A/N: Thanks so much to Aikida for beta-ing this chapter for me!

Chapter 2 - Slavery

Once out of the eyes of others the man who had taken Neko struck her. "Now I will tell you a couple things about being a slave," he snarled at her. "Never look into the eyes of those higher then you, which is everyone, never talk back and always do as your told. If you are slow or break any of these rules, there will be a punishment. Understand?" Neko stood, crying, unable to answer. The man's hand came out and slapped her across the cheek. "UNDERSTAND?" Neko nodded her head. It wasn't good enough. This time he hit her so hard she crumpled to the ground. "I can't hear you!"

"Yes."

He pulled her hair. "YES SIR!" He hollered at her.

"Yes sir!" She wailed out in pain and he let go of her hair.

She walked behind him as he lead her to a small group standing around a few wagons. "Those are my other slaves. I am a slave dealer and you are to call me Master or sir. Understand?"

"Yes sir." Neko replied eyes downward.

"Good girl." Neko met her new travel mates afterwards. Master left her and she looked towards the road he had carried her down longingly.

"Don't even think about it kid," an old, frail looking man said solemnly. "They'll just catch you and beat you."

"But… but that boy." She wiped a tear from her eye. "He told me to find my uncle and if I couldn't get my uncle he was going to help me. I have to be there when he comes back."

The man let out an old and crackled laugh, although a deep sadness was clearly heard in it. "Child forget your family and forget that boy." The wagons began to move and the old man took Neko's hand. "My name is Makoto," he said after they had walked a few minutes. "What's your name child?"

"Neko." They walked a few more paces. "I didn't even know his name. He wouldn't tell me."

"Who?"

"The boy." She sighed. "He helped me bury my parents after they were killed."

"Really, that's strange these days. What was he like?" Makoto asked, talking about this boy seemed to be cheering the child up a little.

"He was different. A foreigner maybe but he spoke perfect Japanese. His hair was red." She traced an 'X' on her left cheek as she spoke. "He had a scar here and his eyes," she smiled, "he had the most beautiful amber eyes." She closed her own emerald eyes for a moment remembering, when she opened them again she noticed a panicked looked in Makoto's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Did… did this man have a sword and did he wear a navy gi?"

"Do you know him!" She asked practically jumping up and down.

Makoto stopped and grabbed Neko's shoulders. "Child… I….I think that was the Ba…."

"Hey you two keep up!" The master angrily yelled back at them from up ahead. Leading the caravan onward.

As they began to walk again Neko kept asking about the boy. Makoto looked down at her but now he couldn't tell her that her savior was the demon Battòsai. "I think he was an angel."

Neko gave a wide smile. "An angel! Really!" She began to skip. "Do you think he helped Mommy and Daddy to heaven?" Makoto nodded and with that little lie Neko was able to sleep in peace that night.

A quick bond formed between Makoto and Neko. He'd flash her a toothless smile making her sadness disappear for the smallest fraction of time. She became like the grandchild he never had and he fell in love with her. She would look up at him with her cat-like eyes and she would even let out a hiss from time to time when he called her kitten. She loved her name, her eyes. Some of the other slaves had mocked her but she couldn't help but love her cat like nature. "Your parent's named you well, Little Cat." Makoto would say from time to time.

Neko took her new life in stride. She was never completely unhappy. The seemingly endless walks were hard but Makoto would always go out of his way to make her laugh ever so often. Makoto taught Neko what was going to be expected of her and how to avoid beatings.

One morning Neko forgot to re-load a bushel of rice back into the wagon. It wasn't until lunch when the Master noticed the bag was missing. "WHO DID THIS!" He yelled to the cowering slaves. "WHO TOOK THE BAG OF RICE?" Slowly it dawned on Neko that she had forgotten to put the rice on the wagon. The master and a few of his workers unwound their whips and hollered for the guilty party to step forward. Neko huddled next to Makoto's arm afraid of the whip's sting.

"What's wrong child?" He asked her as she hid behind him. "You've done nothing wrong."

"Yes I did." She cried. "I took the rice. I forgot to load it into the wagon!"

Makoto's face went white as he tried to calm her sobs. "Just stay quiet. It will be okay." He tried to sooth her.

