Hi! OK, yesterday I would have been beavering away to build you guys a dam… Wait, no, to write you this chapter, but my computer is unfortunately suicidal. We have tried to get it counselling, but the thing is just so depressed it is beyond help. Numerous times has it attempted to kill itself, and the day before yesterday was one of those days. Rain, depressing music I was playing, the works. It just died. Luckily this morning we found it in this state and were able to resuscitate it. So that is why I was unable to speak to anyone yesterday etc. You should have seen me though. I was almost ill with withdrawal symptoms from ring this fic. My hands kept tapping invisible keys; I would call my sister's rat Yuki instead of Luisa ect.

Well, now that we're back in business, this is IMPORTANT! I must urge you to, before reading this chapter, go back and read the end of the newly updated last chapter. You see, because my comp was on the verge of death, it ate the last third of the chapter by accident. So it cut of some crucial info. So just go back and read the little bit at the end that my comp devoured. I managed to save it from annihilation, but I had to upload it again on FF,net.

First Rain

Chapter 5: Pieces

The night went by slowly. Haru and Momiji lay in bed awake, thinking about what was to become of them if their father really did never return. Eventually Momiji had to go into Haru's bed because he couldn't sleep. It didn't help at all though. Much like Haru and Momiji, Kyo and Yuki stayed awake for most of the night, but they were trying not to dwell on their father's disappearance. They vowed at sunset that they wouldn't bring up the subject, at least not until morning. But it was morning now, although the sun had not yet risen.

Kyo had lain awake while Yuki surrendered to sleep, and a cold thought had struck his mind. He thought of the words Yuki had barely managed to speak when the news had been given. 'You mean, I might never get out?'

Had Yuki just spent his life bitterly waiting for his father to die? If the King was never found, it could never be assumed that he was dead. So without his father dead Yuki could never leave that room. His only way of escaping was to have his own father die.

The thought had ever really passed Kyo before. He was angry. He was angry both at the custom, and somehow, at Yuki. He wished death upon his father, and when everyone else had been crying for the king, it was possible that Yuki had only been crying for himself.

Eventually the thought that was burning inside of him could no longer be held in. He shook Yuki, and watched as the hazy, sleepy grey eyes slowly forced themselves open.

"Kyo…?"

"You've been wanting him to die, haven't you? You'd rather that ship had crashed and Dad had been found dead."

Yuki blinked, registering these cruel, accusing comments for a moment. He smiled bitterly in the darkness. "Can you blame me?" Kyo blinked. He admitted it? "You wouldn't know. You love Dad, and so do I. At first I would rather stay in here for eternity than have him die on my account. But since you started telling me things… About people I knew that I was never going to meet, love I was never going to share and life; that I was never going to live… I eventually started to hate him. I hated it, and I tried to stop myself but I couldn't. When the only thing that stands between freedom ids your father's life, how can you not wish death on him?" Tears dripped down his face as he spoke. "And I hate myself for it."

Kyo stayed silent. Yuki sniffed a couple of times, and Kyo eventually forced himself to speak. "I felt that way too."

Yuki's eyes questioningly widened. "W-what?"

Kyo put his arms around Yuki's shoulders and closed his eyes. "I hated Dad for giving me to Kagura. It felt like I was being sold off. You may not realise it, but I was almost as trapped as you were. It was like waiting for death, anticipating that marriage. But instead of waiting for someone else's death, someone I loved… I was waiting for my own. I hated her, Yuki. Really hated her. I couldn't stand her. And the more I tried to lie her, for my own sake, the more I wanted to die just thinking about it. That's why, I guess, I feel so weird all the time now. I've started… To tell her things, I haven't even told you yet. I… Started to talk to her as if I had always known her. She was like a sister… Until the one night she became a lover." Yuki blushed. Luckily it was dark. "I felt like I'd been denying myself of her all my life, and the reason I hated her was because I associated her with feelings of betrayal and abandonment, you know? I had believed that I had been hating her, but all along it was that damn betrothal. So, I kind of know how you feel."

"You always have. We're brothers, right? We're supposed to share each others' weaknesses and feelings… Aren't we?"

