This story is set in my own ALTERNATE REALITY Rurouni Kenshin universe which I've called "The Nightwitch Tales" -- think of it as Rurouni Kenshin mixed with various supernatural and paranormal elements. Other stories in this alternate reality are: "Night Visitor"; "All in the Family"; and "Romancing the Wolf".
It takes place after the end of the Kyoto story arc. After that, all bets are off. Elements of the Revenge story arc may show up in the story.
WARNING: This story is "semi-dark" -- it has dark elements (violence, profanity,
etc.) but it's not a darkfic! Actually, there's
quite a bit of romance in it.... ^_-
As always, C&C is greatly appreciated! ^_^
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THAT WHICH LINGERS: A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic by MadamHydra
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Part 18: UNEXPECTED VIEWS
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Disclaimer
All rights and privileges to Rurouni Kenshin belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki,
Shuiesha, Sony Music Entertainment, and associated parties. The characters
of these series are used WITHOUT permission for the purpose of entertainment
only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit. Original portion
of the fiction included here is considered to be the sole property and copyrighted
to the author.
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Text Conventions
( ) are character thoughts
/ / and // // represent various sorts of mental dialogue
* ----- * ----- * marks the start/end of dreams or flashbacks
[ ] denote visual or time notes
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[ Kyoto, mid-August, 1878 (11th year of the Meiji period) ]
If she wasn't in hell, it felt pretty damn close.
Kamiya Kaoru stalked down the lonely forest path, her pace quick and purposeful. So far she hadn't encountered anyone on this obscure route and was pathetically grateful for that fact. She lived in constant dread of what the demon blade would do if someone foolishly attempted to confront her or attack her. She had no doubts that the sword would force her to kill them without hesitation. However, worrying about others helped to keep her from brooding about the sword's plans for HER.
Kaoru had been a hostage before and she never forgot that feeling of total helplessness. This time, things were infinitely worse. Instead of ropes and gags, chains and locks... this time, her own body was her prison.
When she had awoken in the clinic three nights ago, she had been unaware of anything being wrong... not when she got up in the middle of the night... not when she softly murmured Kenshin's name... not even when she picked up the whimsical little stone figurine that sat in Dr. Genzai's office. She'd had no idea of what she was about to do until she had brutally slammed the figurine down on the back of an unsuspecting Kenshin's head.
* ----- * ----- *
Instead of being frozen in horror at what she had just done, Kaoru found herself calmly stepping over Kenshin's body and picking the sword... that cursed black sword.
Trapped inside a body which no longer was hers to command, she could only watch helplessly as she easily peeled the loose wrappings away from the dark blade. At that moment, she fully expected to find herself hacking off Kenshin's head with a single stroke. There was nothing she could do except weep in despair
However, it seemed that the sword had other ideas. It wasn't ready to kill Kenshin... not yet. When Aoshi appeared in the doorway and called her name, she spoke but the voice was not hers. The alien voice was ugly and choked with hatred. And when whatever had possessed her finished delivering its threats, Kaoru found herself leaving the clinic, but not before the sword left Aoshi a parting reminder of its power.
(It did something to him. I don't know what, but I'm sure of it.) Kaoru could remember too clearly the sudden flash of agony that stopped Shinomori Aoshi dead in his tracks and drove him to his knees.
After fleeing the clinic, she found herself running through the darkening streets at terrific speed. Her breath rasped in her throat and her leg muscles burned with the exertion, but she was just a helpless passenger, unable to slow down or stop. She ended up in a modest house located on the outskirts of Tokyo. Fortunately, the building had been empty and deserted. The aura of old, old pain and bitterness clung around the place like a perceptible stench.
Her captor -- the THING that now had total control of her body -- knew exactly what it wanted and where to find it. She first retrieved a black lacquered scabbard that fitted the sword perfectly. She then walked through the house, picking up a few more items. A silken bag to hide the now sheathed sword. Clothing that fit her adequately. A hefty money pouch from a hidden cache.
Stepping out into the garden, she had gazed down into the still waters of the pond. Kaoru could see her wavering reflection and shuddered as a cold, wicked smile appeared on her lips. As she left the house, she paused briefly to look back. Her hand lifted and Kaoru watched herself abruptly snap her fingers. There was a muffled whoosh, a flash of yellow flames, and a thick column of black smoke began to climb into the night sky. Kaoru walked away into the darkness, leaving the small house to be devoured by the hungry fire.
* ----- * ----- *
As she sat in the dark woods and stared blankly into the campfire, Kaoru thought long and hard about her current situation. It wasn't as if there was anything else for her to do. Her possession was different from Misao's. Her senses were unaffected, and as far as she could tell, her mind was entirely her own. Unlike Misao, she was not swamped by irrational hatred or driven by an urge to kill. But she was trapped inside her own skull, unable to do anything more than occasionally weep when she was alone... and that was purely on the whim of whatever monster or spirit was in control of her body.
Her captor -- or possessor -- was clearly interested in keeping her alive and well. That was perhaps the most worrisome aspect of it all. That mean that this mysterious bodiless enemy had a purpose for her and she had plenty of horrifying ideas -- all of which involved using her against Kenshin.
And when she had found her feet headed toward Kyoto, she knew....
Sometimes she wished for oblivion, to be unaware of what was going on around her, but most of the time, she was glad to be conscious. She clung to the hope that she might find some opening, some way to free herself. But no matter how she concentrated or struggled, there seemed to be an impenetrable wall between her mind and her body.
As time passed and she moved closer and closer to Kyoto, Kaoru gradually became almost grateful for that mental wall. While the wall kept her trapped inside her own mind....
....that same mental barrier also kept things OUT.
She could sense not one, but two presences in the sword. The first entity seemed to be that of a young man, consumed by an unspeakable hatred and hell-bent on facing Kenshin -- or rather the Hitokiri Battousai -- again.
The second presence was much fainter, but also much more frightening.
It was powerful... and it was not human.
Although the second presence or entity kept a low profile compared to the first entity, Kaoru was not fooled into thinking that it was harmless. There were times when she thought she could sense the second entity quietly scratching at the mental walls imprisoning her... testing them... trying to find a way inside. It was just like a predator clawing and gnawing at a turtle shell in an effort to get to the tasty insides.... She would have shuddered if she could.
Curiously, the first entity seemed totally unaware of the second entity. That made her wonder exactly who -- or what -- was the true puppetmaster in this horror show. Was it the first presence, the entity that hated Kenshin so badly, or was it second, more secretive and cunning presence?
(I'll be in Kyoto early tomorrow morning. And what happens then?)
Kaoru never doubted that Kenshin would come to Kyoto to confront her, but she couldn't help wonder just who would she face in Kyoto?
(Himura Kenshin... or the dreaded Battousai?)
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Just after dawn, Misao dashed down the stairs of the Aoiya at her usual reckless pace and headed for Jiya's favorite sitting room. She thought back to last night and her conversation with Aoshi. She couldn't help smiling every time she thought about it.
