........
*sucks flying fruit and rotten vegetables*
Okay first of all....no Lemon this chapter. *dives behind beta* I am afraid that it would have taken ANOTHER week or so to get this out, and as it is everything that could interfer with this chapter has. Plus FFN has supposedly been cracking down on such things so I will not be posting it here as it is, but I will let you all know when its up and where you can find it either from my authors notes or on my profile.
300 reviews? Thank you guys SO much! Thats almost a hundred reviews for this chapter! And remember to thank my darling beta! Pia is such a doll for doing this! I hope this chapter does not disappoint any of you since the action is starting back up again, and after this it is going to get rather rocky.
Thank you all for being so patient with me! Hopefully the next chapter will not take near as long! *Pia inserts overdramatic cough*
Ravyn
Remember, the sad news is I don't own Kenshin. Really wish I did...think....rope.....handcuffs.....whipcream.....
*Pia slowly exits bomb shelter, eyeing the hoards of rabid fangirls nervously*
clears throat
Please do not murder the innocent beta. It was the Neutered Squirrels at Hotmail that withheld this chapter from you. They refuse to allow attachments unless appeased. Thus, I had to pray to their deity, King Fuzzy Nuts III, and offer up sacrifices of Pocky and half-shaved Billy Bo Bubba Trunks Plushies for half a fortnight before finally being allowed to send the edit of this chapter. So you see, its really not my fault. Now, Ravyn, on the other hand....
*Ravyn waves pitchfork menacingly*
EEP! Tootles, gotta go!
Misao curled up in the seat of Aoshi's jeep and watched as the buildings and roads gradually thinned out. The stars stilled burned brightly but Misao figured they had been driving for some time.
And with Aoshi driving like he was a possessed man, that was a little difficult to comprehend. Misao guessed it would be a few more hours before the dawn would break. Gazing upwards out the window, she watched in awe as a single shooting star streaked across the midnight sky.
'I wish that Aoshi would stop taking his time and just let loose.'
Misao closed her eyes; the melancholy mood shattered by a particularly loud snore from Soujiro, and allowed a faint giggle to fall from her mouth.
"Aoshi," Misao questioned, her eyes flashing with a mischeivous fire, "do you snore as loud as Soujiro?"
Aoshi shot her an unamused glance which only fed her delighted laugh, a small smile tugging at his lips as he continued to ignore her question.
"Aoshi!" Misao complained, her voice bordering on that of a child. "I need to know if this is going to be a problem between us in the future!"
"It is a human thing." Aoshi told her in a slightly exasperated tone, his eyes locked on the road, effectivly concealing the amusement that danced in their depths.
Misao gave into her laughter, which in turn awoke Soujiro from a particularly painful snore, and that just sent the petite woman into yet another gail of noise.
Soujiro shot Aoshi a questioning glance, but the man just quirked a brow before turning his attentions back to the road. Soujiro looked at Misao in confusion, it was highly doubtful that the Iceman had cracked a joke, but Misao was still attempting to catch hold of her giggles.
Soujiro just groaned and leaned back again. Life was so much simpler when you where asleep.
Misao settled back down and contented herself with watching Aoshi as he drove, his profile yummy enough that she wished she had Kaoru's talent at drawing. Right then would have been the perfect time to put his stunning features on paper.
"What." Aoshi questioned, but Misao easily read the wealth of question in his voice. 'What are you looking at?'
"You." Misao answered dreamily, her eyes filling with the affection of two lifetimes.
Aoshi glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Braided hair long-since mussed from the car trip, jewel-like eyes glinting with more love than he deserved, and in that moment Aoshi decided he was tired of human courting.
Reaching over, he tangled the fingers of his right hand with hers and contented himself with the feeling of her delicate palm sheltered within his own. He said nothing as the dark haired woman unbuckled herself and scooted over so she could use his arm as a pillow, never releasing the firm hold of his hand.
Aoshi watched the road with a growing feeling of distraction as her delicate breath brushed against his skin, and was suddenly thankful for Soujiro's uncanny snoring, for it offered him the distraction he needed.
Once they got to their destination he would ask Misao permission to court her in his people's way, and until then he would content himself with simple sound of her breathing.
"Misao-mine." Aoshi whispered softly to her sleeping head, "I won't let you go this time."
~*~
Yahiko sipped the bitter tasting brew that Tsubame had brought him. The acrid taste of coffee was one he had never really learned to love, but if it came from his mate he accepted without complaint. Yahiko suddenly had a growing sympathy for Kenshin. Where Tsubame had the ability to make anything except coffee taste good; Kaoru had the ability to turn anything into poison.
Now that he thought about it, Kenshin wasn't the only one of there group who seemed to have found a liking for cooking. He rarely saw Megumi slaving over the oven, and the couple rarely went out. Sano it seemed, for all his macho play, was the one who spoiled his mate in the matter of household chores the most. Megumi always busied herself with the Vampire clinics or patching up one of her comrades. And on the off chance that her medicinal skills weren't needed, she worked alongside Sano, chasing leads.
But their house was always clean and neat, and while Megumi did do the laundry, that was perhaps the only chore that she had a hand in. Sano had always protested the idea of a maid or butler, so one had to wonder.
