Note – In chapter three I brought up Japanese bath traditions. Children bathe with their older family members, but the act of bathing with one's child is considered a way to bond with said child. The other important fact here is that bathing time is also something done with the father, though in Shiro and Keith's case because their mother isn't Japanese, she participated just as much because of her own culture. The significance of the bath within the Japanese culture plays a MAJOR role in this chapter, but the events also play a major role in shaping Keith as well.

Aniki
Where is Shiro?

Keith wanted his mother.

His mother had a way of making things better, by kissing an injury, and holding him close. Normally when he hurt himself like he did by jumping out of the tree, she would come running, but she didn't. Instead, the scary man came and scooped him up. The hot tears blurred his vision, but he could still see Shiro and his mind registered the fact he was being taken away.

Takeo took him to the room he kept taking him to, in an attempt to separate the two brothers, and yet Keith had always shared a room with his older brother. If he wasn't sleeping with Shiro, he was sleeping with his mother and father still. The man plopped him down, turning to a servant saying something about bandages. The man touched his ankle, and Keith of course screamed. This made the man make a scary face which resulted in more tears.

"At least it's not broken." Takeo shook his head. Soon, the ankle was wrapped, and Keith hiccupped. The man watched as the boy attempted to stand up on his own legs, only to pull him down. "No."

"Yes." Keith continued even without the pain. "Keith wants Shiro. Keith wants mommy."

"I said no." The man pulled Keith down. "Are you going to try and sleep with Takashi again."

"Shiro! Yes!"

"Can you speak in an intelligible manner?"

"Shiro!"

Takeo sighed, his calloused hand reaching out to ruffle Keith's head, only for the boy to pull back.

"No!" Keith tucked his legs up, and began to rock back and forth to comfort himself. "Shiro…"

"I am so sorry little one." The man stood up. "We can't have you wandering around with that injury, so I'm going to be locking your door."

"Shiro…" Keith continued to rock back and forth.

"This way you'll be safe."

Safe was a word the four-year-old recognized, and his head darted up just as the door closed. He got up, staggering to the door, his small fingers trying to open the door. "Out!"

"No. Bed."

"No! Out!"

"This is for your own good Akira."

"Shiro!"

The tears came again, though every so often he'd nod off. Shiro's voice though eventually came, and Keith slowly calmed down. He didn't understand all of Shiro's questions. Things became okay when his brother asked him to talk about Gundam. His small head wanted to nod off, but the fear of Shiro disappearing kept racking the back of his head.

Then came the sound of an adult outside. "Takashi…"

Keith let out a sound, hoping they'd let him out, but soon nobody was there. Hot tears spilled down his cheek. Adults finally came, the one calling himself grandfather, and the scary man called uncle. The uncle lifted him up, and began to carry him. Keith felt his lip tremble, most of the tears spent, his entire body tired. A bunch of adults were around, waiting.

"Akira…" His grandfather spoke up. "This is your new mother and father."

Keith looked at the two adults, confusion wracking his small brain. He couldn't muster up the courage to say no, or to fight back as Tadeo handed him off. The man bowed to their grandfather. "Thank you, honorable father, for allowing us to take on the raising of your grandson as our own. Hopefully as heir to the Kagone family, he'll do us proud."

"Shiro…" The woman touched him in a familial way, the way only their mother did. Suddenly Keith was screaming for his brother, attempting to fight back despite how tired he was.

"Shush. We're not able to have children of our own, so we're happy to have you. You should be grateful little one," the woman whispered into his ear, only to make things worse as he didn't understand what she was saying.

Suddenly, Keith saw his brother staggering out towards him, and his small hands reached forward. "Nii-nii!"

Except something was wrong with Shiro, and his brother looked scared. The man and woman bustled him into a car, putting him into a car seat despite the fact he didn't want to go. He sat there, the strange woman brushing back his hair. "Shush now. We're going to take care of you."

He didn't, though, like her touch. Keith sobbed, soon crying himself asleep, his small body finally giving out. He awoke when someone picked him up to carry him inside of a house. If he were older, he'd realize that the house was what many people in Japan dreamed of. It was in an urban area, within distance of a good school, and represented the fact at least the husband was of the working class. However, for a four-year-old these kinds of things went over his head, and he simply whimpered.

The man who now carried him set him down on a bed in a room. "Akira, this is your new room."

"No."

"Come now. You've got a nice, big boy bed."

Keith looked around, liking the fact he was being called a big boy, but the woman wasn't his mother, and Shiro was missing. "Mommy…"

"Yes, I'm your mommy."

Keith burst into tears, refusing to move from the spot, hoping Shiro would come and get him. Time passed, and the woman fought him to change his clothing, but also get him to eat. They offered a toy, only for him to throw it across the room, making them take away all toys. Then, they just left him alone, hoping he would calm down with time.

Everything was wrong. He'd always slept in a futon, so a bed was strange. He also didn't know where the bathroom was, but the door was locked to prevent him from running out the front door again. He'd darted into the street, only to be yanked back by the woman, her hand striking his cheek painfully, telling him he was a really bad boy.

He was a bad boy.

