Where the Shadow lies
Chapter 4
"Misao-chan!" Seta called as he poked at the fire they had set up. The sweet potatoes were nearly done roasting and now all he had to do was to wait for his partner to come back from washing up so that they could eat.
Seta was pulling the sweet potatoes out of the ashes of the fire when his partner appeared. Fresh from a bath with her skin glowing and her long hair down from its ubiquitous braid, Misao was a lovely sight to behold. Seta, who had had glanced upwards towards his partner stopped and stared, unmindful of the hot potato he held. It wasn't until Misao pointed out the hot potato that he registered the burning sensation in his hand. Hastily he dropped the potato and tried to soothe his new injury as he cursed himself for his ineptness.
All thoughts disappeared from Seta's head as he smelled the faint scent of cherry blossoms as Misao sat down next to him to examine the burn. "Mou Seta!" she exclaimed. "I can't leave you alone to cook even for a minute can I? Look at what you've done to yourself!"
At Misao's scolding, Seta was abruptly knocked into reality. Sputtering, Seta said, "If you hadn't looked like the Moon Lady, I wouldn't have been scared witless at the sight of you!" He ducked a swipe from Misao and nearly cried out in pain when Misao jabbed his burned hand.
"You're lucky I'm not doing it harder," Misao retorted to her partner. "Moon lady my left foot," Misao muttered.
Upon closer examination, Misao saw that the burn wasn't that serious and was relieved. It was getting more and more difficult working with Seta. Not matter what she tried or did, she could still sense that her partner was still in love with her. A year long separation of their partnership had done nothing to break that link; not even when she had chosen to work with ex-Juppon-Gatana pervert Chou. Allowing herself to work with Seta had been a mistake, she realized. He would be too busy worrying about her than the case itself, and as a member of Japan's secret service, that was a liability.
Misao felt the prick of tears in her eyes and silently damned herself for losing control of the situation. She knew what she had to do. Reaching over to grab the guilty potato that had burned Seta's hand, Misao placed it near the fire as she ordered Seta to go wash the burn while she prepared a remedy for him.
Sensing the sudden change of mood in his partner, Seta hastily complied. It wouldn't do if Misao decided to suddenly brain him with a hot potato if he was too slow to do what she told him. Years of traveling with her taught Seta that Misao was about predictable as an active volcano.
Watching to make sure that her friend was down by the water, Misao quickly pulled out a sealed packet. It was a sleeping poison that could knock a person out for several days if the dose was large enough. Carefully, Misao poured a small amount onto her hand before she began to rub it all over the newly skinless potato. Placing the potato down carefully, Misao began the same with another before she was satisfied with her work. With her luck, Seta would eat the two sweet potatoes and be out cold for three days, giving her plenty of time to travel to Hiei Mountains and take care of business.
*** *** ***
It was near midnight when Misao got out of her makeshift bed. Quietly taking what she would need, Misao placed the bag near the tree as she turned to check on Seta. Kneeling before him, Misao could see that he was deeply asleep. With a quiet affection she would have never given him if he were awake, Misao pulled the blankets closer to him to make sure that he would remain warm throughout the next day. Brushing his bangs away from his face, Misao silently bade her partner goodbye and apology before she stood up. Taking one last look at her partner, Misao grabbed her traveling back as she set off towards Mt. Hiei.
*** *** ***
Aoshi placed the reports back down the table. Moving from behind the desk of Okashira, Aoshi went to stand at the window, eyes taking in the brilliance of Okina's majestic gardens as he contemplated the information that was brought to him. So Saitoh had sent Misao to Mt. Hiei.
Aoshi wasn't surprised at the ex-shinsengumi's decision to send her on such an important mission. After four years of the unknown, Aoshi had finally been able to locate Misao when she had entered into service for the Japanese government under the name Kanno Miho. It took some work, but he found out quite by accident through the reports of one of the rising agents of the Japanese Government. Upon reading of her many achievements and successes, Aoshi had toyed with the idea of offering her to join the Oniwa Banshuu until he saw the photograph that came along with the report.
Clad in the somber uniform of the Japanese Government, Misao was standing next the repatriated half Japanese half American spy Manjiro John when the picture was taken. Like her clothing, Misao's face was solemn, not a smile or a glimmer of her fearless spirit to be seen in the photograph at all. She stood next to Manjiro demurely with her eyes focused on anything else but the camera. Her body language suggested that she wasn't interested in meeting the repatriated Manjiro John and that this was done out of politeness.
