Disclaimer: I do not own RK.
Dome of Heaven -Hideki-
"Talking"
¨Talking¨
*Thinking*
Chapter 6. The man with black wings
No falling for life
A gain for every loss
Time gathered me
But kept me flying
Nightwish - Away
From album Over the Hills and far away
Yuuki tried to calm herself. She took deep breaths and her nails dug deep into her skin.
She would not scream, she would not swear, she would not...
She saw that Hiko had also understood who the person Okina had talked about was.
She would not trash his house. She would not break everything she saw...
"Can you fight yet?"
Hiko's surprising question pulled Yuuki from her thoughts. She smiled evilly. "I was born with the capability. Now that I have grown, my body knows what to do even if I do not. I'll kill that bastard! I'll kill him with the style my ancestors wept and bled to create."
Yuuki marched out of the cottage into the field. Okina was long gone now. She spread out her wings and then turned to her father. "Will you go by yourself? I have to fetch a weapon and take care of some things. Okina said that there were multiple men so I have to get others to fight also."
Hiko nodded. "I'll leave now directly for Tokyo. There is nothing holding me back. Let's meet there again at the place my stupid student lives at."
Yuuki nodded and smiled before taking off. Hiko looked as she flew higher and higher until he no longer saw her. Then he went back to the cottage, took his katana and money and then headed for the train-station.
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Yuuki flew through the air. She was angry, beyond angry. That man dared to show that he was still alive. Did he think that with time his crimes would have been forgiven? How dared he still take lives of others?!
She remembered everything. Everything.
Years ago when she had just been born and Sora was visiting Hiko with her, Hideki's wife had gotten sudden illness. Only people from their clan could get that disease. If not treated within an hour, the person died. Junsui was a good friend of Sora and they had known each other since childhood.
When Junsui had married Hideki, Sora had celebrated with her. Hideki was a good man. He was soon like home in their world and picked up a sword to train. He became very good, but he practiced it only because he wanted to be able to protect his wife. Hideki was liked by one and all. He loved his wife more than anything and that kind of devotion was admired.
When Junsui had gotten ill, he had panicked. Sora had cut her mind off her people because she had wanted to spend a private moment with her love and daughter. She had not heard the yells of her people for a long time until finally Hideki got through and begged for her help.
The only cure for the wing-disease was the blood of the Queen. Just a drop of it and the person was cured from it and from every other disease. When Sora heard what had happened, she left Yuuki to Hiko and flew back. She tried her best, flew as fast as she could. But when she reached Junsui, she had already died. Hideki was just looking at her dead body with empty eyes. He then isolated himself from others and when he showed up again, he was a different man.
More than anything he now hated the Queen. Not just Sora, but the whole way their world had been build. Here woman ruled and the Queen was the highest of all. Unable to cope with his wife's death, he had found something to blame- and something to do.
He spent all of his time either practicing or talking to other men, trying to persuade them to overrule the Queen and pick one among themselves to be the new ruler. And as always the impurity of the hearts of men was shown. One day they moved out.
Husband against wife.
Father against daughter.
Men against women.
The first war ever started. The men wanted to rule, they would kill the weak Queen and her daughter and the thrown would be theirs!
Hideki covered his weapon's surface with poison and challenged Sora. After sending her daughter from the battlefield with her trusted friends, she proudly accepted his challenge. Every day since Junsui had died, Sora had blamed herself as well as Hideki had blamed her. She would fight him and she would free herself from the blame he had placed upon her. She would fight for her right to be wrong. Her right to fail.
They had fought furiously. A moment after Sora had received first scratch, she had felt faint. The poison was slowly making it harder and harder for her to fight, it was killing her. Sora breathed heavily. She knew that she would die. When Hideki's sword cut through her, she sent her final thoughts for her people.
¨Remember who you are. Protect us from the race of killers and allow us to live forward believing in helping. Live to tomorrow. Live.¨
Then she died. Hideki cut of her wings and took them with him to declare that they had won. They ruled now. What he found was very different from what he had expected. Most of his men killed and an army of women of every age marching to fight him and his few men that were still capable to stand. Some women cried openly, some hid their tears behind a mask of anger. Hideki had thought that killing the Queen would turn them into sheep, easily controlled.
He was wrong.
He barely escaped with his friends, his only supporters that were left. He didn't find any happiness in killing Sora, which had to mean that he would have to battle another war against them and then put a man in charge. No woman was capable of ruling a country. He would prove that.
Yuuki had never been found, but they did find her wings. Cut off just like her mothers. Then Kaori took the thrown because half of her feathers turned suddenly white. People cried years for their loss, never forgetting the sad fate of both mother and daughter.
But now they had their Queen back with them. Sora lived on in her daughter.
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After a long trip with a train, Hiko arrived in Tokyo. Before taking Kenshin as his discipline he had travelled a lot across Japan and during that time was the last time he had been in Edo. The town had changed. It had grown and was busier than he remembered. He didn't like it. He enjoyed simple and silent life he lived in his mountain. He didn't need all kinds of hurdles around him. So he was in a bad mood.