Yahiko paused his thoughts as he went over a passage from the briefing again, in something akin to horror. Reading it over a third time, just to make sure he was processing the information correctly, he reached for his phone. His hand immediately trained for Kenshin's number, Yahiko froze in remembrance of his friend's activities tonight.
Cursing, because he would rather kill himself then allow anyone to interrupt the newly mated pair, he dialed a different number. She would be the only one able to arrive in time, and with the numbers needed, if help was to come at all.
"Aoshi is walking into a trap."
~*~
Misao stretched, blinking sleepily at the chirping birds and pale morning light. Aoshi had disappeared to check the perimeter and Soujiro was unloading the car.
She stretched again, and started when something sailed by her ear. Turning, she stared in awed detachment at the handle of a knife. Eyes widening in understanding she threw herself to the ground, rolling quickly.
"Soujiro!" Misao's voice was a muffled warning as she found herself behind a tree, hands instinctively reaching for the Kunai that where still in the car. Swearing, she looked around in hopes of finding some sign of the attacker.
"Behind you little girl."
Misao felt her eyes widen, and then clench in pain as something slipped between her shoulder blades.
Soujiro, oblivious to Misao's slight call and the impending danger, frowned as he felt something on the wind change. His hand settled on the hilt of his Katana as he walked around the car, eyes searching for any sign of Misao. His body stiffening with alarm as he caught sight of the knife.
"Misao!" Soujiro called, his Ki flooding outward in an attempt to locate hers. What he found shook him to the core, and he nearly fumbled his weapon.
Her Ki was rapidly fading, as if her life forced was being drained. He turned, sprinting around to the other side of the car, Katana unsheathed. A vampire was pulling a knife from the limp girl's back; Misao unresponsive to pain as she was hoisted up to his bared fangs. And in that moment, Soujiro utilized every ounce of god-like speed he had been gifted with.
Soujiro caught the falling girl as the vampire's head thudded on the ground and rolled lazily away. Bounding towards Aoshi with Misao in tow, he was all too aware of the growing number of Blood Ki in the vicinity. Feeling her lifeblood trickle down his arm, Soujiro fervently prayed that Misao could be saved before they lost her, yet again.
Soujiro found him racing towards them. Aoshi's handsome face was drawn into tight lines, as if he already knew what had happened. Bloody Kodachi fell carelessly from his hands as he gathered Misao to his chest, a blank expression gracing his features as his eyes burning with utter madness.
"Change her." Soujiro barked, his Katana unsheathed and readied as the dark forces closed in.
Aoshi shot him a fierce look of understanding, but Soujiro could see the dark despair even then, for Misao would become a Vampire without the protection afforded her by mating with Aoshi. She would be utterly defenseless against the surging Blood Ki.
"I promise Aoshi," Soujiro whispered, his expression blank, except for the faint smile that normally adorned his features. "None shall touch you."
Coming from the man who was the Battousai's equal in speed and power when changed, it was not a flippant promise, but as the dark forces began to close in, it might have very well been a vain one.
Aoshi threw his beloved's fate to the wind, his teeth sliding forward and slowly drawing Misao's essence from her body, his Ki held firmly in check to keep from claiming her. That task was made only slightly easier by the fact that he had yet to court her, and in bitter realization, Aoshi knew that if he failed today, the chance to court his one love would never come.
Soujiro slide into his favored Battou Jitsu stance, hand resting lightly on the well-worn hilt of his Katana, before his foot tapped a single time.
~*~
Kaoru awoke to the feeling of fingers twined through her hair, and with a half-lidded gaze she assessed her position.
Her bare leg was wedged comfortably between two muscular, warm ones; the other casually flung atop the heap. A strong arm had wrapped itself around Kaoru's shapely waist and sought to cradle her against the firm expanse of satin and steel that was his chest. Nuzzling the skin, she sighed.
Kenshin.
"Koishii." His voice rumbled, the sounds reverberating under her cheek making his voice seem even deeper than normal. Kaoru allowed a lazy smile to play across her mouth when she realized that she and her lover were both still unclothed and very much wrapped up in one another.
Kaoru raised her head and kissed the underside of his jaw. "Kenshin." Her voiced laced with the husky tones of sleep.
Kenshin smiled for a moment before he rolled them both, managing to trap her underneath him. His admiring gaze took in the early morning flush of her face and her sleep-glazed eyes, framed by a rumpled mass of hair that entwined them both. Beautiful.
"Hungry?" his voice asked lightly, only the ring of amber around his violet gaze hinting at any shaded meaning.
Kaoru felt a faint blush light her face as she recalled the activities of the night before, and suddenly she was keenly aware of his hands gently holding her waist. Hands that had all but reinvented her soul the night before.
"Depends." Kaoru offered lazily, wrapping her arms around his neck and toying with the strands of crimson that captured and sparked the soft light of the sun.
Kenshin allowed his eyes to roam over the rest of her form, tilting his face closer to her own. Breath tickled his lips as their noses brushed affectionately. The infernos of last night had receded, the scorching need to possess her soul and brand her body with the blistering swells of his own had long-since ceased, leaving a comforting and gently incessant warmth in its wake.
"On what?" Kenshin breathed against her soft lower lip.
"What where you planning on serving?" Kaoru asked in playful innocence, completely belied by the spark in her eyes.
