Dome of Heaven -Illness-
"Talking"
¨Talking¨ in the minds of the winged people
*Thinking*
Disclaimer: I do not own RK.
Chapter 02: The Summoning
The morning came slowly to Kenshin. He had been too worried to sleep well, or at all. No matter how confident he seemed, he had doubts as well. The cure existed, they had witnessed that. But could it heal Kaoru? Also, there was no guarantee that his master would be home or that he could contact her. Or that she would help them.
But they had no other choices. Kaoru was sick and this was at the moment the best way to act.
He rose and tightened the sakabatou on his waist.
He refused to think that this would fail. If he lost his hope, the others would as well.
Kenshin left the room and walked to the dining room. Okina greeted him and then returned his attention back to the paper. Aoshi was sipping tea empty plates before him. He was wearing his ninja-uniform and Kenshin saw a bag beside him. He seemed ready to go.
"Kenshin-san." Omasu said with a smile and offered him a menu. "I know you are worried about Kaoru-san, but try to eat. You will need your strength." Kenshin nodded and after a quick look at the menu placed his order.
"Have the other awakened yet?" He asked and Omasu shook her head.
"We can go wake them if you wish." She offered and Kenshin nodded. "Please do so. We must move along fast." Omasu nodded and left the room.
Yahiko was the first to appear and Megumi came with Kaoru soon after. Sanosuke was the last and he was yawning widely. Megumi was staying close to Kaoru, watching her carefully all the time. This worried Kenshin and made him think that there was something he did not know.
They ate in silence. The usual battle of food between Sanosuke and Yahiko was not held this time. Kenshin understood it well, since they were all too worried about Kaoru to eat well. Megumi seemed to be the only one that could eat, but her eyes were on Kaoru almost all the time, as if waiting for something.
Okina and the others wished them a successful journey as they left.
"What are you doing?" Yahiko asked as Aoshi walked along side with them. He merely looked down at the boy before looking back ahead. "There are things I need to do." He answered and no matter how much Yahiko wanted to, he didn't ask anything further. He had been in the company of Aoshi long enough to know that he would not tell more than necessary and it would take many questions to get the reason why he was coming with them out of him.
The boy glanced at Kenshin. *He probably knows.* That was enough.
Sanosuke just looked at Aoshi with indifference, but Yahiko knew that there were no feelings of liking between them. He looked at Kaoru next and it while she looked normal, he could see how tense she was and how she now and then winced from the pain.
He really hoped that this would work.
They walked out of the city and headed for the small forest road, which led to Hiko. Kenshin, Kaoru and Yahiko were familiar with the road having walked it at least once before. It all looked the same as the last time. It was very unfortunate that they had to walk uphill.
Kenshin kept his eyes on the road and refused to look behind him to see her. That didn't stop him from hearing Kaoru's occasional pain filled whimpers. Sano had offered to carry her, but she had said she would rather walk. Megumi walked right next to her and helped her if needed.
They were halfway up when he heard Megumi yell. He turned as fast as he could and saw Megumi holding unconscious Kaoru in her arms. He run over and kneeled beside them.
"What happened?" Sanosuke appeared as well. His voice was filled with worry.
Megumi moved Kaoru into a better position. "She needs to be carried. The foolish girl thought she could hold the pain off long enough for us to reach Hiko-san."
"Megumi-dono." Kenshin's voice was hard and Megumi winced. "How bad is it?" His eyes locked Megumi's and she couldn't pull herself free. She fidgeted and then spoke. "She is afraid of her life." She said with resignation.
Kenshin's eyes widened and he pulled Kaoru to him. He felt her pulse with his shaking hands and sighed in relief as he found one. At the look on Kenshin's face, Yahiko and Sanosuke relaxed as well.
Aoshi moved closer and knelt beside Kenshin. He held out his hands. "I will carry her." He said and Kenshin startled. He was about to protest, but found logic in his words. They were all much too worried to keep her safely.
Kenshin nodded and held Kaoru for Aoshi to take. He took her gently into the cradle of his arms and stood up. Megumi immediately appeared on his side. Kenshin stood up as well. "We better hurry." He said and walked forward faster than before.
Now that he didn't need to worry about Kaoru keeping up, they could move much faster. He knew that Aoshi was strong enough to keep Kaoru and walk fast. Had Megumi and Yahiko not been there, they would have been able to move even faster.
Still, the journey lasted much too long for his liking and as the house clearing and the house were finally visible, he sighed in relief. But he couldn't relax for long. The critical moment was here. Did master know how to contact Yuuki? Would she be able to heal Kaoru? Was he even home?
Soon those questions would be answered.
He run forward leaving the others behind him. He headed for the door and just before he reached it, it opened.
Hiko Seijurou had sensed people getting close and he wasn't in the least surprised to see Kenshin. He sighed. "What do you want this time?" He asked his annoyance at the disturbance clear.
