A/N: Chapter 14 is here! LOL my muse demanded that it came out before Chinese New Year, hence the sooner-than-expected update! Thank you to all who found chapter 13 good, I was so happy when I saw all the reviews! Love you all lots! But anyway, this chapter is not going to be so much on KK…after all, the palace is still in chaos after the attempt on the emperor's life, and things get even more complicated when new friendships are forged. Read, and do update! Just to let you guys know, this chapter takes place in the palace, right after Kenshin left with Kaoru.

Chapter 14: The Aftermath

Komagata Yumi did not remember the last time when she actually ran so hard. Holding up the ends of her kimono with the right hand and holding Yahiko's tightly in her left, she ran behind Sagara Sanosuke, trying desperately to keep up with his fast pace. Even as she ran, she couldn't help but notice how distracted Sanosuke was, his eyes scanning the crowd frantically as he led her and some other concubines to safety.

Of course…He's looking out for that wretched girl…

"What are you looking at, Sagara-san?" Yumi asked in an innocent tone, as if truly curious.

I'll see what lies you try to entertain me with…

Sanosuke turned his head slightly to the side, the worry still evident in his eyes as he replied Yumi politely.

"Nothing, miya-sama. Nothing at all." In order not to arouse her suspicions further, Sanosuke willed himself to believe that Megumi would be fine and kept his eyes fixed on the path ahead of him.

Kami-sama…Please keep her safe…Onegai…

Yumi watched his reactions the entire time, anger and jealousy surging up in her heart as her eyes narrowed in fury. It was all getting too obvious by now…From the looks they gave each other earlier on during the umbrella dance item and the anxiousness displayed by Sanosuke over Megumi's safety.

How can he possibly be thinking of her at this time! How dare they! She thought angrily as she recalled the evidence of their relationship.

He holds her in priority over me…Well, Sanosuke, you will regret betraying my affections. You want to keep her safe, don't you? You wish to be there for her, don't you? I'll make you regret doing so…I bet you never thought your love for her will be the very reason that sends her to her death. It will be too late by then…You'll all pay. I'll make you learn how it feels to have your heart broken. First Akira, then now you. Megumi's not going to be as lucky as the wretched Empress…I'll make all of you regret hurting me!

Megumi watched with horror as the highly skilled assassin made away with Kaoru-hime as his hostage, and was vaguely aware of an almost-hysterical Wataru dragging her along by the arm, running behind a few guards who had by now, pulled out their katanas. Thoughts of a certain General suddenly came to her mind, as she shrugged off Wataru's grip on her arm and pushed against the crowd of people, tiptoeing to look for any signs of Sanosuke.

Sanosuke…Where is he? Is he alright?

"Miya-sama! Please, come back!"

Ignoring Wataru's cries, Megumi pushed her way through to the central stage, where she could see clearer. Just where is he? Is he alright? Panic coursed through her being, as she frantically tried to find him, until she heard loud screams from behind her.

"Help! Please, anybody, help! The Empress has fainted!"

Turning around swiftly, Megumi saw the beautiful empress unconscious, lying in the arms of the emperor, oblivious to the cries around her. Faced with the sight in front of her, Megumi pushed her thoughts of Sanosuke aside and ran forward, her instincts to save kicking in instantly.

Facing a pale and anxious Akira, Megumi calmed herself down and spoke steadily, "Mikado-sama, I was a doctor. Please allow me to help. There's not enough time to run to the medical hall to get help."

Studying Megumi's expression briefly, Akira nodded, loosening his hold on Tomoe for Megumi to check on her.

Kneeling down beside them, Megumi took hold of Tomoe's limp, slender wrist and felt for her pulse, closing her eyes in concentration as she tried to read the pulse for greater details, while an anxious Akira watched nervously, his eyes darting between Megumi's facial expressions and Tomoe's unconscious form.

"What is wrong with her? Will she be alright?" he pressed, eager for an assurance as he watched confusion and uncertainty creep across Megumi's face, her long lady-like fingers moving daintily across Tomoe's wrist, pressing on different areas.

This is so weird…Her pulse doesn't feel like it belongs to one who has just fainted. The problem with it is…There seems to be nothing wrong… Megumi was almost certain of her diagnosis; she has always been gifted with taking pulses, and there was no reason as to why she would make a mistake now. Opening her eyes and looking into Akira's, Megumi spoke up.

