Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation. Sorry. :( A lot of OOC.

Chapter 1

"Oh, Prince Ryuichi, you look dashing this morning!" one of the many citizens of the village said, bowing as Ryuichi walked passed, on his way to the forest for some fresh air.

Shuichi watched as Ryuichi made his way through the crowd of people. He smiled to himself. The villagers admired Ryuichi. He was such a noble and selfless prince, very much like his father and mother. He always focused more on the village and less of himself. Shuichi watched and admired the prince as he escaped the crowd of people. Shuichi had always admired Ryuichi from afar, never believeing that he would actually have the chance to meet the prince. But, when he saw the prince escape to the shelter of the forest, he felt his chance come.

He jumped down from the tree he was in, landing cleanly on his feet. He was used to climping and jumping out of trees. Yuki trained him well in hiding within the trees, always believing that it was the best shelter. Shuichi shuttered at the thought of Yuki's golden orbs be called eyes and the fire that always seemed to burn in them. His 'master' was a devious man, and he was training Shuichi to be the same.

Shuichi ran through the forest quickly, being as small as he was he was extremely quick, and also amazingly strong. He found Ryuichi in a clearing deep into the heart of the forest, soaking in the sun's rays on his beautiful, young face. Shuichi's heart raced as he began to approach the prince, trying to stay as hidden as possible.

"I see you are trying to sneak up on me." Ryuichi said smoothly, looking at the spot Shuichi froze in (he was suprised that the prince could spot him, seeing as he was the best hider out of all of Yuki's disciples). "You can come on out, I don't bite."

Shuichi stepped out cautiously. "How did you notice me?"

"Good eyes, I guess." Ryuichi answered, looking back up at the sky.

Shuichi blushed as a smile spread across the prince's face.

"I know you watch me a lot." Ryuichi continued. "You like to hide in the trees. You must be a good climber, to be able to perch in them for so long?"

"I..uh...I have had a lot of training in that, I guess you can say." Shuichi replied, taking extreme caution at what he was saying.

One of Yuki's main lessons was 'Always watch what you say.' If anyone did find out there would be consequences.

"Oh." Ryuichi answered, almost disappointedly.

Shuichi was about to open his mouth to say something, but an arrow that barely missed his face whizzed past him.

"Shindou Shuichi, we have a warrant for your arrest!"

"Arrest?" Ryuichi asked.

"Less talk, more running away." Shuichi whispered ferociously, putting an arm around Ryuichi's waist and pushing off the ground, sending them flying into a tree.

Once they were perched on a sturdy branch Shuichi removed his arm from Ryuichi's waist and turned his back to him.

"Get on." he said, motioning for Ryuichi to get on his back.

"Why? Where are we going?" Ryuichi said with...excitement?

"Away from them." Shuichi answered, dodging another arrow that flew passed his arm.

"HE'S GOT A HOSTAGE! GET HIM, GET HIM!!!"

"Hurry!" Shuichi urgred.

Ryuichi got on his back without hesitation.

"You have to trust me on this, okay?"

Ryuichi nodded. "Okay."

Shuichi stood and pushed off the tree branch with ease, gliding to another tree branch. He jumped through the branches, dodging arrow after arrow, to a place he thought they were safe, landing gently in the middle of a path, obviously lost. He let Ryuichi off his back and turned to the prince who was shaking.

"Hey, are you okay?" Shuichi asked, concerned at the prince's shaking.

"Alright?" Ryuichi said, his eyes hidden behind his bangs. "That was awesome! Where did you learn to jump through the trees like that?"

"Uh..."

"There he is! Get him, boys! Don't let him get away!"

Shuichi turned to see a group of six men getting closer and closer.

"Go and hide somewhere. Don't let them see you." Shuichi ordered, bracing himself for attack.

"Hide?"

"If those men knew that I had Prince Ryuichi with me, I would have more than just a warrant for arrest on my record."

Ryuichi stared at Shuichi confusion. Shuichi smiled to himself at how cute Ryuichi was when he was confused.

