Dome of Heaven -Illness-
"Talking"
¨Talking¨ in the minds of the winged people
*Thinking*
Disclaimer: I do not own RK.
Chapter 06: Understandings
"You wanted to talk." Misao said and walked closer her heart thumping in her chest with wild tempo. She had been surprised when Ume had told her that a tall man with cold eyes and black hair wanted to talk to her. They knew her father, so the only one left was Aoshi. Why would he want to talk with her? It was rare for Aoshi to start a conversation.
Aoshi nodded and separated himself from the wall. He walked to Misao and then by her. She frowned but followed him. When Ume attempted to follow she held her hand up. ¨I will take care of this.¨ The woman nodded and stayed behind. There was a little bit of disappointment on her face and Misao could guess the reason. *So, she is one of them.*
Misao walked after Aoshi and soon caught up to him. They walked in silence neither was really willing to break it at first.
"Can you heal Kamiya Kaoru?" Aoshi finally asked and Misao was startled at the sudden break of the silence.
"With time, yes. It was all more complicated than anyone of us thought. But this much is absolutely certain, no doctor on the ground could have healed her. There is her blood, our blood and poison all mixed up in her. To heal her we have to heal our blood and then remove it from her. After that her own blood needs to be healed and regenerated." Misao explained.
"It will take weeks, perhaps even a month but in the end, she will fully recover." She continued with serious tone. *Unless something goes wrong... No! I won't allow it!*
The silence returned and as they reached the first opening leading up, Misao jumped there. Then she glanced at Aoshi and taking it as a sign, he jumped as well. He looked around and noted that everything looked pretty much the same as the level lower. The floor had a red carpet covering it and torches burned at the walls.
"I thought this level was off-limits." He said and Misao smiled.
"Not when you are with me." Misao said and started walking again. "When you have gotten further and seen more, you will see that there are stairs to this level. You won't be allowed to walk them though. There are things we must keep hidden from you." She had heard of their adventures and knew that they had to think of something other than Kaoru to keep themselves together.
Or perhaps they were thinking about Kaoru and they wandered in order to find her.
Aoshi nodded and followed her. They went through many hallways and passed many doors. Aoshi memorized everything he saw because he had a feeling he wouldn't be allowed here anymore after this. As he looked at Misao, he saw a slight smile on her face. She looked comfortable, perhaps even more so than ever at the Aoiya.
"This is my home now." She said, as if guessing his thoughts, and stopped at a window. The sun was slowly setting, but it would take time before it would disappear. She looked outside and her smiled softened even more.
"These are my people, this is the life meant for me. I always had this emptiness inside of me at the Aoiya. I could ignore it most of the time, but it still remained in the background. The feeling that I didn't quite belong there. I enjoyed the freedom of travelling much more than staying at the same place." Misao spoke quietly. Her eyes looked softly at the scenery.
The land was green and brown, the trees tall and beautiful. People flew around the place and walked on the ground. The scenery was serene and pure.
"Now I can fly and feel free. Of course I still have the duties of the Queen--" She grimaced. "--but mostly I am free."
Aoshi was watching her quietly and Misao found that she was still unable to read his eyes if he willed so. She sighed, but the smile was soon on her face again.
"How are the things at the Aoiya?" She asked with little concern in her voice.
"Fine." Aoshi said and Misao nodded.
The silence fell again between them. Misao had no idea what more she should say to him. She didn't have any explanations or questions she dared to ask. Much needed to be cleared, but now was not the time. And so since she couldn't come up with anything to say, she stayed silent for a moment more.
"I will walk you back to your room." She said quietly and she turned to lead him back. "I trust that was all?"
Aoshi nodded and they walked back in complete silence.
She said good evening as they reached the quest quarters and then left. She had to force herself to walk calmly. *Why is everything always so hard?* She asked silently remembering that the hard part was still coming. The real reason they had been accepted here. They wouldn't like it one bit.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Aoshi watched Misao leave. She had changed more than he had first thought. She thought differently and could refrain her actions better. Still the old Misao, the one he knew, was still there as well. He had sensed it, perhaps more before than now. Here, at her new home, she was the Queen and she had adapted herself in that role far better than he would have thought possible.
