I forgot to mention an important detail, sir." The man turns his head in her direction. "Your daughter seems to have lost her memories after the boating accident."

The man's face crumples. He focuses his gaze on me. "Is it true that you've forgotten everything, Akina?"

I don't know what to say to the crestfallen man, but I slowly nod my head, retracting my hands from his grasp.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, feeling like I did something wrong.

The man pulls himself together. "If you've forgotten, it'd be best if I brought you home. Maybe it'll help you regain your memories."

Dr. Suzuki pipes in joyfully. "That would be marvelous."

"As it is, our family has a vacation house on this island since it's not too far from our main home. You used to come here as a little girl. Maybe we should stay here for some time," the man says.

"I-I would like that very much, sir," I reply.

"This way, I can monitor you as well," Dr. Suzuki includes.

I stare at the old man. Something about him seems very familiar, but I can't recall any specific memories in my fuzzy mind.

"Sir, may I ask what your name is?" I ask, hoping it will give me some sort of clue.

"I'm Sakazuki," the man introduces himself. I catch a peculiar look in his eyes.

"However," he continues, his voice taking on an odd tone, "Many know me as Fleet Admiral Akainu."

- - - -

A/N

Ah, hello! I'm back with another update.

Before I say anything else, does Aeiko seem familiar to any of you? Hmm, maybe you should check out chapter 14 of Wait for me if you don't remember. (:

This chapter was actually completed back in July 2020, but I couldn't bring myself to post it because I didn't know if I liked it very much. It's possible that I could end up editing it further in the future.

I hope you all are doing well and that you enjoyed this chapter! Since I've been inactive for a very long time, I wanted to make up for it by making this chapter significantly longer than the other chapters in this sequel so far.

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I'd like to let you all know that this story was never intended to be as long as the first. I'm guessing it will probably be about two thirds the length of Wait for me. (So approximately 15 chapters.) This is because there isn't as much content to display in this story like there was in the last.

Thank you for reading!

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~ mwzxxx

- - - -

NEXT UPDATE: Random. Hopefully within the month of October 2020.