Author's Note: Well, let's see what we have in store for Mina this time. Yes, there will be action in this one, it's a little violent though, but not enough to get an R rating I think. I'll warn you when the rating will change though. Anyway, two popular villains from the Rurouni Kenshin series make an appearance here, read on and find out who they are.
Chapter 6: A Dip in the Sanzu
Since that night, I never even considered leaving my new brother again. For the rest of that day, I seemed to have forgotten Shinji. I was back to my normal self in no time, but in doing so, I had to return to my "womanly" duties. Cleaning the inn was such a bother; it always was. Luckily, Kenshin decided to help me with a few of my chores, namely washing the dishes and the laundry. As we did those things, we talked about things; a lot of things, namely his childhood and life before coming to Kyoto. I couldn't speak to him about mine, it just didn't feel right at the time for some odd reason.
"That Master Hiko sounds like a cruel person, Brother," I told him as I hung one of the soldier's kimonos on the laundry rope.
Brother. It sounded weird when I called him that, that it did, but I told myself that if I kept up this act, I'll be bearing the name of Himura as his wife instead of his sister.
"He was at times," Kenshin sighed as he rubbed a hamaka against the washing board, "but there were some good times. He did save me from those bandits back then, so I am grateful to him."
"I see," I said as I saw sorrow trapped in his eyes again. "Kenshin," I decided to change the subject, "who was this dear person that you lost a short while ago?"
"Baka," I mentally kicked myself, "he's sad enough right now, why the hell did you ask him that?!"
"That person...," Kenshin began to answer, his eyes fixed on the soap sitting in the laundry bucket, "was my wife...Yukishiro Tomoe."
"You had...a wife?!" I said shocked, dropping the piece of laundry in my arms at the same time.
I couldn't believe it. The man I loved, was previously married, and at such a young age at that. Again, I felt angry as I had when I tried to leave, but I also felt sad for his loss. I'll admit it, I was jealous of that woman, a woman I had never meet, jealous because she had my Kenshin before me.
"She was older than me," Kenshin continued, still sulking, "I was the one responsible for her depression, and her death..."
"What do you mean?" I said puzzled, showing him my sympathy, but hiding my anger at the same time.
"She was engaged to someone else before she married me," Kenshin explained, shutting his eyes so tears couldn't escape. "The one who gave me one of my scars was her fiancé. I spilled that man's blood. That man was named Kiyosato Akira."
"Then if you killed her love, why did she marry you?" I asked, kicking myself again for asking such a rude question.
"It was about a year later that I met Tomoe," Kenshin answered, shutting his eyes tighter as he continued, "she saw me slaughter a ninja in the street, and fainted as a result. I took her back to the inn, just as I did with you. The next day, she started working at the inn, and she continued to do so until the Ikedya Affair. After that incident, we hid out in the country as husband and wife, although it was an arranged marriage. On a winter morning, after we admitted our love for each other, she disappeared into the forest. It was then that I learned that I killed her first love after I read her diary. Her diary said, 'I will avenge Akira's life with the Battousai's death', but in the last page of her diary, it read, 'Good-bye, my second love'. I chased after her, despite the emotional damage I had just suffered, but in the process I..." his voice began to trail away, droplets of water escaping the tight seal on his eyes.
"You what?" I asked, placing my right hand on his shoulder.
"I killed her!" his voice broke down, along with the seal on his eyes.
"Naze, Kenshin," I asked and again, I kicked myself for the third time for what seemed like a period of only five minutes, "why did you...?"
"I was in a fight with one of her captors," his voice still broke down, tears streaming down his cheeks, "I was blinded. I struck downward and it was then that I regained my sight. I had struck down my target with my blade, but I found that Tomoe had tried to shield me from her captor's attack. Both fell to the icy ground, and a knife in Tomoe's hand cut me across the face, giving me my second scar. That was my first love that I slew, the woman I loved was killed by my own hands!" Kenshin cried, his tears knowing falling like waterfalls.
This was the first time I had seen Kenshin cry. At that very moment, I briefly forgot about Tomoe, focusing all of my attention to my brother. He began sulking to the ground, his knees pressing against the icy ground, the drops from the rivers on his cheeks shattering as they hit the floor. I had to do something to cheer him up, something to console him, but what? There was only one thing I could do...
"It's not your fault, Kenshin," I assured him, wrapping my arms around him, "I'm sure she knew you didn't mean it when your blade struck her. If she truly did love you, I'm sure she has forgiven you for your mistake."
