Ciao!!!

*grins* I managed to pull my act together and send those that volunteered the info on my (hopefully soon-to-be-written) Kenji story. I worked overtime this week, with the second round of Finals, no less than three concerts with my two orchestras and one piano concert my twin and I gave in an old people's home, planning for my class's graduation ceremony, a fencing show at my club for potential newcomers (Ry and I did theater fencing, copying the choreographies from Pirates of the Caribbean- our trainer said we were good enough!), an archery demonstration the next day, Christmas preparations, baking cookies, visiting my cousin in hospital after her last round of chemotherapy, my parents throwing a fit because I have taken up running as a stress relief in the mornings, sleep less and lost another three pounds, me throwing a fit as they want to ban me from running, Dad finally giving in provided I get on an extra-healthy diet (they say I eat too much chocolate for taking up another sport- where's the logic in that?), my twin laughing at me (he always puts on weight when he does sports, in form of muscles- I hate being the scrawny one!) and deciding to join me in the mornings and finally my school's Christmas celebration at which Ry and I had to play the piano and Ry had to give a speech as spokesman of his year (I had to help him write it- lazy twit!). I usually hate insomnia, but then it made it possible for me to work on RtK, The Dragon's Teeth and- finally!- Shadow's Light. Yup, that's right, SL 19 will be out by Wednesday. Now, with a right-footed 120° spin, drop and upwards slash I present you Chapter 11 of the story whose title still doesn't really make sense since I haven't gotten round to the romance part yet- RtK!!!

"…." Denotes talking

….. denotes thinking

*~* means a change of scenery (either temporal or local, I think which one of those will be clear) has taken place

Disclaimer: I do in no way own any rights, moral or others, to Rurouni Kenshin, its characters or plot. Characters other than the characters from Rurouni Kenshin bearing any resemblance to persons living or dead are purely coincidental. I do not intend to make any profits out of this story, it's written for entertainment purposes only and any attempt by persons natural or legal to make money from it in any way is not in accordance with this author's express wishes.

Chapter 11

Arrival of the cavalry

"I demand proper respect be given to my mistress, man!" the tall, scantily-clad bodyguard snarled at the unfortunate chief investigator Saito who had dared to come near her to check her for hidden weapons since she was in the presence of his King.

"I demand we be shown to our quarters immediately!" This was a rather quaint-looking woman in a plain, easy-to-handle linen dress.

"I want our horses fed and sheltered before…" This one was drowned out in the general commotion.

"I am here to announce…" as was that one. Suddenly, the smallish figure clad in a stately silk tunic of the clearest periwinkle blue jumped four feet into the air, quickly shouldering two of the bodyguards that were at lest a foot taller than her aside.

"Hey, what's that porphyria1-ridden fool doing here?" She easily managed to make herself audible- the Amazon princess looked furious. "He is a traitor and a coward! He fled from my country! He is a deserter! I want him handed over to me!"

"I am none of which you accuse me, Princess. I have left Hippolytien2, that's true, but I had never sworn an oath to stay there." As if to emphasize the Amazon Princess' point Aoshi showed no emotion whatsoever. His calm and cool voice provided a welcome respite from all the heated shouting that was going on. The Amazon princess clearly didn't appreciate his answer at all; a murderous look on her face she stomped over to where the King of Dunkelland was currently practicing the art of becoming invisible in the face of a large crowd.

King Kamiya look bedraggled and like he would have preferred the Chain Master's bedroom to being caught in the middle of a fight between his Captain of the Palace Guard and a would-be fiancée. "Uh," was all he offered at the Amazon Princess' expectant look and resolutely balled fists, wondering for the umpteenth time just how the courtyard of Dunkelland Castle had ended up as a lunatic's ward. It had begun that morning, even before the soldiers had returned from their latest Battousai hunt…

*~*

"How long will it take for them to find a single, injured man?" Kamiya fumed, rather in the mood for taking his fury out on some surprised or clueless target that presented itself to his practice sword. Unfortunately, Saito was neither. With practiced ease the tall chief investigator almost lazily blocked Kamiya's powerful swipe, leaving the King to catch himself from stumbling because he had overbalanced.

"Battousai is, as much as I regret to say this, a very resourceful man, my Lord," Saito cautiously remarked, aiming to dismantle the King's fury bit by bit.

"No man can be resourceful enough to flee in his state and not be found! There has to be someone that helps him!" The King's fury blazed through his midnight blue eyes. If he went any farther, he would either suffer a stroke or shoot bolts of lightning from them, Saito mused. But then, Kamiya had a point. The way the King had described Battousai's state it just didn't allow for him to vanish, no matter how strong he was. Saito himself was no pushover, but he knew that even with the high feeling that came with a battle he would be hard-pressed to walk more than a mile without collapsing. Battousai couldn't be that different- the chief investigator didn't believe in the demon stories that were told about the red-haired man. He was as human as he was, perhaps faster and more resilient, but human.

