Author's Note: Kenshin's gone (unfortunately), so who can Mina turn to now? Love her or hate her, Shion's role in the story is greater than ever before, hopefully you find her as much of a bitch as when you first read about her. I should also add there's quite a bit of swearing the beginning, but then again, I don't think it really matters, this fic is rated R. I guess that's all I have to say for now, so let's get to the story.



Chapter 25: Blackness Consumes Me



Shion had carried me with her after she and her squad found me in the remains of the Cho Shu hideout. I had spent all of my energy crying, I was too tired to move or speak after. The image of my brother continued to flash through my mind as we entered the Satsuma Camp, his voice continued ringing in my ears as Shion brought me to one of the barracks. I was still crying when she set me down on one of the futons, her face showing concern as she turned toward me.

"It's been an eventful day, hasn't it?" she asked me as I continued my sniffling.

"Shion-kun, are you there?" a knock came from the barracks' door. "Saigo-sama would like to speak with the woman that you just brought in during your patrol."

"Tell Saigo-sama that she isn't well right now," Shion called to the man on the other side, "she's... unable to speak at the moment."

With that said, Shion turned her attention back to me. My eyes must've been red from all my crying, and my face was probably swollen.

"There, there, it's okay," Shion said as she wrapped me around her arms, patting my back to help the cries escape.

"My brother and everyone...," I said between my whines, "they're all dead, aren't they?"

"Of course not," Shion tried to assure me as she petted my hair, "your brother wouldn't have died so easily."

"I want to believe that," I sniffed, "but when I got there, there was nothing but rubble. There wasn't a sign of anyone still living in there."

"That doesn't mean your brother didn't escape," Shion said as she tightened her hold on me.

"What the hell do you know?!" I pushed myself away from her hug. "They're dead! All of them! The Bakufu laid waste to the entire Cho Shu Clan today!"

"Mina, calm down, you're only...," Shion tried to console me.

"Only what, huh?!" I spat. "The only fucking survivor?! Yeah, I know that, Shion! I survived because they thought I was dead, you got that?! Dead!"

"Mina, please...," Shion tried to reach for me once more.

"It would've been better off if I died with them!" I screamed.

"Shut up!" her hand struck me across the face soon after. "Don't you ever say that again, do you hear me, Himura Mina?!" she yelled at me as her hands clutched at my shoulders.

"What the hell do you know?!" I snapped pushing her arms away again. "You weren't there when it happened! You weren't there when the Bakufu brought out their cannons and started firing on our men! Where the hell were you?! I'll tell you where you were all right, you were out patrolling the goddamn city, taking it easy while we were out there dying! You don't know jack shit, Shion!"

"WHAT DO YOU FUCKING KNOW?!" I found myself suddenly pushed against the wall. "Who are you to say what I fucking know and what I don't, huh?! You're the one bitching about how everyone's drifting in the goddamn Sanzu right now! And just what makes you think that everyone's dead, huh?! Is it because you found yourself all alone, or was it because you couldn't find your freaking brother in the ruins of the Cho Shu hideout?! Shit, you're just a fucking coward, you know that! Something bad happens and you start bitching about how your brother and the rest of the clan is dead! There is no goddamn way we can know for a fact that they are dead if this just happened today, do you hear me?!" she screamed as she slammed me against the wall once more.

I had succumbed to tears once more after her speech. My legs began to weaken, my entire body slinking to the floor after. I wanted to scream, but only whimpers that would put a dog to shame came. Fingers began to caress my face within seconds, wiping away the translucent rivers that were flowing down my cheeks.

"It's been a very rough day for you, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that," Shion said as she cradled my head, her forehead locked with mine. "Go take a bath, that might put your mind at ease."

"...yeah," was the only word that escaped my lips.

The steam of the hot spring seemed to have dried my tears within seconds after washing my face with the piping hot liquid. Sitting in the translucent pool seemed to have calmed my nerves, though I was still not able to shake the feeling that my brother and the others were dead.

"We're all alone now," Kensai's voice suddenly protruded my thoughts.

"Of all the times you have to show up, why now?!" I yelled, slamming my palm against the pool below me.