"Yeah…" The last word stayed in the air until they slept. The window was shut, and there was no light in the room at all.

The next day, Haru decided that for once he was going to spend the day with Yuki, seeing as Kyo had to go and discuss what to do about their Father's absence with the councillors, officials, ect. It was the most dull day he'd ever spent on the planet. Tohru as usual cleaned, and Momiji got in the way. Typically she didn't mind.

The evening came. Kyo breathed out slowly, a frustrated yell of boredom threatening to let itself out. He was still in the small boardroom on the bottom floor, with about five extremely boring officials yammering on about political nonsense. The one who was currently dithering on was a slight man whom Kyo couldn't be bothered to remember the name of. It seemed he was determined to put forward a firm, traditional appearance. He kept feebly hitting the table whenever he thought he'd had a breakthrough and it had started to get irritating. The only thing Kyo found mildly interesting about this person was that they had extremely large ears. These damn officials just wouldn't shut up!

"Well, I think we've covered just about everything." He said, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "Prince Kyo, is there anything else you'd like to bring to our attention, or is that it?" Kyo shuddered, He hated being called 'Prince Kyo'. It sounded ridiculous. In his opinion it didn't suit him at all.

He tried to think of anything that he had to say. So far they had reached the conclusion that a search would be sent out for the ship, and until then the man with the large ears would govern the kingdom with the help of his colleagues, or 'spineless minions' as Kyo called them in his head. He tried to suppress a laugh. All hail King Stuffy-Old-Git-With-Big-Ears.

"No… I think that's it. Wait, no it's not. What about my brother?"

"Which one?" Said Big-Eared-Git.

"Yuki?"

"Prince Yuki? As in the future King Yuki?" Kyo couldn't help snorting a little. That title just sounded so weird… These meetings were getting more entertaining by the second. He realised Big-Eared-Git was waiting for a response. He nodded. "I don't see why anything should change. Nothing's wrong with that room, so he can stay there until we find your father."

"And if we don't find him?"

"Well, that would just be unfortunate for everyone, now wouldn't it?" Kyo didn't like the patronising tone Big-Eared-Git was using to skirt around the question.

"I want an answer, you big-eared stuffy old git!" Yelled Kyo, not quite realising what he had said. Big-Eared-Git looked shocked, and the equally stuffy-old-gits tittered around him.

Big-Eared-Git cleared his throat in disapproval. "I'm not sure you understand the strictness of the tradition we are trying to follow, Prince." Kyo shuddered again. This guy was so spineless. "Nor are you aware that you are talking to the Prime-minister of your country." Kyo stopped dead in his tracks. No freaking way… This guy? Oh Dad, come on! He's a complete dick!

He would have said something but he was too speechless, the words taken out of his mouth and feeling almost physically winded by the knowledge that this idiot was his Prime Minister. You're supposed to put my country at ease, not make half the population want to strangle you! 'I understand these matters fully, Mr Prime Minister, Sir," Oh God, don't grovel you fool! "But I'm afraid I cannot identify with the crap you are spewing. Please explain to me what the hell you plan on doing about the welfare of my Brother, you stupid-" Easy, easy, don't go overboard. Nicely done though, high five! Kyo blinked and shook his head. This meeting might just be driving him insane.

"We fully intend to keep the Prince as happy as possible. But I'm afraid there is nothing we can do towards letting him go."

"What do you mean there's nothing you can do? It's your damn fault he's there in the first place, and if you're not going to do anything then I swear I'm gonna-" He trailed off, his mind once again assuring him that giving threats wasn't the best idea at this moment in time.

"If you are so sure that there is something wrong with the living conditions he has now, perhaps we should go and inspect the place, would that be alright?"

"No, that's not what I said!" Kyo was suddenly serious. It was about that time in the evening…

"Oh no, Prince Kyo, I am genuinely curios now. What is it you're hiding, I wonder?"

The man made a move for the door. Kyo tried to stop him but was practically mowed aver by councellors upon advisors upon officials upon councellors.