"Perhaps he has help- but we will only know once the men return to the castle, my King. There's nothing we can do before that." Kamiya clenched his teeth in anger, and threw his practice sword to the ground, but relaxed as the cool logic of Saito began to work its miracles.

"You're right. I want to train. Someone summon Aoshi." He bent down and grabbed his practice katana from where he had thrown it.

"I will go and bring him to the training court," Saito said, bowing. The King was still a teenager, with all the relentless energy and lack of self-control that age brought to a boy. He had to work out to blow off steam, and Aoshi and Saito would be the only ones who could stand up to him in this state.

"Come yourself, too," the King ordered, tightly gripping his weapon's handle in one white fist. "This is going to be good!"

Saito didn't doubt it would be- perhaps he might even break a sweat this time. Aoshi wouldn't be too exhausted from training with his King, too, so maybe he would accept a training fight against him. The outlandishly stoic captain of the Palace Guard fought in a style nobody in Dunkelland had ever seen, fluid grace coupled with two swords instead of one. He had arrived at Dunkelland Castle in a shroud of mystery four years ago, enrolling in an ailing army and quickly working his way through the ranks until Hiko Shimajirou, the Palace Guard captain under King Kamiya's father, had accepted him into his group of elite fighters. When King Koshijirou was assassinated and died, leaving only the long slash over his left cheek as a clue to the identity of his murderer the gruff soldier had fallen from grace, was demoted and kicked out of the Palace Guard. Aoshi had been voted their new leader- unanimously. He was the youngest man to ever hold that position, only twenty-one years of age.

The chief investigator's steps halted and his eyes narrowed when he detected a cloud of dust on the horizon. If he saw correctly then this was a whole group of riders accompanying around five or six carriages, a diplomatic envoy or something similar. But there were no visitors scheduled for today.

"What is it, Saito?" King Kamiya called cantankerously from behind.

"Someone is coming to the castle, my Lord," Saito replied, concentrating on making out the coat of arms on the flag the foremost rider was carrying.

"We await no visitors," Kamiya said, confirming Saito's thoughts.

"I don't know who it is, my Lord, and their coat of arms is foreign to me. It's none of our neighbors', in fact, I have never seen it. I can't say for sure, but it looks like a ring of daggers around the picture of a bird demon.3"

" A bird demon? What country would put that as their coat of arms?"

"I don't know, my King."

Unfortunately, the country choosing such a sign soon became clear as the riders and carriages drew nearer, the demon bird on their flag now revealed to have a really angry look on his face, and a distinctly female body. All of the new arrivals were female as well, and King Kamiya had a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that there was a purpose behind them that he didn't particularly care about to know.

The carriages stopped in front of the gates, and the riders dismounted. Out of the carriages stepped even more impressively beautiful females, all clad in outfits ranging from rather scanty to practical and warm all made from light silk, varying only in color and in cut. Together, they and the riders, who now formed a protective circle around them, they briskly strode up to the castle's gates.

"Princess Misao of the Amazons and her envoy would like an audience with King Kamiya," the leader of the female riders shouted.

They were quickly admitted to the castle and led to the King, who had moved to greet them in the outer courtyard. Aoshi, having been summoned beforehand, and Saito flanked him left and right as the King welcomed the Amazons in Dunkelland. Before he could introduce his two companions, however, the Amazon princess disregarded all the rules of the court, cutting his introduction short by elbowing through the wall of her bodyguards and angrily attacking King Kamiya's captain of the Palace Guard. And this was where all the commotion had started since her companions had taken her behavior as a signal to start making demands. All their shouting was slowly but steadily giving King Kamiya a headache, so h concentrated on the irate little princess standing on tiptoe in front of a stoic Aoshi and shouting at him like there was no tomorrow.

Aoshi didn't even answer the insolent little princess. He remembered her too well as a brat who didn't like anything better than to torment her cousin who, being male, was nothing but a slave to the sister of the future queen of the Amazons. She had been bouncy, cheerful, talented, spoiled and demanding. She had also smelled like mahogany wood and vanilla, which she still did. Blinking thrice in rapid succession Aoshi wondered just where this thought had come from while the little spitfire attacked King Kamiya for not saying anything. Sure, she came from a most powerful line of female rulers, still that did not explain the excessive energy she possessed. In all the years he had spent at her court as a growing boy Aoshi had never once seen her tire- even after a long day of training she still bounced about demanding- and receiving- attention.

"Are you afraid of talking to me, porphyria-man?" Princess Misao's aqua green eyes spat flames at Aoshi. She had decided to return his attention to him, then.

"I don't have porphyria." Aoshi's mind reeled. He had run from his home country after they had found out that he had trained himself in the style of fighting the Queen and her bodyguards used by watching and imitating them. Knowing how to fight meant certain death for a man in Amazon society, and learning how to fight as well as Aoshi did, better than the Queen's oldest daughter, meant torture and public execution. He had wanted to live- nineteen years too short a time to walk this world, so he had fled, disguised as a woman and under the cover of the night. He would never have thought that the little princess who had caught him training would someday come to Dunkelland. Her sister had been with her, the future Queen of the Amazons refusing to let him go without a fight, and he had knocked her out along with little Misao.