"Mikado-sama, we have to bring Tomoe-sama back to her chambers immediately. I have to do a more thorough check-up for her…Please trust me."

Without hesitation, Akira answered eagerly. "Hai, wakatta," Turning over to face a stoic-looking man whom Megumi recognised as the General who gave chase to the red-haired assassin earlier, he barked out. "You heard her, Shinomori. Lead the way immediately!"

It wasn't before long when Megumi found herself kneeling down beside an unconscious Tomoe by the futon, her hand occasionally reaching for Tomoe's wrist to take her pulse and trying hard to concentrate with Akira pacing the room in anxiety and Tsubame dabbing her eyes.

Funny how it doesn't seem like she has fainted…The pulse is regular…More like she's actually awake.

To her surprise, Tomoe suddenly stirred, her fingers twitching slightly and her long eyelashes fluttered open to reveal her sparkling dark eyes.

"Mikado-sama! Tomoe-sama is awake!" Megumi informed the Emperor excitedly, while she busied herself with helping Tomoe sit upright. Yokatta…

"Tomoe! Are you alright, my Empress?" Akira asked anxiously, kneeling down beside Tomoe and gripping her hand in his. "If you're feeling unwell, you have to tell…tell…" Akira looked apologetically at Megumi.

"Megumi. Takani Megumi." She answered quickly.

"Hai. You have to inform Megumi immediately!"

"Mikado-sama," Tomoe said softly, smiling at him in reassurance. "I am fine."

"Why would you faint for nothing? You can't possibly be fine!" Akira argued gently, his eyes berating Tomoe for taking her health lightly. "You gave me such a fright just now…For a moment, I thought I lost you. What were you thinking? Rushing in front of me to take that blow from the assassin…"

"Okaa-sama…are you alright?" Came Tsubame's small voice.

"Hai," Tomoe replied, reaching out to cradle Tsubame's cheek with her palm. "I am feeling alright."

"Megumi, you have to check her thoroughly…I don't believe she's perfectly fine…" Akira continued.

"Mikado-sama…I think Tomoe-sama fainted due to shock earlier." Megumi spoke up, feeling slightly embarrassed for being caught up in a moment that should be shared by Akira and Tomoe alone.

"That must be it, Mikado-sama." Tomoe explained. "Megumi-sama is right."

"Still, I don't want you to do anything stupid like this ever again. You could have died, Tomoe!" Akira insisted, his grip on her slender hand tightening.

"Hai, hai." Tomoe smiled gently at him.

"Mikado-sama…do you mind taking your leave first? I have to talk to Tomoe-sama." Megumi requested politely, her head bowed low. She did not believe that there was anything wrong with her earlier diagnosis, and being the perfectionist Megumi was, there was no way she was going to dismiss Tomoe's sudden fainting with no further questionings.

"Very well," Akira nodded after looking at Tomoe again. "Make sure you give her the most thorough check up, Megumi."

"Hai. Kashikomari mashita."

With that, Akira and Tsubame left the room, leaving it empty except for Megumi and Tomoe.

Going down abruptly on her knees, Megumi startled Tomoe. "Tomoe-sama, I have to apologise."

"Why is that so, Megumi-sama?" Tomoe asked, still surprised by Megumi's sudden apology.

"Just now…when I told Mikado-sama that it was shock that caused your fainting, I was lying. The truth is, I couldn't find anything wrong with you when I took your pulse earlier on…It felt perfectly right-"

Megumi stopped in mid-sentence when Tomoe got up from her position on the futon and bowed to her, her forehead touching the ground. The Empress was bowing to her, and this was too much for Megumi to take.

"Tomoe-sama…What are you doing? Please rise!" Megumi asked in disbelief and shock, rooted to her spot on the tatami.

"I am the one who lied, Megumi-sama. Yurushite kuremasenka?"

"Eh?"

"I pretended. I did not really faint." Tomoe answered so softly, it was hardly audible for Megumi.

That explains the normal pulse… "But…why, Tomoe-sama?"

"Please forgive me…I lied…I lied to save someone." Tomoe's voice was quivering by now, her fragile form trembling slightly.

"Who?"

"I lied," Tomoe looked up to meet Megumi's eyes with her own. "To save the assassin."