"Master!" Kenshin said, so surprised at his sudden appearance that his words were blocked. But he recovered quickly. "We need your help. We need to speak with Yuuki-dono."
Hiko raised his eyebrow. "And for what reason?" He asked and Kenshin pointed at Kaoru in Aoshi's arms. Hiko moved to them and watched Aoshi gently laying Kaoru on the ground.
"She is sick. So what does this have to do with my daughter?" Hiko said as she watched Kaoru's weak breathing.
Kenshin's eyes widened. "Are you joking?! Can't you see Kaoru-dono is very sick! She might die!" He yelled.
Hiko merely looked at him calmly. "Again, what does this have to do with my daughter? She is not a doctor." Anger overtook Kenshin.
"You saw it! During the battle she got hurt and they were able to heal it completely in a moment! If there is even a slight change that they may be able to do the same for Kaoru-dono... We need to ask! Master! We need to get in touch with her!" Kenshin yelled and his face furious. Hiko stared calmly back. When he said nothing, Kenshin began to doubt.
"You can contact her somehow, right? She is your daughter after all."
Hiko sighed. "Of course I have the means of summoning her--"
"Then do so!" Kenshin interrupted.
"No matter the consequences?" Hiko said sharply. His eyes were cold and face dead serious.
Kenshin blinked. "What?"
"I can summon her, but it will be incredibly painful for her. If she is flying, she may fall because of the pain and that will hurt her further. She told me to use it only in emergency situations."
Before Kenshin had time to say anything, Sanosuke joined the conversation. "Well, isn't this one of those? Jo-chan is most probably deadly sick, she may die."
"And why should she care? Why should the Queen of the Sky care of a person she has never met?" Hiko simply said.
"What?" Kenshin said quietly. *But... Isn't she Misao-dono? Could it be that master doesn't know...? Or is she really a stranger who merely reminds us of Misao-dono...?*
"They have met briefly. When she came to bring the necklace to Kenshin." Sanosuke continued obvious to Kenshin's shock. Kenshin and Aoshi had talked about her on the way to the train station after the incident month ago and already then they had came to the conclusion that she most probably was Misao. Neither of them had ever told about their doubts to the others.
Kenshin stared at Hiko. *He must know. Is it true or not? He is not blind and even though he doesn't know Misao that well, he must have noticed the similarities. Then why...?*
Hiko gave Kenshin a look and smirked.
*He knows!* Kenshin's eyes took a cold look. *He knows. But which way is it? Is Yuuki-dono Misao-dono? And if she is, he should know that Kaoru-dono is her friend. Then why he isn't willing to help?*
*"I can summon her, but it will be incredibly painful for her..."* *Is that why? He doesn't want to cause her any pain? She is his daughter, but wouldn't she be angry if Hiko didn't tell about this situation to her?*
"You know. Then why do you wish to keep this from her?" Kenshin said and thus stopped Sanosuke's complains.
Hiko looked at him and then pulled one feather from the folds of his robes. It was a perfect and beautiful white feather. "This is from her. It is still in some way connected to her, it is still a part of her. If I break this feather..."
"She will feel it." Kenshin continued Hiko's sentence.
"Yes. But severing the bond will cause her much pain." Hiko continued. The he looked at Kaoru. "Is it really necessary?"
"No doctor has been able to help her. And wouldn't she like to know? No matter how painful it might be?" Kenshin said and locked his eyes with Hiko.
They stared at each other for a long time having a silent conversation and test of will. The others were slowly starting to feel uncomfortable with the silence, with the exception of Aoshi. He merely looked at them with a slightly curious look in his eyes. Sanosuke and Yahiko were becoming most impatient as their silent battle continued.
Finally Hiko smiled. "So that is your resolution." He said and Kenshin blinked.
Hiko stepped by a small stone and placed the feather there. Then he slowly pulled his sword from the saya. There was a slight regret on his face as his sword cut the feather cleanly in two. Few drop of blood stained the stone.
There was a silence for a long time.
Hiko walked to his house and leaned against the wall.
"Umm, what now?" Sanosuke asked and Hiko turned his eyes on him.
"Now we wait." He answered coldly.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Yuuki screamed in pain as her entire body reacted to the cutting of the bond. Her every muscle cramped and she fell on her knees. The people around flew to her to help her. She breathed hard and tried to distance herself from the impact that had only touched her for a moment and still left behind a huge amount of pure pain. And fear.
Something had happened. Her father would not use the feather just for anything. Something terrible must have happened.
¨Senritsu.¨
¨Yes?¨ The woman on her right side answered.
¨Something has happened. My father is summoning me. Please, go and see what is happening.¨ And then she showed her a map in her mind that pointed her father's house.
¨As you wish.¨ Senritsu bowed and jumped. She flew out of the castle and headed for the house Yuuki had shown her.
