For a Favor
By Charmed Wolf
Forever the disclaimer is that I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, all I own is the manga and one OVA and that's it! Aoshi and the others will stay with their respected creator, I'm just barrowing them for this story that I have been attempting to write with loving care!
The vampire hunters stopped all of a sudden as Aoshi was looking at this girl; the very same girl looked up at Aoshi and saw a vision of her father. "You said it was impossible, miss," Aoshi said as gently as he could before he continued, "I'm not quite alive and I'm not quite dead either." He looked away as Marina came to face Aoshi; Kenshin couldn't believe the girl had the same color of eyes as Aoshi's. "Then what are you?" Marina asked as she looked at Aoshi, he just stopped walking back to the Aoiya. Of course, this is the kind of moment that Aoshi didn't want; Kenshin could see the uneasiness in Aoshi. "Marina, I'm a vampire," Aoshi said without turning around, Marina was surprised to hear that Aoshi called her by her name. She wanted hime to turn around to face her, but her brother wasn't going to do that in fear of scaring her any further than she was.
"Wait, how did you know my name when I didn't tell you?" She asked as Kenshin went up his friend, Aoshi closed his eyes as he was asked the question. Of course he guessed her name, and it was guessed that Aoshi was good at guessing or he really was a vampire. "I guessed at it, but primarily to the fact I am a vampire, Marina," Aoshi said as he walked back to the Aoiya, and that Kenshin was following back. Marina was wondering how her brother knew Kenshin, so she decided to follow Aoshi back to the Aoiya. "Aoshi, wait, we need to talk," Marina said as she took her shoes off to step inside to face her brother, Aoshi stopped at the stairs not wanting to face his sister.
Okina wonder who that young woman was until Aoshi turned around and there was a resemblance between Marina and Aoshi, of course there were things that Aoshi didn't want to be telling his sister because of the temper she would display. "Aoshi, why don't you just face her?" Okina asked gently trying to get Aoshi to talk to her; there was a sense of shame and guilt to Aoshi.
"Marina, you don't know the things I have done," Aoshi said looking at his sister the look of shame and guilt, two years ago, Aoshi wouldn't be facing his sister. Misao came downstairs to see what was going on, then she sees Aoshi's sister standing to face Aoshi. 'What am I to tell her?' Aoshi thought looking at his sister, Aoshi felt like he didn't want to tell his sister.
It was going to be tough to get anything from Aoshi; Misao knew that as Aoshi was very stubborn when he didn't want to give out too much information. "Aoshi, I know there is something you're hiding," Marina said as Aoshi looked away, he really didn't have time for this as it was nearing dawn and he needed to go bed down. Misao was about to take Aoshi upstairs, until Marina tried to stop her brother from leaving. "Marina, why do you want what to know what I done?" Aoshi asked getting very irritated with his sister, the young woman wasn't afraid of Aoshi as she looked at him.
Misao wanted to know who that woman was that was with Aoshi, she was waiting for Aoshi to finish getting ready for bed. "Misao, I know there is something you wanted to ask me," Aoshi said as he went to Misao, he was only in his gi pants ready to lay in his coffin to bed down now.
Misao just looked up at Aoshi seeing a sincere look to his face; he wanted Misao to know who that woman was. "Aoshi, who was that woman I saw you with?" Misao finally asked looking away, she was afraid that Aoshi was going to leave her for another woman. Aoshi gently stroked Misao's cheek to reassure her, all she did was take his and look into his blue eyes. "Misao, that woman downstairs is my sister," Aoshi said being completely honest with Misao, she was surprised to hear that Aoshi had a sister as he continued, "This is new to me too, I hadn't known that she was still alive all these years, at this point I don't know what to do or what to tell her at this point." Misao started to give Aoshi a shoulder massage to start to get him to relax, the sun was about to rise in the sky as Misao was helping Aoshi to relax before getting into his coffin to sleep for the day.
Marina was getting anxious as her brother was upstairs was in his coffin asleep, she had wanted to talk with her younger brother. "Makimachi-dono, how do you know Aoshi?" Marina asked as Misao came down the stairs to let Aoshi rest, Misao was thinking of what to tell Aoshi's sister.
Of course, Marina should have been able to see that Aoshi cared for this young woman, she could see that Misao cared a lot over Aoshi as well, even when she was hurt by him.
"Well, Aoshi helped raised me when I was a baby," Misao said thinking of the day she was held by Aoshi, to her, it was very special. Of course, it went with out saying that Aoshi was sent to live and train here, Marina remembered the day that Aoshi had to be sent the Aoiya. "All I remember is my little brother being sent to live here, I never expected him to be like father," Marina said looking down as she thought of her brother, of course at that time Aoshi was sleeping in his coffin relaxed.
Aoshi got up in the evening just to feed; Marina saw that Aoshi was dressed in his beige yukata as to be comfortable. "Marina, why are you still doing here?" Aoshi asked looking at his sister with the intense look; it was new to him to have an older sister around all the time.
He went back to looking at the log and found only one name marked in red, Okina to him a piece of truth that made a difference in his quest to find out what happened to his parents "Aoshi, when your father planned to send you here, he planned to follow later," Okina said walking up to stand next to Aoshi, meanwhile, a man with the same narrow icy blue eyes was riding on a horse heading on to the Aoiya. To this man, it was coming home after along time away, he hadn't seen Aoshi since he sent him to be safe at the Aoiya a long time ago. 'I wonder how my son is doing, I bet he's now a good vampire,' Hiro thought as he came into view of the Aoiya, it was going to be good that he's home.
