Two Sides of a Sword: Big Sister, Little Sister

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This will be in 3 POVs (Points of Views): Aoshi, Misao, and Ikumi.

~Big Sister, Little Sister~

AOSHI'S POV

Twelve years. A simple phrase, yet a long time to endure. Enough time for someone to change, for someone to shut oneself up from the outside world. Imouto-chan, you've been gone for so long, and now you come back a grown woman but with still the same kind personality and heart that you had when you were still a child. Just like how Misao is.

"Tadaima, aniki," you greeted me warmly with a soft smile on your face.

What could I say? "How did you manage to survive?"? "Do you blame me for not saving you in time?"? Ie, from so many years of masking my own feelings, all I could do was nod silently. You looked at me peculiarly, but then just smiled. I had a felling that you were going to talk to me much later...

MISAO'S POV

Gods, it's been how long since I've seen you? Since, what, when I was eight and you, two years older?

The Oniwanbanshuu has always been my family. Always have, and always will. But nobody was around my age except for you. You've always been like an older sister to me, one who always stood up for me, one who always listened. Even when Aoshi-sama was appointed Okashira by Jiya, you still helped me. Gave me lessons when nobody else wanted to, or thought that it wasn't necessary for me to.

And on the day those baka thieves raided our original base and took you away from us, you still protected me by shoving me into a closet just before they kidnapped you. We promised to be sisters, and sisters we were...and still.

Arigatou na, oneechan.

AOSHI'S POV

"You never answered my question!" Misao shouted at you. "How did you survive?!?"

"A woman on the ship saved me," you replied. "Actually," you began to laugh, "I shouldn't call her a woman. She's my sensei."

I arched an eyebrow at this comment. There was something in your eyes that said you were hiding something from us.

"Oh, so you mean you got to learn martial arts?!?" Misao exclaimed. "Sugoi!!"

You blushed slightly. I shook my head lightly. You and Misao were total opposites, but the best of friends.

"Maa, it ain't easy as you think! It took me four years to master the Wandon school," you tried to point out to Misao to avoid from teaching her anything. "And it's really hard! I BARELY made it through the training!"

The two of you went into the kitchen to talk some more and the others followed. I remained where I was at the stairs, alone. I shook my head again and sighed, knowing that you were going to lecture me on something or asking me tons of questions. There were only two people who could do that to me: you and Misao. I include Misao because I could tell that she's trying to pry me open. Going back to my room, my thoughts pondered on Misao again. I couldn't get her out of my mind. Every time Misao visited, it was getting harder and harder to not stare at her. She wasn't the spunky little girl anymore, but a grown woman. But I can't let myself think that: to let her in because I'm afraid of losing her like how I lost Ikumi.

IKUMI'S POV

It was great to be back home. Nothing had changed much, well, except for the fact that Hannya, Beshimi, Shikijou, and Hyottoko are dead. I couldn't believe it the first time when Jiya told me. Those four were the best of the Oniwanbanshuu, and now they were dead. Shot down like flies.

"Jiya, that's impossible!" I cried out to him as we sat alone in his room having some tea.

"I'm afraid it is, Iku-chan," Jiya answered a bit gravely. "Your brother was there. He was wounded by the gunshots trying to save Hannya. At least, that's why Himura told me."

"Himura?" That name popped up in my head like a knife. "Do you mean Himura Kenshin?"

Jiya seemed to be a bit surprised but managed to regain his composure. "You know him?"

"I met him and his friends the other day when I first arrived in Tokyo," I answered him. "I...ah...." Now how was I gonna explain to him that I beat up a bunch of foreign drunks?? "I....kinda helped them in a..."

"Iku-chan, just spit it out," Jiya said.

I took a deep breath. I hated getting guilty after doing something I knew was right. "I beat up a bunch of drunks after they harassed Himura's wife, Kaoru-san, and the owner of the restaurant."

"You mean you kicked their asses," Jiya remarked, grinning.

"Well...yeah...."

Jiya burst into laughter. "That's my girl! Good job!"

"Jiya, if everybody was gunned down, then why didn't aniki get killed?" I asked him. I hated straying off the subject for long.

His face got serious again. I always wondered how he could do that, but I guess it's part of how he used to live back during the Bakumatsu.

"The others sacraficed their lives, saving him," he replied. "Now, I'm sure Aoshi still feels the same way as he did then when they were killed and now."

I nodded in understanding. My brother was the type who absolutely LOVED guilt trips.

"He went a bit insane for quite a while after their deaths," Jiya added.

That snapped be back into reality. "Nani?"

"Aoshi wanted to return their deaths by getting the title of the strongest from Himura. He even turned against us and joined forces with Shishio Makoto."

I stared down at the reflection that stared back at me in my cup of tea. "I heard about that..."

"But you didn't believe it was true?" Jiya finished my statement. I looked up and he grinned again. "You're as easy to read as a book sometimes."

"So...then, what happened?"

"Himura brought him back. You should've seen how happy Misao-chan was," he shook his head. "Afterwards, you see him like he is today..."

"Quiet, antisocial, and always meditating," I finished as Jiya looked up at me. I grinned. "That was a train of thought. I know him too well."

"Maa, speaking of those two..." Jiya began to say, putting a hand on his mouth and leaned closer. I leaned in too because I know that Jiya wanted me to do something. I got an idea in my mind that those two liked each other, but I listened anyway. Those are one of my good traits.

MISAO'S POV

It was already getting dark. Iku-chan went to talk with Jiya...or rather the other way around. Aoshi-sama went back to his room and meditating again, so it was next to impossible to talk to him now. Dammit, I was this close! He let me stay, which was a shock, then Jiya just had to yell. Well, I don't blame him for yelling because Iku-chan was back.

But now...I had nothing to do, and it was driving me nuts. So I resorted to looking up at the stars, waiting for a shooting star to come by.

Oh, Aoshi-sama, why don't you talk to me anymore?? Why don't you open up to me? There's so many things I want to tell you, but I'm afraid to say them. I'm afraid that you might...that you might...

"Misao-chan?"

I kinda jumped and turned around furiously only to find that it was oneechan. She was...smiling. And something in her eyes made me very nervous.

"Nani yo?" I asked her.

"What're you doing, wishing upon stars?" she asked back.

I blushed. I KNEW that she was up to something. She sat down next to me, still in her Chinese clothes. Those clothes looked beautiful and comfy. God, I wish women in this country had clothes like that.

"Ne, don't you remember the promise that I made to you?" she asked me, still with that creepy "I-know-something-you-don't" smile on her face.

"Anno...which one?" I asked. We made so many that I can't even remember them all.

"Oh, the one involving aniki," she replied sweetly.

I gulped. Oh, Kami-sama, please don't tell me...

"H-hai?"

"Maa, let me take care of him, ne?"

"Huh?" That kinda comfused me. What did she mean...

Iku-chan stood up and walked back in the Aoiya. "I'll take care of aniki's antisocial problem for ya."

It took me a few moments after she left to figure out what she meant. A big grin was creeping to my face, I knew because I felt it.

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you ten thousand times over, Iku-chan!!!!

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Uh....kinda weird, no? Well, I was just trying to figure out how to type up this chapter, and well, there you go. I hope it works. Tell me, ne?