Thanks for the reviews as always! Glad people like this little turn of events :D Hope you enjoy and sorry if there are long pauses between updates!
In reply to Alicechan3: Hehehehe glad you like it! And don't worry there should be some more nosebleeds before long ;) It might be a few chapters away but it WILL be there eventually! And yes, I picked little Mika's name just for that :3 Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC

Silent as the grave

Chapter Twenty One

"A Mononoke that wishes its truth to be known," the Kusuriuri spoke up through the following silence, "Interesting."

"Can't you see her?" the boy began to freak out, "the woman holding the cat? Can't you see it?" he asked, almost pleaded that the Kusuriuri could see her too.

"I use these scales because I cannot."

That only seemed to tip the boy over the edge. A hand on his shoulder made the boy jump a mile only to see Mika behind him before whispering.

"Don't worry, I can see her too."

He looked at her with wide eyes as they filled with tears, "really?" he sniffed while she nodded with a small smile.

However they all jumped again as the slides that covered the windows slammed down over each one, casting them all in darkness for a moment.

"Setsuko-san killed herself!" the woman shouted, "why are we being tormented by this?"

As Masao looked out of the windows despite the blinds, Mika shook her head furiously.

"Setsuko-san didn't do that!"

All eyes turned on her in shock before the detective snorted.

"Don't listen to her, girls her age will do anything for attention."

"I'm telling the truth!" Mika's small hands curled into fists with childish anger, "that lady was pushed!"

Only the Kusuriuri was looking at her as if he believed her, the others merely scowling and muttering to themselves. Chiyo smiled slightly at her.

"Are you really telling the truth, Mika-chan?"

"Oka-san told me to never lie!" she protested, her cheeks pink with anger.

Suddenly Masao's trembling grew worse and he cried out, running around the train car with soiled pants. Obviously something he had seen had greatly scared him. Darkness hit them again, someone running past her sent Mika flying before hands caught her as light returned. Looking up, the Kusuriuri held her up by her shoulders, his eyes on the others who were paused as they tried to get out. Sniffing slightly, Mika suddenly hugged him, surprising the colourfully dressed man.

"I want my onii-san..."

Slowly he patted her head, "don't be scared. Tell me what you saw," he asked, his eyes now solely on her.

Sniffing again, Mika rubbed her eyes with the back of her sleeve.

"That morning I went to visit obaa-san before school...on the bridge was a man and the lady."

Mika hummed to herself happily as she ran through the empty streets on the way to visit her grandmother. It was just like any other day for her, she would be in school in a few hours before her parents would pick her up with her brother. However there was something different. With a small frown at the sound of raised voices up ahead, she slowed down and stopped humming. As she rounded the corner, her eyes widened at the sight of a man pushing a pretty lady over the bridge. Gasping, she started running towards the bridge. Hearing her nearing, the man turned and ran away quickly.

"Lady!" she yelled over the edge of the bridge, looking down with wide eyes.

What was that red stuff pooling around the woman? But the woman's hand twitched, the small movement not going unnoticed. Running around the bridge, she slipped down the sloping grass, almost falling over her short legs. She didn't understand what she was doing but something was whispering in her mind, telling her to go help the lady who was hurt. Quickly reaching the lady, Mika's eyes widened at the sound of a nearing train. She was muttering words quietly that Mika couldn't hear. Trying to pull the woman from the tracks, her young arms barely had the strength to shift her. A small ginger cat with half an ear missing suddenly appeared, looking between her and the hurt lady. It meowed up at her just as Mika looked down the tunnel, able to make out headlights of a train getting far too close. Suddenly the cat jumped on her making Mika stumble and fall onto her back on the slope. A second flew by before a train passed by like lightning, the wind whipping her face almost painfully but she could only stare in horror.

"Mika!"

Kenshin skidding down the slope and pulled her into his arms.

"What happened? Are you alright?" he asked quickly, checking her for any injuries but she could only sob into her brother's chest.

"That lady...and cat...they...they..."

By now Mika looked ready to start crying, her lower lip trembling.

"Onii-san took me to the police but they said I was a liar...that...that the lady hurt herself..."

The Kusuriuri knelt in front of her, a hand wiping away the tears from her cheeks, a strange look on his face.

"You were a brave girl, and you are not a liar. Okay?"

She nodded, sniffing again as the Kusuriuri stood up thoughtfully. The little girl reminded him so much of Mia it was almost painful but he had no time to think of such things.

"Setsuko-san's death was a faked suicide," he spoke up, startling the others from their previous bickering, "that is the Mononoke's truth."

Suddenly everything went dark again, the train jolting sharply before everything returned to normal. They were shocked to see the station outside the windows.

"We're back...have we been rescued?" the reporter asked himself more than anyone else before he leapt up, joined by the detective as they tried to open the door.

As it opened with their effort the station vanished, instead there was nothing but a swirling of red mist.

"What is this?"

"A trap. You cannot leave," the Kusuriuri warned all too late as a huge cat's face appeared, glowing eyes staring in at them as rows of sharp teeth threatened to enter and devour them all.

Screams filled the car as a claw caught the detective by the face before pulling him out, the man vanishing within a second. Shutting the door quickly, Chiyo's scream drew their attention. As Mika made to look a hand covered her eyes, the Kusuriuri warning quietly.

