"No!"

"Duo, please!"

"Absolutely, positively not!" Violet eyes glared mutinously at the redhaired merboy. "I am not leaving you!"

Kurama grabbed the smaller boy's shoulders and shook him in frustration. "Duo!"

"I won't do it!"

"Demo--!"

"NO!" Duo pushed himself away from Kurama, the sudden violence of the action causing the older prince to fall back against the muddy banks of the river. "I will not abandon you like this!"

"You won't be abandoning me!" Kurama exclaimed. "Don't you see?" He turned pleading eyes to the younger boy. "If you stay here, Father will never find you. I just...don't want you to get hurt anymore, Duo." He lowered his eyes, long, thick lashes shadowing his expression. "He's done far too much to you already." The last was said in a guilt-stricken whisper almost too low for Duo to hear.

"Oh, Kurama..." The half-elven merboy stared into that sad, beautiful face. "You can't blame yourself for that."

"I could have tried to stop him."

"He'd only have taken it out on you." Duo said gently. "And he was already hurting you enough."

Kurama's head jerked up. "I was--Father never-"

"Oh, stop it, Kurama," Duo said in disgust. "Just because he never actually laid a hand on you until a few days ago, doesn't mean you were better off than I was."

"But--"

"But nothing!" Duo said fiercely. "At least Yomi only ever hurt me physically. And the pain never really lasted very long--my elven blood made sure of that."

Kurama did not look convinced.

Duo sighed. "Kurama, I'm not saying that my life hasn't been pure hell since I came to the palace. I'd be lying if I said that, and you know I don't lie. But--" his eyes caught and held Kurama's own. "I've always had someone to look out for me. First there was Okaasan. Then, you. I could ignore what the king or the other members of the court said about me, because I always knew that I had someone who cared." Duo shook his head wearily. "But you were always alone, weren't you Kurama? Before the king forced me and Okaasan to come to the palace, you never had anyone you were close to."

<And Yomi, that bastard, took advantage of that.> he silently added.

"I've seen how he treats you, you know," Duo said after a while. "He may not have hit you or anything, but he hurt you just the same."

"It's just--He's only--" Kurama turned away, biting his lip. "I've always been such a disappointment to Father you know. All my life, he's tried to make me into a more suitable heir for his throne, and I just--" Kurama's emerald eyes were haunted. "I never wanted to be crown prince," he whispered. "Maybe that's why he..."

Duo silently cursed Yomi, and Kurama's damnable nobility, to the seven hells. Guilt over the circumstances of both their lives was something Kurama did not need.

"Just let it go, Kurama. I've never blamed you for what the king did to me." He gave his cousin a piercing look. "And you weren't to blame for what he did to you, either. It was his decision, Kurama. His choice, not yours."

A long, silent moment passed.

"Thank you, Duo," Kurama said finally. "You don't know how much I needed to hear that." He straightened his shoulders in determination. "I'm still not letting you come with me though."

"Kurama," Duo argued fiercely. "I can't let you go to Raizen by yourself!"

Kurama forced a brave smile to his lips. "I'll be all right."

"In the realm of our kingdom's worst enemy?" he asked scornfully. "I don't think so."

"He can't be that bad."

"Don't lie to me, Kurama. I saw your face when you thought I'd gone to him for help." Duo's eyes bored into the crown prince's. "He frightens you."

Kurama shook his head wordlessly.

"Don't try to hide it. I've heard the stories too, you know."

Kurama's lips quirked up in a tired grin. "If you'll remember, it was Father who told those stories to us. He might have been just a bit biased, wouldn't you say?" Kurama sighed. "Besides, I don't see that I have a much of a choice. He's the only one with enough power to help me."

"Then let me come with you!" Duo begged, swimming back to his cousin's side. "I don't want you going there alone."

"No, Duo." Kurama said firmly, pushing Duo towards land. "If anything goes wrong, I don't want the both of us getting into trouble."

"Demo, Kurama--" Duo gasped as his body made contact with the river's edge and reacted in the usual fashion. "What if he decides to hold you hostage?" he continued when he'd regained his breath. "The crown prince of Gandara would be a very valuable prize, especially considering the fact that the king will want you back rather badly."

"Well, then, if anything like that happens, you'll just have to come and rescue me, ne?" Kurama said lightly, masking his own trepidation.

"Kurama, I never escaped to land because I didn't want to leave you behind." Violet eyes pleaded with him to reconsider. "Please don't make me do this now."

<I don't want to be alone.>

Kurama's eyes softened, reacting to that unspoken plea. "I won't be gone long, Duo. If he doesn't want to help me, then I'll come straight back, all right?" He began to move away from the riverbank and the pale, naked boy beside it. "Wish me luck."

"Kurama--!"

"Be safe, Duo." With those words, the redhead turned and disappeared under the water.

Duo stared at the ripples marking his cousin's passage, shoulders drooping as he watched his only friend in the world go off to face his demons alone.

