"Kyo?" Tohru asked, seeing the youth stop suddenly.

He shook his head, warning her to be silent. After a moment, he sighed. "Paranoid, I guess." He answered in response to her questioning eyes. "I thought I heard something."

"Boo."

Kyo turned with such quickness Tohru was taken back. He never moved like this when he was fighting Yuki.

" Who are you?!"

The man stepped out of the brush, "What does it matter? You won't care in a little while, they never do." He grinned, his eyes stopping on Kyo. "I have been looking for you."

Tohru stepped backwards, into the shade of the trees. It seemed he hadn't realized she was there. If she could only make it to the house, maybe she could get Yuki...

"Why me?" Kyo said, a little curious, truth be told.

"My Queen wishes to see you," He smiled grimly, "Will you come quietly? No? All right then."

Tohru had just made it to the edge of the woods when a gunshot caught her attention. She turned, and dropping her bag, ran as fast as she could.

She heard Kyo yelling at the top of his lungs when another gunshot seemed to cut the voice in half. Tohru emerged from the trees and saw the man hauling Kyo into a cage. His hands and feet were shackled together, and blood ran down his face. There was blood on his arm as well.

"God you're heavy." The man groaned. "Though I'll only have to do this twice. Thankfully next time I have to haul you outta here you'll be a dead corpse." Then he sighed, "Though that one girl I brought last time survived-"

He never got a chance to finish his sentence for Tohru had ran out from under the trees. She had tears running down her face as she stared him down. She would fight him, for Kyo.

"What do we have here? A defenseless young girl all alone in the woods..." He licked his lips. "Maybe this will prove fun."

"Wha-" Tohru yelped, as she felt the man's arms grab her. He had moved so fast, she hadn't even seen him. "No... No..."

"NO!" She kicked and punched, remembering anything Kyo had ever told her about fighting. Before she knew it, she was free. He was standing a foot away, glaring at her.

"You'll pay for that one, missy." He growled.

Tohru gasped in pain as his fist connected with her jaw, sending her flying, unconscious. Then, as if from far away, she heard a familiar voice calling her name. Yuki.

"Who is this?!" The man cried, "Who are you?!"

Yuki and Shigure stood in front of him, the latter checking on Tohru, while the former stripped off his jacket, and unbuttoned his top button on his shirt. "You're gonna pay dearly for that."

"Oh really?"

"Shigure." The rat muttered, "watch over Tohru."

"Are you sure?" The writer asked, picking up Tohru's head and gently putting it on his lap.

"I'll take care of this." Yuki whispered, "I hope."

It began.

Yuki sidestepped the man's first punch, and ducked under the second. He was fast. Yuki gave him that much. But not too fast. He kicked out, but Yuki flipped, lashing out with his leg. The man smiled, then vanished. The rat's leg swept through air.

"Yuki!"

The prince turned too late, and received a solid blow to his head as a result. He went flying, crashing into a tree. The man waited to see if his opponent would get up. When he didn't, the man turned and walked to where Shigure was setting Tohru's head on the ground, and climbing to his feet.

"I'll be taking that."

Shigure stood his ground, not letting the fighter anywhere near Tohru. With a sigh, the big man spread his fingers, and a beam of energy ripped through the air, hitting Shigure. The dog folded where he stood.

Happy, the man moved to pick up Tohru when a voice slammed through his mind. Bakaris leave her! Bring the cat to me! Imbecile!

"Yes my Queen." Bakaris said placidly, standing next to the cage. "Dargaard keep." He ordered.

The cage, Kyo, and Bakaris vanished.

***