Yume Ja Nai Yo
Chapter 5
by Ashna

Well, another chapter the same day. Yeesh, and I really don't have anything better to do. Well, I could write my essay for my college application but... Naw, I'll just write this instead. Besides I've been waiting to write this chapter. The others were kinda hard because I had to constantly write about the same thing using many different words and that's about it. Oh well, I survived. And here's where you finally find out who Ken is! Or what he is.

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Ken slowly opened his eyes feeling very, very tired. It was well past noon and he was surprised he'd been allowed to sleep so late. Stranger still that he felt tired after sleeping so long. He sat up and the world gave a few spins and he fell back onto the pillows with a groan.

"Ken-sama are you awake?" A gentle voice said beyond the light draperies surrounding his bed.

A hand pulled back the material and Toji's gentle face appeared, a worried look on his face. His longish green bangs fell into his dark blue eyes as he sat on the edge of the bed. He frowned as Ken tried to sit up again. He put out a restraining hand and pushed Ken back into bed.

"No Ken-sama, you must stay a bed. You had a fever this morning and though it's broken you need to regain your energy." he said with a smile and curled his legs under him.

Ken didn't argue and smiled back at the person he considered his only friend despite the difference in their ages. He being 16 and Toji a mere 12.

"All right Toji, I wont move. I don't suppose I'm allowed breakfast though." Ken asked as he realized he was very hungry.

"One moment Ken-sama." Toji said before going off to find food.

Ken did try to sit up though. He wouldn't be able to eat lying down after all. He felt very groggy and looked around for some more pillows to prop himself up. Unfortunately, he always knocked the extra pillows to the floor before sleeping and they were beyond his reach.

Toji reentered the room carefully carrying a tray. He saw Ken sitting up and frowned setting the tray down on the table in the ajoining room. He came back in giving Ken a disapproving look.

"Ken-sama, I thought you said you'd be good and stay still." he said as he approached the bed.

"I just wanted to sit up." Ken answered sheepishly.

Toji smiled and grabbed several of the thick feather pillows resting on the ground and stuffed them behind Ken's back. Ken smiled his thanks as he settled back. He had no argument for resting. He still felt tired and weak so he didn't want to do anything. Toji returned with the tray and set it across Ken's legs so he could eat. Then with a smile of permission scrambled up onto the bed to sit beside Ken leaning against his side.

"Did you dream again?" Toji asked as Ken ate.

He was inhaling his food as if there was no tomorrow. At the smell of the eggs, sausage, biscuits and bowl of fruit his stomach complained loudly at how hungry it was. Strange since he'd eaten a light snack just before falling asleep.

"Yes." Ken answered shortly not sure if he really wanted to talk about it.

"The same one with the boy?" Toji asked stealing a biscuit from Ken's plate.

"Hey that's my breakfast and yes. Something different happened this time though." Ken hesitated before continuing.

Sure he'd told Toji about the dreams, keeping out a few things because of his age of course, but he'd never had a dream this frighteningly real before. He wasn't sure if he wanted to share that with his friend. Lucky for him Toji seemed to sense this and changed the subject.

"His majesty the heir is coming later to see you. Sometime this afternoon I believe before the formal court dinner." Toji said as he tried to steal some fruit and Ken whapped at his hand.

"Osamu? Was I really that sick or is it about something else?" Ken asked wondering why his brother would take time out of his very busy schedule to check in on him.

"I think his majesty is just visiting. Though you were very sick Ken-sama. The doctor wouldn't let anybody in the room. Not even me." Toji said securing a strawberry as Ken scowled at him.

"I wonder..."

Ken wasn't sure but he knew during the dream when he'd been trying to save Takeru he'd felt as if all his energy was going into keeping the other boy alive. Maybe, just maybe, the dream was more then just a dream. Maybe he had been keeping Takeru alive, maybe Takeru was real.

*But if he's real then he's dead... He just disappeared.*

"Wonder what Ken-sama?" Toji asked looking at him with dark cerulean eyes.

"Nothing." Ken answered pushing the thought aside.

He'd finished his meal, with Toji's help, and the smaller boy cleared away the tray and dishes, disappearing out the wide double doors leading out of his suite. Sighing, Ken leaned into the thick pillows grateful for the respite from lessons and duties and the pressures his father put on him to perform. A day away from the useless babble and posing of court life was worth any temporary pain to him.