"Go!" he yelled.

Ryuichi jumped at the tone of Shuichi's voice and nodded, running into the trees, hiding safely behind a large, oak tree.

"Shindou Shuichi, we have a warrant for your arrest!"

"Yeah, yeah I know already."

"Charge, men! This man is a criminal! Forget the arrows! Beat him with your bare hands! Beat him until he tells us where his leader, Yuki Eiri is!!"

The group of men dropped their bows and arrows and charged at Shuichi. Ryuichi bit his nails, watching the scene from the tree he was hiding behind. He winced as Shuichi landed a punch in the front man's nose, sending him flying through the air and hit a tree, sliding down it in unconciousness.

"For such a small guy, he really has a lot of strength. I wonder why the men say he is a criminal.Does he work for that Yuki Eiri guy?" Ryuichi said to himself.

Two men charged at Shuichi at the same time, Shuichi jumping over his head, the two men slamming into each other. Shuichi, still in the air, kicked them both in the head, the men falling to the ground.

"Three more..." Shuichi said breathlessly, elbowing a man that was sneaking behind him in the chest.

"Two..." Kick in the back.

"One..." Multiple punches to the stomach and an upper-cut to the chin.

"None..." Shuichi wiped his hands on his pants and straightened out his shirt. "Got my kimono dirty for nothing."

Ryuichi came out of hiding, admiration in his eyes. Shuichi looked back at him in confusion.

"That was amazing!" Ryuichi said, getting on his knees.

Shuichi jumped back in shock.

"Hey, now! You are the prince, why are you getting on your knees in front of me?!"

"Tell me...Shuichi, that's your name, right?"

Shuichi nodded.

"Shuichi, tell me who you are. You are no ordinary villager around here. You are better than a ninja!"

"I can't tell you who I am." Shuichi said cooly, though his insides were raging.

Ryuichi looked hurt. "Those men said something about your leader, Yuki Eiri. He's a notorious convict and has been on the run for a long time. You work for him, don't you?"

"I...uh..."

"That explains why you are so strong and amazing!"

Shuichi looked at the ground sadly.

"I'm not amazing. I hate having to be on the run all the time."

"What are you talking about? You get so much adventure! It has to be great!"

Shuichi looked at Ryuichi, a mixture of sadness and confusion on his face. "What's so great about it?"

"When you are stuck inside a castle all of the time, you don't get to see much. Living the life of a prince isn't a life at all."

"Please! It has to be great getting pampered on hand and foot." Shuichi said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and staring at the ground.

"Not really." Ryuichi answered sadly. "After a while, you realize that it's a routine. Wake up the prince, feed the prince, bathe the prince, let the prince roam free for an hour, feed the prince again, send the prince to his room for a nap, wake the prince...Day after day, year after year. It's not a life at all."

Shuichi lowered his head more at the realization of what he was just told. The sadness in the prince's voice only proved that it was true. The prince wanted to be free. He wanted to live, to have adventure... But, Shuichi knew that Ryuichi could never live the life he had. It was too dangerous. Shuichi had been training since he was young, and he was still in training. Ryuichi, though young he was, around eighteen, was much to old to begin training. He would never make living Shuichi's life, being in Shuichi's world...the world of convicts.

Yuki was an exception, he was a prodigy in the convict world. He learned quickly, he mastered everything quickly. He learned and mastered the basics by the time he was five, he was a professional by the time he was ten, he was an expery by the time he was thirteen, and he mastered everything there was and more by the time he was sixteen. The man that trained Shuichi and Yuki's other disciples, Claude Winchester aka Mr. K, an elder, wasn't as skilled as Yuki.

"Shuichi..."

Shuichi looked up at Ryuichi who was back on his feet and staring deep into his violet eyes.

"I should be getting back to the castle."

Shuichi felt disappointed at those words. He was enjoying being in Ryuichi's presence.

"But, I want to see you again."

Shuichi perked up.

"We'll meet at the clearing we met in earlier. Is tommorrow alright?"