Particularly since he just wet himself.

Keith lay in the room, shivering, not liking the fact he wet the bed. Normally, when it happened, Shiro would start cleaning up the futon, and making things right. There mother would soon join in, as the futon was a bit much for a seven-year-old to handle on their own, and soon the futon would be drying in the sun. The door didn't open, and he didn't move, expecting to be punished again.

"What the…"

"He wet himself."

"Just our luck, the head sticks us with a retard."

"We've still got to do something."

"And what? We can't have him wetting himself like this."

"I'll go to the store and get some diapers for a toddler."

"Wonderful…"

"Just, get him into a warm bath."

"I've got paperwork from work to do. I don't have time for this. Use a cloth diaper for now."

Keith found himself scooped up from the bed, and placed on the floor of a bathroom. Glancing up at the tub which was now filling with warm water, the child couldn't help but notice this was different. He didn't want to move, but soon the woman was taking him through the routine of cleaning up before getting into the bath, before lifting him up so they both were in the bath.

"Mommy…"

"Yes, I'm your mommy."

"No. I miss mommy."

The woman stroked his head in an attempt to comfort, but this did nothing. Eventually she took him out, and dressed him. Something felt off, but he didn't notice as she carried him into the kitchen area where the man was working. "Akira and I are heading to the grocery store. Do you want anything?"

"Leave him here."

"What…"

"We don't need the neighbors knowing that we took in a retard."

"He just lost his mother and father, and was separated from his brother. Of course there are going to be issues." The woman felt her throat tighten. "You know, I'm sorry I'm not able to give you children, but the head of the family gave us his grandson. Do you know what kind of honor that is? I've got my baby."

"Do as you want."

The woman let out a sigh, before carrying Keith out the door. He was to out of it to fight anymore, but didn't see how fighting would help. They arrived at a grocery store, and his eyes widened. The place was bigger than the place they visited in the small village with his mother. The woman placed him into the cart, and he found himself riding along. He still missed Shiro though, and mommy and daddy.

"Seki-chan! Who's the little one with you?"

"This? This little one is Kogane Akira. He's Ohori and mine."

"But you've not been able to carry."

Seki reached out and touched Keith's cheek lightly. "This little one comes from the main branch of Ohori's family. His father is… was… the first born son of the family head. This little one is the second child, so it is only fitting that he inherit eventually the Kogane title."

"He looks so tired. And what's up with his foot?"

"He's normally full of energy. He actually hurt his foot jumping from a tree. I think it's hitting home that his mother and father aren't coming back." The woman rubbed his back. "He and I bonded in the bath this afternoon. We're here to pick up diapers."

"Isn't he a bit old."

Seki paused, before turning to her friend. "Their parents died in a fire. The boys were lucky to survive. It stands to reason he's going to have nightmares. This is just to make things easier."

"I can't imagine your husband's pleased with having such a child."

"He…" Seki rubbed the top of Keith's head. "He just needs to get used to Akira."

"What's the older brother's name?"

"Shiro…" Keith muttered absentmindedly.

"Shiro?"

"Ah, Takashi Shirogane."

"Oh, the actor and the director. Their mother or father must have been a fan of old samurai movies."

"Well, I'd not thought of that."

"I'm glad to see you finally smiling, Seki-chan."

The woman continued through the store, getting various items she would need for a four-year-old including the diapers. Keith remained out of it, looking around at the new world. While the grocery store perked his interest, it simply soon proved to stimulating. Someone commented on the fact he was a bad child, as they had seen the incident of him running out in the street, and yet he didn't know why he was being called bad.

She then carried him home, one hand on his bottom as she held him, and the bags in another. Upon arriving home, she set Keith on the couch while she went to prepare dinner. The man looked up, and the child flinched, the look scaring him even more than the other man. Somehow, he could tell the man hated him. His small body also reacted negatively, and his jaw began to tremble. He was a bad boy again.

"He did it again. Please do something about it."

Seki came out of the kitchen, cooing as she did. "Oh, Akira."

Keith watched the woman spread out a blanket, then felt her lift him up gently from the couch. The soiled clothing was removed, he was cleaned up, and then…

A diaper was put on, and the tears began to pour out of his eyes as he lay there on the floor. The man also yelled. "Seki!"

"Shush! You're not in trouble Akira. You're not being punished."

"Hell, as if he is. He's to stay in those diapers until he learns not to wet himself. He's supposed to be potty-trained!"

Seki simply looked at her husband, before turning back to Keith. "Hey. Not a punishment. You're just not feeling well because you miss your old mommy and daddy, so we're going to use diapers until you start feeling better."

The woman rubbed his tummy, and yet Keith couldn't help but feel he was a bad boy instead of a big boy. He also wanted Shiro. The woman carried him into the kitchen after that, holding him while she cooked dinner, and yet her touch wasn't the touch which brought him comfort, so he just stayed there, doing nothing. At dinner, she fed him mashed peas, his least favorite food, and it dribbled down his face.

"He should be old enough to feed himself."

"Come now. He's a little kid, but also lost…"

"I think the main household just wanted to get rid of a problem they weren't willing to admit they had."