He was also lost. He had no idea exactly where Kamiya dojo was and when he asked someone, he got only vague directions or no directions at all. Not for the first time he wished that he had waited for Yuuki. She knew where to go. He was hungry and he needed sake.
He noticed a restaurant named Akabeko nearby. He walked inside and found the simplicity and silence welcoming and pleasant. A woman came to him almost immediately as he stepped inside. Hiko had a weird feeling that he had seen this woman somewhere before.
"Welcome, how may I serve you?" Tae said while thinking how gorgeous the man was. A blush crept to her face. With a cold face the man asked for food and sake. Lots of sake. The woman guided him to an empty slot and he sat down. It was in a corner and there weren't other customers near. A smart woman.
She came soon back and placed food and sake before him. Hiko nodded his thanks and started eating while at the same time thinking about the matter in hand. He sure hoped that his ignorant pupil hadn't found Akutagawa Hideki yet. He would be dead as well as those friends of his would be.
He was just finishing his second bottle of good sake when he saw the boy he had saved at the Aoiya. He was wearing an apron and looked rather angry about it. Or about something else. Hiko laughed silently and gulped down a bit more sake. After the boy came a shy girl who constantly hid behind her tray. Hiko noticed soon that she was just playing a game with the boy.
He saw as the waitress from earlier called for the boy and directed him to him. She was a good host. The boy came closer talking to the girl beside him. "Wait, wait and wait! No doing! It just gets on my nerves!"
Hiko easily heard the boy's words. The girl smiled shyly and said that Kenshin probably knew what he was doing. This earned an angry look from the boy. He waited when the boy would notice him and leaned against the wall relaxing.
The boy, the girl had called him Yahiko, turned his eyes on Hiko pretty soon. He gaped at him his mouth open before suddenly yelling. "Hiko Seijurou!"
Hiko raised an eyebrow. "Yes, that's my name." The boy looked like some air had been hit out of him, but he smiled nevertheless. "Great, you are here." He continued.
Hiko shrugged. "As if you would stay alive if I wouldn't have came. That stupid pupil always gets himself mixed into matters that don't belong to him." He stood up. "Let's go. I am finished." He walked to the woman who had welcomed him inside and paid for the food.
"Also, I'll take that boy with me. Hopefully that's okay." It wasn't really a question. The woman nodded and Hiko turned to the boy. "Show the way." And left the restaurant. Akabeko. He would return here if he ever had to come back to Tokyo after this ordeal was over.
The boy threw his apron to the girl and came to walk beside him. He had grown a little Hiko noticed, but not very much. He would grow later in size, but in his eyes was a little more mature look. That was good.
They didn't speak at all. Hiko had no interest and Yahiko didn't know what to say. To him a person like Hiko was someone respected. He, of course, respected Kenshin also, but he seemed so lowly all the time that it was easy to talk to him. This man was a different matter. Hiko Seijurou, Kenshin's master was a person who everyone respected from the very first look. He was strong and it showed.
Yahiko hurried with his shorter legs to keep up with Hiko's fast space. They reached the dojo in no time and once Hiko read the sign and realized that he had arrived, he bluntly walked inside.
He noticed Kenshin immediately. He also remembered the younger man as one of Kenshin's friends against Shishio. The woman he knew of course. The mystery was the third man.
This was the first time that Hiko Seijurou saw Saitou Hajime. Both men eyed each other and then nodded. Others looked at this exchange in silence. "So what is it this time, baka deshi?" Hiko started. Everyone except Saitou sweatdropped. He smirked. Saitou liked this new man immediately.
Kenshin stuttered something about men with wings and Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, Hiko hardly listened. Since they were here and alive, they had done as he had suggested and waited.
"Yo, Kenshin. Now that he is here, can we go?" The younger man spoke and both Hiko and Saitou spoke in unison. "Ahou ga." Then they smirked at each other. Kenshin was muttering under his breath about two impossible men. Sano was doing his best at holding his anger in hold.
"Hiko-san. Welcome." Hiko turned to the woman. Kamiya Kaoru. He remembered her quite well. She had been polite and even though obviously nervous, she had held herself calm during the Shishio incident. Hiko nodded to her.
Then he turned to his pupil. "Now it seems that you had enough brains to wait, now let's go inside and talk." Kenshin just nodded. Sano almost said something but a glance from Saitou and he quieted down. Kaoru guided them to their dining room and they sat down at the table.
Around Saitou and Hiko there was more room than the other had for themselves. Both men smirked as they noticed this. Hiko turned to the man before him. "You are Saitou I presume." The man nodded and Hiko continued. "Tell me. What is this all about?"
