Fallen Angel

By Misaki Sakura

Chapter 3 : Revelation … at last?

"Welcome to our kingdom, Sanzo houshi ikkou." Persia welcomed them in his throne room.

"Ne, Persia-sama, where's that cat from before?" Goku curiously asked, resulting a fan landed on his head.

Persia blinked at that. "Oh, he's with Lord Ran right now. Do you want to see him?" he was answered by vigorous nodding. "Fine then. Omi, please take Son Goku-san to Ken."

Omi bowed and took Goku out of that room.

Meanwhile, our Kenken's condition wasn't really good to say the least. By the time Goku arrived, he, in his human form, was being lectured by a furious Fujimiya Ran.

"You don't have any idea that you've made us worried! Next time think before you act so you won't cause trouble to either of us!"

He winced at that. But Ken couldn't help himself but to smile. He knew exactly why his koi was furious. He was worried and Ran didn't like worrying about someone. Since Takatori Reiji kidnapped his sister and killed her, Ran closed his heart to anyone. It's his way to protect himself from being hurt … loss. But somehow, Ken was able to penetrate his shield and slowly but surely took him out of his shell. And … he had lost Ken once … he didn't want it to happen ever again.

"Where's he!" Goku's voice cut through the air.

"Over there, Son Goku-san." Omi pointed Ken and Ran, who's sighing and decided to postpone his lecture due to the intrusion.

"Neko-chan!"

"My name is Ken, Hidaka Ken. I am not Neko-chan!" Ken stood, facing Goku.

"But you're a cat, aren't you?"

"I am not!"

Ran smiled at them. It's no secret that Ken liked children and no matter how old Goku was, his mind was still a kid's. While he was watching them bickering, Omi approached him.

"I think they need you now, Ran-kun."

"Okay. Look after Ken for me. When I'm back, we'll go home."

Ran went straight to the King's chamber. By the time he's arrived, they immediately talked about the problem, the Youkai.

"You're saying that that cat is Siberian? So after he comes back, he's turned into a cat?"

"Yes, Sanzo-sama. Kritiker has checked him and finds out that he was being used as an experiment."

"What kind of experiment?" Ran couldn't stop himself to ask.

"I think the purpose is to turn him into a monster, a youkai to be precise. They're still trying to resurrect Gyuumao and they need more powerful youkai to take this kyomon." Sanzo stated, being reasonable as he was used to.

"But why Ken?"

"I think he must've figured something out … or they just picked their victim randomly. Gyuumao's subordinates are not the only who are connected to this though."

"What does that mean?"

"Kritiker has checked about it," the two men simultaneously looked at Persia, "they said that there's someone who's helping Gyuumao but they still can't find who."

"So King Persia, it means other than usual youkai, there are also people they turned into youkai … to get the kyomon? But I don't think that that's their only purpose." Hakkai said.

"We can't figure that out yet. It'll be easier if Ken can remember it but he can't remember anything since he's announced missing."

"I'm still calling you Neko-chan!"

"Then I'll call you bakazaru like your friends do!" Ken stuck his tongue out.

"How mature!"

"You're not old enough to tell me that!"

"Oh yeah!"

"Stop that, both of you! You're giving me a headache." Omi shook his head in perplexity. Ken could act so childish.

"Sorry, Omi." He scratched the back of his head, blushing. "Why don't you go with Ran?"

"Cause I have to watch you two from killing each other."

"It won't be that bad. I won't fight with a kid."

"I'm not a kid!"

"Yes, you are!"

"Am not!"

"Are so!"

Once again, Omi shook his head but this time he decided to remain silence since whatever he said would not been heard by the two bickering child-like. Inside, he's grateful that Ken could be with them again. It's so different without him. Not a good one. However childish and clumsy and hot-headed he might be, he's still their coworker, their friend, and friends are precious. Good friends were so hard to get and Ken had successfully showed that he's one of them.

"Ken …" came a deep voice, Ran's. Next to him was the rest of Sanzo ikkou. Ken was so delighted that he nearly threw himself at Ran. Fortunately, out of experience, Ran had seen that's coming and caught him before he attached himself to him. He looked at the pouting Ken and said with serious expression, "Ken, we need to talk."

"Huh?"

"Do you know who kidnapped you?"

Ken slowly shook his head. "No, I … I just catch a glimpse of white … all was white …"

"White … I have a very bad feeling about this. I think I've heard it somewhere before," Omi said, "But I can't remember where."

Meanwhile in a very dark castle, a tall white-haired man smirked wickedly. "The trap, the decoy, all set. Tsuzuki, you're mine!" hysterical laugh could be heard miles away.

"We'll keep you informed, Sanzo-sama."

"Aaa. Then we'll take our leave. Thank you for your hospitality, Persia-sama." He turned to his companions. "We're going."

"Jya, ne, Neko-chan." Goku waved at Ken.

"I'm not a neko! Bakazaru!"

Goku was about to shout something back when suddenly they heard a loud blast behind them.

"Sanzo-ikkou, hand me the kyomon." Demanded the girl who appeared from behind the smoke.

"Ririn!" called a deep voice of a man in white. He had pointed ears just like the girl and was a redhead.

"Ririn-sama, we're not here for that." Said a woman while a scar-faced man behind him laugh.

Sanzo shook his head in disbelief. "One pattern girl."

"We're not here to pick a fight with you guys. I just want to tell you to be careful."

"Yeah. My mother is doing something fishy." Ririn chirped in.

"Fishy?"

"Yes. There's a man … a doctor who came to offer some assistance to her. I don't know what happened but she assented to it. And soon, as you can see, there's an increasing number of youkai so sudden and more people are missing."

Kougaiji set his eyes on Ken who writhed uneasily. His stare was so … scary. Suddenly he approached Ken. "So you're alive."

"Eh?"

"I saw they dragged you to the experiment room, covered with blood. I thought you'd be dead by then."

Ran and the others stared at him wide-eyed. "You mean … he was kidnapped by the doctor!"

"Most certainly so."

TBC

A/N: Gomen! It's been a long time! (nervous laugh). Anou, I don't think I make any progress in the story but there are chapters coming up! I hope I can upload them soon. Jya, R&R please!