<Kurama no baka!>

He pushed himself out of the water, then kicked at an unoffending stone. Though he could understand the redhead's reasons for leaving him behind, he didn't have to like it.

<His lower lip jutted out in a sulky pout.

<K'so, you'd better take care of yourself, you idiot!>

Muttering a few more choice curses under his breath, the long-haired boy turned around and entered the woods. He'd need food and shelter if he was going to be staying here long.

<Get back here soon, Kurama.> He cast one last long look at the quiet river. <I'll be waiting for you.>

Lively blue eyes peered through the curtain of leaves, staring curiously down at the queer creature below. It appeared to be garbed completely in wet, dripping hair of all things.

How dreadfully peculiar.

<What do you think it is, Trowa? Some kind of monster maybe?>

<.....> was Trowa's answer, but then again, Trowa never really said very much.

<It looks kinda lonely down there. Maybe we ought to talk to it.>

<....>

<Oh, I'm sure it's not dangerous, Trowa. It doesn't feel evil or anything.>

<...?>

<Yes, I think I'll invite it over for some tea. The poor thing looks like it hasn't had a decent meal in years.>

<.....?....>

<Uh-huh, I do believe we have some extra berries and such. That nice chipmunk also left us some acorns, if I remember correctly.>

<...>

<Why, thank you, Trowa. I think it's a rather good idea myself. We really ought to be more friendly with our neighbors.>

"Hello!"

Duo shrieked, nearly jumping out of his skin as he came nose to nose with a cheerful blonde wood nymph.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry." The slender creature righted itself from where it had been hanging, upside-down, among the branches of the tree in front of the half-elf. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Duo managed to calm his racing heart and smiled back weakly. "That's all right. I guess I wasn't paying too much attention to where I was going." His smile faltered as he noticed the other boy's intent perusal of him. "What?" he asked, shifting uncomfortably.

The nymph leaned closer. "Why, you're an elf!" he exclaimed.

"Huh?" Duo cocked his head to one side.

The smaller boy gave him an abashed grin. "Trowa and I thought you were a mon--Um, never mind." he coughed, blushing a furious pink. Apparently deciding to change the subject, the boy shook his head and peered at him curiously. "If you don't mind my asking," he said. "how come you aren't wearing any clothes?"

Duo blinked. "Clothes?" he asked, managing to look adorably clueless.

"Oh, my!" The little blonde gave him a pitying look. <Ara, what a deprived life he must lead.>

<...> Trowa agreed.

Duo noticed the look and sweatdropped. Kami-sama knew what the other boy was thinking. Opting to divert the nymph's attention from whatever it was he was contemplating, Duo cleared his throat. "Anou...why don't we start over? I'm Duo." He eyed the nymph expectantly. "What's your name?"

"Ara! Where are my manners?" The blonde looked flustered, and once again turned pink. "Boku wa Quatre. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!"

Duo looked around. "Where's your friend--Trowa, wasn't it?"

"Trowa?" Quatre smiled. "Trowa's right here." He patted the tree affectionately.

Duo stared at him.

"He doesn't really say very much, but Trowa's very nice." He beamed. "Ne, Trowa?"

<....>

Duo looked from the nymph, to the tree, and back. "It-He can talk?"

"Mochiron!" Quatre nodded. "We talk together all the time."

Duo sweatdropped again. He'd heard of nymphs being close to their trees and all, but this was ridiculous.

"Trowa and I would like you to join us for some tea." Quatre added. "Can you come?" He gave him an expectant look.

"Sure, why not?" Duo shrugged. He had nothing better to do anyway.

"Yatta!" Quatre clapped his hands excitedly. "Let's go," he said, grabbing Duo's hand and pulling him into the tree. "Oh, and we really need to find you something else to wear. Your hair is nice and all, but still ..."

"What did you say?" Yomi asked in a dangerously low voice.

The burly guard gulped, eyes darting panicked looks at his fellows. "The prince has vanished, your majesty."

"And you let him get away?" Yomi's eyes narrowed ominously. "I remember specifically ordering you to keep an eye on him."

"I-"

"You!" Yomi gestured imperiously at a stone-faced warrior. "Throw that piece of offal in the dungeon. You can feed him to the kraken when it returns." The guard was summarily dragged from the room, wailing for mercy. The black-haired monarch coldly ignored him, turning back to the rest of the nervously sweating guards.

"Find him." He gave everyone present an icy glare. "None of you are to return until you find out where my son has gone."

His hands clenched over the arms of his throne. "Do not fail me. Now go!"

The guards quickly filed out of the room, nearly tangling each other up in their haste to get away from the king's presence. Yomi slowly forced himself to relax, fingers releasing their hold on the throne.

"You cannot escape from me, Kurama." he whispered, his voice echoing sibilantly in the now-deserted room.

He drew his whip, and lovingly stroked its deadly coils.

"You will be mine...as you were always meant to be."

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