Disclaimer-I don't own Rurouni Kenshin no matter how much time passes.
AN: My story grows dark as the plot thickens…I'm such a sadistic author when writing. Ryouta is actually the name of my cousin (he's 6. I remember trying to help my aunt pick a name and my mom says "Daniel." So my aunt translates it into Ryouta. How does one get from Daniel to Ryouta???) Anyhow…I have no clue how I should insert "sessha" into Kenshin's sentences (sweatdrop). So now I'll just replace all of Kenshin's first person pronouns with sessha (probably not grammatically correct, but, I don't take Japanese as a foreign language.) As for Mieko's attacks…I made them up. (It's horrible, my Japanese is horribly limited -_-; (And remember from Chapter 2, Mieko's weapon of choice is a fan, which means her usual attacks have lots of flapping around.))
Lilac Fire Blossom
By Meii-chan
Chapter 8 – Scarlet Dreams
~Tokyo. 21st of March, sixteenth year of the Meiji era~
It had taken Soujiro roughly a week to arrive at the Kamiya dojo, where he was warmly welcomed by all of the dojo's occupants. It was a pleasant journey, with the sweet scent of spring accompanying him.
Soujiro was now sitting in front of Kenshin, with his hands clasped around a cup of tea. Soujiro nervously smiled between sips; even though he knew Kenshin was not a threat, he didn't enjoy the idea of being in the same room as someone who had defeated him.
It was Kenshin who spoke first. "I have a feeling you're here for more reason than to visit me."
"Actually…" Soujiro fumbled for the right words as he became aware that Kenshin's lavender eyes were scanning his own sapphire ones. "I…wanted to ask you something."
"Sessha wanted to ask you something since you came."
"Ara?"
"Sessha noticed that Mieko-dono wasn't with you when you came. Sessha thought…" Kenshin hesitated, remembering how Kaoru had come to Kyoto. "…that she would chase after you without thinking of the danger. That is, has she left this world?"
"No! ...or at least, I hope not."
"Then, did she fall in love with someone and abandon you?" Kenshin knew he was prying, but he wanted to know what had happened to her.
"Sort of."
"Sort of?" Kenshin was genuinely confused. "What's that mean de gozaru?"
Soujiro sweatdropped. "It turned out that she…err…loved me…and…"
"…you were afraid of love, because you didn't know what is was. So, you didn't know whether you should stay or not."
Soujiro stared at Kenshin. He had basically said the same thing Kamatari asked him.
"But, don't worry Soujiro. Everyone makes mistakes and—"
The shoji door opened, and in the doorway, stood a breathless Kaoru, with her raven hair swaying in the nocturnal air.
"Kaoru…"
"Soujiro-chan!" a familiar voice chirped happily. "I was waiting forever!"
The scent of wildflowers wafted past Soujiro's face as someone stepped out from behind Kaoru.
"Mieko-chan…"
"Yup! It's me!" Mieko stepped into the room. "I knew you would eventually come here."
Soujiro sighed. She knew him too well.
"Mieko-dono, if you were in Tokyo all along, how come sessha didn't' see you?" Kenshin asked.
Kaoru laughed. "I guess I forgot to tell you. I ran into her last week when I was teaching at one of the other dojos. She was staying at the Aki Kiku, so didn't come to the dojo."
"Ah!" Mieko remembered something. "Soujiro-chan, why don't you come visit Hanekawa-san now? I know she wants to see you again."
* * * * * *
Four people walked down the streets of Tokyo on an early spring night, as Kenshin and Kaoru had joined Soujiro and Mieko. The weather was beautiful, and the stroll was pleasant.
"…and then, Sano spilled the sake, so Yahiko made him clean it, and he got out of scrubbing the dojo floor that day!" Kaoru was telling a story to Mieko who skipping backwards.
"How amusing, Kaoru-san! Ah! Here it is!" Mieko bounced into the flower shop. "Hanekawa-san…"
Soujiro was about to enter when heard a scream from within the building.