Kenshin allowed his right hand to play lazy circles on her smooth skin, delighting in the way she shifted into his hold. Kenshin smirked slightly before allowing his mouth to brush lightly against hers, bestowing a fragile phantom of a kiss.
And when Kaoru pulled his close, beckoning for more, he obliged. Any thought of something besides one another was quickly shuttered out as Kenshin easily pulled Kaoru back in the fires of the night before, his hands and lips defining her yet again as the sun began to streak the morning with its brilliant beams.
Some time later, after they had both taken showers and giggled over having someone wash their backs, Kaoru found herself sipping coffee and watching Kenshin expertly cook her an omelet.
Some part of her had sighed in absolute contentment, the familiarity of having him cook for her something that settled into her skin as easily as his touch. Kaoru watched the graceful way his sinewy muscles rippled under the skin of his torso, and the skill with which his agile hands manipulated the ingredients into the position he wanted.
Bliss.
'Kaoru-Koishii.' Kenshin's voice easily invaded her mind, a touch of wonder tinting the amusement in his mental voice at being able to converse with her in such a intimate manner. 'Enjoying something?'
Kaoru allowed herself a faint smile. 'The view.'
He flashed her a predatory smile; the amber circling of his eyes still in place. Something, he had explained, that was most likely going to stay since he was so balanced now. His Ki was no longer shreds of torn energy, but rather, a singular nucleus of and strength and power, easily eclipsing what she had felt the night before. Kaoru felt strangely awed that something as simple as her touch or presense could be responsible for such a tremendous shift in his lifeforce.
He had also told her that durning the last phase of mating that their souls had not only touched, but bonded together as well. That was why mates could recognize one another, and how not even death could completely sever their connection. Kenshin's lips parted in a smirk, sending delicious shivers down her spine, as he had declared that even if she wanted to get away from him it would be impossible, and that she was absolutely stuck with him.
Kaoru frowned thoughtfully as she felt something nag at the new preternatural awareness she had discovered upon waking that morning, as if something was slightly off kilter. Shrugging off the feeling, Kaoru decided to simply enjoy the presence of the man she had fought so hard for, and against, for so long.
Sometimes it was simpler (and a hell of a lot more enjoyable) to concentrate on the matter at hand, which at the moment was Kenshin's fine backside as he bent over, searching for a certain pan. The time for seriousness and unease would come soon enough, as the real world descended upon them once again. But for now, it was time to enjoy her freshly brewed coffee and Kenshin's delicious ass.
~*~
Soujiro had long since lost count of the bodies that parted beneath his blade, of the times he had simple paused and eyed the oncoming forces, the times he had mentally tallied Misao's breaths, and the times that he had buried the weariness threatening to seize his battered and overtaxed form.
He had felt something akin to a shift of Ki in Misao, and knew she was warping from human to Vampire. That thought alone brought him much peace. She was saved from dying of blood loss, but not before the scent of her essence had driven the surrounding Vampires into a carnal flurry. Suddenly they were faced with a very powerful and equally available she-Vampire, fresh for the taking. Aoshi was drained from changing her without laying claim, and it was showing in the pallor around his lips and eyes.
Soujiro allowed his god-like speed to pause, and watched in something akin to awe as the Vampires around him fell. Blinking, he leaned over and noticed a screw-like object protruding from their necks.
Before turning, he heard Aoshi suck in a gasp of pure shock, his Ki screaming surprise and joy, pain and a touch of fear. Shikijou, Hyottoko, Beshimi, and Hannya, the four lost Oniwabanshu members, stood proudly against the carnage. Their eyes burned with a fire bright enough to set anyone ablaze, nevermind a weak group of zombies lead by a handful of idiotic Vampires.
The stories of their protective nature towards a young Misao raced through Soujiro's mind, and immediately vanished when he saw the stranger with them. A petite woman with brown hair cut close to her head and eyes the color of warm coffee, she moved with a speed that was not quite god-like but impressive in its own right. In her hand was a series of complicated numb chucks that severed heads as easily as they tore limbs.
Whoever it was, was simply breathtaking.
Soujiro snapped himself back into reality and felt morbidly bemused at the entire situation. Aoshi, on the other hand, was still sitting there with a slightly stunned expression on his face.
They lived. All four of them lived and breathed and fought. The grace, speed and numbers that had once made them a perfect team prevailed again. Aoshi cradled Misao's limp form in his arms and felt something akin to peace finally enter his soul . She would live, and he would have his most faithful and dearest friends with him again.
The battle was quickly over with the help of the Oniwabanshu and the mysterious lady. Soujiro idly flicked the blood from the tip of his Katana and turned to face the group whilst sheathing it.
"Misao?" Soujiro questioned softly, afraid to ask but needing to know.
"She will be weak for a few days, but she will live." Aoshi whispered, eyes filled with more emotions that Soujiro had ever seen in the stoic man's gaze.
He looked past Soujiro and stared at the woman who was in behind him, Soujiro turning to look at her as well. Up close she was even more lovely than at a distance.
"Shura the pirate." Aoshi stated, his tone questioning.
Shura smiled at that. "I owed Kenshin a favor. On my travels across the sea I ran into some unsavory company and he lifted a hand, then later when I was changed against my will he leant me some security against my nature."
