Author's Note: I don't really know what to say... About nine more chapters and this story will come to a close, but that doesn't mean Mina's adventures are over. There's still two more books of 'Crimson String' that have yet to be written. Well whatever, let's get to the story now.

Chapter 21: Anniversary/Adversary

I had found myself engulfed in the belly of darkness once more. Nothing but black stood before me in all directions, I couldn't tell where I was. The air was dank and heavy, I couldn't even see the mist my breath created with each heave of my chest. It was cold there, I couldn't help but wrap my arms around myself, although it didn't seem to do any good.

"Mina...," a voice suddenly called from the darkness. "Mina..."

"That voice...," I turned to where I thought the source was. "Mother...?"

"Mina...," another voice followed.

"Father?" my feet began to push me in the voices' direction.

The black began to fade suddenly, and my feet began sliding against a now rough ground. Cylinders of oak began to take their place by my sides, followed by a small ray of light coming from the area that stood before my eyes. This place, I had been here before, this was where I had reunited with my family a year before, this place was the Sanzu.

"Have I died?" I asked myself as soon as the crimson river came into view once more. "Did I succumb to the shadows moments ago?"

"Mina...," the voices of my parents called again.

I turned to the other side of the river, and there they were yet again. They were proud to see me, I could tell by the expression on their faces. Those smiles, I had not seen those since I was a child. Was it really my time, was it time for me to finally cross over? I turned back to where I had come from, there was no image of Kenshin holding my corpse this time. I don't know why I did what I did after looking back, but I soon found myself rushing toward the banks of the river. A boat was waiting for me there, the very same boat I was going to use the last time I came here. I took a step into the floating device, my foot almost slipping as soon as it touched the surface. After gaining my balance on the constantly rocking boat, I began to set my other foot in, but suddenly, my entire body was jerked back.

"What the?" I turned to the source. "Nani?!" I was shocked to see the person who had grabbed me.

The sight of red was abundant on her, there was not a spot that had not been tainted in crimson. Between the scarlet liquid on her face lay an evil simper, stretched from ear-to-ear, her fangs bared with hints of meat between the spaces in her teeth. The only other thing I could make out on her face were those golden pupils, the very sight of those bright yellow eyes paralyzed me in place. I wanted to run, I wanted to scream, but the only thing I could do was hold my jaw from dropping to the floor.

"Kensai...?" were the only words that could escape my lips at the moment.

With those words, she tugged me forward, my face leading my path to the ground outside of the boat. Ignoring my fear for a mere second, I was able to push myself off the muddied floor, only to stare back into those frightening yellow orbs. I was frozen yet again, my voice whimpering with each step she took as her crimson blade slit the earth. Finally, I took up the courage to act, beginning to back away with my hands pulling me back as it grabbed handfuls of dirt and rock. I wasn't able to react fast enough though, for I was then pulled back to my feet, my hair balled into her hands and stinging with each inch they were pulled from their roots. She had pressed my back against her body, the stench of corpses was apparent in her breath as it ran down my neck along with some of the ruby fluid flowing from her hair, running into mine. A click of steel echoed in my ears, a louder impression coming from my right. My eyes slowly edged to the corners to the east, and there was a curved steel, blood flowing like a waterfall as the tip pointed to the newly slit earth. I had to do something, anything, but I was unable to move, my arms locked in place as she wrapped her free arm around my body and my right leg was wrapped with her own, I was trapped. The crimson blade began to inch closer, the feel of fire began to burn within the base of my neck as that tainted steel came closer. How it burned when it finally rested there, the outer curve pointed at my trachea creating a flood of sweat in the process. Finally, the steel began to push against my skin, a river of my life began pouring with the newly applied pressure. The blade began to inch to the east, the river growing rapid in the process. That was when I finally acted.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Nani?!" I found myself lying before the devil known as Misanagi, my arm and neck still bounded as before. "Impossible, she should be dead!" Misanagi looked shock as I began to pull myself upward.

I had returned to the living once more. The shadows had been waiting for my return, bits and pieces hovering above my head as four other stood before me in all directions. My body had begun to weigh me down once again, just being able to move it took a lot out of me. I turned to the devil standing before me, again there was fear in her eyes, but it quickly melted away within the blink of an eye. With the whip of her hand, I suddenly found my arm and neck burning as the wind glided past my body.

"Argh!" I found myself suddenly hurled against the wall, my back arching toward the new crater in the process. "Shit," I cursed as the pain from before shot through my entire body.

