Disclaimer: I met a frog yesterday who said that if I kissed him I'd be the new owner of Rurouni Kenshin, but I was too grossed out. If only the frog had looked a mite bit like Jason Mraz, though…

Genre: Romance/Mystery/Adventure (A bit A/U)

NYMPHA FABELLA

Chapter Five: The Most Mysterious One of Them All

The early afternoon sun shone a little too brightly, as Megumi found herself walking peacefully along the balcony hallway of The Palace she dwelt in. She had just come from lending a hand to the Healers who had found an injured human child and had decided to keep him with the permission of Trihania.

Truth be told, she would much rather be one of the Healers than a full time Enchantress of a fairy, but for the past years this was what she had become. Not that she regretted it, but she was thinking of discussing her interests in healing with Trihania soon enough.

It was no big secret that all the other fairies thought her a mystery. She remained distant to them all, all except Trihania, and two other fairies, Tae-san and Tsubame-chan; who were the only ones who really knew her.

For now, she headed for her own quarters, a large, wood paneled room at the end of the hallway. She quietly slid the door open, and shut it as soon as she had entered. The room was simple, and to her liking. Her futon lay a little to her left, nearest the window looking west.

Right in front of her, however, was a huge mirror, reflecting one of the most beautiful faces a fairy could offer. Megumi neared it, and laid a finger on its smooth, cold center, her voice merely a whisper, and eyes keeping a steady look at her reflection.

"Onegai, show me the rurouni and the boy; wherever they may be…" Ripples from her finger formed, forming little waves as if she had just touched the surface of a body of water. Slowly, the image began to show clearly.

The red-headed man walked, with the boy directly behind him. Megumi recognized the forest they were in; it was the one which led to the rurouni's master, a man called Hiko Seijuro. Apparently, the two were just leaving, and she realized they were heading back to the boy's now accursed village.

Megumi knew the rurouni well. She knew he was a former hitokiri, the one most feared among them all. A fairy was to know with whom and what she was dealing with, after all. She also knew that despite his smiles and his kind nature, that soon enough, something was going to make the old hitokiri return--or someone, rather.

Once these two returned to the village, and met the man who held it in his palm, Battousai would once again be unleashed.

***@***

"Aika-San!!!"

Yahiko turned to Kenshin. "So she was the friend you were talking about?" Kenshin nodded. "Aika-San let me stay here for a while a few nights ago, de gozaru." He gestured towards the woman who was once again sitting on her usual spot in front of her home.

She smiled at Yahiko, whom she had known long enough, having lived only a few blocks from the Kamiya Dojo. "What brings you here once more, Himura-San?" She asked him as she led them inside. Instead of answering, Kenshin looked mildly at Yahiko. Understanding what he meant, Aika-San told the boy to run off and set the lunch table for them.

Once he had left, Kenshin found herself alone with Aika-San. She turned to him curiously, with a look of worry in her eyes. "Daijabou, Himura-San?" She asked him. He shook his head. "I'm fine, my friend." "What brings you here? Have you not realized that this is a dangerous place, even for someone like you," She lowered her voice and added in a kind, and soft tone, "Battousai?"

He smiled. So she did recognize him. "I no longer go by that name. Sessha realized that it brings too many hurtful memories." The woman nodded in understanding. "I understand. What confuses me is what brings you here, and why Yahiko is with you. I have known him and his sister Kaoru-san for some time now, and I'm afraid I feel rather sorry for both of them."

The rurouni nodded. "Hai. Sessha came back here to help, Aika-san" He gave her a lopsided grin. "It may sound foolish, but now that I am no longer a hitokiri, I feel I have to make up for all the bloodshed by helping the people around me.

"The first time sessha arrived in this place, I felt something was amiss, but I ignored it. Demo, when I met you and Yahiko, sessha felt determined to do whatever he could to help; especially Yahiko. He tells me he is worried about Kaoru-dono, and is ready to fight for her, no matter what. I do not know why, but would feel responsible if anything happened to him."

Aika-San smiled. "You're intentions are good, Himura-san; and I am sure Yahiko appreciates your help as much as I do."

***@***

"Megumi-san?"

The shy and feeble voice drove Megumi's attention from her gaze at the clouds above as she sat beside her bedroom window later that day to Tsubame, who peeked in, and slid the door open with a small smile on her face.

