by Haruka

"Good morning, Fish Eye. How are you feeling?"
Fish Eye smiled at Setsuna as they stopped outside the conference room.
"My wounds are much better," Fish Eye said. "Although I didn't sleep much last night."
Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "Nightmares?"
Fish Eye nodded, smiling ruefully. "I guess the memory will linger on for a long time to come."
Setsuna touched his shoulder. "I know you're worried about them going in there. That probably brought on the nightmares."
"You may be right," Fish Eye admitted. "But they've been as well prepared as we could manage in such a short time. It's up to them now."
"Yes, right after this briefing, Kei and Yuri and Hiei and Kurama will be flying to meet the ship at its next stop." Setsuna took hold of the doorknob and smiled encouragingly at him. "Everything will work out they'll do their best."
Fish Eye nodded, and Setsuna opened the door.
The recruits and instructors looked up as the two of them entered the room. "Hello, everyone," Setsuna said. "Thank you for coming. We wanted to have this last briefing so that Fish Eye could reiterate information on some of the people you'll run into on the ship. Some of it you've heard before, and some you haven't." She paused, frowning slightly. "Where's Duo?"
"He hasn't come in yet," Nuriko answered. "Not surprising."
Setsuna sighed. "Well, we don't have time to wait for him. Now then, although there will be Communities onboard from all over, you will be focusing on just one that headed by the mastermind who started it all. That's the Community that Fish Eye and Van infiltrated." She nodded to Fish Eye and took her seat, giving him the floor.
"I can't tell you that I met _everyone_ in the Community or learned everything about them. There was a redhaired Mistress and her Pet that I never learned the names of, and one pair nicknamed the 'Smiley-Faced Psycho Boys' whom I never caught a glimpse of. There may be others I didn't even hear about. But I'll tell you as much as I do know." Fish Eye took a deep breath. "First of all is my own Master, Sesshomaru. He's beautiful and exotic-looking, with very long white hair, pointed ears, cat-slit eyes and markings on his face not quite like mine, though. Instead of a dot on his forehead, he has a crescent moon. Don't be fooled by his beauty he's cold and cruel, especially to his half-brother, Inu Yasha, whom he keeps as a Pet. Inu Yasha has hair and eyes similar to Sesshomaru's, but he's half-human, half dog-demon, and has traits that show his canine side, such as furry pointed dog ears and a puppy-like nose." Fish Eye smiled. "He's actually really attractive, but he's powerful as well."
"Then why doesn't he fight his half-brother?" Chihaya asked.
"Sesshomaru controls him with bespelled prayer beads that are around Inu Yasha's neck. With a one-word command, he can bring Inu Yasha down instantly. Fighting that is useless." Fish Eye sighed. "Next is Nakago, the man who has Van in his possession. Another good example of 'beautiful but deadly'. He's tall, well-built, blonde and blue-eyed. When he looked at me, I felt like a mouse at the mercy of a hungry cat." He shook his head sadly. "I wish I could have learned more about him that would be of use, but neither Nakago nor Sesshomaru spent much time hanging around with other Masters. Most of what I learned of him I heard from Inu Yasha, and he said that if icebergs could be bastards, they'd have Nakago's name."
"Are there any Masters there who _aren't_ cruel?" Pulse asked.
"There are a few, so Inu Yasha told me, but I only met two personally," Fish Eye replied. "One scared the hell out of me from the start, because he was carrying around this bullwhip at his side. But as it turns out, although he flings it around with what seems like carelessness, he's very precise, and never uses it on his Pet or anyone else. His name is Rascal, and he's a teacher at a school of magic. He adores his Pet, Maze, who is under the effect of a spell herself. I never did learn the nature of it, but apparently it's something that Rascal has to keep tight control over."
"Tell them about Quatre," Setsuna suggested.
Fish Eye nodded. "The other Master I met who impressed me is Quatre Raberba Winner the Leader of the Community and the one who came up with the idea of Pet Communities to start with."