I had found myself giving blind predictions as Kenshin did earlier. I had to kick myself again for that, but it seemed to calm my brother down a bit. The tears began to dry, and his whimpering had stopped. It had worked, even though I did not replace Tomoe.
"You're right, Mina," Kenshin sniffed, "I shouldn't be so depressed. Tomoe must've forgiven me."
"Mina, you're such an idiot," I told myself in my head, "but then again, if a stupid speech like that could cheer Kenshin up then..."
"Shut up, brain, or I'll poison you with some sake," I insulted myself under my breath, "don't you ever insult Kenshin!"
"Himura-kun," Katsura suddenly bursted outside.
"Hai, Katsura-dono," Kenshin rose to his feet, wiping away the remaining water from his eyes.
"We're moving now," Katsura ordered, "the first squad of the Shinsengumi is currently in shambles due to a few members turning traitor and that Okita Soushi has fallen unconscious due to his disease. Our spies have reported that they are currently located around the Toji Temple. Now's the perfect time to attack them and rid of the first squad once and for all."
"Understood, sir," Kenshin said as he took his sword off the wall.
"Kenshin, don't go," I could still feel his sadness, "in the state you're in..."
"I'll be all right, that I will," Kenshin assured me, but I still felt an uneasy feeling in his voice, "it will just take a while before I feel better."
"Take me with you," I blurted out suddenly.
"I can't do that," Kenshin shook his head, "do you know what would happen if anything happened to my little sister? I'll go through the same trauma I had when I lost Tomoe."
"But I'm not Tomoe," I told my brother, "I can fight! I've witnessed more of your attacks during your practice session with the other soldiers today, I know I can do them too, so take me with you."
"No," Kenshin said, his back facing me, "now wait here. I assure you that I'll be okay, that I will. Just finish the rest of the laundry without me, I promise I'll make this up to you."
With those words, Kenshin bolted for the door, following the marches of his allies. I still sat there in the snowed yard, my eyes still fixed where my brother once stood. The impression of his body was still there, still warm. I noticed a sudden sparkle in the snow where he had sulked. His tears, they had melted, seeping into the powder floor, becoming part of the frozen mass. Fate took it's toll on me at that moment, images of Kenshin flashing through my mind. I saw him in the middle of a wasteland, corpses lined the entire ground as streams of blood were aligned beside them. The clanging of steel had engulfed the area, hordes of soldiers striking each with various forms of metal were found left and right. He was in the middle of it all, standing there, sword drawn, but nothing more. His head was being pulled to the floor as he stood there, his blade almost slipping out of his hand. And then it happened, a black figure rose over my brother from behind. His shadow began to engulf Kenshin, Kenshin still left it unnoticed and then...
"I can't allow anything like that to happen," I muttered after the vision.
It wasn't long that I decided to take action. I quickly returned to my feet and bolted back inside the inn. I turned to each corner in the inn, looking for a weapon I could bring with me. Luckily, half of the Cho Shu men were still here, so there was a whole wall in the dining room with swords lying against them. I grabbed the nearest blade by it's red oak sheath, pulling the glimmering steel out to check it's condition. Not a scratch; the blade must've been new. I turned back to the wall and grabbed it's matching wakezashi, making my way toward the exit after.
"Hey wait, that's my stuff!" I heard a soldier's cry as I marched outside.
"I'll return them when I'm done," I assured the man as I ran out of the inn.
The sun had begun to set immediately as soon as I shut the inn's door. It was getting dark, and colder than it was a minute ago. My feet began to freeze as I stood in the musty air, so immediately I began to run down the streets, heading toward the Toji Temple. I dashed down many streets and corners as I headed toward the temple, passing many spectators and citizens, all of them pointing at me as I ran by. All I heard from those people were things like "why is that girl carrying a sword?" or "are the Ishin Shishi so low on men that they have to hire women now?". I had not time to argue with those people, I had to find Kenshin as soon as possible. I guess I must've ran for about an hour or so until I got lost, the sun had already been blinded by the pale glow of the moon. My entire body was almost dragging to the floor, I continued to heave my chest back and forth to regain the breath I had lost, but it didn't seem to be helping.
"Great! You've really done it this time, Mina!" I stomped using what seemed like the rest of my strength, pushing my back against the closest wall after, allowing myself to slide to the ground.
As soon as I said those words, I heard a scream from a nearby corner. My energy had suddenly returned to me at that very moment, shooting me off the ground and back to my feet. Clutching the wrapping on my katana's sheath, I dashed toward the scene. I had found the temple, along with the first Shinsengumi squad and the Cho Shu soldiers.