"There's no need to get angry," she told me, trying to use a soothing voice, "just enjoy your bath."

"Why are you trying to be all nice to me all of a sudden?" I asked as I sank back into my bath.

"You're all that I have," she answered, "and I'm all that you have..."

"That's nonsense," I spat, "you're not all that I have. I have Shion here with me, and Tetsu too! I don't need a psychopath like you to be around me!"

"You need me much more than you did in the past, Mina," a sudden chill began to crawl up my spine. "You need me with you more often than you ever have before...," I could practically feel her breath blowing against my ear.

I had enough of hearing Kensai's voice, so I decided to end my bath at the very moment. I returned to the changing room soon after with my towel clinging to my soaked body, I hadn't even bothered to dry myself off in the spring area otherwise I probably would've heard more of Kensai's stupid speeches on how I needed her. Upon drying myself off, I turned to the bin where I had placed my clothes.

"What the, where'd they go?" I asked myself as I began to search the other bins for them.

There was no sign of them, someone had taken them, but who? The clothes really didn't matter, I could easily take one of the white kimonos off the wall and use those, but it's the ribbon that mattered. I must've shuffled through each bin ten times before I my hand began to twitch.

"Oh no, not now!" I took hold of my wrist with my other hand.

"Mina, are you already done?" Shion called from outside.

"Shion, where did you put my clothes?!" I asked demoniacally. "What did you do with my ribbon?!"

"Jeez, why are you getting so angry?" Shion asked. "I just washed them, they're drying right now."

"Shit...," I uttered to myself as my entire right arm began to jerk.

The twitching then shot into my legs soon after, my neck began to follow as well, and then my other arm. There was nothing I could do, without that ribbon I couldn't control her. The twitching came to a sudden halt seconds later, I was laying with my back against the wall and my head hung low, and then, without my input, it shot back up. Kensai was in control, and I knew what she had in mind.

Kensai turned to my right hand for a second and pulled it's fingers down using her will. A grin stretched across her face soon after, pulling herself off the floor a second later. She dressed myself in one of the white kimonos that were hanging on the wall, it fit perfectly, not that I cared at the moment.

"Kensai, I know what you're thinking!" I yelled at her. "Don't do it!"

"What are you going to do about it?" she asked me using my lips. "Besides, why should I listen to you?" she smirked as she guided my body back to Shion's room.

It was about an hour when Shion returned to her room, her hair was folded back as water dripped from it's ends. She was wearing a white kimono similar to mine, although it barely clung onto her. She sat down in the middle of the room and reached for the drawer to her side, pulling a comb out of it in the process. She began stroking the cinnamon brown strands with the tool, she must've not seen Kensai, but then again, she was hiding in the dark corner of the room. My image of her grew closer as Kensai barely tapped my toes onto the tatami, her presence was unknown to Shion. She crept closer, and closer, and then, she was right behind her, that was when she acted.

"Boo!" she frightened her with a tap on the shoulder.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!" Shion screamed. "Mina, don't you ever scare me like that again!" she ordered Kensai.

"Oh, gomen," Kensai chuckled, "I couldn't help it."

"Well, whatever, you got me," she sighed. "So, are you feeling better?" Shion changed the subject.

"Much," Kensai answered.

"That's good. Mina, be a dear and comb the back," Shion handed her the comb. "Mina..., you're stroking rather hard," Shion said once Kensai had begun, " it's getting my back too. Mina...?" she turned to Kensai's hand only to find the comb sitting on the floor.

"You have nice hair, you know that," Kensai said as several strands glided between my fingers. "It smells like plum," she said as she brought the strands close to my nostrils.

"...arigatou," I couldn't help but notice a shade of red on Shion's cheeks.

"It's so soft," Kensai continued, having my hand drift away from her hair to her neck, "like silk..."

"Mina..., you're tickling me," Shion began to chuckle.

"It looks so creamy," Kensai said as my cheek found it's way to the path her fingers traced.

"Mina...?" Shion began to turn toward me. "Mina!" her head shot up for a moment.

"And it tastes even sweeter," she said between each pluck my lips made against her neck.

"Mina, please stop...!" Shion requested as her cheek met with my temple.