"That was Mieko-chan!" Exclaimed Kaoru as the group rushed into the flower store.
Amid the silent air of the shop, Mieko stood, in shock.
"Mieko…" Soujiro also stiffened.
The blood of Natsue Hanekawa scented the air, its color glaringly obvious against the pale blue wall. Though somewhat obscure due to the lack of viscosity of blood, there were two kanji hastily written on the wall with the coppery liquid. Only Soujiro was able to read what it said.
Ten…Ken…
Kenshin was the first person to start talking. "Soujiro, Mieko-dono, stay at the Kamiya dojo tonight in case the assailant returns." Kenshin's dialogue seemed more fitting to be an order, leaving no room for argument.
Thus, the four walked out. The road, which was once lively and peaceful, now led on in an eerie silence, as if there was something waiting to happen.
They did not realize that they were being watched by someone in the shadow of a nearby building.
~Elsewhere~
A tall, dark, mysterious stranger stepped into the house. Shutting the large mahogany door behind him silently, he proceeded to throw a bloodied knife onto the tile floor. The knife hit the ground with a clatter, the cacophonous sound echoing into the utter darkness of the corridor.
Before him, a spry, young woman appeared, stopping her advance in front of the weapon. Though it was dark, anybody with sight could see that she was clad in a white Chinese style dress, her fluid movements suggesting certain death to those who irked her.
"Late as usual, I see." Her chiding voice revealed an Osaka accent.
The mysterious stranger shrugged off her insult. "I didn't have trouble killing her, she died of old age." He then cursed quietly. "Has anyone told Taikada-sama yet that blood does not make excellent ink?"
"It's always excuses with you isn't it?" She turned, padding off down the hallway. "As much as I enjoy speaking to Ryouta-sama, you'll be the one explaining your tardiness. Come."
She led him into a large room lit by a chandelier. The tiny lights were from the numerous candles that shed both radiance and shade alike into the windowless room. In the increased light, all the occupants of the room were visible.
There was the tall, dark, mysterious stranger, who was revealed to be a tall, not-so-dark, though equally mysterious man carrying a broadsword. His broadsword, however, was carefully hidden under a well-worn grey cloak. His messy charcoal-colored hair was tied back in a high ponytail, like many other ancient samurai. Beside him was the lady in white, but now one could see her long braids held in a butterfly-like design by half a dozen hair ornaments. The hair ornaments themselves were made of crystal, each resembling a tiny sword. At one side of the room, another man and his sister were reading the newspaper together. The man was clad in historically inaccurate western garments, while his sister was swathed in a long black kimono. At their side were two other men, one that was shriveled with age, and a bulkier one that was inspecting an arrow.
"Ah, Hirata-kun, Yukimi, you have finally joined us," said the man reading the newspaper. "I expect everything is going well?"
"Of course," the mysterious stranger known as Hirata answered. "My lateness has nothing to do with it."
The lady rolled her eyes. "Sure," she said sarcastically, "perhaps next time we should send someone a bit more literate?"
The man put gave the newspaper to his sister. "Would you like the next kill, Yukimi?"
Yukimi giggled childishly. "Sure Ryouta-sama, if that means Hirata-kun would stop trying to get me to marry him."
Ryouta smiled evilly. "Very well, the next victim is Tenken's lover herself."
"Who might that be, Ryouta-sama?" Yukimi batted her eyelashes at him, like a love struck schoolgirl.
"Himemori Mieko-san."
At this, Ryouta's sister gasped with a mixture of horror and surprise. "Nii-san, you can't!"
"Whatever are you speaking of, Sumire? I'm simply taking from him what he took from me."
~Kamiya dojo~
Back at the dojo, Kenshin was anxious. No, he was worried.
"Anata? Is the murder troubling you?" Kaoru asked as she was braiding her hair, noticing the faraway look on her husband's face.
In a rather serious tone, Kenshin answered her. "Yes. Do you think it's safe for them here? Sessha knows sessha sensed someone hiding in the shadows near the Aki Kiku."