"Mina, what are you doing here?!" I found my brother before me as soon as I turned the corner.
Then it happened, a figure rose above Kenshin from behind. The Wolf's steel fang was bared, the outer curve of the sword was illuminating with the moon's glow. My heart began to race, it was just as I saw back in the inn. Time began to delay the next few seconds, the curved steel falling down upon Kenshin who was totally unaware of the Wolf behind him, his attention fixed upon me instead of the oncoming danger.
"Look out!" I warned him as the Wolf dove at him.
With all the strength in my legs, I dashed toward his attacker and drew my katana. The curved slab slid out of the oak with ease, it's cold steel engraving itself in the Wolf's ribs. I heard his cry as I continued to push the blade inward, and it soon stopped as the blade found it's way out through his other side. Time had reverted back to it's normal state after, I found myself again drenched in scarlet fluid, life's elixir shooting from a geyser that had just erupted on the man I had just slain. Kenshin was once again paralyzed by my action, surprised I had just killed once more, without hesitation. But heart's pace began to drop after, the guilt of slaying another must've weighed my heart even more. It didn't take long for me to forget the guilt however, in a few seconds, I had already forgotten my actions. Pushing the body away with my free hand after the shock had subsided, I ran forward to find another Wolf. I swung my blade upward, leaping into the air at the same time.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Ryu-Shou-Sen!" I screamed as I sliced upward, slitting the skin off his neck before the blade pierced his lower jaw.
This time, there was no hesitation after I killed the recent Wolf. Wiping the crimson liquid from my blade, I turned back to Kenshin, the display of shock was still on his face when I turned toward him.
"Are you all right, Kenshin?" I asked, my words breaking him out of his trance.
"Mina, I told you to stay at the inn," Kenshin quickly changed the subject, "it's too dangerous here!"
"I thought you'd be an emotional wreck after you told me about Tomoe," I told my brother, catching the surprise attack of another Shinsengumi soldier with my sword at the same time.
"Retreat! They have reinforcements!" I heard Katsura cry as he and other fellow Cho Shu men ran by, a pack of Mibu Wolves on their tail.
"Katsura-dono, I'll hold them off," Kenshin called to his leader, readying his katana once more. "Mina, you go with them!" Kenshin ordered, his eyes turning toward the opposition.
"No, I'm fighting too," I told him, lunging my sword through the same soldier who tried to attack me.
"But Mina...," Kenshin continued his failed attempts of influence.
"Kyah!" I screamed, my sword leading the way to the enemy.
The steel tip plunged through the neck of the first Wolf that came in my way, a geyser of crimson spraying onto my frozen-sweated face. Pulling the blade upward, the skull of the Wolf split into two, and two more Wolves charged at me. Kicking the corpse of their comrade toward them, I suddenly found debris fly from behind, crashing into the two Wolves I pushed back.
"Do-Ryu-Sen," I looked back to Kenshin as he muttered the attack name.
The remaining Wolves began to step back, I saw the fear in the eyes. All of them, I could see it, except one. His blade still drawn, he had a sinister grin on his sharp-pointed face. His hideous simper looked as if they could turn one into stone, his skin was as tanned and built like stone, and those weird blue eyes didn't help either. Such a monstrous sight he was, I found my knees suddenly locking as I gazed into those petrifying eyes.
"Get Captain Okita out of here, Jin'eh," one of the Wolves ordered the frightening-looking man as he carried an unconscious young man.
"Heh heh heh," the man simply chuckled.
His laugh knocked me out of my paralysis, nearly knocking me to the floor instead. Luckily my other foot caught me as I began to stagger, but I was once again frozen place after I had regained my balance.
"What's so funny?!" another surviving Wolf asked the man, a stutter in his voice.
"You can all die for all I care," the man laughed as he quickly swung his blade on his two closest allies. The ruby red splattered everywhere, that same smirk on his face as he spilled their blood.
"Kenshin, why did that man...?" my lips suddenly froze just as the rest of my body.
"I don't know," Kenshin answered, his voice still calm as he spoke.
"Heh heh heh," the man chuckled again, running from the scene afterward.
"Get back here, Jin'eh!" several Wolves began chasing after the traitor.
"Wait, don't leave us here with the Battousai!" the remaining Wolves called to their allies.
"Cowards," I heard a deep yet calm voice come from behind Kenshin and me.
"Saito Hajime," my brother recognized the man.
