Disclaimer:
ShiroiMatsu: Hey…suspicious glare No wonder the lawyers were particularly vicious these past couple days…BOB NEVER SAID THAT I DIDN'T OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN!!!
Bob: Heh…sorry?
Shiroi (I'm gonna refer to myself as that from now on since it's too much of a pain to type the whole name….): Hi Bob, how are you today? with enough frosting to kill my sweet-tooth sister
Bob: Heheheh…EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shiroi: lifts hand with really sharp claws Well, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin...
a rurouni kenshin fanfic
Previously…
Kenshin rapidly turned the corner where Cobra had evaded his attack, searching for the sneaky serpent's ki. He landed on the ground with a fierce snarl when he found nothing. The Cobra had disappeared like a shadow. Now there were only the subtle physical traces of Cobra's flight left for Kenshin to follow. The redhead muttered darkly to himself as he trailed the occasional shift of dirt and splatter of fresh blood down the deserted alleyway, highly irked by the moment's hesitation that lost him his prey.
Chapter 4
Die Hentai! ; The Battle Cry of an Angry Female
"Megumi-san!" a boyish voice laced with pain called.
"I've got her!"
Megumi looked from her daily medical notes just in time to seen a black clad figure knock open the worn doors of her office to limp in carrying a pitifully thin girl and a pair of stick limbed twins. Gruesome red footprints blossomed on the dirt ground every time the black clad individual touched the ground with his left foot.
"Tako [octopus in Japanese…hehe!]! Your leg!" the black haired beauty exclaimed in concern as she noticed the way he favored his right leg so heavily and the red prints on the ground.
"It's Cobra! And I'm fine" Cobra snapped back. "Who you need to look at is Shiao Lu-san here. I think she has some bad internal bleeding, as well as her twins." Megumi looked concernedly at the girl and boys in Cobra's arms. As she approached them, the girl shrank deeper into Cobra's embrace, her face masked blankly as the two boys unleashed upon the doctor sharp blades with their defiant silver eyes.
"It's okay, she's a doctor friend. Takani Megumi here can heal your wounds," Cobra told them gently. They nodded timidly and allowed Megumi to approach and get a full idea of their injuries. Cobra pulled over a nearby cot and sat the trio on it. He then limped to a row of cabinets in a corner of Megumi's cluttered office, throwing them open to pull out fresh bandages and a small red-topped clay bottle of medicine. His dark haired friend glanced at him, before remarking dryly.
"That's the strongest antibiotic I have, and not exactly an immediate painkiller either." Cobra plopped into nearby chair heavily; glad to be off his wounded leg. He set the bandages and antibiotic on a small table to the side, before applying two rapid nerve taps on his upper thigh to still the blood flow.
"I know," he said, accenting his words oddly due to the shoots of pains that ran through his left leg as he began to peel off his left boot.
"Is Misao cleaning up the trail I left in the front yard? I asked her to do me that favor as I ran in." Cobra leaned over to fling the bloody cloth boot to the side and roll up his pant leg to his knee, hardly flinching at the ghastly sight of his blood covered leg. The crimson liquid almost seemed to glow in contrast against his pale white skin.
"She is, little Tako," Megumi replied with a quick glance out the window. Cobra ignored her nickname for him, nodding instead, at the former part of the reply. Having finished examining the second twin, she stood up and disappeared through the doors that Cobra had thrown open minutes ago.
"You know that Himura kid I told you about. He's a quick learner, That one…he almost got a vital point several times during the time he tried to come after me today…" Cobra trailed off, concentrating upon applying the antibiotic to his calf injury. He stiffened at the sting of the medicine, and then relaxed as the sting gradually reduced to something more bearable. When Megumi returned with a clean cloth and a basin of clear water, he bit off a tight pained 'thank you'. Sure that the wound was as clean as it can get, Cobra wiped off the excess blood that clung to his leg with the dampened cloth.
