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Chapter Eight; Death's Door.
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For those of us who believe in physics,
this separation between past, present,
and future is only an illusion, however tenacious.
-Albert Einstein
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Raven nabbed Kaoru almost as soon as she was out of the dojo.
"Miha! I've got to talk to you!"
"It can wait!" was the harried reply.
Kaoru didn't slow her run for Raven, who could easily keep up, until she was several blocks away and well out of Megumi's reach.
When she did however, Raven grabbed her by the arm and hauled her into a restaurant. Kaoru tried to voice her objections but Raven snapped some orders to a harried maitre'd who showed them to a private room and left them with a pitcher of sake and some tea for Kaoru.
"The meal is on me." Raven consoled her agitated friend, who had mentally been cataloguing the contents of her wallet. "We need to finish the conversation we had yesterday morning."
Kaoru took a long, relaxing draught of her tea and centered herself. "Okay... explain it to me one more time, Raven. What exactly happened and what do you know about it for sure?"
Raven drained a saucer of sake and crossed her legs, oblivious to the fact that she was in another kimono. "You know what we believed before, right? Say it back to me, I want to be sure of what you get." She pressed when Kaoru nodded.
"Well." the Kenshi began. "I know that I died by Enishi's hand in my original 'reality' and some how you intercepted my 'soul', if you will, before I went on to oblivion or the afterlife. You then took my consciousness from that time, 1879, and took it thirteen years in the past to 1866 to transplant it in my fifteen-year-old body. You said you'd changed things in the past to that I was born sooner than I was in my original reality. Then I picked a fight with my father, who didn't deserve it, and ran off to get to the Forest of Barriers where Kenshin would accidentally kill Tomoe. I believed, at the time, that we were in the altered past of my reality but now you suspect that we are in a completely different reality." she glanced at Raven, who looked pensive. "Does that cover it?"
Raven nodded. "Yes, pretty much." she sighed and knocked back another saucer of sake. The waitress appeared then and they both ordered their food in a disinterested fashion.
"How do you think it happened?" Kaoru asked her friend, who scowled.
"I got sabotaged, that's how. I spent the past couple of days checking things out. I did manage to transport your 'soul' to the past but while I was doing so someone altered my 'spell' so that instead of changing the past of your world and putting you down in it--"
"You changed another world, very similar to mine and put me down there instead." Kaoru finished.
Raven nodded. "The SOB was thorough enough about it that I hadn't even realized the demi-portal I erected to bring myself in and out of this place didn't go where I meant it to." she began chewing on a nail and cursing softly in Spanish.
Kaoru didn't ask what an SOB or a 'demi-portal' was. She did, however, realize that there was someone out there who didn't want Raven's endeavors with her to affect her original world. "So does this mean we don't have to worry about triggering a paradox anymore?" Kaoru asked.
Raven was startled out of her rut. She laughed. "Yes, Miha you can save souls to your heart's content." she cocked her head. "There is a certain parallelism about this world, it can't be very far removed from yours," she thought out loud, but Kaoru didn't let her pursue the train of thought.
"Raven, do you know what this means?" she cried.
Raven blinked. "Ah... no? What does it mean?"
An unsettling grin turned up the corners of Kaoru's mouth. "Well for starters..."
***
A very smug Kaoru returned to the Dojo roughly half an hour later. In fact she was -so- pleased with herself that she barely minded the fact that Megumi had changed into her Kenshi outfit and chased her around the Dojo twice after letting her take the tofu she'd brought to the kitchen.
Enishi came to her rescue, though. Kenshin had written a letter and the mixture of elation and apprehension on her face as she read it had caused Megumi to back off for a little while.
The reprieve was short-lived however, after giving Kaoru about twenty minutes to mull over the contents of the letter Megumi decided she need a cheer-up cuddle. This caused Kaoru to hide in another tree and not come down until a starving Kaori and Yahiko cajoled Megumi to leave her along long enough for her to cook supper.
Kaoru was never so glad to find herself alone in a kitchen as she was that day.
Of course she didn't miss the fact that, once again, Megumi was watching her cook (some strange hobby of the woman's) nor did she miss the silent thud of a kunai hitting the wooden frame of the window casement inches away from Megumi's ear.
She watched from behind her hair as Megumi, with hands that shook, took a tiny twist of paper from the grip of the throwing dagger, opened it, and turned pallid white as she read it.
She did not, however, expect Megumi to step into the kitchen and hand the paper to her.
"It's for you." she whispered.
The letter was from Jin'eh. It said:
'Darling victim, I'm free from prison. My employer was kind enough to have me released. Come alone to the clearing behind the Shikyou Temple at twilight or my next dagger won't miss the pretty lady.'
