Where the Shadow Lies
Chapter 3
It was mid morning when the Oniwa Banshuu had finally managed to clean up the mess inside of the Kitchen. As Kuro wiped the last of the blood stains on the floor, he heard a voice call out, "Ohayo? Is anyone home?"
Grumbling to himself, Kuro got up and off his feet, placing the rag back into the wooden bucket. Notifying Okon and Shuro that he would be back, he headed towards the entrance of the Aoiya.
"Yes?" Kuro said as he faced the stranger before him at the entrance of the Aoiya. The man was short, standing only a hand-span over five feet. His hair was short, and he had gentle blue eyes and a quiet smile not unlike the ex-wandering rurouni Himura Kenshin. The stranger wore a western shirt under the traditional Japanese hakama and gi and a sheathed katana at his side.
"I'm sorry to disturb you," the stranger said politely as he took in Kuro's tall form. This must be the Aoiya Misao said she was going to be staying at for a couple of days, he thought. "I was looking for my friend Makimachi Misao. She told me that she would be staying here for a few weeks. I'm a friend of hers."
Looking down at the young man, Kuro decided that he was probably telling the truth. There was no hostility in his aura, but nonetheless, he should take precautions. "I don't know when Misao will be back," he replied shortly.
The young man visibly brightened up at the confirmation of Misao's residency as he said, "It's okay. I don't mind waiting because you see; I came here to surprise her."
Kuro's eyes narrowed. How did this man know where Misao would be? He and the others had been looking for information on Misao for years now and they had yet to predict where she went and whom she traveled with.
Seeing Kuro's eyes narrow, the young man hastened on to say, "I'm a friend of hers from Hokkaido and I received word that she would be here." Actually, the young man thought, Saitoh told me that she was staying here.
Ah- I see, Kuro thought, instantly relaxing. Misao had some friends in Hokkaido. Smiling at the lad, he turned around to lead him down the hallway as he said, "I'll bring you to Okina's gardens. When Misao returns, I'll send her out there. Follow me."
*** *** ***
"Hiei Mountains?" Misao asked as she poured tea out for Saitoh Hajime. "That's what you got from him? *ALL* that you got from him?" She sat back down on the chair across from Saitoh Hajime's desk as she contemplated the recent turn of events over.
"Aa," Saitoh said. "That's all he was able to talk about before he suddenly died." Screaming out for a woman named Aki, he silently added. "There have suspicious reports about the clan that lives in the Hiei Mountains. If you're to investigate this, you might as well investigate about the Madowshi clan there as well. There have been several serious rumors concerning them- all of them concerning human sacrifices and demon summoning."
Misao nodded slightly as she absorbed the details of the task Saitoh had set before. From the information that Saitoh had just handed her, it looked like she would need some serious manpower accompanying her. It was time for her to call in her partner.
Placing the papers back down, Misao said, "Same fee?" At his nod, Misao said, "I'll leave Kyoto before the night is out."
*** *** ***
As Aoshi entered the Aoiya early evening, he was greeted by the sight of Okina waiting at the entrance for him. He inclined his head in greeting to the old man and was about to enter when Okina's words stopped him.
"The boy is gone and Misao was attacked."
Stunned, Aoshi turned around as he said the only thing that could come up into his mind, "What?"
"Misao was attacked this morning. She managed to defend herself, but they escaped with Kei-chan."
"Is she alright?"
"She's fine, but she left with right after with one of the attackers."
"What?"
"She left right after. Kuro saw her leave."
"And he made no attempt to stop her?"
"Too surprised. There was this. look about her Aoshi. She was just too. methodical. She reminded Kuro of. well. you."
At Aoshi's questioning look, Okina elaborated. Ten minutes later, Aoshi was inside the Aoiya and heading towards the gardens. He was about to step out into the cool night air when he ran into a familiar figure.
Aoshi's eyes widened almost imperceptibly as he recognized Soujirou Seta, the heavenly swordsman and now wandering rurouni. The former due to his unnatural skill with a sword, and the latter due to the influence of Himura Kenshin What the hell was that boy doing here? "Soujirou-san?" he half asked, half stated.
