Tang Mu

Chapter 15

"I remember you!" I think her name is Tae, but it doesn't really matter.
She giggles as I nod. Why is she giggling? Her hips sway suggestively
as she leads me to a table. I raise an eyebrow in response. Her blush
confuses me. Wasn't she just trying to catch my eye? Anyway, it doesn't
really matter. I'm not interested in this woman.

"What can I get for you?" With a bright smile, she holds her tray to
her chest.

"Sake…Please…"

"Anything else?" Her features are contorted with concern. Why? Hasn't
she ever heard a man order just sake?

"No…"

"Well alright, as long as you pace yourself this time." She winks and
escapes into the back. Pace myself? I suppose she doesn't want to have
a drunk on her hands. Maybe I should order food with my drink then. I
heard that keeps people from getting too drunk.

* * *

I snake my arm around her as we bathe. By her direction, the changing
room has been cleaned to her liking. It was very dirty. I smile at the
memory and pull her closer to me. She seems exhausted. Apparently, I
have more stamina than most men.

"Dr. Gensai said we are okay to go home tomorrow." We? Oh! Kaemon! Yes.
I guess we're going back to the village tomorrow then. Suddenly, I am
reminded of Battousai again. That bastard just had to show up today. We
can ignore him in Rakuminmura. Even if he is friendly, I don't want him
or his friends turning Liya against me or anything. Not that Battousai
would do that, but his friends might.

"What's wrong?" She sighs as I unclench a fist I don't even remember
forming. Suddenly, I feel her shift and rise. Where is she going? I
watch her sit upon the edge of the bath directly behind me. What is she
doing? With heavy grace, she trails her hands from my shoulders to my
neck. Her fingers make deliberate circles along my tense muscles.

"Why do you let him bother you?" Why?! I unconsciously tense and begin
to get up. I don't want to talk about this. Her fingers almost
painfully press against a sore muscle forcing me to stay put. "He is
nothing but an over-polite man with a bloody past. Why does he bother
you?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" She presses another sore
spot. Normally, I would be able to ignore the simple pressure, but this
is different somehow. The fact that she is serious enough about this
conversation that she feels the need to punish me with pressure point
techniques is throwing my masculine strength out the window.

"Then, tell me." She presses yet again causing me to wince and hiss.

Her voice is surprisingly soft and lulling considering the present
strength of her fingers. I suppose I should tell her everything. It's
only fair. Still, I find myself scowling. She presses harder and I
relinquish.

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you! Gods woman!" She smacks my shoulder
before continuing with the massage.

* * *

"I think you've had enough…" Without waiting for a response, I begin to
clean off the table. It's starting to get late. Most of the other
customers have left and they're Tsubame's tables. I invite myself to
sit down. The guy just looks so pitiful. He looks like he lost his
girl.

"Do ya wanna talk about it Honey?" I gently put my hand on his back.
Almost immediately, he begins to cry. I've never seem a man cry before,
except for my dad. His head falls to the table with a pathetic thump.
People are staring, but he's drunk so it doesn't matter.

"Why does she love him!?" He suddenly blurts out, surprising me. His
fists clench as he pounds the table. Thinking only of table number 6, I
take his hands to prevent property damage. He squeezes my hands until
it seems they will fall off.

"You mean that little Chinese girl and Enishi?" He growls making me
yelp. Now, everyone is staring. Most are regulars. A couple have tried
to court me. They actually start to get up until I smile and wave them
off. "It's okay!" Louder this time, he begins crying again. I thought
the couple looked good together, especially since she managed to calm
him down before he caused too much damage. She also got him to leave a
wonderful tip the last time they were here. The money nearly paid for
an eighth of the damage caused by his "Revenge". I thought that was
very thoughtful of them.

"He isn't even sane! I don't get it!" Well, I get it. Enishi loves her
and you're being a brat about it. "I had a tough past too, but I'm not
insane!" I beg to differ…Sighing, I rub his back as he complains and
cries.

* * *

"That bastard killed her! Cold-blood! I've read her diary over and over
and I still don't get it! She loved him. And he killed her! I had to
get revenge, but he was too powerful. He could have slaughtered me with
his little finger back then. So I fled. I found myself in Shanghai. I
lived off of garbage and what I could kill. That is…until a kind and
gentle Japanese couple found me. They took pity on me and brought me
into their home. I killed them and took their money and valuables. They
had a book that taught me a fighting style. I perfected it and molded
it into my own personal style. I worked my way up in the shadows of
Shanghai. I became a weapons dealer and planned my revenge on
Battousai. I used his friends as a way to put him through hell before I
attempted at killing him. I hired 'comrades', one of which destroyed
the former Akabeko. Anyone Battousai knew and might know were targets,
especially his woman. One of my men created a life-like doll of her. I
kidnapped her while he pinned the doll to the dojo wall with a sword so
that she appeared dead. As expected, Battousai became lost. He suffered
while I waited. My revenge would only be complete when he was dead, but
that didn't happen. My sister stopped smiling at me; he didn't die.
Everything failed. I escaped being taken to prison and came to
Rakuminmura. A year later, I met you."