"So he's ... a _good_ Master?" Kei looked confused. "Why doesn't he do away with jerks like Nakago and Sesshomaru?"
"That's what you have to find out," Fish Eye said.
"What about his Pet?" Kurama asked. "Did you talk to him or her?"
"No, I didn't. Sesshomaru wouldn't let me near any Pets except Inu Yasha. I didn't even hear his name, but he was cute. I saw he and Master Quatre walking together outside one day for some reason the boy started going in another direction, but Master Quatre just laughed and called him back without scolding him. I didn't understand it, but it made me feel a little better about Masters and Pets." Fish Eye shrugged. "That's why there are a lot of facets to this assignment and you can't judge one Master by the actions of another. It could be that if the rotten apples are discarded, the Community will go on happily Pets and Masters alike." He smiled. "But that will be for your judgement. I wish you all luck."
"Thank you, Fish Eye," Kenshin said. "And I think I speak for everyone when I say we're grateful for what you sacrificed to bring us this information. We won't let you down."
"All right then," Setsuna said, turning toward Kurama, Hiei, Kei and Yuri. "It's time for you to get ready to leave. Our prayers are with you."

***

"What a beautiful day! Smell that salt air!"
Inu Yasha turned to look toward Maze as she stood with her eyes closed, her long, silky black hair blowing in the ocean breeze. Pretty girl, he thought. Most of the time.
"So, Inu Yasha, why did Sesshomaru let you out of his sight today?" asked Lina from behind him. Without turning around he knew she was gnawing on a leftover piece of bacon from breakfast. For one so small, Lina ate more than any three people he'd ever known.
"He's been more lax since ... for a few days now," Inu Yasha replied, rubbing one of his furry ears. "The leash isn't unhooked, but he's let it out a little." He turned away from the view of the water and leaned back against the railing. Sure enough, Lina was licking her fingertips.
"Well, everyone _is_ on vacation," Lina reasoned, brushing some of her thick, flame-coloured hair off her pretty face. "And it would be too odd if you never got to take advantage of the Free Time hours."
"Van doesn't," a voice said lightly from the entrance to the dining area. Inu Yasha, Maze, and Lina looked over to see a smiling figure approach, his boyish face the picture of innocence. "Nakago still won't let him out of their quarters."
"So why don't you do something about it, Soujirou?!" Inu Yasha said angrily. "You're in a better position than any of us for that!"
"Who, me?" the pretty dark-haired youth asked in surprise, the smile never leaving his face. "I'm just a simple Pet, as you are."
"Feh," Inu Yasha growled, turning to look out over the waves once more. His gold eyes clouded over.
Maze touched his shoulder. "You're still thinking about him, aren't you?"
"Nothing to think about," Inu Yasha said brusquely, shrugging off her hand. "He's gone and that's it. Not like we got close or anything."
"You _were_ friends, though," Lina said. "Right?"
"I felt sorry for him taking what Sesshomaru didn't give me," Inu Yasha retorted. "But he abandoned me to bump himself off."
"He may have slipped and fallen, Inu Yasha," Soujirou suggested.
"Doesn't matter now, does it?" the half-youkai snapped.
"Hello, everyone!"
The group of Pets straightened at the arrival of a slender young man with blonde hair and green eyes who smiled at them warmly.
"Master Quatre!" Lina exclaimed. "What brings you here?"
"I'm looking for my Pet," Quatre said with a weary grin. "Have any of you seen him?"
"Not yet, Master," Soujirou answered. "But I'm sure he'll find his way here eventually."
Quatre laughed lightly. "Undoubtedly, but by then we may have arrived back home! I guess I'll keep looking. Enjoy Free Time!"
They watched him leave, and Inu Yasha snorted. "See? I didn't hear any of you saying a word about Van, and that's the one person who can do something about it!"
The girls exchanged guilty looks. "I want to," Maze said, "but I'm afraid for Master Rascal."