Yuuki stood up slowly with the help of her council members. ¨Senritsu. Tell him I'll come in a moment.¨
She heard her answer as if she was still beside her. ¨Of course.¨
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kenshin tried to calm down, but Sanosuke's pacing was slowly getting on his nerves. As well as his silent complaints. Hiko and Aoshi were the only ones that showed no signs of getting impatient. Megumi was swirling the hem of her clothes between her fingers and Yahiko was practising with his bokken and once in awhile he looked at Kaoru.
Suddenly Kenshin's ears caught a strange sound and as he looked at his master for confirmation, he saw him looking at the sky. Kenshin turned his head also, but he saw nothing. As he looked back at Hiko, he had stepped away from the wall and turned to look at something behind them.
Kenshin turned as well and his eyes widened. A woman was standing there and he caught a glimpse of her black wings before she had hid them in her back. She pulled down the scarf that was covering her face and Kenshin recognized her.
"Senritsu-dono."
At this the others turned to look behind and saw her. She was walking towards them offering a nod to Kenshin as she passed him. She stopped before Hiko. She was clothed the same way as before. It seemed to be common clothing for them.
"You called for her." She said and Hiko nodded.
"There is a woman here that needs help and they --" He pointed at Kenshin and others. "--seem to think that Yuuki can help."
"A woman?" Senritsu said and turned to look around. Then she spotted Kaoru lying on the ground with another woman right beside her.
"She?"
Hiko nodded. Senritsu frowned as she stared at Kaoru.
"Is she coming?" Hiko asked and Senritsu nodded. "As soon as the pain leaves."
A flash of regret could be seen in Hiko's eyes. "I did not wish to hurt her."
Senritsu smiled. "She knows."
Then she looked up and they all followed her example. They saw a small dot approaching them. "She left after me sooner than I thought she would be able to." There was pride shining from her words and her smile.
They waited in silence as the dot got closer and all the time bigger until they could tell that it was a person. Yuuki flew closer and finally landed on the ground. Her knees were unable to hold her weight and she collapsed on the ground. Senritsu moved immediately to her side and helped her up.
¨You shouldn't have left yet. You are clearly still in pain.¨
¨There is nothing wrong with my wings.¨ She merely answered and Senritsu sighed. Yuuki pulled her wings back and with Senritsu's help walked closer her cloak hanging around her.
¨I can walk on my own.¨
¨I am sure you can.¨ Senritsu answered and smiled. But he didn't show any signs of letting go.
Kenshin watched as they came closer. His eyes were on Yuuki. Her black long hair tightened into a thick braid. Her blue eyes surrounded with long black eyelashes. Her mouth and the form of her face. Now that he looked carefully knowing what to look for he found the features of Makimachi Misao. Older Misao with the weight of the leadership on her shoulders.
She was taller, nearing the height of Megumi. As he looked at her, he realized that this was the grown-up Misao. No longer the child he had first met. It had to be her.
Yuuki smiled at her father. "I am glad you are safe. I was worried."
"It is not me you should be worried about. It's her." Hiko said and pointed at Kaoru. Yuuki turned her eyes to Kaoru. Senritsu had already told her that it was a woman she had to worry about but that was it. As her eyes took in the almost lifeless form of Kamiya Kaoru, she almost gasped.
She pulled free from Senritsu's hold and walked to Kaoru. She kneeled beside her and looked more carefully.
Kaoru's face was almost deadly pale and her hair was a mess. Her chest rose and fell with her breathing, but it felt weak. She had black circles under her eyes.
"She really looks ill." Yuuki said as she observed the woman.
"Oh, really." Megumi said sarcastically. Yuuki ignored her and continued to stare at Kaoru.
"Do you have any idea what this is? Or what has caused it?"
"She has complained backaches for some time now, about three weeks I would venture to guess. And I have no idea what may be the cause. Nothing drastic has happened."
Yuuki frowned and lifted Kaoru's hand to see if she would respond in any way and how strong her pulse would be. To her surprise something black fell from her kimono sleeve. Curious, she put Kaoru's hand back down and picked the thing up. Her eyes widened and then she frowned as she saw what it was. A black feather.
"What is this?" She asked even though she had a bad feeling that she already knew.
"What?" Sanosuke asked and came closer. "Oh, that. During the whole winged-murderers event, she didn't get around to do much but worry and so I brought this back as a souvenir."
"A souvenir..." Yuuki whispered. Sanosuke took this as a cue to continue. "Yes, I picked it up from the floor of that warehouse after the battle."
Yuuki's hand trembled as she stood up, the pain of her muscles forgotten. "Do you have any idea what this is?!" She yelled as she turned to stare at Sanosuke furiously.
He startled.
"This is a feather from the back of Hideki himself!" She yelled and placed the feather on a stone. She took a small knife from her waist and cut the feather. Instead of being merely cut, it seemed to dissolute into something liquid that smelled rotten and looked ill.
"What the..." Sanosuke stared at the stone and he was not the only one.
