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 7: Of Goldfishes and the art of Go

≈•≈

Merchant Ogata was having the most terrible headache of his life. Scrolls and paper scattered all around him as he reviewed the building plan of his new corporation: Super Ultimate Goldfish Ogata Enterprise.

This plan had cost him a lifetime to set it up but now time was running out.

Look. He was already in his late thirty. Soon, he would be come an old man, unable to raise his weapon against any body, unable to face with new obstacles on the harsh battlefield of the goban. What would become of him then?

No, that was not the point. What would become of his beautiful daughters then? Who would save them from the cruel fate of destroying the whole world?

There was no other way than starting the plan of his life.

If he succeeded, he might even match up with the famous Meijin Touya's I-Will-Retire Enterprise. And when that time came, he would become powerful enough to ensure the future of his children.

Let us check a happy scenario. Being such a famous goldfish supplier, he would sign a contract to sell his goldfish to Africa. And while packing them into his containers, he would accidentally bundle one of his daughter along with it, Akira for example. Then he would fulfill the responsibility of a father as he had given his child a precious chance to go and explore the world.

Another scenario, to train his oldest daughter, Sai, to become a successful entrepreneur, he would send that long-haired freak to check his goldfish tanks. But not until he dropped some flesh-eater fishes into them first. Just to make sure if his child had the skill of a leader, of course.

Wow, how wonderful his life would be.

Suddenly someone crashed into his room and fell down on top of his papers.

Ogata froze, thoughts of gold fishes flew out of his head as he stared at the strangest creature sprawling before him.

With pet ears on his head, and a long, soft tail growing out of his butt… With his shirt hanging loosely around one arm and a trouser leg being pulled nearly up to his hips…

Oh. Heaven surely had heard his pray…

It seemed goldfish was a bad idea after all.

Maybe it would be even better for his children if he just found them a mother!

The creature groaned in pain. Ogata pulled him to his laps, "Here, I'm here. Don't be afraid." He whispered.

"… Uh… who are you?" The boy hesitated.

"I'm Ogata, the Merchant."

"Really?" The boy sounded suddenly happy. "Then you're Tetsuo's father?"

"Kaga?" Ogata lifted his eyebrow. So this rare gem was Kaga's.

No problem! Ogata had always shared his precious wine and cigarettes with him, so now it was Kaga's turn instead.

He licked the boy's ears and was delightful to hear his moans. "Yes, indeed. I am his father. So you're his friend? You must be lonely as he's not here. Let Daddy show you some father love."

Someone banged into his room.

This time it was not a pleasant gift. It was a bomb!

Angry enough to kill anyone that went into his range. Ready to explode.

But of course, as any good father would do, Ogata just stared at his son, or daughter, or whatever, questioningly. "What is it, Akira?"

"Get your filthy hands off him!" Akira respectfully screamed.

"Why must I?" Ogata shrugged.

Akira raced to their place, forcibly pulled the cat boy up and shoved him aside. "Look! He's not a good person! He will bite you!" He explained loudly.

"What? You won't speak to your father that way!" Ogata also sprang to his feet.

"As if I don't know you!" Akira retorted. That boy even dared to pulled a goban out of nowhere and threw it at his head.

So with fists and colorful words, the father and the son started their long journey to understand each other.

≈•≈

What about our Prince?

Just when he started to think that Kaga's father was nice, Akira stormed in, and they fought. Hikaru didn't understand. Confused and scared, he bolted out of that room.

Why was everyone like that? The world outside was not fun at all! He just wanted to return to Kaga's side!

But Kaga's house was like a maze. The long corridors kept joining and separating, preventing him to find the way out. Hikaru hesitated before a door, afraid that he would have to meet another strange person.

Thank God!

Inside the room there was a long-haired man. The man looked so beautiful and gentle in his ancient clothes. More important, he was sitting before a GOBAN.

Hikaru ran to him. "You're a go player?" He asked excitedly. "At last!"