The effort required to bare his inner feelings had apparently exhausted Aoshi. Misao barely had time to savor the intimacy of the moment before he had retreated behind his emotional walls again. Aoshi had politely informed her that he could handle the rebandaging of his leg wounds himself.
But thanks to Tokio's advice, Misao was figuring out just how to deal with Aoshi's outward coldness. Instead of feeling hurt or rejected, she had backed off and left him with a perky smile.
(He wants to change. He wants to FEEL. It's just that he doesn't really know how... but I'll be there to teach him, no matter how long it takes. I swear!)
On the ground floor, she saw Yahiko trudging sleepily toward the bathhouse, then she passed by Okon who was carrying an empty water basin. From around the corner, Misao could hear the sound of sputtering and cursing which could only be coming from an outraged Sano.
"Damn you, Okon! What's with the cold water!? Couldn't you have just kicked me in the ribs or something!?"
The older woman gave her a wicked grin and a wink before heading off toward the kitchen.
Misao excitedly flung open the door to the sitting room and came to a screeching halt. Jiya, the lech, was happily flirting with Tokio as she calmly served tea to the old man, Himura, Aoshi, and her husband Saitoh.
Aoshi tensed almost imperceptibly when Misao burst in. Any ordinary person wouldn't have noticed, but all men in the room were far from ordinary. Aoshi's brief flicker of tension was enough to attract the attention of at least one other person in the room
As he sipped his tea, Kenshin wondered just what was going on between Aoshi and Misao.
Misao opened her mouth to speak, then suddenly bit back the words when she realized that Aoshi definitely wouldn't be happy if she blurted out the more intimate details of their late night conversation. She settled for a cheery smile and said, "Did you get a good night's rest, Aoshi... -sama?"
She was well rewarded for her restraint. Aoshi relaxed ever so slightly when he realized that Misao isn't going to make an exhibition of herself and him. Misao was also glad to get a very subtle look of approval from Tokio.
Eyeing the perky girl with disfavor, Saitoh said, "Hmph. If you were a puppy, you'd be wetting the floor in excitement."
"I'd what!?" shouted Misao.
"But now that you're finally up...."
"Finally!? Why you jerk, how dare you act like you've been waiting for hours? It's barely dawn! I told you I'd be ready to go with you to the Minobe...."
"No, you're not," Saitoh said with a decided smirk. Before Misao start shouting again, he reached into his tunic, pulled out a folded message, and flicked it in Misao's direction. She snatched the paper in midair and scowled at it. It was plainly addressed to her.
"What does Takagi Asuko want with me?"
Saitoh shrugged. "You're asking me? You're the one with the note. Try reading it."
With a low growl of aggravation, Misao opened the note, then said in a startled voice, "She wants to see Aoshi-sama and me as soon as possible."
Kenshin gave her a curious look and said, "Does she give any reasons?"
"Not really. She says that she wants the two of us to retrieve some information for her. But why us?" Misao glanced uncertainly at Aoshi.
He put down his tea cup and said quietly, "Because she feels that Himura should remain around Kyoto to await Kamiya Kaoru's arrival since he's Junichi's main target."
"So you think we should go?"
"Takagi Asuko is a difficult, abrasive woman, but no fool. If she wants us to retrieve some information for her, it's most likely to be critical."
Saitoh smiled nastily. "Then that leaves just you and me to interrogate that Minobe woman, Battousai."
"Sano and Yahiko will be accompanying us," was Kenshin's cool response.
"They'd better show up in the next two minutes because I'm not going to sit around waiting until the chickenhead decides to crawl out of bed."
At that moment, a grouchy, still damp Sano stomped into the room.
"Speak of the idiot and he appears," said Saitoh with a malicious grin.
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It was just after dawn when the young woman called Kamiya Kaoru arrived in Kyoto. With increasing numbers of panicked people leaving the city, it had been easy for her to lose herself in the commotion and slip into Kyoto unobserved. She paused in an alleyway to orient herself, then headed off purposefully.
It only took a few minutes for her to arrive at the old Minobe compound. The grounds were badly kept, hinting at an owner who was no longer capable of maintaining the property. Or perhaps an owner who simply didn't care any more.
She smiled coldly as she ignored the front entrance and slipped in through the back gates. Her caution was unnecessary. The large house was essentially deserted. Except for a single elderly maid, there seemed to be no other servants around. Kaoru silently made her way toward front of the house and the quarters of the only member of the Minobe family still in residence.
-----------------------------------
Minobe Emi was an old, lonely, bitter woman. She had never had many friends and as the years went by, those friends had drifted away, alienated by her increasingly hostile and strange behavior. For the last decade or so, she'd spent an increasing portion of her time sitting in her rooms, muttering to herself, and waiting. However, the eerie events plaguing Kyoto told her that the her revenge against the Battousai had finally truly begun after thirteen long years.
The door slid open with no warning. Emi whirled around to viciously reprimand the intruder, but something in the young woman's malicious smile stopped her in the tracks.
"The years have been unkind to you, Aunt."
Emi slowly rose to her feet and babbled, "You... you know me?" She blinked and whispered, "Junichi?"
The younger woman laughed bitterly. "Oh yes. It's me. In spirit, if not in body."
Before the conversation could continue, the elderly house servant knocked on the door to the room and said, "Minobe-sama, you have several visitors."
The old woman said irritably, "Oh, do make them go away."
"But they insist," said the nervous female servant in a near-whimper. "And I don't think they're the sort to take 'no' as an answer."
"Who are they?" Emi asked.
"I don't know, but one of them is a tall, evil-looking police officer. He called himself Inspector Fujita Goro or something like that. He's accompanied by a lady, a scruffy streetfighter, and a young boy."
Inside her mind, Kaoru couldn't decide whether to dance for joy or to have a fit of panic. If Saitoh, Sano, and Yahiko were here, it was almost certain that....
"Is that all?" muttered Emi.
"No, Minobe-sama. The last one's a young man with red hair and a nasty set of scars on his face."
(KENSHIN!!!)
However, Kaoru's body threw back her head and laughed cruelly.
"What's so funny!?" snapped Emi.
"You mean you don't know, you stupid old woman? Your visitors could only be Saitoh Hajime and Himura Battousai."
"What!?"
"Don't tell me that you didn't realize that they were bound to come here once I told them my name."
"You told them your name!? Why?"
A vicious expression appeared on Kaoru's face as she snarled, "Because they have to know what this is all about. That's why! Otherwise it's all pointless!"
The old Minobe aunt edged away nervously from Kaoru as the younger woman's expression turned thoughtful.
"But the time isn't right. My enemy hasn't fully returned yet."
(You bastard! How DARE you try to force Kenshin into becoming the Battousai again!), Kaoru fumed silently.
Junichi made Kaoru's body advance menacingly toward the quivering servant. After a brutal slap, she grabbed a hold of the servant's kimono and hissed, "Let them in. But if you give them any hint of my presence...." She gave the servant a vicious shaking. "You'll be begging for death. Do you understand me?"
"Y-y-y-yes. I understand." The servant groveled a bit, then scurried down the hall.