"Poisonous blood." Yuuki said and everyone turned to look at her. "This blood is dead and poisonous and that means that Kaoru-san has been carrying around poison and it has somehow managed to touch and affect her."
"She liked to play with that feather. I often saw her swirling around her fingers." Kenshin said. His face had paled. If Sanosuke had not brought the feather back, if he had stopped him from taking it. If they had taken it from Kaoru... She wouldn't be in this situation.
Sanosuke had paled even more. *My fault. I brought it to her...*
"I should have been more careful... Chieko-san will be so angry with me..." Yuuki whispered to herself and continued to check in Kaoru.
Kenshin was the only one close enough to hear her mutter. *Chieko-san? -san?* Senritsu had said that they didn't use honorific and yet Yuuki used them. That confirmed his last doubts. He knew her and Aoshi had given him the idea who she really was. He was certain now.
"You are Misao-dono." Kenshin suddenly said breaking the silence. Every single pair of eyes flew first to look at him and then to look at Yuuki.
Her blue eyes were wide as she stared at him. Her mouth was open yet no sound came out, until she finally managed to mutter a single word. "How?"
Kenshin smiled at Misao's stunned face. "I thought you looked too familiar for me not to know you, but it wasn't me that realised the truth. It was Aoshi." He said and Misao turned to look at the tall man that had stayed on the background. For a second their eyes met and then Misao pulled away.
"Is that so..." She said and smiled slightly at Kenshin. "But yes, I was known by the name of Misao before my kin finally found me again."
"That is impossible!" Yahiko exclaimed. He had been holding himself back all this time, letting Kenshin and Sanosuke deal with the situation, but now he opened his mouth. "You don't look like the weasel at all! It is not so long ago that we saw her last time. She couldn't have changed this much!"
Misao smiled kindly. "I thought that you would have realised already that we are different from you. I... was not meant for the life I have lived. I was born to the Queen of the Sky, but I was stolen from that life. My wings were cut off and without knowing the truth I was adopted by the Makimachi family."
Then she blinked and hastily continued. "Don't get me wrong! I am very grateful for the life I have lived. Still... The way I live now is the way I was meant to be and so... This is the kind of life I feel most comfortable with. Still I learned a lot during my life on ground." She said and then turned back to Kaoru.
"How long has she been unconscious?" She asked as she felt her forehead. She had no intentions of continuing the conversation any longer, not now. She had no answers to them. Not yet.
"She fainted on the way here. She hasn't regained her senses after that." Megumi said and almost stood up, leaving Kaoru to Misao, but decided against it. Misao nodded and closed her eyes.
She stood up with a frown on her face. "Strange."
"What is strange?" Megumi asked.
"You said her pain has been concentrated in her back, right? I have never heard of a poison that would affect just one part of the body in such a way. This is not normal poison, but still." Misao bit her lip. "If she had caught the infection from the feather through some wound, it would be understandable. But I doubt she has rubbed the feather on her back. So why...?"
Misao kneeled again and this time moved Kaoru onto her stomach. She took the knife she had used earlier and after looking at it she threw it away. "Wrap that in some fabric and keep away from people. It is probably infected." Senritsu nodded and Misao turned back to Kaoru. Taking out one of her kunais, she ripped her kimono open from the back.
Her back was unharmed and Misao laid a hand on it. Moving it around she felt some strange hills.
"There is something definitely wrong here. There are large hard areas that should not be here."
Megumi laid her hand on her back and did as Misao had. "True." Her hand moved on one large area and she pushed down.
Kaoru's eyes flew open and she started screaming from pain. Misao pushed Megumi away and turned to look at Kaoru's back. Her eyes widened in terror.
Kaoru's back had split open and blood flew from the wound soon covering her lower back, but that wasn't what shocked her so. The blood was suddenly hardening in a strange shape. Almost as if creating her wings she didn't have. Misao stood still shocked to the core. Nothing like this had ever happened! Never!
She pushed her down and tried to keep the twisting woman still.
"Senritsu!" She yelled and the woman nodded. She came to hold Kaoru down while Misao pulled a larger knife from her waist. She hesitated for a second before lifting her hand, preparing for the cut.
"Wait! What are you doing?!" Kenshin yelled angrily and gripped Misao's hand as she pointed it towards Kaoru.
"I need to remove the spoiled blood!" She yelled back and pulled her hand free during the short moment Kenshin was too shocked to grip tight. Misao put the sharp edge to the very beginning of the pulsing blood-wings. With a swift movement she cut them off.
Kaoru screamed.
End of chapter 2.
To be continued in chapter 3.
Poor Kaoru. I guess that is what I would say if I actually felt sorry for her.
Not much of Aoshi in this one either... sniff.
No worries, there will definitely be more of him in the future.
I am sorry if this seemed to be somehow hurried, but I wanted to get to these parts sooner rather than later.
Also, for now you don't need to worry about lack of updates with this one. I have chapters 01-05 already ready and 06 is half done also.
