A/N: Hey guys. Thanks for all of the awesome reviews. You guys totally make my day. I don't even want to admit to how often I check to see what people have written. Which now that I think about it is kinda sad... Lol.
There was a review in which concern was voiced about the possible occult-y or supernatural nature and a fear that this fic would turn into something along those lines... And yes, there is a lot of that in this chapter, but it will not become the main theme/event of this story. Really by making this a time-travel induced story I had to go either sci-fi, supernatural or 'it's all a big dream' in order to explain it... all of which I kinda hate so I picked what I did. Like I said, it's explanation, but it will not be the main event. So please bear with it!
Disclaimer: The cast of Rurouni Kenshin and their cannon stories are not mine, never were, and likely will never be, unless I make my millions in floral design or acrobatics. And I won't. Trust me.
Chapter 6: Oddities
"There is no present or future-only the past, happening over and over again-now."
―Eugene O'Neill, A Moon for the Misbegotten
"Why are you telling me this?", The red-haired man asked of his hostess, warily gauging her response.
"Because it is your strand that has been pulled."
She took another sip of tea, acting as though they were having a light conversation about the weather.
Sensing his skepticism, she continued.
"In the last week or so, how many strangers have you come across that acted as though they knew you?"
He narrowed his eyes and continued to listen to her, expectantly.
"It was because they did."
Pursing his lips, he tried very had not to scoff.
"How many people have reacted harshly to you, abrasively?"
He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off.
"Because you are not supposed to be here."
Taking a cleansing breath, he looked down at his tea. It sat on the table untouched.
"You've even sensed that there was something wrong. Something indescribable and deep."
"...Because there is.", he slowly finished her sentence.
She gently bowed her head in response. He let out a breath, trying to decide if this woman was as insane as he himself felt. Why did he sense that she was telling the truth? How could this possibly be?
He took a collecting breath, eyes closed, before speaking again.
"This one should apologize for poor manners. This one didn't mean to have such a harsh demeanor, however you must understand how this all sounds..."
She placed her cup on the table and let out a soft sigh, smiling.
"I understand. I do. This is a lot to take in and I'm sure you have many questions, and I will be happy to answer them if I can. That being said, we are on a bit of a schedule."
The young woman stood and motioned for him to do the same.
"I will explain on the way.", she said, extinguishing the candles around the room.
The small man stood, confused and suspicious, but followed her as she left the building. She closed the door tightly, and locked it.
"Where are we going?", he asked her as she returned the key to her obi.
She looked up at him and gave him a pleasant smile.
"We are going to see The Weaver."
-o0-0o-
The sense of peace that he experienced within the building, dissipated very quickly once outside. It felt like a giant weight had been placed upon the duo as they walked briskly through side roads and alleyways. Occasionally they would pass a person, but the man found himself hoping that the population was very low in this part of town, as everyone he met seemed angered by his existence. Strangers would stop whatever they were doing and glare, and occasionally as they got further and further from the building, people would start to follow, as if ready to cause trouble.
"Why does this one get the feeling we should be leaving very quickly?"
The young Miko let out a breathy laugh.
"Because we should."
Turning her head to look non-nonchalantly behind them, she took note of several maddened townspeople glaring at the red haired man.
"Don't make eye contact. Try to move quietly and quickly.", She instructed.
He nodded, his right hand unconsciously moving toward his sword hilt.
"Don't touch your sword. They'll interpret that as an attack."
Against his better judgment, he lowered his hand and picked up speed.
"I don't understand what has gotten into all of these people...", he muttered to her, hoping she could shed some further light.
She complied.
"You have been removed from time, somewhat. Leaving time to move strangely around you. This has always been a very spiritual area and the people here, aware or not, have a sense for the unnatural."
"Well it is quite unnerving, that it is.", he agreed.
"As it is to them. They aren't bad people, Mr. Himura. They just don't trust you. To them you appear shifty and dangerous. They feel threatened."
"...And threatened people attack."
"Exactly. So let's keep moving, shall we?"
The red-head nodded, picking up speed.
It wasn't long before they reached the edge of the town. Looking over his shoulder, the wanderer watched as the small group that had been following them slowed, then stopped, and finally turned back toward the town. He released a breath, happy that their situation hadn't come to blows. It's true that with his skills in battle they would be no match for him, but inevitably innocent people would have been hurt. That was something he actively avoided.