"Oh poor Tako-san. You must be going senile with old age," Megumi mockingly sighed sadly. Those in the room could have sworn they saw fox ears pop up on her head. Meanwhile, she removed several relatively new cotton robes from a tall wardrobe tucked close to her desk.
"Old age huh? You do know that you're two years older than me," Cobra retorted, highly piqued by Megumi's jesting barbs. He jerkily wrapped the bandages around his cleaned leg, tying it with a harder twist of his hand than he meant too. Cobra muffled the small yelp of pain that he elicited from himself.
"You'll never know with people these days. Some manage to achieve senility well before their time…" The sophisticated doctor handed the robes to the mother and her children as she glanced meaningfully at Cobra.
"You can change in there. And there's a basin of water and a cloth to clean yourselves up," Megumi told them kindly, gesturing to a small room behind her desk with a wave of her hand. A hint of pain and sadness flashed through her fine features as she watched the mother and children weakly totter the distance a properly fed individual would have crossed with a few steps. Cobra, seeing the grief pass his beautiful friend's face, sighed and decided to drop the argument.
"Only you can get away with these kind of insults, Megumi," he said with a slight lift in his voice of past memories, "Only you." Cobra stood up and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. They stood for several moments in an understanding silence that could have only been born from a true friendship.
"What are you doing with that thing still covering your face, baka chibi-Tako!" Megumi fussed after few moments, having composed herself fully to continue with daily life. "You should be resting, not standing there like the fool of an octopus that you are." Cobra let a genuine chuckle bubble from his lips and threw up his hands in defeat. Megumi was in full doctor mode. Nothing can stop her now.
"I'll sit! I'll sit!" he exclaimed as Megumi retrieved another set of robes from her wardrobe, light blue with navy blue edging, and shoved them into Cobra's arms.
"Change after they're done," she commanded briskly. The door connected to the office clicked open and the trio filed out quietly.
"We're finished," the girl that Cobra had called Shiao Lu told them quietly. "We really appreciate what you have done for us, for taking us three away from him. How can we ev-" Misao's angry explosion from outside cut her off.
"WHAT!!! YOU STUPID LITTLE FIREHEAD PUNK!!! WHY THE HELL WOULD WE HARBOR COBRA?!?! THAT SCUM ONLY MEANS MORE TEARS AND TOMBSTONES DOTTING THIS LAND!!!"
"It's that Himura kid," Cobra told Megumi quietly as he guided Shiao Lu and her twins back into the room they just exited from. Misao continued screaming obscenities at Kenshin at the front door. Megumi just nodded as they filed into the room and closed the door behind them. Alone in the office, Megumi quickly used the wet cloth Cobra used to clean his wounds to dust away his red footprints from the ground, piling the surrounding dirt on the faint red spots to hide them from the glancing eye.
"HEY! YOU COME BACK HERE! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET! THIS IS THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OF DOCTOR TAKANO NAOKO AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TRESPASS! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!?!" Misao roared, conveying to the doctor inside the clinic that Kenshin was approaching. Unsure with what to do with the basin full of red water from when Cobra cleaned off the blood, Megumi tucked it under her desk, resuming to writing her medical notes just as a red haired boy burst in. People seem to be doing that a lot, Megumi thought to herself with a small mental chuckle.
"Good evening, Miss. Are you Takano-san?" Kenshin asked politely, despite the flecks of amber still present in his eyes. So this is the Himura kid…he looks fun… Megumi thought smugly.
"Yes I am," she said with a small smile, standing up to approach the redhead.
"I am Himura Kenshin," Kenshin introduced himself, bowing as the dark haired beauty before him did as well.
"Nice to meet you, Ken-san. Please just call me Naoko," Megumi gushed as she latched onto Kenshin's arm.
"Oro?" Kenshin squeaked as she nuzzled his arm with her cheek.