Kaoru turned back to Emi. "The same goes for you, old crone. If they find out that I'm here, I'll be happy to demonstrate the power all these years of suffering have bought me."
Emi couldn't stop her knees shaking. This wasn't the way she'd planned it. She should be in control. She should be the one giving orders. But the malicious gleam in the young woman's eyes told her that the slightest mistake or attempt at disobedience would not be tolerated.
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Misao and Aoshi were escorted to Tokio's grand-aunt as soon as they arrived. Just like the previous day, the old woman was accompanied by Tokio's aunt. Takagi Yuka reminded Misao of a happy, plump sparrow with her bright black eyes, her cheerful smile, and the quick little movements of her head.
Asuko watched Aoshi as they sat down in front of her and said, "You seem recovering well enough."
Aoshi coolly replied, "I am not incapacitated."
"Apparently not," came the old woman's sharp reply.
Misao jumped to her feet and snapped, "You said you wanted us to get some information for you. Well, what is it and why do you need it?"
"Patience, kitten." Asuko waited for Misao to sit down before saying, "You asked if I knew how to destroy this demon sword last night, correct?"
The girl leaned forward eagerly. "You know of a way?"
"I've narrowed the possibilities, but I need to know the exact name of the demon which created the weapon before I can be more certain."
"So that's the information you want us to locate," said Aoshi.
"It's more a matter of retrieving the information, not finding it. I know where the answer lies. Now someone has to fetch it."
Misao looked suspicious. "Why didn't YOU send one of your own people to get the demon's name?"
"I could have done that, true, but it's not that simple, girl. The mission is not without its hazards. Since you have a vested interest in that knowledge and since the Battousai and Saitoh have other matters to deal with, it is appropriate that you two should go."
Aoshi gave her a nod of acknowledgment. "Where is the information located?"
Asuko tossed him a folded map. Misao hovered over his shoulder as he examined it.
"At a shrine dedicated to an ancient primordial spirit. Its real name is lost in time but the local folk call it the Hantaakiraa. The Hunter-killer or something like that," said Asuko with a shrug.
"So this is the demon...?" asked Misao.
The old woman chuckled. "Oh no. Hardly. This spirit is reputed to be the relentless foe of our unnamed demon. If the demon's name is written down anywhere, it will be at this shrine. It's located in the mountains, east of Kyoto. It's only a few hours walk."
Misao whispered to Aoshi, "Hey, that shrine's not too far from Hiko Seijuro's place."
Aoshi murmured to Misao, " Hiko?" A brief pause, then he added, "I see. In case Himura loses himself in his memories of the past."
"Yeah. On our way back, we can drop in and see if he's around."
Aoshi folded the map and addressed the old woman. "Very well. Is that all?"
Asuko gave him an arrogant stare and said, "Leave us. I wish to speak to the girl alone."
He gracefully rose to his feet but did not move away. He stared coldly at Asuko and said, "You do not command me." He turned at Misao and awaited her decision.
As she hesitated, Asuko snapped, "Girl, do you need a man to hold your hand or give you permission to speak to an old woman?"
Misao flushed angrily, then turned to Aoshi and gave him a sharp nod. "I'll be with you in a few minutes."
After Aoshi exited the room, Asuko snapped her fingers and held out a bony hand. Misao stared at her blankly.
"Well, girl? Don't just stand there gaping like an idiot! I'm an old woman. I don't have all day!"
"Well what?" asked Misao in a confused voice.
"Your knives, girl. Your knives!" Turning to the other woman, Asuko muttered, "Silly little fool."
Becoming only more confused, Misao pulled out one of her throwing knives and handed it to Asuko, who examined it with a surprisingly knowledgeable eye. The old woman then handed it to the plump woman behind her.
Yuka tilted her head and said in a chirpy voice, "Nice weapon. Good balance and weight, but readily disposable if necessary. Then again, Omakamatsu always does good work. He's a practical man."
Misao stared at Yuka, her mouth agape. (How... how does she know the craftsman who makes those knives for me?)
"But it's not the usual Oniwabanshuu style, my dear. Who designed it for you?" asked the cheerful woman as she expertly flipped the blade in her hand.
Misao muttered, "Ah... someone who helped to raised me." It had been Hannya who had given Misao her first set.
Asuko said impatiently, "So you have some decent weapons. Now, can you use them?"
The girl snapped, "Of course I can! Pick a target!"
Without warning, Asuko snatched a plum from a dish and tossed it high and fast into the air. Misao instantly snatched out a kunai with her good right hand and hurled it. The throwing knife split the fruit neatly before thunking into one of the support beams.
Without pause, Asuko snapped, "The third slat, eye level on the left door."
Misao grabbed for three of her kunai and flung them as fast as she could. Two of the knives landed precisely on target, but one was a thumbnail off.
There was a brief pause as Asuko rose to her feet. After examining the knives and the sliced plum, the old woman reluctantly said, "Not bad, girl, but your form's absolutely atrocious. Where did you ever pick up such bad habits?"
"Wha... What's wrong with my form!?"
In a disgusted voice, Asuko scolded, "Sloppy. Too much wasted motion. Too much unnecessary noise. And much, much too slow."
Yuka waved her hands in a placating gesture and murmured, "Maa maa! She's still young. She does quite well for someone who's basically self-taught...."
"Taught herself. Hmph. You would think that there has to be at least one of the famed Oniwabanshuu who's capable of giving her some badly needed coaching."
Misao gaped at the absolutely bizarre scene of a middle-aged matron and an old woman critiquing her knife throwing skills as casually as if they were discussing embroidery or flower arranging. Finally, she sputtered, "And... and I suppose you can do better!?"
Asuko snorted contemptuously. "I leave all that high energy activity to the younger folk, but I can tell you that my technique was never as bad as yours." The old woman shrugged, then added, "But if you survive the next few days, you may come back and have Risako teach you how to use those throwing knives of yours properly."
Tokio's grand-aunt picked up an object and casually tossed it to Misao who instinctively caught it. To the girl's surprise, it was a sheathed blade, slightly longer than a normal tanto.
"Huh?" Misao partially removed the blade from its sheath and was astounded by its quality and exquisite workmanship. She stammered, "I... I can't...."
Asuko said nastily, "You DO know how to use it, don't you?"
"Of course I know how to use it! But I don't need...."
"It's your decision, of course. Throwing knives are well and good, but you need to carry something better designed for hand-to-hand work." The old woman paused and added in slightly gentler voice, "The gift is freely offered, girl. There is no price or obligation that goes with it."
Yuka said softly, "But it would be well to remember that this is not often the case, Misao-chan. This is one of the few occasions that you will receive an offer this generous or unencumbered, my dear."
"Now go away and get that information." Asuko flicked her hand as if she was shooing away a pesky cat.
Sliding the blade back into its scabbard, Misao found herself respectfully bowing to Asuko. She retrieved her throwing knives and left the room in a daze.