They slowed their pace and he began to enjoy the scenery... sort of. There was still the heavy feeling that clouded around him, the miasma that frenzied those people into wanting to attack him just to make it go away. It weighed on him, slowed him, drained him emotionally.
Or maybe it was the running away from semi-murderous townsfolk.
He debated about whether he'd sleep well or poorly tonight...
"Almost there.", the Miko spoke as they wound their way through the trees and toward a small clearing.
"This one is starting to get the feeling you are leading us into a trap of some sort...", the man quietly stated, more to himself than to his guide.
"Oh shush.", she retorted, "You big baby. If I wanted you dead, I would've left you in town."
He tilted his head to one side. True. Besides which, he really didn't get a bad feeling from her, nor did he sense anything malicious. If anything it was he who was causing upset in this picture, and the longer they walked, the more sour his mood became. However, just as upon entering the room when he first met the Miko, he felt the veil lift abruptly as they stepped onto the path that led into the clearing.
Paper charms adorned tree boughs, flitting about in the light breeze, and the dappled sunlight that had surrounded them from inside the wooded area opened up, accentuating the clearing ahead. A small temple, garden, and covered meditation area were situated within the tree-lined grassy domain. Several young girls in clothing much like his guide dotted the scenery, some meditating, some gardening, some having quiet conversations. All in all, it was very serene in nature, and a welcome relief. They made their way toward the temple, as several of the young girls turned to watch them go inside.
The inside of the temple appeared much larger than it had looked outside and was made of intricately carved dark wood and beautiful paper screens depicting nature. There were some fine silk paintings of the sun, the moon, and various star patterns, hanging within the open windows, casting small silhouettes of their shapes on the walls. Based on their placement and the angle of the light coming through the windows, he imagined that they moved within the room according to the light as it traveled across the sky.
The wanderer stood in silent awe taking in every detail, as his guide shooed two of the youngsters away from the door and gently slid it shut. She sighed, and looked at him.
"Can I get you anything? Some tea?"
"No thank you."
"You will need to eat or drink something. You have a bit of an adventure ahead of you. Actually, you have quite a large adventure ahead of you..."
He stared at the Miko, head shaking slightly from side to side, uncomprehending.
"This one would simply like to know how to stop the strange things that have been happening."
"Hence the adventure..."
"And what if this one decides against this adventure?"
The woman stopped, her lips tightening into a hard line.
"I should explain further."
She looked at him, let out a breath, and continued.
"Please, walk with me. The garden is beautiful this time of year."
The red-headed man complied, exiting through another smaller room inside the temple, and stepping foot into a fairly standard, albeit well maintained, traditional garden. Its lush greens highlighting the small splashes of coloured flowers and trees interspersed. They followed the sunken stone walkway, taking in the view as they spoke.
"I know you are wondering why this is all happening to you."
The man nodded slightly, looking down at the path, as the lady continued.
"We actually have no idea why this is happening to you. Only what. And what to do to fix it. That is in theory."
"In theory?", He looked up at her, scrutinizing her words.
She smiled, releasing a breathy laugh, and nodded, "It's not like this happens everyday."
She continued, looking ahead.
"I am an acolyte to The Weaver, of which you are already aware. The others here are servants as well. I am senior, hence my job as your guide. My duty is facilitator: Her hands, that is to say. I do what she requests."
"...And this Weaver...?"
"Is a lesser known goddess. She is weaver and protector of the timeline the Creator has set."
"Ah.", The man looked around quizzically, scratching his head.
Sure. Why not.
This seemed like an awful lot of trouble to go to for a ruse, and there was an honest and comfortable sincerity in her words, but he was having trouble believing that: A) An actual goddess literally spoke to these women, B) Said goddess requested him specifically, and C) Nobody had ever heard of any of this before. That being said, how many people could comfortable say to someone that there was a temple in the woods that housed an actual goddess that forged Time, without being sent to a crazy house.
"Please, sit.", She spoke gently, interrupting his thoughts, and leading then toward a small sitting area.
"So this Weaver speaks to you."