His eyes fell to the four standing so quietly behind her.
"Shura-dono," spoke the man who Soujiro placed as Hannya, " has been been collecting strays for the past few years."
Shura rolled her eyes. "Kenshin asked me to see what I could find, so I looked into it to return the favor."
Aoshi licked his suddenly dry lips. "You're human."
Hannya gave a low bow and the others mimicked his movements. "We wish to be changed by our Okashira."
~*~
Kaoru leaned against the wall of the Dojo, her breathing rapid, but much easier than it would have been had she attempted to try this as a human. She had been edgy all day decided to work some of her steam off in the Dojo. About half way through her katas Kenshin had decided to test her skills out.
So far she had been getting knocked around like a rag doll.
Kenshin eyed her with a calculated look that caused her to bristle. Kaoru moved away from the wall into a defensive stance, and soon after that they had started again.
He never went full god-like speed against her, but instead seemed to be testing Kaoru from everything angle to see what she could handle. He was much stronger than Soujiro was and faster as well, but thankfully, for the most part, she seemed to be able to stay on her feet.
Quite a bit of her luck seemed to come from memories suddenly showing her how he completed a move, or how he started one, and still other memories told her to just get the hell out of there.
Finally Kaoru flopped down and stared at the ceiling, her breathing coming in ragged pulls, while Kenshin, himself, had barely broken a sweat.
"I am so out of shape." Kaoru managed to groan when he sat next to her.
"Yes." Kenshin agreed, his eyes laughing. "But we will work on it. For a beginner you did not do so bad Kaoru."
She snorted.
"Remember Koishii, I have several hundred years of experience on you." Kenshin gently reminded her.
Kaoru sighed in exasperation. "That doesn't mean I have to like it!"
Kenshin laughed and pulled her up. "That is why you are going to get better."
Kaoru nodded absently, the uneasiness returning as soon as she stopped moving.
"What is it?" Kenshin asked airily, his eyes watching her every expression with near obsession.
Kaoru frowned slightly, her eyes on some distant point on the wall. "Something isn't right."
Kenshin frowned slightly, his eyes becoming glazed as he extended his Ki, feeling the same disturbances as his mate, a smirk slowly beginning to pull at his mouth.
She was choosing a court.
Reaching down, he pulled Kaoru up and gently lead her from the Dojo. "Come on, I know who to call to find out what is going on."
Kaoru had no choise but to follow.
~*~
Yumi, trapped somewhere in the miasmic void that contained both her and her lover's souls, frowned at the cross-dressing man she was presented with. It seemed that by being reborn in a time when the behavior was marginally more accepted boosted the freak's ideas about getting his hands on her Shishio.
"Kamatari, what are you doing here?" Yumi demanded, her voice irritated and and with a slight edge. The void was a place where it was just her and Shishio, no one else to get in the way of their activities.
"Don't think just because you managed to get yourself stranded with Shishio-sama that you are better than me bitch. I am a loyal follower of Shishio-sama so I am able, at great personal cost, to contact him. I will not allow your ugly and annoying face to get in the way of my pressing need to be with my Lord." The veiled hint was tight with promise, and his voice, ever annoying.
"This is MY realm, Kamatari, do not make the mistake of crossing my will." Yumi warned. She had earned the right to serve Shishio here by allowing him to take her life, helping him the only way she knew how. In this lifetime she had learned how to evert more control and be of a greater use to her love. And some damn psycho like Kamatari was not going to interfere.
"Kamatari." Shishio's deep voice easily slid through the darkness itself, the words lingering in the minds and souls of those who heard him. "Have you found anything of importance for me?"
"Soujiro is working for the Battousai," Kamatari replied, "Cho has already been killed by Himura, and he has recently mated with the girl who you disposed of in the last lifetime."
"Then that is where they are hiding the child." Shishio easily inferred as he slid out of the darkness. The only light to pierce to dreariness of the void was the fires that raged within his eyes, and the eerie glow of Yumi's palm.
"Shishio-sama?" Yumi questioned.
"The only man who the Battousai holds in high esteem."
Kamatari bowed low. "We shall begin looking for the Thirteenth master of Hiten Mitsurugi style immediately Shishio-sama."
"See that you do." Shishio blended back into the shadows, leaving Yumi and Kamatari alone once again.
"Enjoy him will you can bitch." Kamatari whispered. "I will take Shishio-sama from you and once I do, I will never let him leave."
"He would never accept what you have to offer while he still has me!" Yumi flared, before slipping back into the familiar blanket of darnkess.
Kamatari shrugged, "Then you will just have to disappear, won't you Yumi? I am sure Soujiro would be more than happy to kill you with the right incentive."
The last light flickered and died as Kamatari felt the tug of the Mortal Realm once again.
Kamatari sat up with a sigh, feeling a smile pull at his perfect mouth. " And if Soujiro won't, then the others will."
~*~
A shadow stood at the edge of the Aoiya, watching the Ki that danced around, both strong and defiant, but neither prepared for what he would bring against them.
"I am coming for you, woman of Himura the Battousai, and we shall see if you can save her, if she can save herself." A nasty smile fell on a face hidden by a darkness not even daylight could penetrate. "We will see if you get angry."
'Get Angry!'