"You can all the way here just to visit me, oh, I'm so happy! You looked so handsome the way you burst through that door!" Megumi told the flustered Kenshin. He gently pried her off.
"I'm sorry, Naoko-san," he told her, hoping that Megumi would tell him about memories lost. "But I can't recall knowing you…do you know me?" Megumi smirked at the redhead's confusion, wrapping her arms fully around Kenshin's slender waist.
"Mmmmm, why would you say that? I've never met you in my life," she commented distantly, her actions completely contradicting her words. Kenshin gently pushed her off again.
"Naoko-san, if you would excuse me. I have reason to believe that you are hiding Cobra," Kenshin accused, watching for any sign on Megumi's face. She merely laughed behind one delicate hand, shaking her head at how silly Kenshin's statement was.
"Ohohohohohoho! Ken-san, You bring laughter to my day just like you bring light to my life. Why in the world would I hide Cobra here? Like dear little Misao said; that scum only means more tears and tombstones dotting this land," Megumi laughed again. Her sharp tongue couldn't help adding in:
"You must be deaf to not hear little Misao-chan. I even heard her from in here." As soon as the last sentence escaped out of her mouth, Megumi realized it was the wrong thing to say. She continued smiling like nothing was wrong. Only anyone who knew Megumi for a long time would have been able to detect the strained edges of her mask, threatening to fall apart at the tension of the situation because of her slip up. Kenshin searched the room with his amber eyes.
"Where are you hiding them?" he growled out as he stepped around Megumi to reach for the closed door behind her desk.
"Don't you go in there! One of my patients is in there!" Megumi cried as she stepped in front of Kenshin, her arms spread open, all traces of amorous behavior gone from her eyes. Only the fire possessed by a mother protecting her little ones burned in her dark cinnamon eyes.
"Why? Because that patient is Cobra?" Kenshin spat out the serpent's name as if it were something highly distasteful. He made to push Megumi to the side. As Megumi pushed back, she glimpsed a dark head run past her open office door. Followed a flash of blue and a light wave of a small hand.
Kaoru! That's right! There's a window in this room that we can get rid of any evidence of Cobra having been here with Shiao Lu and her twins. Misao knows and will be waiting to catch them under the window… Megumi stopped pushing, flicking her curtain of silky black hair over one shoulder with a small disdainful hmph as she mentally sighed in relief. Kenshin gripped the handle and turned it.
"Well, if you wish to walk on a changing girl, be my guest. The Ta-Tanuki is changing in there."
The door opened before Kenshin fully processed what Megumi had said.
"…"
Two pairs of eyes, one sapphire blue, and another a mix of amber and indigo, blinked several times.
"…"
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNTTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII [PERVERT]!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"ORO!!!" Kenshin yelped as he slammed the door shut. His face burned a shade of red that even put his flaming hair to shame. Hurried rustles of clothing could be heard inside the room, then the door that Kenshin just slammed close jerked open. Kaoru stormed out, the air around her crackling, her murderous blue eyes glowing with full intent to rip poor Kenshin apart limb by limb.
"Himura Kenshin…" she growled. Out of nowhere, Kaoru produced a bokken. The innocent wooden sword looked very deadly at the moment to Kenshin. She advanced upon the dumbstruck redhead.
But the will to live burns very strongly within our fire-haired swordsman. So he did the one thing that has yet to fail all men who has walked in on a dressing female; he fled.
With the speed of an enraged bull, and with the force of an intoxicated hippopotamus…Kenshin ran as fast as his little legs could possibly carry him.
"KENSHIN NO BAKA [KENSHIN YOU IDIOT]!!! GET BACK HERE!!!!!!! Kaoru bellowed as she took off after Kenshin. As she passed Megumi, Kaoru winked at her and smirked as she saluted to the beautiful doctor. Megumi chuckled as Kaoru raced out of the room with amazing speed, considering the circumstances.