"Konbanwa Shinomori-san," the young man replied as he bowed in greeting. He straightened up and looked up at the taller man, taking in the changes that had occurred since he has last seen Aoshi. He looked, Seta surmised, at peace with himself for the most part since he had last seen him. There was no longer any hint of the shura mentality that had caused Aoshi to become the homicidal man who killed anything and anyone who got in his way. He tried to look into Aoshi's aura to get a feel on the Okashira's emotions, but like his expressionless face, nothing could be seen. And Misao-chan had been able to read him like a book, he half wondered in amazement.
"What are you here for?" Aoshi asked.
"Ano." Seta reached up with a hand and placed it in the back of his head in self conscious manner as he smiled and said, "I came to visit Misao- chan. Our friend, Ame-chan told me that she would be here for a few weeks, so I thought it would be nice to see her again."
Misao-chan? Aoshi wondered. Just how good of a friend is he to Misao? He kept his voice cool as he said, "Misao has stepped out on a personal errand of hers Soujiro-san. We're not sure when she will be back. Maybe it would be best if you would find a place to keep you for the night."
"Aa," Seta said. He wondered briefly what could have detained Misao for so long on her errand when she had her own special mode of transformation. "Arigato Shinomori-san." He gave a short bow as he continued, "I will stop by again tomorrow to see if Misao will be here so that I may visit her." He smiled once more, and walked past Aoshi to enter the hallway to leave the complex when he heard a familiar voice call out "Tadaima!"
Misao, he recognized with a smile. He quickened his step and was greeted with the sight of the woman who had captured his heart from the beginning of their acquaintance and a lecherous old man who was alternately hugging the life out of her and lecturing her at the top of his lungs. Misao had returned his hug warmly as she stopped his tirade with her news.
Jiya stopped in mid-tirade as he said, "You're leaving already? You just got here a week ago. You can't leave just yet!!!"
Seta saw Misao's eyes narrow almost imperceptibly at the remark as she said, "Gomen ne Jiya, but I have already stayed too long as it is. I must go. I have business I have to attend to immediately."
"You're not leaving yet!" Jiya stated as he took a firm hold of Misao's hand. "We must talk and decide on a course of action for young Kei. You cannot go after him by yourself." His hold on Misao's hand grew tighter as he started to lecture her once more.
Misao only half listened to Jiya when she caught sight of Seta standing in the hallway and Aoshi right next to him. Despite the fact that both Aoshi and Okina were watching her; and Misao gave Seta a look -their signal; that brought him a few steps closer to her before she exploded into action. She quickly twisted her wrist, disengaging Jiya's grip and grabbing Seta's hand as they both dashed out of the narrow hallways and into the street.
Immediately Aoshi and Jiya dashed out after her, following her to down the streets of Kyoto. By silent agreement, they separated to surround the area as they continued to chase after Misao. They had Misao and Seta cornered as the two entered in a dead alley. Misao looked around quickly as she spotted a shadow large enough to fit her and Seta. She looked at him and saw the acceptance in his eyes as they both headed towards the shadow.
Aoshi had moved in to block Misao's escape route when he saw that she was still trying to escape both him and Jiya. He moved to block her flight towards his right side, but to his surprise, she simply stopped before him, half in the shadow and half in the light. She looked at him for a moment, as if to drink the memory of his face in before she spoke: "Sumanai Aoshi" and disappeared into the shadow with Seta.
*** *** ***
Near the outskirts of the city, Misao slipped out from the shadows pulling Seta with her. They landed in an ungraceful heap with Seta panting as he struggled to stand up. "I hate it. *puff puff* when you. *puff puff * do that." After the third try, Seta managed to stand up.
"You agreed to it, " Misao stated as she gracefully stood up. "The travel would have been smoother if you hadn't been so scared."
"I'm not you," Seta pointed out to Misao. "I wasn't trained to be an onmitsu."
Misao shrugged as she said, "Well you have to make do. Not all of us can have god-speed like you."
"You're not so bad yourself you know," Seta said as he watched Misao rearrange the kunai in her obi. It had never failed to amuse him of how she had managed to hide so many weapons upon her person and not accidentally harm herself. "If I recall correctly, you held up with me rather well when we were training in Hokkaido."