*sucks flying fruit and rotten vegetables*
Okay first of all....no Lemon this chapter. *dives behind beta* I am afraid that it would have taken ANOTHER week or so to get this out, and as it is everything that could interfer with this chapter has. Plus FFN has supposedly been cracking down on such things so I will not be posting it here as it is, but I will let you all know when its up and where you can find it either from my authors notes or on my profile.
300 reviews? Thank you guys SO much! Thats almost a hundred reviews for this chapter! And remember to thank my darling beta! Pia is such a doll for doing this! I hope this chapter does not disappoint any of you since the action is starting back up again, and after this it is going to get rather rocky.
Thank you all for being so patient with me! Hopefully the next chapter will not take near as long! *Pia inserts overdramatic cough*
Ravyn
Remember, the sad news is I don't own Kenshin. Really wish I did...think....rope.....handcuffs.....whipcream.....
*Pia slowly exits bomb shelter, eyeing the hoards of rabid fangirls nervously*
clears throat
Please do not murder the innocent beta. It was the Neutered Squirrels at Hotmail that withheld this chapter from you. They refuse to allow attachments unless appeased. Thus, I had to pray to their deity, King Fuzzy Nuts III, and offer up sacrifices of Pocky and half-shaved Billy Bo Bubba Trunks Plushies for half a fortnight before finally being allowed to send the edit of this chapter. So you see, its really not my fault. Now, Ravyn, on the other hand....
*Ravyn waves pitchfork menacingly*
EEP! Tootles, gotta go!
Misao curled up in the seat of Aoshi's jeep and watched as the buildings and roads gradually thinned out. The stars stilled burned brightly but Misao figured they had been driving for some time.
And with Aoshi driving like he was a possessed man, that was a little difficult to comprehend. Misao guessed it would be a few more hours before the dawn would break. Gazing upwards out the window, she watched in awe as a single shooting star streaked across the midnight sky.
'I wish that Aoshi would stop taking his time and just let loose.'
Misao closed her eyes; the melancholy mood shattered by a particularly loud snore from Soujiro, and allowed a faint giggle to fall from her mouth.
"Aoshi," Misao questioned, her eyes flashing with a mischeivous fire, "do you snore as loud as Soujiro?"
Aoshi shot her an unamused glance which only fed her delighted laugh, a small smile tugging at his lips as he continued to ignore her question.
"Aoshi!" Misao complained, her voice bordering on that of a child. "I need to know if this is going to be a problem between us in the future!"
"It is a human thing." Aoshi told her in a slightly exasperated tone, his eyes locked on the road, effectivly concealing the amusement that danced in their depths.
Misao gave into her laughter, which in turn awoke Soujiro from a particularly painful snore, and that just sent the petite woman into yet another gail of noise.
Soujiro shot Aoshi a questioning glance, but the man just quirked a brow before turning his attentions back to the road. Soujiro looked at Misao in confusion, it was highly doubtful that the Iceman had cracked a joke, but Misao was still attempting to catch hold of her giggles.
Soujiro just groaned and leaned back again. Life was so much simpler when you where asleep.
Misao settled back down and contented herself with watching Aoshi as he drove, his profile yummy enough that she wished she had Kaoru's talent at drawing. Right then would have been the perfect time to put his stunning features on paper.
"What." Aoshi questioned, but Misao easily read the wealth of question in his voice. 'What are you looking at?'
"You." Misao answered dreamily, her eyes filling with the affection of two lifetimes.
Aoshi glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Braided hair long-since mussed from the car trip, jewel-like eyes glinting with more love than he deserved, and in that moment Aoshi decided he was tired of human courting.
Reaching over, he tangled the fingers of his right hand with hers and contented himself with the feeling of her delicate palm sheltered within his own. He said nothing as the dark haired woman unbuckled herself and scooted over so she could use his arm as a pillow, never releasing the firm hold of his hand.
Aoshi watched the road with a growing feeling of distraction as her delicate breath brushed against his skin, and was suddenly thankful for Soujiro's uncanny snoring, for it offered him the distraction he needed.
Once they got to their destination he would ask Misao permission to court her in his people's way, and until then he would content himself with simple sound of her breathing.
"Misao-mine." Aoshi whispered softly to her sleeping head, "I won't let you go this time."
~*~
Yahiko sipped the bitter tasting brew that Tsubame had brought him. The acrid taste of coffee was one he had never really learned to love, but if it came from his mate he accepted without complaint. Yahiko suddenly had a growing sympathy for Kenshin. Where Tsubame had the ability to make anything except coffee taste good; Kaoru had the ability to turn anything into poison.
Now that he thought about it, Kenshin wasn't the only one of there group who seemed to have found a liking for cooking. He rarely saw Megumi slaving over the oven, and the couple rarely went out. Sano it seemed, for all his macho play, was the one who spoiled his mate in the matter of household chores the most. Megumi always busied herself with the Vampire clinics or patching up one of her comrades. And on the off chance that her medicinal skills weren't needed, she worked alongside Sano, chasing leads.
But their house was always clean and neat, and while Megumi did do the laundry, that was perhaps the only chore that she had a hand in. Sano had always protested the idea of a maid or butler, so one had to wonder.
