Alternate Happenings
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN! If I did do you really think I'd settle for fan fiction?
Chapter 1: Found
Location: Beach side of Rainbow Forest Time: Dawn
Karoku was in a contemplative mood. The Niji he adopted was a human boy now. The process had saved Nai's life but he had never raised a child before. What was he supposed to do with a four year old? What if he made a mistake? What if they were attacked? What if "oof!" Karoku pried his face from the sand and glanced at what had tripped him. It was a boy of no more than eight years old.
He rushed over and paced his fingers on the boys' neck. He sighed in relief. There was a pulse though faint. Karoku sat back on his heels and took a look at the boy. He noticed a jagged purple scar on the boys left shoulder. It kind of looked like iris petal. "Vargus taint. Forced by the look of it." Karoku mused. "You're lucky you have not mutated, though you did not come away unscathed. Well anyway I need to get you dried and feed." He told the unconscious boy. The seventeen year old picked up the boy and noticed how light he was." Definitely feeding you." He muttered as he made his way back to the cave house he shared with Nai.
Location: Karoku and Nais' Place Time: Next Day Noon.
"Karoku nii is he going to wake up today?" A little white haired boy asked his caretaker. Karoku smiled as he looked up from the pot of soup he was stirring. "He might. He has been restless since this morning." Nai bounced on his heels. "Are you going to name him like you named me?" The teen laughed. "He probably already has a name."
"Hey he's waking up!" Nai shouted running over to the bed nearly tackling the now conscious boy. "Easy Nai he is still injured." Karoku addressed the boy. "How are you feeling? Do you remember what happened?"
The boy answered in a monotone. I am fine. The ship was destroyed." He turned his head to the window. "All right the quiet type I see. Well soup is done so we will have lunch together. After that we will talk more about what happened and why you are infected by Vargus taint."
The boys head shot in his direction. "How" He demanded. Karoku tapped the boys' left shoulder. "I recognized the color of that scar. Mind telling me how it happened." The boy remained silent. "All right how about your name." The boy simply stared at him. "Fine if you won't tell me your name I'll have to give you one. How about Naruto. No, no that is a ramen topping. That does not suit you at all. What about Ichigo? No not that one either. Hum. I know" Karoku snapped his fingers. "You will be Gareki. Has a nice ring to it don't you think? Well time for lunch." He said ignoring Gareki's glare as he passed out the filled bowls.
Gareki hesitated then his stomach growled and he decided that the others would not drug themselves. So he started to eat for the first time in two weeks unaware that the two before him would become his most precious people.
Location: Shipwreck site. Time: Same morning Gareki was found
"Poor children. Sold into slavery by their, own parents. Experiments done to them without their knowing." A man with a top hat mused. In his hand was a ledge with information on the children and what effects the drugs were having on them. One in particular stood out. A young boy no more than eight with black hair and grey green eyes. He read the entry out loud.
Third day aboard ship.
"Subject 173 has shown no change. Though the other subjects refuse him food he still drinks the water. As the others start showing signs of insanity Subject 173 remains unaffected. Is it because of his previous encounter with the Vargus or something else? Regardless we will be increasing the dosage daily until we reach port. When we reach port we will start with injection on the survivors. I wonder how long that waif will last. He is very promising."
End Entry
After reading the entry the man scoffed in disgust. "What monsters to do such things to children." The man shook his head.
"Captain Hirato. Sir all but one body was confirmed dead." A researcher reported.
"Did one of them escape?" Hirato asked.
"Unknown Sir. Subject 173 is not among the wreckage." Hirato nodded dismissing the man. "173 did you survive or are you at the bottom of the sea? Though I have a feeling we will meet someday." He closed the ledger and returned to his ship.