Sagara Sanosuke entered the quarters of the Generals, his heart heavy as lead with all the happenings that destroyed the joyous atmosphere they should be in. He just came back from the stables, where Misao was hiding in, sobbing away uncontrollably at her inability to protect Kaoru. Sanosuke tried his bet to console Misao, but she just went on and on about how useless she was, until he eventually gave up and left her to calm down.

I haven't seen Megumi since evacuating…Kaoru was kidnapped…Misao is inconsolable and blaming herself for Kaoru's kidnap…Mikado-sama almost got murdered…Tomoe-sama almost lost her life as well…Not to mention that Yumi-sama seems to be suspecting something…

"Sagara." A cool and collected voice cut through the whirl of thoughts in Sanosuke's head.

"Shinomori." Sanosuke acknowledged the owner of the voice, walking over to take his place on the tatami opposite Aoshi.

"There'll be a meeting later with Mikado-sama. I daresay things will definitely not be pretty."

"How can it possibly be? Kaoru-hime just got kidnapped! For all you know, her life could be threatened! Or maybe…if that assassin is really that cold-blooded, he would have slit her throat by now!" Sanosuke yelled, his anxiety growing with every word he said, worried for the bubbly princess he holds dear to his heart. "We have to start our search immediately!"

"No, Sagara. It'll have to wait till after the meeting with Mikado-sama. Do not act on impulse!"

"It is easy for you to say!" Sanosuke shouted back at Aoshi, who sat straight up without flinching, even in the face of Sanosuke's rage. "She is my friend! How the hell can I sit here when I jolly well know that she could be killed any moment? How can you be so calm?"

"You are bringing your emotions in, Sagara. Work should not be ruled by emotions."

"I don't give a damn. I am leaving right now."

"Hold it. You're too emotionally-charged."

"Bakayarou! It is easy for a human ice cube void of emotions to say that!" Sanosuke grabbed the sides of Aoshi's yukata and pulled him up into a kneeling position. "Getting good at shirking responsibility, aren't you, Shinomori?"

That hit a nerve. "You watch your words," Aoshi hissed, looking at Sanosuke straight in the eyes. "I am not shirking responsibility. I did not foresee it at all."

"Nonsense! Who speculated that Kaoru-hime would not be a target?"

"I did. You saw it for yourself, Sagara. She wasn't the target. It was Mikado-sama."

"Shut up!" Sanosuke cut Aoshi's speech off, continuing angrily. "Even so, you were in charge of security! Against your better judgment, if you actually have one, you actually got Makimachi to ensure Kaoru's safety! You misjudged the entire situation…Kaoru was snatched from Makimachi almost instantly! You were so bloody sure of your own speculation; you got the scrawniest one to guard the princess! Against the legendary assassin Himura Kenshin too!"

Aoshi's eyes widened at Sanosuke's argument, realisation hitting him like a ton of bricks, dragging his heart into the depths of hell. Sagara's right…

At Aoshi's silence, Sanosuke went on furiously, shaking him violently while he verbalised his rage and worry. "You were the one giving chase…I can't believe you chased him nearer to the other royals! Near enough for Kaoru-hime to be snatched right under our noses and kidnapped! What were you thinking! Look what you've done…You should see the state Makimachi is in!"

"How…How is he?" Aoshi asked softly, dreading the answer.

"You have the cheek to ask that? He's blaming himself for everything!" Sanosuke pushed Aoshi away onto the tatami floor, sending a well-aimed punch into his jaw, causing him to collapse on his side, a trail of crimson making its way down his chin. Breathing heavily from rage, Sanosuke picked himself up, half-expecting Aoshi to return his punch. However, that never came.

"That was for Makimachi."

Leaving Shinomori Aoshi kneeling down on his side, propped up on one elbow with his blood slowly making a small stain on the clean tatami floor, Sagara Sanosuke left, slamming the shoji as hard as he could.

Misao clutched tighter at the hay strewn on the floor of the stable, her knuckles turning white from the force of her grip as she sobbed almost hysterically, her cries echoing around the interior of the stable. Huddling closer to her small corner, she recalled how she watched on helplessly as Himura Kenshin pulled Kaoru from her grasp and made away with Kaoru, his katana pressing against her throat.