"It doesn't matter- you are still a traitor and a man and I want to fight with you for my sister's honor!"

"Princess, a fight isn't what we came here for- and you should not insult King Kamiya any further by ignoring him or shouting at him. You have been sent to propose an alliance between our countries, remember?" The practical-clad woman had managed to reach her princess's side and carefully restrained her with a calming hand on her shoulder.

"An alliance?" King Kamiya asked, thankful for the first sign of sanity in all the commotion.

"An alliance? I thought we were here because my mother wants me to marry King Kamiya, Tae!" the princess scolded, then turned towards the King once again. "So will you marry me, Kamiya?"

The King of Dunkelland swallowed hard and started to cough. Saito looked amused, drilling a cigarette between his long fingers. Aoshi looked shell-shocked, and the Amazons finally shut up as their princess shouted their purpose of being in Dunkelland out for the whole castle to hear.

I think this is the weirdest proposal in history, Saito thought.

*~*

"I think this belongs to you… brother."

Hiko Seijurou didn't move a muscle as he incredulously stared at the haggard figure of a brother he had not set eye upon in twenty-five years. Or rather, he stared at the bundle of rags that brother was currently holding under his nose. A bundle of rags that had red hair and didn't move at all even though the way it was held just had to be uncomfortable.

"What… is this?" he finally managed, blinking furiously as a horrible suspicion rose. Shimajirou didn't answer; instead he brushed past his brother and into the house to put the load he was carrying down on Seijurou's bed. Sighing, he pulled the cloak he had wrapped it in- his own, Seijurou surmised- off the head of the smallish young man that had been hidden inside.

"I think this belongs to you, brother," he repeated, his voice hoarse and harsh with emotion. The last few hours had been hard on Hiko Shimajirou, he had had to crumble his world down, and to erect a new one from the shambles wasn't something he was looking forward to.

"What is the meaning of this? Why have you… who is this?" Seijurou was between angry and baffled at his brother's antics. He had never got to know Shimajirou that well- his brother had left the family home when he was thirteen and had rather annoyed his younger sibling with his strict adherence to the rules. To see him like this- wild-eyed, scruffy, unkempt and with a distinct air of despair around him made Seijurou rather edgy. He couldn't even read Shimajirou's emotions from his ki, the jumbled mass of thoughts running wild distorted it beyond imagination. The most prevalent feelings were guilt, confusion and the urge to help.

"You don't know who that is?" Shimajirou screeched, pointing at Seijurou, "you have brought him up! I know that! I sent him to you!"

Seijurou studied the frail, lithe body on his bed. The face was hidden from view, hair so red that the blood matting it wasn't even visible spilling across it. Shimajirou was right- he did know who that was. Still, the young man had left him, had parted with him on less than friendly terms and had not deemed Seijurou worthy enough of hearing him out.

"I won't ask how you know that I know him- that's for you to know and tell me when you want to. That aside, what makes you think I would take that baka deshi of mine in once again? If you know so much then you certainly know that I didn't send him out to murder in cold blood. He is no longer of any concern to me, so I suggest you take him elsewhere." His voice, even though he didn't want it to, had become more and more acerbic the longer he spoke, though tinged with a hint of concern. If that boy didn't move at all…

"I can't take him elsewhere, Seijurou. Don't think I made my decision to come to you easily. You are still the same old egocentric eighteen year-old! Grow up, Seijurou! Look at him!" With that, he pulled his cloak fully off Battousai, revealing the broken body covered only by rags.

Seijurou gasped. He had never in his whole life seen a person killed in such a gruesome manner. "Why have you brought him here if he's dead?" he asked, his voice shaking. Shimajirou's eyes flashed.

"He's not dead, Seijurou. He's breathing, and his heart is beating. He's a wanted man, and I couldn't think of anyone but you who could help Battousai the assassin." He carefully wrapped the young man in question in a blanket. He was shivering, whether with fever or cold he couldn't determine. "You have trained him, you know him better than anyone else and you are, as much as I hate it, the best swordsman in all of Dunkelland. Even your little prodigy pupil here can't reach your skill- yet, I think."

"He's alive? He lived through…" Seijurou shook with suppressed rage. "That's why I told him not to get involved with politics! That clumsy boy is as stupid as always!"

"It was not clumsiness that caused this- it was protecting King Kamiya and being held in the dungeons of Dunkelland Castle," Shimajirou reminded his brother sharply, immediately thereafter holding his breath. It was again like it had been when they had been younger- his brother only seeing what he wanted to see and he himself trying to make him look at the whole picture- he had never succeeded when Seijurou was a boy.

"Protecting that girl?" Seijurou asked, "I thought he wanted to rid Dunkelland of her and her father. He always ranted about how the royals only oppressed their people and were good-for-nothing tyrants… I guess he saw something in that girl-king of ours he hadn't seen when he was with me."