"For _all_ the Masters and Mistresses," Lina clarified. "If Master Nakago gets ticked off enough, he'll expose the whole Community."
Soujirou nodded, smiling ruefully. "It would be just like him."
Inu Yasha's ears flattened. "No point in _my_ saying anything who the hell would believe me?"
"And even if they _did_ believe you, would they dare do anything about it?" Maze sighed. "Master Quatre stands to lose more than any of us. Even if he knew Master Nakago wasn't being fair to Van, he might overlook it."
"I don't think he would," Soujirou said with a shrug. "But I don't think he'd go so far as to let Nakago endanger the Community, either."
Inu Yasha scraped the metal railing between his claws. "Wouldn't surprise me if Van was the next one to jump overboard."

Van looked out the cabin window that had the best view of the ocean. He'd overheard Nakago talking to Sesshomaru about Fish Eye's disappearance from the ship, but unlike the Masters, he didn't believe his partner had drowned. Despite his too-pretty features and manner, Fish Eye was as tough as they came, and Van knew without a doubt that he'd managed to survive.
He only hoped to manage the same feat himself.
Pulling the sleeve of his red t-shirt back up to cover one bruised shoulder, Van considered his options. There weren't many. Nakago was almost always there, and when he wasn't, he put enough spells in place to effectively keep Van prisoner. Even now, Van could feel the hair on his arms stand up when he got too close to the cabin door.
But ... Van glanced back at the window. He hadn't felt any magic field blocking it off, and with his slim frame he was sure he could squeeze through. The only problem was that crawling out the window would mean virtually falling into the ocean. Unless he could catch himself in time.
It was his only hope. With one more pause to listen for Nakago, Van quietly opened the window. The cool salt air hit him in the face and he breathed of it deeply. As he'd hardly been out of the cabin since the trip began, any hint of fresh air was a welcome treat.
There wasn't time to reflect on that now, though. Gritting his teeth, he pulled himself up and began edging out the window. Just a little further, he thought, struggling to maintain his balance. Finally he was on his knees, bracing himself with his upper body leaning back against the ship's outer wall. The only part of him left inside the cabin were his feet. Slowly, Van allowed himself to fall forward, and as he did so, he unfurled his wings.
It was exhilarating to feel the snow-white feathers separate in preparation for flight. The wings, along with his association with Seigi, were two secrets Nakago had yet to uncover, and now one would carry him home to the other.
Just as he felt his weight taking him down and he was about to flap the wings for altitude, his right ankle was seized and held fast. Van flailed, his wings beating frantically as backward momentum slammed him against the ship's side. He hung suspended above the water by his ankle, the wings useless so close to the boat.
"I suggest you don't struggle as I pull you up," an icy voice warned. "You wouldn't want to damage those beautiful wings."
Van wanted to weep, but would be damned if he'd do so before the man who was now hauling him up to the window. He should have known Nakago would catch him none of his attempts to escape had come even close to success. The window, while not barred with magic, probably had some kind of alarm spell on it. And now he would suffer again for getting his hopes up.
Lord only knew how many feathers he lost as he was roughly dragged backwards into his cabin. Once there, he was spun around to face his tormentor.
"Now what have we _here_?" Nakago wondered aloud, running one hand over Van's right wing while still holding firmly onto his other arm. He met Van's gaze with a raised eyebrow. "You despise me, do you? I can feel it when I touch the feathers."
Van said nothing. He knew from experience that Nakago would do whatever he was going to do whether he answered him or not.
"You must be quite proud of yourself that you managed to keep these a secret for so long," the handsome blonde said. "However, the fact that you expected to be able to trick me is offensive." He stroked a feather thoughtfully. "Perhaps I should tear them off. Would that teach you a lesson, Van?"
In an instant, Van made his wings disappear. Nakago looked more amused than angry.
"Didn't like that idea, hm? I thought you wouldn't. And now that your wings are once again hidden, they shall remain so." He passed a hand in front of Van, and the young man felt the spellbinding envelop him. His eyes narrowed slightly and he wished with all his heart that looks could kill.