If it wasn't for the trademark knee- length braid she always wore with the gold filigree clasp he had given her 8th birthday before he left the Aoiya with Hannya and the others; Aoshi wouldn't have been able to recognize her. Her face had begun to take shape, losing the roundness of childhood to give way to the woman emerging. It looked as if she was growing taller as well since the top of her head reached a little past Manjiro's shoulders. And from what Aoshi had recalled from his meeting with Manjiro the year he had entered the ministry, he was probably the only man besides Saitoh that could look him in the eye.
What a surprise it had been to see Misao as part of the Japanese Government. From what he had seen and heard from Misao's dealings with Mibu's wolf years previously, Aoshi hadn't expected Misao work him so smoothly. It wasn't until then, when Aoshi had read the report and saw the photograph of Misao that he realized that she was the geisha called Sakura he had met the mayor's party in Tokyo three years ago. He should have known that even though his mind didn't recognize Misao, his heart would despite the years that had gone by.
Shaking his head to clear the memories of the past, Aoshi came to a decision. The time for respecting Misao's privacy was over. Apparently it had been the wrong thing to do since Misao was using the forbidden dark arts of the onmitsu. He had to stop Misao from using the shadow realm to establish her goals and to keep the Kasumi clan from getting their hands on her. Otherwise the destruction that had cost Miharu and Furuha their lives to save Misao and most of the Oniwa Banshuu members would be for naught.
It was time for action.
End of Chapter 4
Notes:
- Moon Lady: the Moon Lady is actually a reference back towards Chinese
Culture. If anyone has read Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club before, then you
know what she is. The Moon Lady is supposed to be someone who seems as
if she is beautiful, but when you see her up close; she's actually quite
ugly. ^_^
- Okage-sama: the Shadow King.
Author's Notes: Sorry it took me so long for the update! Just finished a short term class and am now starting another. Updates may take a little bit longer since I am busy with school and my two jobs. Thank you for reading!!! Reviews and emails are appreciated!
Chapter 4
"Misao-chan!" Seta called as he poked at the fire they had set up. The sweet potatoes were nearly done roasting and now all he had to do was to wait for his partner to come back from washing up so that they could eat.
Seta was pulling the sweet potatoes out of the ashes of the fire when his partner appeared. Fresh from a bath with her skin glowing and her long hair down from its ubiquitous braid, Misao was a lovely sight to behold. Seta, who had had glanced upwards towards his partner stopped and stared, unmindful of the hot potato he held. It wasn't until Misao pointed out the hot potato that he registered the burning sensation in his hand. Hastily he dropped the potato and tried to soothe his new injury as he cursed himself for his ineptness.
All thoughts disappeared from Seta's head as he smelled the faint scent of cherry blossoms as Misao sat down next to him to examine the burn. "Mou Seta!" she exclaimed. "I can't leave you alone to cook even for a minute can I? Look at what you've done to yourself!"
At Misao's scolding, Seta was abruptly knocked into reality. Sputtering, Seta said, "If you hadn't looked like the Moon Lady, I wouldn't have been scared witless at the sight of you!" He ducked a swipe from Misao and nearly cried out in pain when Misao jabbed his burned hand.
"You're lucky I'm not doing it harder," Misao retorted to her partner. "Moon lady my left foot," Misao muttered.
Upon closer examination, Misao saw that the burn wasn't that serious and was relieved. It was getting more and more difficult working with Seta. Not matter what she tried or did, she could still sense that her partner was still in love with her. A year long separation of their partnership had done nothing to break that link; not even when she had chosen to work with ex-Juppon-Gatana pervert Chou. Allowing herself to work with Seta had been a mistake, she realized. He would be too busy worrying about her than the case itself, and as a member of Japan's secret service, that was a liability.
Misao felt the prick of tears in her eyes and silently damned herself for losing control of the situation. She knew what she had to do. Reaching over to grab the guilty potato that had burned Seta's hand, Misao placed it near the fire as she ordered Seta to go wash the burn while she prepared a remedy for him.