Saitou almost light a smoke when he noticed Kaoru staring at him. He smiled to her and put his smoke back to his pocket. "The first hit was a little over two weeks ago. Not much attention was given to it, but when every other day since there has been a murder and a theft, attention was concentrated on it. I got this assignment around those times. All we know is that the murderer uses Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu or a style very similar and that many people claim that they saw men with black wings around the place. Now what can you tell us?"
The men stared at each other. Then Hiko spoke. "There are two versions of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu." That earned gasps, yells, and two calm faces. Hiko continued. "We use, baka deshi and I, ground style. Your murderer uses heaven style. The difference is crucial. Plainly said ground style loses to the heaven style."
The room grew silent. All eyes were on Hiko. "That's not possible!" Yahiko yelled and Sano joined him. Kenshin calmed them both down seeing that Hiko was close to losing his nerves.
Hiko looked at the man before him. "The thing is that we can't use heaven style. Attacking them would be a suicide since all these men that have been seen can use Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu heaven style to some extent. Even I would have some trouble defeating even one of them. That's why I have called for people to help us. People who also use the heaven style."
"Wait a second! You said that you can't use heaven style, then who can?" Sanosuke looked rather happy. This time they actually listened to him. Hiko was silent and continued to look into Sano's eyes making him really uncomfortable.
"The ones that can use heaven style have wings." Hiko then answered. "There is a race of people who possess wings. Black wings as you may have understood."
"There are no such people." Yahiko laughed, but the serious look that he got from Hiko was more than enough to silent him.
"They do exist and against them we have no changes of winning. I have sparred with a person with wings and fighting against a person like that it hard. My only advantage is my experience and brutal strength which you lack."
"You just have to get above them. That's something they don't expect." Yahiko said, a part of him fearing that he would earn another killer look.
Hiko shook his head. "Won't work. These people train among each other. Against other flying people. They are used to fighting an enemy that comes from above as well as from anywhere else. That's why I called others to fight for us."
"For us?! For us?" Sanosuke yelled. "Are you saying that we won't fight?"
"You can try, but you'll lose. You'll die. These men know no mercy."
All heads turned to the garden. A woman was standing there. She had a long black hair that was tied into a high ponytail, which was the braided tightly. Her eyes were blue and they stared at them. She was wearing a pair of black pants and a blue shirt, which left her back bare. From her arm hang a brown robe and around her neck was tied a blue scarf. On her waist hung a katana.
She was beautiful and strangely familiar.
Behind her stood twelve other woman, all dressed in similar way. Their faces were covered with a piece of a fabric and only their eyes could be seen.
"You came faster than I thought, Yuuki." Hiko spoke and smiled. Kenshin was the only one to notice that there was something different in his smile compared to his normal smirks.
Sano made strange sounds. "This- these women are the ones you asked to came and fight for us? Women?" He looked at the women who all gave him death glares.
"Want to try me? See just how weak you are, mighty man?" The one Hiko had called Yuuki said.
Sano shook his head. "I don't fight against women." And smiled apologizing.
"Coward."
Sano glared at her angrily. "I am not a coward, woman."
"I have a name. Yuuki."
"So do I. Sanosuke. Sagara Sanosuke."
"Cowards don't have names."
"Would you stop that?!"
"Shut my mouth." She started and then added mockingly. "If you can."
At that point Sanosuke lost it. "I already told you I don't fight women!" He yelled with a red face.
Those words seemed to amaze the women watching the scene. They seemed to be talking but no sound was heard.
Hiko stood up. "Since the idiot won't attack, I will. I can't sent you against Hideki unless I know that you are as good as your mother was." He unsheathed his katana. The woman nodded and did the same. "As you wish. I understand." She said quietly and her katana gleamed in the sun.
Hiko was the one who started with Kuzu-Ryuu-Sen. The woman disappeared. Hiko looked up and so did everybody else. She was flying and her huge white wings created a shadow over Hiko. She flew a little higher and then aimed down with Ryuu-Tsui-Sen. The speed with which she attacked was amazing. They saw Hiko jump back and her almost hitting the ground with not just sword, but wind gathered under her wings keeping her safe. She was kneeling as her wings retreated. She stood up smiling. The hit had created a hole into the ground.
"Not bad for a person who had never been taught Hiten." Hiko said and the woman smiled even more brightly as both of them hid their blades. "I told you. My body knows what to. The style lives in me and gives me strength." Yuuki smiled and placed her hand over her heart with almost dreamy expression.
Kenshin stood up. "Never taught Hiten? You mean..." The others stared at the woman with wide eyes and Hiko nodded. "That's correct. For her it's natural-born. Her ancestors were the ones to create this style, both versions."
Yuuki nodded. "He is correct. We would have preferred that the style would have remained with us and never reached land, but we have learned to accept ground style also since it follows the same code we created it for and since there is always only one master.
-Protect people around you using your sword without any boundaries. Fight for the right to live.-"
She looked upon Kenshin. "You used Hiten wrongly during the war and dishonoured the code it has been built upon, but we see your pure heart and recognize that as a proof that you are not a threat."