"Someone…" Kaoru started to consider all the possibilities of attack. "They'll be fine, after all, who would attack a kenjutsu dojo? You need not to worry."
"Sessha is not worried anymore de gozaru yo." He was silenced by Kaoru's bokken as it hit him on the head.
"Yes, you are. And don't deny it."
"Ororororororo….."
~Another part of the Kamiya dojo~
Mieko had fallen asleep and was now in the seemingly peaceful fairytale land of dreams. However, sleep completely eluded Soujiro tonight as he watched her sleep. An open window brought the crisp spring breeze and celestial light into the room, partially illuminating the room.
Isn't it strange? Soujiro thought, as if this is the way life was supposed to be? To live in a false peace while people are dying all around you?
* * * * * *
"Soujiro-chan, isn't this magpie pretty?"
Mieko asked him about a brown origami bird she made. She skipped merrily around him, acting, well, like how a hyper seven-year old would act at a festival. It was the first festival Soujiro had been to; Yumi had been asking Shishio if she could go to a festival for ages. In time, Shishio had succumbed to her begging, and they decided to go the closest one available—which was a Tanabata festival of the stars. Naturally, Kamatari heard of this, and decided Soujiro and Mieko should go too. So, here they were, in the middle of Kyoto with bright lanterns and thousands of people.
"Of course it is. Why did you make a magpie, Mieko-chan?"
"Mou, Soujiro-chan," she puffed her cheeks in exasperation. "Don't you know the Tanabata story?" Soujiro shook his head. He could have cared less. "Okay, I'll tell you!" Mieko decided. "Yumi-nee-chan told me this. A long time ago, there was a boy. He lived in this house near a mountain with a cow."
"A cow? Honestly, Mieko-chan…"
"No really, he lived with a cow! And then…oh wait…I forgot whether the cow died or not. Oh well. Sometime after that, he met a weaver goddess. Then fell in love, got married, had two kids, and they lived happily ever after. And then another goddess noticed that they got married, so she took the weaver goddess into the sky. The boy followed her, so the goddess crossed the silver river in the sky. He couldn't go after her, so they got separated. But because they both got so sad, they were allowed to visit each other one day every year. So every year, on July seventh, a bunch of magpies come and make a bridge across the silver river for them."
"A year is a long time to wait."
"Yeah! That's why we celebrate Tanabata on the day when they meet. So everyone can be happy!"
* * * * * *
Mieko woke with a start. Sitting up, she hugged her knees as she tried to forget her nightmare. She shivered as the wind permeated her moth patterned yukata.
Soujiro noticed this. "Mieko?"
She turned at the sound of his voice. "Oh! Soujiro-chan, I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
"No, you don't have to apologize. I couldn't sleep."
"I see. It's because of Hanekawa-san, isn't it?"
"Are you okay?"
"I feel so…confused." Mieko said, burying her head in the blanket. "I know that it's only natural for her to die, being so old. I know that I've seen people mutilated and killed in front of me. Still, I don't know why, but…I wanted to cry." She had no idea why she was telling Soujiro this. "But, you'll worry about me if I cried or looked sad. So…"
Soujiro finished her sentence for her. "So I held it in."
"Something like that." Mieko rubbed her eyes in attempt to be more awake. "Why am I crying now?"
Soujiro wrapped his arms around her, and Mieko's lachrymose eyes snapped open.
"Soujiro?"
"If you want to, then cry." He murmured to her. "But, please don't let emptiness consume you like it did me."
Mieko nodded, fresh tears falling from her eyes to Soujiro's yukata. "It seems like I rub off of people too easily." She closed her eyes and remembered her dream all too vividly.
* * * * * *
She had been running down a long, dark, narrow corridor… then she was in a room. In it was a glass chandelier, throwing ghastly shadows and eerie light across the room. The tatami covered floor was steeped in blood, but otherwise unharmed. Her dream self almost smelt the acrid scent of ancient sake in the building. Around her, she could see the silvery glint of metal blade…
At one side of the room, there was a human body. She got closer, and then she could make out the torn blue fabric that almost all smothered in blood.