"Not in words, but yes. I can hear her quite clearly."
"Ah.", he looked down at his hands. During the Bakumatsu, on nights when he was very lonely, he was certain he had heard a voice or two. Once or twice during his darkest days, they may have even had a conversation, but that was his imagination and emotional exhaustion. It was nothing mythical or magical. It was a very tired, very hurt boy talking to himself.
"Would you like to meet her, Mr. Himura?", she cocked her head to better look at him, as he continued to stare at his hands and the stonework below their feet.
He let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry, but this is insane.", He stopped himself, "That is to say... this one is having difficulty with this concept..."
The Miko chuckled for a moment, knowingly. She nodded, standing, and offered him her hand.
"So let's go meet her."
-o0-0o-
This ought to be interesting, he thought to himself, as they approached a small shrine.
The shrine was old and weathered, but sturdy and clean enough. It was nothing fancy or seemingly special in any way, the only exception was a nearly hypnotic rhythmic sound that emanated from within.
The sound gave the small man goosebumps.
...Or that was just the light breeze that had followed them.
He took a composing breath, chastising himself for getting pulled into whatever delusion these women were currently suffering. Granted, he believed in many things, and didn't feel a specific need to prove or disprove the existence of the deities, but in all of his experiences he had yet to be able to put his finger on a moment in time and say 'There it is. The gods willed it.' over anything. It wasn't that he disbelieved, but he wasn't sure he wanted to believe. Although he liked the concept of other-worldly forces helping others through life, the idea that he may have been watched and judged during those dark nights when he filled the streets with blood, saddened him so very completely.
The rhythmic sound continued louder and louder as they approached, until, finally, they reached the shrine's open doorway. More paper charms adorned the top of the large doorway, and a small amount of sunlight peeked through the latticework windows, casting small glowing squares on the floor and walls inside.
There was an eerie stillness. Not malevolent, but a feeling of separation from reality. It was as though this one place touched all places at once. Places that currently existed, places that previously existed... Surprisingly unsure, he began to step forward. The Miko, watching carefully, allowed it without comment.
He stepped out of his sandals and bowed in respect, eliciting a small smile of approval from the Miko, and stepped inside, the lady following behind.
"That sound is the Weaver using her loom. On it, she weaves the Lifethreads into one fabric, connecting us all."
"So she decides our fates?", he asked, rubbing his forehead with one hand.
"Not exactly. She weaves, but the pattern is already created."
She headed toward the back, a darkened area and slid aside a paper door, revealing an old woman cast mostly in shadow sitting behind a rudimentary loom, the light from the room silhouetting her form. From his position in the room he could make out some features, but not many, although a more careful inspection when she turned her head for a brief moment revealed white opaque eyes. Was she blind? Taking absolutely no interest in the intruders, she continued to weave as she hummed a quiet, repeating melody. Shifting his eyes to the fabric that she was crafting, the man saw a vast array of colours and patterns. Supernatural or not, she was good at what she did.
"Do you see your thread?"
He tried really hard not to scoff, turning it into a kind of exhalation instead.
"My thread."
"Yes. Look carefully."
"How could anyone see a thread from here."
"Are you always this difficult? Just try."
From the doorway, the wanderer carefully eyed the fabric as best he could, from ten feet away and in the dark, until his eyes rested on a single red thread that seemed to shimmer in the tiny amount of light that existed. It was shimmering red, strong looking, but unlike the others in the cloth, it was connected in only one location, at the very far tip. It lay across the top of the fabric, and upon closer inspection he could see several small spaces along the expert weave. It felt to him, those spaces were made specifically for that one tiny thread.
"Every so often, a piece gets pulled. Sometimes it just happens, and sometimes it's the result of tampering, but it's easily fixable.", The Miko said, her eyes upon the cloth, "The Weaver returns it to its proper place and the world spins on."
She moved her eyes toward the wanderer, and continued.
"The Weaver has replaced your thread countless times. Every single time she replaces it, it shifts to another location. We have no idea why."
The small man looked at her, waiting.
"When a thread gets pulled or moved, it isn't long before others become attached. The lives each of us touch become connected in very complex ways, very quickly. Removing a thread, even to reattach it in it's proper place, can create a vast amount of damage. The more threads that are connected, the worse the damage. That is why the Weaver has pulled your thread entirely, until it can be fixed."