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Now alone with Asuko, Yuka murmured, "You were overly harsh with your criticism, you know. Considering her age and the woefully inadequate training she's had with those knives of hers, the girl's quite impressive. Give her some good coaching and she can be formidable."
"She's not bad," admitted Asuko in a reluctant voice.
Yuka tipped her head like a curious bird. "You're not trying to make a Nightwitch out of her, are you?"
Yuka's last words had a teasing tone but Asuko answered seriously. "Unfortunately, she doesn't have the blood or if she does, it appeared in her family so many generations ago that it doesn't matter." The old woman shrugged and smiled coldly. "That's not why I'm interested in her. I just can't stand a waste of good talent."
Yuka giggled and said, "I think she's charming."
"Hmph. She has spirit, I'll say that for her. With a little discipline and self-control, she'll do nicely. And if the girl follows Tokio's advice and develops some patience, she'll have that man of hers in the palm of her hand."
"Shinomori's SO handsome," the middle-aged woman said with a wistful sigh.
Asuko groaned and said in a threatening voice, "Yuka, if you're going to become all starry-eyed and gushy...."
"Oops, I'm sorry. But I'm sure that some of the youngsters are wondering what kind of children he'd sire."
"Well, at least a few of them show decent taste in men. They could do much worse. Hmph. That reminds me. I often played Go with Shinomori's grandfather. He was much the same as his grandson, with all this passion and emotion buried underneath that cold, reserved outward manner. I suppose that many females find all that mystery very enticing."
"Oh my, but I don't think Misao-chan would approve of sharing Shinomori-san with anyone. And besides, the two of them are in love, even if he doesn't admit it to himself yet." said Yuka in a worried voice.
"What's love got to do with producing children?" said Asuko pragmatically. "If the girls want a child sired by Shinomori, all they need is a quick tumble and that's that. The only reason that they haven't tried that with that rogue Saitoh is because no one in their right mind would dare to cross Tokio. Talk about a possessive woman!" She chuckled nastily.
"Hajime-san knows a good thing when he sees it. Do you think Misao-chan will take you up on your offer?"
"She's a fool if she doesn't. She's going to realize that her current skills aren't good enough, especially if she wants to hang around with the likes of Shinomori Aoshi. It's equally obvious that the Oniwabanshuu are not training her properly. Either she's going to have to give up fighting altogether or she's going to have to get better. Much better. One should do something superbly or not at all. Being a mediocre fighter is one of the quickest ways to die."
Yuka sighed, "If that's true for Shinomori and Misao-chan, then it goes double for Himura and that Kamiya girl."
"Yes, but that's not my problem. Let Tokio and Risako sort that mess out."
The two women concentrated on their tea for several minutes, then Yuka said, "You heard that Misao-chan and Shinomori are planning to visit Hiko Seijuro."
A trace of warmth appeared on Asuko's face. "Seijuro. I've always had a sneaking fondness for that boy."
"But he and Risako don't like each other much, do they?"
"Seijuro and Risako have cordially despised each other since Risako was born. She thinks that he doesn't know a male's proper place. He's never forgiven her for abandoning her baby, the child of his best friend."
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(end of part 18)
******************** Author's Notes ********************
Next part: I didn't get as far as I hoped, but I'm working on it! =^_^=
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THAT WHICH LINGERS: A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic by MadamHydra
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Part 19: TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART ======================================================================
[ Kyoto, mid-August, 1878 (11th year of the Meiji period) ]
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The storm clouds that hovered over Kyoto blocked all hint of sunlight, plunging the beleaguered city and the surrounding area into a perpetual sort of dusk.
The ghosts continued to walk the streets, no longer mere misty apparitions, but tangible beings which could touch... and kill. Buildings destroyed long ago during the Bakamatsu suddenly reappeared. The number of inexplicable, but ominous events steadily grew as family altars collapsed, shrines burst into flames, temple bells cracked, holy trees withered....
Kyoto was slowly drowning in an unholy darkness.
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As Misao rejoined him after her private talk with Takagi Asuko, Aoshi noticed the slightly dazed look in Misao's eyes and the short, sheathed blade in her hand. She didn't say anything immediately, but soon after leaving the Takagi compound, she mumbled, "I had the weirdest conversation...." She glanced at Aoshi and suddenly asked, "Is my throwing form sloppy?"
Aoshi raised an eyebrow at the odd question. "Why do you ask?"
"It had to do with something Asuko said.... Well, what do you think?"
He was silent for a moment, then answered indirectly. "There's some room for improvement."
She scowled and muttered, "That bad, huh?"
"I didn't say that."
"No, but that's what you meant, right?"
"You know how to use your kunai competently, but...."
"....but I could do better."
"Yes."
She exhaled heavily and said, "Oh hell. That's exactly what the old woman said, although she wasn't nearly so nice about it. She told me that I needed a lot more training with my throwing knives."
Aoshi mentally filed away this interesting tidbit of information for future reference. Glancing at the short, sheathed tanto carelessly shoved in Misao's sash, he asked calmly, "It seems you had an interesting conversation with Takagi Asuko."
"You have no idea." Misao held up the blade and said, "And she gave me this." She handed it to Aoshi, who examined the long, silvery tanto carefully before returning it to her.
"It's an exceptionally fine weapon. Do you know why she gave it to you?"
"She said that throwing knives are fine and all that, but that I needed to have a more serious weapon for hand-to-hand fighting. Just in case." Misao gave the blade an uncertain look.
They continued walking in silence for a few minutes, then Aoshi said quietly, "She has a point, in view of what's been happening recently."
"I know but...."
"If this was the Bakamatsu, there would be no question of you carrying such a weapon," he added. He didn't bother asking Misao if she knew how to use it. Both he and Hannya had taught her the basics of using a blade and Aoshi doubted that Misao had forgotten any of her lessons. She might not be an expert like some of the other female Oniwabanshuu, but he knew she had the ability to use the tanto if necessary.
Misao was also recalling those lessons of long ago... she could just picture Hannya patiently teaching her how to hold a blade as Aoshi quietly sat in the background, watching her. Thoughts of Hannya reminded her that there was something that she had wanted to ask Aoshi, but it took her some time to gather up her courage.
They were well outside the city before she finally said, "Aoshi?"
"Yes?"
"That clearing outside of Tokyo, where I nearly killed... where we fought... the place with the four headstones... is that where...?"
"Yes. The resting place of Hannya and the others."
"Um...." Several minutes passed before she continued. "I've been meaning to ask you for a while but... back in Tokyo, when Saitoh asked you how you knew about Kinslayer and its ability to possess people. You said 'Han...', then suddenly changed your mind."
Aoshi glanced at her. Was she imagining things or was he looking uneasy?
She tried to figure out a way to avoid sounding like an idiot or a lunatic, but finally gave up. Misao took a deep breath and said, "Did you mean to say... Hannya? That it was Hannya who told you?"
At first she thought he wasn't going to answer, then he halted and stared at the surrounding forest.
Misao gently touched his arm. She could feel the tenseness of his muscles as she whispered, "It was, wasn't it? Somehow... Hannya told you what was going on, didn't he?"