He opened the door and stepped inside only to stop almost immediately.
There were empty bottles of sake lying around the place and the air reeked of alcohol. Sanosuke was laughing loudly and he seemed to have some sort of drinking contest with Hiko Seijurou. The latter seemed to be able to hold the sake far better than the first.
As he turned his eyes he saw red-cheeked Himura trying to dodge the attacks of giggling lady doctor. The young one was starting to look really sick and Aoshi could guess what was coming next.
*This is why I never touch sake.*
He went to his room and emptied his bag. He returned just in time to give it to Yahiko who threw up immediately after he got the bag open. That continued for some time and so Aoshi sat by him. The others didn't seem to notice them before Kenshin suddenly sat next to him.
He seemed to have escaped the lady for a while. He offered a bottle for Aoshi who merely shook his head. The redhead shrugged and put the bottle down.
"You spent some time on that walk." He said.
"Aa." Aoshi answered and turned to see if Yahiko had finished throwing up.
"The guard from the earlier was the one that brought us sake." Kenshin said and Aoshi immediately detected his point. He was asking with whom he had gone, in his own subtle manner.
"I asked to see Misao. She accompanied me during the walk." He answered the redheads hidden question. Perhaps the man wasn't as drunk as he had first thought.
"Did she say anything about Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin's voice was tense and Aoshi noticed that Yahiko also stilled to listen to the answer. So the boy wasn't so out of it that he would have lost all of his senses.
"Yes. It will require a long time, but in the end Kamiya will fully recover." Aoshi replied and could see the relief wash over the swordsman as well as the boy next to him.
"Is it so?" The man whispered with a smile. The tension seemed leave him and Aoshi saw him relaxing a little.
"Umm, Aoshi..." The small voice caught his attention and he turned to Yahiko. "I think I am done now. Thank you." Yahiko said and handed the bag to Aoshi who took it without a word and left for the door.
The guard had changed while he had been in the room. He handed the bag to the woman. "One of us got sick." He simply said and to his surprise the woman smiled.
"I see. Don't worry. I will take care of this and return it to you later." She smiled and Aoshi nodded. Compared to the behaviour of many other guards, she seemed to tolerate them well.
"Sleep well!" She yelled just before Aoshi had closed the door behind him.
Sanosuke rushed to him immediately. "Is it true?! Did the weasel really say that Jo-chan will be saved?" He asked quickly his eyes shining with hope. Aoshi nodded. "According to Misao she should fully recover." *Weasel? Misao wouldn't be happy to hear that.*
Sanosuke yelled and started to dance around the room. "Jo-chan will recover! She will be saved!"
There was genuine happiness behind his excessive actions. Everyone seemed to rejoice about the news except for Hiko. There was a smile on his face, but Aoshi had a feeling that it was of amusement.
He saw Sanosuke offering more sake to Yahiko, but the boy wisely said no and left the room heading for his bedroom. Aoshi decided that the boy had the right idea and he also escaped to his room before Sanosuke managed to drag him to a group hug.
Though he did miss the expression on Hiko's face as Sanosuke suggested it to him. He also missed seeing Sanosuke hit almost senseless because he refused to give up simply because Hiko said no.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The next morning was painful for most of them and their appetite remained low. Aoshi and Hiko were the only ones feeling perfectly well. Even Kenshin was a little blue. Yahiko had only looked at the food briefly before he turned and walked away.
"Now a little walk in the fresh air would certainly do good." Megumi sighed. She had somehow managed to return to her own bedroom on her own at some point of the night. She had returned to eat with them since there was no one to accompany her in her rooms.
"That is denied." Kenshin said and Megumi nodded. "I know, but it doesn't stop me from wishing."
The door opened and a woman stepped inside. Unlike most of them, she had covered her face so that only her eyes could be seen. There was uncertainty and constant readiness in her way of walking. Her eyes were suspicious and angry.
"Are you done?" She asked and they nodded. The door opened immediately after and more women came in to take the dishes. None of the had their faces covered. Most were unknown to them, but two were people that had stood guarding before.
"Thank you." Kenshin smiled at them and some even smiled back. Most noticeably the one that had stood guarding last night.