This is so fun! ^^
"Talking"
¨Talking¨ in the minds of the winged people
*Thinking*
Disclaimer: I do not own RK.
Chapter 02: The Summoning
The morning came slowly to Kenshin. He had been too worried to sleep well, or at all. No matter how confident he seemed, he had doubts as well. The cure existed, they had witnessed that. But could it heal Kaoru? Also, there was no guarantee that his master would be home or that he could contact her. Or that she would help them.
But they had no other choices. Kaoru was sick and this was at the moment the best way to act.
He rose and tightened the sakabatou on his waist.
He refused to think that this would fail. If he lost his hope, the others would as well.
Kenshin left the room and walked to the dining room. Okina greeted him and then returned his attention back to the paper. Aoshi was sipping tea empty plates before him. He was wearing his ninja-uniform and Kenshin saw a bag beside him. He seemed ready to go.
"Kenshin-san." Omasu said with a smile and offered him a menu. "I know you are worried about Kaoru-san, but try to eat. You will need your strength." Kenshin nodded and after a quick look at the menu placed his order.
"Have the other awakened yet?" He asked and Omasu shook her head.
"We can go wake them if you wish." She offered and Kenshin nodded. "Please do so. We must move along fast." Omasu nodded and left the room.
Yahiko was the first to appear and Megumi came with Kaoru soon after. Sanosuke was the last and he was yawning widely. Megumi was staying close to Kaoru, watching her carefully all the time. This worried Kenshin and made him think that there was something he did not know.
They ate in silence. The usual battle of food between Sanosuke and Yahiko was not held this time. Kenshin understood it well, since they were all too worried about Kaoru to eat well. Megumi seemed to be the only one that could eat, but her eyes were on Kaoru almost all the time, as if waiting for something.
Okina and the others wished them a successful journey as they left.
"What are you doing?" Yahiko asked as Aoshi walked along side with them. He merely looked down at the boy before looking back ahead. "There are things I need to do." He answered and no matter how much Yahiko wanted to, he didn't ask anything further. He had been in the company of Aoshi long enough to know that he would not tell more than necessary and it would take many questions to get the reason why he was coming with them out of him.
The boy glanced at Kenshin. *He probably knows.* That was enough.
Sanosuke just looked at Aoshi with indifference, but Yahiko knew that there were no feelings of liking between them. He looked at Kaoru next and it while she looked normal, he could see how tense she was and how she now and then winced from the pain.
He really hoped that this would work.
They walked out of the city and headed for the small forest road, which led to Hiko. Kenshin, Kaoru and Yahiko were familiar with the road having walked it at least once before. It all looked the same as the last time. It was very unfortunate that they had to walk uphill.
Kenshin kept his eyes on the road and refused to look behind him to see her. That didn't stop him from hearing Kaoru's occasional pain filled whimpers. Sano had offered to carry her, but she had said she would rather walk. Megumi walked right next to her and helped her if needed.
They were halfway up when he heard Megumi yell. He turned as fast as he could and saw Megumi holding unconscious Kaoru in her arms. He run over and kneeled beside them.
"What happened?" Sanosuke appeared as well. His voice was filled with worry.
Megumi moved Kaoru into a better position. "She needs to be carried. The foolish girl thought she could hold the pain off long enough for us to reach Hiko-san."
"Megumi-dono." Kenshin's voice was hard and Megumi winced. "How bad is it?" His eyes locked Megumi's and she couldn't pull herself free. She fidgeted and then spoke. "She is afraid of her life." She said with resignation.
Kenshin's eyes widened and he pulled Kaoru to him. He felt her pulse with his shaking hands and sighed in relief as he found one. At the look on Kenshin's face, Yahiko and Sanosuke relaxed as well.
Aoshi moved closer and knelt beside Kenshin. He held out his hands. "I will carry her." He said and Kenshin startled. He was about to protest, but found logic in his words. They were all much too worried to keep her safely.
Kenshin nodded and held Kaoru for Aoshi to take. He took her gently into the cradle of his arms and stood up. Megumi immediately appeared on his side. Kenshin stood up as well. "We better hurry." He said and walked forward faster than before.
Now that he didn't need to worry about Kaoru keeping up, they could move much faster. He knew that Aoshi was strong enough to keep Kaoru and walk fast. Had Megumi and Yahiko not been there, they would have been able to move even faster.
Still, the journey lasted much too long for his liking and as the house clearing and the house were finally visible, he sighed in relief. But he couldn't relax for long. The critical moment was here. Did master know how to contact Yuuki? Would she be able to heal Kaoru? Was he even home?
Soon those questions would be answered.
He run forward leaving the others behind him. He headed for the door and just before he reached it, it opened.
Hiko Seijurou had sensed people getting close and he wasn't in the least surprised to see Kenshin. He sighed. "What do you want this time?" He asked his annoyance at the disturbance clear.