Before us stood another pack of Wolves, their numbers greater than what they were before. The Alpha Dog of this pack had raven black hair, four long bangs sticking out in front and narrow yellow eyes, nearly as frightening as their traitor. His katana was held in his left hand, at the very end, his right holding the tip of the blade. He was arched forward, I could tell his stance was preparing for a one-handed lunge.
"Mina, if you insist on helping me, than go after that man that betrayed his allies," Kenshin ordered, his teeth grinding themselves between the spaces of his words.
"Shouldn't those guys who went after them take care of it?" I asked.
"Just go!" Kenshin ordered again, pushing me toward the direction they went.
"Okay, I'm going!" I nodded, running in the direction the Wolves went.
I didn't want to go after that man, I wouldn't have if Kenshin hadn't ordered me. I don't know why I followed his order, maybe I wanted to prove to him that I can be of some use to him in some way.
I followed the tracks of the Wolves, but they suddenly disappeared after their path crossed the river. There weren't any tracks on the other side of the river either, so they had to have run down the river. I jumped in, luckily it was shallow and not frozen. The water was up to my ankles, if I didn't begin to move my feet, they would've gotten frostbite if I stood there a minute longer. I looked in both directions for the men, finding only darkness in both directions.
"Kenshin just did this to get rid of me!" I pouted, kicking a splash of water upward in the process.
Then I realized something, some of that water had a hint of scarlet. I looked behind me to find a line of liquid in the same color. I followed the path to the north, and there I had found the three Wolves from before, all face first in the river, and the traitor standing there with a ruby-red blade. I heard his chuckling as stood there, the chuckling soon became a scream of laughter. I began to step back, my body struggling just to move, paralyzed by his presence. It was the first move to mark my escape, but the splash of my step caught the ear of the man.
"What's this?" the man turned toward me, those horrifying dark blue eyes piercing my soul like daggers, "You're that one from before," he began inching toward me as I stood frozen with fear. "Red hair, lavender eyes... you're the Battousai, aren't you? I had no idea that the most feared man in all of Kyoto would be a girl."
"I...I'm not the Battousai," I took some courage to tell the man, "I'm Himura Mina."
"His sister then," the man chuckled again, "then I guess that makes you the Hitokiri Kensai. What a shame, I wanted to fight the Battousai, but I guess I'll have to settle for his sister," the man gave his evil chuckle again.
"Stop that," I took up some more courage, no longer finding myself paralyzed, "that laugh of your's is annoying, so let's get this over with already!" I readied my sword.
"By the way you hold your sword, it looks like you're not used to killing another," the man smirked, "I think you should run away, little girl, a fledgling has no chance against a raven."
"I won't run," I spat, the adrenaline that rushed through my veins during my earlier fight returning at that very moment, "my brother ordered me to go after you and that's what I'm going to do!"
"Well you're determined," the man laughed again, "but it's too late to run now!"
Again my eyes were fixated on his, glaring into those icy pupils. My mind told me turn away, but my instincts told me to remain where I am. I didn't run, couldn't run, in fact, I couldn't even move.
"Nani?!" I suddenly found myself locked in place. "What the hell is this?!" I tried to move again, only to find myself still frozen.
"The Shin-No-Ippou," the man explained, "only I, Udo Jin'eh, can use this technique. Based on your reaction you aren't a very skilled swordsman are you? I guess I'll have to break it for you, by putting you our of your misery!" Jin'eh screamed, his blade in the air, ready to strike down.
Chapter 6 Liner Notes
What does 'naze' mean?- 'Naze' is translated into English as 'why'.
What's the 'Toji Temple'?- The Toji Temple is one of the biggest landmarks in Kyoto, I think it was one of the first Shinto shrines built in Japan.
When exactly does this fight with Jin'eh occur?- It occurs a few minutes after that flashback Jin'eh had in the episode where he kidnaped Kaoru. The flashback I'm talking about is the one where he killed three Shinsengumi soldiers, Mina arrived on the scene a minute after the three were killed.
(Next time: "The very red fruit has poisoned me, turning my body into stone, I cannot move, I cannot speak, I cannot breathe. The light to the Sanzu pulls me forward, but the creature born of violence begins to pull me back, pulling me away from my family..." -Himura Mina)
Author's Note: Well, what did you think? The fight with Jin'eh will conclude in the next chapter, it'll be action-packed. I hope you're enjoying this story, I'm having a blast writing it. So please be kind and leave me a review, not a flame please, remember, the more reviews I get, the more chapters I'll upload during an update. And feel free to leave suggestions on what should happen later or any questions you might have regarding this story or 'Twin Dragon Arc'.