"Do you think that we could go outside for a bit?" Megumi asked and drew all eyes to her. She was looking pale, but there was confidence in her eyes. Her chin was held high.
The women stopped their actions for a moment, before continuing. They were all silent.
Megumi sighed. "I guess that means no." She sounded surprisingly calm about it.
"Unfortunately not." The first woman to enter said and her voice was strained. They all looked at her with disbelief. The anger in her eyes was clearer now.
"What do you mean?" Megumi asked with a frown.
The woman was obviously displeased and she had to force the words out of her mouth. "It seems that Council members Hoshi and Amaya convinced Yuuki-sama to allow this exception after learning that you... are not feeling well. Also this room needs to be ventilated." She said and turned up her nose at the smell.
"Since Hoshi and Amaya talked Yuuki-sama into this, they were ordered to be your guides. Be ready in ten minutes." She said and walked to the door. There she turned around again and stared at them with sharp eyes. "Don't even think about escaping. Amaya is the strongest person among us."
Then she walked away and the other women followed. This woman obviously thought of them as prisoners and the worst kind of creatures in existence.
There was a silence in the room until Sanosuke made a small laughing sound. "All right! We get outside!"
This new piece of information cheered them up quite a bit. Even Yahiko rose out of bed after hearing this. The next ten minutes seemed to last an eternity before there was a knock on the door. They yelled for the person to enter and the door was slowly opened.
A small woman stepped into the room. She was clearly shorter than Kenshin and her eyes were as red brown as his hair. Her hair was short and the same brown as her eyes. Her shirt was light brown, while her skirt was deeper brown. She had a white shawl around her shoulders and she fingered it constantly. She looked around seeming more than a bit uneasy.
"I am Hoshi." She said and broke the silence. Megumi seemed to understand her hesitant actions and stepped to her with a smile.
"I am Takani Megumi. Call me Megumi." She said and bowed to the woman. She smiled back a gentle smile that softened her otherwise sharp features.
Megumi proceeded to introduce the other people in the room and had hardly finished when another woman entered the room. She was like the opposite of Hoshi with her height reaching almost to Sanosuke. Her hair was pitch black and her sharp eyes clear deep blue.
"Sorry for being late." She said with a strong and clear voice. Her entire pose spoke of confidence and power. There was a katana and a wakizashi tightened to her waist. Her clothes were almost as black as her hair, but unlike Hoshi she was wearing trousers. She was neither cute like Hoshi nor beautiful like Megumi. Her power of attraction came from her personal face and from the powerful air around her.
She moved in with graze, every muscle powerful and as flexible as a string.
Still she smiled at them and remembering that it was she along with Hoshi who had suggested that they be allowed outside, they smiled back.
"I am Amaya, one of the Council members. I already know who you are so no needs for extra introductions. So let's get going." She said and walked out of the room with Hoshi. With Megumi leading them, they followed.
Megumi immediately appeared next to Amaya. "So, how do you know us? I for one can't say I have ever met you."
Amaya smiled at her. "We have met. For one, I was one of those twelve Yuuki-sama brought with her to take care of Hideki. Also I was one of the carriers who brought you here. You could say that the strongest here were picked. Though Moriko and Yukiko were picked because Yuuki-sama has an absolute faith in them."
Megumi nodded. "I see. Though I don't remember introductions made so that I could hear."
Amaya laughed a little. "Naturally you couldn't hear them, since Yuuki-sama didn't voice them so that you could hear."
Megumi was puzzled. "What...? I don't understand."
The other woman nodded. "Much possible since you cannot do so. We, meaning all those with wings, are more connected than you people are. And since speaking out aloud while flying is... well, stupid most of the time, we learned or were born with a different way to communicate. We talk to each other inside our heads with our thoughts most of the time. That way we don't need to talk out loud and endanger catching flies into our mouths." She laughed a little, but stopped at the stunned face Megumi was showing.
"You can talk with thoughts?" She asked, her eyes wide.
Amaya nodded. "Yes. Even distance doesn't really bother us."
"I see. So that is how Misao-san called all you to Hiko-san's home." Megumi muttered and Amaya smiled. "Correct. Though I must ask you to learn to call her Yuuki-sama. Many of us are confused by the name Misao and since she no longer is Misao, you should learn her new name."