"Sou-chan?" her dream self asked as she cradled his head in her lap. "Please…so we can go back together…" Soujiro disappeared as the room dimmed.
She could see the silhouette of another man in front of the chandelier. He was laughing maniacally.
* * * * * *
Soujiro was lost in his own thoughts as he absent-mindedly stroked Mieko's hair. The dim moonlight cast shadows on his face, hiding his expression.
It can't be the government who's targeting me; Kamatari-san said they gave up. But, they couldn't have murdered Hanekawa-san for no reason and still get away with it.
It can't be somebody who was affected by Shishio-san's Kunitori either. That message on the wall…it didn't even mention Shishio-san or the Juppongatana. Only me…
So, it's somebody from my own past that I have to face now. Houji-san spoke of a strategy where you put a person's loved ones in danger so that he wouldn't be able to concentrate on fighting. Or…it's just their way of revenge. Either way, they probably want to slaughter the people I care about before me. Hanekawa-san is gone, but…
He looked at Mieko, who was sleeping in his embrace. The light from the moon struck the remaining tears on her face, causing them to shine like diamonds. With the soft moon-glow illuminating the room, she looked cherubic and ethereal in the placid night. "Don't worry." A smile found its way back onto Soujiro's face.
"I'll protect you with my life."
Sou sa kanarazu yume wa yattekuru –
So, yes, a dream is coming
Sono mune wo hiroge – Spread open that heart
Kitto namida wa sore wo shitte iru – Your tears knew that, without a doubt
Oshie ni kitan dayo ashita kara – I think they came from tomorrow to tell you.
(AN: I was going to end it there, but that wouldn't give me a big enough cliff-hanger.)
* * * * * *
Mieko woke up early the next day. She stood near one of the wooden beams, watching the sunrise. Soujiro walked up behind her and much to his surprise, no trace of the night's sorrow marred her cheerful face.
"Good Morning Soujiro-chan!" she greeted him.
He blinked in disbelief. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Mieko twirled a lock of her hair. "Huh? Oh, that. I'm fine now!" she gazed up at the early spring sky. A moment later, she turned and gave him a more serene smile. "I feel better now; it's as if my pain was washed away by my tears. Anyway, poetic language aside, I'm really alright!"
"If that's what you think…" he turned the sunrise.
"Oh, Soujiro-chan?"
"Ara?"
"Thank you."
* * * * * *
All was well within the Kamiya dojo. Breakfast had passed and noon was fast approaching. Yahiko was practicing with Kenji and Soujiro watching. Kaoru was sitting of the porch, silently reading two letters. One was a hastily scribbled note from Misao, the other a lengthy one from Megumi, mostly droning about taking care of Kenshin. Kenshin was in town doing some errands for Kaoru.
"117…118…119…"
"Sugoi!" Kaoru exclaimed happily as she finished the letters. "Megumi-san, Misao-chan, and Shinomori-san are all coming to visit! Oh, that reminds me…I forgot to tell Kenshin Megumi is coming tonight."
"What's so happy about that, busu?" Yahiko halted briefly before his 120th stroke. "Does it matter that weasel girl and her beloved ice cube are coming to visit? They come every month!"
"Yes, but now we can have a big party, since Soujiro-kun, Mieko-chan are here. And Megumi-san is coming tonight."
Yahiko rolled his eyes. "Busu is so easily pleased." He muttered.
"…say, Soujiro-kun, where's Mieko?" Kaoru asked with sudden interest.
"Ara?" Soujiro hesitated while his train of thought returned. "She went back to the Aki Kiku to clean things up a bit."
"But, aren't you worried?"
"Yes, but she told me not to go with her. She said she had to do something else without me."
"Oh…Yahiko-chan! Get back to practice!"
"Don't call me '–CHAN!'"
