a/n: And here it is! Megumi's love story, for all of my Exchange fans... As always, don't forget to drop me a review on your way out!

Disclaimer: Me, own something? Ha!

Shatter Me
Prologue: Security

Megumi walked down the dark halls checking everything over and over. It was all perfect. Well almost perfect. Aoshi and Misao had yet to arrive and Kaoru was ready to fall asleep.

She chuckled and went into the main room where a fire was blazing. Kaoru yawned when she came in.

"When are they gonna get here? I mean, who's late for their own engagement party?" Kaoru whined.

"You don't sound like a leader now," Megumi chided. "You sound like a child."

She stuck her tongue out. "Maybe, but I'm tired. I had to take care of that security breach last night," she pointed out.

Megumi pursed her lips. "How did that go?"

"We still have no idea what the hell happened." She sighed. "Not even Aoshi. It looks like a mortal got through the barriers, but we can't find anything to indicate that it actually was."

Megumi frowned. "Do you remember what happened the last time something like this happened?"

Kaoru pinned her with a look. "We lost half our population."

Megumi was about to respond when they both heard the door open and close followed by voices.

"They're here," Kaoru said, getting up to greet them.

"Kaoru!"

"Misao, what's wrong?" she asked as the smaller woman bounced into the room worriedly.

"Aoshi needs you by the gate! They found a human…"

Kaoru groaned. "Not again!"

"I'm sorry, I know you were out late last night and-"

"It doesn't matter. I have duties to attend to then," she said, moving towards the door. "Be safe, both of you."

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Kaoru sighed and looked at the gate. It was shattered. She rubbed her temples, trying to piece together exactly what kind of human could have ripped apart the barriers between this world and the next.

"Aoshi?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"I'd like to speak to that human now," she told him, walking across the debris littered ground.

"Of course." He nodded and lead her through the damage towards the cage they'd chosen to throw him in.

"Does he have a name?" she inquired.

"Hasn't talked yet," he responded, eyeing her. "Is Misao all right?"

"She's fine," Kaoru assured. "She's with Megumi. You can go to her now. You're dismissed."

He bowed and disappeared. He didn't need to be told twice where his woman was involved.

Kaoru turned to the human. He had brown hair and brown eyes. She rose a brow. There were bandages around his hands; a fist fighter. She let her eyes do the beginning of the talk. She lowered herself down to eye level and just stared at him for a moment.

"Hi," she finally greeted.

He grunted.

"You got a name?" she demanded, holding onto the cage. "If you don't I might find it easier to kill you slowly after torturing you extensively."

He spit at the ground before muttering something.

"I'm a little hard of hearing it would seem. Mind running that one by me again?"

"Sagara," he told her, lowering his eyes.

"Ah. Sagara-san. I welcome you to my realm," she said, gesturing around her. "Is it what you expected? You seemed terribly impatient to get here, after all."

He sighed. "It wasn't me."

"It never is," she told him, smiling. "Is it?"

"Look-"

"No. Don't take that tone with me, unless you have a death wish."

He nodded his assent.

"Good. Now, Sagara-san, if you are not the one who tripped our security, then who did?"

He cursed. She smiled. "Gonna tell me?"

"Battousai."

Her eyes narrowed. His name was not unknown in this world. "Of course. It is always him."

"Are you gonna let me out?"

"I'll have to think about that one."

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Kaoru sighed and sank into her bath. It simply wasn't fair. Battousai was sneaking into the their realm as if there was no barrier to stop him. No wards. It didn't make sense.

Sagara hadn't given her any more information and she was planning on questioning him further before Battousai thought his friend was worth saving. If he was worth saving.

Aoshi and she agreed that something had to be done about him. The Battousai was not someone that she ever wanted to deal with personally. He usually managed to slip in and out without anyone noticing and it was grating on her nerves.

She would deal with him, but only if she had to.

In the mean time she had a captive to deal with. He had to be dying slowly anyway. Tomorrow she would send Megumi up to him in order to check out his physical health and give him something edible.

She thought about sending Tomoe with her, but that girl was always off doing something 'more important' now a days. She would probably have Tae go with her instead. Some of Tae's cooking would do the man some good anyway.

She scowled at her nature. She was not supposed to care about humans rotting away in her realm. She just wasn't. She was far too compassionate for her own good, Shishio would tell her.

"I know," she sighed out, "I know."

Shishio had been a good leader and the ruler before her. She had seen him ruined by a woman though. A human woman at that. A human woman who cared nothing for him.

She would never make the same mistake.

But for now, she would let Megumi and Tae take care of the prisoner's needs while she simply questioned him.

a/n: revieeeeeeew...