Chapter Three:Doors

"A very little key will open a very heavy door."

-Charles Dickens, Hunted Down

"NO…" Kagome's protest came after the gate she'd been pulled through had already closed. She stared at the wall that was left before her, and as disturbed as Byakuya's appearance had made her she'd prefer it to whatever this enemy had in store for her. She frowned, she knew that she had to be careful…it was the only reason she resisted the urge to slap her kidnapper…instead glancing to the blonde that had taken her but he wasn't looking at her – his mind was elsewhere.

"I must go…there is other business that requires my attention. Remain in these quarters." Haschwalth stated as he opened a door.

"No, no, no." Kagome shook her head immediately, not even looking around. You don't get to kidnap me and just wander off. What the hell do you want with me?"

"That is a question for his Majesty." Haschwalth replied in the same tone of voice. He was out the door a moment later and Kagome followed but found herself locked in. She kicked the door and yelled after him but she only earned silence in return for her effort.

Where had he brought her?

A look around showed she was in a humble but nice room. Bed, desk, bookshelf, dresser, connecting bathroom…a balcony overlooking a dark city. So it was night here? Where ever here was…the short glance did let her know there was no easy escape. She backed up and stared at the door, holding up her hands to focus on it, she might as well and try to 'repair' it. A moment later, as normal, the wood shattered on its frame…she was able to push herself free and dashed down one of the long hallways outside. Why did dead people always have such long hallways?

She slowed when she heard voices.

"We can still fight for your majesty!" The protest was threaded with fear and Kagome swallowed as she edged closer…not wanting to be seen.

"Be grateful for your luck…" It was the voice of her kidnapper. "However, the scales of the fight must be fair. The life saved by your good luck…will be terminated by the same amount of misforturne."

They were killing their own?

"Wait…wait please…" The protest died on the man's lips. When the scene came into view Kagome was lucky she didn't gasp…one of them was already bleeding on the floor. The other was about to be hit but Haschwalth's sword stopped on the second prisoner's shoulder. The man was the same one Nyhil had been fighting…that had disappeared.

"Did you forget my power?" Cang asked. He sounded bitterly amused. "The Iron. It's Easy for me…to stop a blade like yours. Cut me down if you're able. I won't be killed by anyone but his majesty!"

Kagome frowned…they didn't mind being killed? That seemed extreme…nearby was the leader…the one that had left when confronted by Sestran. He was just observing however…Kagome glanced between them…not certain what to do. The hairs on the back of her neck going up when Haschwalth started to speak again.

"I see. Wonderful. Your second bit of good luck. Can you see…" Haschwalth was as self-assured as Byakuya or Sesshomaru when he said it. She could make out a small shimmer of scales over him…the man about to be attacked suddenly looked afraid as well… "…the tilted scales."

"Sto…" Kagome's protest again didn't reach them in time…the man was already cut down the middle, and she'd brought attention to herself…but she didn't want to see that…why were they executing their own.

"The priestess," The leader speaking made her just as nervous as Haschwalth's merciless attack…Kagome didn't really understand his power but she knew she didn't want to be subject to that.

"I apologize your majesty. I will do a better job of holding her in the future." Haschwalth remarked, walking back toward Kagome calmly, as though he hadn't just murdered two of his own soldiers. Kagome turned and ran back down the hall, she shouldn't have brought attention to herself. She made it through a few doors before nearly dashing right into the blonde man that had taken her, she barely came up short of running into him and looked up at him nervously.

"Hey what's that?" Kagome asked, pointing behind Haschwalth but he didn't buy into her 'oldest trick in the book'.

"This will not…"

Haschwalth's calm demeanor broke as he realized she was casting her spell at him, throwing up an arm and stepping back as his arm broke out in wounds. He glanced up in confusion, that chant had been one for healing, but she had already run by him.

"…aid your cause."

He appeared next to her again, holding down both her arms this time.

"Let go of me…" Kagome struggled but couldn't get herself free this time…frowning as she felt the warm sticky liquid transferred from his arm to hers.

"If you escape my care, the others are under orders to kill you. They will show no more hesitation than you've seen me give." Haschwalth replied, his remark enough to make her pause in her struggles. He had to give the girl she had more to her than he expected.

"What do you want from me?" Kagome asked after her moment of deflating, looking directly into his eyes, determined not to balk. He reminded her slightly of Sestran, the golden hair was much lighter – almost a pastel yellow compared to the King's, but he had the same aura of authority. Still, she'd been ignoring it from Sestran for so long that it made it easier to push it aside now. He seemed slightly surprised as he stared back at her.

"His Majesty wished to separate you. You are not our enemy, the priests are distantly related to the Quincy after all…and there are few of them that remain." Haschwalth answered, taking a step back as the girl stared at him intently, now that she didn't seem as if she would run again. "As long as you remain my ward and in the areas I open to you then no harm will come to you."