Megumi smiled. "Konichiwa, Tsubame-chan. What brings you here?" The girl came in, clutching her wrist. "Gomen for disturbing you, Megumi-san, demo, I hurt myself again." Megumi smiled at the girl, and took her wrist gently. "It's only a slight strain." She stood up and headed to a small shelf, where she kept a few of her medicinal balms. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Tsubame winced a bit as the older woman rubbed the balm onto her wrist. "I was trying to help a few kids who fell into a gorge. It wasn't deep, but they were really young. Only about five, I think. I used my magic to lift them up them and get them out of it, but the last one, a little girl, hit a rock as I was levitating her. I decided to stop the spell, and reach out for her with my own hands."

"Hmm? And were you able to help her?" Asked Megumi. Tsubame beamed. "Hai, demo, I hurt my wrist while helping her out. I'm really sorry I bothered you, Megumi-san, but you know I'm more at ease with you than with some of the Healers."

She gave Megumi a small smile, and she nodded in reply. "I bet those children will never forget the fairy who helped them today. You did a very good job, Tsubame-chan." The girl blushed at this, and stared at the floor. "What about you, Megumi-san? Haven't you cast a spell on humans yet? I've heard it has been an entire year since." She looked up hopefully.

Megumi gave her a wry smile. "Don't worry about me." She winked. "I've found the very people who need my help." "Honto?!" Asked Tsubame, clearly excited. "What will you do to help them, Megumi-san? Will you heal them? Or save them from death? Are you going to make anyone fall in love?"

The last question startled Megumi. She had never thought of it. Not entirely. She always thought that human beings were finicky, but left best when they were to independently lean on their own emotions.

She only wished to lead the rurouni to save the tanuki, nothing more. Looking at her young friend's excited eyes, though, Megumi could not help but intrigue the girl a bit. After all, Tsubame would not need to know that she had no plans of making anyone fall in love. "Hai, I just might do so--but it'll be our secret, ne, Tsubame-chan?"

The girl nodded, a huge smile on her face. "Hai! I promise I won't tell anyone!" With that, she ran excitedly out of the room, giggling, leaving Megumi to her thoughts once more.

***@***

Kenshin held up his cup as Aika-san filled it with tea. The room was dim, and the night was warm. He sipped it, thousands of thoughts racing in his mind. "So they began destroying the Kamiya dojo this morning?"

"Hai. I saw them coming from afar. They brought Kaoru-san along as well, those men." Aika-san told him angrily. "I wanted to grab her and hide her in here, but I was too scared." She shook her head. "Poor girl. I heard they wrecked a part of the dojo right in front of her, those merciless brutes."

Kenshin nodded and took another sip. "Yahiko," He said suddenly. The boy, who had been listening outside the room, slid the door open, a guilty expression on his face. "Yahiko-kun!" exclaimed Aika, standing up quickly. "How long have you…"

The guiltiness from Yahiko's face ebbed away as he looked at Kenshin and met his eyes. "I've heard everything." In an instant, he knelt right beside Kenshin. "We need to save my sister, Kenshin! And the dojo! Why don't we do it tonight?! I don't want to waste any more time!"

Kenshin smiled at the young boy. "Patience, my friend. Do you really think we can save Kaoru-dono and the dojo right away? We have to be careful, otherwise," He laid a hand on Yahiko's head. "We won't be able to do so."

"Himura-san is right, Yahiko-kun," Aika told him soothingly. "The man you are about to fight is very strong, and very smart." "But he's also very cruel!" protested Yahiko. "He had even women and mere infants get killed, Aika-san!"

The widow looked helplessly at Kenshin, who shook his head, contemplating on all those deaths. "I know," sighed Aika-san. "This man is very powerful, in many ways. He makes sure not many know who he really is. I am one of the few who know his true identity; the others he killed."

Then she said the words that made Yahiko wonder why Kenshin's bright purple eyes suddenly flash amber.

"He truly is an evil man, that Yukishiro Enishi."

A/N:

*WHEW!!!!*

Hehe, that was a toughie. I hope the story is getting better, because I'm getting deeper into the plot.

Will Megumi's mind change about making humans fall in love using her magic? Can Kenshin and Yahiko save the dojo and Kaoru in time? Will Battousai really be unleashed?

Actually, *sweatdrops* I'm not yet that sure how to answer those questions, either, but we'll see…

Please review!!!

Kalasin