"Why should I stop when you're enjoying this?" Kensai said, placing my thumb and index finger underneath her chin. "Isn't that right?" she grinned, turning Shion to face me.

"Mina..., stop this ri...!" her mouth was quickly muffled with my own.

"Kensai, you sick bitch, get my mouth off of her's!" I ordered.

"But she's enjoying this," Kensai informed me.

It was true, Shion was enjoying this, I saw it when I returned my attention to what Kensai was seeing. Her lips were suckling against my own, her right hand running through my hair as her tongue began to wrestle mine. Kensai was enjoying this little match between the mouths, drawing Shion's back in every time she tried to pull away. I wanted to pull away, but my body wouldn't respond. Finally, Kensai pulled away, leaving a trail of a translucent liquid between our lips.

"Mina, that was...," Shion's face was now red all over.

"Make love to me," Kensai's words suddenly left my lips.

"Nani?!" I screamed, but the words never escaped my mouth. "I don't fucking think so, my first time's going to be with a man! That man will be Kenshin, you got that!" I yelled at Kensai.

"Mina, are you sure?" Shion began to hesitate, her hand clutching one half of her kimono.

"Hai," Kensai nodded as she began to lean forward.

"I don't know," Shion began to turn away, "something's just not right about this..."

"What's not right?" Kensai asked.

"Dammit Shion, run away before she does something and robs both of our..., actually, my virginity!" I wanted to yell.

"This isn't you, Mina," Shion said, "it's like that time you and I fought a few months ago. When you struck me with your blade, it's as if another person in your body was the one who struck me. I know it sounds weird, but I just feel as if that person is here again."

"What makes you say that?" Kensai asked, leaning even closer.

"I don't know," Shion said with the shake of her head, "but when you took your ribbon off back there, your eyes suddenly changed to a yellow tint, and right now, there's small hint of gold in your eyes."

"Is there?" Kensai suddenly sprang forward and engulfed her lips with my own once more.

Shion had a different reaction this time. Instead of indulging herself in the kiss, Shion quickly turned away, trying to push Kensai back. She began to run towards the door, only to be dragged back to the floor with a pull from my arm. Kensai quickly launched my body on top of her's and began panting heavily with a sneer over my face instead of that smile she just wore.

"Don't run," Kensai ordered her, "I know you want this just as much as I do!"

"Not from you!" Shion spat. "You're not Mina!"

"Of course I am, just look at me!" Kensai said between breaths.

"You may look and sound like her, but you're not the Mina I love!" Shion yelled.

"Oh I see, a little game of role play huh?" that dark simper Kensai wore stretched across my lips again. "All right, I see how it is," she made my hand glide down the gap of her kimono.

"Stop it!" Shion ordered, shutting her eyes and turning her face to the side.

"I'll play the role of a rapist and you'll play as my soon-to-be victim," Kensai said as my nail began to trace the mark Saito left on her chest a year ago.

"This isn't a game, this is real, you intend to have both of us play those roles in real life!" Shion yelled at Kensai.

"And what do you intend to do about it?" Kensai chuckled.

"This!" Shion yelled.

The next thing I knew, a strong force had suddenly pressed against my nose, sending Kensai and I back first against the floor. Blood had begun trickling down my face once the pain had begun to subside, it didn't seem to matter too much to Kensai though.

"You bitch!" Kensai spat as she removed some of the scarlet substance with one swipe of my hand.

"Shion, run!" my order suddenly left my mouth.

"Mina?" Shion looked at me oddly for a moment.

"Do it!" I ordered again. "I can't keep her at bay forever, just...!" my voice suddenly cut off.

"I'd start running if I were you," Kensai's voice escaped my lips once more.

Shion did just that, running out of the barracks as fast as she could as Kensai began to chase. It didn't take long until Kensai caught up with her again, grabbing her by the hair she had just combed and using it to throw her back to the floor. Before Shion could return to her feet, her entire body was pinned once more with Kensai clutching her neck.

"If you weren't so good-looking, I'd have you killed on the spot right now!" Kensai said sharply.

"And if you weren't inside my friend's body, I'd kill you on the spot!" another blow suddenly met with my stomach forcing Kensai and I back once more.