Kagome immediately started considering ways to escape but she was also afraid to try again…she could have been hurt just in this last rash decision. She'd attacked him after seeing how willing he was to murder someone else. It was irresponsible…not with her needing to be concerned about another life.

"If you will not return to the quarters willingly…"

"No, I will…" Kagome interrupted, she didn't need to hear where the threat would go. "…though I still don't understand why you are doing this. What did the soul reapers do to you?"

"Clarity will be shed on the subject, come."

In Soul Society…

Bazz-B had barely escaped Byakuya's wrath…and if he was more trained in his abilities then the Quincy wouldn't have. Instead he had fallen unconscious after pressing the Quincy out of his realm. The Shinigami had defended themselves for now but how long before the enemies would strike yet again? They hadn't waited long after the last skirmish after all. That all aside, they'd taken Kagome…and he had to hope that they wouldn't kill her. His nightmares when he was unconscious were difficult to remember in detail but he knew they involved her torment.

Nearby, in the makeshift doctor's camp that had been set up by what remained of squadron 4, he came to hearing people explaining the general situation. The voice of the man that had stepped in and helped them was asking questions or confirming theories.

"I've been gone for some time then…" Nyhil remarked, thoughtful as opposed to regretful. "Things certainly aren't looking up but I'll do what I can to help. What about the girl they took?"

"Kagome?" Hitsugaya asked. "She'll be fine, she always manages. Not sure what they want her for…but from what I can tell the problem they have is with soul reapers so I would think they wouldn't harm her."

"Such villainy, kidnapping a woman with child." Nyhil's voice was filled with distaste then. "Only those incapable of their own power would do such a thing."

"Child?" Byakuya forced his eyes open so he could ask. "Is that true?"

"Back into consciousness?" Nyhil asked, walking over and looking at Byakuya thoughtfully. This man was helping squadron 4 with the injured? At least he wasn't still in the tattered rags from before, now he wore a red and black haori over a fresh squadron uniform. "You took a lot of burn damage…I'm surprised at how much you've healed already. Quite strong to already be regaining consciousness."

"Kagome…you said she was with child." Byakuya returned to the point he was interested in.

"Yes. Yes, I could sense the differences in her body myself. Still an extremely early state but definitely pregnant." Nyhil replied. "I presume you are the other parent?"

Byakuya's ability to fight off his wariness came to a close…he was shocked but happy…he would be a father then? He'd never expected this news…and without rest and training he wouldn't be able to get her back from them. It was shameful that he'd fallen at all…but he would fix it…all of it…he would win back her trust fully after what had happened…and he would take care of them both…

His final thoughts as he passed into unconsciousness is that he would have a family again.

Silbern (Quincy Land) –

"So…many years ago this guy was lonely and afraid and he is all soul power…or whatever, so then when people realized they got things from him they named him god and he went along." Kagome was putting the story into her own words, not noticing the slight twitching of the blondes eyebrow at her choice of words. "Then he started using his powers to conquer people and got sealed away and now he will take over the world or something in…seven or eight more days. And…you just are going along with this? Doesn't it seem a little cultish?"

"His majesty's will is absolute." Haschwalth answered.

"…is exactly what an obsessed cultist would say." Kagome thought in irritation but kept to herself, instead trying a different tactic now that strange storytelling time was over. "Why do you hate the soul reapers so much?"

"They are imperfect. He will take power from the current ruler and remake the world without them." Haschwalth continued to reply calmly. He'd only left a moment before explaining the story to her to heal his arm. Kagome wasn't sure what to think of all of this. They wanted her to just sit on the sidelines? She wasn't too happy about that…besides, if she was suddenly not useful or a threat they could just kill her.

A whisper in her mind made her blink in surprise. There was no mistaking that Sestran had sent her a small message. What the hell was he playing at? Staring at the blonde near her it was clear he hadn't heard it or felt anything amiss. Though he did cant his head at her as though curious what had disturbed her all of a sudden.

"It's been a long day…I promise I'll stay here and behave if you'll come back after I've rested to check in on me." Kagome explained.

"I will have a member of the sternritter…"

"No, not them…you." Kagome insisted. "I'm already uncomfortable here and you're the only one I've talked to. I'd rather not have random strangers, well more strange than you, checking in on me."

She hoped he would buy her excuse. His somewhat skeptical expression told her he already knew that she was probably up to something. However, he didn't call her on it or press her as to what it was that had bothered her.

"This is an acceptable compromise; I will return with food come morning." He said after a moment of considering her then left the room.

Kagome closed her eyes and put hands over her face, replaying what Sestran had just told her she should do, what was the King up to now?

"Convince him to kiss you…"

End Chapter

I promise there are plot reasons that will come in, unless readers that have followed this series the entire time can already guess. Man, I missed working on this series. Sadly I can't get too far into this part (not that I won't have a few chapters yet) until more of the actual manga is released…kubo is so slow… : (

-Aura