Chapter Five-Enter Naraku
Kyoko watched the woman bind the young girl's hands silently. She hadn't moved since she first appeared. Her eyes were wide in horror at what she was seeing, and she felt really bad for the girl. As soon as it was clear, she ran all the way back to the den where her mother and father lived. "Mother! Father!"
Kouga looked up quickly at the urgent tone in his young daughter's voice. "Kyoko?"
Kyoko took that as sign that she could approach, and she waded through the rest of the wolf demon tribe to get to him. "Something really bad has happened." The girl told him.
"What is this thing?" Achika asked now, sitting up as well.
"A girl's been taken away, by force. The woman who took her wasn't very nice." Kyoko told them, eyes full of worry.
"A girl? There are hundreds of girls, Kyoko. What did she look like, Sweetheart?" Kouga asked, pulling her into his lap. He realized how frightened his daughter was, and he wanted to assure her that no one would be taking her anywhere.
Kyoko thought for a minute, the explained. "She kinda looked like me, but older. She had long black hair, and almost royal clothing. And Father, they were talking about Him!" Him was Inuyasha. That name was barely spoken in their den, but she was certain her father would know whom she meant.
She was right. Kouga's eyes narrowed. "What did they say, Kyoko?"
"I'm not sure…The woman said Inuyasha wouldn't be able to defeat her, but the girl seemed to think that Inuyasha and his brother would be able to."
Kouga thought for a minute. There was only one girl that he knew of that had loyalties to both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, and that Saraku. "Did this girl have a jewel or anything?"
"Yeah. She had a Shikon shard. But the woman took it right off of her neck!"
Achika looked at Kouga, worriedly. What would her mate do about this? It's obvious now that he knew who the girl was. "Kouga?"
"We have to inform Inuyasha." Kouga said suddenly. "I may not like him, but I know he'd want to know that Saraku is in trouble."
"Father, who was that woman?" Kyoko asked,laying her head against his bare chest.
"I'm not sure. What did she look like?"
"She had black hair too. She sort of reminded me of the demon slayer Sango that we met a few seasons back. But I don't think it was her."
"Kagura…"Kouga stood up fast now. "We don't have time to go for Inuyasha. Chances are, they think she can seek shards, like I thought before. Kagura is taking her to Naraku."
Achika shuddered. "That poor child!"
Kouga was gathering spears. "I'll have to take a few men with me, and go find this Kagura."
"No, Father!" Kyoko held on to him tightly. "Don't go!"
Achika picked her up, and held her. "Shh. Your father will do what he sees fit, Kyoko." The hanyou woman looked up at her mate. "You say you know this Saraku?"
Kouga nodded. "Yes. I, too, kidnapped her at one time. She was only seven at the time. I regretted it immensely afterwards. I made a promise to myself to look out for her, if she ever got lost."
Kyoko nodded. "That was good of you, Father."
"Of course, I didn't tell Inuyasha that. I rather like it that he thinks I'll hurt her." He smiled in amusement with himself, before calling a tribe meeting, and going to the front of the cave.
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"Stop fighting me, you brat!" Kagura hissed, as she tried force Saraku to walk faster in the dark of the night.
"You're hurting me!" Saraku yelped back, fearfully.
"Stop struggling, and it won't hurt so much." Kagura snapped. "Come. The place were my master dwells is near." He grabbed her wrist tightly, and dragged her on for a bit longer. At length, the woman pulled her tightly against her chest,an arm wrapped around her waist, completely immobilizing her. "You stay silent. This is the place you will be staying from now on."
Saraku stared with tear blinding vision at the darkened hut. She closed her eyes tightly, as her captor shoved her into the dark doorway.
"Master Naraku….I have brought you a gift. On your knees, you insolent child!" She knocked the girl to her knees in a swift motion.
"What good is a child to me, Kagura?" A voice in the dark asked.
"She carried a jewel shard, but I have taken it from her." Kagura replied.
"I see." Suddenly, Naraku became visible in the moonlight. He pulled Saraku to her feet, gently. "And what is your name, Girl?"
"S-saraku." She stammered, staring at the sorcerer. The name Naraku sounded very familiar. Yes, now she knew. This was the man Inuyasha and his group were trying to avoid, and defeat.
" Did you have to bind her so tightly, Kagura?" Naraku released the child from her bonds quickly, then looked at her better. "These clothes…they belong to a very rich youkai family. Where did you come by such finery?"
"L-lord Sesshoumaru is my father."
"Is that so…hmm…. You may be useful to me yet. Tell me, little one. Do you know who Inuyasha is?"
"Y-yes….He is my friend." She shuddered at the stare that Naraku was giving her now.
"I see…." Naraku said again. He seemed to be contemplating her fate now. "You will stay with me now. And if you try to run, I'll just kill you. My servant Kanna will be looking out for you now." As he made this announcement, the silent girl Kanna appeared. "Kanna, will you take this child to her room?" It was not a request.
Kanna silently led her farther into the darkened house. Saraku was terrified. What could Naraku possibly want with her? She wondered if anyone would think to look for her. Inuyasha didn't know she was coming, and Lord Sesshoumaru might've thought she was with his brother.
"Here." Kanna said, suddenly thrusting her into a dark cell.
"W-wait! Can't I have some light?"
Kanna merely turned and left her there, after locking the door.
This is scarier than when Kouga kidnapped me years before. I wonder what Naraku will have me do for him. I'm so scared, Lord Sesshoumaru. Maybe this is why you didn't want me to leave! I had to be so stupid an insist upon it. Now I may never see you again! As one horrible thought followed another, Saraku curled up against a stone wall in tears.
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Kouga allowed Kyoko and Achika to accompany him on part of the hunt for Saraku. Kyoko could point out where she had least seen Kagura, and the direction she'd taken the child. "As soon that is done, Achika, I want you to take her home, and both of you need to stay there."
"Okay." Achika agreed. She held on to Kyoko's hand firmly.
"Up there, Father! In that clearing. Saraku was getting ready to sleep. Look, all of her things are still here." Kyoko ran forward for a better look, but Ginta stopped her.
"No. Naraku's spies could be all over this place, Princess. You and your mother better head back."
"That is right." Kouga said, picking her up, and giving her back to her mother. "I'll be home soon with Saraku." He kissed Achika on the lips lightly, and smiled at her. "Be safe."
"I will be."
Kouga smiled down at his ambitious daughter. "And you too, Little explorer." He kissed her on the forehead, before returning to help his brother wolf demons to look.
(A/n: Just so I don't get any notes suing me (I'm sure Melissa won't though!) I want to make it clear that Achika and Kyoko are not mine.. they belong to Melissa, with whom I'm collaborating with a little bit this time around.The storyline is mine, Kyoko andAchika are hers. I'm sorry this was so short…but at least you've something to read now, right?! ^___^)