Dried crimson painted every part of my body, my navy blue kimono was now a dark violet thanks to those bites those bats gave me. My katana was still in the prongs of the three-bladed spear held by one of the shadows, I could see it's glimmer as it rested between one of the shadows. The shadow that constrained me was now standing before me, two black ropes, one in each hand, extending in my direction, I couldn't see his face, it was concealed in a black scarf. My head rose upward a bit more, finding the final shadow on the roof of the nearest building, those bats still hanging around him. A whistle suddenly blew passed my ears, the bats began to leave their master's side as a result, the hordes suddenly flying toward me once more.

"Have to do something...," I thought to myself as I turned toward the short blade on my belt.

The next thing I knew, my feet were pushing against the stone floor, springing toward my assailant. The hordes of black brushed passed me as I sprung forward, some of their fangs sinking into my blood-tainted skin, but the pain was now impudent, my sights were focused on the shadow constraining me.

"What the hell?!" I could tell the ninja was shocked as my free hand clung against the short blade on my belt.

As soon as his face was within range, I slid the curved steel slab against it's case, the blade rising upward, striking one of the white orbs on his face, his ropes falling to the floor as a result. Dust blew in the direction of the now one-eyed ninja as soon as my feet met the ground. Turning my head upward in the next second, I found the three-pronged spear in lunging toward my face once more. Not wanting to follow the same pattern as last time, I dodged the spear instead, the blades tearing the sleeve of my kimono instead.

"Son of a!" I found myself dodging the spear again as soon as I stepped back. "Can't get in close, especially with a wakezashi."

With the third lunge the ninja took, I decided to push my entire weight to the ground. I was soaring into the heavens once more, plummeting back to the earth in the same instant.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Ryu-Tsui-Sen!" I screamed as my short sword lead the way back down.

My sword had met with the base of the spear, the outer curve pressing against the center of the spear's blades. I tried forcing all my weight down on my sword as the ninja used his spear to hold me in the air using my wakezashi, but it didn't seem like he was having trouble at all holding up my weight. I wasn't prepared for what happened next, the spear's prongs closed, grasping my blade in place, and then using his body's weight, he spun to the east, taking me along with him, the prongs releasing me against the furthest wall seconds later.

"Can't die now...," I bit down on the newly flowing river escaping my lips. "Huh?" I found my left hand touching a curved piece of oak.

I instantly knew what this object was, there was no need to look at it. Sliding my short blade back into it's sheath, I took the object into my left hand. Again, the tiny shadow creatures were beginning to surround me, leaving a small path between me and the spear wielder. I dashed into the shadow path again, sustaining even more bites with each inch I came closer. There was no way I could move left or right in that path, I could only move forward, any other direction would ensure death. Based on the flow of this path, there was only one move my opponent could use. The three blades shot forward just as I anticipated, and I was prepared for it. Bringing my katana's sheath upward, the three blades froze in place upon contact, and I could tell the ninja was shocked by my recent action, even if I couldn't see his face. At the very same moment our weapons met, that's when I pulled the sword out of it's case, it's sharpened point plunging into his face. The cut wasn't very deep, but it made my attacker drop his weapon. The bats began to engulf me once more, their fangs once again seeping into my skin. Ignoring the sharp shots shooting through my entire body, I slit the shinobi's face some more, swinging my blade to the east, slicing a bat or two in the process. Then I swung inward once more, slashing the man's face again, this time a stream of red began seeping through his mask. A third swing followed, and then a forth, the swings just continued consecutively in mere seconds, tearing the ninja's face to shreds, leaving a black crater of red where his visage once stood.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Ryu-Son-Sen," I glared at my fallen opponent after using my multiple swing attack. "Two more," I turned to the sidelines to find the remaining devils.

"You're more skilled than last time," Misanagi complimented, her face still showing a sign of cockiness, "but it won't matter, you're about to die in the end. Baku, finish her off!" she ordered the remaining shadow.

The whistles from before began to echo throughout the area once more. More shadows appeared from within the darkness, my body was now succumbing to their sharpened teeth. My strength was beginning to pour out of my system with each drop of blood that seeped out of my pores, there was no one who was going to save me from the Sanzu this time, I thought.

"Mina...," a voice began to call. "Mina..., you mustn't give up, child."

"Mother?" I called with my remaining strength.

"You must live, Mina," Mother's voice called, "you must live. I am proud of you my daughter, proud of the woman you have become, proud that my daughter is playing a role in Japan's future. Mina, please live, live in the world your father and I could never see..."

