Hey thanks all who have reviewed! I'm putting this at the beginning so I don't forget. Sorry updates have been slow, but I'm a bum. Plain and simple for ya, but I've got the rest of the story mapped out (just not written) so it'll be good!

Just asking here… has anyone found a way to fix the updater thing? Mine won't work… :P

"Where am I?"

It'd been well after morning when the red-headed captive finally awoke, though there was no change in the castle's dreary lighting.

The wind-witch was almost relieved when she saw the girl start to sit up. It'd been a long, boring, and mostly silent night, punctuated only by the occasional toss and murmur of the dark hanyou's newest pawn.

Kagura knew she didn't really need sleep, being the demon she was, but she still had to stifle a yawn as the red-head fixed dark, glaring cerulean eyes in her direction.

"Where am I?" The captive girl repeated more forcefully. Kagura viewed her with half-lidded eyes, if she didn't give an answer this girl would probly make some kind of commotion, then Naraku would she was awake and come here… The wind-witch sighed.

"Some dead castle in some dead forest." Kagura sighed again and stretched her arms above her when that didn't seem to satisfy the red-head, a hard thing to do in her stiff kimono. The red-head watched her with a distrustful glare, which Kagura was pretty used to already, before noticing Kanna.

The void child didn't even react when she scooted a few inches back in surprise.

"Whatsa' kid doin' in here?" She scowled "An' where's that Naraku bastard?"

"Probly here or maybe not, why should I know?" Kagura recrossed her legs and propped an arm upon them before resting her chin in her hand. The martial artist in turn looked surprised at the lack of anger or defense for her master coming from Kagura and then scowled again as the lack of useful information set in. Then her anger seemed to melt away and she slumped against the wall. The wind-witch was actually stunned for a moment, and kind of disappointed, she'd expected at least some kind of resistance or escape attempt.

"Oi, what're your names?" The red-head had fixed her gaze onto Kagura once again, but there was a noticeable glint of curiosity in it this time.

"Kagura." Kagura actually surprised herself; this was the longest conversation she'd ever had that wasn't entirely unpleasant. She was even about to answer for the other incarnation, since the red-head had turned to the albino girl after Kagura's answer, when another surprise came.

"Kanna."

It was only the tiniest whisper but they both still heard it. The wind-witch could barely stop herself from gaping in awe. That was the first time she'd ever heard Kanna talk to someone other than Naraku or herself.

"M' name's Ranma." The red-head half-smiled for a moment at both of them. Kagura just stared back. Didn't this girl know that they were keeping her prisoner? "I'm the greatest martial artist ever!"

Ranma smirked confidently for a moment, before her expression turned to confusion. Kagura heard her mumble, "Why did I say that," under her breath.

'Maybe she's insane…' Kagura watched as the girls expression once again dampened in remembrance of some depressing fact. It was all silent for awhile once again, until Ranma started squirming again.

"So're you guys some a' those demon things? A'cause ya don't look like some a' the ones I've seen." Kagura almost snorted at the red-heads blunt nature, but took it in stride. She was actually starting to enjoy conversing with this girl. Insane or not, she was unlike anyone the demon had ever known.

"I am the wind." Kagura pulled out her fan and displayed it with her usual flourish, causing Ranma to watch the little puffs of dust it stirred up dance across the floor happily.

"That's so cool! How'd ya do that? Did ya get cursed like Ryo-…?" Ranma broke off in mid-sentence and shook herself. "Ah… never mind. What about you?" To Kanna this time.

"The void." Kanna whispered without expression. Ranma looked confused for a moment, but seemed to realize there was no other way to explain it.

"Isn't that sweet?" Two occupants in the room flinched, while the third only tightened her grip on the circular mirror she held. Ranma looked around and tried to locate the dark hanyou, he didn't even seem to be in the room, but his voice rang out clearly.

"Thank you for keeping our guest happy whilst I was away, Kagura." The wind-witch's only response was to close her fan and harden her expression.

Ranma scowled then stiffened as her expression turned to shock, and Naraku inserted a shard of the Shikon jewel, tainted black, strait into her neck. Almost instantly, as the wound closed over and sealed over the dark fragment, all emotion faded from her expressive eyes and was replaced by an obedient, deadening that looked out of place, wrong, on the girl's young face… Kagura turned away and got to her feet.

"Will that be all?"

"Yes, you've done well, Kagura." She repressed a growl and left the girl to her fate, Kanna at her side. It wasn't really their business anyway, or so Kagura told herself.

XXXXXXXX

Ryoga wandered for a full day before he managed to find the group, and almost walked right past their camp site. Kagome lightly grabbing onto his arm, with the worry fading from her expression, stopped his trance. She smiled up at him.

The rest of their looks of surprise and relief, then confusion as no spirited red-head arrived as well, made him feel sick inside.

"Did Ranma-chan find you Ryoga-kun?" Kagome's face was so open, it made him feel worse. He briefly considered lying, saying that no, Ranma hadn't found him. But, he couldn't do that, better they know it from him. Know what he'd done.

Ryoga knew it was all his fault. Everything.

The light that took them from their home, Ranma's pain, her capture… Now that he thought about it, his curse was probly his fault too. It was almost ironic, all those years wasted…

The group around him was just seeming to notice his emotions.

"Hey, you okay?" Shippo's childish voice asked what they all wanted to know.

"Ranma's not coming." Ryoga said by way of answer, and then fell silent.

"Oi, whatcha' mean by that?" Inuyasha was never the patient type, Ryoga swallowed hard. Would Akane-san ever forgive him if she knew? It didn't really seem to matter as much as it should, but everything had been surreal ever since that one time when he first saw a red-head tilted in confusion over his own.

"Naraku's got her, it's my fault." Kagome let go of his arm, as they all showed signs of shock, then understanding. Miroku patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm sure you did all you could for our young friend, but Naraku is powerful. We'll get her back from him." He offered a small smile. "Somehow." The rest nodded in agreement.

Their assurances, faith in him, made Ryoga feel even worse, he needed them to know, hate him like he hated himself.

"Don't you see! I gave her up for lies! Ranma's gone and it's because of me!" Ryoga panted from his outburst, as a different kind of understanding began to dawn in their eyes. "He said I could go home, and I sold her out for it."

It seemed there was nothing to say. Inuyasha muttered a ruff Keh and began cleaning up camp. Putting out the fire was done in silence, and the remains of dinner was packed away in Kagome's bag. Sango assured him that it could happen to anybody, but he could see her and the monk trading glances as she boarded the fire cat once all traces were eradicated, Ryoga refused to ride as well. Kagome rode with Inuyasha and it was decided that they would head back to Keade's village to make a plan.

Nothing more was said about the lost red-head.

Well it was a bit longer, 1,353 words ^^'. If you think Ryoga is overdramatic… well I kinda do to. But he's always been an overdramatic kind of person, right? Hehe…