A golden splash of sunlight hits Hatori Sohma's one good eye as he exits the main house disdainfully, looking tired and weary as always. He shields his eyes with one arm and begins to walk back to his house.
The autumn leaves have fallen thick on the ground, and are crunching merrily under Hatori's feet. A light breeze teases his ebony bangs away from his forehead as he sweeps his gaze to the white sky.
"Perhaps it will be snowing soon." a feather-light voice comments from behind him. Hatori turns around to see a familiar, ivory-skinned face.
"Aaya." Hatori greets his best friend. "What are you up to?" It takes him a while to notice that Ayame Sohma is wearing a long hooded cloak, covering his hair. "Why are you wearing that?"
"What, this?" Ayame looks down at his cloak. "Oh, just thought I'd take a trip back to the middle ages, is all."
Hatori isn't convinced. "Is there something wrong with your hair? Tell me if something happened."
Ayame sighs and takes Hatori's hand, leading him outside the gates and sitting him in the grass across the street. Hatori patiently gazes up at him, waiting for an elaboration.
The snake sighs again and sits down beside the dragon. "Yesterday I spoke with Shigure-kun."
Hatori's gaze remains fixed on his friend, waiting for more. More is what he recieves.
"He told me that... oh, Ha'ri I don't know if I should..."
"You may as well." the dragon comments. "I'll hear about it anyway, whatever it is."
Ayame's eyes quiver, like he's about to cry. "Shigure-kun says that the day before yesterday, he went to the main house and confessed his love to Akito-sama."
Hatori's eyes widen as much as they can. Dull sirens go off in the distance. Ayame goes on.
"He told me that Akito-sama was furious, and that he told him... terrible, terrible things, and now Shigure-kun talks about killing himself! As if he'll actually do it!"
Hatori stands abruptly. It's getting dark. "Where is he now?"
"He's shut himself in his study at home. Oh, Haa-san, I'm really worried... I went to the main house just now to speak to Akito about what happened, and..."
Hatori stops and turns back. "And what?"
The snake reaches up and pulls the hood from his head. Hatori expects the shining silver waterfall to fall from it, but the very opposite happens.
Ayame's hair has been cut crudely, roughly past the nape of his neck, in such jagged, rough slashes that you can hardly tell it has ever been long at all. Paired with this is such a stricken and wretched expression that it almost brings tears to the dragon's eyes.
"Akito..." he begins.
"He cut it." Ayame sobbs. "Chopped it all off. But he made sure to rip half of it out first." Thick, shining tears spill down the snake's flawless face. "Hatsuharu was there. Akito-sama used his pocket knife." Ayame falls forward into Hatori's arms, where he is gracefully accepted. The two Sohmas sink to the ground, where the snake sobs so violently, the dragon's heart breaks, and Hatori knows it wasn't just about Ayame's hair. It was also about the concept of both of them losing Shigure to Akito's madness. Yet another loved one, killed by the wrath of the god.