She bowed at him. "I acknowledge you as Hiko Seijurou 14th. That is who you are even though you yourself may choose not to use the name of one of my ancestors. He was the one who brought the Hiten to the ground and made it possible for normal people to use."
She straightened her back and continued. "I am Hiko Yuuki. Daughter of the Sky. It's an honour to meet you. Again." And she smiled. Hiko chuckled under his breath and others looked at her wondering about the meaning of her final word.
"Now I hope that you understand that it is better for you if you stay out of this matter. The man behind these crimes is corrupted by sadness. The events behind this matter are known to me and to my people, not to you. It would be wrong for you to suffer from our mistakes. We'll take responsibility for this matter and I hope you can trust me to take care of it."
There was a long silence before Saitou broke it. "From what I have seen and heard I believe you have a right to correct this matter, but so do I. The people who have suffered are my responsibility. I do not wish to give it to someone I know nothing about."
Yuuki pursed her lips tightly together and stayed silent. Hiko looked at her and once he saw her nod, he spoke. "I know about this matter and I know her. I stand behind her. She is my daughter and fully capable of taking care of this with her people."
That earned gasps from almost everyone from the room. "Oro... A da-daughter? Shishou, I didn't know you were even married..." Kenshin stuttered.
Hiko smiled mockingly. "Who ever said I was? But yes, this is my daughter. You should remember her and her mother since you have seen both and held Yuuki in your arms when she was a baby."
Yuuki smiled and nodded. "I remember him. He was very young at the time and very serious. Mother liked him and saw him fit to be the next Hiko Seijurou for she was the one that saw his gentle yet strong heart."
Kenshin seemed to be deep in thoughts. He blinked. "Sora-dono?"
Both Yuuki and Hiko nodded. "Yes, Sora was the name of my mother." Yuuki smiled.
"Was?"
"Yes. Hideki, the man behind all this, killed her when I were but a baby."
"So are you after personal revenge?" Saitou reached for his smokes again and again Kaoru looked at him disapprovingly. He smirked, but did put his smokes aside, again.
Yuuki shook her head. "No. There is more to this than that. As the Queen of the Sky this is my duty, my responsibility. Hideki didn't only kill my mother, but he did something much more terrible all those years ago hardly a year after a had been born. Mere memory of those days chills me."
"What is a Queen of the Sky?" Saitou continued.
Yuuki smirked. "The leader. For thousands of years our kind has been lead by a woman, by the Queen. At the moment I hold that title as my own, like my mother before me. As you may have understood we usually have black wings, but I have white. That is the sign of my heritage."
"You said that you have a memory of those days, but still you said that you were but a baby. How can that be?"
Yuuki shook her head. Saitou sure was stubborn. "I cannot tell you anything beside the fact that we are very different from human in some ways. I even more than others."
Saitou stared at her seriously. "So, you want to handle this? Fine, but I'll come with you. That is my right." Yuuki thought for a moment and then nodded. "Alright. You may come with us. Do you know where they are at the moment?"
Saitou nodded and then raised his eyebrow. "You don't?"
Yuuki giggled. "As soon as we want. Now that we know that they are still alive and around this area, we can easily locate them."
"Hey! We'll come along too!" Sanosuke interrupted.
Yuuki looked pained. "This is no party we're going to. No almost naked girls, alcohol or gambling. It's better for you if you stay here. It is too dangerous." She could clearly see the effect of her words and laughed at the look on Sanosuke's face. He looked ready to explode. And he did.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO?!"
Yuuki laughed. "Oh so great Sagara Sanosuke. Gambler and freeloader. Has few tricks in his sleeves and can beat many people usually beyond him." Then she got serious. "Listen now. The people we're about to face all use Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu like Himura and Hiko. Are you positive that you can fight against them? And win? Or even stay alive as they do all in their power to kill you?"
That silenced Sano. For a second. "But-"
Yuuki interrupted. "I don't have time to baby-sit you all. Saitou has a right to come along as stated earlier. My father has a right to come along for he lost a lot to Hideki. I guess, Himura has the right to come along because of Hiten... but I would leave him here also since this matter does not touch him directly. I am sorry." She bowed her head for a second.
"You wouldn't have to baby-sit us. We can take care of ourselves. Or do you need a proof?" Sano prepared to show her Futae even though his hand was not completely healed yet.
"Proof?" She laughed. "You going to try and impress me with your Futae no Kiwami? Not going to work against us. Our speed is beyond yours and your attack won't work if it does not hit."
"How do you...?" Sanosuke started but Yuuki interrupted him. "You actually don't---" She said with amazement in her voice. Then she frowned and shook her head. "Now is not the time for this. Hideki is close and I'll get him. He will be punished for his actions."
End of chapter 6.
To be continued in chapter 7.
This is my longest chapter yet. Whoa. But this is so fun to write! That's why after these events with Hideki, I'll make a sequel to this. That will explain the culture of Children of Sky better than this one did.
