Ryuichi was on a mission. And not any mission, mind you. It was top secret and very important. The fate of the whole world rested on his success. He had been ordered point blank by his captain to complete this mighty task. A task given only to the bravest…stealing Tatsuha's hat.
"I don't know why we're stealing his hat this time Kuma-chan…" said Ryuichi as he calmly ambled down the dark street. "Last time was 'cause the big meanie raided our house and stole your pillow."
In response, the stuffed rabbit only stared back.
"Why so quiet? Is Kuma tired?" said Ryuichi seriously, turning to his pink friend. "Ok, Ryu will whisper now so you can sleep."
The rabbit just stared back some more, completely oblivious to the matters at hand.
"Oh well…" whispered Ryuichi while he continued down the street. "Tatsuha's always a big meanie and Yuki's really smart so he must know what Tatsuha's done this time, right? Oh sorry…I forgot…you're sleeping…"
Ryuichi and his slumbering companion made their way down the street calmly until they reached Tatsuha's usual corner. The top guard was usually sound asleep at his corner letting his lackeys do all of the hard legwork. He had worked hard to get his position, and now that he had it, he just wanted to relax. Even though his hard work had consisted of pulling approximately one string. The Sultana was an old family friend. An hour of solid begging had secured him the top position.
But it was well known by anyone with intelligence, or anyone that was not Ryuichi, that Tatsuha didn't have some shining moral core. He didn't want to play guard. He didn't even want to wield the power like a maniac. All of the usual shallow reasons were out. Yes, his reason was shallow, but it was anything but normal for a friend of the Sultana and a lawman. He was convinced that he was in love with Ryuichi. Or, he had a slight obsession. Or he was crazy. No one really knew, not even Mr. Head Guard himself. And yet again, he was lounging at his corner, sleeping away and probably dreaming about the bunny-wielding criminal.
Tatsuha had given up on wearing the traditional garb for guards. He felt that it cramped his style. So he had instead taken to wearing black pants that fit perfectly, a white loose-fitting linen shirt that was edged in black ribbon, and a tight black undershirt that had long sleeves. His sword hung casually on his left side. He wasn't a fighter. He was a lover. But only when concerning Ryuichi.
And he was just plain oblivious. Yuki and Ryuichi had been consistently outsmarting him since before he became a guard. The first time that he laid eyes on Ryuichi was when Ryuichi robbed him in the streets. He had felt a slight pull on his belt and when he looked up he saw Ryuichi's bright blue eyes staring back from across the street. Then Ryuichi had waved Tatsuha's own purse at him and run away laughing. Yuki was watching from the shadows. He only went after people when true skill was required. Or when there was a beautiful woman involved. He had standards, after all.
However, Tatsuha was very picky about his hat. Only the top guard got to wear it and Tatsuha was rather fond of the way it accented the fact that he was in charge. And it was all the better for Ryuichi to notice him. And notice him Ryuichi did. Especially when he was playing 'Mission' and stealing the very thing.
Tonight was no different. Ryuichi cautiously approached the corner where Tatsuha was snoozing and stopped when he reached the shadows.
"Now shhhh…you have to be quiet Kuma-chan or we might get caught…" whispered Ryuichi energetically, excited for the opportunity of seeing Tatsuha jump up and down with rage. "If we get caught…well, Yuki'll be mad!"
The rabbit was still sleeping and consequently only stared back at Ryuichi.
Creeping closer and closer to Tatsuha, Ryuichi was in the zone. He was good at what he did, and enjoyed every minute of it. Sneaking along made it even better. Plus, it was Tatsuha. The big meanie. Revenge was sweet. It kinda tasted like vinegar.
But something was wrong. Tatsuha wasn't Tatsuha.
"NOW!" shouted a voice from behind Ryuichi.
Suddenly three guards grabbed Ryuichi and tied his hands and feet with a rope. Normally he would have Kumagoro beamed somebody, but the rabbit was being held prisoner by none other than Tatsuha. The guard sleeping had been a decoy. Tatsuha had ears all around the city and had heard of the plot. Actually, he had been standing behind a flowerpot when Ryuichi had received his orders. But Tatsuha liked to pretend that he was a tough guy with spies.
"GIVE ME MY RABBIT!" Ryuichi shouted loudly.
"Nope…" said Tatsuha nonchalantly, tossing Kuma in the air and catching him.
"GIVE ME MY KUMA-CHAN!" screamed Ryuichi, tears starting to form in his eyes.
"Alright, alright. Just don't cry…" said Tatsuha, untying Ryuichi's hands and giving him the stuffed rabbit. Tatsuha was having a slow night. He didn't realize his mistake. His head was too busy clouding itself with visions of his victory celebrations.