"You won't be flying away anytime soon, my Pet," Nakago told him, running his hand through Van's dark hair. "Although I must admit, your futile attempts provide brief entertainment in an otherwise dull day." His hand settled at the back of Van's neck, then grew firm. Van winced as Nakago lifted him off his feet, and for a moment he swore his vertebrae would separate. Then he found himself hurtling through the air to land on the sofa. Once his vision cleared, he saw Nakago advancing, removing his shirt to reveal his muscular chest.
"Maybe now you'll realize that you're mine until such time as I tire of you," Nakago knelt on the couch and seized Van's chin roughly. "And when _that_ day comes, you're going to have a very unfortunate accident." He covered Van's mouth with his own and began tearing off the agent's clothes.

"Thank you." Michiru smiled warmly as Haruka pulled out her chair for her. They sat at the table in the dining area where Kagetsuya was already seated with Fish Eye.
"I guess they must be on their way now, hm?" Fish Eye remarked, eyeing the sashimi on Michiru's plate. "I saw them leave for the airport."
"Yep, they'll be boarding the ship tonight," Haruka replied.
"The others are still practicing," Michiru said. "So Kenshin, Pulse and Nuriko won't be joining us. They're eating with Chihaya, Signal, and Yui."
"Hello," Setsuna greeted as she walked over and sat down. "One group is off, and the other will follow before long."
"I wish Van could know they were coming," Fish Eye said wistfully. "He's strong, but even the strongest person would despair after so long with Nakago."
"I'm just glad Van is professional enough that he won't visibly react when he sees the others there," Setsuna said, then frowned. "Where's Duo?"
"Haven't seen him," Haruka answered.
Michiru shrugged. "He never _did_ show up at the meeting." She looked down at her plate, then suspiciously at Fish Eye. "Now, _where_ did my sashimi go?"
Setsuna looked thoughtful. "It's not like Duo to miss lunch."
"I'll go look for him," Haruka offered, getting up from her seat.
"Thank you, Haruka," Setsuna said. "Maybe we should have checked on him earlier he might be sick."
Michiru watched Haruka leave, then turned back to the others. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen much of Duo since early yesterday."
"He came to see me privately," Setsuna said. "He wanted to go on the mission, but of course I told him no. He may be off pouting somewhere."
"Or he may be laughing his head off watching Nuriko and Pulse behave like a couple," Fish Eye said wryly, licking his fingers.
"Someday Nuriko is going to hit him so hard he'll never get up again," Kagetsuya remarked.
"Nuriko may have to get in line," said Haruka as she approached the table. She handed Setsuna a piece of notepaper. The elder senshi glanced at her, then read the note.
"What is it?" Fish Eye asked.
"Duo's gone on the mission," Setsuna said tightly, her lips pressed together. "That little ... how dare he do something so reckless?! He's without a partner, given us no clue as to what he's planning to do if _he_ even knows, and when the others see him, they might give themselves away!" She crumpled up the note. "I know one thing for sure. If Duo Maxwell gets back here alive, I'll make him wish he'd jumped overboard!"

"This is the place," Duo murmured to himself, taking note of the few obvious Masters and Pets waiting for the cruise ship to arrive in port. It wasn't so much the actions of these people that revealed themselves to him it was the identification bands on the wrists of the Pets. He knew every Pet wore one and that their name and the name of their Master was engraved on it. If a Pet changed Masters, then and only then could the band be removed and a new one put in its place. Duo knew the Seigi agents playing Pets all had them by now, but he hadn't bothered. After all, he didn't want to appear as a Pet with a Master he'd already decided who his Master would be and that person could brand him with his own wristband once they got that matter settled.
"Hurry up, Kurama!"
"Yes, Master."
