Another Chance: The past resurfaces
A fanfic set in the Rurouni Kenshin universe
standard disclaimers apply

"You should not be out here."

Newly arrived, Aoshi had told Kanryuu that he had wanted to survey the grounds.   Kanryuu had looked pleased by his request, as it seemed to show the seriousness by which Aoshi Shinomori took his new role as the elite guard force for Kanryuu.

There was not much to see.   Several squads of various guards, some good and some not so good….  An expansive estate that showed in fact how wealthy Kanryuu was.

There would be much to learn about this place.

It was nearly dark, and in the twilight he saw something a bit strange.   A lone figure working in one of the few gardens on the estate.    As he came closer, he saw a young woman, close to his age, bent over plants.

"You should not be out here."

The slim woman straightened up and stared at him, her brown eyes wide with surprise.   Her eyes turned wary, but were not afraid.     "You must be new here."  Her voice was low and musical, but spoke somewhat hesitantly.  "I have permission to be here.  I am Kanryuu Takeda's --  doctor.  I am simply gathering various medicinal plants."

" A lone woman should not be out at night unprotected."

"It's not necessary," She took a step back. 

Perhaps she thought he had thought to assault her.    Any woman out alone in a place with many men might have that fear, but one as beautiful as this one . . .  He stepped away and turned his back.  "I mean you no harm.  I will simply wait here until you are done and ready to return to the house."

He could hear her hesitate, but after a minute, she quietly went back to her work pulling up various plants and flowers and placing them into a woven basket at her feet.    

As the minutes passed, he allowed his head to turn slightly to observe the woman.  No common woman was she – there was something distinctly proper about her both in her appearance and speech.    She was certainly skilled as an herbalist.   He had read enough texts to know exactly what she was picking for.  But there was something wrong with her.   Her body language, her facial expressions were all that of a sad, tired person.     

When she began to straighten up again, he turned his head back and looked away, unwilling that she know how closely he had been watching her.  

He could hear her feet softly closing the distance between them but did not move. 

"I am finished," she said softly from behind him. 

"Yes."  He answered and then, after a moment's hesitation, began walking back towards the mansion with her following a few steps behind.  

When they neared the house, he paused and let her catch up to him.  

"Thank you, --" she paused, uncertain who exactly to thank. 

"Shinomori Aoshi." 

"Takani Megumi," she replied with a bow, with a hint of a smile on her lips. "Thank you, Shinomori-san"   She turned quickly away and ran in through one of the doors back into the estate.  

Takani Megumi.    As one who was well acquainted with Aizu, the name was familiar.   It was thought that their family had simply disappeared after the shogunate wars.    Strange finding one of them here.   If life had been different, perhaps their paths would have crossed elsewhere.

A sudden flicker of movement caught his attention.  Aoshi looked up to see Kanryuu watching him from a window one story up.   Aoshi gave him a nod, to acknowledge the man who was his sponsor – who had promised him and his men many battles.    The man nodded back, but did not look pleased.    For what reason did Kanryuu Takeda have to look as irritated as he did now?

The answer came later, when Kanryuu had unlocked the doors to one part of the house to Aoshi.    Aoshi dutifully had followed the man down the stairs and into a colder part of the house.     "The doctor works down here mostly," he had said cheerily.   "Most days she's here, with the occasional trip outside to replenish her stores."

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he looked around the room.   Various tools were scattered around.   Mortars, pestles, a fire, and flowers. 

"She's a treasure, that she is, my dear Megumi."   Kanryuu gave Aoshi a rather smug grin as he delicately picked up one of the bright colored flowers from the bench.  "A brilliant doctor, but a brilliant herbologist and chemist."  He looked at Aoshi, trying to gauge the man's reaction.  "Her talents pay for all of this, the estate, the cars, the guards, and you and your men."

Aoshi looked more closely at the workbench.  It was opium.

"Yes, yes," Kanryuu laughed as he severed the head of the poppy, and allowed it to fall to  the floor.  "Megumi Takani is my opium whore.   But a damn fine one, she is."

A sudden crash behind them made Aoshi realize that their conversation did not go unwitnessed.

Glass and powder were scattered at Megumi Takani's feet.  

Kanryuu had already pounced upon Megumi and hit her.  "You clumsy fool.  That will definitely cost you."

Aoshi noted that the woman did not fall to her knees or fight.  She simply bowed her head in resignation.  As if this had been going on for quite some time.   

The gesture pleased Kanryuu.   He let his hand fall back to his side and he turned back to Aoshi, suddenly remembering he was watching.  "Megumi dear," his voice was silky again, "I can't stand to see your pretty face saddened."     He leered at her and moved to touch her face. 

When she recoiled, his face blackened and he struck her again.  She slumped forward and fell to the ground.  "Ungrateful, unfeeling wench!" he snarled.  

Aoshi coughed.

Kanryuu Takeda's head snapped in his direction.   "Take her, bind her and lock her up in the watchtower."

"Yes, sir."  Aoshi found some hemp cord in the corner and came over to the barely conscious woman.  She did not struggle and quietly let Aoshi bind her hands and legs.   That in itself infuriated Kanryuu further.   "Bind it tighter," Kanryuu muttered through clenched teeth.

Wisely, Aoshi complied, and he gave the cords an extra yank, yielding a cry of pain from the doctor. 

Satisfied, Kanryuu began ascending the steps.  

"One more thing, Shinomori-san,"  he said over his shoulder as he continued up the stairs.  "Leave her there for a day without food, and water, and post one of your men there.   She'll learn to be more careful around me."