"Kuma!"
"I'm glad you're happy, my honey…" drooled Tatsuha as he stepped closer. "You're so much better than I remember."
"You're a big meanie. You stole my Kumagoro." Said Ryuichi, his voice dangerously serious.
"No I didn't…I was babysitting."
"Ku…kum….Kuma…."
"Now what? Your language is so perfect!" said Tatsuha as he lapsed back into fan boy mode.
"KUMAGORO BEAM!"
And with that, all of the guards went flying, Tatsuha hit a wall and was knocked unconscious, half of a building disappeared, and Ryuichi hopped down the street cackling maniacally, his feet still tied together.
"Damn…" muttered one of the guards as he surveyed the extensive damage. "The boss must be a masochist or something."
"Sorry…wait. I thought you were sleeping…" said Shuichi, turning bright red in the darkness in response to Yuki's irritation and discovery. "I didn't say anything…"
"I don't care to know who you were talking about, but I heard you. You said something."
"Well, I was talking about…"
"I TOLD YOU I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" shouted Yuki now fully awake and pacing. Yuki knew perfectly well whom Shuichi had been talking about. At least he thought he did and he was not happy about it in the least bit.
"Well sorry for the inconvenience!" returned Shuichi, nearing his breaking point as he stood up. "So sorry for disturbing you, your highness!"
"Would you shut up already?!" screeched Yuki, his voice almost rising an octave.
"You first!" shouted Shuichi back, taking a step towards Yuki.
"This is my house, you insignificant worm!" answered Yuki, taking a longer step towards Shuichi.
"Well…-" stammered Shuichi. Yuki was a few inches from his face. "I…I…"
"What? Nothing to say? It must be a miracle." Said Yuki softly. He hadn't realized how gorgeous the boy was, especially close up, until now. "Earlier…"
"I'm sorry for waking you up…" said Shuichi quietly as he started backing up. But Yuki grabbing his wrist stopped him. "I didn't mean to wak-"
"It doesn't matter."
"Ummm…"
"What?"
"Can I have my wrist back please…?"
"Eh? Whatever." Said Yuki casually. He hadn't realized that he was in possession of the wrist in the first place.
"I didn't mean to offend you earlier…I like the house…"
"Just leave it."
"Yuki-san…"
"I said to drop it! This place doesn't matter to me. Someday I'll be living there." Said Yuki in a low voice and gesturing towards the shining palace.
"Why would you want to live there?" asked Shuichi without realizing what he was getting himself into.
"Why wouldn't I? I'd be rich…"
"Money isn't everything though…"
"And just how would you know?" snapped Yuki angrily. He had assumed the boy's clothes had been stolen after getting to know him. He was way too stupid for nobility. They knew how to educate their children.
"Umm…I…I…my stepmother comes from money…yeah." Stammered Shuichi. He didn't want Yuki to know who he was.
"Hmph. Lucky you."
"Not really…"
"Only you would complain about having money."
"What's that supposed to mean? You don't even know me!" yelled Shuichi angrily.
"I know you're stupid. You'd have to be."
"And why's that?" said Shuichi defensively.
"Because people with money get to do whatever they want…whatever clothes they want…whatever rooms, whatever house, everything! You're an idiot to be unhappy!"
"Oh, and you think your life is all bad, huh?" Shouted Shuichi, wanting Yuki to understand his plight but not wanting to give himself away.
"Yes. I do." Returned Yuki smugly.
"Oh…well you shouldn't. You have all the freedom. You go where you want, do what you want when you want to, you have everything…" said Shuichi unhappily.
"No I don't."
"Yes, you do."
"Shut up, you idgit."
"But--!"
"I'm trapped in this life and what makes you think that I want to have some brat preach to me that money is horrible and I've got it made? What kind of a fool are you?!" screamed Yuki, taking a step towards the window.
"And you think my life is perfect!? Well, it's not! I have no choice in anything! I'm trapped too!" returned Shuichi with passion.
Yuki had no response, but found himself drawn to Shuichi even more than he had been earlier. In return, Shuichi stepped toward Yuki and looked him in the eyes. Yuki closed his eyes gulped audibly and reminded himself of his decision to keep his hands off of Shuichi. When he opened them again, Shuichi was still in front of him and he still looked absolutely breath-taking. Yuki instantly elected to disregard his earlier decision; there was no way he'd be able to control himself, with or without the threat of idiocy hanging above his head.
"You don't believe me?" asked Shuichi with sadness apparent in his voice.
"No…I believe you." Said Yuki as he leaned in to Shuichi's beautiful face. "And I understand…"
"Yuki…" said Shuichi softly, leaning up to meet Yuki's face.