Yahiko paused his thoughts as he went over a passage from the briefing again, in something akin to horror. Reading it over a third time, just to make sure he was processing the information correctly, he reached for his phone. His hand immediately trained for Kenshin's number, Yahiko froze in remembrance of his friend's activities tonight.
Cursing, because he would rather kill himself then allow anyone to interrupt the newly mated pair, he dialed a different number. She would be the only one able to arrive in time, and with the numbers needed, if help was to come at all.
"Aoshi is walking into a trap."
~*~
Misao stretched, blinking sleepily at the chirping birds and pale morning light. Aoshi had disappeared to check the perimeter and Soujiro was unloading the car.
She stretched again, and started when something sailed by her ear. Turning, she stared in awed detachment at the handle of a knife. Eyes widening in understanding she threw herself to the ground, rolling quickly.
"Soujiro!" Misao's voice was a muffled warning as she found herself behind a tree, hands instinctively reaching for the Kunai that where still in the car. Swearing, she looked around in hopes of finding some sign of the attacker.
"Behind you little girl."
Misao felt her eyes widen, and then clench in pain as something slipped between her shoulder blades.
Soujiro, oblivious to Misao's slight call and the impending danger, frowned as he felt something on the wind change. His hand settled on the hilt of his Katana as he walked around the car, eyes searching for any sign of Misao. His body stiffening with alarm as he caught sight of the knife.
"Misao!" Soujiro called, his Ki flooding outward in an attempt to locate hers. What he found shook him to the core, and he nearly fumbled his weapon.
Her Ki was rapidly fading, as if her life forced was being drained. He turned, sprinting around to the other side of the car, Katana unsheathed. A vampire was pulling a knife from the limp girl's back; Misao unresponsive to pain as she was hoisted up to his bared fangs. And in that moment, Soujiro utilized every ounce of god-like speed he had been gifted with.
Soujiro caught the falling girl as the vampire's head thudded on the ground and rolled lazily away. Bounding towards Aoshi with Misao in tow, he was all too aware of the growing number of Blood Ki in the vicinity. Feeling her lifeblood trickle down his arm, Soujiro fervently prayed that Misao could be saved before they lost her, yet again.
Soujiro found him racing towards them. Aoshi's handsome face was drawn into tight lines, as if he already knew what had happened. Bloody Kodachi fell carelessly from his hands as he gathered Misao to his chest, a blank expression gracing his features as his eyes burning with utter madness.
"Change her." Soujiro barked, his Katana unsheathed and readied as the dark forces closed in.
Aoshi shot him a fierce look of understanding, but Soujiro could see the dark despair even then, for Misao would become a Vampire without the protection afforded her by mating with Aoshi. She would be utterly defenseless against the surging Blood Ki.
"I promise Aoshi," Soujiro whispered, his expression blank, except for the faint smile that normally adorned his features. "None shall touch you."
Coming from the man who was the Battousai's equal in speed and power when changed, it was not a flippant promise, but as the dark forces began to close in, it might have very well been a vain one.
Aoshi threw his beloved's fate to the wind, his teeth sliding forward and slowly drawing Misao's essence from her body, his Ki held firmly in check to keep from claiming her. That task was made only slightly easier by the fact that he had yet to court her, and in bitter realization, Aoshi knew that if he failed today, the chance to court his one love would never come.
Soujiro slide into his favored Battou Jitsu stance, hand resting lightly on the well-worn hilt of his Katana, before his foot tapped a single time.
~*~
Kaoru awoke to the feeling of fingers twined through her hair, and with a half-lidded gaze she assessed her position.
Her bare leg was wedged comfortably between two muscular, warm ones; the other casually flung atop the heap. A strong arm had wrapped itself around Kaoru's shapely waist and sought to cradle her against the firm expanse of satin and steel that was his chest. Nuzzling the skin, she sighed.
Kenshin.
"Koishii." His voice rumbled, the sounds reverberating under her cheek making his voice seem even deeper than normal. Kaoru allowed a lazy smile to play across her mouth when she realized that she and her lover were both still unclothed and very much wrapped up in one another.
Kaoru raised her head and kissed the underside of his jaw. "Kenshin." Her voiced laced with the husky tones of sleep.
Kenshin smiled for a moment before he rolled them both, managing to trap her underneath him. His admiring gaze took in the early morning flush of her face and her sleep-glazed eyes, framed by a rumpled mass of hair that entwined them both. Beautiful.
"Hungry?" his voice asked lightly, only the ring of amber around his violet gaze hinting at any shaded meaning.
Kaoru felt a faint blush light her face as she recalled the activities of the night before, and suddenly she was keenly aware of his hands gently holding her waist. Hands that had all but reinvented her soul the night before.
"Depends." Kaoru offered lazily, wrapping her arms around his neck and toying with the strands of crimson that captured and sparked the soft light of the sun.
Kenshin allowed his eyes to roam over the rest of her form, tilting his face closer to her own. Breath tickled his lips as their noses brushed affectionately. The infernos of last night had receded, the scorching need to possess her soul and brand her body with the blistering swells of his own had long-since ceased, leaving a comforting and gently incessant warmth in its wake.
"On what?" Kenshin breathed against her soft lower lip.
"What where you planning on serving?" Kaoru asked in playful innocence, completely belied by the spark in her eyes.
