Disclaimer: I don't own any of Asano Atsuko's characters.(nor Shakespeare's) ^^

Prologue

'All the world's a scene.' Retorted Nezumi with an overdramatic movement of his right hand. He stood stoical, thoughtful, overwhelming.

'And all the men and women merely players' Came into light one outcasting voice sustained by unnatural eyes that demanded more than the given show of words.

'And one man in his time plays, indeed, many parts' Nezumi turned violently so he could face the other man. They looked fiercely at each other, as if in blame, ready to jump at each other throats. But their hatred did not come into blossom from the same bud.

'And how many would that be?'

'Seven ages. At first the infant, mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.' Before Nezumi a flash of light was stirring the scene.

'And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel. And shining morning face, creeping like snail. Unwillingly to school.' Nezumi saw flashbacks of a young petite boy being called soundlessly by his name. A beautiful mother, young, smiling, with her pair of grey eyes reflected in her son's.

Nezumi's contracted face softened into a sad smile.

'And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress' eyebrow. '

The flashes vanished in the air and Shion's face stirred a weak forgotten feeling from his miserable soul. The shallow glares from a few moments ago become now scrutinizing. He imagined Shion's smile, then his childish way of handling things, the moments of tension and pain; he started to sing unconsciously in his head. Nezumi always thought one of the reason life was borish was that there was never background music to sustain the moments.

'Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation.'

Nezumi thought of his past, of the people from his past and their senseless battle over power of controlling the human kind by abiding them to unnatural rules, it was sad, but sadder was the fact that the humans accepted it through out. A puppeteer would be a no-one without his puppets, after all. He thought of all that while Shion was telling his lines.

'And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lined, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances.' Nezumi continued, thinking of the truth behind those words, an empty truth indeed.

'And so he plays his part.' Shion finished sorely.

Nezumi shot back with a inquiringly glare. ' But there are more till the sevens meet up.' He turned around, now facing the empty seats, as if in denial of Shion's atrocious presence. He continued his lines dramatically. "The sixth age shifts into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side, His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide, For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes and whistles in his sound.'

'Oh, and there is the end. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, is second childishness and mere oblivion.' Shion retorted in deep voice that demanded answer, but more than that an awful moment of granted attention.

Nezumi turned, facing Shion yet again.

'Sans teeth' and his words began to crumble. His incisors and canines were unfailingly hitting the floor, even his molars were giving up. Nezumi looked puzzled, not yet horrified, but puzzled.

'Sans eyes' Shion was crying blood, oozing crimson red was stumbling down his eerie face. His eyes popped out. He looked grotesque. Nezumi trembled in fear. He regarded the actor until now, but all it was about was actually Shion.

'Sans taste' Shion's tongue become suddenly numb. Nezumi screamed in fear along with Shion disappearance as a human being.

His word was law. Nezumi understood.

'Sans everything.' And as he began his life, he ended it, turning into mere dust blown by the restless wind. The words were whispers, simple matters of fact.

"Shion!"

3.35 A.M.

Nezumi glared at the alarm's clock, tears and sweat coming down his cheeks. He gazed lost and endlessly across the room, thinking. Remembering Shion after those years... he couldn't comprehend his own mind. Feeling his eyes becoming more wet he blinked, then ravished his hair with both hands.

'Damn it.'