The others were close enough to hear their conversation and when Amaya said the last sentence, Sano laughed. Kenshin looked bothered, Aoshi passive and Hiko smiled. Yahiko was staring at them with wide eyes and he was the first to say anything. "Yuuki...-sama?" He sounded disbelieving.
"Yeah. I know. It is like calling Jo-chan Kamiya-sama." His laughter died as he realized what he had just said and worry overtook his face. A deep silence entered the hallway as all of them were forced to recall the reason why they were there.
"You all went pale and worried so suddenly. What is the matter?" Amaya asked with genuinely concerned voice.
"You know why we came here, right." Megumi said and her face was an unreadable mask. Amaya nodded and Megumi continued. "We are worried about Kaoru-san. Everything here has been new and some things very odd. So we have had a lot of things to distract ourselves with. Now..."
Hoshi stepped fort and placed a hand on Megumi's shoulder. "Yuuki-sama told us that she would recover. That means she will. No need to worry." Her face and voice were both gentle and assuring. The shyness seemed to be forgotten for the moment.
Megumi blinked. "It is not me you should comfort." She said and her eyes strayed to glance at Kenshin, if only briefly.
Hoshi noticed and nodded. "Still, I think that if you, a doctor, can believe in her recovery, others will as well." Her voice was a whisper and only Megumi heard it. Hoshi smiled and suddenly looking really embarrassed, stepped away.
Megumi nodded to herself. The woman was right. Kenshin was usually the pillar everyone leaned against for support, but here she might have to take that position. Kenshin was too worried about Kaoru.
Megumi gave a smile to Hoshi and nodded. She could do it. She had already, without noticing, started. Asking about things, being polite and trying to get them to trust her had been the start.
"I don't think you will let us see her, before she has recovered." She said, but raised an eyebrow at Amaya and the woman nodded. "I am afraid that it will have to be so. But don't worry. Yuuki-sama has already started and she will definitely heal her. All you need to do is to trust her."
Megumi nodded and smiled. "I do. Misao-san, or Yuuki-sama as you wish, is worth the trust." It was hard to put so much confidence in her voice, but from the looks of other people, she had succeeded. Misao was no doctor and so trusting her was not easy, but she knew that letting Kaoru die was not something Misao would allow. At the very least she would get help.
"So, you can speak with thoughts. Can you also send images or information to the one you are talking to?"
She saw that they were surprised at the sudden change of the subject, but Amaya answered without hesitation with laughter. Still, her blue eyes were sharp and the look she gave to Megumi told her that this woman at least understood.
The continued walking towards the door that led outside listening to Amaya explaining about their mind-talk. Megumi asked a sharp question here and there, but mostly it was Amaya talking. A little bit of weight had been taken from their shoulders.
If Megumi trusted in Kaoru's recovery, then perhaps they could too.
End of chapter 06.
To be continued in chapter 07.
Tiian
Now why did the scene where Misao and Aoshi spoke end up like that?
At first I wrote this touching and angsty conversation...
Then I reread it and decided that I was speeding up things way too much. So I had to erase half of the end away... sniff.
A reread some of Kenshin to see some answers and to get the facts right and I think I finally understand what is Aoshi's answer. I have had two different scanslations of the Aoshi vs Gein battle and now reading the second, I finally understand it.
Took me some time, eh. ^^'
Like finding my view of Aoshi did. It has changed drastically during the years before settling to the present.
Till the next chapter!
Oh, and if someone knows some NEW great A&M fics/writers, please tell me!
(I already know people like Hikaru, Desi, Ashfae, Midori etc. and have read their fics)
And to the reviews:
nekonomiko: Thank you! And yes, getting reviews does help. I mean, when you know that there are people reading, liking and waiting, it makes me work a little harder. It is great to know that my work is appreciated.
the nutty imp: Thank you for pointing that out. They really seemed ignorant and emotionless. I didn't even notice until you pointed it out. Thanks. I hope it was explained and their worry more brought out in this chapter.
SoT'n'Kenshin: Hopefully this will satisfy you. Thank you for the review. I am happy you liked this.
