Kaga and the beast

Kal Kally

≈•≈

Disclaimer: HnG is not mine. Kaga is not mine. Akira is not mine. Hikaru is not mine.

Summary: Ogata had to give one of his children to the hideous beast as compensation for the mistake that he made. Would the chosen child have the strength to bear the beast's cruelty and capture his heart?

Warning: AU, Yaoi

A/N: Please review…

≈•≈

Chapter 1: Of ancient castles and broken gobans

"Horrible." Ogata mumbled as he rode on the forest path. "Truly horrible."

What could possibly make this fear-no-one man worry this much? Well, he had forgotten all the presents he had promised his sons. Or daughters, it didn't really matter, right?

"Kaga wouldn't be a problem." Ogata talked to himself. "I'll just share my precious wine and cigarettes with him this time. But didn't I do it everyday? And why am I complicating this? He won't complain anyway."

One problem was solved. But what about Sai and Akira? Would he have to share his Goban too? No way in hell. Ogata sighed. "Disaster." He muttered again, images of a whining Sai and glaring Akira popping up in his head.

Lost in his thought, he didn't notice the horse had started to wander from the road. By the time he realized this, he had already been lost and night had already been spreading out from the Eastern sky.

Fortunately, Ogata caught the sight of a huge, ancient castle behind what seemed like a thick wall of trees. Night was coming fast, so he raced there. The threat of a full moon night did make him hesitant at first, but thoughts of an uncomfortable sleep with no mattress, no blanket in the middle of nowhere sounded much more horrible than some stupid beast.

Ogata tied his horse in the yard, and then approached the large door. To his surprise, the door opened on its own, and once he entered, it automatically shut. "Wow, cool door." It was all what Ogata said.

The beautiful flowers and torches in the hallway of a clean and tidy castle told him that this castle wasn't abandoned. However, Ogata couldn't find a single person. He called, but no one answered. He searched every room in the first floor, but found no one even though he had searched even under the bed! Ogata was about to give up when he heard a noise somewhere. He ran to that direction and reached a room. He entered the room and froze. In the middle of it was a large table filled with well-prepared and delicious food.

That was definitely a surprise, but Ogata was never a man of unnecessary thoughts. "Thank you, whoever you are." He bowed and said loudly, then sat down and attacked the food without any further thought.

After he finished eating, he heard another noise and followed it to another room. There, Ogata found a king-sized bed. Wasting only a minute for thanking the generous host, then he flopped down and immediately fell asleep.

The morning after, Ogata woke up fresh and happy. He stepped out to the main hall, deciding that it was time to leave. However, he stopped when he saw an ancient and rare goban right in the middle of the hall.

"Wonderful!" He thought. "Just when I need. If the owner of this castle is that ridiculously generous, he wouldn't mind the lost of just this small Go board."

Another thought came while he approached the goban. "But there's only one goban. And Akira plus Sai is two people. How in the hell should I please both of those brats? Oh yes, I'll just give each a half. I'll buy them the rest when I have to go away again."

No time was wasted. He was always a man of determination. Ogata pulled out a hammer from nowhere, and CRACK. The goban had been chopped in two.

Suddenly, an icy wind blew by, and on the wall appeared the silhouette of a huge beast. It was so high that it reached the ceiling of the main hall. It had tail and seeming-to-be thick furs.

"Ungrateful human!" The beast snarled. "I treated you with generosity, and you dare to pay me back by ruining my favorite goban! You must pay by your life!!"

The merchant startled, then looked thoughtful. "Well, so you have my life. Do you want to sell it? I'm willing to buy. If I didn't give my daughters their damn presents, disasters would happen. The whole town might be--"

"You have daughters?" The beast cut off Ogata's words.

"Yes, three."

There was a pause, and then the beast continued. "You must pay for that goban you ruin. So bring me your precious daughter. Any of those three. She'll belong to me."

Ogata froze, the words hit him hard. "What... You're not serious, right?"

"Very serious."

"You're joking, right?" The poor father's lips trembled. He looked like he was close to tear.

"No joking."

"You're not taking back your words, right?"

"Huh? Taking back? No, but why?"

"WONDERFUL!" The father shouted and rushed to the door. "Mr. Whoeveryouare, stay here and wait for me. You must not escape. I'll return right away."

Ogata had ridden far away, but the castle's inhabitants could still hear his little too cheerful voice. "Wonderful!!"

In the main hall, there was still no sight of people, but there were voices and noises. "Wonderful? Escape? Somehow I think we've just done something terrible."

"No need to worry. Your voice created good effects."

"Enough of talking, you too. Come here and comfort our Prince!"

"My prince, stop crying. We've just tricked another girl into coming here!"

"But my Goban is broken..." Someone sobbed.