Aoshi said quietly, "Yes, it was." He slowly turned to face her. But instead of disbelief or sorrow on her face, Misao was smiling. Wistfully, perhaps, but she was definitely smiling. Her next words gave him quite a shock.
"He's still looking out for us. Like he's always done."
"What do you mean by... 'us'?"
She blinked quickly to keep her tears from flowing and said, "You see, I've seen him too."
As he stared blankly at her, Misao turned to look up through the leafy canopy at the dark, cloud-choked sky.
"It was during the battle at the Aoiya, when Kamatari, Henya, and that really fat guy attacked us. Kamatari got in a really good hit and knocked me onto the roof over the front door."
Aoshi's thoughts flashed back to that night after his return from Shishio's stronghold. He had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts at that time -- trying to deal with the pain of having his private world of lies and self-deception so utterly shattered by Himura -- that he had not paid much attention to anything else. But now he remembered....
(She was really hurt. The stiffness in her movements... the times when she could barely catch her breath.... How could I've been so selfish not to notice her pain?)
"I was nearly unconscious when I heard someone calling my name." She hesitated, then whispered, "I couldn't believe it. It was Hannya. He told me.... He told me...." She turned to him, her beautiful blue eyes suspiciously bright with unshed tears.
"He told me that you were coming back. That Himura had kept his promise and that you were coming back to us... to me! And when I heard that, I knew I couldn't simply lie there and give up. I couldn't let Shishio and his band of hoodlums win. How could I let Kaoru die when Himura had kept his promise to me?"
Her corners of her mouth turned down and her eyes darkened. "I owe him so much and now... now because of me, Kenshin could lose everything he's fought and suffered for... Kaoru, his life, his very soul!" She grabbed at Aoshi's trenchcoat.
"It's just not FAIR!!!" she wailed and buried her face against his chest.
As Misao quietly sobbed into his shirt, Aoshi mutely stared down at her fine black hair. Almost involuntarily, he lifted a hand and stroked her head ever so gently. It was the briefest of gestures, one that the emotionally overwrought girl probably did not even notice.
He silently gazed down at the hand he had brushed against her head. As he stared at a long silky strand of hair clinging delicately to his black fingerless glove, he came to an uncomfortable and terrifying realization.
He loved her.
It wasn't an entirely new emotion. The feeling had been around for some time, ignored and unnoticed, rather like a dormant seed lying in cold, dry barren earth. But Misao... Misao had somehow brought that seed... that feeling... to life.
Perhaps it was the fact that she was crying, not for her own suffering and pain, but rather for her friends. Perhaps it was simply her personality -- the warmth, the openness, the playfulness, the sheer joy in living -- that was so different from his own.
Aoshi had never considered himself as a poetic or romantic person, but in that moment, he couldn't help thinking of Misao as the warm, gentle rain which nourished his barren soul... then he ruefully remembered all the mischief and trouble she managed to get herself into.
She was unpredictable, yet loyal... gentle, yet fierce... impulsive, yet determined... she was impossible to categorize.
(She's just... Misao.)
Looking down at her, he thought, (This is what I fought for, back in that clearing. Not so much for her life, but for what... for everything she is. Now I truly understand what Hannya was talking about. If I had failed... if I had permitted Misao to kill me, it would have destroyed her. Her body might have survived, but the real Misao would have been gone... forever.)
And he found THAT possibility unbearable.
-----------------------------------
While Aoshi was absorbed with his own thoughts, Misao's sobs were gradually fading into sniffles. She eventually realized that she had thoroughly soaked Aoshi's shirt with her tears. Misao hastily blew her nose on the sash of her Oniwabanshuu outfit, then tilted her head up to sneak a quick peek at him. She found him watching her with a slight frown on his face. Misao felt her cheeks heat up with embarrassment.
(Oh god, what must he be thinking...?)
With a final sniffle, she muttered, "I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. I never used to be such a crybaby."
She groped again for her sash as she felt her nose starting to run. Aoshi somehow produced a handkerchief, which she accepted gratefully. When she was through blowing her nose, he quietly said, "It's quite understandable. You've been through some very traumatic experiences these last few days, Misao. And it's never easy to confront the darkness within oneself. I know that from personal experience."
"But it's so very ugly," she mumbled despairingly.
"It always is. Most people never have to face such unpleasant truths about themselves. Unfortunately, you were not so lucky. But it's what you do with that knowledge that's important. You can let the darkness and all the things that come along with it -- guilt, rage, hatred -- consume you. Or you can accept the fact it exists, then gather the inner strength to forge your own path."
Misao said quietly, "Is that what you were doing all that time at the temple, after you came back from Shishio's stronghold?"
"Yes. I suspect Himura did much the same thing during his time as a rurouni."
"But how do you know which path to take?" she cried in frustration.
"There are no right or wrong answers. Some people reject that inner darkness like Himura has done. Others like Saitoh have made their own sort of peace with the darkness within and are able to use it to their own advantage."
"And what about you?"
He glanced at the dimly lit forest and quietly said, "I'm not entirely sure yet."
"But if you and Himura have so much trouble handling it, how on earth am I supposed to!?" she moaned, her shoulders sagging in a hopeless gesture.
But to her surprise, a warm hand gently nudged her chin upward. As she stared up at Aoshi in astonishment, he said firmly, "Don't give up now, Misao. You have the strength to deal with this. Don't let that cursed sword win after all you've been through. Don't allow despair to destroy what you are."
"What I... am?"
"The girl... no, the young woman that everyone cares about -- Okina, Hannya, Himura, Kaoru, the other Oniwabanshuu... all of them."
A tentative smile appeared on her face, but an almost desperate question lurked in her eyes.
(But what about you, Aoshi?)
He knew what she was silently asking. He knew what she was hoping for. However, an entire lifetime of training and restraint could not be so easily overcome. He simply couldn't bring himself to say the words she wanted so badly to hear.
But she got her answer anyway, as Aoshi's fingers brushed her cheek in a fleeting, but infinitely tender caress.
She quickly lifted her own hand and grasped his fingers before he could pull away. They stared at each other for a long moment as she rested her head against his palm.
(One simple thing.... When I saw Saitoh and Tokio, I wondered how a mere touch could mean so much. Now I know. One simple thing between you and me....) Misao closed her eyes and uttered a long, happy sigh.
Aoshi felt her breath against his wrist, a faint tickle like the touch of a butterfly. He knew he would remember this moment forever.
....the scent of her hair, the softness of her skin, the steady beat of her heart....
They stood together for a brief, yet timeless instant in the dimly lit forest. But the quiet magic of the moment soon faded as they both recalled the dangers that still lay before them and the terrible darkness that threatened to consume their entire world.
As one, they each released the other's hand and turned to head deeper into the now silent forest. They were Oniwabanshuu and they had a mission to perform.
-----------------------------------
At the Minobe house, Saitoh, Kenshin and their companions waited with varying degrees of patience for Minobe Emi to speak to them. Kenshin and Tokio both appeared perfectly content to wait as long as necessary. Saitoh merely looked bored as Sano paced impatiently and Yahiko nervously rapped his shinai on the floor.
