Caged Wind
Kenshin grumbled as he made his way back from town with the groceries his master had sent him to get; muttering darkly under his breath about the amount of sake he'd had to buy in addition to the food, and how much of a burden it was.
"Shishou only does this to throw his own weight around ...I'm no more a swordsman than a slave! " Kenshin growled, his eyes narrowing into a scowl that would, a little bit later in his life, be as feared as a demon's. It was at that fateful moment, that something caught his eye...the flash of something pink catching the late afternoon sunlight.
"Huh? What was that just now? " Kenshin murmured, as he carefully put his groceries down, and walked over to where he'd seen the flash; childish curiosity taking over the thought of retribution for arriving home late with the sake. With care, he laid his purchase down beside the path, climbed onto some of the rocks surrounding the place where he'd seen the flash of color, and reached down into a crevasse that only a child's hand (like his own) could reach into. When he had the mysterious object in his grasp, he pulled his hand back out and looked at it with wonder in his deep purple eyes.
"What a great-looking stone flower! I've gotta keep this! " Kenshin said, as he happily tucked the crystal into his pocket, picked up the groceries again, then took off down the path towards home; innocently unaware that the breeze at his back had just become very dangerous...
Hiko growled in impatience as he waited for his apprentice to return from Kyoto. He knew that it normally took all day to make the return trip from the city; and yet, he felt on edge...and he wished the youth would just hurry up.
"That baka ...He's probably gotten himself lost again, like he normally does. " Hiko muttered, trying to put the feeling of unease to the back of his mind...but it wasn't working as well as he had wished.
"Shishou!" Kenshin's voice suddenly shouted, bringing the swordmaster somewhat out of his irritable and worried musings and focusing his attention on his now-arriving apprentice.
"What the blazes kept you?" Hiko asked, hiding his relief behind a mask of irritation. Kenshin gave him a sheepish look in response.
"Gomen, Shishou. I didn't mean to take so long in returning." Kenshin replied, knowing that Hiko did not want to hear any excuses at this point.
"Feh. As though I would believe that. You didn't spill any of the sake, did you?" Hiko again asked, as he checked over the bottles himself just to make sure.
" No, Shishou." Kenshin answered, trying not to sigh in exasperation and reaching into his pocket to make sure the stone flower had not fallen out as he did so. It was then that he noticed his master stiffen, and a look of dread overcame his usually calm and unruffled features.
"This presence...it can't be...There's no way..." Hiko muttered, as he straightened up from the inspection of the goods and glanced around nervously.
"Shishou? What is it?" Kenshin asked, almost immediately concerned about the warrior before him.
"Kenshin, did you pick anything up that was not on the list I gave you earlier? Something unexpected?" Hiko in turn asked, as he gave his apprentice a grave look.
"Uh...O-only a stone flower, Shishou." Kenshin replied, nervously.
"A stone flower?" Hiko questioned, getting a nod from the boy in response.
"Hai. Here it is." Kenshin stated, as he dropped the piece of stone into his master's hand, and subsequently watched in surprise as all the color drained from Hiko's face.
"A Shikon Shard...I was afraid this would happen...Where did you find this?" Hiko asked, as a barely concealed, cold fear clutched at his heart.
" In a pile of rocks beside the path I took to come back, Shishou." Kenshin answered, his voice freezing in his throat when something landed with catlike silence on the other side of the glen behind the master swordsman. Hiko reacted instantly; he whirled around, pushed Kenshin to the ground behind him, unsheathed his sword, and faced what appeared to be a woman that had a metal fan in her hand.
"Long time, no see, Lord Hiko. I take it you remember me?" the' woman' asked, as she smiled at the wary swordmaster.
"Only too well, Kagura." Hiko replied, as he gave Kenshin the unspoken command to stay down and remain as still as possible.