He found himself drifting off as Toji reentered the suite and padded quietly over to the bed. He climbed over the blankets ad went to lie down on top but Ken let him in under the blankets. Toji cuddled up against Ken as he put an arm around around the smaller boy. He liked having Toji with him when he slept. It reminded him of the way he used to climb into Osamu's bed when he'd had a nightmare or bad dream. Before his duties as heir kept his brother away and before their father deemed them too old to be doing such childish things.

Plus when Toji was there he didn't dream. He had enough comfort from the tangled little bundle of warmth beside him than from some wishful dream lover.

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Later that day, he sat out on the balcony waiting for his brother to show up. He'd changed out of his comfortable night clothes, if silly ones, into the white, gold and royal purple uniform his father thought was proper for a prince. Ken hated it. But he wore it because he had to. There was nothing else to wear.

Footsteps sounded behind him and he turned slightly to see his brother approaching. Unlike him, Osamu wore his clothes with pride. His head held high, the golden circlet set with two sapphires and a large diamond nestled in among the spikes of his hair.

"Hello Onni-san." Ken said not bothering to get up, it had taken Toji being used as a crutch to get him out here in the first place.

"Hello Ken. Heard you were sick." Osamu said as he sat beside Ken in the arm chairs set out for such meetings.

Ken liked to be able to see the sky.

"Apparently, I do feel rather exhausted." Ken answered.

He knew soon the conversation would stop but not from awkwardness. He and his brother just simply did not talk about their lives. Each knew what the other's was like and didn't feel the need to bring that into their relationship. Instead they would simply sit out on Ken's balcony enjoying the silence and each other's company.

But all too soon Osamu sighed and stood up stretching. He smiled at Ken ruefully as he had to continue on with his duties as heir to the throne. Ken smiled back but without the happiness behind it. He wished he could be as content as Osamu with his place in the world but he wasn't.

Osamu caught upon this and did something he often did not do. He leaned forward and caught Ken up in a hug and he hugged back missing the contact before it stopped. Giving him a quick kiss on the forehead, Osamu grabbed Ken's own circlet set with sapphires and an amethyst, which he'd placed on a end table, and put it back on his head.

"Cheer up Kenny-boy and remember, I'm always here if you need me... Though it might take me a while to get back to you. I'm here." Then he turned and left.

Sighing, Ken took off the circlet and tossed it on the table again. He knew Toji would be back to send him to bed again for a while so with quite the effort he managed to pull himself to his feet. He walked slowly and unsteadily to the balcony's edge and leaned on the granite railing for support.

It was a beautiful day but Ken didn't really care. All he wanted was a way out of this life where the only two people who cared for him were Osamu and Toji.

*And with Osamu, duty and the kingdom come first. Gods, I wish I could just have a normal life. Or at least a life free to be with whomever I want. Love whoever I want. Father has been threatening an arranged marriage again. All I have is Toji and even he'll be taken away from me soon.*

He was distracted from his thoughts by a dark flurry of feathers landing on the railing. He looked over at the bird and was surprised when he saw what it was.

*A red-winged black bird? But they live far to the north of here, far past our borders. I've only heard of them being in the northern part of the neighboring country.*

(A/N I hate naming countries so it's just going to be That country or This country. Only taking about two so pphhttt.)

He reached out a tentative hand and the bird jumped tamely onto his finger. He brought it close and gently stroked its feathers. The instant he touch its feathers an image unbidden came to his mind. Takeru smiling and he spoke.

"Do you believe me now?"

Ken gasped in shock and was sure he was losing his mind.

"Ken-sama what's wrong?" Toji asked as he suddenly appeared on the balcony.

Ken held out the bird who still clung to his fingers. Toji took it looking confused then gasped in shock. The bird suddenly flew off leaving both boys surprised.

"Who was that?" Toji asked looking a little shaken.

In this kingdom magic was shunned and wasn't believed to exist. Being proved wrong was enough to shake anyone up. Ken shook his head trying to comprehend.

*Takeru is real. Takeru is real. Takeru IS real.*

"Ken-sama?" Toji asked again now looking concerned as Ken just clung to the railing with wide eyes.

"Takeru. It was Takeru." He whispered barely loud enough for Toji to hear.

"The boy from your dream?" Toji said looking surprised.

"Isn't it a good thing then? That he exists and you just aren't having strange dreams?"

"No. No it's not! The last time I dreamed him, he was dying."

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Poor Ken-chan all worried now! Heheheh. Two more chapters to go which I shall write... later. But it's not an end to this series!