Tiian
Dome of Heaven -Hideki-
"Talking"
¨Talking¨
*Thinking*
Chapter 6. The man with black wings
No falling for life
A gain for every loss
Time gathered me
But kept me flying
Nightwish - Away
From album Over the Hills and far away
Yuuki tried to calm herself. She took deep breaths and her nails dug deep into her skin.
She would not scream, she would not swear, she would not...
She saw that Hiko had also understood who the person Okina had talked about was.
She would not trash his house. She would not break everything she saw...
"Can you fight yet?"
Hiko's surprising question pulled Yuuki from her thoughts. She smiled evilly. "I was born with the capability. Now that I have grown, my body knows what to do even if I do not. I'll kill that bastard! I'll kill him with the style my ancestors wept and bled to create."
Yuuki marched out of the cottage into the field. Okina was long gone now. She spread out her wings and then turned to her father. "Will you go by yourself? I have to fetch a weapon and take care of some things. Okina said that there were multiple men so I have to get others to fight also."
Hiko nodded. "I'll leave now directly for Tokyo. There is nothing holding me back. Let's meet there again at the place my stupid student lives at."
Yuuki nodded and smiled before taking off. Hiko looked as she flew higher and higher until he no longer saw her. Then he went back to the cottage, took his katana and money and then headed for the train-station.
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Yuuki flew through the air. She was angry, beyond angry. That man dared to show that he was still alive. Did he think that with time his crimes would have been forgiven? How dared he still take lives of others?!
She remembered everything. Everything.
Years ago when she had just been born and Sora was visiting Hiko with her, Hideki's wife had gotten sudden illness. Only people from their clan could get that disease. If not treated within an hour, the person died. Junsui was a good friend of Sora and they had known each other since childhood.
When Junsui had married Hideki, Sora had celebrated with her. Hideki was a good man. He was soon like home in their world and picked up a sword to train. He became very good, but he practiced it only because he wanted to be able to protect his wife. Hideki was liked by one and all. He loved his wife more than anything and that kind of devotion was admired.
When Junsui had gotten ill, he had panicked. Sora had cut her mind off her people because she had wanted to spend a private moment with her love and daughter. She had not heard the yells of her people for a long time until finally Hideki got through and begged for her help.
The only cure for the wing-disease was the blood of the Queen. Just a drop of it and the person was cured from it and from every other disease. When Sora heard what had happened, she left Yuuki to Hiko and flew back. She tried her best, flew as fast as she could. But when she reached Junsui, she had already died. Hideki was just looking at her dead body with empty eyes. He then isolated himself from others and when he showed up again, he was a different man.
More than anything he now hated the Queen. Not just Sora, but the whole way their world had been build. Here woman ruled and the Queen was the highest of all. Unable to cope with his wife's death, he had found something to blame- and something to do.
He spent all of his time either practicing or talking to other men, trying to persuade them to overrule the Queen and pick one among themselves to be the new ruler. And as always the impurity of the hearts of men was shown. One day they moved out.
Husband against wife.
Father against daughter.
Men against women.
The first war ever started. The men wanted to rule, they would kill the weak Queen and her daughter and the thrown would be theirs!
Hideki covered his weapon's surface with poison and challenged Sora. After sending her daughter from the battlefield with her trusted friends, she proudly accepted his challenge. Every day since Junsui had died, Sora had blamed herself as well as Hideki had blamed her. She would fight him and she would free herself from the blame he had placed upon her. She would fight for her right to be wrong. Her right to fail.
They had fought furiously. A moment after Sora had received first scratch, she had felt faint. The poison was slowly making it harder and harder for her to fight, it was killing her. Sora breathed heavily. She knew that she would die. When Hideki's sword cut through her, she sent her final thoughts for her people.
¨Remember who you are. Protect us from the race of killers and allow us to live forward believing in helping. Live to tomorrow. Live.¨
Then she died. Hideki cut of her wings and took them with him to declare that they had won. They ruled now. What he found was very different from what he had expected. Most of his men killed and an army of women of every age marching to fight him and his few men that were still capable to stand. Some women cried openly, some hid their tears behind a mask of anger. Hideki had thought that killing the Queen would turn them into sheep, easily controlled.
He was wrong.
He barely escaped with his friends, his only supporters that were left. He didn't find any happiness in killing Sora, which had to mean that he would have to battle another war against them and then put a man in charge. No woman was capable of ruling a country. He would prove that.
Yuuki had never been found, but they did find her wings. Cut off just like her mothers. Then Kaori took the thrown because half of her feathers turned suddenly white. People cried years for their loss, never forgetting the sad fate of both mother and daughter.
But now they had their Queen back with them. Sora lived on in her daughter.
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After a long trip with a train, Hiko arrived in Tokyo. Before taking Kenshin as his discipline he had travelled a lot across Japan and during that time was the last time he had been in Edo. The town had changed. It had grown and was busier than he remembered. He didn't like it. He enjoyed simple and silent life he lived in his mountain. He didn't need all kinds of hurdles around him. So he was in a bad mood.