"Mother, I...will live," the strength in body suddenly began to return. "I'll live to create that new world, I'll live to avenge your death, and most of all, I'll live for him."

"Out of all the delirious people I've seen before they die you must be the most," Misanagi sighed. "Baku, kill her now!"

"Kyah!" I began to scream with my new found strength and suddenly some of the bats began falling.

"Argh!" the ninja by Misanagi's side began to grip his ears.

I couldn't comprehend what was going on at first after some of the bats began falling, but then it hit me a second later. Bats are very sensitive to sound, and that ninja must possess the same level of hearing as his pets, that's how he was probably able to communicate with them. Sound, that was he key, and I had the perfect attack for this situation.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu," I took my sheath into my left hand, placing the tip inside it's gap, "Mei-Ryu-Sen!" I slid the blade into place as fast as I could.

Within the very same second, the entire ground was suddenly littered with the flying menaces, their wings now paralyzed and their teeth now etched into the stone ground. I turned back to where the last ninja stood, his face now laying in a crimson pool, I'm sure his nose must've broke the moment he fell to the ground. There was only one shadow left, the devil that lead this horde of three, Misanagi the Flying Arrow.

"It's just you and me now," I told the remaining ninja.

"Che, you got lucky this time, Kensai," Misanagi spat.

Three thuds were followed after her words, those thuds coming from where all three ninjas once stood. Three more ninjas, these one were just grunts though. Without hesitation, I wrapped my fingers around my katana's hilt once more. To my surprise, the ninjas only took their fallen comrades into their arms, placing them over their shoulders after.

"We'll withdraw for now," Misanagi glared, "next time you won't be so lucky."

Smoke engulfed the area just like last time, the shadows all vanished without a trace once the gray clouds had disappeared.

"Che, that's what they said last time," I remembered our last encounter, "and look at what's happened. Nothing but big talkers, that's what you are."

After professing my insults to the already vanished ninjas, I turned my attention back to the spot Mother had laid during that night a year ago. Falling to my knees, I placed my katana at my side, my palms meeting as they stood before my face, and my eyes shutting the very next moment.

"Mina!" the voice of my brother quickly interrupted my prayer. "Mina!" he called again. "So here you are," Kenshin took his place beside me. "Mina, what's happened to you?!" he asked as soon as he noticed my wounds. "Are you hurt, you're bleeding everywhere!"

"I'm okay, Kenshin, that I am," I assured him, returning to my prayer.

"But Mina...," Kenshin tried to show me his concern again.

"I'm fine," I told him again, "please, just leave me be if you have nothing to say to my mother."

"Your mother?" Kenshin looked at me puzzled for a moment. "Oh yes, that's right," Kenshin remembered a second later.

He shut his mouth after that, placing his knees flat against the ground and his palms in the same position as mine. We sat there for a few moments, silence echoing throughout the area as we prayed. Within a few moments, I decided to end my prayer, my eyes greeted by the blocks where my mother had died. Kenshin had just ended his prayer at the very same moment, his usual smile returning to his face once he had finished.

"Shall we go?" he asked, offering his hand to mine as he stood up.

"Hai," I placed my palm onto his.

We returned to the inn shortly, the entire clan was worried when I had left so abruptly earlier. All of them were asking me what had happened or if I was okay as soon as I had returned. I simply answered with a simple 'hai' or nod of my head, brushing them all aside as I made my way to the bathhouse. It must've taken me about an hour to get all of that dried blood off of my body, and it took about the same amount of time to bound the dried craters with bandages. Luckily, the Cho Shu Clan wasn't on the move that night, so everyone was given the night off. It was nice to be given the night off for once, I could catch up on my reading in 'The Forty Seven Ronin'. I wouldn't have much time to read however, because my brother had something else in mind.

I was reading my book when Kenshin suddenly came into the room, his arms placed around his back, obviously keeping something from my view. I tried not to pay attention, but my eyes couldn't help but linger toward him as he came closer into the room.

"What is it, Kenshin?" I asked as I placed my book on the floor.

"I have something for you," Kenshin answered, his arms moving in front of him, along with the object he was concealing. "Here," a bouquet of red flowers rested in his hands.

"They're beautiful," I took the bouquet of camellias into my arms, rubbing my face on the flowers' soft texture as I cradled it..

"I thought it would be suitable since it's been a year since we first met," Kenshin said with his usual smile stretched across his face.

"Arigatou, Kenshin," I quickly wrapped my right around his shoulder, the still holding the flowers in my left hand, "but I'm afraid I have nothing to give you," I realized as I slowly released my hold on my brother.

