Interweaving Destinies
Part 2
Disclaimers: Standard disclaimers apply. Please refer to part A for a better version of my disclaimers.
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Misao, Fuuko, Mikagami, Kenshin and Kaoru were back at the Kirisawa penthouse. Kaoru was asleep in her room, having been given pain-killers after she was taken to the hospital.
"The hiretsukan actually broke her wrist!" said Misao angrily as she paced in front of the gathered people. She has told everyone about their father's background and his stipulations in his will. Recca and the others were on their way to their penthouse to help with their problem.
Grimly, Tokiya looked at the closed door of Kaoru's room. He had no doubt that the Kirisawa sisters will still be attacked until both of them die or leave Japan. He shared a look with Kenshin who was thinking the exact same thing. 'What did those men want with Misao and Kaoru?'
"Misao-dono, you might have something those men want badly. They want it so badly that they would kill you and your sister with no repercussions," said Kenshin sternly as he looked at Misao's startled face.
"Iie! We know nothing about anything! We lived in America and all over Europe for as long as I can remember besides, otou-chan wouldn't have asked us to return here if it would have been dangerous for us!" exclaimed Misao as she stopped and glared at Kenshin.
"Shikashi... Misao-dono, Sessha was asked by my commanding officer Uramura to investigate this matter..." added Kenshin softly aware of the thunderstruck expressions on everybody's faces. Tokiya swore and Misao swore as well. Fuuko gave him an assessing look.
"So that's why you suddenly appeared around here with Tokiya ne Kenshin?" asked Fuuko. Kenshin squirmed a little but met Fuuko's eyes head on. "Iie, I haven't accepted Chief Uramura's mission yet... I was busy with college not to mention I was out to learn Mikagami-senpai's sword technique. I guess I just happened to be at the right place at the right time," said Kenshin turning a little red.
"Why are you working with the Japanese police anyway?" asked Misao suspiciously as she critiqued Kenshin's clothes that were quite well-done and expensive actually. Tokiya coughed discreetly while Kenshin answered, " Sessha has a shishou, Hiko Shirofuji who took me up on a delicate case. I seemed to have performed pretty well, even Japanese officials started hiring sessha. Whenever sessha feels like helping people. I agree to some cases."
Misao nodded. Her eyes narrowed, sensing a dangerous ki all of a sudden. Her companions also grew alert as Kenshin got up on his feet and unconsciously stood near Kaoru's door to prevent any intruder from coming close without battling him first.
The windows of their penthouse exploded as their door was ripped open when ninjas and a purple-haired man with a psychic device looking a lot like Fuuko's charged in.
A battle ensued. "Damn, where the heck is security?" cursed Misao as she dodged the flying shuriken. Quick as a heartbeat, they began counter-attacking the intruders who seemed surprised at the skill of their targets. The purple-haired man's eyes widened in recognition as he looked at Mikagami and Fuuko's faces, familiar after the Dark Martial Arts Combat.
"Raiha..." said Fuuko through gritted teeth as she began fighting her way towards the ninja. Raiha stood among his men, not fighting as he assessed his situation. Never in his wildest dream did he envision that the daughters of General Kirisawa were actually related to Fuuko, the controller of the God of wind. 'Looks like I finally get to battle my God of thunder against hers,' he thought grimly.
The Tokiya-Kenshin tandem worked so swiftly and efficiently that few ninjas were left standing. Raiha assessed his predicament and decided that getting at least one Kirisawa sister would be enough for his master for a while. He smiled apologizingly at Fuuko who still had her eyes trained on him despite battling a ninja. Misao who stood nearby with her back turned to him didn't know what hit her.
Raiha took a running leap towards Misao, clutching her waist between his hands as he dove out the huge glass windows. The sound of breaking glass and Misao's enraged yell broke through the fighting. They were hurtling down the distance of more than a twenty feet off the ground from the high rise penthouse.
Raiha was getting ready to teleport when Misao started struggling against him. The wind was whipping through their faces and when Misao's braid slammed across Raiha's eyes, his grip on her waist loosened a bit and Misao rammed her elbow in his stomach.
His hold relaxed and Misao pushed herself away from him as she angled and pushed her feet against the walls, propelling herself towards one of the huge poles. Raiha then whisked towards a night post, still rubbing his stomach as he watched the young girl he was trying to abduct balance herself from pole to pole like a gymnast as she began going down the building.
