A.N.: This is the best that I can do for chap 5. I'm so sorry if I haven't updated in a long time but I don't intend on leaving this fic. Anyway, I hope you'll still like this one. Thanks for the email Joey-chan! ^_^
Chapter 5 : The rise of the Queen
The next morning, Misao was carrying tea to the dojo with where Aoshi sat, meditating.
"Aoshi-sama! Here's your tea!" she sat next to Aoshi and for the first time she didn't know what to say to him. Normally, when she bring tea to Aoshi at the temple she could talk non-stop with just about anything she could think of, but today she just wanted to tell him how scared she was and how painful it is to be the Slayer's Eye.
Aoshi noticed Misao sighed beside him. It was so unlike her to be this quiet. He doesn't like it. He know that she's probably thinking about the slayers and if she's thinking that he would allow her to meddle with such things, she thought wrong and if she's not going to tell him anything then he just have to make her tell.
"Misao."
She looked at him, a little startled that this time he started the talking. "What is it Aoshi-sama?"
"I don't want you to involve yourself with those vampire slayers." Aoshi said in a commanding voice. "It's too dangerous and definitely not in your league. You're too young to take such mission."
"So you think I couldn't help. Is that it? You still think of me as a child?" Misao asked feeling her eyes sting as tears threatened to appear. Aoshi still thinks she's a child who cannot take care of herself, who should not meddle with such things! SHE was the okashira when he was gone.
"It's not that Misao!" Aoshi turned to her with pleading eyes. He has to make her understand that he doesn't think of her as a child because if he does then he would not see her as the woman he loves. But of course he could not tell her that. He's still too guilty to let himself have her. He turned back into his expressionless state but stared hard at Misao. "Don't be stubborn Misao, or I'll bring you back to Kyoto."
"I will not go back until the vampires are finished! And you can't make me!" Misao shouted in rage, tears now flowing freely from her eyes. How dare he threaten to bring her back to Aoiya when Kaoru and Megumi needed her here? She stood up and begun to run out of the dojo when Aoshi spoke again.
"You're important to me Misao. I don't want anything bad to happen to you." He whispered but Misao heard it clearly.
"You don't know how important you are to me too Aoshi-sama. But its not like I have a choice." With that she left him to think about what she meant.
~*~* *~*~
Aoshi was getting very suspicious about Chris. Since Chris came Kaoru, Megumi and Misao were doing secret meetings when they think that no one's watching. And if Misao wouldn't tell him anything, he just has to find out himself. The vague image of Misao heightened his suspicion that they know something about the three vampire slayers. The only question is what part do they play in all of these. He looked around, and after checking if anyone's watching, he quietly entered Misao's room. He doesn't really know what he's looking for; he just want some clue as to what Misao was up to. He surveyed the room until he saw something glinting at Misao's bag. He pulled it out and found a dagger.
~*~* *~*~
Kenshin and Sanosuke were discussing the situation about the vampires and slayers while Kenshin cooked dinner. Aoshi came in. By the former okashira's determined expression, Kenshin knew that he have something important to tell them.
"What's wrong Aoshi?" Kenshin asked when Aoshi hadn't started what he was going to say.
Aoshi reached for something inside his coat and pulled out the dagger he found in Misao's room. "I found this in Misao's room," he explained "then I remembered what Saitoh told us, that the three slayers used daggers to kill the vampires. And I know for a fact that daggers is not Misao's choice for a weapon."
"Why does Misao have it?" Sano asked.
"That I do not know." Aoshi replied "But I have a feeling that Kaoru-san and Megumi-san know something about this."
"Yes," Kenshin agreed, remembering the three woman's weird behavior. " They've been talking in secret lately.
"Yeah, with that Chris guy." Sano added.
Kenshin and Aoshi nodded. With that Aoshi decided to tell them what he remembered when he was attacked be vampires.
"I saw a blurred image of Misao catching me before I lost consciousness. But we told her, Kaoru-san and Megumi-san top stay here with Yahiko-kun."
"And by the time we came back," Kenshin continued, trying to solve the puzzle "Yahiko was sleeping but the girls were wide awake. I know that Yahiko would not sleep when a responsibility is given to him."
Sano frowned. "Megumi knows a lot of sleeping potions. She often use it for her patients. Does this means that they've been sneaking out at night?"
Aoshi sighed, "That's the most possible answer. It also makes us come into a conclusion that they are connected to the three girls who's been killing the vampires."
There's a few moment of silence. Each thinking about the same thing: the need to investigate, concern about their women and the possibility that Kaoru, Misao and Megumi ARE the so-called Slayer's Eye, the Healer and the Vampire Slayer.
Kenshin suddenly shook his head. "No, I still refuse to believe that they are the ones who's been slaying the vampires. We've known them for some time now and we would've discovered something if they have special skills."
Sano looked outside and saw Misao, Kaoru and Megumi together, reading something. "We're still not that sure. Look, they're up to something again."
Aoshi followed Sano's line of vision. "If anything's for sure, it's that they are in danger and we can't let them go into this kind of trouble."
Kenshin nodded, "We'll follow them tonight."
~*~* *~*~
When Kaoru saw Megumi walked inside the gate with a tensed look on her face she knew something happened. And sure enough Megumi motioned to her and Misao to come to her. Apparently, a kid gave her a letter and he didn't know from whom. When she looked at it the word 'SLAYER' welcomed her. They read the short note.
Go to the cave where the Slayer met Taka at midnight or say goodblye to your boyfriends.
Misao rolled her eyes, "'boyfriend' , I wish!"