"Oh, just stop crying. I'll bring you your favorite blood-stained goban, ne."

≈•≈

"Hi, Daddy!"

"Hi, Daddy!"

"Finally come back, geezer?"

Three voices erupted in unision when Ogata reached his home. The merchant gave Kaga a foreign wine bottle and an expensive pack of cigarettes. The boy didn't seem to mind it wasn't sake. Ogata turned to his other two children and tried to speak with the most miserable tune he could manage.

"My dear children, Daddy had just done a very terrible thing because of you two."

"What have you done, Daddy?" Sai asked worriedly.

"What have you done, Daddy?" Akira asked worriedly.

"You killed someone again? Who is it this time?" Kaga asked, and immediately received three heated glares.

"Kaga! Daddy quit being an assassin a long time ago!" Kaga just shrugged.

The old merchant (or not the merchant?) sighed dramatically. "My dear children, I've just ruined an old, rare goban... er..." Suddenly his instinct screamed out danger as his dear children glared at him murderously. He quickly continued. "Oh, don't worry, there're still a lot and a lot of rare and expensive gobans there. But the beast that owns the castle demanded me to give it one of you for compensation. The beast--"

He never had chance to finish his words, for Sai and Akira had stopped listening.

"A lot and a lot of rare and expensive gobans? Oh my beloved father, let me sacrifice myself for your safety." Sai said.

"The castle's owner must surely be an experienced player. Let I help you, for you have done so much for me. Let me do something in return." Akira said.

Sai and Akira turned to each other, glaring with brotherly love.

"My little brother, I'm older than you. Let me take the responsibility."

"No, Sai. You must stay home and take care of father. It's the responsibility of the oldest child."

"It's better not to be taken care of by any of you two at all." Ogata interrupted.

"Father, you don't do any help!!"

The conversation continued with passion.

"Akira, I won't let you face danger. I'll go."

"No, Sai, you don't have to worry. I'll go."

"Enough. Brat. I say I go, and I'll go."

"No way in hell, you immature! I'll go!"

The two brothers loved each other so much that they insisted on going to face the beast alone. Too much love meant pain, no one wanted to back down. A fight broke out right in the yard.

"My dear children, you two decide with each other who will go. Take time for yourselves, and whoever remains alive will go with me." Ogata waved and walked into the house.

Something whizzed by, stopping him right on the doorstep. Everyone startled and stared at the knife thrust deep into the doorframe right above Ogata's head. They turned back. Kaga was cleaning a gun. How a gun ended up in a fairy tale remained unknown. "I can't stand those fools who make a fuss over just a broken Goban. I'll go. I'll teach that stupid beast a lesson."

"But..."

"Anyone oppose?" Kaga asked and raised his gun. He wasn't threatening his family, of course. He just wanted to look at it.

All shook their heads. They loved Kaga so much that they didn't want to make him sad.

So fate had been decided. On a beautiful and sunny day, the three brothers parted in sadness and curses. Kaga bravely left home to sacrifice himself in order to save his father.

What a good son he was! Let's hope God would protect him from whatever danger waiting for him at the castle.

≈•≈

Ogata knocked on the door eagerly. The door opened, the father and the son stepped into the main hall.

"Hey you, whoever you are. Here's my daughter." Ogata said hurriedly, and then turned to Kaga. "Don't make trouble! I don't want you to be sent back!" He told his child, then quickly made his way out of the castle as if being afraid the castle's owner might change his mind.

Kaga walked around examining everything. He was walking in a small corridor when he heard a small, hesitant voice.

"Mi... mister, you're a boy."

"Of course. What else will I be?"

"But... but in that case, you're not a girl."

"Quit saying stupid things. Can't you tell it by looking at my handsome appearance?"

"But then... how can you be that old mister's daughter?"

"Of course not his daughter." Kaga snapped. "Fool."

"But..."

"Enough!" Kaga growled. He had guessed that the people in this castle were all invisible. "Prepare dinner for me!"

"Males are not welcomed here." Many voices erupted at the same time. "Leave immediately."

There was a gunshot. Kaga had just shot into the air.

Another dry sound. The ceiling lamp had fallen. Ew, so dusty. It seemed that this castle's inhabitants weren't very tall after all.

"Any more idea?" Kaga asked.

Silence, then tiny voices followed. "N... no..."

"Good, then go make me dinner." Kaga ordered. After that, he walked around for a while, and then chose for himself the most beautiful room in the castle. Life was so good. This room was much larger and more beautiful than his dirty room at home. Dropping himself on the bed, Kaga let himself enjoy the luxury of his new life. He totally missed the pair of eyes that were watching him in the shadows.

Watch out, Kaga! The beast was coming!

≈•≈

TBC...