Aoshi nodded and hefted the body of the woman over his shoulder and obediently followed Kanryuu up the stairs.   

After locking the poor woman with her injuries into the watchtower, he realized that Kanryuu was probably jealous of him and his one conversation with the doctor in the garden.   Could this extra cruelty have resulted from that?

If so, then it would do no good for him or her to further his contact with the woman.  

From that point on, Aoshi Shinomori had made sure to stay clear of Megumi Takani.

~

Okina was heading toward Aoshi's office when his nose suddenly began to twitch.

'Must be a pretty girl out and about,' he thought to himself happily and started looking wildly in every direction.   He was rewarded with a glimpse of a (in his opinion, a very nice) backside of a tall woman with long hair attired in a pink kimono who was following Omasu back towards the restaurant.   Throwing away any remaining dignity he had, he began to skip happily after the two women. He had almost caught up when Aoshi stepped in front of him suddenly. 

"You were looking for me, Okina?"

Okina's shoulders slumped slightly.  He had lost his chance to spy on whoever that woman was.  "I was told a beautiful lady --  err, guest,  was paying you a visit, and . . . "

Aoshi's mouth quirked into a smile. "And of course you wanted to come offer your assistance, didn't you?"

"The Aoiya is known for its service!"  Okina said delightedly, "So I'll just go catch up with Omasu and the lady…"

"I don't think so, Okina."  Aoshi looked at him gravely. "I think the less attention you paid her the better."

"My, my." Okina straightened up and evaluated Aoshi closely, "This a particular interest of yours Aoshi?   I mean, not that I have a problem with that, even though some of the others might—" 

The firm grip of Aoshi's hand on his shoulder made him wince.  "What part have I gotten wrong?"

"The woman whose backside you were admiring," Aoshi said in his usual monotone voice, "is Takani Megumi, Okina."

"Eee."  A funny mix of delight and horror passed across Okina's face.   Megumi Takani was simply one of the most beautiful creatures he had seen in his lifetime, but… she could cut men down faster than he could unfurl his own weapons. 

"She paid you a  . . . social call?"  Okina managed to spit out. 

"No," Aoshi pulled the man inside one of the rooms.  "She came to us for some information, and I need you to use the network to help her find out what happened to her elder brother."

"Oh, oh, oh,"  Okina clucked sympathetically.  "Poor girl.   Of course I'd be happy to help her and talk to her about anything that might be useful—"

"No need to," Aoshi responded. "Although I know you'd love any excuse to get her alone, old man, I know enough to get us started."

"Of course," Okina's eyes narrowed speculatively.  It was a matter of debate amongst the residents of the Aoiya as to how well the two really did know one another.  Aoshi and Megumi had spent some time interned in the same place in Tokyo.    He heard enough from Kenshin Himura to know that those two had some sort of shared history, but he never did ask Aoshi to what degree that history extended, nor did Aoshi ever really choose to elaborate any more than generally acknowledging what Kenshin Himura said to be true.   Feelings, thoughts ---  these were never the sort of things Aoshi revealed to him or even Misao.   He only could go on what he observed – and since the whole Shishio fiasco and then the events in Jinchuu--  Aoshi and Megumi's interactions were always respectful and pleasant.   Considering her temper and his coldness, that struck him as odd.  But, well,   it was perhaps just his imagination and no more odd than Kenshin and Aoshi's friendship.    

"We start in Aizu, even though I'm certain Takani-san has already asked many people there.  Their family is well known enough that a person like Kenichi Takani could not completely vanish as she has been led to believe.  I'm certain that our sources will be more resourceful in determining whether Kenichi Takani died after disappearing off that battlefield or fled. "

"Do you think he simply fled and stayed hidden all these years, Aoshi?"   Okina stroked his beard thinking, "With his sister alive, would he not come back to find her?" 

"There are many things that could happen in fifteen years, Okina."  Aoshi answered, a bit wearily.  "But if Kenichi Takani is anything like his sister, he perhaps is alive."  Megumi Takani, whether it was by sheer luck or by determination, had managed to survive many terrible situations.   "I think something happened to Kenichi Takani,"  Aoshi mused.  "So I want you to make use of your old acquaintances and look for something that doesn't quite seem right.   And it is likely that his name is not Takani anymore.   If it were so, Takani-san would have long found her brother by now." 

"Alright."

"And one more thing," Aoshi gave Okina a stern look, "If we find the man, we are not to make contact.  That was her request.  And – I do not want those who know her here to also know what we are doing.   Takani-san is a private person.  What we find or don't find may not be pleasant at all."

Okina hesitated here.  Again, Aoshi presumed something about Megumi Takani's personality that hinted at familiarity.  "Not even Misao-chan?"

"No." Aoshi turned away. 

Okina frowned slightly.   He could tell by Aoshi's expression that that in itself was not up for debate.   Misao had grown a lot in the past few years, but there were things she still didn't quite understand about the world.    They both knew that.   But still, if they were close as everyone thought they were – would Aoshi simply withhold something like this from Misao?     Even Okina couldn't tell whether the devotion that existed between them ever amounted to anything more.   Aoshi still treated Misao like . . .

"Okina?"  Aoshi had turned back around and looked at him. "Something the matter?"

Okina paused for a second, aware of the lingering frown on Aoshi's face.  Was that frown because of what he had said about Misao? Or the doctor?    Okina sighed. Even after all these years – he couldn't always understand the man.   "It's nothing.  I'll send out word and update you later."