Finally, a door slid open at the opposite end of the room and an old woman entered. According to Saitoh's information, Minobe Emi was no more than 65 years old, but she seemed positively ancient. Everything about her seemed to shout neglect and decay. She was a shocking contrast to Takagi Asuko, a woman who was well into her nineties, but infinitely more alive and alert than this tired, half-senile old woman who was the last living member of the Minobe family.
She sat down clumsily and snapped in a querulous voice, "Well, what do you want?"
Saitoh gave the woman a malicious little smile. "We're here to ask you some questions about one of your family treasures which appears to have gone missing. A sword called Kinslayer."
She rudely interrupted him. "What of it? Why are you pestering an old woman with these questions?" she muttered in a hostile, defensive voice.
Kenshin quietly said, "Why did you give that sword to your nephew Junichi?"
The old woman turned an alarming shade of red. For an instant, Sano was afraid that the woman was about to have a massive stroke and drop dead at their feet. Spittle flew as Emi suddenly cackled with wild laughter. Jabbing a bony finger directly at Kenshin, she shrieked, "For YOU of all people to ask that question! Why!? You're why! I gave Kinslayer to that fool boy in order to get revenge against the famed Hitokiri Battousai!"
She didn't give Kenshin the chance to say anything as she burst into a disjointed tirade. "You destroyed my entire family during the Bakamatsu no Douran! My brother, my husband,... both of my sons! All of them, dead by your hand! You left me with nothing except a fool of a nephew and a brainless twit of a niece! All my hopes and dreams, gone in a few strokes of your bloody blade!"
The old woman gulped frantically for air, then continued. "But you'll pay. Oh, how you will pay. Just as I have lost everything that mattered to me, so will you!"
As she giggled triumphantly, Kenshin said harshly, "When you gave Kinslayer to your nephew Junichi, did you have any idea what would happen?"
A vicious look of malice appeared on the old woman's face. "I wasn't sure the exact form the revenge would take, but I knew it would be something terrible. Even at his best, Junichi could not hope to defeat the Battousai. Then I remembered the sword. I read the old legends about Kinslayer and its unholy powers. After all these centuries of being locked away, the blade was dormant, its spirit trapped in slumber, but I knew that that hatred could bring the blade back to life. And while Junichi was an useless boy, he was very, very good at hating people. So I gave him the sword and told him that if he wanted his revenge badly enough, the sword would eventually give him the power to do so."
The red-haired swordsman's voice was sharp as he said, "Your plan worked too well. Do you know that because of that sword, your niece Junko destroyed the man she loved and his entire family, then she committed suicide? And that was just the beginning of the carnage and misery that blade's caused. Do you know how many people have already died because of that cursed sword? How much suffering it has already caused? All this for revenge against a single man?"
Emi seemed totally unmoved by her niece's unfortunate fate. "Do you think I care? The entire world can fall into the abyss of hell itself, just as long as you pay for your sins against me!"
She leaned forward and shrieked, "YOU KILLED MY FAMILY!!!"
Kenshin's eyes abruptly narrowed. His reply was both savage and terrifyingly cold.
"THEY WERE IN MY WAY."
Yahiko's eyes widened in shock at Kenshin's blunt and brutal response. He glanced quickly at Sano and could see the look of dismay on the fighter's face. Sitting behind Kenshin, they couldn't see the expression on their friend's face, but it was apparently intimidating enough to frighten the half-senile old woman into some sense of caution.
The starkness of Kenshin's words seemed to startle even Saitoh, but he quickly recovered and smiled. Sano caught the fleeting smirk on the policeman's face and barely managed to keep himself from jumping up and slugging the man.
(You bastard! Kenshin's slowly turning back into the Battousai and you think it's funny!? Or is that what you really wanted all along?)
Saitoh stared coolly at Emi and said in a bored voice, "So we now know your part in all this and why both you and Junichi want revenge on the Battousai. But tell me, why is Junichi after me?"
The old woman looked startled. "What are you talking about?"
"What's his reason -- or your reason -- for targeting me?"
With a bewildered look on her withered face, she stammered, "But I don't have any grudge against you. And as far as I know, Junichi has no reason to desire revenge against you!"
Saitoh murmured, "Now isn't that interesting? Then again, you haven't seen Junichi for over a decade. There's no telling what weird ideas might have started festering in that half-witted brain of his."
-----------------------------------
Because of an architectural quirk of the Minobe house, Kaoru could clearly hear the entire conversation from several rooms away. When she heard Kenshin's last words, she knew that the Battousai was winning. Kaoru wanted to weep with despair.
But she couldn't. Instead, she could only sit helplessly by as she heard herself utter a soft snarl of rage at Saitoh's contemptuous comments.
-----------------------------------
Back in the sitting room, Saitoh shrugged and said, "This is pointless. Your information on Kinslayer. Where is it?"
The old woman sneered at him, then recoiled nervously as the former Shinsengumi stalked toward her with a predatory stride.
"Where is it?" he repeated in the same cool, dangerous voice.
"Wha... how dare you threaten an old woman!" she blustered.
Saitoh gave her a bone-chilling smile. "You lost any claim to protection or consideration when you decided to use Kinslayer as the instrument of your revenge, even though you were perfectly aware of the havoc that cursed sword was capable of creating."
Sano knew that Saitoh was not bluffing. If the policeman thought that Junichi's aunt had important information, the man would do anything necessary to get it. The fact that she was a nearly helpless old woman certainly wasn't going to stop the ex-Shinsengumi. Sano turned to his friend and said, "Kenshin...."
The red-haired swordsman rose to his feet and settled his sakabatou in place. But instead of objecting to Saitoh's actions, Kenshin merely gave the old woman a stony stare, apparently content to let Saitoh do what he considered necessary.
"Kenshin...," Sano protested again.
His friend turned slightly, and said a quiet, relentless voice, "Over fifty people died in the streets last night, Sano. Someone is probably being murdered by these apparitions at this very moment. We're running out of time. She may have the answer to stopping the carnage. We need that information."
"But she's just an old woman!" Yahiko protested.
Without taking his eyes off the cringing old woman, Saitoh said, "Is an old crone who kills by poison any less a murderer than a young man who stabs someone in the street? She is no less guilty." He flicked a quick glance in Kenshin's direction and apparently saw something that satisfied him.
The policeman watched with malicious amusement as Emi shivered in fright, her eyes rapidly flicking back and forth between Kenshin and Saitoh. The policeman chuckled quietly before speaking.
"After all that's happened to the Battousai recently, I don't think he's in any mood to help you."
Saitoh was quite correct. At that moment, Kenshin had very little mercy left in him and certainly not for his self-proclaimed enemy... the woman whose crazed desire for vengeance threatened to destroy not only Himura Kenshin himself, but also the woman he loved, the entire city of Kyoto, and very possibly the entire country.
The female house servant suddenly scurried into the room and nervously wrung her hands.