"Girl?" Shimajirou was feeling as though he had passed into a strange alternate dimension. Seijurou had gone mad. Caustic, cynical, realistic Seijurou had lost his mind.

"No time to tell the story- look, he's shaking," Seijurou pointed out. "I will tell you later, though," he promised as he unwrapped his young student again. "Good work."

"He was bandaged, but the bandages have partially unraveled and are dirtied. We will have to redo them. He is very cold and his skin is gray- he's lost too much blood- what are you looking at me like that, brother?" Seijurou's jaw snapped shut.

"You're just talking like some healer, that's all." He shrugged.

"I was friends with the old medicine woman. You pick up things when you listen to them. Now go get some hot water and clean sheets." He sent Seijurou off. His brother was too startled to protest.

"You are going to live, little one," he promised the unresponsive form of Battousai.

"Why do you call him that?" Seijurou had returned, carrying a large, earthenware bowl with steaming water and an assortment of clean, white cloth in various sizes.

"Because I met him when he was just four or five years old. King Koshijirou wanted me to kill him. I sent him to you instead," Shimajirou answered, sounding bitter. He could not meet his brother's eyes. It had been just five years since he had left his family behind, two years since Seijurou had to go through the death of their parents alone when he had sent the little boy Shinta stumbling onto his brother's doorstep.

"So you are the 'big soldier' little Kenshin kept ranting about. You hurt him!" Seijurou sharply looked at his brother's face.

"I had to prove to King Koshijirou that I killed him. I cut his shoulder and arm. And why do you call him Kenshin?" He did not even try to defend himself. Shimajirou had to be close to breaking if he didn't try to justify his actions.

"He still has the scar. And he lost his memory, so I had to give him a new name. I thought it fit... He recovered his memories later- partially. I don't think he remembers his name or his parents." Both men worked together to tend to the young man who was glowing with fever but shivering nonetheless.

"Your name is very fitting for a young man with his skills. And… I am sorry for sending him to you." Shimajirou had, for the first time, apologized to his brother. It had taken a lot out of him, but his life had toppled upside down so much already that he didn't even register how highly unusual his behavior was.

"It was the best thing you ever did in your life," Seijurou admitted honestly, wringing the water out of the cloth he had used to clean his student's body where there were no bandages. The young man was slight- too slight, he had not eaten well lately. And he was in a desolate state, anorexic and beaten- neither Seijurou nor Shimajirou thought he would wake from his feverish coma anytime soon.

Once again, they had forgotten whom they were dealing with. He was Hiko Seijurou's student Kenshin, Hiko Shimajirou's saving grace Shinta, King Koshijirou's killer and bearer of one of the most important secrets in Dunkelland. His eyelids twitched as soon as the last bandage was tied, and when Seijurou wrapped him in his blanket his eyes opened, blazing amber slits staring at the unfocused world.

"Shishou?" He didn't manage anything else- he fell asleep immediately thereafter, but it was a sleep and not unconsciousness, which greatly relieved both men.

"Yes, Kenshin, I'm here." He smiled at the redhead before turning to face his brother. "I thing we have to talk about a great many things, brother." The word felt strange on his tongue as he had not said it for so long- brother. But that was what Shimajirou was to him, forever. A brother he didn't know.

I hope I am ready for this, he thought.

*~*

Battousai had fled once again. His contacts had left no doubt as to that. Once more, he had to adjust his plans. Once again, that redhead managed to agonize him even though neither of them had ever seen the other. His son was doing well, that was the second news. The talk with Shishio had gone well. Soon, Dunkelland would be ripe for the taking.

He had talked to the Amazon Queen- she had sent her younger daughter to become a wife to King Kamiya, and she was an old friend. A very himself wasn't already… at least his daughter would become Queen. He would old friend and a worthy ally. King Kamiya would marry Makimachi Misao and become impressionable. He would soon make too many mistakes, the people would rise, and his star would be shining as his son was made King. It was just that he would ensure a bright future for both his children. They deserved no less.

"How is Enishi doing?" he asked his aide who was bringing a new carafe of water to his desk.

"He is well, and he is doing exactly what he should." Ah, the boy was so wonderful… he was intelligent and determined, and since he thought that his beloved sister had died he was driven by a force far greater than even he himself. So one-tracked he was…

"What about the rebellions?" Back to business. Thoughts about Enishi could wait.

"Whenever you give the signal, our agents will perform the killings and blame them on the army. The victims have been carefully chosen- respected and loved people. The villages have been chosen according to their level of dissatisfaction. I think we have added a new target over the last week- there was a widow whose son was forced into the army, and her village loves her. She is on the verge of starvation, though, she and her family, and nobody can help her. I think these people will be great additions to our cause."

"Very good. Who thought of that?"

"Enishi. He got the information from our source within the palace."

"That boy will be great," he concluded, waving for his aide to lave him alone. He had a lot of things to think about.