"Well that takes care of a couple things…" Megumi said with a small, relieved sigh. She calmly bent to take the bowl of blood water from under her desk and exited the clinic, watching Kaoru extract revenge out in the courtyard with a raised eyebrow as she poured away the unwanted liquid. Thwaks rang out through the air each time Kaoru got within bokken range of Kenshin.
"OROrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrOrO!!!"
"Took you a while," Misao chirped when Kaoru entered Megumi's office. "And Megumi's in the kitchen," she added at her blue-eyed friend's glance to the doctor's empty desk. Kaoru wiped away sweat from her brow and sighed as she plopped into a chair near the supply cabinets. She didn't say anything about the fact that Misao was crouched on the floor, engaged in vicious cricket fight with the twins [1]. Shiao Lu watched with a small content smile nearby, her gray eyes shining with love for her boys.
"He's a complete idiot at times," Kaoru finally said after a few moments. "It took him the past half hour just to decide to stop running in circles like a decapitated chicken and get away from this clinic. Even then, if was after Soujiro-kun purposely slammed the gate doors."
"But he's a really cute idiot…" Misao trailed off, wriggling her eyebrows as she gave her friend a full force Makimachi Misao grin, sea-green eyes twinkling with calculating mirth. "And you know it!" Kaoru glared at her half-heartedly before purposely changing the subject. However, a light pink blush graced her pale cheeks.
"I do believe we have yet to be introduced yet," she said kindly as she smiled at the identical twins and their nearby mother.
"I'm Kuromori Taka and that's my twin brother Kuromori Kouma. He doesn't like to talk much. We're both five-years-old, soon to be 6. And my Mommy is called Kuromori Chikyu. She's the prettiest woman in the whole world. Who're you all?" said the more daring of the twins, his defiant and proud voice perfectly matching his stubborn little chin. He poked his cricket again, a cute frown on his face when it refused to budge, before adding:
"And I'm not using his last name because…" he trailed off uncertainly, his demeanor almost completely reversing itself. Kaoru smiled sadly, understanding and sympathy shining her blue eyes. She can only imagine the horrendous things this small trio had suffered under the drunk. Their emaciated state, with the fresh and fading bruises that colored their pale skin, told of disturbing stories that should never even exist. To have experienced such hell for the short few years he's lived, she couldn't blame even the bravest boy for fearing.
"He's gone, you don't need to worry, Taka-chan. If it makes you feel better, I bet Cobra is very close right now, listening in even now to make sure you're all safe," Kaoru assured the little boy. Misao snorted at Kaoru's statement, but said nothing.
"I'm using Mommy's name cuz' he's a bad, mean, horrible, violent, sadistic son-of-a-bitch that deserves to be banished to the deepest levels of hell!" Unshed tears glittered in little Taka's eyes as he glared at everyone. Silence hung in the air as Kaoru and Misao gaped at the degree of maturity in the language used by the five year old. The profanity would naturally be picked up with a father like the drunk, but 'sadistic' and 'banished' were not the words used by the average five year old.
"Well…I'm Kamiya Kaoru," Kaoru finally said.
"Makimachi Misao, as introduced before!" Misao introduced herself immediately after her blue-eyed friend. The other twin, Kouma, gave them all a small shy grin as Chikyu bowed her head in a polite nod.
"Though wait a sec, I thought your name was Shiao Lu like Cobra called you…" Misao said confusedly as she looked at Chikyu.
"Chikyu is my real name, while Shiao Lu is the nickname given to me from my maiden family. Everyone there calls me that when addressing me casually, much like an official nickname. I am guessing that Cobra first referred to me as Shiao Lu to gain my trust; as the only persons who know of that name are my close friends and family," the brunette girl explained. Misao nodded.
"It's like how you are the Itachi [weasel]," Megumi clarified regally as she entered her office with a large plate of food balanced easily upon her slender hand. Misao stared at the plate and a dazed look crossed her face.