"Talking"
¨Talking¨ in the minds of the winged people
*Thinking*
Disclaimer: I do not own RK.
Chapter 06: Understandings
"You wanted to talk." Misao said and walked closer her heart thumping in her chest with wild tempo. She had been surprised when Ume had told her that a tall man with cold eyes and black hair wanted to talk to her. They knew her father, so the only one left was Aoshi. Why would he want to talk with her? It was rare for Aoshi to start a conversation.
Aoshi nodded and separated himself from the wall. He walked to Misao and then by her. She frowned but followed him. When Ume attempted to follow she held her hand up. ¨I will take care of this.¨ The woman nodded and stayed behind. There was a little bit of disappointment on her face and Misao could guess the reason. *So, she is one of them.*
Misao walked after Aoshi and soon caught up to him. They walked in silence neither was really willing to break it at first.
"Can you heal Kamiya Kaoru?" Aoshi finally asked and Misao was startled at the sudden break of the silence.
"With time, yes. It was all more complicated than anyone of us thought. But this much is absolutely certain, no doctor on the ground could have healed her. There is her blood, our blood and poison all mixed up in her. To heal her we have to heal our blood and then remove it from her. After that her own blood needs to be healed and regenerated." Misao explained.
"It will take weeks, perhaps even a month but in the end, she will fully recover." She continued with serious tone. *Unless something goes wrong... No! I won't allow it!*
The silence returned and as they reached the first opening leading up, Misao jumped there. Then she glanced at Aoshi and taking it as a sign, he jumped as well. He looked around and noted that everything looked pretty much the same as the level lower. The floor had a red carpet covering it and torches burned at the walls.
"I thought this level was off-limits." He said and Misao smiled.
"Not when you are with me." Misao said and started walking again. "When you have gotten further and seen more, you will see that there are stairs to this level. You won't be allowed to walk them though. There are things we must keep hidden from you." She had heard of their adventures and knew that they had to think of something other than Kaoru to keep themselves together.
Or perhaps they were thinking about Kaoru and they wandered in order to find her.
Aoshi nodded and followed her. They went through many hallways and passed many doors. Aoshi memorized everything he saw because he had a feeling he wouldn't be allowed here anymore after this. As he looked at Misao, he saw a slight smile on her face. She looked comfortable, perhaps even more so than ever at the Aoiya.
"This is my home now." She said, as if guessing his thoughts, and stopped at a window. The sun was slowly setting, but it would take time before it would disappear. She looked outside and her smiled softened even more.
"These are my people, this is the life meant for me. I always had this emptiness inside of me at the Aoiya. I could ignore it most of the time, but it still remained in the background. The feeling that I didn't quite belong there. I enjoyed the freedom of travelling much more than staying at the same place." Misao spoke quietly. Her eyes looked softly at the scenery.
The land was green and brown, the trees tall and beautiful. People flew around the place and walked on the ground. The scenery was serene and pure.
"Now I can fly and feel free. Of course I still have the duties of the Queen--" She grimaced. "--but mostly I am free."
Aoshi was watching her quietly and Misao found that she was still unable to read his eyes if he willed so. She sighed, but the smile was soon on her face again.
"How are the things at the Aoiya?" She asked with little concern in her voice.
"Fine." Aoshi said and Misao nodded.
The silence fell again between them. Misao had no idea what more she should say to him. She didn't have any explanations or questions she dared to ask. Much needed to be cleared, but now was not the time. And so since she couldn't come up with anything to say, she stayed silent for a moment more.
"I will walk you back to your room." She said quietly and she turned to lead him back. "I trust that was all?"
Aoshi nodded and they walked back in complete silence.
She said good evening as they reached the quest quarters and then left. She had to force herself to walk calmly. *Why is everything always so hard?* She asked silently remembering that the hard part was still coming. The real reason they had been accepted here. They wouldn't like it one bit.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Aoshi watched Misao leave. She had changed more than he had first thought. She thought differently and could refrain her actions better. Still the old Misao, the one he knew, was still there as well. He had sensed it, perhaps more before than now. Here, at her new home, she was the Queen and she had adapted herself in that role far better than he would have thought possible.