"What does that mean?", he asked, eying the shining thread.
"Nothing for now. You are... somewhat less restricted than others... I suppose that is to say: You can be moved."
He stared at her for a moment before speaking.
"The 'adventure' to which you referred?"
"Precisely.", she nodded, smiling.
The Miko moved closer to the door and slid it shut, bowing as she did so. She looked up at the wanderer and motioned for him to walk with her. Glancing back toward the door, he let himself be led by the young lady.
"Yours is the only thread moving. Over and over again, no matter what we do. It's actually quite infuriating. But that isn't why I brought you here."
She paused, pulling her feet once again into her sandals. He followed her action.
"This is personal. There is a force at work that is very specifically targeting you."
"Why me?"
"That's more for you to know than us, don't you think?", she responded, lifting one eyebrow.
He sighed, plopping himself on the raised wooden step.
"So this 'Force'..."
"We think it's a person. Someone with a gift."
"A gift.", lifting both hands to his head and rubbing, he exhaled in an annoyed fashion.
She reached out and touched his shoulder.
"The long and short of it is this: We think someone is playing with your Lifethread specifically, likely a person with a gift, but very inexperienced. The last maneuver originated from a different location in the fabric so we think that whoever is causing this disturbance may have gotten caught in their own back-draft. We need you to find this person and stop them before they cause anymore damage. Then the Weaver can restore the time-line and life goes on as it should."
The man held his hands over his face for a moment, before letting them drop to his sides once again. Sighing and shaking his head he asked in resignation, "So how do I find this person?"
The Miko smiled, something strange twinkling in her eyes. She looked toward the other girls that were milling around the various areas.
"That's where everyone else comes in."
-o0-0o-
'We're going to send you to the disturbance', she had said.
'It's easy!', she had said.
It wasn't long before she admitted to him that she'd never actually done this before, and with that terrible twinkle in her eye, lit some horrible smelling incense, doused him in some kind of water, surrounded him with chanting, and told him to relax.
Relax. Sure.
He met a creepy child, rented a room from people who didn't rent him a room, had a son that doesn't exist, got chased down in the street for being 'creepy', met a 'god'...
Replaying the week's events may not have been the best way for him to 'relax', he decided. On a scale of one to worst-day-ever, every day this week cracked at least an eight. And now he lay in a soggy puddle in the center of a circle of strange chanting women holding candles, one of whom told him to 'relax' and 'center himself'.
He sighed, thinking how embarrassed he would be when absolutely nothing happened. What then? Should he get up, thank them for their time, and run for it? It would certainly beat an awkward meal and equally uncomfortable sleep over...
"Stop sighing.", The Miko huffed, "You are supposed to be meditating."
"This one is not sure he knows how to meditate..."
"Then just stop thinking and focus on your breathing."
He tried. He really did. But he found himself trying to figure out exactly how he had been roped into this... whatever this was. His teacher was right, though the red-head would deny to his deathbed ever admitting it: He was too easily led. This was living proof of his inability to say no when someone asked for help.
Lost in his thoughts, the chanting seemed to flow into a gentle rhythm that lulled him into a sleepy state. Was he meditating? Happily dazed, he lifted bleary eyelids and peeked up at the... black room? When had it gotten dark?
Oh well, he thought to himself, before drowsily closing his eyes...
Instantly, blinding light shattered his sleepy state. A series of loud bangs that made his ears pop and hum followed by a trembling of the ground beneath him, startled him and he opened his eyes. Images flashed all around him, lights, shadows all melded together and swirled, making him incredibly dizzy.
She had warned him that it might be 'a little jarring but hopefully not too unpleasant', which hadn't really made him too excited about the whole idea, but then again he didn't really think anything would happen in the first place.
After the trembling came rumbling, and just when he thought he may be ill, it stopped, the only sound his own ragged breathing. He paused, a little afraid to open his eyes, before letting out a yell when every inch of his body met something hard and painful. With sharp pain stinging his skin, he began to shiver uncontrollably. Why was he so cold?