*~*

The Amazons had been accommodated, their noisy presence hidden behind thick doors for the moment. Well, almost. Their princess had been rather… energetically insistent, and she had asked to be taken on a tour around the castle she was to inhabit soon. Yes, that was right- King Kamiya had been too stunned to answer anything, and his silence had been taken as acceptance. He now had a young, green-eyed, black-haired fiancée whose braid was swinging merrily on her back as she followed the unlucky man who had been assigned as her liaison officer on her tour through Dunkelland Castle.

"What does the King like to eat? I can cook, you know- I have learned it even though my mother doesn't like it. My sister can, too- Mother almost threw a fit when she found out. The future Queen isn't to cook," she scowled at that, her lively eyes twinkling merrily. "Tomoe simply put her sword at her throat and said she shouldn't doubt her abilities. Mother as so proud! Tomoe is so wonderful. She knows everything, and she is really good at fighting. And nobody ever knows what she thinks!"

"I am sure your sister is a wonderful person, Princess… but I'm also sure she can't be as beautiful as you are," her liaison officer said in a deep, purring voice. He was rather handsome, in a strict sort of way, had long hair put into a ponytail high on his head and sharp, smoldering eyes.

"Aw, Shishio, you should not say that- I'm your King's fiancée. And Tomoe is much more beautiful than I am- she resembles my mother. She is tall, and slim, and has these large black eyes- not as strange as mine!" The princess scowled. Shishio, who had been found to have time at the moment and who had been the highest-ranking member of King Kamiya's court available turned around, smiling devilishly at the young woman.

"But your eyes are beautiful, Misao," he said, slowly bending down to look her deeper into the eye.

"You really think so?" She blushed and twirled around on the spot, the short skirt she was wearing flaring out to give Shishio an enticing look of slim, creamy-skinned legs.

"You are." He grabbed her and held her in his arms. Perhaps the plans of his lord could be accelerated- if the King's wife had a lover among the conspirators…

"What are you doing?" the Amazon princess suddenly shrieked, quickly ducking out of his grasp and bringing her hand around to connect with his cheek full-force, "I am your future Queen! You should respect me, not… kiss me!" She fumed, stomping her little foot onto the ground. "I release you from your duties! I can find my own way back to my rooms! Go!"

Shishio cradled his rapidly reddening cheek, the stinging sensation not really painful. He was, after all, a master fighter even if nobody knew that. He wanted nothing more than to put that little insolent brat of a girl into her place and show her what he was capable of, but for the sake of his future he had to hold back. So he just looked at her disdainfully, whirled around and left her to her own devices. She was just a brat, after all.

"I don't think that was wise, Misao," Aoshi stepped away from the wall where he had been standing throughout the whole exchange between Misao and Shishio, "you should not have provoked him like that."

Misao stood frozen to the spot. How that man managed to catch her by surprise every single time they met was beyond her- she was not worse than Tomoe in fighting, and Tomoe was better then the Queen. No man should be able to attain that level, yet here he was- a slave boy, born to serve, who had defied everything that should have been and had become a proud, if unapproachable, fighter. The seventeen-year-old could not fathom him.

"You have no right to speak to me," she said haughtily, holding her head high.

"I am the captain of the Palace Guard here, Misao," he spoke softly, "and as such I do hold the power to give advice if it concerns the safety of those close to King Kamiya."

"I don't care what you are here- you will always be Aoshi of the Kitchens to me," she replied, knowing that the stinging barb she had inserted into her words would work. Whenever she had called him that as a boy he had blanched and become silent. As a man, though, he was much better prepared to take her on as she soon realized.

"I don't care what I am to you, Princess- I have attained my title through hard work, while you have been born into yours. You can decide for yourself which of the two you find more worthy. You have expressed the wish to go back to your chambers- I will lead you there. Later, you will meet King Kamiya for lunch. I was sent to give you this message."

"Oh, so now you've become a messenger-boy instead of a kitchen-boy," she jibed, knowing fully well that it was low and that she did not really want to say these things. It was just that… he was a man, and he was a walking contradiction to everything she had been brought up to believe. If King Kamiya was anything like this… but no, she could not think about her problems to accept men. She was the King's fiancée, and she would marry him. Her mother had made it clear that nothing else would be accepted.

"Follow me," Aoshi said, his pale face stony as ever. He had had the most gorgeous periwinkle blue eyes as a boy, Misao remembered, but looking at his face she only found two slabs of ice where the warm pools of blue had been. He had changed so much…

"Lead the way," she commanded, desperate to keep her confusion and guilty feeling to herself. If that made her act like a prat, so be it. She was a princess, after all.

*~*

He slowly swam to the surface of the lake he had been drowning in, idly wondering whether he was dead. He couldn't feel his body and didn't care whether that was good or bad- he liked the limbo state he was in.