"You do not want to see."

And indeed she did not want to, the dead body of the mayor was laid there and was soon joined by the detective's body.

"This is the work of the Bakeneko. If you leave your lives will be forfeited."

Mika listened silently as Masao began telling the truth, how he had seen what had happened but had believed it was none of his business and had said nothing, but much to the girl's horror he kept scratching at his eyes until they were bleeding. He suddenly screamed he could see nothing and then he was gone, claimed by the Bakeneko. Next was the reporter who claimed that he had secretly believed Setsuko-san had been murdered and he was trying to get revenge as he scratched his arm as badly as Masao had. And then he too was gone. Mika hugged her legs again as the remaining two women began arguing, Chiyo scratching her lips while the woman scratched her ear. Why wouldn't it just stop? Burying her head in her knees, she tried to block them out as the driver added into their argument before the three vanished as the windows smashed. Cringing, she shivered in her curled up form before a hand rested on top of her head. Peering up at the Kusuriuri, he had a strange sheathed katana in his hand, his eyes on the door as footsteps neared an in walked the reporter but there was something odd about him.

"Why don't we...put an end to this?" the Kusuriuri spoke once again as Mika hid behind him.

She didn't like how Moria looked.

"I don't like him...he scares me," she whispered as she clutched the Kusuriuri's sleeve.

With Moria sat one side looking completely terrified, the Kusuriuri sat on the opposite seat, Mika at his side. She winced as he shouted that he didn't care about the train never stopping but he would still get off somehow. Instead she chose to look at the strange katana still in the Kusuriuri's hand when the sound of cats drew her attention. The lady Setsuko-san had appeared sat further down, that same ginger cat with half an ear missing on her lap however Mika couldn't look as Moria was suddenly attacked by cats.

"Will you tell me your reason?" the Kusuriuri asked Setsuko-san.

Mika couldn't see what the Kusuriuri seemed to be watching but she did see, one by one, the people returning and taking a hold of the stanchions above. And then she felt eyes on her. Looking slowly over to the left she found Setsuko-san looking at her, a smile on her face as she motioned with a finger. Unable to stop herself, Mika slowly got up and walked towards her, stopping only when she was in front of her.

"Little...girl..." she spoke quietly, her eyes hidden before they reappeared, a warm smile on her face, "thank you."

The cat on her lap meowed.

Suddenly she was pulled back, the Kusuriuri moving her away towards the back of the car, eyes on the woman as she stood up with the cat in her arms.

"Stay here and don't move," he warned Mika just as he turned, the katana in his hand seeming to come alive.

The woman's eyes were different now, her hand stretching out towards them before turning into a Bakeneko's claw. Mika gasped, falling backwards as the claw shot past the Kusuriuri catching him and tearing his bandana, a trail of crimson blood slipping down his face.

"I will cleanse this world. The Mononoke must be killed. Release."

Time froze for a moment as the transition happened once again, his markings vanishing as he was replaced by his other side. Two barriers appeared both above and below the train car as it hovered in the Bakeneko's realm, two huge clawed feet trying to squash the train car but halted by the barriers. Mika blinked as for a brief moment she swore she saw someone outside of the train, a tall, tanned man clad in golden clothes, glowing golden marks across his visible skin while long, flowing ashen hair flew around him as he spun around with a great fiery blade. Black, crimson and gold eyes suddenly turned towards the train car and through the window, meeting Mika's eyes. However when she blinked he was gone.

"Onii-san!"

"Mika!" Kenshin appeared through the crowds in the station as she leapt on her brother, almost sending him falling over, "I was so worried, where did you vanish to?"

She was too busy hugging her brother however to answer, smiling happily to his confusion but he merely hugged her back with a sigh.

"It doesn't matter I suppose, was the trip fun?"

Mika looked up at her brother before nodding, "I made a friend!"

Looking back, she let go of her brother and ran towards the Kusuriuri as he made to leave the station. Catching his sleeve, he halted, looking back surprised as she beamed up at him.

"Thank you Kusuriuri-san! That lady is happy now, ne?"

He frowned slightly, "I suppose so..." slowly he knelt down, "you remind me of someone I knew once."

Mika cocked her head slightly before smiling, "a friend?"

He nodded lightly before holding out his medallion, showing a strip of a blue material, pink sakura patterns across it, "she gave me this...before she left this world."

Even though she was young, her perception was oddly keen as she looked at him confused, "is that why you don't smile?" before she grabbed his medallion, spotting the mirror on the other side and standing behind him with a grin as she held the mirror pointing at his face, "oka-san says friend's never leave you."

The Kusuriuri's eyes widened in shock at what he could see. Mia was stood smiling warmly over his shoulder and yet when he looked there, there was only Mika, the young girl still smiling at him. Was it possible...?

"Mika!" Kenshin waved at her, "come on or our parents will be worried!"

"Coming onii-san!" she shouted back, letting go of his medallion before poking his ears with a giggle as he jumped at the touch, "bye-bye Kusuriuri-san! Don't forget to smile!"

She ran off, grabbing her brother's hand as they left the station leaving the Kusuriuri to stare after them, a small smile on his face.