He opened the door and stepped inside only to stop almost immediately.
There were empty bottles of sake lying around the place and the air reeked of alcohol. Sanosuke was laughing loudly and he seemed to have some sort of drinking contest with Hiko Seijurou. The latter seemed to be able to hold the sake far better than the first.
As he turned his eyes he saw red-cheeked Himura trying to dodge the attacks of giggling lady doctor. The young one was starting to look really sick and Aoshi could guess what was coming next.
*This is why I never touch sake.*
He went to his room and emptied his bag. He returned just in time to give it to Yahiko who threw up immediately after he got the bag open. That continued for some time and so Aoshi sat by him. The others didn't seem to notice them before Kenshin suddenly sat next to him.
He seemed to have escaped the lady for a while. He offered a bottle for Aoshi who merely shook his head. The redhead shrugged and put the bottle down.
"You spent some time on that walk." He said.
"Aa." Aoshi answered and turned to see if Yahiko had finished throwing up.
"The guard from the earlier was the one that brought us sake." Kenshin said and Aoshi immediately detected his point. He was asking with whom he had gone, in his own subtle manner.
"I asked to see Misao. She accompanied me during the walk." He answered the redheads hidden question. Perhaps the man wasn't as drunk as he had first thought.
"Did she say anything about Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin's voice was tense and Aoshi noticed that Yahiko also stilled to listen to the answer. So the boy wasn't so out of it that he would have lost all of his senses.
"Yes. It will require a long time, but in the end Kamiya will fully recover." Aoshi replied and could see the relief wash over the swordsman as well as the boy next to him.
"Is it so?" The man whispered with a smile. The tension seemed leave him and Aoshi saw him relaxing a little.
"Umm, Aoshi..." The small voice caught his attention and he turned to Yahiko. "I think I am done now. Thank you." Yahiko said and handed the bag to Aoshi who took it without a word and left for the door.
The guard had changed while he had been in the room. He handed the bag to the woman. "One of us got sick." He simply said and to his surprise the woman smiled.
"I see. Don't worry. I will take care of this and return it to you later." She smiled and Aoshi nodded. Compared to the behaviour of many other guards, she seemed to tolerate them well.
"Sleep well!" She yelled just before Aoshi had closed the door behind him.
Sanosuke rushed to him immediately. "Is it true?! Did the weasel really say that Jo-chan will be saved?" He asked quickly his eyes shining with hope. Aoshi nodded. "According to Misao she should fully recover." *Weasel? Misao wouldn't be happy to hear that.*
Sanosuke yelled and started to dance around the room. "Jo-chan will recover! She will be saved!"
There was genuine happiness behind his excessive actions. Everyone seemed to rejoice about the news except for Hiko. There was a smile on his face, but Aoshi had a feeling that it was of amusement.
He saw Sanosuke offering more sake to Yahiko, but the boy wisely said no and left the room heading for his bedroom. Aoshi decided that the boy had the right idea and he also escaped to his room before Sanosuke managed to drag him to a group hug.
Though he did miss the expression on Hiko's face as Sanosuke suggested it to him. He also missed seeing Sanosuke hit almost senseless because he refused to give up simply because Hiko said no.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The next morning was painful for most of them and their appetite remained low. Aoshi and Hiko were the only ones feeling perfectly well. Even Kenshin was a little blue. Yahiko had only looked at the food briefly before he turned and walked away.
"Now a little walk in the fresh air would certainly do good." Megumi sighed. She had somehow managed to return to her own bedroom on her own at some point of the night. She had returned to eat with them since there was no one to accompany her in her rooms.
"That is denied." Kenshin said and Megumi nodded. "I know, but it doesn't stop me from wishing."
The door opened and a woman stepped inside. Unlike most of them, she had covered her face so that only her eyes could be seen. There was uncertainty and constant readiness in her way of walking. Her eyes were suspicious and angry.
"Are you done?" She asked and they nodded. The door opened immediately after and more women came in to take the dishes. None of the had their faces covered. Most were unknown to them, but two were people that had stood guarding before.
"Thank you." Kenshin smiled at them and some even smiled back. Most noticeably the one that had stood guarding last night.
