Twisted Fate

Chapter 2

For the whole five days aboard the ship, the girl would not look, or even speak, to Enishi. Of course, the elder never encouraged her to speak to him. The silence was just fine with him as they slept under the deck in a single room with two sets of bunk beds.

Before his Jinchuu, Enishi would have spared no expense and gotten a better room. Now, however, and although still very wealthy, he reduced himself to ordinary expenses to keep a low profile.

It was human nature to observe the rich and powerful, and for Enishi to foolishly throw himself back in the limelight was just asking for trouble.

The only one in the room besides the girl and himself was his business partner. They had much to discuss since their return to Japan.

Enishi sat on his bottom bunk, and the girl he bought slept on the bunk above him. His partner was across from him on the second bunk bed set, so they could talk further matters.

"So what did Yamataro say?"

"He didn't like joining me with business deals, but because I promised influence in China, he had no choice." Enishi replied, both speaking in Mandarin.

"So, you will make further weapons of war?"

"I'm simply financially aiding him. I get forty percent profit."

"Forty percent?! Yamataro must be desperate!"

Enishi smirked with his arms folded as he said, "Yamataro said he has a scientist working on some weapon that will cripple soldiers during war."

"Let me guess," the Chinese man smiled. "The Westerners want this new product."

"Correct, and that is why I'm getting forty percent profit. The Westerners just keep the Chinese addicted to that opium tea so China won't know what's going on around them."

"That opium tea is what's crippled China. Word is the Chinese government is going to cut off the tea trade with the Westerners."

"I assume so, but that is China's problem." Enishi settled himself down on his bunk.

"That girl you bought," the Chinese man asked. "Why did you buy her and bring her along with us?"

"Convenience." Enishi replied, but offered no more insight to his thoughts.

His business partner understood the notion and lay down to sleep as well.

Enishi closed his eyes. He bought the girl mainly because his unsmiling sister encouraged him to do so. The other reason was he thought he knew the girl, for she looked very familiar. It turned out, he did not know her, but she still looked very familiar.

It was strange, almost like fate, the way they met down to him having no choice but to bring her with him to China. Unfortunately, for the girl, Enishi had a reputation to uphold, and he could not just let her go due to that reputation.

The time was moving too fast, and the ship was about to sail, and he could not stay in Japan a moment longer; so that was another reason why he had no choice but to bring her with him. Besides, he paid five thousand Yen for her, so he definitely was not going to let her go.

Enishi was not a lecher, of course, so he was not going to force himself on the girl. He would just think of some purpose for her so he could get his money's worth.

The ship rocked and jolted as she sailed through the rough waves. There must be a storm above them, or the ship had hit bad waters. The ship gave another jolt, and Enishi was almost tossed out of his bed. He heard movement above him, and the girl made her way down from her bunk.

The ship rocked another way and the girl all but fell on him. She heaved with her hand clamed over her mouth, and she vomited on the floor. She looked away, embarrassed, before she said, "I need to ask a crew member for cleaning supplies."

"I'll ask." Enishi commanded more than suggested. "I don't want you telling other people you've been kidnapped."

The girl clamped her mouth shut with an almost audible snap. Enishi left the room and looked around for a crew member. One of the crew members, probably new, had a very difficult time getting the supplies to Enishi, for he was tossed around with the ship.

Enishi just moved his body weight with the ship's rocking and jolting like a professional sailor. He retrieved the supplies and brought it to the room, and handed it to the girl.

It was difficult for the girl to clean up her mess since she was often sick. Enishi handed her an empty bucket, inwardly amused when the girl flushed with more embarrassment.

"Vomit in that." Enishi commanded her.

The girl was done cleaning her mess, and she clung to the empty pail with her life. Enishi sat down on his bunk a few inches away from her since she decided to also sit on his bunk. He did not blame her, for the rocking would be worse if she was on the upper bunk.

"I take it you've never sailed before." Enishi said to her.