The next thing I saw once Kensai had regained our balance was the back of Shion's hand crossing with my cheek. Pain shot through my entire body once more, and it didn't end with that one punch this time. My chin quickly shot upward with another blow, but it was quickly shot back down with a strike to the back of my head with Shion's leg. She didn't seem to hold back after this, her fists repeatedly striking my abdomen and chest area with her foot switching the place of her hand every three punches or so. After about thirty seconds or so of taking a beating, I had been pushed down to the floor from the force that came from Shion's extended arm coming across my neck. Kensai began to crawl back up, only to have one more fist planted against my stomach. After that, things just went black.

I don't know what time it was when I came to. I was greeted by the sound of swishing wind and the crackling of fire. I blinked for a few moments until the area came clear to me; I was in Shion's room again, lying on my side on a futon. Something didn't feel right when I laid there, I wanted to get up, but something seemed to have been holding me down. I looked underneath the covers of my blanket to find my entire body constrained to the floor by ropes.

"What the hell?!" was my reaction to finding my binds.

"Finally awake huh?" I turned to the other side of the room to find Shion. "You still up for a little bit of role-playing?!" she spat as she began to approach me. "How about you be the criminal and I'll be your executioner?!" Shion glared as she grabbed a handful of my hair.

"Shion, don't, it's me!" I panicked.

"Mina?" Shion looked into my eyes. "No, how do I know it's not the other you trying to pull a trick on me?" she tightened her grip.

"Ow!" I flinched. "Shion, that hurts! It's me, Shion, the real me!" I tried assuring her once more.

"No hint of yellow," Shion turned to my eyes once more. "Okay, I'll believe you for now," Shion said as her fingers slowly uncurled from my red strands.

"Arigatou," I nodded.

"Tell me, who was that that tried to attack me back there?" Shion asked with her serious tone of voice.

"It's a long story...," I answered.

It didn't take long for me to tell her about Kensai; who she was, what she did, and even the first time I heard her voice. Shion looked like she understood my situation, but I could tell there was still some doubt in her eyes. I couldn't blame her, I mean, who would believe that there's another soul trapped inside your body, and an evil soul at that.

"I see...," Shion said once I had finished my tale. "So your ribbon somehow contains her consciousness?" she asked.

"Hai," I answered, "that's why I never wanted you to remove it from my hair. I can only take it off when I go to sleep or take a bath, but that's it."

"...such a strange concept," Shion murmured, "but whatever... If you say that your ribbon keeps this 'Kensai' in check, then I want you to wear it at all times," Shion ordered as she removed the purple material from her pocket.

Shion walked to my bed side and sat behind me, grabbing a handful of my hair and placing it to my eye level as she began to put the silk ribbon in place.

"And if you are going to remove it, tell me before hand," Shion added as she tightened the knot.

"Hai," I nodded.

"Now get some rest, Saigo-sama would like to speak to you tomorrow about what happened," Shion ordered as she lay in her futon.

"All right," I nodded again. "Um, Shion?"

"Hm?" she turned back to me.

"Can you get me out of these ropes, I think they're giving my wrists a rash," I asked.

"Hm hm hm hm, all right," Shion smirked and began untying my bonds.

That day was such an eventful day, it was the end of my life with Shinta, the last time I would see him for the longest time. It was also the day that marked a new chapter in my life, a chapter written in shadow and blood.



Chapter 25 Liner Notes



(I don't think I have anything to say here.)



(Next time: "Hitokiri Kensai, the other soul that resides in my body. With my brother gone and my parents long dead, she is my only real family left. Our bond grows stronger as we enter darker realms in the world of violence, strengthening with every drop of blood our blade drinks. I want to pull away from these realms, but she only pushes me farther..." -Himura Mina)



Author's Note: Well how was it? Yeah, I know Kensai's a sick bitch and everything like that, but hey, it adds some spice to the story don't you think? Anyway, the next chapter's pretty slow, I'm just telling you readers ahead of time. Mina and Kensai have a little heart-to-heart talk in the next chapter, so watch out for it. So for now, why don't you leave me a review, but no flames as usual, all right?