Yuki didn't bother with a response. His only answering move was pressing his lips to Shuichi and wrapping his arms around the boy's small waist. In return, Shuichi put his arms around Yuki's middle and moved in closer. When the kiss broke, the two didn't waste time with words. They only answered the silent room with another kiss that was deeper than the last.
"Start flapping Caspian!" said Tohma in an exasperated voice. He had been attempting to make the bird cooperate for over fifteen minutes.
"Nope. I don't feel like it…" answered Caspian as he swung by his tail from Tohma's gloved hand. "I'm really rather tired." With the last comment, the insolent parrot stretched out his wings and yawned dramatically.
"Caspian Toulouse!"
In response to half of his full name, Caspian stopped yawning and flipped himself up to face his owner.
"How dare you…" muttered the sullen parrot.
"Start. Flapping."
"Fine…" sighed the bird in defeat. The middle name coming out never meant good things for Caspian. It meant Tohma was getting ready to morph into his manipulative and crazy side.
After ten minutes of solid flapping by Caspian, Tohma's storm had neared its climax. The parrot was now lying on his back with his wings spread out and he was panting like a dog. He wasn't a hard worker. He led a pampered life, feasting on Fruit Loops whenever he deemed necessary. Not to mention the customary donut holes. Those were a must.
When Tohma focused the center of the storm around the special voodoo pin that he had gotten from Mika, the storm swirled itself to a fine point and revealed the image that Tohma had been seeking. Except the picture showed something that made Tohma scream bloody murder and fall flat on his rump.
This sapphire was golden, yes. His hair was a gorgeous blond and his eyes were the same. The moonlight showed his features clearly. However, the moonlight also showed the figures of the younger man in his arms. And the younger one had bright pink hair.
"THE PRINCE!" screamed Tohma upon his discovery after he had come to his senses after the initial discovery.
"What?" said the parrot in a quiet voice. He was still out of breath.
"The…the…the…PRINCE. With…with…with…" stuttered Tohma, completely in shock.
"With what you idiot?" answered the parrot irritably. He was too tired to be bothered with Tohma's stupidity.
"With the guy."
"Oh, you're real specific. Not worth my time." Said Caspian bluntly as he scuttled back over to his cage to sleep.
"I have to tell Mika…" said Tohma quietly. "Wait…she'll have him killed immediately for this…this…indiscretion. I need him to get that lamp…"
"Just have him arrested already. You are supposed to be keeping this place safe dumbass." Said the moody parrot from his sleeping perch. "You don't need a reason. You have connections with that numbskull Tatsuha."
"Aha! I have an idea!" said Tohma excitedly. "I'll use my amazing skills of deceitful and deceptive manipulation to control Tatsuha so he'll arrest the sapphire dude. And bring that idiot of a slut home."
Caspian just rolled his eyes in return. He was used to Tohma's idiotic power tripping by now.
"I'll just write a note for Tatsuha to give to Shuichi and then everything will work out perfectly…" muttered Tohma with his signature evil Tohma glint returning to his rather feminine face.
"Captain! We've just received orders from Tohma to arrest someone!" said a guard that was standing next to where Tatsuha was still lying on the ground. "Judging by the description I'd say he's the one associated with Ryuichi."
"His name is Yuki Eiri." Answered Tatsuha dryly. He didn't want to go after the other one. He wanted to find Ryuichi.
"Shall we go then, sir?"
"Yes, yes."
"Oh, Tohma also sent a note for you to give to the prince."
"What does that idiot have to do with this?" asked Tatsuha with peeking interest. The prince did look kind of like Ryuichi…
"The thief, Yuki, is charged with kidnapping."
"Oh…whatever. Let's just get this over with." Said Tatsuha. He didn't have the energy to be excited after his scrape with Ryuichi. Heck, he didn't even know if he had the energy to walk.
"What does this mean?" asked Shuichi timidly after he had slumped against the wall next to Yuki.
"First of all, there is no 'this' and second it means that I merely tolerate your existence." Answered Yuki curtly but with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"What?" asked Shuichi in a hurt and scared tone.
"Heh. You're too easy…" replied Yuki with a glint in his deep golden eye. "Hmm…double entendre…"
"So…what now?"
"You ask too many questions…" said Yuki in a very low voice as he advanced on Shuichi. "From here on out, no more talking…"
"But-" started Shuichi but he was interrupted by a quick kiss from Yuki.
"Trust me…you'll be better off without speaking." Replied Yuki.
Shuichi again tried to respond but Yuki clapped and hand over his mouth and pushed him against the wall. Kissing Shuichi again, Yuki started to move his hand south under the boy's silk shirt, but he was interrupted by some loud clanging noises coming from outside.
