friendship

I ate my food at the same pace I did every other day, but was interrupted by Naraku's sister, Kagura. She smiled towards me and I smiled back. Slowly, she continued into the room and sat in the chair that Naraku sat in every morning.

She spoke to me with a soft and quiet voice. "Good morning," she greeted me.

"Good morning to you too, Kagura." I replied. Her smile was gentle and seemed harmless to anyone. "How are you?" I asked concerned. Whipping her whole body, she turned to look at me and grinned happily.

"I am fine, thanks to you. Just yesterday Naraku told me to stop doing his chores and to go freely about the castle. I believe you are changing him," she exclaimed. I giggled slightly.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, but okay," I said confused.

"I mean, since he talked to you he has been acting differently. He doesn't hide away in his room all day thinking of ways to overthrow other castles and things like that. He actually walks around and thinks of normal, everyday stuff." She paused. "He's not as evil as he was before you came here." I looked at her wide-eyed and jaw opened. I was surprised at the information she was telling me.

"What do you mean evil?" I asked, thinking about past lords that had been so evil that they were dragged out of their own castles and killed by the people of the towns. I shuddered at my own thoughts. "Like plots to rule the world and kill everyone, evil?" She shook her head at me and hung her head low.

"Im afraid if I tell you, you will hate him forever, and never let him or me explain," she told me solemnly. I wondered what it could be that was so bad as to not tell me. I looked up at her and caught her eyes with mine.

"We're friends aren't we?" I asked seeing what her answer would be.

"F...frie...friends? You would consider me your friend?"

I nodded.

"I've never had a friend before," she admitted then smiled ear to ear.

"Well, friends tell friends everything that is wrong and right," I stopped for a second, "so, what is so wrong with Naraku?" She avoided eye contact and looked at everything else, except me.

"Naraku is a bad person. He may seem really nice, but he's not. He told your village to kill the warriors coming, so that your family would be slaughtered. Once that happened he could come to the rescue by helping you get better and reunite you with your family. He planned it so that he turns out to be the good guy in the end."

Now I was really confused. How would he be able to reunite me with my family if they were all dead? She obviously read the confusion on my face and told me something I never wanted to hear. "Naraku has your little brother locked in the basement. He doesn't remember anyone or anything. He plans to use him to get to you through your emotions." I was startled.

My heart skipped a beat and I felt as if I could never trust someone again. I handed her my tray as a signal to let me be on my own for a few minutes until I would be able to talk to someone. My heart felt like it was being crushed, but I had no idea why.