"Master!" Kenshin said, so surprised at his sudden appearance that his words were blocked. But he recovered quickly. "We need your help. We need to speak with Yuuki-dono."
Hiko raised his eyebrow. "And for what reason?" He asked and Kenshin pointed at Kaoru in Aoshi's arms. Hiko moved to them and watched Aoshi gently laying Kaoru on the ground.
"She is sick. So what does this have to do with my daughter?" Hiko said as she watched Kaoru's weak breathing.
Kenshin's eyes widened. "Are you joking?! Can't you see Kaoru-dono is very sick! She might die!" He yelled.
Hiko merely looked at him calmly. "Again, what does this have to do with my daughter? She is not a doctor." Anger overtook Kenshin.
"You saw it! During the battle she got hurt and they were able to heal it completely in a moment! If there is even a slight change that they may be able to do the same for Kaoru-dono... We need to ask! Master! We need to get in touch with her!" Kenshin yelled and his face furious. Hiko stared calmly back. When he said nothing, Kenshin began to doubt.
"You can contact her somehow, right? She is your daughter after all."
Hiko sighed. "Of course I have the means of summoning her--"
"Then do so!" Kenshin interrupted.
"No matter the consequences?" Hiko said sharply. His eyes were cold and face dead serious.
Kenshin blinked. "What?"
"I can summon her, but it will be incredibly painful for her. If she is flying, she may fall because of the pain and that will hurt her further. She told me to use it only in emergency situations."
Before Kenshin had time to say anything, Sanosuke joined the conversation. "Well, isn't this one of those? Jo-chan is most probably deadly sick, she may die."
"And why should she care? Why should the Queen of the Sky care of a person she has never met?" Hiko simply said.
"What?" Kenshin said quietly. *But... Isn't she Misao-dono? Could it be that master doesn't know...? Or is she really a stranger who merely reminds us of Misao-dono...?*
"They have met briefly. When she came to bring the necklace to Kenshin." Sanosuke continued obvious to Kenshin's shock. Kenshin and Aoshi had talked about her on the way to the train station after the incident month ago and already then they had came to the conclusion that she most probably was Misao. Neither of them had ever told about their doubts to the others.
Kenshin stared at Hiko. *He must know. Is it true or not? He is not blind and even though he doesn't know Misao that well, he must have noticed the similarities. Then why...?*
Hiko gave Kenshin a look and smirked.
*He knows!* Kenshin's eyes took a cold look. *He knows. But which way is it? Is Yuuki-dono Misao-dono? And if she is, he should know that Kaoru-dono is her friend. Then why he isn't willing to help?*
*"I can summon her, but it will be incredibly painful for her..."* *Is that why? He doesn't want to cause her any pain? She is his daughter, but wouldn't she be angry if Hiko didn't tell about this situation to her?*
"You know. Then why do you wish to keep this from her?" Kenshin said and thus stopped Sanosuke's complains.
Hiko looked at him and then pulled one feather from the folds of his robes. It was a perfect and beautiful white feather. "This is from her. It is still in some way connected to her, it is still a part of her. If I break this feather..."
"She will feel it." Kenshin continued Hiko's sentence.
"Yes. But severing the bond will cause her much pain." Hiko continued. The he looked at Kaoru. "Is it really necessary?"
"No doctor has been able to help her. And wouldn't she like to know? No matter how painful it might be?" Kenshin said and locked his eyes with Hiko.
They stared at each other for a long time having a silent conversation and test of will. The others were slowly starting to feel uncomfortable with the silence, with the exception of Aoshi. He merely looked at them with a slightly curious look in his eyes. Sanosuke and Yahiko were becoming most impatient as their silent battle continued.
Finally Hiko smiled. "So that is your resolution." He said and Kenshin blinked.
Hiko stepped by a small stone and placed the feather there. Then he slowly pulled his sword from the saya. There was a slight regret on his face as his sword cut the feather cleanly in two. Few drop of blood stained the stone.
There was a silence for a long time.
Hiko walked to his house and leaned against the wall.
"Umm, what now?" Sanosuke asked and Hiko turned his eyes on him.
"Now we wait." He answered coldly.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Yuuki screamed in pain as her entire body reacted to the cutting of the bond. Her every muscle cramped and she fell on her knees. The people around flew to her to help her. She breathed hard and tried to distance herself from the impact that had only touched her for a moment and still left behind a huge amount of pure pain. And fear.
Something had happened. Her father would not use the feather just for anything. Something terrible must have happened.
¨Senritsu.¨
¨Yes?¨ The woman on her right side answered.
¨Something has happened. My father is summoning me. Please, go and see what is happening.¨ And then she showed her a map in her mind that pointed her father's house.
¨As you wish.¨ Senritsu bowed and jumped. She flew out of the castle and headed for the house Yuuki had shown her.