"At last?" The man looked at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm also a Go player!"

"Oh, that's good." The man nodded. He didn't try to touch him like the others, and so Hikaru found out that he like this person most.

"You're nice." Hikaru commented.

"Of course. I'm Sai. Would you play a match with me?"

"Yes!" Hikaru happily sat down on the other side of the goban.

"Please." Sai bowed.

"Wow, please."

And they played.

Now, this IS a match, Hikaru thought. Different from the matches with the servants, which always ended after 5 minutes with his wins. Different from the matches with Kaga, which always ended with them rolling over their bed. Different from the match with Akira, which they couldn't even get pass the preparation.

This was Go as an art.

This was Go in its most elegant form.

The battle across the goban made his heart sing, and he felt he was in heaven. The excitement the match brought him was a sensation that he had never experienced before. The matched ended with Hikaru's win, but it didn't make him satisfied since he felt that Sai hadn't play with all this strength.

"I want another match!" He demanded.

"Of course," Sai answered.

And they played.

The matched ended with Sai's win, but Hikaru was happy.

"Another match?" Sai asked.

"Yes!"

And they played.

The matched ended with Sai's win, but Hikaru was happy.

"Another match?" Sai asked.

And they played.

The matched ended with Sai's win, and Hikaru was feeling a little strange.

"Another match?" Sai asked.

"Er…? Um… yes."

And they played.

The matched ended with Sai's win, and Hikaru was thinking of anything but Go and Goban and their stupid players.

"Another match?" Sai asked.

"Uh…? But…well… I think I…."

But Sai had already placed the first stone. And they played.

And as he squirmed on his seat, Hikaru realized it was indeed a feeling that he had never experienced before.

The matched ended with Sai's win, and Sai spoke before Hikaru had enough time to feel, think or realize anything.

"Another match?"

"Uh… You know, I have to find Kaga…"

But Sai had already bowed. "Please."

And they played…

***

Ogata was in the middle of his parental activities while Akira was expressing his rebellious age. They had carried their affection out of Ogata's room and to the corridor, leaving behind them a mess with broken furniture and cracked wall.

The sound of someone racing closer made them both turned around.

And saw a charming creature running towards them, with pet ears on his head, and a curling tail behind him. "Please stop chasing me!" He cried.

And after him, a happy Sai was running, clutching a Goban to his chest. "Hikaru!!! Another match! Just once more!" He begged.

Ogata and Akira looked at each other, then both scrambled to their feet. "Stop hogging him all to yourself!" They shouted in unison and ran after Sai.

"Why are all of you chasing me???" Hikaru whined.

"Anothermatchofgocomebacktomegiveyouparentloveplaygoifyouwish" The three others replied at once. Their voices messed with one another, giving Hikaru a horrible headache. He didn't understand a word they said, and so he had no other way than keep running.

Soon, Hikaru was pushed to a corner. His mouth started to quiver, and he was about to cried his eyes out. And…

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

The whole wall collapsed.

Ogata, Sai, Akira and Hikaru all turned to it, staring in shock at Kaga, who was flying in.

Flying?

Yes, since he was sitting on empty air.

"Get your hands off my property!" He screamed, jumped to the ground and ran to Hikaru.

But it was never that easy. Kaga had gone for too long, so the members of his family all missed him too much. They blocked him with their chests, clutched his shoulders and did not let him to move a single step closer to Hikaru.

And soon, a melee broke out.

"He is mine!"

"He's not yours!"

"Of course he is!"

"I just want another play!"

"You have no claim on him!"

"He's not a thing!"

"He hated you!"

"You have no right to interrupt me!"

"I found him first!"

Soon it was not possible to know who talked what any more.

In the end, they decided to go to the town's court.

***

The judge, a foreign young man with red hair listened to their story, then decided in a strange language. "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

"After three days, you will gather here and enter a contest." His assistant, a short scribe named Suyon translated.

"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

"The boy will come with the winner." The scribe finished.

TBC