I am useless…I actually betrayed Aoshi-sama's trust in me to guard Kaoru…I put Kaoru in grave danger…

Hot tears burned a trail down her usually bright, cheery face, falling in pearly drops onto the ground as Misao cried, anguish and regret overwhelming her being.

"Gomen ne…Kaoru-chan…" She sobbed, sniffling loudly as she did not even bother to wipe her tears. "Subete watashi no sei da…"

"Omae no sei janai." Came a quiet but firm voice, jerking her out of her thoughts and causing her to look up at the source of the voice with her watery, sparkling eyes.

Through the film of tears clouding her vision, Misao's voice almost got caught in her throat as she saw who it was.

"A-Aoshi-sama?" She whispered, getting onto her knees and bowing in respect to this man whom she held in such high regard.

"Why are you crying?" He asked as he knelt down beside her, his eyes taking in the messy state she was in. For unknown reasons, Aoshi felt the pressing need to take the sobbing soldier into his arms to give comfort of some sort, but he had to hold back. It would be absolutely ridiculous for him to hug another male.

"I've let you down, Aoshi-sama…I've let you down…I am an absolute failure…" A loud sob was torn from Misao's lungs as she recalled Kaoru's eyes looking at her pleadingly.

"You have not let me down, Makimachi."

"I am so useless…I hate myself…"

"No, Makimachi," Aoshi replied in a tone never ever heard by Misao. "It is my fault, for putting you and the princess in danger."

"Kaoru-hime could…she could…be dead by now for all we know!" Misao wailed, throwing her arms around Aoshi's neck, holding him closely to herself as her tears drenched the front of his yukata, her anguish seeping gradually into his heart. Holding on to him as if her life, her sanity depended on him.

Shinomori Aoshi, for the very first time in his life, was at a total dilemma. The need to comfort Makimachi physically was burning, yet he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Not when the chest armour pressing hard against his chest was cold and flat…a harsh and silent reminder to Shinomori Aoshi that the person depending on him for support was one he could, and should, never have.

He remained motionless, until she finally let go.

To be continued…

A/N: I can't believe I finished this chapter so soon. I can't believe it. Chinese New Year isn't even here yet, and I've updated, contrary to what I said in the previous chapter. LOL hope this wasn't too disappointing…I just felt that I couldn't really rest without writing about our other beloved characters. They are equally affected by the entire incident!

To those who are thinking, "Why on earth did MissTeak go to all the trouble of getting Tomoe to actually get to meet and know Megumi? Can't she just let Genzai-sensei help Tomoe?", well, let's just say that with Kaoru gone, Tomoe is going to assume her new role as Sano and Megumi's guardian angel. Just continue following the story!

Anyway, my apologies to all who must be feeling pretty pissed-off at Sanosuke for being so harsh on Aoshi. It is most definitely not Aoshi's fault (Poor poor poor ex-okashira), Sanosuke was just too blinded by anger and worry! And for the AM part, I am so so so sorry, but it will only come up later on. Not anytime soon for sure. I still have Yahiko and Tsubame and the Korean guy to deal with! And KK to continue from where I left off last chapter, and also, Yumi seems to be lacking in action. We need the villain! LOL.

Just some random thought…I wonder if there's such thing as being truly evil. Don't people all live for their own beliefs? Are there really people on this earth who will admit that they are truly evil? Now that I am thinking of this…It brings me to think…What is evil? Even when I cast Yumi as the villain in the fic, I cannot help but think, why should I call her the villain when I have a reason for every so-called 'mean' thing she does? Perhaps I'll never find an answer to my question, but well, we never know. Now I am wondering, who would actually bother to read this?

This sure is one long A/N.

Oh! I updated my profile too…check it out if you wish! -grins-

Chapter 15:

Kaoru smiled in contentment. Suddenly, the idea of going back to the palace no longer seemed so attractive.

Miya-sama – your highness

Kami-sama – God

Onegai – Please

Katana – Japanese sword

Mikado-sama – Your Majesty

Hai, wakatta – Alright, I understand.

Yokatta – Great

Hai – Yes

Hai. Kashikomari mashita – Yes, I understand.

Yurushite kuremasenka – Will you forgive me?

Bakayarou – Idiot

Gomen ne – I am sorry

Subete watashi no sei da – It is all my fault

Omae no sei janai – It is not your fault