A/N: I'm so happy that the people who reviewed the first chapter liked the idea so far! I apologize for not getting this out sooner. I started this counselor in training and watching 5/6 year olds really can take it outta ya. All this week I've been pretty busy and then, when I tried to post the chapter ff.net was being retarded and wouldn't upload the file -.- Anyways, here's the next chapter.

Loss of Innocence
Chapter 2- Our First Encounter


"So she's here...?" A woman with blood red eyes asked Kouga. She stood in front of his desk, glaring furiously.

Kouga simply nodded as he read over a document. "She will be staying here for a while... So I suggest you make her feel at home when, if at all, you talk to her. For remember... You, Kagura, are just as much of a guest here as she is." Pausing, he thought to himself, extremely amused, 'Yet Ayame is welcome... You are not, wench.'

Oh how he would have loved saying that. But he couldn't... Only because Kagura was the sister of the lord Naraku. A very... feared and disliked lord. Because of that fear, he, although not a prince, ruled like one. The only reason Kagura resided here was because Naraku had wanted the two to marry so he could claim Kouga's title and gain even more power. However, Kouga had interest in Ayame since the first time he laid eyes on her when they were only little children, and thus refused.

He smiled slightly at the memory. It had been a sunny day, he recalled. He was around the age of eight or nine, and decided to go against his parents wishes, exploring the village nearby. He had snuck off of the property while the guards weren't looking and was exploring the forest. Shortly after, he found his way to a calm stream. And that was where he first saw her...

She knelt, wearing a peasant child's attire of some dirt covered rags. She was the same age as Kouga, perhaps he a few months older than her. Yet... despite her attire, she held the look of pure innocence, as if she were an angel sent from the heavens. Though he was so young, he had known love existed, and while not in love with the girl at the moment, he was deeply intrigued by her every action.

He watched her that day, watched her spend the whole afternoon by the stream, putting her bare feet into the crisp, glistening water. He noted they way she giggled when a few fish brushed past her feet.

That afternoon had been etched into his mind forever...

"Kouga!"

"What do you want now!?" He snapped at the red-eyed woman, cranky for being interrupted from his memories. Perhaps he should go visit Ayame soon...

Kagura took a step back in shock, then scowled. "Forget it."

He rolled his eyes in pure annoyance. Snapping, he pointed to the door, "Then leave if you have nothing else to say. You're distracting me from my work."

"..." Kagura continued scowling as she stormed out of the room.

Ayame sat on her bed, wearily looking around the room for the thirteenth time that day. She was bored... it was safe to assume this. She had been cooped up in this room (which was now apparently her room) for so long... She had to get out– or at least go outside. It was already beginning to become evening once more... Her day was completely eventless.

So she decided to try and find her way around the place.

Quietly opening the door to her room, she snuck out and sprinted soundlessly down the hall. Turning a corner sharply, she slid to a halt and gaped at the view.

In front of her very eyes was the whole hall decorated with paintings, sculptures, and exotic artifacts... Extremely beautiful ones for that matter. The paintings and sculptures appeared to all be Kouga's relatives. The artifacts perhaps items his relatives must have made priceless over the years. The resemblance was uncanny. Long black hair... Tanned skin... Those blue eyes... And those cute pouty lip– What the hell was she thinking!?

Blushing somewhat, she noted all the paintings and sculptures were of grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts, and cousins; everyone probably important to the young prince.

Walking down the hall, she looked at each and every one, soon coming upon one of the prince himself. "That's Kouga...?"

The painting was one of the most artistically done of all the paintings and sculptures combined. He held a cute boyish grin. Those eyes appeared to have a devilish glint in them, his hair seeming to be made of silk. The smile that he had however, was what made the picture unique. He looked alive, yet it wasn't realistic enough. He must have been thinking about something very special to make him smile like that. It was as if he was given the whole world on a silver platter by how happy he looked.

"Watch it!!" Kagura snapped, shoving Ayame out of the way. She stumbled away from Kouga's picture and in front of the real one, who leaned against the doorway to his study, angrily watching Kagura.

Ayame, not noticing Kouga, regained her balance and stomped, yelling after the disappearing woman. "You watch it!! You're the one who bumped into me!!"

"Don't waste your breath, she won't hear you... The woman is too pissed off to listen to anyone at this point."

She looked back behind herself, and to her surprise saw Kouga with a bored expression. "...Who the hell is she!?"

"Kagura." He replied, finally looking towards her. "...I'm glad you finally decided to come out of your room. Funny thing is, I was planning on coming to get you if you didn't come out sooner or later."

"...Yeah well I wasn't in the mood to see you. And if I had come out of my room, chances are you would have found me... Just like right now."

"My dear Ayame... (He ignored the scowl that had caused) You shouldn't think of our encounters so horribly..." Kouga said with a frown. It disappeared in an instant as he happily asked her, "Would you like to go outside for a walk with me?"

Ayame paused for a moment, glancing into his study, "Don't you have important work to do...?"

"This is more important," He replied with a small smile. "Besides, I was only reading something. It can wait until later."

"But it's getting dark..."

"Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark..."

"No way!" Ayame yipped, glaring at him. She remained silent for a moment, weighing out her choices as Kouga watched her. Either go with him and prove she wasn't afraid of the dark, or stay cooped up inside for another night. Hell... it wasn't that hard to decide! "Fine!! Lead the way! But if you try to pull anything..."

"I wouldn't dream of touching you without your consent." He said snippishly.

"Sure... just like all the other innocent women I presume..." She uttered.

"Come again?"

"Nothing!"

Kouga eyed her wearily as they walked down the stone steps and off towards a small meadow. "You know... I still think you're different from all the other women I've met..."

"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?" She asked. The comment was put to the back of her mind as she gazed ahead. She gaped at the sight while running a few steps. "My god... It's amazing!!!"

Kouga walked next to her and shrugged nonchalantly. "I suppose it is... I always came here when I was a kid at night... to chase the fireflies that came out while my parents..." He paused. "Discussed things..."

Ayame looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then sighed. Touchy subject for him apparently... "You chased fireflies too, huh? That's what the kids in my village and I always used to do when we were bored... and our parents were busy wasting time. Though... in my case it was my uncle and grandfather who wasted time in idle banter." She nodded, taking a few more steps forward and cupping her hands together suddenly. "I had so much practice because we'd make contests out of it... Fireflies... and also frogs. Though... I was the only girl who would actually try to catch the frogs." She laughed at this and opened her hands, revealing a glowing firefly.

Kouga's eyes brightened as he watched the firefly lazily buzz away. "Not bad... Though I'm surprised you'd want to actually catch frogs– considering most girls don't like to even touch them."

"You said it yourself..." Ayame shrugged. "I'm not like other girls... But... The same can go for you too. I mean, you live in paradise... Everyone seems so loyal to you. And yeah... you do have a few sketchy looking people around– I won't point fingers... but still, everything else makes up for it definitely!"

Kouga scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "It's not that great... And I don't know if I should take what you said as a compliment..."

"You should," Ayame nodded. "Though..." She began, looking up towards the moon in the sky and shrugging. "I'll have to tell you tomorrow. If I don't get something to eat I think I'll die from hunger!!"

"Oh fine... leave me in suspense..."

"That's the whole idea," She nodded jogging off back towards the manor.

A/N: Chapter three is almost done, so expect an update soon. Next is a little bit of bonding between the two... So what did you think of the chapter? Good? Bad? Could have been better? Review and tell me whatcha think