The girl briefly glanced at him, and then looked back down at her bucket. A moment passed before she said, "I've never been to another country, so no, I've never sailed before."

The ship gave another sharp jolt, and the girl closed her eyes as she gulped several times. She inhaled and exhaled slowly several times before her breathing pace quickened; she gulped several times again before she dry heaved into the bucket.

Enishi once again felt a surge of pity for the girl, but he did not show it. After the girl was finished with her heaving, she breathed several times again from exertion.

"What's that long thing tied up next to you?" she asked.

Enishi observed that she was trying to make herself forget her nausea by creating conversation. He looked at the object she was asking about, which was lying on the bed.

"My Watou sword." He simply answered.

"You practice the Art of Swordsmanship?"

Enishi's eye twitched; the art of swordsmanship, huh?

"Yes; Garyu Watojitsu to be exact."

"My parents practice the art, too. Well, my mother more than my father. My mother has a school, and my father has retired his swordsmanship."

"That's not uncommon." Enishi replied, although uninterested in this girl's mundane life. "Many swordsmen have retired their weapons."

Plus, there were still a few dojos open in Japan despite the sword now being useless.

The girl nodded once before adding, "My mother's school is somewhat popular…for students looking for recreation, or because their parents want them to learn of the old days."

The old days.

Enishi preferred to forget the old days; the old days of war, conflict, unimaginable amounts of blood staining the white snow, and an assassin with red hair and a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek.

The ship gave another sharp jump, and the girl suddenly asked, "How old are you?"

Enishi looked at the girl out of the corner of his eye before he answered, "Thirty-seven."

The girl looked at him with disbelief, and she cried in a high whisper, "No you're not! You look too young for thirty-seven!"

"That's my age, and it's not going to change until next year. How old are you?"

He meant for it to be insulting to the girl, but she answered anyway.

"Fifteen."

She looked about that age.

"We should almost be there to Shanghai." Enishi informed and then commanded. "Get some sleep."

Enishi got up from the bunk and, with his Watou, easily climbed up to the top bunk with the easy flow of a tiger. The girl below him uneasily settled down on the bottom bunk, and had a fitful night's sleep.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The ship came into port at Shanghai City, China early in the morning. The ship's passengers were scrambling about, trying to get their luggage together, wanting so much to get off the vessel.

One of those willing passengers was Enishi's recently acquired merchandise. Her eyes were half-lidded, and dark circles were forming under her eyes. He could tell she did not get much sleep on their journey.

"When we get off the ship," Enishi commanded to the girl. "Stay close; keep your head down, and your eyes averted. You definitely don't want to get lost in a city like Shanghai, especially as a foreigner."

So they departed from the ship together, as well as the Chinese man that accompanied them. The girl practically glued herself to Enishi's black Chinese shirt while he spoke Mandarin to his partner.

The Chinese man, Feng, looked more Japanese than Chinese with his slightly larger Japanese eyes and long black hair, tied back into a high ponytail.

The girl felt really out of place as the crowded dock bustled about with people crammed together like diced up tuna. They spoke a language she did not know, so trying to receive help from them would not be an option.

Not that she had very many options to begin with.

The city of Shanghai was loud with conversations, people quickly walking about, their gazes straight ahead of them; the fishermen were bring out barrels of seafood to the rowdy market, shouting to one another as they quickly filled the market with their catches. Seagulls cawed as they flew about in search of an easy meal.

The weather was incredibly hot; the sun beat down unmercifully upon the city, and not a breath of wind, even from the sea, would bring relief to the residents.

So humid.

Stray dogs would run about, seeking food, and (she blushed) some mated in the middle of public. No one paid them any attention as they went about their business. Market sellers would shout to pedestrians, no doubt trying to sell their products by saying their booth had the best bargains.

Some sales booths were food booths, and the wonderful aroma of food filled the dock's air as it also mixed with the scent of sea water. She could see white steam fill the air as the cooks waved the fires with their Chinese fans.