"It's all right, Mina," Kenshin assured me, his smile never leaving his face as he spoke.

"I know," I blurted out the first idea that came into mind, "I'll cook your favorite, mackerel with rice, sprinkled with radish."

"No, that isn't necessary," Kenshin tried to tell me, but I had already darted to the kitchen.

It had been a while since I had last cooked, I couldn't help but keep wishing my dish didn't taste bad as I began to prepare the ingredients. I was lucky that the maids had gone to the market that morning, it was a miracle that they picked up some mackerel along with the usual slop. It didn't take long for me to finish frying the fish, the rice was finished by the time I had chopped up the radishes and placed them on the fish. It looked delicious on the outside, but would it be the same in terms of taste. It was time for the moment of truth as soon as I left the kitchen, my brother eagerly waiting at the table as I brought the dish to him. I placed the dish before him, he took a second to glance at it. The very next thing he did was place his chopsticks in his hands, setting the two sticks between his index and middle fingers. The points of the utensils dug into the white meat, peeling it from it's being within a split second. The white meat pulled itself toward his mouth, landing on his tongue and being shut away from sight as his lips shut and his jaw began moving up and down. Was my dish a success, or was it a flop?

"How is it?" I asked after swallowing my hope.

"It's delicious," Kenshin licked his lips after.

"ALL RIGHT!" I yelled inside my mind.

"I don't know how to repay you for this delicious meal though, Mina, that I don't," Kenshin said as he eagerly took another helping into his mouth.

"I'm already repaying for the flowers so there's no need, that there isn't" I told him, my smile stretched from ear to ear, "just enjoy the meal."

"No really," he insisted, "you've outdone yourself, please, I'll do any favor you ask, that I will."

"Anything huh?" I thought about it for a moment.

A lot of things came into mind when he gave me this proposition, a lot of things that Kensai normally thought of when she was thinking about other women. It sickened me for a moment that I was beginning to think like her, but I quickly brushed all those dirty images away.

"I know, Kenshin, is it okay to ask you to be the one to make me a woman?" I wanted ask but my stupid conscience kicked me for it.

"Baka!" it yelled at me. "Don't take advantage of your brother like that! How would you like it if..."

"Can't you shut up for once!" I yelled at my conscience.

Then something popped up in my head, something that wasn't wrong or dirty. It had been something I wanted to ask him for a while, and no, it had nothing to really do with our relationship, but I had to ask anyway.

"I know, Brother, can I ask you a question?" I asked after a moment of thinking.

"Hai," Kenshin answered as he swallowed his second helping, "go on."

"Your name, Kenshin, that can't possibly be your real name now can it?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" he tried dodging my question with one of his own.

"Let's get real, Brother Kenshin," I spoke with my serious tone of voice, "who would name their child whose name means 'Heart of Sword' unless they knew that child would go into war when they grew up."

"If you must know," Kenshin began to hesitate, "...it's Shinta, Himura Shinta."

That was the first time I had heard his real name, Himura Shinta, the real name of my brother. Such a nice and innocent name, a name more suited for a gentle man like him, unlike the name Kenshin which is more adapt for a ruthless killer in my opinion.

"I can see why," I decided to play a joke, "what kind of warrior goes by the pathetic name of 'Shinta'? Ah ha ha ha," I began impersonating that laugh Shion always used when she was around.

"I can say the same for 'Mina'," Kenshin retaliated with a joke of his own.

"That was harsh," I couldn't help but sulk after.

"Gomen," Kenshin apologized for his joke after.

"But seriously," I returned to my serious tone of voice, "Shinta is a really nice name, that it is."

Shinta, that was what I would forever call my brother from then on. Yes, I still refer to Kenshin as Shinta even now, and I will do so for the rest of my story, that I will. Shinta, I was the only one to call him by his real name, the only one to really know his true name. Shinta, is it still possible to call you by that name, even now? What am I doing, I'm getting ahead of myself here. Give me a moment and I shall continue...



Chapter 21 Liner Notes

(Nothing to explain.)

(Next time: "She has been with me for a year now, always by my side and always in my shadow. I enjoy her company, but I want her out of my shadow and into the light. I want her to be her, to be herself, but as long as she is with me, that can never be..." -Himura Kenshin)

Author's Note: Well, how was it? Why don't you leave me a review, but not a flame. Personally I thought this chapter was kinda slow, but that's just me. Hopefully the pace will be kicked back up for the next chapter. Anyway, I don't know if I'll be able to update as much now because of school and stuff, but I'll try. I guess that's it for now, later.