Kaoru snorted. "The man doesn't learn."
"Kao-san, don't go." Megumi said urgently.
Kaoru smiled at the worried doctor. "Mou, it's nothing to worry about. Jin'eh is a small fish, could you take over supper for me? I'll be back before dark."
"How can you take this so calmly?"
Kaoru cocked her head and smiled with her eyes closed. "Because I'm used to it. As a doctor you sew flesh back together, stem the flow of blood from a wound, amputate limbs, and all sorts of unpleasant things that would turn a normal person's stomach and eat their nerves for lunch. Yet here you are, dealing with the problems of your life like any normal person does. When the time comes for you to re-attach a severed limb or deliver a baby do you allow anyone to stop you?" at Megumi's mute headshake she stopped smiling and opened her eyes. "I fight the way you doctor. Now, please Megumi, stand aside and let me go."
Megumi moved to the side and allowed Kaoru to exit the kitchen. As she neared the gate the doctor called after her, "If you die, I'll chase you into the afterlife and you won't ever have a second of peace for all eternity!"
Kaoru stopped to turn around but the sound of shoji hitting wood stopped her. The screen was closed.
A twig snapped.
Kaoru glanced in the direction of the sound, her hand tensing to go for her weapon-- it was Yahiko who stepped out of the bushes. He was wearing that pale green gi of his and had a shinai leaned against his shoulder... he reminded her so much of the home she'd lost...
"You're going to fight that weird assassin creep again." he didn't phrase it as a question.
Kaoru nodded. "He's named a duel ground."
Yahiko took a step forward. "I want to go with you!"
"You know better than that." she chided gently and sighed as his shoulders slumped.
"I know... but, I got left behind last time and I..." he shook himself. "Look, even though we haven't talked for a while; you've been busy around the dojo and I've been training. I still really want to get to know you the way Enishi and Kaori do, the way you saved me when we first met..." he exhaled gustily, words had failed him. "What I'm trying to say is; if you go out there and let yourself get killed by some psycho, I'll never get that chance."
Kaoru smiled. "It's going to take more than an ex-hitokiri with bad fashion to get rid of me." she promised Yahiko. "When I get back, we'll sit on the veranda and talk to your heart's content."
"That's a promise." Yahiko told her firmly.
Kaoru could feel his eyes boring into her back even after she left the courtyard and turned a corner... or maybe it was just her imagination.
***
"... but Kaori-chan, it'll be dark soon!" Tsubame held on to Kaori's arm with all her strength. "You should stay at the Akabeko tonight."
Kaori laughed and wriggled out of Tsubame's grip. "Kaa-chan will be worried if I'm not home for supper!"
Tae watched the two girls wrestle with good cheer, it actually wouldn't be dark for another hour yet, and Kaori had plenty of time to get home. Tsubame just didn't want to part with her friend yet.
"Tsubame, maybe you could walk Kaori-chan home?" she suggested.
"Then Yahiko would have to walk -her- back!" Kaori teased. She got a wicked look on her face and nudged Tsubame with her elbow. "Or is that the plan?"
Tsubame turned a hot red and cupped her cheeks. "N-no! That's just s-silly!"
Kaori chuckled nastily. "Oh I see, I'll walk -you- to the Dojo so Yahiko can walk you home, I see!" she grabbed Tsubame's arm and pulled her out of the Akabeko.
"Kaori-chan! You've got it all wrong!" the shy waitress protested. "There's nothing at all going on between Yahiko-chan and myself!"
"There should be!" Kaori chirped. "He may an evil, dander-headed, foul-mouthed brat who doesn't deserve to kiss the ground you walk on but you could certainly do worse!"
Kaori stopped dragging Tsubame all at once. In fact she stopped so abruptly that Tsubame smacked into her back. She glanced around the empty street around them, the Akabeko was out of sight and around a corner.
"You could date one of these creeps for example." Kaori commented cryptically.
As if on cue several men melted out of a cramped alley whose mouth had been disguised by the shadow of one of the ornamental trees lining the street.
"Stay back, Tsubame. I'll handle these jerks." Kaori instructed her friend.
"Kaori-chan..." Tsubame whimpered, eyeing the wicked daggers some of them were sporting and the suspicious looking walking stick another carried.
"Hey, pretty-pretty." One of them taunted, He was tall with long hair the reached down to his shoulders. "Want to play with us for a while, we know some real fun... games."
"Really?" Kaori snorted. "Humph, well you certainly suck at hide-and-seek, that's for sure. I could hear you breathing."
The tall one, who carried the walking stick, laughed huskily. "Oh our games are a lot more fun than hide-and-seek, these are grown-up games."