"No it won't! Master will punish everyone if I don't step forward!" She said looking up at him with red, puffy eyes.

"Dry your eyes little one. I will take care of everything. It will be okay. Just don't say anything no matter what happens." He said sternly.

"What are you going to do?" She asked, looking confused. He patted her on the head and freed himself from her grasp.

"Just don't move and don't say anything," he repeated sternly. Makoto took a steadying breath and walked up to the Master. At first Neko thought he was telling on her but soon Makoto's old and cracked voice called out for all to hear. "Master I am sorry but I forgot to load the rice onto the wagon this morning. My memory must be leaving me." He said, his head down.

The Master stood a moment glaring at Makoto then quickly backhanded the old man on the side of the head. "Did that knock your memory back! How could you leave a WHOLE bustle behind!"

"I'm sorry sir." Makoto whimpered, but apologizing wasn't enough. The master held his whip high and brought it down on Makoto's back. Neko watched in horror as the whip was raised and brought down over and over again. She wanted to run out and help her friend, she wanted to yell out and tell them to stop, she wanted to do something but her feet wouldn't move and her voice was gone. Silently tears rolled down her face and fell to the ground.

When the beating was over the master looked over his 'cargo' carefully. "There will be no lunch today!" He took one more look at Makoto before walking away.

As soon as Master was gone Neko ran to Makoto who was quivering on the ground. "Why Makoto! Why did you do that." She said crying over him. With her help Makoto sat up and ran his hand through her hair.

"It's alright Kitten. It's alright." He held her close. "Don't be afraid, I'm fine." He pushed her away. "Go do your choirs, okay?" Neko wiped her eyes as she nodded. "Good girl." Neko walked off just as one of the other slaves approched up to help Makoto dress his wounds.

"You shouldn't have said anything." The women said as she worked. "If they think you are useless, they'll…"

"I know."

"You're getting older Makoto-san, please be careful."

Nights fell as time moved on. One night Neko was shaken awake. "Wake up little one." Makoto's voice was urgent as he started to pick her up to her feet. Neko was half asleep as Makoto raised her from her bed.

"What's going on?" She said noting the look of dread on the old man's face.

Makoto told her to be quiet as he ushered her where the other women where standing. He had her stand in a line with the other and looked her straight in the eye. "This is the master's best 'customer'." He said the word with a great distaste. "You do as your told and pray to the Kamis he doesn't pick you. Try to zat dumb or something. Just pray he doesn't pick you."

Neko was scared now. Makoto had to go and she was left standing there scared without a reason. The other women around seemed upset and their discomfort made Neko even more frightened. Soon Master walked forward with another man. This man was tall standing well over her Master's head. He was clean-shaven and even from where she stood Neko could see his eyes were blood shot. His dark, black hair was long and straight falling to his shoulders. He slowly walked down the line of girls looking them over carefully. He stopped and took a closer look at some and they would cringe under the man's gaze.

When he came to Neko he stopped and looked at her. Neko kept her eyes down looking at the man's feet and she was surprised when the man reached out and grabbed her chin. He lifted her head up so fast she nearly bit her tongue. Neko looked into the man's brown eyes watching them look her over carefully. He began to move his thumb around in circles on her cheek. His other hand he ran through Neko's long hair. Neko had put it in a pony tail and the man worked the wrap in her hair out let her hair fall pass her shoulders. He ran his hand from the top of her head following her hair all the way down to just above her elbow. "You got a name kid?" He asked her. His breath filled her nostrils and she did her best not to gag.

"Neko, sir."

"Well, you have very smooth skin." The man let his hold on Neko's face go and went and spoke a few words to her Master. Her Master nodded and Neko could feel her stomach turn as the new man handed coins to her Master. He walked back to Neko and as he stood looking down on her Neko wanted to run, something about this man filled her with terror. "You belong to me now." He grabbed her wrist and began to drag Neko away.

"No!" She screamed. She looked back to Makoto. He was crying. His tears glistened in the moon light as he stood and did nothing. There was nothing he could do, the sale had been completed. She wanted to run to the old man and be at his side but the man had an iron lock grip on her small wrist and was dragging her further and further away.