"Do you think that we could go outside for a bit?" Megumi asked and drew all eyes to her. She was looking pale, but there was confidence in her eyes. Her chin was held high.
The women stopped their actions for a moment, before continuing. They were all silent.
Megumi sighed. "I guess that means no." She sounded surprisingly calm about it.
"Unfortunately not." The first woman to enter said and her voice was strained. They all looked at her with disbelief. The anger in her eyes was clearer now.
"What do you mean?" Megumi asked with a frown.
The woman was obviously displeased and she had to force the words out of her mouth. "It seems that Council members Hoshi and Amaya convinced Yuuki-sama to allow this exception after learning that you... are not feeling well. Also this room needs to be ventilated." She said and turned up her nose at the smell.
"Since Hoshi and Amaya talked Yuuki-sama into this, they were ordered to be your guides. Be ready in ten minutes." She said and walked to the door. There she turned around again and stared at them with sharp eyes. "Don't even think about escaping. Amaya is the strongest person among us."
Then she walked away and the other women followed. This woman obviously thought of them as prisoners and the worst kind of creatures in existence.
There was a silence in the room until Sanosuke made a small laughing sound. "All right! We get outside!"
This new piece of information cheered them up quite a bit. Even Yahiko rose out of bed after hearing this. The next ten minutes seemed to last an eternity before there was a knock on the door. They yelled for the person to enter and the door was slowly opened.
A small woman stepped into the room. She was clearly shorter than Kenshin and her eyes were as red brown as his hair. Her hair was short and the same brown as her eyes. Her shirt was light brown, while her skirt was deeper brown. She had a white shawl around her shoulders and she fingered it constantly. She looked around seeming more than a bit uneasy.
"I am Hoshi." She said and broke the silence. Megumi seemed to understand her hesitant actions and stepped to her with a smile.
"I am Takani Megumi. Call me Megumi." She said and bowed to the woman. She smiled back a gentle smile that softened her otherwise sharp features.
Megumi proceeded to introduce the other people in the room and had hardly finished when another woman entered the room. She was like the opposite of Hoshi with her height reaching almost to Sanosuke. Her hair was pitch black and her sharp eyes clear deep blue.
"Sorry for being late." She said with a strong and clear voice. Her entire pose spoke of confidence and power. There was a katana and a wakizashi tightened to her waist. Her clothes were almost as black as her hair, but unlike Hoshi she was wearing trousers. She was neither cute like Hoshi nor beautiful like Megumi. Her power of attraction came from her personal face and from the powerful air around her.
She moved in with graze, every muscle powerful and as flexible as a string.
Still she smiled at them and remembering that it was she along with Hoshi who had suggested that they be allowed outside, they smiled back.
"I am Amaya, one of the Council members. I already know who you are so no needs for extra introductions. So let's get going." She said and walked out of the room with Hoshi. With Megumi leading them, they followed.
Megumi immediately appeared next to Amaya. "So, how do you know us? I for one can't say I have ever met you."
Amaya smiled at her. "We have met. For one, I was one of those twelve Yuuki-sama brought with her to take care of Hideki. Also I was one of the carriers who brought you here. You could say that the strongest here were picked. Though Moriko and Yukiko were picked because Yuuki-sama has an absolute faith in them."
Megumi nodded. "I see. Though I don't remember introductions made so that I could hear."
Amaya laughed a little. "Naturally you couldn't hear them, since Yuuki-sama didn't voice them so that you could hear."
Megumi was puzzled. "What...? I don't understand."
The other woman nodded. "Much possible since you cannot do so. We, meaning all those with wings, are more connected than you people are. And since speaking out aloud while flying is... well, stupid most of the time, we learned or were born with a different way to communicate. We talk to each other inside our heads with our thoughts most of the time. That way we don't need to talk out loud and endanger catching flies into our mouths." She laughed a little, but stopped at the stunned face Megumi was showing.
"You can talk with thoughts?" She asked, her eyes wide.
Amaya nodded. "Yes. Even distance doesn't really bother us."
"I see. So that is how Misao-san called all you to Hiko-san's home." Megumi muttered and Amaya smiled. "Correct. Though I must ask you to learn to call her Yuuki-sama. Many of us are confused by the name Misao and since she no longer is Misao, you should learn her new name."