* * * * * *
Mieko hummed softly to herself as she strolled down the streets of downtown Tokyo. In one hand, she carried a package wrapped in brown paper and in the other hand, a bucket. Her hair was braided, and she wore a bandana on her head to keep her bangs from falling in front of her eyes. The bandana proved to be absolutely useless in keeping her unruly hair back; as she shook her hair out of her eyes for the umpteenth time.
While she was doing this, she walked into someone.
"Sorry! I couldn't see you! Ah! Sumi-chan!" Mieko slipped the package into the sleeve of her kimono.
"Why, hello." Sumire replied, "I'm rather surprised I bumped into you on this fine spring morning!" Mieko noticed that she was blinking more than a normal person. "Mieko-chan, you grew…" she stumbled as she tried to find some more polite way to say "not a lot."
"Sumi-chan, why are you in Tokyo?" Mieko asked with child-like curiosity.
The two started talking like old friends, not realizing they were walking into the darker part of Tokyo.
"…and so, when I got off the train at Yokohama, he asked me if I liked horses. I told him that I was allergic to them, and he bought me a box of chocolates instead." Sumire was fervently narrating her journey from Aizu to Tokyo, and Mieko couldn't help but notice how fast she was speaking.
Mieko noticed that something about the road they were walking in seemed to bit a bit less cheery than usual. "Umm…Sumi-chan? You think we should turn back?"
Sumire blinked and looked at her surroundings. They were on a road that was too deserted and most of the building lining the road needed serious repair jobs. "Hehe…I think so."
They turned to go back, but suddenly a gang of thugs were blocking their way. They didn't seem to be drunk but were still dangerous. The looks on their faces told Mieko that they weren't there to have a tea party with her.
"We are here to make sure you don't get out of here alive!" shouted Thug #1. He was obviously the leader.
"Yes, we were ordered by Yukimi-sama to destroy Himemori Mieko…" Thug #2 told them. "Wait…isn't Himemori Mieko one person?" he looked at Sumire and Mieko in confusion, not being able to put two and two together.
"One of them is her, you idiot!" Thug #3 shouted at Thug #2.
Sumire and Mieko could only sweatdrop as they watched the gang argue amongst themselves.
"It's the younger one!" another female voice rang above the din in the alley. Everyone looked up to see a young woman in a white ninja outfit on a nearby roof. "Well, what are you waiting for? Kill her!"
At this, the entire group of thugs, numbering about five dozen men, closed in on Mieko and Sumire.
Mieko dropped the bucket and pushed Sumire out of the way. "Hurry, run! Go tell the police or something!" Sumire backed out of the fight, but stood a far distance away, watching.
The first round of thugs approached, brandishing spears, swords, and ordinary wooden spatulas of every kind. However, they weren't professional fighters and Mieko was too fast for them. She caught the handle of one of the thugs' spears, broke the metal head, and yanked it out of his hands. With it, she did an imitation of battoujutsu and knocked out the first five thugs.
I usually use the shukusen for these attacks, but…
"Arashi no Chi! (Earth Storm)" Mieko charged into the group of thugs, striking the thugs below the knees, tripping them.
The next round of thugs closed in around her.
"Kazesatsu! (Wind Slayer)" She jumped up into the air and pushed of one of the nearby buildings, and descended upon the thugs in the same fashion as a Ryuu Tsui Sen. Then she spun around and whacked the thug in the back. Normally, had she been using a shukusen, the thug would be chopped into four pieces. It was her most destructive attack.
Yukimi stood on top of the building, sighing. The men she had ordered to kill were being put out of commission by one little girl. Oh well, they never were really any use to me.
"Arashi no Sakura! (Cherry Blossom Storm)" Mieko swung the wooden stick in a circle, and then in all types of curves and designs, injuring anyone within her reach.
At last, all sixty thugs were either knocked out or they ran away. Mieko stood in the center of it all, breathing heavily. Maybe I wasn't so great at handling large numbers at once…
"You're very good." Yukimi told her. Mieko turned and was instantly pinned to the wall by six shuriken.
Shimatta…I forgot about her!