Raiha felt reluctant admiration for the girl's skills. She was as nimble as a ninja and as he watched her closely, he realized that the girl was actually a ninja too! "Kuso!" he muttered under his breath.
Misao turned in the middle of her jump to see Raiha watching her atop a lamp post nearby. As she flipped from one pole to another, she realized that he was only waiting for her to come down before he tries to abduct her again. "Shimatta!" cursed Misao. She was about five feet from the ground when instead of landing on her feet, she began propelling herself and caught the roof a van nearby.
Raiha realized what Misao was about to do and began to give her chase; moving rapidly from post to post as Misao leapt from one parked vehicle to another.
Misao then jumped off the last parked car's top and began running. "Where are Fuuko and Tokiya and Kenshin?" she thought desperately as she sped away, trying to shake Raiha off her tail.
She had to get away! But she also had to take Raiha away from her defenseless sister! Kaoru was helpless right now, her stomach turned as she envisioned how easily Raiha could capture her sister at her current condition. Bleakly she realized that she has to defend herself, Kaoru needed Fuuko and Tokiya more right now. "Focus Misao, you can get away," she chanted to herself as she rounded the corner and ducked in an alley.
As she turned into another alleyway again, she skidded on a banana peel while running. "Aiiieee!" yelped Misao flailing her arms to keep her balance as she skidded. She landed on her butt ungracefully as Raiha finally caught up with her.
Raiha couldn't help but smile at the picture Misao made. Her black shorts and pink blouse were dirty and tattered, she was sitting on the alley's dirty floor, rubbing her butt. "You better give up now Kirisawa-dono," he said as he extended a hand to help her up.
Misao looked at Raiha's out-stretched hand contemptuously as she stood up, keeping her kunais behind her back, ready to fight to the death if ever. "Why are you after us?" she asked, her voice sounding incensed and mean.
Raiha pulled his katana from his back and began backing Misao into a corner. From the look in her eyes, she was probably going to try and escape again. He would knock her down if necessary just to follow Kurei's orders. "Master Kurei needs something from your family," he said finally as he took more steps.
Misao didn't realize that she was being backed into a corner, too intent was she on finding a way to escape. "What do you need, money?" asked Misao as she gripped her kunais tighter behind her back finally looking into the ninja's eyes.
Raiha looked into those brave, ocean blue eyes and regretted having to hurt her in any way. "Vengeance," he answered as Misao's eyes widened. Suddenly, she attacked whirling in movements almost too quick for Raiha to defend against. Realizing that Misao mainly used her legs to kick, he was about to attack her when something flew in the air, in between her furious attacks.
A kunai imbedded itself in his arm. Her legs were a distraction he realized. He staggered back and when he did, Misao launched herself at him, kicking him with a helicopter kick and jumped on his back as she landed on her feet and began running away from the alley.
Her heart was pounding in exertion and fear. She had no doubt that her opponent was on his way to her, this time aware of her abilities. She had only taken him by surprise and therefore gaining the upper hand. She slammed against the wall as shurikens rained on her making her twist and dodge, inadvertently throwing herself against the rough brick wall.
"Oomph," grunted Misao as the wind was knocked out of her. Woozily, she tried to get up but her head was spinning. She gripped her kunais and was surprised that instead of encountering Raiha, a tall-grim looking man intercepted her instead. Before her astonished eyes, huge vines began hovering above his body. She screamed as a vine wrapped itself around her throat and her waist, her legs completely immobilizing her as she was lifted off her feet.
"I am Mokuren little girl. I like hearing women scream," he said with an evil chuckle.
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Aoshi was driving, on his way back to his unit when the hair on the back of his neck raised up in a sudden premonition. 'Danger,' he thought as he glanced furtively along the street shadows. His grip on the steering wheel tightened and he has never felt this sense of alarm before, as if he was about to lose something before finding it again.
A slight, silvery flash in the corner alley caught his eye. A scream followed and Aoshi leapt out of his car, his instincts screaming with the overwhelming need to protect.
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Misao was choking. She could feel her lungs contracting violently to the pressure in her throat and chest. The man, Mokuren seemed to be enjoying her helpless struggles. She was tied up and even her hands were outstretched, making her kunais drop.