Yuuki stood up slowly with the help of her council members. ¨Senritsu. Tell him I'll come in a moment.¨
She heard her answer as if she was still beside her. ¨Of course.¨
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kenshin tried to calm down, but Sanosuke's pacing was slowly getting on his nerves. As well as his silent complaints. Hiko and Aoshi were the only ones that showed no signs of getting impatient. Megumi was swirling the hem of her clothes between her fingers and Yahiko was practising with his bokken and once in awhile he looked at Kaoru.
Suddenly Kenshin's ears caught a strange sound and as he looked at his master for confirmation, he saw him looking at the sky. Kenshin turned his head also, but he saw nothing. As he looked back at Hiko, he had stepped away from the wall and turned to look at something behind them.
Kenshin turned as well and his eyes widened. A woman was standing there and he caught a glimpse of her black wings before she had hid them in her back. She pulled down the scarf that was covering her face and Kenshin recognized her.
"Senritsu-dono."
At this the others turned to look behind and saw her. She was walking towards them offering a nod to Kenshin as she passed him. She stopped before Hiko. She was clothed the same way as before. It seemed to be common clothing for them.
"You called for her." She said and Hiko nodded.
"There is a woman here that needs help and they --" He pointed at Kenshin and others. "--seem to think that Yuuki can help."
"A woman?" Senritsu said and turned to look around. Then she spotted Kaoru lying on the ground with another woman right beside her.
"She?"
Hiko nodded. Senritsu frowned as she stared at Kaoru.
"Is she coming?" Hiko asked and Senritsu nodded. "As soon as the pain leaves."
A flash of regret could be seen in Hiko's eyes. "I did not wish to hurt her."
Senritsu smiled. "She knows."
Then she looked up and they all followed her example. They saw a small dot approaching them. "She left after me sooner than I thought she would be able to." There was pride shining from her words and her smile.
They waited in silence as the dot got closer and all the time bigger until they could tell that it was a person. Yuuki flew closer and finally landed on the ground. Her knees were unable to hold her weight and she collapsed on the ground. Senritsu moved immediately to her side and helped her up.
¨You shouldn't have left yet. You are clearly still in pain.¨
¨There is nothing wrong with my wings.¨ She merely answered and Senritsu sighed. Yuuki pulled her wings back and with Senritsu's help walked closer her cloak hanging around her.
¨I can walk on my own.¨
¨I am sure you can.¨ Senritsu answered and smiled. But he didn't show any signs of letting go.
Kenshin watched as they came closer. His eyes were on Yuuki. Her black long hair tightened into a thick braid. Her blue eyes surrounded with long black eyelashes. Her mouth and the form of her face. Now that he looked carefully knowing what to look for he found the features of Makimachi Misao. Older Misao with the weight of the leadership on her shoulders.
She was taller, nearing the height of Megumi. As he looked at her, he realized that this was the grown-up Misao. No longer the child he had first met. It had to be her.
Yuuki smiled at her father. "I am glad you are safe. I was worried."
"It is not me you should be worried about. It's her." Hiko said and pointed at Kaoru. Yuuki turned her eyes to Kaoru. Senritsu had already told her that it was a woman she had to worry about but that was it. As her eyes took in the almost lifeless form of Kamiya Kaoru, she almost gasped.
She pulled free from Senritsu's hold and walked to Kaoru. She kneeled beside her and looked more carefully.
Kaoru's face was almost deadly pale and her hair was a mess. Her chest rose and fell with her breathing, but it felt weak. She had black circles under her eyes.
"She really looks ill." Yuuki said as she observed the woman.
"Oh, really." Megumi said sarcastically. Yuuki ignored her and continued to stare at Kaoru.
"Do you have any idea what this is? Or what has caused it?"
"She has complained backaches for some time now, about three weeks I would venture to guess. And I have no idea what may be the cause. Nothing drastic has happened."
Yuuki frowned and lifted Kaoru's hand to see if she would respond in any way and how strong her pulse would be. To her surprise something black fell from her kimono sleeve. Curious, she put Kaoru's hand back down and picked the thing up. Her eyes widened and then she frowned as she saw what it was. A black feather.
"What is this?" She asked even though she had a bad feeling that she already knew.
"What?" Sanosuke asked and came closer. "Oh, that. During the whole winged-murderers event, she didn't get around to do much but worry and so I brought this back as a souvenir."
"A souvenir..." Yuuki whispered. Sanosuke took this as a cue to continue. "Yes, I picked it up from the floor of that warehouse after the battle."
Yuuki's hand trembled as she stood up, the pain of her muscles forgotten. "Do you have any idea what this is?!" She yelled as she turned to stare at Sanosuke furiously.
He startled.
"This is a feather from the back of Hideki himself!" She yelled and placed the feather on a stone. She took a small knife from her waist and cut the feather. Instead of being merely cut, it seemed to dissolute into something liquid that smelled rotten and looked ill.
"What the..." Sanosuke stared at the stone and he was not the only one.