Enishi finished his conversation with the Chinese man and they went their separate ways. He motioned for the girl to follow him through the crowded streets, and although she did not like it, she looped her arm around his left arm; his right hand held his wrapped up Watou sword.

Enishi paid no mind to her as he walked them through the streets in a straight pattern; his wealthy clothes spoke of status, and the other pedestrians moved away from him. Although, he had to admit to himself, it felt strange to be touched by another person again.

The girl kept her eyes averted and her head down, just as Enishi told her. She did not want to be in this strange country, and already she missed Japan greatly. In her situation, however, she had no choice but to cling to Enishi like a lifeline because in a cut-throat city like Shanghai, he was just that; a lifeline.

They walked right up to a business that was set very close to the dock. The girl noticed it was a horse and buggy type business, for she saw horses and carriages on the side of the building. They went inside, and when Enishi saw they were the only customers, he released his arm from her.

The bookkeeper at the counter, a young woman, smiled at Enishi like she knew him and they were good friends. He winked at her as they carried on a small conversation, and the young woman glanced at the girl.

The girl, who was now personal property of Enishi, stood aside, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. No doubt she looked dirty and very un-presentable; she could use a washroom right now, because if she could smell herself, then she knew everyone else could, too.

Enishi gave the woman a small chuckle, another wink, he paid the bill, and they were out of the tiny building. As soon as they exited, the girl once again clung to her purchaser's arm.

"I'm going to lose my arm if you continue to hold it so tightly." Enishi scolded.

She did not loosen her grip as they went around to the back where a Chinese man was standing next to a carriage. The employee opened the door to the carriage and bowed. He stayed bowed until both Enishi and the girl were inside before he closed the door.

"I'm not going to ride in the luggage bin?" the girl snipped.

The luggage bin was located on the back of the carriage.

Enishi looked at her seriously as the carriage moved along smoothly. The girl could hear the clicking of the horses' hooves on the dirt road. She looked around the carriage in amazement; it had velvet seats facing each other, her on one seat, Enishi on the other, across from her. The roof was fine linen, and everything was red velvet.

"Impressed?" Enishi asked.

The girl just nodded before she said, "This is my first time in a carriage. How can you get one as extravagant as this when you're a foreigner?"

"In a city like Shanghai, you have to speak the right language; and the right language is always money. Show it to them, and they'll be your best friends. Run out of it, and you have no friends."

Suddenly the carriage jumped, almost overturned, but it kept upright and continued on smoothly once again. The girl could hear screaming fading away as the carriage drove on.

"What was that?!" she asked.

Enishi shrugged as he answered, "We probably ran over something, or rather someone."

"And we're not stopping?! What if they're dead?!"

"That's life."

The girl stared at Enishi with wide, disbelieving eyes. He smirked at her, and said, "Welcome to Shanghai."

To Be Continued…

AN: Really quick; the war that Enishi mention Japan was currently in was the Sino-Japanese War, which lasted from 1894-1895.

For those of you readers whom made it this far without abandoning my fan story, and are thinking, "OMG! Enishi is thirty-seven and the girl is fifteen?! Can we say pedophile issues?!"

Let me get on my soapbox for just a moment…

First off, this is 1800s Japan. Even back then, many young girls were married off to much, much older men. In fact, many of the men had been waaaaay older than thirty-seven. It just irks me so much when I read Kenshin/Kaoru fan fics, and some start the story off with an author's notes that more or less states: Kaoru is older because I have issues with Kenshin and Kaoru's age differences.

Of course, the way things are in Japan are not like they were then, but every country has its own faults. Even in the Western culture, at one point, teenagers would sometimes run away and get married without their parents' approval. In some African tribes, it's a norm for men of other tribes to visit neighboring tribes and steal a married woman for themselves.

My point: For the love of whatever, or whomever, you believe in, stop judging other cultures and beliefs based on your own cultures and moral values!

I'm going to get off my soapbox now, so I hope I made my point, and I hope you can continue on in this journey with me.