You are vulnerable, a voice spoke in his head, collect yourself, quickly! He didn't even know what that voice meant, but his body apparently did as it tensed up, a slight tingling running along his nerves. Something was very, very wrong. He couldn't move. You have just not made enough of an effort, the voice scolded, try again! That voice sounded like himself- it had to be a part of himself, perhaps reason? He had often talked to himself when he was alone, maybe he had finally gone crazy even though he remembered no incident that required going crazy as a result. He remembered surprisingly little, he thought, concentrating on moving at least a part of his hand.

When he moved the fingers, a searing surge of intense hot pain scoured through his arm into his spine making his brain scream in agony, which his throat voiced out. In a flash, everything came back to him, and he held himself rigidly stiff to make the pain go away. It did, even though part of it remained. His leg was the worst, throbbing in sync with his heartbeat. His back was a sea of fire he didn't care to cross, and the rest… he could not hold back a series of moans and groans as his body that had lifted off his resting place in his initial attempt to move settled back down.

"It's alright, I am here," someone said, someone he knew. A strong, reassuring presence, tinged with a hint of cynicism strong enough to be sensed.

"Shishou," he whispered, unable and unwilling to turn his head to see. Strands of his hair obstructed his view, pillars of red in his blurred vision.

"Yes, Kenshin." Why did he even speak to him? Last thing he remembered, Hiko Seijurou had sworn never to talk to him again.

"How?" he croaked, ignoring the agony flaring from his raw and parched throat. Something cool touched his lips, sweet, fresh water trickling into his mouth, alleviating the rawness.

"My brother has brought you here, Kenshin." Strange- his master never called him by his name. He must still be unconscious or already dead.

"Just like last time, little one," now a gray-haired man moved into his line of sight, his body as impressively muscled as his master's but slightly stockier. He knew that man- he had cut him when he was small and had sent him to run. He had called him by his name… his name…

"Don't drift off yet, Kenshin. You have to swallow this!" His head was moved, and he groaned in agony. His back was bad, and his head hurt. He refused to open his mouth. Perhaps the soldier was trying to poison him- he had hurt him in their last encounter after all.

"Swallow, baka deshi!" Stunned, he followed the command. Perhaps he wasn't dead after all.

"You aren't. Don't be stupid." Oh- he had said that aloud. He was so sleepy now, and the stuff they had made him swallow made him want to retch because it was so bitter.

"No, don't. Hold it down, Kenshin." Calling him by his name did the trick- shocked, Kenshin forgot about his discomfort for a moment.

"Shishou… why?" He struggled to look at his master, but the man remained just out of view. He was too tired and in too much pain to move, so he quieted down and simply lay there staring at the fuzzy world.

"Don't think about why, baka deshi- you have to regain your strength first." Was there a hint of gentleness in Hiko Seijurou's voice? No, it couldn't be, could it? He was so tired…

"Sleep, Kenshin." He just did what he was told. He didn't want to struggle anymore. That stuff he had drunk made him feel funny, so detached from everything. Nothing hurt anymore. Everything was just dark and warm and comforting. He slept.

*~*

"A fiancée? As in female?" Sanosuke could hardly believe what he had heard.

"Sure. Men usually do marry women, you know," his fellow soldier answered dryly, looking at Sano like he had just sprouted a second head.

"I know that," the spiky-haired soldier retorted dumbly, scratching his head. Somehow, his whole life had turned out a mess since he had met Battousai. And now there was a female fiancée for a female King.

"Then why did you ask? Did you want to be the King's lover? I see, that's why you arranged to be with Kamiya so often! How tragic! How romantic! Unrequited love! You know, I had hopes myself some time ago… but then I realized a King was just too high above me to ever notice me. You should be over Kamiya soon- you know what? You're a sweet-looking and pretty young man. Give me a call if you need any comfort- the name's Yano!" He winked suggestively at a mortified Sano.

"I… I'm not… I…" he spluttered, but his companion had already vanished around the corner on his patrol. Sano collapsed against the wall. "I don't believe this," he sighed, slamming his fist into the stone floor hard enough for a few chips to come loose and fly around his head and hand, leaving small trails of irritated skin in their wake.

"Don't believe what?" Sano jumped. In front of him stood the black-cloaked, veiled figure of the medicine woman.

"King Kamiya… is engaged," he stuttered, somehow managing to get over what was at the very front of his thoughts, "and to a woman!"

"I know that- it's why I came to look for you. It seems like nothing is ever easy- once that woman manages to catch the King alone and decides to advance her chances by putting the moves on darling little Kamiya… We have to stop this engagement, or Dunkelland will fall to pieces." She threw back her veil, revealing her pretty, serious face. "I don't know how, though," she admitted.

"I don't know either," Sano said, sliding down the wall until he sat on the floor, "I wish Battousai were here. He always has a plan."

"He isn't, though, and will not be for quite some time. We have to do this on our own. At least it is a long engagement- I heard it when I attended lunch with the King. We have six whole months."

"Not long enough," Sano murmured.

"No defeatism! Think of what we can do, then find me at my home," the medicine woman instructed resolutely, "I have been here for too long. People will get suspicious if I stay. I await you at dusk!"