"Perfect." Shuichi said, excitment a little too audible in his voice.

Ryuichi blushed.

"Good. I'll see you then, Shuichi."

"Alright, Prince."

"Shuichi..."

"Yes?"

"Call me Ryuichi."

"Okay...Ryuichi..."

Ryuichi began to walk away before he stopped in his tracks.

"What is it?" Shuichi asked.

Ryuichi turned to Shuichi embarrassedly.

"I..uh...I am kind of lost."

Shuichi smiled to himself, remember the day he first met Ryuichi and how excited he was that day, seeing Shuichi fight those six men single handedly. Shuichi has grown in strength since then, and also come to fall in love with Ryuichi. He constantly wished that he could spend his every waking minute with him. Since he couldn't, he resorted to sneaking into the castle just to see him.

Yuki knew very well of Shuichi's actions, and didn't take them lightly. He didn't like Shuichi sneaking around without notifying him, it was much too risky, even though Shuichi could very well take care of himself. He also didn't like Shuichi sneaking around to be with another guy. Shuichi was his boy toy, and only his. He knew that Shuichi was in love with prince Ryuichi, but it was still no excuse for sneaking off without giving him fair warning.

Shuichi was jolted out of his daydream when he heard a fist slam into the wall next to his head. He looked to see Yuki's golden eyes burning into his.

"Y-Yuki..."

"Snuck out again, didn't you, Shu-chan?"

Shuichi didn't answer, just stared back.

"I have told many a time that if you are going to run off anywhere, you let it get through me first."

Shuichi's eyes wandered down to the floor. He knew he couldn't go ask Yuki if he could go to see Ryuichi. He knew Yuki would refuse and then punish him. Shuichi was careful to get around Yuki without him knowing, but Yuki was just too brilliant and could see right through Shuichi.

"I'm sorry." Shuichi whispered.

"I'm tired of hearing that, Shu-chan." Yuki said, his voice low and threatening. "If you keep up your little games, we are going to get caught. You can't be sneaking around to play house with Mr. Prince. That's the most dangerous thing you can do. He is guarded. He might be able to get passed the guards a few times, but one of these days they are going to get wary of Mr. Prince's actions, and they are going to find out what he's been up to. Then, you are going to get caught."

"You are worried that I'm going to get caught, Yuki?" Shuichi asked, his eyes shining.

Yuki wrinkled his nose, hiding back a blush. "Hell no. I'm worried about the game."

"Why do you keep calling this a game? Killing people, robbing people, being on the run all the time...How is that a game?"

"Because that's the way Seguchi, that's why." Yuki said, acid dripping in his voice. He was getting annoyed at Shuichi's questioning. "It was explained to you when you first got into this."

"I was told that groups were assigned and the groups were given assignments. The groups are to follow the instructions and bring back what they were instructed to. Kind of like a scavenger hunt."

'Exactly. The group that brings back everything that they were assigned to goes to Seguchi and he gives them their last assignment."

"The assignment that no one knows what it is."

"Right. And, any other group that gets in our way of winning this gets pulverated." Yuki leaned in close to Shuichi, their noses touching. Shuichi's heart raced. "You have completed your training. You were assigned to my group. We will win. But, if you keep sneaking around with the Prince of Japan and you get caught, the whole group goes down with you. That's one of the main rules of the game. The group MUST stick together. If one falls, they all fall."

Shuichi gulped. "I'm sorry, Yuki."

"Stop sneaking around to see Mr. Prince, or you are in deep shit. Hear me?"

"Yes, Yuki."

"That's a good boy." Yuki said in a satisactory voice, smacking Shuichi seductivly on the leg. "Be prepared. We have another assignment for tommorrow."

Shuichi watched Yuki walk outside to watch the other members of the group do their meditation. Shuichi hated saying that he wouldn't see Ryuichi again to Yuki, because he knew he would never follow what he said. He loved Ryuichi more than life itself, but...he wished his heart would stop racing as he watched Yuki.