"Really Misao, that's not the important thing right now." Megumi said.
Kaoru tear the note to pieces so the men in the dojo would not accidentally read it. "We better get ready. I don't like it when they threaten us like that."
"But Kaoru-chan." Misao protested "didn't you remember the last time you faced Taka? You were pretty much beaten up."
Megumi nodded, "And the only thing that could defeat these kinds of vampires is the Slayer's sword, which is still missing."
"I know," Kaoru said, frustrated "but we know that we can't take this threat lightly. These are vampires we're talking about, they feed on human blood and we know that Kenshin, Yahiko, Sano and Aoshi-san can't defend themselves against them."
Misao winced when she remembered Aoshi falling into her arms, unconscious, after being bitten by a vampire. Megumi's eyes wandered to Sano, who's talking to Kenshin and Aoshi at the kitchen.
"What if .." Kaoru suddenly said, "I go alone –"
"NO!" Megumi and Misao cut in.
"When will you learn?" Megumi scolded her.
Kaoru shook her head in defeat, "Ok, we'll go together."
"Um, there's another problem." Misao said uncomfortably.
"What is it know?" Megumi asked.
"My dagger is missing."
"What?!" Kaoru exclaimed. "But didn't you searched your room? Can't you remember where you hid it?"
"I know where I hid it but when I checked it out, it was gone."
"Don't worry, Tanuki-chan can have my dagger since SHE is the slayer and unfortunately Taka stole her dagger, you Misao-san would just worry about your visions, clear?" Megumi said. Misao and Kaoru nodded.
~*~* *~*~
That night, when Kenshin, Aoshi and Sano left for another vampire hunting, they hide at the other side of the dojo and waited for Kaoru, Misao and Megumi to make their move.
After a couple of hours, twenty minutes before midnight, they saw the three girls quietly walked out of the dojo and hurriedly went to the forest. They followed them quietly. Kenshin noticed Kaoru holding a dagger.
Suddenly, they stopped in front of a cave. Aoshi, Kenshin and Sano hid behind the trees. The three girls are looking around, with cautiousness on their moves.
'What are they doing?' Kenshin thought as Kaoru yelled to no one.
"WE'RE HERE! WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
Aoshi felt it again, and so did Kenshin and Sano. It's that evil ki that's been following Misao. Sano heard footsteps. His heart was pounding but he got ready if ever Megumi, Misao or Kaoru got in trouble.
They saw a man came out of the shadows, together with twenty men and women but the three girls' focus is on that man that came out first. 'It's him.' Kenshin and Aoshi thought, it's the man who possess the evil ki.
"Good evening, Slayers, thank you for accepting my invitation." Taka said with a bow.
"Cut the crap Taka and tell us what you want." Kaoru held her dagger tightly.
Taka grinned and walked slowly towards Kaoru. "Actually, this only concerns you, Slayer. I want to make a proposition."
"I don't trust him." Misao said, glaring at Taka.
Kaoru tried not to blink when she and Taka stared at each other. "What is it?" she asked.
He gave her a sly smile, "Join us and I will spare your friends' lives when the queen returns."
"Never."
Megumi rolled her eyes. "Seriously, do you think we'll let you hurt our friends?"
"Think again." Taka answered and turned to the cluster of trees. "Bring them out!" he called.
From behind the trees, Kenshin, Aoshi and Sano came out being held by two vampires each.
"Sano!"
"Aoshi-sama!"
"Kenshin!"
The three men looked at them in disappointment.
"We heard everything." Sano was the first one to speak, "Why didn't you tell us that you are the slayers?"
Kaoru, Misao and Megumi looked down guiltily. But Misao still answered. "B-Because if we told you , would you let us go through with this?"
Kaoru looked up and met Kenshin's eyes. "And we were just worried about you, like how you worry about us."
"Our reason si the same with your reasons when you leave us behind to fight." Megumi addaed.
The three men said nothing. Something in what they said was true but they're not yet ready to admit it.
"So, what's your decision, Slayer?" Taka asked Kaoru.
"Leave her alone!" Kenshin shouted. "I'll take her place!"
"No, I won't let –" Kaoru was stopped by Taka's laugh.
"Pitiful human. Just because you are Battousai doesn't mean that you are valuable to us. Now as for you Slayer," Taka glanced at Kaoru. "She has power over vampires. With her on our side, then we'll become more invinsible."
All of a sudden, Misao felt a vision coming and soon enough, she gasped and closed her eyes as an exclaimed "Misao!" came from Aoshi. She saw a beautiful girl with long balck hair standing up from the coffin where she laid. She was looking at her surroundings nervously. The vision ended there.
Kenshin now understood the sudden headaches of Misao. It's not an illness but a vision which means she's the Slayer's Eye. Megumi must be the Healer because the Taka guy called Kaoru, Slayer. He turned to Aoshi and by the look on his face, although worried, seemed to have solved the puzzle too. Sano was struggling from the firm hold of the two vampires. Kenshin tried but the claws of the vampires cut more deeply into his skin as they held him more tightly. He saw Misao slowly recover but she was looking pale and scared.
"Its-its her. It must be their queen, Yue.," stammered Misao. Taka and the others vampires also listened curiously. "I saw her stood up from her coffin."
With this Taka gave a scary laugh. "The queen has risen! Our time has come!"
Misao gasped again and pointed at the cave. "It's her!"
Kenshin turned to the direction where Misao was pointed. He just felt hiw whole body froze and go numb at what he saw.
"Tomoe!"
*~*~*
To be continued….
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