Kenshin allowed his right hand to play lazy circles on her smooth skin, delighting in the way she shifted into his hold. Kenshin smirked slightly before allowing his mouth to brush lightly against hers, bestowing a fragile phantom of a kiss.
And when Kaoru pulled his close, beckoning for more, he obliged. Any thought of something besides one another was quickly shuttered out as Kenshin easily pulled Kaoru back in the fires of the night before, his hands and lips defining her yet again as the sun began to streak the morning with its brilliant beams.
Some time later, after they had both taken showers and giggled over having someone wash their backs, Kaoru found herself sipping coffee and watching Kenshin expertly cook her an omelet.
Some part of her had sighed in absolute contentment, the familiarity of having him cook for her something that settled into her skin as easily as his touch. Kaoru watched the graceful way his sinewy muscles rippled under the skin of his torso, and the skill with which his agile hands manipulated the ingredients into the position he wanted.
Bliss.
'Kaoru-Koishii.' Kenshin's voice easily invaded her mind, a touch of wonder tinting the amusement in his mental voice at being able to converse with her in such a intimate manner. 'Enjoying something?'
Kaoru allowed herself a faint smile. 'The view.'
He flashed her a predatory smile; the amber circling of his eyes still in place. Something, he had explained, that was most likely going to stay since he was so balanced now. His Ki was no longer shreds of torn energy, but rather, a singular nucleus of and strength and power, easily eclipsing what she had felt the night before. Kaoru felt strangely awed that something as simple as her touch or presense could be responsible for such a tremendous shift in his lifeforce.
He had also told her that durning the last phase of mating that their souls had not only touched, but bonded together as well. That was why mates could recognize one another, and how not even death could completely sever their connection. Kenshin's lips parted in a smirk, sending delicious shivers down her spine, as he had declared that even if she wanted to get away from him it would be impossible, and that she was absolutely stuck with him.
Kaoru frowned thoughtfully as she felt something nag at the new preternatural awareness she had discovered upon waking that morning, as if something was slightly off kilter. Shrugging off the feeling, Kaoru decided to simply enjoy the presence of the man she had fought so hard for, and against, for so long.
Sometimes it was simpler (and a hell of a lot more enjoyable) to concentrate on the matter at hand, which at the moment was Kenshin's fine backside as he bent over, searching for a certain pan. The time for seriousness and unease would come soon enough, as the real world descended upon them once again. But for now, it was time to enjoy her freshly brewed coffee and Kenshin's delicious ass.
~*~
Soujiro had long since lost count of the bodies that parted beneath his blade, of the times he had simple paused and eyed the oncoming forces, the times he had mentally tallied Misao's breaths, and the times that he had buried the weariness threatening to seize his battered and overtaxed form.
He had felt something akin to a shift of Ki in Misao, and knew she was warping from human to Vampire. That thought alone brought him much peace. She was saved from dying of blood loss, but not before the scent of her essence had driven the surrounding Vampires into a carnal flurry. Suddenly they were faced with a very powerful and equally available she-Vampire, fresh for the taking. Aoshi was drained from changing her without laying claim, and it was showing in the pallor around his lips and eyes.
Soujiro allowed his god-like speed to pause, and watched in something akin to awe as the Vampires around him fell. Blinking, he leaned over and noticed a screw-like object protruding from their necks.
Before turning, he heard Aoshi suck in a gasp of pure shock, his Ki screaming surprise and joy, pain and a touch of fear. Shikijou, Hyottoko, Beshimi, and Hannya, the four lost Oniwabanshu members, stood proudly against the carnage. Their eyes burned with a fire bright enough to set anyone ablaze, nevermind a weak group of zombies lead by a handful of idiotic Vampires.
The stories of their protective nature towards a young Misao raced through Soujiro's mind, and immediately vanished when he saw the stranger with them. A petite woman with brown hair cut close to her head and eyes the color of warm coffee, she moved with a speed that was not quite god-like but impressive in its own right. In her hand was a series of complicated numb chucks that severed heads as easily as they tore limbs.
Whoever it was, was simply breathtaking.
Soujiro snapped himself back into reality and felt morbidly bemused at the entire situation. Aoshi, on the other hand, was still sitting there with a slightly stunned expression on his face.
They lived. All four of them lived and breathed and fought. The grace, speed and numbers that had once made them a perfect team prevailed again. Aoshi cradled Misao's limp form in his arms and felt something akin to peace finally enter his soul . She would live, and he would have his most faithful and dearest friends with him again.
The battle was quickly over with the help of the Oniwabanshu and the mysterious lady. Soujiro idly flicked the blood from the tip of his Katana and turned to face the group whilst sheathing it.
"Misao?" Soujiro questioned softly, afraid to ask but needing to know.
"She will be weak for a few days, but she will live." Aoshi whispered, eyes filled with more emotions that Soujiro had ever seen in the stoic man's gaze.
He looked past Soujiro and stared at the woman who was in behind him, Soujiro turning to look at her as well. Up close she was even more lovely than at a distance.
"Shura the pirate." Aoshi stated, his tone questioning.
Shura smiled at that. "I owed Kenshin a favor. On my travels across the sea I ran into some unsavory company and he lifted a hand, then later when I was changed against my will he leant me some security against my nature."