He was also lost. He had no idea exactly where Kamiya dojo was and when he asked someone, he got only vague directions or no directions at all. Not for the first time he wished that he had waited for Yuuki. She knew where to go. He was hungry and he needed sake.
He noticed a restaurant named Akabeko nearby. He walked inside and found the simplicity and silence welcoming and pleasant. A woman came to him almost immediately as he stepped inside. Hiko had a weird feeling that he had seen this woman somewhere before.
"Welcome, how may I serve you?" Tae said while thinking how gorgeous the man was. A blush crept to her face. With a cold face the man asked for food and sake. Lots of sake. The woman guided him to an empty slot and he sat down. It was in a corner and there weren't other customers near. A smart woman.
She came soon back and placed food and sake before him. Hiko nodded his thanks and started eating while at the same time thinking about the matter in hand. He sure hoped that his ignorant pupil hadn't found Akutagawa Hideki yet. He would be dead as well as those friends of his would be.
He was just finishing his second bottle of good sake when he saw the boy he had saved at the Aoiya. He was wearing an apron and looked rather angry about it. Or about something else. Hiko laughed silently and gulped down a bit more sake. After the boy came a shy girl who constantly hid behind her tray. Hiko noticed soon that she was just playing a game with the boy.
He saw as the waitress from earlier called for the boy and directed him to him. She was a good host. The boy came closer talking to the girl beside him. "Wait, wait and wait! No doing! It just gets on my nerves!"
Hiko easily heard the boy's words. The girl smiled shyly and said that Kenshin probably knew what he was doing. This earned an angry look from the boy. He waited when the boy would notice him and leaned against the wall relaxing.
The boy, the girl had called him Yahiko, turned his eyes on Hiko pretty soon. He gaped at him his mouth open before suddenly yelling. "Hiko Seijurou!"
Hiko raised an eyebrow. "Yes, that's my name." The boy looked like some air had been hit out of him, but he smiled nevertheless. "Great, you are here." He continued.
Hiko shrugged. "As if you would stay alive if I wouldn't have came. That stupid pupil always gets himself mixed into matters that don't belong to him." He stood up. "Let's go. I am finished." He walked to the woman who had welcomed him inside and paid for the food.
"Also, I'll take that boy with me. Hopefully that's okay." It wasn't really a question. The woman nodded and Hiko turned to the boy. "Show the way." And left the restaurant. Akabeko. He would return here if he ever had to come back to Tokyo after this ordeal was over.
The boy threw his apron to the girl and came to walk beside him. He had grown a little Hiko noticed, but not very much. He would grow later in size, but in his eyes was a little more mature look. That was good.
They didn't speak at all. Hiko had no interest and Yahiko didn't know what to say. To him a person like Hiko was someone respected. He, of course, respected Kenshin also, but he seemed so lowly all the time that it was easy to talk to him. This man was a different matter. Hiko Seijurou, Kenshin's master was a person who everyone respected from the very first look. He was strong and it showed.
Yahiko hurried with his shorter legs to keep up with Hiko's fast space. They reached the dojo in no time and once Hiko read the sign and realized that he had arrived, he bluntly walked inside.
He noticed Kenshin immediately. He also remembered the younger man as one of Kenshin's friends against Shishio. The woman he knew of course. The mystery was the third man.
This was the first time that Hiko Seijurou saw Saitou Hajime. Both men eyed each other and then nodded. Others looked at this exchange in silence. "So what is it this time, baka deshi?" Hiko started. Everyone except Saitou sweatdropped. He smirked. Saitou liked this new man immediately.
Kenshin stuttered something about men with wings and Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, Hiko hardly listened. Since they were here and alive, they had done as he had suggested and waited.
"Yo, Kenshin. Now that he is here, can we go?" The younger man spoke and both Hiko and Saitou spoke in unison. "Ahou ga." Then they smirked at each other. Kenshin was muttering under his breath about two impossible men. Sano was doing his best at holding his anger in hold.
"Hiko-san. Welcome." Hiko turned to the woman. Kamiya Kaoru. He remembered her quite well. She had been polite and even though obviously nervous, she had held herself calm during the Shishio incident. Hiko nodded to her.
Then he turned to his pupil. "Now it seems that you had enough brains to wait, now let's go inside and talk." Kenshin just nodded. Sano almost said something but a glance from Saitou and he quieted down. Kaoru guided them to their dining room and they sat down at the table.
Around Saitou and Hiko there was more room than the other had for themselves. Both men smirked as they noticed this. Hiko turned to the man before him. "You are Saitou I presume." The man nodded and Hiko continued. "Tell me. What is this all about?"