"Sheer luck," Misao said simply as she started to fix her socks and sandals. It wouldn't do if the stiletto she had hidden there to fall out at an inopportune time.
"Luck has nothing to do with it Misao. Training with Hiko Seijuurou did do something for you. You're faster now and bit more lethal." Seta sighed as he said, "I heard from Saitoh what you nearly did to that man."
"I didn't do anything." Misao said, sounding defensive. "Well. not anything life-threatening." The last part came out in a near mutter.
"I heard that Misao-chan. Nearly gutting his eyeball in front Kuro did not help you. As far as the Oniwa Banshuu was concerned, you're only supposed to be the happy-go-lucky girl they know and love, not one of the more efficient agents of the Japanese Government. It's a wonder that that they hadn't found out that you've been working for Saitoh these past four years with me as your partner."
Finished straightening her clothing and making sure that her weapons were back in their various places, Misao said "They couldn't have anyway. As long as Aoshi wasn't helping them seriously look for me, I was fine. Besides, even if they did, not many people know me by my true name." Misao sniffed as she continued on, "The pay could be better though. Buying and dressing the part of a Geisha gets rather expensive."
"Well you don't have to buy everything you know," Seta said as he and Misao started to walk companionably down the road. "You could always borrow them from Tokio-san."
"And return the things stained with blood and ripped?? Tokio-san can only let me destroy so many of her beautiful kimonos before wanting to do the same thing to the one who borrowed them."
"You can't help it," Seta said. "You said yourself that kimonos are hard to fight in."
"Hard, but not difficult enough that it would shred them." Misao sighed. "If only I didn't have to wear so many under-robes beneath it. It would be so much easier when you're not swaddled in under-robes."
"Misao!" was all that Seta could gasp out. It was already scandalous enough as it was that that Misao's Oniwa Banshuu uniform revealed too much of her long legs, but to strip down the number of under robes that was needed to be worn under the decorative kimono would make it positively indecent and not to mention decadent. Already provocative images of Misaos in various seductive poses wearing all-too thin kimonos were prancing in Seta's head.
"Seta?" Misao asked. She stopped and turned back, seeing Seta looking at her with a rather boggle eyed face and a faint blush on his cheeks. "Mou!" She muttered as she marched back to where her partner was standing. Misao pulled out a tessen from the back of her obi and promptly smacked Seta with it. "Pervert," she muttered under her breath.
The blow from the iron fan knocked Seta to the floor and fortunately back to his senses. "Itai! What was that for?" he grumbled. He was talking to thin air since Misao had all ready begun walking again. Rubbing his head, Seta Soujirou, heavenly swordsman and the God-speed rurouni, ran off after his partner.
*** *** ***
"What do you want me to do with the boy obaa-san?" A girl with long brown hair asked as she helped a squirming Kei by the arm.
"Put him in shadow rooms," the old lady replied. Squinting at the boy, she cackled as she said, "It should help him mature a little faster. Apparently our little Misao hasn't been traveling through the realm of shadows as often as we had hoped, since her double is still so very immature. We will need him at her age before anything can happen." Knocking the hand of assistance offered to her by another grandchild aside, Mikage Aki; stood up. For a small diminutive woman nearly eighty years old; she moved with surprising ease and grace of one much younger as examined Kei in a slow circle. Nodding to herself, she continued, "Yes, put him in the shadow rooms. Misao should be arriving very soon to rescue the boy. You've done well Misanagi."
Her granddaughter flushed at the compliment in the lowly lit room. "You only need to order what you want obaa-san and I will do my best as to satisfy your desires. I shall leave now to place the boy in one of the shadow rooms." She bowed low to her grandmother before she moved to pick up the small unconscious boy on the floor.
With her granddaughter Misanagi gone, Aki dismissed her other grandchild from the room stating that she needed her privacy. Bowing low to the Matriarch of the Madowshi clan, the little girl promptly disappeared through a shadow. In the quiet of the room, Aki stared into the fire of the brazier in her room and began to laugh. Victory would be in her hands once more, thanks to Miharu's daughter. Even in the end, despite all her best efforts to deny them, Miharu was still helping out her clan by allowing her daughter live. It was a fine day indeed for the maternal grandmother of Makimachi Misao.
