No More Secrets
By J. Liha
Chapter 1
Standard Disclaimers apply.
Okina was out shopping in Kyoto when he saw someone very familiar. "Miyako?" He asked himself. It looked like her but an older version. He shrugged and walked back to the Aoiya.
"Hajime, hurry up." Tokio scolded her husband. Saitou snorted. He had just seen that old lecher of Shinomori's looking at his wife.
"Tokio, are you hiding anything from me?" Saitou questioned, sensing something in his wife's chi. Nervousness? No, Tokio was never nervous. Tokio stopped. Had her husband seen Okina staring at her? She wanted to talk with her old friend but couldn't reveal herself. They all thought she was dead and could not find out about her.
"Hajime, what are you talking about? Anyway, let's go to the Shirobeko for lunch, I'm starving." She finally answered. Saitou frowned.
(You can't hide from me for long, Tokio.) The couple headed to the restaurant and no more was said. In the Shirobeko Okon, Omasu, and Misao were doing a little female-bonding. The trio had just bought out the stores. Then Omasu saw a pretty young woman with Saitou Hajime. While she knew Saitou she felt the woman was familiar as well.
(Miyako.) **************************************************************************** ************* "Omasu, look out!" Sakura cried, jade eyes full of worry.
"I'm all right!!" 15-year-old Omasu yelled back and dodged the dagger. Suddenly an arrow struck Sakura's arm. "Miyako!" Omasu screamed. Sakura grimaced, holding her arm. It was a deep wound but saving the okashira was more important.
"Forget about me! Save Aoshi-sama!" She shouted back.
"But." Omasu clenched her teeth together.
"Go!" Miyako hollered.
"Don't die on me, Miyako." Omasu whispered, helping Aoshi lean on her.
Later, when the battle was over the Oniwabanshuu looked for survivors, finding none. They buried the dead and went on another search, retrieving Miyako's silver ring with a jade stone.
She was presumed dead and the group made a small memorial to her. "Miyako." Omasu began, "Your memory will always be kept alive. goodbye." She collapsed and began sobbing. **************************************************************************** ***************
Omasu blinked. She felt tears falling down her cheeks. Misao, Okon, the woman, and Saitou were staring at her.
"Uh, Omasu?" Okon asked. Omasu wiped the tears with a swipe of her hand and plastered a smile on her face.
"Ah, I apologize. I was just thinking of an old friend who died." Tokio bit her lip. Why did Omasu and Misao have to be here of all places? Of course, Misao had been young and probably wouldn't remember but Omasu would. She gasped as she noticed her ring on silver chain around Omasu's neck.
(So that's where it went.) Tokio smiled. "That's a beautiful ring. Where did you get it?" She asked, knowing the answer already. Omasu fiddled with it. "It belonged to my friend." She replied, getting a closer look at the woman's eyes.
(Funny, she looks exactly like Sakura, just older.) Omasu mused. Tokio clasped a hand over her mouth.
"Where are my manners? Let me introduce myself. I am Saitou Tokio and I think you know my husband, Saitou Hajime." She bowed low. Omasu, Okon, and Misao got up and bowed in return, Misao in shock.
"I'm Fujiyama Omasu, this is Soichiro Okon, and that's Makimachi Misao." Omasu said. The shock wore off and Misao found her voice.
"How could you marry a wolf like that?!" Tokio laughed. Misao hadn't changed from her 6-year-old self.
"I get that a lot. Let's just say I see things in him no one else does." Tokio explained. Saitou took out a cigarette.
"I'm going home, Tokio. I'll see you later." He nodded at the group, then retreated.
"Well he sure doesn't seem to show a bunch of love for you." Okon said in disapproval.
"Hajime doesn't need to show me his love. I already know he loves me." Tokio replied. Okon, Omasu, and Misao sighed deeply at the thought.
(I hope Hiko-sama can love me like that.) were Omasu and Okon's thoughts.
(Oh Aoshi-sama, if you can love me like that, I'll be satisfied.) Misao thought wistfully. "Oh no, we're late!" She cried in sudden realization.
"What do you mean, Misao-chan?" Omasu asked the distressed girl.
"Our break is over! Tokio-san, would you like to come to the Aoiya with us?" Okon was about bolting for the door.
"Hai, I'm alright with it." Tokio agreed.
"Yoshi, let's go!" Misao cried, and the four ran all the way. When they arrived, Okina was waiting.
"You're late." He started but noticed Tokio. (It's that Miyako look- alike!) "Ah, who's you friend?" Okon and Omasu saw his sly smile.
"She's Saitou Hajime's wife, Okina." Omasu said sweetly, killing Okina's lecherous thoughts. He did a major facefault.