"Ohagi for lunch…" Misao said dreamily. "And I'm NOT a weasel!!!" she then growled sharply after Megumi's barb registered fully. Chikyu giggled shyly, before motioned for her twins to release the battle-worn crickets from their imprisonment.
"There's plenty for everybody," Megumi declared as she deftly evaded Misao's pounce for the food and set it on her desk. "Chikyu-san, Kouma, and Taka, all three of you must each no more or less than what I give you. Your stomachs are not accustomed to food after such a time of malnutrition and you can kill yourselves through satiation or continued starvation." She held up one hand to Chikyu firmly before the mother could protest.
"I'm a certified doctor. I've dealt with such cases as such before. There is plenty for everyone and this part of your path on recovery. So please do listen to me," Megumi said, her kind firm voice banishing all thoughts of protest to oblivion. Kaoru stood up as Misao plopped enthusiastically back down on the floor, ready for her share of ohagi.
"I already ate lunch and I should be getting back to the Akabeko now, Tae needs all the help she can get during lunch hours," Kaoru explained, grinning at how Misao's hopeful face fell so dramatically when Megumi ignored her to serve Chikyu, Taka, and Kouma first.
"Can you get Cobra from whatever tree he's staking it out in, Tanuki? I need to talk to him about something," Megumi inquired without looking up as she placed ohagis in small rice bowls, a small smirk gracing her full lips from behind her curtain of dark silky hair.
"Megumi…" Kaoru grumbled with a mocking whine as she left. Misao half sighed, half growled and shook her head at the way her friends danced around the bush. Kouma blinked at her curiously.
"AWRIGHT! Hand over some ohagi!!!" Misao suddenly exclaimed with a slight nervous strain to her voice. Kouma just blinked again.
"Megumi-san," Cobra intoned calmly as he entered her crowded office through the door behind her desk. "Misao, Soujirou-san," he added as he acknowledged them with a slight nod.
"Cobra-chan!" Misao replied brightly and grinned at the darker clad fighter winced.
"Chikyu-san, Kouma-san, and Taka-san have all retired for much needed rest." Soujirou told him with the ubiquitous smile upon his face.
"You do realize that you have absolutely no need for that costume; it's only us, Cobra-san," Misao continued with a slight reprimand.
"Then why do you prefer to call me Cobra?"
"Prying ears are about….oh…so are prying eyes….." Misao trailed off sheepishly. Soujirou smiled at her, a hint of genuine tenderness within the sweet curve of his lips. It went unnoticed by the receiving end of his rare real smile. Cobra and Megumi decided to remain silent.
"Cobra, Soujirou," Megumi finally said, gaining everyone's attention. "Check for said prying eyes and ears." The command was quickly relayed by the answering nods of Cobra and Soujirou.
"Cobra, what happened? It was supposed to be a simple task; get her and her twins, tell them what is going on, and make it look like the Big Bad Cobra was carrying them off to his den to wipe them from existence."
"I accomplished those things."
"Yes, with the price of a skilled swordsman unto the where you can be found, a gaping hole in your leg, possibilities of bleeding to death, as well as the chances you can become a cripple, or risk loosing your life to an infection, or – " Cobra held up a hand, mimicking the gesture Megumi had pulled on Chikyu and her twins.
"Just tell me you're worried and get it out of your system before you go insane," Cobra told her.
"You know you want to…" Misao said in a singsong voice, poking at the old joke at how Cobra and Megumi were so close that when Cobra was in costume they seemed to be an old married couple.
"I am, the things I listed before were just a few of the possibilities that can bring you down, and that's just in the medical area."
"We digress, Megumi-san," Soujirou reminded them. "I am sure Cobra-san will be perfectly fine after a short period of stiffness in the leg. We all know he's seen much worse. Until then, I can cover for him so he doesn't overexert himself." Megumi nodded, her concern slightly abated.
"So Cobra," she immediately continued when turning to Cobra, "What happened?"