Duo nearly jumped out of his skin at the familiar voices so close by, and was suddenly grateful he'd thought to disguise himself. It wasn't the _best_ disguise, but his most distinguishing feature his thigh-length braid was carefully tucked up under a cap. He flipped up the collar of his jacket and hunched his shoulders to conceal his face. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw Hiei and Kurama pass by and walk to the edge of the dock. He wondered if Kei and Yuri were also nearby, but didn't dare look. Once they were onboard, he could safely reveal himself to them, but he didn't want to take any chances that Hiei would make him stay behind.
"There it is."
He didn't know who said it, but everyone knew what they meant. The ship was approaching.
It was bigger than Duo expected, and luxurious. But of course, people who could afford to buy other people as personal servants were probably used to living well. Now then, he thought suddenly, time to join up with someone ....
He noticed a woman with two male Pets not far away and edged over to stand behind them. His jacket sleeves were pulled down, concealing his lack of a wristband, so as long as no one screened the oncoming passengers, he should be safe.
"Oh, it's beautiful!"
Duo recognized Yuri's voice and was glad to know that everyone who was supposed to make it had. Including me, he thought smugly.
Duo watched Hiei and Kurama board first. To his surprise, the only greeter was a cute, cheerful blonde youth with big green eyes. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he saw the boy check Hiei's papers, shake his hand warmly, then allow he and Kurama to pass while he met the next Master. Duo waited tensely while two more groups went up, then he followed the woman with her Pets.
"Welcome!" the blonde greeted, shaking her hand. "I'm glad you could join us. I'm Quatre Raberba Winner."
Duo blinked. _This_ was the mastermind behind Pet Communities? He looked as if he'd run crying if anyone said boo! Still, Duo thought with a hidden smile, he _was_ awfully cute. This Pet business may have some advantages after all.
"I see here that you're to stay with Community E for the duration of the cruise," Quatre said, glancing at the woman's papers. He returned them and smiled at her. "Have a good trip!"
The woman continued past Quatre with her Pets. Duo attempted to follow, but was stopped by Quatre's hand on his arm.
"I'm sorry, Sir, but you'll have to show me your papers before you can board," Quatre said, glancing behind Duo. "And where is your Pet?"
The woman's papers must have stated how many Pets she owned, Duo realized. Posing as a Master wouldn't gain him access to that private information that Quatre must have, so it was time to come semi-clean. Duo gave the other boy a sheepish grin, his purple eyes twinkling mischievously. "I, uh, lost them?"
Quatre gave him a knowing look. "You must be an escaped Pet. To whom do you belong?"
Duo shrugged, still grinning. "Nobody, at the moment." He showed off his band-less wrist. "My Master died in our bed, rest his soul. I guess I was just too much for him." He shrugged. "So I'm up for grabs! I thought this would be a good place to find a new, young Master with a lot of stamina who could keep up with me. I didn't want to turn myself in at the auctions I'd only be wasted there." He studied Quatre with interest. "Hey, _you're_ young and strong, I'd be just perfect for you. What do you say?"
Quatre's eyes were wide. He blinked several times, then laughed out loud.
"Well, I must say, you have more audacity than any Pet I've ever come across! What's your name?"
"Duo," he replied proudly. He knew from experience that Kei and Yuri probably couldn't hear their conversation from where they stood, and with his head half-turned away and his hair still hidden, they likely still hadn't recognized him. At least he hoped not.
Quatre nodded slowly. "All right, Duo, I'll tell you what I'll do. I _will_ take you on as a Pet for now, simply because I can best keep an eye on you when you're close by. Besides, to have you wandering around without an identification band on will just invite fights between other Masters for your ownership." He met Duo's eyes seriously. "However, this is a trial time only, and if I'm unsatisfied, I'll sell you privately to another Master."
"Sounds fair." Duo nodded.
"Fine," Quatre said. "I'll get you banded as soon as I'm done here. Now get down." He pointed to a spot behind him, and Duo quickly knelt there, keeping his head bowed to hide his smile.

End of Chapter 8 Story contents (C) 1998 Tenou Haruka Character copyrights are too many to mention, just know that none of them are mine.