His eyes fell to the four standing so quietly behind her.
"Shura-dono," spoke the man who Soujiro placed as Hannya, " has been been collecting strays for the past few years."
Shura rolled her eyes. "Kenshin asked me to see what I could find, so I looked into it to return the favor."
Aoshi licked his suddenly dry lips. "You're human."
Hannya gave a low bow and the others mimicked his movements. "We wish to be changed by our Okashira."
~*~
Kaoru leaned against the wall of the Dojo, her breathing rapid, but much easier than it would have been had she attempted to try this as a human. She had been edgy all day decided to work some of her steam off in the Dojo. About half way through her katas Kenshin had decided to test her skills out.
So far she had been getting knocked around like a rag doll.
Kenshin eyed her with a calculated look that caused her to bristle. Kaoru moved away from the wall into a defensive stance, and soon after that they had started again.
He never went full god-like speed against her, but instead seemed to be testing Kaoru from everything angle to see what she could handle. He was much stronger than Soujiro was and faster as well, but thankfully, for the most part, she seemed to be able to stay on her feet.
Quite a bit of her luck seemed to come from memories suddenly showing her how he completed a move, or how he started one, and still other memories told her to just get the hell out of there.
Finally Kaoru flopped down and stared at the ceiling, her breathing coming in ragged pulls, while Kenshin, himself, had barely broken a sweat.
"I am so out of shape." Kaoru managed to groan when he sat next to her.
"Yes." Kenshin agreed, his eyes laughing. "But we will work on it. For a beginner you did not do so bad Kaoru."
She snorted.
"Remember Koishii, I have several hundred years of experience on you." Kenshin gently reminded her.
Kaoru sighed in exasperation. "That doesn't mean I have to like it!"
Kenshin laughed and pulled her up. "That is why you are going to get better."
Kaoru nodded absently, the uneasiness returning as soon as she stopped moving.
"What is it?" Kenshin asked airily, his eyes watching her every expression with near obsession.
Kaoru frowned slightly, her eyes on some distant point on the wall. "Something isn't right."
Kenshin frowned slightly, his eyes becoming glazed as he extended his Ki, feeling the same disturbances as his mate, a smirk slowly beginning to pull at his mouth.
She was choosing a court.
Reaching down, he pulled Kaoru up and gently lead her from the Dojo. "Come on, I know who to call to find out what is going on."
Kaoru had no choise but to follow.
~*~
Yumi, trapped somewhere in the miasmic void that contained both her and her lover's souls, frowned at the cross-dressing man she was presented with. It seemed that by being reborn in a time when the behavior was marginally more accepted boosted the freak's ideas about getting his hands on her Shishio.
"Kamatari, what are you doing here?" Yumi demanded, her voice irritated and and with a slight edge. The void was a place where it was just her and Shishio, no one else to get in the way of their activities.
"Don't think just because you managed to get yourself stranded with Shishio-sama that you are better than me bitch. I am a loyal follower of Shishio-sama so I am able, at great personal cost, to contact him. I will not allow your ugly and annoying face to get in the way of my pressing need to be with my Lord." The veiled hint was tight with promise, and his voice, ever annoying.
"This is MY realm, Kamatari, do not make the mistake of crossing my will." Yumi warned. She had earned the right to serve Shishio here by allowing him to take her life, helping him the only way she knew how. In this lifetime she had learned how to evert more control and be of a greater use to her love. And some damn psycho like Kamatari was not going to interfere.
"Kamatari." Shishio's deep voice easily slid through the darkness itself, the words lingering in the minds and souls of those who heard him. "Have you found anything of importance for me?"
"Soujiro is working for the Battousai," Kamatari replied, "Cho has already been killed by Himura, and he has recently mated with the girl who you disposed of in the last lifetime."
"Then that is where they are hiding the child." Shishio easily inferred as he slid out of the darkness. The only light to pierce to dreariness of the void was the fires that raged within his eyes, and the eerie glow of Yumi's palm.
"Shishio-sama?" Yumi questioned.
"The only man who the Battousai holds in high esteem."
Kamatari bowed low. "We shall begin looking for the Thirteenth master of Hiten Mitsurugi style immediately Shishio-sama."
"See that you do." Shishio blended back into the shadows, leaving Yumi and Kamatari alone once again.
"Enjoy him will you can bitch." Kamatari whispered. "I will take Shishio-sama from you and once I do, I will never let him leave."
"He would never accept what you have to offer while he still has me!" Yumi flared, before slipping back into the familiar blanket of darnkess.
Kamatari shrugged, "Then you will just have to disappear, won't you Yumi? I am sure Soujiro would be more than happy to kill you with the right incentive."
The last light flickered and died as Kamatari felt the tug of the Mortal Realm once again.
Kamatari sat up with a sigh, feeling a smile pull at his perfect mouth. " And if Soujiro won't, then the others will."
~*~
A shadow stood at the edge of the Aoiya, watching the Ki that danced around, both strong and defiant, but neither prepared for what he would bring against them.
"I am coming for you, woman of Himura the Battousai, and we shall see if you can save her, if she can save herself." A nasty smile fell on a face hidden by a darkness not even daylight could penetrate. "We will see if you get angry."
'Get Angry!'