"Excuse me, Inspector Fujita?"
Saitoh drawled irritably, "What is it now?"
She hastily backed away from the doorway and allowed a young policeman to enter. He saluted sharply and handed Saitoh a note.
"An urgent message, sir."
Saitoh quickly scanned the contents and said, "Very well. Wait outside. I'll be with you shortly."
His gaze drifted back to Emi, his eyes even colder than before. He said softly, "So you don't care if the whole world goes to hell as long as you have your revenge for... what, four dead people?" He tapped the paper impatiently in his palm. "Well, it seems that you just might get your wish, you worthless old hag."
Kenshin said sharply, "What's happened?"
The policeman smiled sourly. "Just what I expected. Several massacred families have been found in the area surrounding Kyoto. They were torn to pieces."
Saitoh turned again to look at Minobe Emi. In his amber eyes, she read her fate. She was already a dead woman. Perhaps not immediately, not while she still had her uses, but she knew that Saitoh had already marked her for execution. He would return for her soon enough.
Emi's attention suddenly drawn to the unnamed woman who had accompanied Saitoh and the Battousai. She had initially ignored the woman, but now Emi felt strangely chilled by the beautiful woman's gaze. Like a goddess sitting in judgment, the woman placidly watched her, wholly unmoved by Emi's obvious fear and desperation.
"Well? Are you going to cooperate?" Saitoh said testily.
Realizing that she was trapped, Minobe Emi lost her defiant pose. Her shoulders sagging in defeat, the old woman slowly nodded.
Saitoh glanced at Kenshin and said, "Well, do you think you can handle her by yourself?"
"Yes. Where are you going?"
Saitoh waved the message in the air. "I need to investigate these deaths. It's just possible that these murders are unrelated to the events in Kyoto."
Sano snapped, "How likely is THAT!?"
For once, the policeman seemed disinclined to tease the fighter. He simply shrugged, then stalked out of the room. Tokio silently stood, gave Kenshin, Sano, and Yahiko a polite bow, then followed her husband.
-----------------------------------
As they left the Minobe house, Saitoh suddenly stopped, then glanced back at the old building.
Tokio said, "What's wrong, Hajime-san?"
He scowled. "I'm not sure. But something about that house...." He shook his head sharply, then glanced back at his wife.
"If you don't need my company, I have a little more research to do for grand-aunt Asuko," Tokio said.
"Fine. I'll see you this evening, then."
She bowed, then watched as Saitoh collected the young policeman who had been waiting for him. After the two men disappeared around the corner, Tokio headed in the opposite direction toward the Takagi compound.
-----------------------------------
As Kaoru watched Saitoh's wife from a second-story room of the Minobe house, she felt her lips curve into a malevolent smile. Inwardly, she shivered as she heard herself whisper, "The Battousai's already lost his true love. And soon it'll be your turn, Saitoh."
The young woman slipped out of the house undetected and headed for the forested mountains just east of Kyoto.
-----------------------------------
For the last hour, Aoshi and Misao had been travelling ever deeper into the forest. During that time, they didn't say a word, but even as they kept a wary eye on their surroundings, both of them couldn't help thinking about that brief, but wondrous moment of intimacy that now lay between them... that single touch that communicated so much more than mere words could. And every so often, Misao would catch Aoshi looking at her with a strangely gentle look in his green-grey eyes.
Then it happened in an instant, without warning.
One minute, they had been walking side by side along the shadowy forest path... the next instant, a thick, cold mist rolled across the pathway, obscuring everything.
As the mist gradually thinned, Aoshi swiftly surveyed his surroundings, his hands ready on his sheathed kodachi. His face went cold and still as he realized that Misao was nowhere in sight. When a flicker of motion caught his eye, he whirled to see a slim shadowy figure approaching. As the person came closer, he had no trouble recognizing her or the sword slung over her shoulder.
"Kaoru," he said flatly. "Or should I say, Minobe Junichi."
She gave him a spine-chilling smile.
"Shinomori Aoshi, I've been waiting for you." It was Kaoru's own voice, but Aoshi had no problem remember who was really speaking. He could also see the quiet anguish lurking in her eyes, the only outward trace of the young woman he knew. Aoshi didn't bother to respond to her words, but remained silent, poised and waiting.
"Despite that cold, unfeeling facade of yours, you're worried about Misao, aren't you?" She cocked her head slightly.
Aoshi's eye narrowed, but that was his only reaction to Kaoru's taunts. She uttered a bored sigh, then snapped her fingers.
Several tall, spindly shapes arose from the foul mist clinging to the ground. Although they stood on two feet, they were clearly not human, but rather twisted travesties of dogs. Stiff black hair sparsely covered their stringy muscled bodies and their abnormally long limbs ended with vicious, filthy-looking claws. The obvious leader of the pack stood nearly a full foot taller than the others.
Aoshi silently unsheathed his kodachi and watched warily, assessing the creatures' strengths and weaknesses.
"I'll let my pets occupy your attention while I hunt down dear little Misao. But just so you won't have things TOO easy...." She swiftly reached over her shoulder and drew Kinslayer from its scabbard.
Aoshi tensed. He remembered too well what had happened the last time he had confronted the cursed sword. He immediately started to retreat, but it was too late.
Kaoru held up Kinslayer's black blade before her, one hand grasping the hilt, the other lightly supporting the tip... then suddenly tilted the sword ever so slightly.
A brief flare of darkness obscured his vision for an instant... then the agony hit him. Aoshi barely managed to keep his grip on his weapons as his knees buckled and he crumpled to the ground.
-----------------------------------
Trapped inside her body, Kaoru could only scream silently in protest as she watched him collapse with a choked cry of pain.
(NO! Damn you, NO! Stop it!)
-----------------------------------
As Aoshi struggled back to his feet, his pain-fogged vision could barely make out the shapes of the approaching monsters. He dimly heard Kaoru call out in a mocking voice.
"Don't worry, I'll be back for you soon enough. Misao won't be much of a challenge, but I'll take my enjoyment where I can."
As she disappeared back into the murky forest, Aoshi gritted his teeth in suppressed fury and prepared to deal with his unnatural attackers.
-----------------------------------
Saitoh surveyed the devastated farm in disgust. In the still, heavy air, flies buzzed and crawled over the cold, stiff bodies of the massacred farmers. As the other policemen retched and struggled to control their stomachs, he took a close look at the corpses.
No normal human could leave marks like those on the bodies. Oh, with the right weapons, there were individual fighters who were capable of doing so much damage -- himself, Aoshi, and the Battousai, just to name a few. But something told him that there was something definitely unnatural at work here.
He had had this feeling once before... this sense of 'wrongness'. It had been eight years ago and strangely enough, it had occurred in this same general area.
Eight years ago.... At that time, he had been framed by corrupt officials, men who were desperately afraid of what he would find during his investigations. In his efforts to locate the documents that would both clear him and identify the true enemies, he had basically abducted Tokio from her Tokyo home. Not that she had actually objected. Ever practical, she had calmly packed a small travelling bag and allowed him to drag her all the way to Kyoto without a single word of complaint.