End of Chapter 3
Chapter 3
It was mid morning when the Oniwa Banshuu had finally managed to clean up the mess inside of the Kitchen. As Kuro wiped the last of the blood stains on the floor, he heard a voice call out, "Ohayo? Is anyone home?"
Grumbling to himself, Kuro got up and off his feet, placing the rag back into the wooden bucket. Notifying Okon and Shuro that he would be back, he headed towards the entrance of the Aoiya.
"Yes?" Kuro said as he faced the stranger before him at the entrance of the Aoiya. The man was short, standing only a hand-span over five feet. His hair was short, and he had gentle blue eyes and a quiet smile not unlike the ex-wandering rurouni Himura Kenshin. The stranger wore a western shirt under the traditional Japanese hakama and gi and a sheathed katana at his side.
"I'm sorry to disturb you," the stranger said politely as he took in Kuro's tall form. This must be the Aoiya Misao said she was going to be staying at for a couple of days, he thought. "I was looking for my friend Makimachi Misao. She told me that she would be staying here for a few weeks. I'm a friend of hers."
Looking down at the young man, Kuro decided that he was probably telling the truth. There was no hostility in his aura, but nonetheless, he should take precautions. "I don't know when Misao will be back," he replied shortly.
The young man visibly brightened up at the confirmation of Misao's residency as he said, "It's okay. I don't mind waiting because you see; I came here to surprise her."
Kuro's eyes narrowed. How did this man know where Misao would be? He and the others had been looking for information on Misao for years now and they had yet to predict where she went and whom she traveled with.
Seeing Kuro's eyes narrow, the young man hastened on to say, "I'm a friend of hers from Hokkaido and I received word that she would be here." Actually, the young man thought, Saitoh told me that she was staying here.
Ah- I see, Kuro thought, instantly relaxing. Misao had some friends in Hokkaido. Smiling at the lad, he turned around to lead him down the hallway as he said, "I'll bring you to Okina's gardens. When Misao returns, I'll send her out there. Follow me."
*** *** ***
"Hiei Mountains?" Misao asked as she poured tea out for Saitoh Hajime. "That's what you got from him? *ALL* that you got from him?" She sat back down on the chair across from Saitoh Hajime's desk as she contemplated the recent turn of events over.
"Aa," Saitoh said. "That's all he was able to talk about before he suddenly died." Screaming out for a woman named Aki, he silently added. "There have suspicious reports about the clan that lives in the Hiei Mountains. If you're to investigate this, you might as well investigate about the Madowshi clan there as well. There have been several serious rumors concerning them- all of them concerning human sacrifices and demon summoning."
Misao nodded slightly as she absorbed the details of the task Saitoh had set before. From the information that Saitoh had just handed her, it looked like she would need some serious manpower accompanying her. It was time for her to call in her partner.
Placing the papers back down, Misao said, "Same fee?" At his nod, Misao said, "I'll leave Kyoto before the night is out."
*** *** ***
As Aoshi entered the Aoiya early evening, he was greeted by the sight of Okina waiting at the entrance for him. He inclined his head in greeting to the old man and was about to enter when Okina's words stopped him.
"The boy is gone and Misao was attacked."
Stunned, Aoshi turned around as he said the only thing that could come up into his mind, "What?"
"Misao was attacked this morning. She managed to defend herself, but they escaped with Kei-chan."
"Is she alright?"
"She's fine, but she left with right after with one of the attackers."
"What?"
"She left right after. Kuro saw her leave."
"And he made no attempt to stop her?"
"Too surprised. There was this. look about her Aoshi. She was just too. methodical. She reminded Kuro of. well. you."
At Aoshi's questioning look, Okina elaborated. Ten minutes later, Aoshi was inside the Aoiya and heading towards the gardens. He was about to step out into the cool night air when he ran into a familiar figure.
Aoshi's eyes widened almost imperceptibly as he recognized Soujirou Seta, the heavenly swordsman and now wandering rurouni. The former due to his unnatural skill with a sword, and the latter due to the influence of Himura Kenshin What the hell was that boy doing here? "Soujirou-san?" he half asked, half stated.