Sensing the sudden change of mood in his partner, Seta hastily complied. It wouldn't do if Misao decided to suddenly brain him with a hot potato if he was too slow to do what she told him. Years of traveling with her taught Seta that Misao was about predictable as an active volcano.
Watching to make sure that her friend was down by the water, Misao quickly pulled out a sealed packet. It was a sleeping poison that could knock a person out for several days if the dose was large enough. Carefully, Misao poured a small amount onto her hand before she began to rub it all over the newly skinless potato. Placing the potato down carefully, Misao began the same with another before she was satisfied with her work. With her luck, Seta would eat the two sweet potatoes and be out cold for three days, giving her plenty of time to travel to Hiei Mountains and take care of business.
*** *** ***
It was near midnight when Misao got out of her makeshift bed. Quietly taking what she would need, Misao placed the bag near the tree as she turned to check on Seta. Kneeling before him, Misao could see that he was deeply asleep. With a quiet affection she would have never given him if he were awake, Misao pulled the blankets closer to him to make sure that he would remain warm throughout the next day. Brushing his bangs away from his face, Misao silently bade her partner goodbye and apology before she stood up. Taking one last look at her partner, Misao grabbed her traveling back as she set off towards Mt. Hiei.
*** *** ***
Aoshi placed the reports back down the table. Moving from behind the desk of Okashira, Aoshi went to stand at the window, eyes taking in the brilliance of Okina's majestic gardens as he contemplated the information that was brought to him. So Saitoh had sent Misao to Mt. Hiei.
Aoshi wasn't surprised at the ex-shinsengumi's decision to send her on such an important mission. After four years of the unknown, Aoshi had finally been able to locate Misao when she had entered into service for the Japanese government under the name Kanno Miho. It took some work, but he found out quite by accident through the reports of one of the rising agents of the Japanese Government. Upon reading of her many achievements and successes, Aoshi had toyed with the idea of offering her to join the Oniwa Banshuu until he saw the photograph that came along with the report.
Clad in the somber uniform of the Japanese Government, Misao was standing next the repatriated half Japanese half American spy Manjiro John when the picture was taken. Like her clothing, Misao's face was solemn, not a smile or a glimmer of her fearless spirit to be seen in the photograph at all. She stood next to Manjiro demurely with her eyes focused on anything else but the camera. Her body language suggested that she wasn't interested in meeting the repatriated Manjiro John and that this was done out of politeness.
If it wasn't for the trademark knee- length braid she always wore with the gold filigree clasp he had given her 8th birthday before he left the Aoiya with Hannya and the others; Aoshi wouldn't have been able to recognize her. Her face had begun to take shape, losing the roundness of childhood to give way to the woman emerging. It looked as if she was growing taller as well since the top of her head reached a little past Manjiro's shoulders. And from what Aoshi had recalled from his meeting with Manjiro the year he had entered the ministry, he was probably the only man besides Saitoh that could look him in the eye.
What a surprise it had been to see Misao as part of the Japanese Government. From what he had seen and heard from Misao's dealings with Mibu's wolf years previously, Aoshi hadn't expected Misao work him so smoothly. It wasn't until then, when Aoshi had read the report and saw the photograph of Misao that he realized that she was the geisha called Sakura he had met the mayor's party in Tokyo three years ago. He should have known that even though his mind didn't recognize Misao, his heart would despite the years that had gone by.
Shaking his head to clear the memories of the past, Aoshi came to a decision. The time for respecting Misao's privacy was over. Apparently it had been the wrong thing to do since Misao was using the forbidden dark arts of the onmitsu. He had to stop Misao from using the shadow realm to establish her goals and to keep the Kasumi clan from getting their hands on her. Otherwise the destruction that had cost Miharu and Furuha their lives to save Misao and most of the Oniwa Banshuu members would be for naught.
It was time for action.
End of Chapter 4
Notes:
- Moon Lady: the Moon Lady is actually a reference back towards Chinese
Culture. If anyone has read Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club before, then you
know what she is. The Moon Lady is supposed to be someone who seems as
if she is beautiful, but when you see her up close; she's actually quite
ugly. ^_^
- Okage-sama: the Shadow King.
Author's Notes: Sorry it took me so long for the update! Just finished a short term class and am now starting another. Updates may take a little bit longer since I am busy with school and my two jobs. Thank you for reading!!! Reviews and emails are appreciated!