"Ahahahahahahahaha! Nice to meet you." Okina bowed, Tokio returning it.
"The pleasure is all mine. I am Saitou Tokio." Okina smiled, analyzing the woman carefully.
"Funny how much she looks like Miyako, isn't it?" He whispered to Omasu through the corner of his mouth. She nodded discreetly. "Anyway, I must be going now." Okina hurried into the Aoiya.
"He seems. pleasant." Tokio commented, lying through her teeth. (Okina hasn't changed a bit. Still hitting on girls centuries younger than him!)
"Don't be fooled, Tokio-san. He's a perverted old fool." Misao said disdainfully.
"Don't I know it..." She murmured. The three looked at her strangely. Tokio mentally chided herself.
"I swear, he'd go to girl's bedrooms to get a glimpse of them, because he sure won't see them any other way." Okon wrinkled her nose in disgust. They began walking toward the gardens in the back.
"Maybe that's why he became a ninja." Tokio and the girls giggled up at the image of Okina in ninja gear to peek at girls. Omasu stopped abruptly.
"What's wrong, Omasu?" Okon frowned at her friend. Omasu didn't answer, but turned to Tokio.
"How did you know Okina was a ninja?" She asked suspiciously.
(Well, this is it! No more secrets!) "I don't, but Miyako does." Tokio responded calmly. Omasu and Misao gasped. Okon was confused.
"Do you mean Miyako-neesan?" Misao asked in disbelief.
"Yes, that's who Tokio-san is. She was Oniwabanshuu and risked her life to save me and Aoshi and was presumed dead." Omasu's voice was cold, so unlike her.
"Omasu, please don't be angry. You have no idea how much I wanted you to know I was alive." Tokio begged. Omasu looked at her, eyes full of anger and grief.
"Do you know how much I went through? Do you know about me wanting to die because I thought my best friend had died saving me? All the nights I cried myself to sleep?" She hissed, shaking in anger. Tokio sighed.
"No, but I'm sorry for all you went through. I can't change the past, but I can show you what happened all those years ago."
"What do you mean. show us?" Okon raised an eyebrow. Tokio didn't reply, but started mumbling nonsense words. Suddenly the ground opened up and the girls fell in, screaming.
So what did you think? Read and review, please! Any additional comments to obsessed_with_kenshin@hotmail.com
Standard Disclaimers apply.
Okina was out shopping in Kyoto when he saw someone very familiar. "Miyako?" He asked himself. It looked like her but an older version. He shrugged and walked back to the Aoiya.
"Hajime, hurry up." Tokio scolded her husband. Saitou snorted. He had just seen that old lecher of Shinomori's looking at his wife.
"Tokio, are you hiding anything from me?" Saitou questioned, sensing something in his wife's chi. Nervousness? No, Tokio was never nervous. Tokio stopped. Had her husband seen Okina staring at her? She wanted to talk with her old friend but couldn't reveal herself. They all thought she was dead and could not find out about her.
"Hajime, what are you talking about? Anyway, let's go to the Shirobeko for lunch, I'm starving." She finally answered. Saitou frowned.
(You can't hide from me for long, Tokio.) The couple headed to the restaurant and no more was said. In the Shirobeko Okon, Omasu, and Misao were doing a little female-bonding. The trio had just bought out the stores. Then Omasu saw a pretty young woman with Saitou Hajime. While she knew Saitou she felt the woman was familiar as well.
(Miyako.) **************************************************************************** ************* "Omasu, look out!" Sakura cried, jade eyes full of worry.
"I'm all right!!" 15-year-old Omasu yelled back and dodged the dagger. Suddenly an arrow struck Sakura's arm. "Miyako!" Omasu screamed. Sakura grimaced, holding her arm. It was a deep wound but saving the okashira was more important.
"Forget about me! Save Aoshi-sama!" She shouted back.
"But." Omasu clenched her teeth together.
"Go!" Miyako hollered.
"Don't die on me, Miyako." Omasu whispered, helping Aoshi lean on her.
Later, when the battle was over the Oniwabanshuu looked for survivors, finding none. They buried the dead and went on another search, retrieving Miyako's silver ring with a jade stone.
She was presumed dead and the group made a small memorial to her. "Miyako." Omasu began, "Your memory will always be kept alive. goodbye." She collapsed and began sobbing. **************************************************************************** ***************
Omasu blinked. She felt tears falling down her cheeks. Misao, Okon, the woman, and Saitou were staring at her.
"Uh, Omasu?" Okon asked. Omasu wiped the tears with a swipe of her hand and plastered a smile on her face.