Onegai, I need to live through this... thought Misao as she felt her vision dimming.
"So what now little girl, I'm afraid I have to end our play by killing you... tsk, tsk, a pity. I would have relished torturing you," said Mokuren with an evil laugh.
Misao closed her eyes, preparing for the worst. She didn't know if Mokuren would kill her by strangulation or by flinging her against the wall until she's dead. Either way would satisfy his perverted lusts. But suddenly, the vines holding her fell away as Mokuren screamed in pain. She fell down against the stone floor, breathing deeply, shaking her head to clear its fog.
When she looked up, a man dressed in a yellow leather trench coat was standing steadily, twin kodachis gripped threateningly in his hand. The kenki radiating from him was immense and Misao for a while doubted if he was a friend or a foe. His icy-blue eyes flashed as he turned his kodachis, the shadow of the alley obscuring his face but Misao suddenly felt as if she was safe, that the empty space in her heart was this man's identity.
He then charged at Mokuren, his movements swift and deadly. He was like a wolf, ferocious and lethal in its quiet intensity. Mokuren was helpless against the man's sword technique, his vines only cut down in such efficient movements. Misao saw a tree branch, shaped like a stake coming from Mokuren speeding towards her rescuer from behind.
"Iie!" she shouted as she rolled and threw her kunai, cutting through the branch. He looked back at her and saw that she saved him. In the dim shadows, as Mokuren saw that he had no chance of victory he delivered a final blow when a vine of his snaked out and caught Misao's ankle. He threw her against the wall so forcefully that Misao passed out before Aoshi could cut her loose from Mokuren.
Mokuren's insane laughter echoed as he left with his band of ninjas.
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A fox named Megumi and a roosterhead named Sano were warring inside her head. They were using bombs, tanks, missiles, dynamites and nuclear bombs in their struggle to make Misao sick.
Misao cracked an eye open, groaning at the effort it cost her. Chibi-Sano and Megumi seemed to be wrecking vengeance in her foolish attempts to move.
She began taking deep breaths, feeling the urge to throw up violently. She felt dim pieces of memory but as it was, she felt far too wretched to try and piece together her disjointed story.
"Daijoubu ka?" asked a very masculine voice from behind her. Misao whipped her head so fast she felt the stirrings of nausea again.
'Oh my God!!!' thought Misao as she gazed at the man who stood behind her. He was tall, with a well-built physique and the most beautiful eyes she has ever seen. His black hair was cut short, his bangs falling into his eyes a bit. He was wearing a university varsity jacket but from the way he moved, Misao could tell he was no ordinary guy at all.
Aoshi looked at the bedraggled girl sitting up in his bed. Her face was lightly smudged with dirt, her cheek had a few scratches and he could tell she had a pretty bad headache from the way her gorgeous ocean-blue eyes were glazed over with pain. She was petite too and her weight slight as he carried her back to his unit to treat her wounds. The only thing that was pretty much intact about her was her waist long braid that refused to be released from its confines.
He felt compelled to sit close to her and look into those eyes. He gave in to his compulsion and sat down near Misao. "Kimi wa Aoshi Shirofuji," he said as he looked into her eyes.
"Arigatou gozaimasu Aoshi. I'm Misao Kirisawa," she said looking back at him. There was something indefinable in the air as they gazed into each other's eyes and Aoshi reached out a hand and tenderly touched Misao's wounded cheek. Touching her was like touching a dream. He felt too afraid to let go lest the dream fade away.
Misao couldn't look away from his eyes. The reality of his touch seemed as if she waited a lifetime to feel it once again and now that she did, everything seems so much better as if a lifetime of sadness was washed away by a single touch. She felt complete for the first time in her life.
But then reality sank in. "Misao Kirisawa?" Aoshi asked in disbelief, as he realized that she was the girl Kurei wanted him to kill.
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Author's Notes:
Gomen nasai minna-san! It took so long because I had a little trouble with the chapter. This chapter seemed to have dragged on a bit so I kinda made it into a two-part chapter. I had to make the story credible enough to support how intertwined the characters' destinies are with each other. Whew, this was a tough chapter, comments are most definitely appreciated. Gomen Lesly and Sandra if this part took so long. Ja!