Saitou almost light a smoke when he noticed Kaoru staring at him. He smiled to her and put his smoke back to his pocket. "The first hit was a little over two weeks ago. Not much attention was given to it, but when every other day since there has been a murder and a theft, attention was concentrated on it. I got this assignment around those times. All we know is that the murderer uses Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu or a style very similar and that many people claim that they saw men with black wings around the place. Now what can you tell us?"
The men stared at each other. Then Hiko spoke. "There are two versions of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu." That earned gasps, yells, and two calm faces. Hiko continued. "We use, baka deshi and I, ground style. Your murderer uses heaven style. The difference is crucial. Plainly said ground style loses to the heaven style."
The room grew silent. All eyes were on Hiko. "That's not possible!" Yahiko yelled and Sano joined him. Kenshin calmed them both down seeing that Hiko was close to losing his nerves.
Hiko looked at the man before him. "The thing is that we can't use heaven style. Attacking them would be a suicide since all these men that have been seen can use Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu heaven style to some extent. Even I would have some trouble defeating even one of them. That's why I have called for people to help us. People who also use the heaven style."
"Wait a second! You said that you can't use heaven style, then who can?" Sanosuke looked rather happy. This time they actually listened to him. Hiko was silent and continued to look into Sano's eyes making him really uncomfortable.
"The ones that can use heaven style have wings." Hiko then answered. "There is a race of people who possess wings. Black wings as you may have understood."
"There are no such people." Yahiko laughed, but the serious look that he got from Hiko was more than enough to silent him.
"They do exist and against them we have no changes of winning. I have sparred with a person with wings and fighting against a person like that it hard. My only advantage is my experience and brutal strength which you lack."
"You just have to get above them. That's something they don't expect." Yahiko said, a part of him fearing that he would earn another killer look.
Hiko shook his head. "Won't work. These people train among each other. Against other flying people. They are used to fighting an enemy that comes from above as well as from anywhere else. That's why I called others to fight for us."
"For us?! For us?" Sanosuke yelled. "Are you saying that we won't fight?"
"You can try, but you'll lose. You'll die. These men know no mercy."
All heads turned to the garden. A woman was standing there. She had a long black hair that was tied into a high ponytail, which was the braided tightly. Her eyes were blue and they stared at them. She was wearing a pair of black pants and a blue shirt, which left her back bare. From her arm hang a brown robe and around her neck was tied a blue scarf. On her waist hung a katana.
She was beautiful and strangely familiar.
Behind her stood twelve other woman, all dressed in similar way. Their faces were covered with a piece of a fabric and only their eyes could be seen.
"You came faster than I thought, Yuuki." Hiko spoke and smiled. Kenshin was the only one to notice that there was something different in his smile compared to his normal smirks.
Sano made strange sounds. "This- these women are the ones you asked to came and fight for us? Women?" He looked at the women who all gave him death glares.
"Want to try me? See just how weak you are, mighty man?" The one Hiko had called Yuuki said.
Sano shook his head. "I don't fight against women." And smiled apologizing.
"Coward."
Sano glared at her angrily. "I am not a coward, woman."
"I have a name. Yuuki."
"So do I. Sanosuke. Sagara Sanosuke."
"Cowards don't have names."
"Would you stop that?!"
"Shut my mouth." She started and then added mockingly. "If you can."
At that point Sanosuke lost it. "I already told you I don't fight women!" He yelled with a red face.
Those words seemed to amaze the women watching the scene. They seemed to be talking but no sound was heard.
Hiko stood up. "Since the idiot won't attack, I will. I can't sent you against Hideki unless I know that you are as good as your mother was." He unsheathed his katana. The woman nodded and did the same. "As you wish. I understand." She said quietly and her katana gleamed in the sun.
Hiko was the one who started with Kuzu-Ryuu-Sen. The woman disappeared. Hiko looked up and so did everybody else. She was flying and her huge white wings created a shadow over Hiko. She flew a little higher and then aimed down with Ryuu-Tsui-Sen. The speed with which she attacked was amazing. They saw Hiko jump back and her almost hitting the ground with not just sword, but wind gathered under her wings keeping her safe. She was kneeling as her wings retreated. She stood up smiling. The hit had created a hole into the ground.
"Not bad for a person who had never been taught Hiten." Hiko said and the woman smiled even more brightly as both of them hid their blades. "I told you. My body knows what to. The style lives in me and gives me strength." Yuuki smiled and placed her hand over her heart with almost dreamy expression.
Kenshin stood up. "Never taught Hiten? You mean..." The others stared at the woman with wide eyes and Hiko nodded. "That's correct. For her it's natural-born. Her ancestors were the ones to create this style, both versions."
Yuuki nodded. "He is correct. We would have preferred that the style would have remained with us and never reached land, but we have learned to accept ground style also since it follows the same code we created it for and since there is always only one master.
-Protect people around you using your sword without any boundaries. Fight for the right to live.-"
She looked upon Kenshin. "You used Hiten wrongly during the war and dishonoured the code it has been built upon, but we see your pure heart and recognize that as a proof that you are not a threat."