"Don't await too much," Sano spoke to her retreating form, "I really have no idea what to do. But we have six months, Megumi is right- I think Battousai will be back before they are up, and he will have a plan. He always has a plan." The young soldier went on with his patrol, continually reassuring himself that his friend would come through for them. "He will have a plan."

… to be continued …

More RtK… still no romance in sight, what the hell was I thinking when choosing that title? There isn't even much Kenshin in this- after all, healing does take time, believe me, I know. So two nearly Kenshin-free months have to be covered… but there was a little surprise in here, wasn't there? Sorry all you vampire-lovers, I couldn't resist the jab. For me, there's noting less romantic and horrifying than the prospect of being a vampire. Imagine, no feelings, living off others, having to drink blood (tastes awful- I have had it [unintentionally, of course] more than once), eternal emptiness… urgh! I'd rather be dead! So Aoshi-the-not-quite-vampire has a little princess as an acquaintance… who is dead set on marrying our King-with-an-identity-crisis…*grins* I hope you found Misao's proposal to be at least a little bit funny- it was one of these sentences I write chapters around. Now on to the usual…

Information

1porphyria is a genetic disorder that causes extreme anemia due to defective hemoglobin production and sensitivity to sunlight as well as an enzyme disorder that makes garlic a poison to anyone who has it. Thus, people who have it are very pale, like lurking around in the shadows, are rather nocturnal and shy away from garlic. It's mostly caused by inbreeding and was very predominant among the royals of Eastern Europe- coincidentally the place where the vampires dwell…

2Hippolyte was an Amazon queen in the stories about Herakles (Hercules in Latin), very proud and strong. Herakles had to get her girdle as one of his twelve tasks. The word ending –ien is a German one for some countries (e.g. Croatia is Kroatien in German)

3The Amazons' coat of arms comes from two of Misao's techniques: her flying daggers of death and the kecho kiri(or giri, I have never seen it in writing, only heard the words) kick (angry demon bird kick)

fun fact of the week: I had to correct some English assignments my classmates wrote (grmpf, what you don't do for extra credit…) and found the word 'flubbergusted'. Perhaps its some new word for being turned into a rubbery substance after having been hit with an erratic burst of moving air?

the monster...

Reviewer's corner

Nigihayami Haruko: Wow… and I really mean…WOW! You have a way with words that can't be born from learning. You encouraged me so much I went and wrote half a chapter of Shadow's Light right away. Writing for me is a means to escape tiredness and annoyance which real life often heaps onto me, but you just gave me a different outlook on things. I really should stop being so cynical and dark about everything- there's a bright side to everything, you're so right about that! Thanks again!

CurlsofSerenity: *grins* Can you give me some of your cat powers? I'd like them to scratch my twin, he's laughing at me again… well, Ry and I were very curious children, and we climbed over this fence and didn't see the drop so we fell down the amphitheater stairs. We have always been prone to freak accidents (Ry dissolved part of the ceiling of one of our apartments once using a mixture of sulfuric and hydrochloric acid- he had wanted to produce nitroglycerine but we had neither nitric acid nor glycerine so he tried the hydrochloric acid instead…), and somehow the twin factor made them happen much more often (one of us always has a stupid idea…). My cousin is very, very strong- she had to move to Florida to live with her parents again (she had been studying already and had lived on her own for a year while taking care of her younger brother who had wanted to complete his schooling in Germany), but she tries to live her life as normal as she can. She goes to the beach, goes shopping at the mall, helps some children from the local Elementary with their homework… and always tries to hide all her pain. I really, really admire her and wish she could be around longer. When I told her this, she only raised an eyebrow at me (we have installed webcams and internet telephone) and said I should not ask this of her- she is only sorry that she can't see the third Harry Potter movie (she's a fan…). I wish I could be as strong as she is…

EnjeruJoshin: *hopes that she hasn't crushed Isis' toes* Thanks for everything *grins*

clearsunrise: Wow, thank you. Writing is my means of relaxing, I could not be without it so I think I can keep up the updates. I wanted to tell everyone on Christmas day, but my twin said I should do it on New Year's Eve instead since it's the day of decision making and all…

Zeh Wulf: My parents are really great- they have given me all the help I could ever have wanted and have supported all my extracurricular activities even though it was sometimes difficult with our moving around so much. They care a lot and love Ry and me more than anything else, so naturally they only want the best for both of us. They don't really force me into anything- it's just that they think they already know what I've decided and are always so surprised and disappointed if something is not as they thought it was. And I'm stupid enough that I think I can't really disappoint anyone. There's just this one thing again that I'm not: smart. My twin is smart- he's brilliant, to be honest. I'm just the girl who reads too many books for her own good… Austin sounds great- I think I'll write there some time this month *grins* My parents will have a heart attack when I tell them all this on New Year's Eve! The German schooling system is somewhat peculiar- their 12th (13th for those who go the 'normal' and not the 'speeded-up' way) year is a mixture of Senior High and College. University starts directly after school.