"Poisonous blood." Yuuki said and everyone turned to look at her. "This blood is dead and poisonous and that means that Kaoru-san has been carrying around poison and it has somehow managed to touch and affect her."
"She liked to play with that feather. I often saw her swirling around her fingers." Kenshin said. His face had paled. If Sanosuke had not brought the feather back, if he had stopped him from taking it. If they had taken it from Kaoru... She wouldn't be in this situation.
Sanosuke had paled even more. *My fault. I brought it to her...*
"I should have been more careful... Chieko-san will be so angry with me..." Yuuki whispered to herself and continued to check in Kaoru.
Kenshin was the only one close enough to hear her mutter. *Chieko-san? -san?* Senritsu had said that they didn't use honorific and yet Yuuki used them. That confirmed his last doubts. He knew her and Aoshi had given him the idea who she really was. He was certain now.
"You are Misao-dono." Kenshin suddenly said breaking the silence. Every single pair of eyes flew first to look at him and then to look at Yuuki.
Her blue eyes were wide as she stared at him. Her mouth was open yet no sound came out, until she finally managed to mutter a single word. "How?"
Kenshin smiled at Misao's stunned face. "I thought you looked too familiar for me not to know you, but it wasn't me that realised the truth. It was Aoshi." He said and Misao turned to look at the tall man that had stayed on the background. For a second their eyes met and then Misao pulled away.
"Is that so..." She said and smiled slightly at Kenshin. "But yes, I was known by the name of Misao before my kin finally found me again."
"That is impossible!" Yahiko exclaimed. He had been holding himself back all this time, letting Kenshin and Sanosuke deal with the situation, but now he opened his mouth. "You don't look like the weasel at all! It is not so long ago that we saw her last time. She couldn't have changed this much!"
Misao smiled kindly. "I thought that you would have realised already that we are different from you. I... was not meant for the life I have lived. I was born to the Queen of the Sky, but I was stolen from that life. My wings were cut off and without knowing the truth I was adopted by the Makimachi family."
Then she blinked and hastily continued. "Don't get me wrong! I am very grateful for the life I have lived. Still... The way I live now is the way I was meant to be and so... This is the kind of life I feel most comfortable with. Still I learned a lot during my life on ground." She said and then turned back to Kaoru.
"How long has she been unconscious?" She asked as she felt her forehead. She had no intentions of continuing the conversation any longer, not now. She had no answers to them. Not yet.
"She fainted on the way here. She hasn't regained her senses after that." Megumi said and almost stood up, leaving Kaoru to Misao, but decided against it. Misao nodded and closed her eyes.
She stood up with a frown on her face. "Strange."
"What is strange?" Megumi asked.
"You said her pain has been concentrated in her back, right? I have never heard of a poison that would affect just one part of the body in such a way. This is not normal poison, but still." Misao bit her lip. "If she had caught the infection from the feather through some wound, it would be understandable. But I doubt she has rubbed the feather on her back. So why...?"
Misao kneeled again and this time moved Kaoru onto her stomach. She took the knife she had used earlier and after looking at it she threw it away. "Wrap that in some fabric and keep away from people. It is probably infected." Senritsu nodded and Misao turned back to Kaoru. Taking out one of her kunais, she ripped her kimono open from the back.
Her back was unharmed and Misao laid a hand on it. Moving it around she felt some strange hills.
"There is something definitely wrong here. There are large hard areas that should not be here."
Megumi laid her hand on her back and did as Misao had. "True." Her hand moved on one large area and she pushed down.
Kaoru's eyes flew open and she started screaming from pain. Misao pushed Megumi away and turned to look at Kaoru's back. Her eyes widened in terror.
Kaoru's back had split open and blood flew from the wound soon covering her lower back, but that wasn't what shocked her so. The blood was suddenly hardening in a strange shape. Almost as if creating her wings she didn't have. Misao stood still shocked to the core. Nothing like this had ever happened! Never!
She pushed her down and tried to keep the twisting woman still.
"Senritsu!" She yelled and the woman nodded. She came to hold Kaoru down while Misao pulled a larger knife from her waist. She hesitated for a second before lifting her hand, preparing for the cut.
"Wait! What are you doing?!" Kenshin yelled angrily and gripped Misao's hand as she pointed it towards Kaoru.
"I need to remove the spoiled blood!" She yelled back and pulled her hand free during the short moment Kenshin was too shocked to grip tight. Misao put the sharp edge to the very beginning of the pulsing blood-wings. With a swift movement she cut them off.
Kaoru screamed.
End of chapter 2.
To be continued in chapter 3.
Poor Kaoru. I guess that is what I would say if I actually felt sorry for her.
Not much of Aoshi in this one either... sniff.
No worries, there will definitely be more of him in the future.
I am sorry if this seemed to be somehow hurried, but I wanted to get to these parts sooner rather than later.
Also, for now you don't need to worry about lack of updates with this one. I have chapters 01-05 already ready and 06 is half done also.
This is so fun! ^^