Yukimi jumped down from the roof in one swift movement. "It's too bad I've been ordered to kill you. You are the type of person every girl would want to be. But…" She drew another shuriken from the folds of her obi. "…there's no other way. Goodbye."
"Wait!" Yukimi looked up at Sumire who was approaching. "Don't kill Mieko-chan!" She stopped shortly to catch her breath. "Here…" she handed a piece of parchment to Yukimi. Yukimi scanned it over.
"It's different from Ryouta-sama's plan, but, it's workable. Go get it to Tenken and I won't kill your friend." As soon as Yukimi had said that, Sumire was rushing off.
"Wait! Get what to Soujiro-chan?!" Mieko was violently straining against the pinned down kimono in an effort to get free.
Yukimi pulled out one of her hair ornaments and stabbed Mieko in her left arm. Mieko screamed. "Be quiet, you insolent child. The poison in my ornament will only put you to sleep. Believe me, you wouldn't bleed to death or else Sumire-sama would have my head."
* * * * * *
"Yahiko! That stroke was wrong!"
"How would you know, busu?!"
"Respect your sensei, Yahiko-CHAN!"
"Don't call me '-CHAN!' I already mastered the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu Succession Technique!"
"That doesn't matter! I'm still older!"
"THAT'S NOT FAIR!!"
Amidst the ever rising decibels of the dojo, Kenshin came in with the tofu.
"Kenshin! You're home!"
"Kenshin, what's that letter?" Kaoru asked as she noticed a piece of paper sticking out of Kenshin's sleeve.
"Oh, that." He set the bucket of tofu down and handed the paper to Soujiro. "A lady came up to me in a fruit stall and asked if sessha knew Soujiro. When sessha said yes, she told sessha to give it to him. She seemed to be very panicked."
"Open the letter, Soujiro-kun!"
Soujiro ripped off the envelope and began to read.
"Soujiro-kun,
I'm writing this to tell you that Mieko-chan was attacked by a group of thugs earlier today. She fended them off, but in the end, one of my brother's ninjas, Yukimi, was going to kill her. To buy her some more time, I ordered her to be taken to my mansion in Chiba. I don't wish to see her die, so come and take her back. And be ready to fight my brother's entire arsenal of swordsmen. Please use the sword I gave you before. They will be waiting tonight…
Sumire"
"Soujiro-kun…" Kaoru remembered that Kenshin had the same expression Soujiro had now when Enishi had "killed" her. She hated that expression, because it radiated the deep sadness of someone who had failed to do the one thing that mattered most to them.
"I'm going." Soujiro said, taking the sword Sumire had given him the last spring.
"Maybe it's a trap." Kenshin suggested, trying to stop Soujiro from doing something hastily.
"Even if it is one," Soujiro closed his eyes. "I'll protect you with my life." "I'll protect her."
"You can't walk all the way to Chiba in one night, Soujiro-kun!" Kaoru was trying to make a more logical argument.
"I'll use Shukuchi."
"Soujiro, I know you want to protect Mieko-dono, but walking into a trap and getting yourself killed is not the way to do it." Kenshin was trying to reason with him.
"NO! That's wrong! If it was Kaoru-san instead of Mieko-chan, you would have done the same thing!" Soujiro stared at Kenshin seriously. "You told me that the strong should protect the weak, so why should I be not doing anything?"
At that moment, something long forgotten had ignited within his heart, and the light from that flame shown through his eyes. Kenshin saw this light and understood. He realized that he wouldn't hesitate for a second if it was Kaoru, even if put him into peril.
"I'm sorry. I'll go with you to get Mieko-dono back."
"It's not your fight. You don't have to come."
"That's okay. You're right. The strong have to protect the weak. But, remember Soujiro, fighting to kill and fighting to protect are very different. If you lose when fighting to protect someone, the person you're protecting loses too." Turning to Kaoru, he said: "Don't worry, it won't be Kyoto again."
And so, the two rurouni set off into the sunset.
~End Chapter 8~
Don't forget to review!