He ran to the head of the mob, and tried to reason with the Prime Minister. "Wait, you can't just barge in there-" The man walked on, and irritating smirk on his face. "Listen to me you bastard!" They were climbing the stairs to the third floor. The room was in sight, the door closed. They probably wouldn't hear him if he shouted. Kyo quickened his pace. He ran ahead and stood in front of the Prime Minister with his arms spread. "One more step and you're off the job. I'm serious."

"I wish I could take you seriously PPrince, but you see…" He took the one step. "I'm in charge." With that he pushed Kyo out ofd the way, and opened the door.

Yuki and Tohru didn't notice. The moonlight from that dasmned open window was thrown across their faces as they kissed, Yuki's white hand on Tohru's flushed cheek.

Kyo went suddenly silent. He'd been right. A spy. And his brother… His poor Yuki, was completely seduced. What now? Death? He hoped so. Anything was worse than eternal inprisonment.

Tohru cried as they led her away. Yuki shouted after her and made a break for the door, but they guards got there before him. They shut the doorin front of him, and he heard a key turn. He didn't know what that sound was, but when he tried to open the door he couldn't. He sat down on the floor and felt the tears drip down his face. He felt the darkness envelope his life. His tiny, enclosed, pointless, useless life. He could almost feel the newly drilled in bars behind him on the front of his closed, cut off window. No escape. Not even a tiny glimpse of the world to look at.

Kyo punched the wall. That was it. That bastard Prime Minister's verdict had been given. The law had been dropped from a height and had crushed him. He was going to be used as a body now. Kyo would play the part of King, in Yuki's place. His every decision would be watched and marked, and most likely changed. And on top of that, he'd most likely never see Yuki again, or Haru and Momiji at the rate they had legged it out of the palace. The worst of it though, was being made inot reality now. A message was being written to Kagura, telling her that her husband would not be returning. She'd be asked to divorce him immediately. They'd practically forced Kyo's signature onto the piece of paper. All Kyo could think of was that child that would be born without him.

Haru and Momiji were hiding. When they'd heard the Prime Minister's first words to them, and as guards surrounded them, they had taken the opportunity to run between them and sprint for what seemed like their lives. "You two Princes, it has come to my attention, that there are two age old traditions that have not been carried out. I'm sure you know what they are. As Prime Minister I am making it my policy to keep to the traditions that make the Sohma Kingdom what it is. I'm sure you both will agree that this is fundamental to creating… A happier way of living for our people." They stayed together in the street as the Guard started to spread through the city, looking for them. No. Hunting them down. They felt like game.

"Haru…" Momiji said, the tears stinging his eyes. "Where should we…?"

Haru caught sight of a Guard, who in turn caught sight of him. "Come on!" He grabbed his brother by the hand and ran through the streets with him. It seemed like this whole thing was just breaking into horrifyingly small pieces. So small that they might never reassemble.

"Haru… I don't want to be mute!"

Haru almost laughed, but ended up smiling bitterly instead. "I don't want to be a soprano!"

So… This is it then. It all ends here. Tohru sat on her own in that small cell. She could hardly see anything. She remembered Yuki's face as she had been led away. It was her fault. Was he going to die? Was he going to live? She didn't know. But she had some idea f what they had in store for her. She'd overheard some of the Guards of her cell talking when they thought she couldn't hear.

'So, what's going to happen to that one then?'

'Dunno. I'm pretty sure it'll be a beheading though. What do you think.'

'Probably.'

AN: O.O I must be depressed… Look at what I have done! OMG…Must… Save… The cast… Must… Peel…. My orange… And write at… The same… Time… -faints.

AN2: OK, someone might flame me for this, but I think I accidentally based the Prime Minister on Tony Blaire. Ooops. Oh well. Just hope he doesn't read it. And if he does, then this is a little message to him; 'sod you, Mr Prime Minister.'

AN3: For those Studio Ghibli fans, I was tempted to call the last chapter; The Cat Returns. Hee hee! Baron… I watched Princess Mononoke again, but my video machine ate the end of it. My appliances and machinery at home get really hungry… Like me! I had two omelettes for breakfast.