He opened his eyes, panting at the tingling in his extremities and heavy ache around his back and chest and was surprised to find that he was surrounded by snow. He was laying outside, surrounded by cold and white, wind swirling and howling around him. He tried to sit up, tried to pull himself out of the snowbank in which he appeared to be covered, but his arms would not obey and shook so violently he could barely lift himself more than an inch or two.
This was bad. His breathing was becoming erratic and he was feeling light headed.
He was so tired. Maybe he should sleep...
-o0-0o-
He slowly opened his unfocused eyes to a vast amount of white. Strangely, he was no longer cold, but rather warm and cozy, and as his senses came back to him he realized that he was in a raised bed within a hushed room. There were faint sounds echoing in what he assumed to be a hallway beyond the door to his left, and a sharp pain in his hand, where he appeared to be connected to some sort of tube, which was quite disconcerting.
Another strange sensation... someone gently tugging on his hair. He felt the light scratch of a comb pass over his scalp, and the quiet muttering of a woman from behind him.
He recognized that voice. It was the woman who pulled him out of the snowbank. It was the woman who saved him.
He blocked out all else and listened to her quiet tirade. He smiled, drowsily, to himself as her tirade quickly became a list of horrible names she had created for a woman that she appeared to have met recently. A doctor or nurse it seemed?
She fell silent, continuing to methodically comb his hair, a sensation that relaxed him to his core. But not so completely that he didn't hear her begin to softly speak.
"I just wish I at least knew your name.", he heard her breathe a small sigh.
He turned his head a bit toward her, and she stopped at the gentle movement, her bright blue eyes meeting his gaze.
"It's Kenshin Himura."
Man, this one was a bit of a long one, but I didn't really want to cut it off anywhere else. Kinda thought you might all kill me for it...
As always, thank you for your comments/reviews/questions etc. Love 'em. :)
LadyIwashi: Not sure I know what a "proper" fanfic is, but I am incredibly delighted that you are enjoying this one. Like I mentioned above, with the exception of intro and exit (basic set up) I will not be relying on occulty-stuff. And mother-hen Kaoru is doing her thing because up to this point Kenshin's been hurt, but when he recovers we'll see a lot more of temper/courageous/randomly embarrassed Kaoru. :)
Resha Tsubaki: Ahh early morning reading. Hopefully this chapter will help with the confusion... a bit... also thank you.
Lita : I really appreciate your encouragement. You are very thoughtful and I hope I can live up to everyone's standards!
emi takei : I'm right there with you. Now that he's speaking, they can get to know each other. :)
Winslow'sPhoenix : Theoretically... evil laugh. Yeah, I'm not that mean.. :P Glad you're enjoying it.
A Midsummer : Lol. Well hopefully this one didn't fry your brain. If it makes you feel any better, the next one will be a little bit lighter and hopefully a lot of fun.
Xerez : Thank you, thank you, thank you! You guys spoil me, and I'm getting addicted... I've been reading a lot of fic as well and feel the same way. If you're going to tell a story, tell it. If I never update again, mourn for me. It'll be against my will.
kokoronagomu : Sorry about your technical difficulties, but I appreciate the feedback in whatever way it comes! I like the time travel stuff in as well (gee can you tell?), generally because I'm in love with awkward humour. I guess that's why I like getting into the characters thoughts as well. Nothing is funnier than the stuff you think but don't say...
Wow. That sounded kind of ominous...
J Luc Pitard: Agreed. I was only in the hospital for 3 days and that was enough for me. I'm sorry you were there for that long! I hope whatever it was that landed you there is better/gone?
ireadstuff , KaOrU HiMuRa24 , Alkyonides Meres , amie689: Thanks for encouraging me. We all need it, and I appreciate you taking the time!
Izwick : Glad to hear you are still following... hope you've made it through this one as well!
Scarred Sword Heart : He'll be up and running in no time. Well, maybe not "running" persay...
skenshingumi : I'll do my best to keep 'em coming!
Thanks again and I'll do my best to get another one up fairly soon. My 4th year of school started this month and it's been all "online discussions" and practical assignments and tests every 28 days. Seriously. They have them purposely in 28 day intervals... Next one's in... 5 days so yay for studying...
Sigh.
In the meantime, I'd love to hear your favorite part/parts, and why?... If you feel so inclined...Pop 'em into "review"!