Kaori was privately glad she hadn't let Tsubame talk her into wearing one of the constraining Akabeko yukatas. She was wearing her more familiar gi and trousers; the clothes she had worn habitually at the Monastery. They would give her plenty of freedom of movement, which she would need to take all these guys at once.
'The Abbot had just started me at group fighting when I left... maybe I should have stayed for a few tips. Mou, when I get home I'm gonna ask Sano-kun to spar with me.' Kaori thought in consternation. 'I haven't been practicing nearly as hard as I should have these past few weeks, now I'm gonna pay the price!'
She eased herself into her defensive stance. On her own she might have stood a better chance, but now that she had to defend Tsubame as well as herself... an idea struck her.
"Tsubame, run!" she bellowed.
Tsubame needed no second urgings, she knew when to get out of the way.
"No! Don't go!" The tall man laughed and took a two handed grip on his walking stick. "You haven't played with us yet!" he stopped laughing when Kaori rushed him and knocked the concealed sword out his hands. She kicked it well out of reach and danced back so that she was between the thugs and Tsubame's retreating form.
The thugs broke rank and some of them went after Tsubame. Kaori lashed out as the passed her; foot to the gut there, chop to the back of the neck here, three of the men fell but one got past her.
"You won't get... ack!" Kaori leapt away, Tall-man had run for his sword while she'd been busy and now pressed his advantage. Kaori squashed her impatience and temporarily focused her attentions on Tall-man. For the moment she was in more danger than Tsubame.
Kaori took a tiger stance and waited for him to attack... a superior sneer twisted his lips and Kaori could have groaned, she knew what that look meant. It meant that he was about to start yipping at her about how good he supposedly was.
'I can hear it now' she thought angrily. 'You foolish little girl! You dare challenge me? Don't you know who I am? I am (insert random name) the (insert random title) of (insert random place)! You don't stand a chance against me!'
Tall-man chuckled. "Fool girl, you dare to challenge me? Don't you know who I am?"
"No, but you're going to tell me aren't you?" Kaori griped.
He went on as if he hadn't heard her. "I am Masuke Sekihara, the Tiger of Toyama! You don't stand a chance against me!"
"Toyama, hmm. wow you really are from out in the sticks aren't you?" Kaori quipped. "Quit jabbering at me and fight."
"You insolent little... ouch! Bitch!" That last was uttered because Kaori had talked up to him and punched him in the eye.
Masuke leapt back and drew his sword with a flourish. "I'm going to teach you your place in life, Bra-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiieeeeee!!!!!!"
Masuke crumpled over Kaori's knee (which was planted in his gut) giving her an excellent angle to rabbit punch him. He crumpled back onto the pavement and Kaori took off after the one who had gone after Tsubame.
Tsubame hadn't gotten terribly far, only to the corner, she was in a kimono and geta and her pursuer's legs were longer than hers.
He'd pinned her up against a wall and had his head down by her ear, Kaori could only imagine what he was saying to her...
"You son of a..." she started to run towards them but all at once someone else stepped out from behind the corner and the man tormenting Tsubame was down for the count.
Kaori was further away and didn't see who it was right away, but Tsubame burst into tears and threw herself into his arms.
"Yukishiro-sama!"
Kaori blinked and squinted to get a better look at him; it was Enishi!
The reason she hadn't recognized him right away was because he was in his practice gi and hakama instead of that red and black Chinese get-up he normally affected.
'That's right, he was doing a lesson over at the Maekawa dojo today!' she frowned and ran towards them. 'but he should have been back at the Dojo before now, I remember him fighting with Megumi-san when she was hugging Kaa-chan...'
"Kaori!" Tsubame cried her name like she'd just remembered.
She wrenched herself away from Enishi's grasp and spun to face-- the large pile of bodies Kaori had made. She turned a bright red. "Kaori! How could you worry me like that?!"
Enishi observed the pile with pride. "Well, you certainly are walking in your Okaasan's footsteps aren't you?" he stepped up to Kaori and ruffled her bangs. "Such a little bad-ass."
"Hey!" Kaori protested. "you're messing up my hair!"
Tsubame and Enishi laughed at this until Tsubame stopped and pointed out a familiar figure trudging up the street.
"Isn't that your Okaa-sama?" she asked Kaori who grinned and belted up to her mother.
"Kaa-chan! Kaa-chan!"
Kaoru looked up from her walking reverie with a start, a gentle smile touched her face as her daughter leapt up to hug her.
"Hello, Musume." she greeted her.
"Look what I did, Kaa-chan!" Kaori pointed at the pile of thugs as if they were an ink painting she'd done. "They were trying to hassle Tsubame and me, but I whipped them real good!"