Saitoh smiled faintly. How strange it was to think that the woman he had intended to use as bait to lure his pursuers out into the open had ended up saving his life more than once on that little adventure. Tokio had turned out to be a woman of numerous and unexpected talents.
He gazed thoughtfully at the surrounding mountains. That affair eight years ago had started out simply enough, but when they arrived in this area east of Kyoto, things had rapidly become... strange. He shook his head and shoved the memories of the past aside. Something was out there. Something that didn't belong in this area... or in this world.
He turned to one of his subordinates and said, "Clean up the area. Are there any witnesses?"
"Yes, Inspector. We have them in custody."
"Keep them isolated for now. People are panicky enough without learning about these massacres." He gave the officer a stern look. "That goes for the police as well. There had better not be any loose tongues."
The young policeman gulped nervously. "Yes SIR!"
"I have some matters to investigate before returning to Kyoto." And with those words, Saitoh turned and disappeared into the surrounding forest.
As he silently made his way through the woods, he felt oddly comfortable amid the great trees. It was like he had been here many times before.... Saitoh shook off that odd fancy, then suddenly scowled as he sensed the presence of creatures that had no rightful place in this world.
He had a duty to destroy such trespassers.
And duty was something Saitoh Hajime understood very, very well.
He paused to listen... then leapt aside just as a tall, gangling creature dropped from a nearby tree and attempted to smash him into the ground. His katana flashed and the monster howled in agony as both arms were neatly severed and went flying into the undergrowth. He sensed a presence behind him and dove to his left as the oversized claws of another monster barely missed him.
A quick glance around the clearing told him that he was facing at least five and easily more of the creatures. They looked like unnaturally gaunt alley dogs that walked on their back feet. Saliva and darkish foam dripped from their snarling muzzles as they circled cautiously, looking for an opportunity to pounce.
Saitoh answered with a soft snarl of his own. He was certain that he had found the monsters who had slaughtered the farming families in the area. An icy rage slowly seeped through his mind. These beasts would pay for intruding into his territory.
One of the bolder dog creatures lunged towards him. With a cold, vicious smile, he brought his sword parallel to the ground, slid his right hand forward along the blade,... then charged with a battle cry whose sheer ferocity made even these unnatural creatures cringe.
The Gatotsu strike nearly tore the lead attacker in half. Saitoh immediately followed up with a lethal cross-slash which left another beast thrashing on the ground, its bowels pouring from its ruptured belly.
The surviving beasts frantically scrambled away from the flashing blade. They had thought they had cornered a lone, puny human... easy prey. Two more members of their pack fell as it gradually penetrated their dim minds that they had bitten off much more than they could chew.
Another beast died. Then another.
The pack leader lashed out in rage, mixed with a hefty dose of panic, and managed to connect more by sheer luck than anything else. The wild blow sent Saitoh hurtling against an unyielding tree trunk. The survivors in the pack burst into triumphant howls as they watched the man sag to the ground, apparently knocked unconscious from the collision. They quickly converged, eager to drink the blood of this impudent human who had cut down so many of their fellow pack members. But even as they prepared to tear him to pieces, Saitoh abruptly lifted his head and stared at them with burning amber eyes.
He gave them a savage smile and bared his fangs.
The would-be predators had now become the prey.
And an ancient hunter once again prowled the great forests outside of Kyoto.
-----------------------------------
Back in Kyoto, as Tokio chatted and enjoyed a quiet cup of tea with her aunt Yuka, she suddenly paused in mid-word, then cocked her head slightly, as if listening to some distant sound.
Yuka noticed the mysterious little smile that appeared on her niece's lips and asked, "What was that all about?"
Tokio shrugged and calmly sipped her tea. "HE's awake," she said with a delicate emphasis on the pronoun.
Her plump little aunt raised her eyebrows and exclaimed, "Oh my!"
Risako suddenly appeared in the doorway. Without preamble or apologies for her interruption, she said, "Mother, Father's...."
Tokio murmured, "Yes, dear. I know. Why don't you go take a look?"
As Risako disappeared as abruptly as she had appeared, Yuka twittered, "That girl takes after her sire so much, it's positively frightening."
-----------------------------------
Aoshi slowly sagged to his knees, gasping for air. The battle had been brutal and exhausting. Barely able to think or move from the pain in his body, he had fought more by instinct than by rational thought. Knowing that he couldn't possible deal with so many opponents in his present condition, he had attacked first, hoping to whittle down the number of monsters to a more manageable number. The lesser members of the monsters had fallen early in the battle, leaving him to face the much deadlier leader.
The resulting fight had been a blur of attack and evasion, slash and counter-slash as they danced amid the great forest trees... a grim, stalking game that pitted demonic talons against the steel of his kodachi. All the while, he was desperately aware that vital seconds and minutes were slipping by....
Blood had flowed freely on both sides, but finally the demon beast had overreached itself. With the last bits of his strength, he had used the Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren to rip the beast to pieces, with the final stroke decapitating the grotesque creature.
As he struggled to simply stay conscious, he thought, (I have to get up. Misao can't possible handle Kaoru and Kinslayer by herself. Get up, damn you!) he swore at himself.
"Even crippled with pain that would slay an ordinary man, you're as deadly as ever. You're a magnificent killing machine, Aoshi," a familiar female voice purred.
(Kaoru... no, Junichi! What is she doing back here?)
A horrible sense of dread began to grow in Aoshi's dazed mind as an inner voice started to whisper, 'Too late. Too late.' He lifted his head and gasped out, "What... have you... done to... Misao?"
Kaoru emerged from the shadows, her hands empty and Kinslayer innocently resting in its sheath over her shoulder. She didn't answer him immediately, but stepped delicately over the corpses until she reached the decapitated body of the monster leader.
As she bent down and lifted something off the ground, she said with a low chuckle, "I don't think you should be worrying about what I've done."
"What are you talking...?"
His voice trailed off as Kaoru held up the object she had picked up off the ground. The round, melon-sized object dangled from her grasp by a thin rope or cord. Even as he watched, the ground under the object steadily darkened as blood dripped from the severed head... for that's what the round object undoubtedly was. As Kaoru steadily approached, Aoshi's gaze focused not on the head which was obscured by the gathering shadows, but on the thin, dark rope that suspended it in midair.
....a rope that had an unmistakable sheen even in the dim light....
"You should be asking what YOU've done, Shinomori Aoshi."
....a thin rope of silk....
....or a braid of fine black hair.
-----------------------------------
Standing outside his lonely hut, Hiko abruptly stiffened as he heard a low, harsh roar echo through the mountains. It sounded like the howl of an enraged beast....
....or the scream of a tormented soul.
-----------------------------------
(end of part 19)
******************** Author's Notes ********************
Next part: Keep repeating to yourself, "This is not a darkfic. This is NOT a darkfic." =^_^=
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madamhydra@aol.com /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/:E
http://www.geocities.com/~madamhydra/
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