"When we last met, it was long before the Black Ships appeared...In fact, it was just after you'd abandoned your domain...How have you been, these long, lonely years?"' Kagura' asked, as she gave Hiko a questioning look.
"Why do you wish to know? The last time we saw one another, you tried to kill me, if I remember correctly...What has changed to make your mission any different from then?" Hiko again asked, watching the woman closely to make certain he could counteract any attacks she sent his way, and ensure Kenshin's escape. To his surprise and added consternation, Kagura only shrugged, and tucked her fan back into the top part of her kimono.
"I guess it is because I no longer desire to follow through with the command to kill you. Seeing that you are one of the few remaining thorns in Naraku's flesh, it actually pleases me to know that you are still alive and well...and as strong as you were back then." Kagura said, then added," I take it that that boy there is your apprentice?"
"What of it?" Hiko asked, his tone deepening into a growl, as he gripped his unsheathed sword tensely; striving with every ounce of his own will to prevent himself from flying into a useless battle.
"You needn't worry so, Hiko, I am not going to kill him...nor am I going to take the shard he'd found from you." Kagura stated, trying to calm the angered swordmaster with those words.
"Why? Naraku, your master, lusts after the completed Shikon no Tama...What are you doing leaving this with me?" Hiko questioned, suspiciously.
"The time of the Jewel's completion has not yet come. In fact, the shard you are holding shouldn't even exist yet, since the whole Jewel has not even reappeared." Kagura stated, getting a slight nod from Hiko as a response.
"A paradox in and of itself...and yet, with that in mind, you want me to guard it?" Hiko asked, uneasy with the idea for a number of very good reasons. Kagura nodded gravely.
"Hai. At least until the time comes and the opportunity to destroy Naraku presents itself." Kagura murmured.
"What will you do until then, Kagura? Keep tabs on me?" Hiko asked, spitting the words out as though they had a vile taste to them.
"Feh. Naraku has too much for me to do that would keep me from keeping a close eye on anyone; since this is his time of weakness, after all." Kagura replied, noticing when a look of realization crossed Hiko's ageless face.
"Of course...he's still a hanyou as well, and thus must adhere to the rules of one...He will not know of your duplicity for some time." Hiko mused, even though the look of unease remained in his ebony eyes.
"True...But he still holds my heart in his hand...He will eventually wrench the truth from me." Kagura said softly; her crimson eyes sad as she completed her thought," And when that happens, he will force me to attack you...And I do not wish to do so."
"Why is that?" Hiko questioned, sensing that something deep within the wind witch had changed since their last meeting, so many years ago.
"I see something in you...and your young apprentice...that I only wish I had...and that one thing is freedom..." Kagura whispered, as she slowly approached him, and, to Hiko's shock and consternation, gently kissed him on the lips before turning to leave.
"Kagura..." Hiko muttered, voicing his disbelief at her actions. He was only further confused when she turned and looked back at him; with tears running freely down her pale face.
"Be well, my flying dragon of heaven...and be safe. Don't let Naraku kill you." Kagura murmured, before disappearing into a whirlwind and flying away. Hiko watched her go for a few moments more, then turned to Kenshin (who was now standing close at hand and was also looking after the departing wind witch).
"Shishou, who was she?" Kenshin asked, as he turned his curious purple eyes onto his white- mantled master.
"That, Kenshin, is a caged wind...A wind that will probably never know freedom in any lifetime...yours' or mine." Hiko replied, thoughtfully, then fell silent; not wanting to reveal anything more to the boy that would distract him from the trials to come...and the training that would inevitably become even more rigorous than before.
"I can only hope that I'll be strong enough to overcome whatever Naraku sends this way ...and that Kenshin will be able to keep up with what I teach him from now on. " Hiko mused, darkly, as he turned and entered his hut; the Shikon Shard clutched tightly in his right hand as he did so.
Owari
Author's Note!
I don't know what the heck is going on with this site right now, but please, if anyone can't read this fic, let me know!
Gemini14