His voice is barely a whisper by the end of his story. He has had an
awesome and terrible past. Kenshin's family has every right to hate him
as they do…and he has every right to hate them as he does. But, there
is a piece missing. Both men are different now. That is certain. Things
just don't add up. Why would Kenshin kill Enishi's sister if she loved
him…and he loved her. He did say that they were married and that he
did, indeed, love her in return. This is confusing. Perhaps it is time
to take Kenshin's invitation now.

"Tomorrow, we go see Kenshin."

* * *

"And there he was! He was slaughtered by the stringy-haired demon with
golden eyes! Mother died when Cho was born, so no one could take care
of her but me!" He's balling now. This is really getting bad. Everyone
has left. Half of them weren't even done with their meals yet. He picks
up an empty choko and tries to drink. I don't know what he got out of
it, but he looks satisfied now as he continues his tirade.

"Um…Tae-san…" Tsubame hides behind her tray while eyeing the drunkard.
I smile and pat his back.

"It's okay. Let's take him back to the clinic. That's where Yahiko said
Enishi was staying for now." Her eyes widen, but she nods anyway and
lowers her tray. Setting it on top of mine, we somehow manage to lift
his arms around our shoulders as we heave him into a standing position.
I don't know how this is going to work since Tsubame is shorter than
me, but we'll just have to make due. "Come on Kaemon-kun. We're going
home." I say with the enthusiasm of a tired mother.

"You're taking me home with you? You're so niiiice Tae-chan!" He leans
towards me. I wince at the smell of alcohol, but smile just the same.
"I love you guys. I'm drunk as hell and you're walking me home with
you…and you don't care!" He tries to gesture with his hands, but fails
for obvious reasons. His antics cause Tsubame and I to lose our hold.
We plummet to the ground. I groan as he giggles insanely to himself and
the others around him.

Suddenly, I hear him choke on his laughter. He audibly gulps causing
Tsubame and I to divert our attention to the area surrounding us.
Yakusa are circling our little group like wolves circle their prey. A
smug smile is all I see before everything goes black.

* * *

"Tomorrow, we go see Kenshin." Is she kidding?! Hasn't she heard a
single word I said!? No! Absolutely not! I forbid it! "Story is not
whole. Kenshin answer question." I stare at her with the most shocked
expression I can muster. Her massaging stopped a long time ago. She is
now standing. Though she's normally calm and submissive, her face
suddenly becomes commanding. It doesn't matter though. I will not go to
my sister's killer to talk!

"Child!" I force myself not to flinch at her harsh tone. Her onyx eyes
pierce through me with the ferocity of an unhappy wife. She is speaking
in Japanese, which she only does to me when she means business. "You
are child. Man get all knowledge before fight. You act like spoiled
child who lose favorite toy."

"You don't know what it's like to see your own sister murdered in front
of you!" That was a stupid comment, but it doesn't matter. She's
treading on thin ice with this conversation.

"You know I know. Yakusa have no honor. Revenge good. Kenshin change.
Now, he have honor. Now, revenge not good. You talk Kenshin. Get all
knowledge. Make story whole. Yes." I don't like this. "I go with you.
You not do stupid thing." I growl at that. She is undaunted by my
threatening ki. I know she feels it, but it's not stopping her. "You
not have to like. You just do."

"What if I refuse?" I'm still growling. I don't care if it's not
working.

"I not smile. 'Nee-san not smile. You alone." Gritting my teeth, I
avoid her hard glare. I guess I have no choice. I'll have to force
myself to be in the same room with Battousai.

* * *

Author's Notes:

No real notes, except that I'd like to thank my roommate from my
freshman year of college for the drunk scenes. The whole 'I love you
guys' part came from real events, so I have to give credit where it's
due. Thanks Kristin!!

Thank you for waiting so long for the next chapters. I hope I can write
the next ones soon. I'm having a bit of writer's block. *nervous
laughter* Well, I hope this one was just as good as the others!!
Thanks for reading!