Kaoru looked them over, made mental counts, and gauged their 'toughness'. "Looks like you missed one."
Kaoru blushed. "Well the one with the stringy hair pulled a sword and he got past me..."
"A sword, Musume, that's dangerous."
Kaori made a 'piff-piff' motion with her hand. "It would have been if he hadn't been so busy yapping at me."
"Oh, one of those." Kaoru shook her head. "You should head back to the Dojo with Enishi-kun." she nodded to the Shinhondai who blushed. "Supper will be ready soon."
"Where are you going, Kaa-chan?"
"I have an errand, Megumi-san is fixing supper tonight." Kaoru explained.
"Why don't I go with you?" Enishi suggested. "Actually I was out looking for you."
A stress tick leapt in Kaoru's eyebrow. "You should escort Kaori and Tsubame, after all they were just attacked by a gang of hooligans."
Enishi looked thoughtful. "Well, it's not likely to happen again, but perhaps. We'll just talk when you get home, but are you sure?"
Kaoru sighed, she hadn't really wanted to do this. She pointed to Enishi. "Sic him." she ordered the girls.
Kaori grabbed Enishi's arm. "Tsubame, get his other one!" she commanded. When the girls had both his arms, she smiled cheekily at her mother. "We've secured the prisoner, awaiting further orders." she intoned dramatically.
Kaoru nodded sharply. "Return to the compound, I'll interrogate him upon my return. Move out!"
***
She watched the threesome drift away. They seemed... different somehow; more solid, intense, permanent.
'I might not see them again.' she realized. 'there's absolutely no guarantee that I'll win this fight with Jin'eh.'
Kaori turned her head that moment to laugh at something Enishi said or did, there was a soft pink blush decorating her cheeks... Kaoru noted the gentle softening in her vivid blue eyes as she looked at the white haired kenshi.
'Kaori... and Enishi?' Kaoru shuddered and shook herself. 'He's a wonderful boy, there's no reason why I shouldn't be delighted that she likes him.'
... except for the fact that he'd murdered her mother in another life...
'She's a strong girl, I can't make her decisions for her.' Kaoru pushed her bangs out her face and sighed at herself. 'What am I doing? I'm trying to distract myself from the fight with Jin'eh, that's what. Time to go.'
The trip to Shikyou shrine was shorter than it should have been, but the scene was no different from the last time she had been there; bound hand and foot and placed in the shrine like the statue of a saint.
She left Tokyo behind her as the sun set in a bloody glory. The moon and stars were more than enough light for her sensitive eyes however, they adjusted quickly as she picked her way along the disused trail to the shrine.
"Kaoru!"
Her head snapped up at the sound of her name... no, it couldn't be! Kaoru broke into a sprint and barged into the shrine clearing. "Yahiko!"
Jin'eh was lounging against a tree trunk, casually smoking a cigarette... a cigarette Kaoru remembered well from her own ordeal. In the shrine, placed like the statue of a saint, bound hand and foot was Yahiko Myougin.
Jin'eh had to have grabbed Yahiko as soon as she left the dojo.
He smiled that physically impossible smile at her. "Welcome to the party, Kaoru Kamiya." he exhaled a gust of smoke. "It's nice to know who you are at last. You were very rude not to have introduced yourself last time we met. The boy here has been telling me how very strong you are."
"You had no right to involve Yahiko in this, it is between you and I." Kaoru said quietly. Her face was bent forward so that her bangs fell down to shield her eyes from view.
"Eh?" Jin'eh threw down his cigarette and ground it under his heel. "There's something not quite right about your voice. This is the first time I've heard you speak." he cocked his head and looked her over. "Could it be... I was defeated by a woman?"
'Give the psycho in the ugly hat a cigar.' Kaoru though angrily. 'I've been taken for a man again!'
Jin'eh didn't wait for an answer. "When I saw that lady chasing you around the Dojo, I naturally assumed... but it doesn't matter."
Kaoru developed a permanent eyebrow tick.
Yahiko developed a sweat drop. 'Poor Kaoru, having Megumi hanging all over her really isn't going to help the non-male image.' he thought.
"Are you trying to piss me off?" Kaoru growled at Jin'eh, who laughed that 'evil villain' bwahahaha laugh.
"Yes, in fact I am!" He dragged the back of his hand across his mouth. "Although... now that I know you're a woman, this changes things slightly."
Uh-oh... Kaoru didn't like the direction this conversation was taking.
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End Chapter Eight
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Seiyuu- Sorry, I just read an Anita Blake Novel (Obsidian Butterfly) if anyone out there has read that book, pleas please tell me that Jin'eh doesn't have shades of Olaf!