Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin so chill. ^-^x
Icy Heaven – Chapter Four – By Cherry Chibi
Next morning, Misao ran around the Aoiya. "Aoshi-sama!" She had woken up with a major headache and wasn't clear what had happened the night before. When she couldn't find Aoshi in the study where he usually was, she remembered the white powder from the note. She had checked it out, but it wasn't exactly poison but it was something else that was highly potent. "Aoshi-sama! Answer me!" She reached outside to find Aoshi leaned against the wall struggling to stand. "Aoshi-sama!" She caught him before he fell.
"Are you alright? How are you feeling?" Misao asked as she sat him upright. She lifted his head up and brushed away his locks of hair. "Aoshi… answer me! How are you feeling?"
Misao gasped when he took a firm hold of her shoulder. She realized that the drug caused strong tension in the body. What exactly was the damned drug? She couldn't figure it out but she knew that when she catches the bastard who did this, she would surely kick that person good and hard.
"Aoshi-sama, let me help you…" She leaned forward towards him. His grip was strong and was causing bruising. She made stared into his eyes, beads of perspiration formed on his forehead as he tried to fight with himself. "Aoshi-sama… I know an easier way to ease off the drug." She said quietly with a hard look in her eyes.
'What is she do-…' Aoshi was knocked out when Misao hit him hard.
"I don't know how long you've been fighting with it Aoshi-sama…" Misao said quietly, "It hurts to think that you would have suffered since last night…" In a way she was grateful, 'If you're not dead, I'm glad that it wasn't that dangerous.'
Without further hesitation, Misao pulled Aoshi's arm over her shoulders and slowly took him inside where she laid him on a futon in her room since it was closest. She removed his coat and felt his temperature. It was high. She rushed out and came back with a wet cloth and a basin filled with cold water. "Don't worry Aoshi, I'll take care of you." She washed down his burning face with cold water.
"Well, well, well, so little darling is left defenceless." A mocking voice came from behind.
Misao stood and narrowed her eyes at the man. His wild black hair was messy and his black eyes pierced right at her. "I'm not left defenceless." Misao said firmly.
"What? Without your 'Aoshi-sama', you're nothing. You're a woman who believes that she can be a strong leader for a well-known group. To me, it's mockery." Shinji said.
"Say all you like Shinji but I believe that you're the one who's wrong." Misao said. "If I were you, I'd run because you wouldn't want to come across me when I'm seriously, really annoyed." She glared at him filled with pure strength. She was getting angrier by the moment. It must have been him who sent that arrow.
This guy was no better than a coward. First, he tries to take advantage of her and when Aoshi kills his men, he disappears for a month. Then, he comes back by sending an arrow with a drugged note to harm Aoshi and tries to take advantage of the situation because Misao was a woman.
"We'll see about that." Shinji said with a smirk. He pulled out a length of rope. He made his first attempt to capture her. Misao quickly drew out one of her kunai and cut the rope.
Next, she dodged him, charged at him and threw a couple of kunai. Shinji's punch dented through her back. She gritted her teeth from the pain and stumbled forward. He kicked her behind her knees and made her fall.
"What did I say? You were the one who is defenceless." He hit her across the face. Blood trickled from a cut on her cheek and from her mouth. He grabbed her braid and pulled her head back. "You have a choice little darling, come with me or suffer."
"Don't… call… me… little darling!" Misao aggressively fought back and then grabbed her kunai. Shinji backed away from her. She threw them at Shinji without hesitation. He grinned, dodged her kunai and then rushed towards Aoshi who was unconscious.
Misao glared at him and kicked him away. 'He's playing dirty, I'm at a disadvantage since I have to worry about Aoshi-sama as well as myself. How can I beat him?' She then remembered that she had left the arrow lying on the floor after inspecting it after Aoshi's disappearance, 'I've got an idea, if I can… I have to get my questions answered…'
"Shinji, what is actually the truth? Why are you attacking the Oniwabanshuu?" Misao questioned.
He laughed at her. "Do you think that I would actually tell you that?" They circled round the room. Misao's left hand gripped a handful of kunai; ready for attack. Oh how would she love to slash multiple scars into his stupid twisted face.
"What harm would it cause?" Misao said.
"I want from the Oniwabanshuu nothing more than to claim the head of the last leader. I'm going to end the group and claim a legend." He turned to Aoshi, "I'm going to make history in the underworld… I, Shinji Udou, was the one who killed the cold-hearted man, Aoshi Shinomori who became Okashira at the age of thirteen, as well as the one who claimed the first and final female leader of the Oniwabanshuu."