"Ah, I apologize. I was just thinking of an old friend who died." Tokio bit her lip. Why did Omasu and Misao have to be here of all places? Of course, Misao had been young and probably wouldn't remember but Omasu would. She gasped as she noticed her ring on silver chain around Omasu's neck.
(So that's where it went.) Tokio smiled. "That's a beautiful ring. Where did you get it?" She asked, knowing the answer already. Omasu fiddled with it. "It belonged to my friend." She replied, getting a closer look at the woman's eyes.
(Funny, she looks exactly like Sakura, just older.) Omasu mused. Tokio clasped a hand over her mouth.
"Where are my manners? Let me introduce myself. I am Saitou Tokio and I think you know my husband, Saitou Hajime." She bowed low. Omasu, Okon, and Misao got up and bowed in return, Misao in shock.
"I'm Fujiyama Omasu, this is Soichiro Okon, and that's Makimachi Misao." Omasu said. The shock wore off and Misao found her voice.
"How could you marry a wolf like that?!" Tokio laughed. Misao hadn't changed from her 6-year-old self.
"I get that a lot. Let's just say I see things in him no one else does." Tokio explained. Saitou took out a cigarette.
"I'm going home, Tokio. I'll see you later." He nodded at the group, then retreated.
"Well he sure doesn't seem to show a bunch of love for you." Okon said in disapproval.
"Hajime doesn't need to show me his love. I already know he loves me." Tokio replied. Okon, Omasu, and Misao sighed deeply at the thought.
(I hope Hiko-sama can love me like that.) were Omasu and Okon's thoughts.
(Oh Aoshi-sama, if you can love me like that, I'll be satisfied.) Misao thought wistfully. "Oh no, we're late!" She cried in sudden realization.
"What do you mean, Misao-chan?" Omasu asked the distressed girl.
"Our break is over! Tokio-san, would you like to come to the Aoiya with us?" Okon was about bolting for the door.
"Hai, I'm alright with it." Tokio agreed.
"Yoshi, let's go!" Misao cried, and the four ran all the way. When they arrived, Okina was waiting.
"You're late." He started but noticed Tokio. (It's that Miyako look- alike!) "Ah, who's you friend?" Okon and Omasu saw his sly smile.
"She's Saitou Hajime's wife, Okina." Omasu said sweetly, killing Okina's lecherous thoughts. He did a major facefault.
"Ahahahahahahahaha! Nice to meet you." Okina bowed, Tokio returning it.
"The pleasure is all mine. I am Saitou Tokio." Okina smiled, analyzing the woman carefully.
"Funny how much she looks like Miyako, isn't it?" He whispered to Omasu through the corner of his mouth. She nodded discreetly. "Anyway, I must be going now." Okina hurried into the Aoiya.
"He seems. pleasant." Tokio commented, lying through her teeth. (Okina hasn't changed a bit. Still hitting on girls centuries younger than him!)
"Don't be fooled, Tokio-san. He's a perverted old fool." Misao said disdainfully.
"Don't I know it..." She murmured. The three looked at her strangely. Tokio mentally chided herself.
"I swear, he'd go to girl's bedrooms to get a glimpse of them, because he sure won't see them any other way." Okon wrinkled her nose in disgust. They began walking toward the gardens in the back.
"Maybe that's why he became a ninja." Tokio and the girls giggled up at the image of Okina in ninja gear to peek at girls. Omasu stopped abruptly.
"What's wrong, Omasu?" Okon frowned at her friend. Omasu didn't answer, but turned to Tokio.
"How did you know Okina was a ninja?" She asked suspiciously.
(Well, this is it! No more secrets!) "I don't, but Miyako does." Tokio responded calmly. Omasu and Misao gasped. Okon was confused.
"Do you mean Miyako-neesan?" Misao asked in disbelief.
"Yes, that's who Tokio-san is. She was Oniwabanshuu and risked her life to save me and Aoshi and was presumed dead." Omasu's voice was cold, so unlike her.
"Omasu, please don't be angry. You have no idea how much I wanted you to know I was alive." Tokio begged. Omasu looked at her, eyes full of anger and grief.
"Do you know how much I went through? Do you know about me wanting to die because I thought my best friend had died saving me? All the nights I cried myself to sleep?" She hissed, shaking in anger. Tokio sighed.
"No, but I'm sorry for all you went through. I can't change the past, but I can show you what happened all those years ago."
"What do you mean. show us?" Okon raised an eyebrow. Tokio didn't reply, but started mumbling nonsense words. Suddenly the ground opened up and the girls fell in, screaming.
So what did you think? Read and review, please! Any additional comments to obsessed_with_kenshin@hotmail.com