"Ignore it…this is more important…" said Yuki darkly as he turned back to Shuichi to continue where he had left off. He was nearing desperate. Ever since he had been put on the most wanted list, no woman in the city would come near him. Shuichi was a very good chance and he didn't want to pass up the opportunity.
"But Yuki…" said Shuichi as he slid away from Yuki and towards the door. "Yuki!"
"What now?" said Yuki in a hurt tone. His chance had escaped and he felt like banging his head against a wall or maybe, just maybe, shedding a tear. But only one.
"It's Tatsuha!" exclaimed Shuichi as he started rapidly backing up in an attempt to get away. "They've found me!"
"Found you? Oh, I don't think so, he's always after me!" said Yuki while he reached for and grabbed Shuichi. "Just stay behind me…"
"You don't understand! I'm the pri-" said Shuichi hurriedly, but he was silenced by Yuki pulling him over to the window.
"Get over here!" ordered Yuki as he prepared to toss Shuichi out the window.
"NO! You'll kill me!" said Shuichi as he tried to resist.
"What, don't trust me?" asked Yuki with sarcasm.
"No! I trust you!" answered Shuichi brightly.
"Then get going." Replied Yuki as he pushed Shuichi out the window and casually followed after him.
His plan had been foiled however. Ryuichi was waiting at the bottom and was tied up. Tatsuha had caught up with him and had discovered the secret escape route. Two guards grabbed Shuichi and threw him against a wall and the remaining four focused on Yuki. He had been known to cause quite a scuffle in the past.
"Leave him alone!" Shuichi screamed when he saw the guards hit Yuki hard enough to bring him to his knees.
"Well, well, well…a pocket sized street rat…" said Tatsuha, completely forgetting why he was supposed to arrest Yuki in the first place.
The guards ignored Shuichi's orders and succeeded in bringing Yuki completely down to the ground. After he was tied up as tightly as possible, they turned to await orders from Tatsuha. Tatsuha merely snapped his fingers and a guard slammed Shuichi into the nearest wall. Then he told everyone the plan.
"Take him to the palace…Tohma's orders."
"And the other two?" questioned the guard in charge of the prisoners.
"Leave them out of this…" muttered Yuki in a weak voice while he tried to find Shuichi in the gloom of the alleyway. "You have me, consider yourselves lucky…"
"Shut up!" said the guard directly over Yuki. "I say we should take all three, captain."
"Whatever…take the one over by the wall…I'll take Ryuichi."
"Yes sir!" said the guard promptly as he reached for Yuki's arms.
And then Yuki found where Shuichi was. The boy was lying face down in the ground and wasn't moving. The guard that had smashed him into the wall was nudging him with his foot and getting no response.
Ryuichi on the other hand was engaged with an avid conversation with Kumagoro who was tied up next to him with his own guard. Yuki struggled to get up, but the guard just pulled him to his feet and started moving him towards the palace.
Then hope came in the shape of a very angry pink haired fireball.
"How dare you…do you have ANY idea who I am!?" screamed Shuichi after he had pushed the guard's foot off of his back and risen to his feet. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"
"Umm….you can't talk to us like that…" muttered a guard while another guard moved to secure Shuichi.
"Release them or…or…or…" stuttered Shuichi as he tried to think of the worst thing he could possibly threaten. "OR I'LL POKE YOU."
"Oh my god…it IS you." Said Tatsuha as he walked over to Shuichi. "Only you are THAT stupid…your majesty."
"Majesty?" whispered Yuki in astonishment.
"Release them Tatsuha. NOW." Said Shuichi, his eyes flashing dangerously.
"Sorry…no."
"What? I gave you an order! I'm the prince! You HAVE to listen to me!"
"Tohma has power over you and I'm following his orders. Here's a note to explain the finer details in case they exceed the limitations of your tiny mind…'
"Stop insulting me. Release them." Answered Shuichi as he took the note from Tatsuha.
"Take it up with Tohma if you have such a problem with it." Said Tatsuha as he grabbed Ryuichi and Kuma and started walking out of the alley. The guards with Yuki followed him.
Shuichi had no response to Tatsuha. He looked with sad eyes at Yuki being dragged away and mouthed the words 'I'm sorry'. Yuki avoided his eyes and turned his head away. Thus was the proper way to treat royalty…or the way you get shunned after you've pissed off Yuki Eiri.
"Yuki…" said Shuichi to the empty alley.
I'd like to thank my good friend Cathy for helping me with fixing the cliché of the line "Do you trust me?" and also for allowing me to use her copyrighted word, "scuttled".
Sorry about all the re-uploading confusion. I have it fixed, and I explain it all at the end of Chapter 5.
-Amaya