"Konbanwa Shinomori-san," the young man replied as he bowed in greeting. He straightened up and looked up at the taller man, taking in the changes that had occurred since he has last seen Aoshi. He looked, Seta surmised, at peace with himself for the most part since he had last seen him. There was no longer any hint of the shura mentality that had caused Aoshi to become the homicidal man who killed anything and anyone who got in his way. He tried to look into Aoshi's aura to get a feel on the Okashira's emotions, but like his expressionless face, nothing could be seen. And Misao-chan had been able to read him like a book, he half wondered in amazement.
"What are you here for?" Aoshi asked.
"Ano." Seta reached up with a hand and placed it in the back of his head in self conscious manner as he smiled and said, "I came to visit Misao- chan. Our friend, Ame-chan told me that she would be here for a few weeks, so I thought it would be nice to see her again."
Misao-chan? Aoshi wondered. Just how good of a friend is he to Misao? He kept his voice cool as he said, "Misao has stepped out on a personal errand of hers Soujiro-san. We're not sure when she will be back. Maybe it would be best if you would find a place to keep you for the night."
"Aa," Seta said. He wondered briefly what could have detained Misao for so long on her errand when she had her own special mode of transformation. "Arigato Shinomori-san." He gave a short bow as he continued, "I will stop by again tomorrow to see if Misao will be here so that I may visit her." He smiled once more, and walked past Aoshi to enter the hallway to leave the complex when he heard a familiar voice call out "Tadaima!"
Misao, he recognized with a smile. He quickened his step and was greeted with the sight of the woman who had captured his heart from the beginning of their acquaintance and a lecherous old man who was alternately hugging the life out of her and lecturing her at the top of his lungs. Misao had returned his hug warmly as she stopped his tirade with her news.
Jiya stopped in mid-tirade as he said, "You're leaving already? You just got here a week ago. You can't leave just yet!!!"
Seta saw Misao's eyes narrow almost imperceptibly at the remark as she said, "Gomen ne Jiya, but I have already stayed too long as it is. I must go. I have business I have to attend to immediately."
"You're not leaving yet!" Jiya stated as he took a firm hold of Misao's hand. "We must talk and decide on a course of action for young Kei. You cannot go after him by yourself." His hold on Misao's hand grew tighter as he started to lecture her once more.
Misao only half listened to Jiya when she caught sight of Seta standing in the hallway and Aoshi right next to him. Despite the fact that both Aoshi and Okina were watching her; and Misao gave Seta a look -their signal; that brought him a few steps closer to her before she exploded into action. She quickly twisted her wrist, disengaging Jiya's grip and grabbing Seta's hand as they both dashed out of the narrow hallways and into the street.
Immediately Aoshi and Jiya dashed out after her, following her to down the streets of Kyoto. By silent agreement, they separated to surround the area as they continued to chase after Misao. They had Misao and Seta cornered as the two entered in a dead alley. Misao looked around quickly as she spotted a shadow large enough to fit her and Seta. She looked at him and saw the acceptance in his eyes as they both headed towards the shadow.
Aoshi had moved in to block Misao's escape route when he saw that she was still trying to escape both him and Jiya. He moved to block her flight towards his right side, but to his surprise, she simply stopped before him, half in the shadow and half in the light. She looked at him for a moment, as if to drink the memory of his face in before she spoke: "Sumanai Aoshi" and disappeared into the shadow with Seta.
*** *** ***
Near the outskirts of the city, Misao slipped out from the shadows pulling Seta with her. They landed in an ungraceful heap with Seta panting as he struggled to stand up. "I hate it. *puff puff* when you. *puff puff * do that." After the third try, Seta managed to stand up.
"You agreed to it, " Misao stated as she gracefully stood up. "The travel would have been smoother if you hadn't been so scared."
"I'm not you," Seta pointed out to Misao. "I wasn't trained to be an onmitsu."
Misao shrugged as she said, "Well you have to make do. Not all of us can have god-speed like you."
"You're not so bad yourself you know," Seta said as he watched Misao rearrange the kunai in her obi. It had never failed to amuse him of how she had managed to hide so many weapons upon her person and not accidentally harm herself. "If I recall correctly, you held up with me rather well when we were training in Hokkaido."
