Kaga and the beast

Kal Kally

Disclaimer: HnG is not mine. Kaga is not mine. Akira is not mine. Hikaru is not mine.

Summary: Ogata had to give one of his children to the hideous beast as compensation for the mistake that he made. Would the chosen child have the strength to bear the beast's cruelty and capture his heart?

Warning: AU, Yaoi

A/N: Please review…

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Prologue: Of dark legends and moonless nights

Once upon a time, there was a town north of a large forest. The path through the forest played a great role in the life of the town people, as it served as the only connection between the town and the southern lands.

Even as important as it was, the road became the fear of almost everyone in the town. No one dared to enter the forest alone and whenever the town's merchants had to use that trade road; they often hired mercenaries to protect them and their goods from beasts and bandits.

However, the main reason for this fear didn't come from the various dangers that one could encounter along the road. It was born from a rumor. No one knew where the rumor started, but it had been carried on from generations to generations. As time passed, it had become a legend, and before people realized it, the legend had become a part of their life.

Abandoned by Gods, the forest contained only hideous monsters, beasts and people that had been outcast by the society. Lying hidden behind shadows were only danger and death. This is no place for the weak, the innocent or cowards. This is the place to test the strength of the brave, and a true challenge to the strong will.'

This passage was found in an old book in the library of the town's most respected scholar. However, right under it, there were some more words...

'Without the moon's protection in moonless nights, lonely travelers, heroes or cowards alike, would soon find themselves stop before an ancient castle. Their fates had been sealed; for they had stepped into the territory of a hideous beast whose cruelty exceeded that of any other being of its kind. Few who managed to escape and survive either lost their sanity or shared the curse with the beast. The unlucky souls would never rest and had to roam the earth forever.'

This dark legend had carved into the minds of the town's people so deep that they feared even cloudy nights. But even with it, the town was peaceful.

Or used to be peaceful.

All changed when a family moved into the town. No one knew much about that family, but soon, it would be hard to find anyone that didn't know about them.

The head of the family was Ogata, a merchant. He was a good father of three sons, but whether he was a good husband or not, no one knew. When asked, he just said. "I have more things in mind than wasting time on girlfriends." To the town's people, he's a fool, for he was the only one who dared to enter the forest alone at night.

Ogata loved his children very much. He couldn't wait for the time that he could get rid of them, but unfortunately, fate didn't smile on him.

The oldest daughter, Sai, was a widow. She was well known for her long, silky dark hair. Her hair was so beautiful that it would make even a Goddess jealous. Many people of both genders adored her, but few dared to ask her out for a date. Her mood was known to be swing too frantically. One minute, she could be as cute as a little puppy, in the next; she could throw into your face a whole moral speech. It seemed because of this, her previous husband, Torajiro, was haunted to death.

The second daughter was Kaga Tetsuo, whom no guys dared to come near, and whom girls drooled over. She was the cause of every fight, not as the prize, but as the attacker. She could be seen anytime at the pubs. She knew how to enjoy life at its fullest. Everyone knew her, as she was the magnet of scandals.

The last daughter was Akira Touya, a calm and soft girl. On her lips was always the most charming smile. She was polite and sweet. She had everything that a man could ever want in his life partner. But she was also the one who was feared most in the three sisters. Every one knew that at night, she became a merciless and determined pro who had crushed so many people and caused so much tear to be shed in defeat.

Ogata was sick of his daughters, nope, was very proud of his daughters. One day, he had to go on a business trip that might cost him several months away from home. He called his daughters and asked them about the presents they would like to receive when he came back.

"A goban." Sai said.

"A goban." Akira said.

"Sake. Cigarettes." Kaga breathed out a chain of smoke.

"Well." Ogata answered. "A goban would be easy to find. But sake and cigarettes would be difficult. The place where I was going to didn't sell them. A clean, boring place."

"You'd better managed it, geezer." Kaga sneered, waving his fan. "Or else I'll raid your room. You stuff your wine and cigarettes there, right?"

Ogata sweatdropped. He wasn't afraid of the kid's threat. Kaga did what he said everyday anyway. But after all, the kid was his son, nope, his daughter. So he nodded. "I'll try, but I can't promise anything."

The merchant said goodbye to his daughters and took off. As usual, his business trip was good. Everything was perfect. He got a great profit from his deals. However, nothing good stayed long; his return was on a moonless night.

Regardless of all advices and warnings, Ogata bravely decided to go alone. He took off early in the morning, determined to reach his town in the evening. He wasn't afraid of the beast, but he did prefer the soft mattress to the cold, hard ground.

Little did he know his decision had change the life of his children, and of the whole town as well.

The legend was about to finish, and where it ended, a new story would begin.

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TBC…