Flashback
Hiro managed to escape with his daughter as the rouge ninja attack, he was glad that he escaped but without his wife. It was getting hard to find places to hide from the rouge ninja; he was trying his best to keep his daughter safe. "Marina, we're on the run now, we have to find a place to hide now," Hiro said as he slingged his pack onto his shoulder, his other shoulder was killing him due to an injury. A friend of theirs saw them walking from the home and offered him a place of refuge, of which he accepted gratefully with Marina very tired and his shoulder aching so bad. "But papa, I'm not that sleepy," Marina said trying to stifle a yawn, but Hiro shook his head to send his daughter to bed. Hachiro and Hiro spent some time talking, all before dawn, Hachiro made room for his friend.
"It's at least what I can do for you until we could have that shoulder looked at by doctor and get you to the Aoiya, Hiro," Hachiro said coming from the room, Hiro's face had a look of sadness as he was missing his wife. During the time that Hiro was asleep, Hachiro took the liberty of looking for a doctor to look at Hiro's injured shoulder. The doctor also knew that Hiro was dehydrated from the lack of blood; Hachiro often looked in to make sure that Hiro was well hydrated with fresh blood.
"Now just to get a horse is proving difficult, Hiro," Hachiro said looking at his friend, Hiro wasn't worried except for the fact he wanted to get to his son. This made Marina worry about her father at times; she missed her baby brother too and often thinking of him.
End of Flashback
'I'm finally going to get to see my son, this is great,' Hiro thought as he continued on to the Aoiya, in time, the city of Kyoto had changed. It was still evening as Aoshi was still in the study with Okina; they were talking until the horse Hiro was riding whinnied a bit. "Was that a horse I hear outside?" Okina asked as Aoshi got up to go see what was going on, Hiro slid off his horse to grab his things and to head inside as he was tired. Hiro didn't turn around to see who came outside, for some reason; he already knew that was Aoshi that came outside to see was going on. "I bet you have questions to ask, Aoshi," Hiro said as he placed his forehead on the saddle, Aoshi didn't want to say anything, so he just nodded and proceeded to take his father's things into Aoiya.
Okina was both surprised and glad to see Hiro to stay with them; the Shinomori Family was now reunited under one roof. 'How did he know I had some questions to ask?' Aoshi thought as he sat outside again, Hiro came back outside to privately talk with Aoshi to get to know his son.
Okina knew Aoshi had never seen his father in years, there was things that Aoshi didn't want to tell his father in fear of being disowned. "Aoshi, I'm proud of you no matter what you done," Hiro said with his hands on his son's cheeks, he must have been proud to have heard that his son became the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu at the age of 15. There was a hidden shame in Aoshi's eyes, it was then that Hiro knew what Aoshi did from what Okina told him and Aoshi couldn't deny it and only took the responsibility of his actions. "Aoshi, you know, I still love you no matter what you did," Hiro said looking at Aoshi; there was no way that Hiro was going to disown his only son.
Marina was listening to what Aoshi was telling their father, she was surprised to the fact that Aoshi went insane with grief nearly killing Okina. "Marina, don't be listening in on a private conversation," Hiro said knowing that Marina was listening; it was going to be along night for all to settle now. Of course that Aoshi was getting to know his father, like all Shinomori, Aoshi was raised by the Oniwabanshu. 'So it shows that Aoshi was raised by the Oniwabanshu,' Hiro thought as he looked at the place were Aoshi had received his punishment, Kenshin saw what the punishment was and wondered why Aoshi was willing to go through something so very painful. Of course, Hiro could see why Aoshi went with something painful, it was a reminder to anyone in the Oniwabanshu not to betray the members and go against them only to be hurt in the end, Aoshi knew that.
The day of the punishment
"Aoshi, are you sure you want to do this?" Okina asked looking into Aoshi's eyes, he knew that he broke a rule and he had to be punished for it. Aoshi looked at Misao and got up to follow Shiro outside, Aoshi wanted to do this to remind him not to betray the Oniwabanshu again. "I'm glad my father isn't here to see this, Shiro," Aoshi said solemnly before kneeling with the top of his yukata off and his back facing Shiro, Aoshi had a hold of the ropes as Kuro and Shiro were ready to start.
Okina saw that that Aoshi never winced once, nor did Aoshi cry out of pain as the whipping went on. "I think 10 is enough as fitting for a punishment, Aoshi," Shiro said getting Aoshi to let go of the rope, Kuro stepped forward to gently took Aoshi to his room to lie him down.
Aoshi showed no pain, although he was very much in pain. "I'm going to get a doctor to look at Aoshi's back, Shiro," Kuro said as he left the large room, Misao gave Aoshi the title of Okashira back. But she stay by Aoshi's side as a way she to show him that she's not leaving him, it was hard to see if he really appreciated the company that Misao was providing him. "Aoshi, you really didn't have to do that," Misao said as she was using a cold cloth on Aoshi's back as the doctor directed, Okina knew Aoshi admitted to what he did was wrong and faced the punishment with grace.
End of punishment
"Of course, Aoshi, you know, you and your sister is all I have left," Hiro got up to walk back into the Aoiya, he was glad to be with his son. The look changed to sheer joy when he saw Misao and saw an engagement ring, he was going to see that his son was going to be getting married.
I know Aoshi was never really punished for the betrayal, so don't correct me on it.
I have not been getting any reviews lately and I just might put this fanfic on hold if I don't get reviews.