"I didn't expect him to be so persistent. I've asked around, not as Cobra, and apparently, Himura's now an amnesiac. Just walked into town one day without a single clue where he is. But I think he still finds something disturbingly familiar about my persona –" At this, a slight frown marred the brows of everyone in the room. " and won't let off. Kaoru has been watching him and it seems that he's slowly regaining memory. At this rate, he'll figure out just exactly who I – we are." The furrows along the group's brows deepened.
"The base of our plan will be ruined. Himura-san's impression of Cobra is already tainted, and if he should have a sudden revelation about what the going ons that Cobra is linked to, our personas in this town will shatter." Soujrou concluded. Misao nodded, a sense of rare regality upon her air, the bright bouncy girl temporarily dispersed.
"We'll have to try and finish up here quickly. Damn it, Cobra, take care of your stupid leg and make haste in healing!"
"I'm making haste; these things take time."
"Make haste faster! Now, boy!"
Kenshin launched himself away from the tall tree that leaned over the clinic, a frown too upon his face. Finish up what? What plan? Something sounded off, only sparking the interest of Himura Kenshin even more. This entire situation was off.
When Kaoru had chased him around the clinic, Kenshin studied it. He had seen the basin of diluted blood-water the doctor called Takano Naoko had dumped away. He had noticed the recent lingerings of ki and footprints upon the light dust under one of the windows. He had also noticed that Kaoru wasn't fully exerting herself in the chase, perhaps aiming for only to drive him away from the area.
It was obvious; Kaoru, the doctor, the doorkeeper girl, and the boy that worked in the courtyard were helping Cobra. But why? Their auras were surprisingly pure for that of those that aided a murderer…unless, it was only a guise to something much bigger? But if these strange people were for a good cause, why would they kill?
The more he tried to ponder it, the more confusion lanced through Kenshin's mind, until he could hardly make heads and tails of anything. This entire mess was going to take some serious thinking to straighten out. For one thing, he was definitely going to confront Kaoru about this (though definitely after she cooled off…). Somehow, he felt Kaoru was one that could be trusted, despite her less-than-in- line comrades.
End chapter 4
[1] – cricket fights: just what it sounds like. People like to put two crickets in this cup thingy and use sticks to poke the crickets to get them to fight…it's actually great fun…but American crickets just aren't very aggressive…sigh.
Author Notes:
- Most houses of middle class families have a tall solid and thick wall surrounding a dirt/stone courtyard, with the main house in the middle of the dirt/stone courtyard. The floor is all dirt, I think. Think mini-fortress in a way, just no cannons…(darn!)
- I've just realized that I'm not probably supposed to use the whole –san (generally respective suffix, could be Miss/Mrs./Mr.) and –chan (for close friends, mostly for girls), –kun (for guy friends), and –sama (extreme adoration and respect) thing, but it's too much fun to so despite that it goes against the whole historical aspect of "A Thousand Shades of Gray", I'm gonna use 'em. (Did that rant make any sense to you at all?…)
- Think how Megumi must bend to nuzzle her cheek to dear short Kenshin's arm!
- Poor Kenshin. Guys; do take a lesson from this chapter and keep it close to your heart (ha!). Never do anything that threatens a (unwilling wink) girl's modesty.
- Just in case you're wondering and you don't have a Japanese dictionary on you (like me!):
o Kuromori – dark forest
o Taka – hawk
o Kouma – colt, pony
o Chikyu - earth
- About the nickname thing, I dunno if that is completely correct. My parents gave me what is literally translated as a "little name (Shiao ming)". It's the nickname my family members use when addressing me casually. Except the closer ones, the Chinese friends of my family don't really know that nickname, as my family then refers to me as my official given name in their presence. But that's just my experience. Like I've said before, the story is NOT historically correct. It's just historically based.
Shiroi: Thanks so much to Drowangel, hotguyluver and NekoYokai for reviewing!