"Sheer luck," Misao said simply as she started to fix her socks and sandals. It wouldn't do if the stiletto she had hidden there to fall out at an inopportune time.
"Luck has nothing to do with it Misao. Training with Hiko Seijuurou did do something for you. You're faster now and bit more lethal." Seta sighed as he said, "I heard from Saitoh what you nearly did to that man."
"I didn't do anything." Misao said, sounding defensive. "Well. not anything life-threatening." The last part came out in a near mutter.
"I heard that Misao-chan. Nearly gutting his eyeball in front Kuro did not help you. As far as the Oniwa Banshuu was concerned, you're only supposed to be the happy-go-lucky girl they know and love, not one of the more efficient agents of the Japanese Government. It's a wonder that that they hadn't found out that you've been working for Saitoh these past four years with me as your partner."
Finished straightening her clothing and making sure that her weapons were back in their various places, Misao said "They couldn't have anyway. As long as Aoshi wasn't helping them seriously look for me, I was fine. Besides, even if they did, not many people know me by my true name." Misao sniffed as she continued on, "The pay could be better though. Buying and dressing the part of a Geisha gets rather expensive."
"Well you don't have to buy everything you know," Seta said as he and Misao started to walk companionably down the road. "You could always borrow them from Tokio-san."
"And return the things stained with blood and ripped?? Tokio-san can only let me destroy so many of her beautiful kimonos before wanting to do the same thing to the one who borrowed them."
"You can't help it," Seta said. "You said yourself that kimonos are hard to fight in."
"Hard, but not difficult enough that it would shred them." Misao sighed. "If only I didn't have to wear so many under-robes beneath it. It would be so much easier when you're not swaddled in under-robes."
"Misao!" was all that Seta could gasp out. It was already scandalous enough as it was that that Misao's Oniwa Banshuu uniform revealed too much of her long legs, but to strip down the number of under robes that was needed to be worn under the decorative kimono would make it positively indecent and not to mention decadent. Already provocative images of Misaos in various seductive poses wearing all-too thin kimonos were prancing in Seta's head.
"Seta?" Misao asked. She stopped and turned back, seeing Seta looking at her with a rather boggle eyed face and a faint blush on his cheeks. "Mou!" She muttered as she marched back to where her partner was standing. Misao pulled out a tessen from the back of her obi and promptly smacked Seta with it. "Pervert," she muttered under her breath.
The blow from the iron fan knocked Seta to the floor and fortunately back to his senses. "Itai! What was that for?" he grumbled. He was talking to thin air since Misao had all ready begun walking again. Rubbing his head, Seta Soujirou, heavenly swordsman and the God-speed rurouni, ran off after his partner.
*** *** ***
"What do you want me to do with the boy obaa-san?" A girl with long brown hair asked as she helped a squirming Kei by the arm.
"Put him in shadow rooms," the old lady replied. Squinting at the boy, she cackled as she said, "It should help him mature a little faster. Apparently our little Misao hasn't been traveling through the realm of shadows as often as we had hoped, since her double is still so very immature. We will need him at her age before anything can happen." Knocking the hand of assistance offered to her by another grandchild aside, Mikage Aki; stood up. For a small diminutive woman nearly eighty years old; she moved with surprising ease and grace of one much younger as examined Kei in a slow circle. Nodding to herself, she continued, "Yes, put him in the shadow rooms. Misao should be arriving very soon to rescue the boy. You've done well Misanagi."
Her granddaughter flushed at the compliment in the lowly lit room. "You only need to order what you want obaa-san and I will do my best as to satisfy your desires. I shall leave now to place the boy in one of the shadow rooms." She bowed low to her grandmother before she moved to pick up the small unconscious boy on the floor.
With her granddaughter Misanagi gone, Aki dismissed her other grandchild from the room stating that she needed her privacy. Bowing low to the Matriarch of the Madowshi clan, the little girl promptly disappeared through a shadow. In the quiet of the room, Aki stared into the fire of the brazier in her room and began to laugh. Victory would be in her hands once more, thanks to Miharu's daughter. Even in the end, despite all her best efforts to deny them, Miharu was still helping out her clan by allowing her daughter live. It was a fine day indeed for the maternal grandmother of Makimachi Misao.
End of Chapter 3