The others were close enough to hear their conversation and when Amaya said the last sentence, Sano laughed. Kenshin looked bothered, Aoshi passive and Hiko smiled. Yahiko was staring at them with wide eyes and he was the first to say anything. "Yuuki...-sama?" He sounded disbelieving.
"Yeah. I know. It is like calling Jo-chan Kamiya-sama." His laughter died as he realized what he had just said and worry overtook his face. A deep silence entered the hallway as all of them were forced to recall the reason why they were there.
"You all went pale and worried so suddenly. What is the matter?" Amaya asked with genuinely concerned voice.
"You know why we came here, right." Megumi said and her face was an unreadable mask. Amaya nodded and Megumi continued. "We are worried about Kaoru-san. Everything here has been new and some things very odd. So we have had a lot of things to distract ourselves with. Now..."
Hoshi stepped fort and placed a hand on Megumi's shoulder. "Yuuki-sama told us that she would recover. That means she will. No need to worry." Her face and voice were both gentle and assuring. The shyness seemed to be forgotten for the moment.
Megumi blinked. "It is not me you should comfort." She said and her eyes strayed to glance at Kenshin, if only briefly.
Hoshi noticed and nodded. "Still, I think that if you, a doctor, can believe in her recovery, others will as well." Her voice was a whisper and only Megumi heard it. Hoshi smiled and suddenly looking really embarrassed, stepped away.
Megumi nodded to herself. The woman was right. Kenshin was usually the pillar everyone leaned against for support, but here she might have to take that position. Kenshin was too worried about Kaoru.
Megumi gave a smile to Hoshi and nodded. She could do it. She had already, without noticing, started. Asking about things, being polite and trying to get them to trust her had been the start.
"I don't think you will let us see her, before she has recovered." She said, but raised an eyebrow at Amaya and the woman nodded. "I am afraid that it will have to be so. But don't worry. Yuuki-sama has already started and she will definitely heal her. All you need to do is to trust her."
Megumi nodded and smiled. "I do. Misao-san, or Yuuki-sama as you wish, is worth the trust." It was hard to put so much confidence in her voice, but from the looks of other people, she had succeeded. Misao was no doctor and so trusting her was not easy, but she knew that letting Kaoru die was not something Misao would allow. At the very least she would get help.
"So, you can speak with thoughts. Can you also send images or information to the one you are talking to?"
She saw that they were surprised at the sudden change of the subject, but Amaya answered without hesitation with laughter. Still, her blue eyes were sharp and the look she gave to Megumi told her that this woman at least understood.
The continued walking towards the door that led outside listening to Amaya explaining about their mind-talk. Megumi asked a sharp question here and there, but mostly it was Amaya talking. A little bit of weight had been taken from their shoulders.
If Megumi trusted in Kaoru's recovery, then perhaps they could too.
End of chapter 06.
To be continued in chapter 07.
Tiian
Now why did the scene where Misao and Aoshi spoke end up like that?
At first I wrote this touching and angsty conversation...
Then I reread it and decided that I was speeding up things way too much. So I had to erase half of the end away... sniff.
A reread some of Kenshin to see some answers and to get the facts right and I think I finally understand what is Aoshi's answer. I have had two different scanslations of the Aoshi vs Gein battle and now reading the second, I finally understand it.
Took me some time, eh. ^^'
Like finding my view of Aoshi did. It has changed drastically during the years before settling to the present.
Till the next chapter!
Oh, and if someone knows some NEW great A&M fics/writers, please tell me!
(I already know people like Hikaru, Desi, Ashfae, Midori etc. and have read their fics)
And to the reviews:
nekonomiko: Thank you! And yes, getting reviews does help. I mean, when you know that there are people reading, liking and waiting, it makes me work a little harder. It is great to know that my work is appreciated.
the nutty imp: Thank you for pointing that out. They really seemed ignorant and emotionless. I didn't even notice until you pointed it out. Thanks. I hope it was explained and their worry more brought out in this chapter.
SoT'n'Kenshin: Hopefully this will satisfy you. Thank you for the review. I am happy you liked this.