"You sick… pathetic… man!" Misao picked up the arrow from the floor and threw it as hard as she could at Shinji. It skimmed passed his arm and the blade had managed to cut his skin to Misao's satisfaction. "I, the Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu won't allow you to harm Aoshi-sama or the Oniwabanshuu!" She charged at the man and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him out the window. "Pathetic." She saw him fall hard on the ground and knocked out. Misao showed no sign of sympathy. Her left temple was bruised and a cut was on her right cheek. Inside her mouth was a cut and she felt bruises form from the back of her head to her lower back.
Nevertheless, she approached Aoshi with a dizzy head. He was fine to her relief. "A-Aoshi-sama… you'll be alright…" She smiled and then, rinsed the cloth and continued her job, as if the incident hadn't happened and as if she wasn't injured. But within moments, she passed out.
Hours later, footsteps were heard while a group of people entered the Aoiya, cuts and bruises covering their arms and legs while patches of bandages covered various places. Okina called out to announce their return but their was no reply. He ordered a search and when he reached the room where he found the two blacked out, "Omasu! Bring me some water and a cloth! Kuro! Get a doctor!" Okina barked out commands.
* * * *
Aoshi woke in Misao's room with a sore head. "Aoshi-san, drink some water. The doctor said that the drug that had affected you was from some rare plant, he said that you need to take in a lot of fluids." An Oniwabanshuu member said as she handed him a cup of water. He drank and a questioned just slipped.
"Where's Okashira?"
"Don't you know? Shinji of the Tsunami group attacked… she's resting now." His comrade glanced over to Misao lying in her futon sleeping. "Poor girl… you know Aoshi-san, you're so lucky to have a close friend like her… she took care of you and didn't even treat her own wounds."
Okina entered. The woman stood and left the room quietly. She slid the shouji door shut.
"Aoshi-san, how are you feeling?" Okina asked. He knelt beside Aoshi.
"Fine." Aoshi replied. His cold hard expression never changing.
"That's good." Okina said. "There's not much going on now so why don't you rest?"
Misao shifted from her sleep and sat upright. "Gramps… my back hurts…"
"Bruising." Okina said briefly. "That's what the doctor said. There was minor bleeding from your hairline as well as the many other cuts. He said that you were lucky that you didn't get any infection."
"Oh… how's Aoshi-sama?" Misao asked while looking around to room trying to find a particular person.
"Fine." Aoshi answered at the door pulling on his coat. "Okina-san, have you caught Shinji?" The icier tone in his voice sent signals of temper. There was a short silence until Okina cleared his throat and replied.
"As a matter of fact, we found him unconscious just near the Aoiya."
"Well, that should teach him not to mess around with me." Misao said with her head held high. "You wouldn't believe how he insulted me! Not to mention he tried to take advantage of me in the situation!" She caught Okina's gape.
"Misao, what do you mean by 'advantage'?" Okina queried. "He didn't…"
"Gramps! I didn't mean by that! Aoshi-sama was knocked out and Shinji tried to attack…" Misao stopped when the shouji door slammed. Aoshi had left the room in a very cold and negative air. "Was it something I said?" Misao asked.
* * * *
AN: Thanks everyone for reviewing! I'm pleased to say that it seems that this fic is going well. #-^x If you think that it's close to the end because Shinji is caught… think again. Sorry for any errors too – bad sight on my left eye but my right eye is patched up.
Misao Shinomori: Thanks for your comments! True ne? Aoshi is always the dark-ish one and Misao is usually the light-ish other. I hope this chapter answered your query.
Unique-Starfish: This chapter explained everything about what happened to Aoshi. He's fine but a bit scarred on the dignity side. And yep. I did have fun on my holiday. It was a HUGE family get together. I had relatives from Singapore, New Zealand, China, New South Wales and also my relatives in Western Australia. Thanks for asking! #-^x I hope that you didn't wait too long…
Nibi-chan: *sweat drops* Better not try to do any more kicks… *the last one hurt* Lol. Anyway, hope that you liked the chapter! Thanks for reading! #-^x
Indigo Chipmunk: Did this chappy have enough action? The story is slowly climbing to the climax now… I've got a great twist coming up. *Or so Cherry thinks* Well, thanks for the advice!
Tokyo-teen 13: *Pulls Aoshi back and waves hands to stop Tokyo-chan with the first aid kit* That's alright… Aoshi's fine… *sweat drop* Lol. Thanks for r/r!
Nee-chan: You're right about Aoshi and Misao and about 'opposites' attract, but you have to consider that wouldn't Aoshi have once acted like a little kid? *not that I could imagine it* I kinda look at it as a way that Aoshi is missing for a lost piece in his life due to high responsibility and Misao replaces that piece. Anyway, thanks for all you support! I really appreciate it!
Alright! Until next time…
~ Cherry Chibi