She bowed at him. "I acknowledge you as Hiko Seijurou 14th. That is who you are even though you yourself may choose not to use the name of one of my ancestors. He was the one who brought the Hiten to the ground and made it possible for normal people to use."
She straightened her back and continued. "I am Hiko Yuuki. Daughter of the Sky. It's an honour to meet you. Again." And she smiled. Hiko chuckled under his breath and others looked at her wondering about the meaning of her final word.
"Now I hope that you understand that it is better for you if you stay out of this matter. The man behind these crimes is corrupted by sadness. The events behind this matter are known to me and to my people, not to you. It would be wrong for you to suffer from our mistakes. We'll take responsibility for this matter and I hope you can trust me to take care of it."
There was a long silence before Saitou broke it. "From what I have seen and heard I believe you have a right to correct this matter, but so do I. The people who have suffered are my responsibility. I do not wish to give it to someone I know nothing about."
Yuuki pursed her lips tightly together and stayed silent. Hiko looked at her and once he saw her nod, he spoke. "I know about this matter and I know her. I stand behind her. She is my daughter and fully capable of taking care of this with her people."
That earned gasps from almost everyone from the room. "Oro... A da-daughter? Shishou, I didn't know you were even married..." Kenshin stuttered.
Hiko smiled mockingly. "Who ever said I was? But yes, this is my daughter. You should remember her and her mother since you have seen both and held Yuuki in your arms when she was a baby."
Yuuki smiled and nodded. "I remember him. He was very young at the time and very serious. Mother liked him and saw him fit to be the next Hiko Seijurou for she was the one that saw his gentle yet strong heart."
Kenshin seemed to be deep in thoughts. He blinked. "Sora-dono?"
Both Yuuki and Hiko nodded. "Yes, Sora was the name of my mother." Yuuki smiled.
"Was?"
"Yes. Hideki, the man behind all this, killed her when I were but a baby."
"So are you after personal revenge?" Saitou reached for his smokes again and again Kaoru looked at him disapprovingly. He smirked, but did put his smokes aside, again.
Yuuki shook her head. "No. There is more to this than that. As the Queen of the Sky this is my duty, my responsibility. Hideki didn't only kill my mother, but he did something much more terrible all those years ago hardly a year after a had been born. Mere memory of those days chills me."
"What is a Queen of the Sky?" Saitou continued.
Yuuki smirked. "The leader. For thousands of years our kind has been lead by a woman, by the Queen. At the moment I hold that title as my own, like my mother before me. As you may have understood we usually have black wings, but I have white. That is the sign of my heritage."
"You said that you have a memory of those days, but still you said that you were but a baby. How can that be?"
Yuuki shook her head. Saitou sure was stubborn. "I cannot tell you anything beside the fact that we are very different from human in some ways. I even more than others."
Saitou stared at her seriously. "So, you want to handle this? Fine, but I'll come with you. That is my right." Yuuki thought for a moment and then nodded. "Alright. You may come with us. Do you know where they are at the moment?"
Saitou nodded and then raised his eyebrow. "You don't?"
Yuuki giggled. "As soon as we want. Now that we know that they are still alive and around this area, we can easily locate them."
"Hey! We'll come along too!" Sanosuke interrupted.
Yuuki looked pained. "This is no party we're going to. No almost naked girls, alcohol or gambling. It's better for you if you stay here. It is too dangerous." She could clearly see the effect of her words and laughed at the look on Sanosuke's face. He looked ready to explode. And he did.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO?!"
Yuuki laughed. "Oh so great Sagara Sanosuke. Gambler and freeloader. Has few tricks in his sleeves and can beat many people usually beyond him." Then she got serious. "Listen now. The people we're about to face all use Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu like Himura and Hiko. Are you positive that you can fight against them? And win? Or even stay alive as they do all in their power to kill you?"
That silenced Sano. For a second. "But-"
Yuuki interrupted. "I don't have time to baby-sit you all. Saitou has a right to come along as stated earlier. My father has a right to come along for he lost a lot to Hideki. I guess, Himura has the right to come along because of Hiten... but I would leave him here also since this matter does not touch him directly. I am sorry." She bowed her head for a second.
"You wouldn't have to baby-sit us. We can take care of ourselves. Or do you need a proof?" Sano prepared to show her Futae even though his hand was not completely healed yet.
"Proof?" She laughed. "You going to try and impress me with your Futae no Kiwami? Not going to work against us. Our speed is beyond yours and your attack won't work if it does not hit."
"How do you...?" Sanosuke started but Yuuki interrupted him. "You actually don't---" She said with amazement in her voice. Then she frowned and shook her head. "Now is not the time for this. Hideki is close and I'll get him. He will be punished for his actions."
End of chapter 6.
To be continued in chapter 7.
This is my longest chapter yet. Whoa. But this is so fun to write! That's why after these events with Hideki, I'll make a sequel to this. That will explain the culture of Children of Sky better than this one did.
Tiian