Saito suspects… something. More in chapter 12, though, I had to introduce a little chaos into this story (I'm not happy without chaos…). Once everybody settles down, there will be a lot of questions… I already dread having to find the balance between dialogue and action once this comes up... gah! Romance is a maximum of four chapters away- things will get funny … I had thought about some little subplot in which Misao thinks that Battousai is a rival for her Kamiya's heart and she starts dressing as a male since Kamiya seems more attracted to 'other males', but since this served no real purpose I cut it out again. There are other romantic complications I liked better!

The whole farmer episode was really funny- there was this gray-haired, stocky little Italian farmer carrying my unconscious twin under his right arm and me on his left shoulder since I was still conscious even though I had hit my head harder, standing in front of my mother and saying in flawless English: "I believe this belongs to you!" My Mom nearly had a heart attack, and I started laughing. We're still friends with Massimo- he was a university professor before he retired to his farm and rather embarrassed that two little children managed to climb over his (rather high) fence. He actually apologized to my parents, and he visited Ry and me in the hospital!

The Girl Who Cried Oro: Bundle is Battousai found. And Kaoru is in serious denial about being gay! *grins* And now Sano is being thought of as gay too… *doublegrins*

^_^: There will be an intense questioning about how Battousai got away, so you might be onto something pointing out that there are flaws in Sano's and Megumi's plan. Néli, my cousin, hates pity. She wants to live as badly as we want her to live, too, but six months was the most optimistic prognosis. She has moved from denial and anger into acceptance now, and I would have never believed that a person who is so ill and really suffering can be so bright and happy still.

Felina: I like the Hiko brothers too! Thanks!!!

Innocence8: I think you're very much right with this!

allin656: I gave your best wishes to Néli- she wants me to tell everyone that she gives her best and will always do so. Thanks for your patience with me and Shadow's Light- I'm a bit frustrated with myself for my stupid block.

ixchen: Thanks for your encouragement- I hope you are not too stressed at the moment!

missaw: Thank you! Next chapter up already!

flyinangel777: *hugs Angel* I know this doesn't really help, but I'm so sorry about your mom. Your aunt and uncle sound pretty… indifferent to me, if I may say so, not even telling you what they expect of you. I know how it is if you have a communication problem- when we were living in Italy I didn't have enough time to learn the language properly, and the barrier this puts between people is thicker than most people think. I think that without my twin I would have broken down some time ago, especially since December was a horrid month, but he carries me through and I think I give him strength as well. I can't even imagine what it's like alone- we two are close enough to complete each other's thoughts and sentences and can share everything. Néli (my cousin- her real name is Cornelia but she kills anyone who dares to use it since it sounds horrible when produced in English, just like Chiara does…) has a twin brother as well and tells me they share the same kind of bond. One thing is very important, I think: never give up on your dreams! If you want to be a lawyer, you're going to be a lawyer. And nobody can stop you if you really put your mind into that *hugs Angel again*. You will fulfill your dreams, I believe in you!

Bonessasan: Ugh, ruined another chance at escaping with a mistake. I do the same thing at school, checking over my tests and pointing out the mistakes my teachers didn't see… they always think I'm insane. Ryan told me some kind of background story to the Master of the Chains, but I was so appalled I couldn't even write a word of it and think I would have been better off without listening to what he said. He has a fascination with the mechanics of a body- wants to study human biochemistry after all. Thanks for the praise *glows red and is used to launch Ry's latest chemistry experiment since she produces excessive heat*

Nanakilover/Brukaoru: I know that I felt sorry for Battousai, too. It was Ryan's and Néli's doing that had him end up like this- my version was much, much less horrible. Unfortunately, my twin knows my cousin pretty well and the two of them came with a list of what I had to put into the story if I didn't want to lose their input and beta services- so go blame them! *Ryan snickers and points out that Chi would just have had to manage on her own if she had wanted to avoid all of that* *Néli smiles and points out that her beta services aren't that good anymore and that she only gives Chi advice on her style since she can't concentrate very well at the moment* *Chi hugs twin and beta and Nanakilover*

the sacred night: Whee, thanks for everything! About the wordiness issue: it's an ongoing discussion with my cousin and beta reader- she writes newspaper articles and is thus rather prone to a short and precise sort of storytelling while I am more up Tolkien's alley with my writing and reading preferences… we love to haggle about things such as the length of sentences and how to describe situations… I think we will do that till the day she dies! Thank you thank you thank you!!! And I'll be sure to check out your work- it's Christmas break now!!!

ur so stupid: When I read your review I started laughing- honestly! I was dancing around in my room and singing 'I got my first flame!' My twin brother declared me clinically insane ( as though that had not been established beforehand), but I didn't care. Just one word of advice, though: I would choose the name I review under differently if I were to flame anybody- it comes right back at you if you use a 2nd person pronoun! And btw: I know my name is stupid. I have a strong dislike for 'Chiara Lavinia'. Try to pronounce it and you know why. That's why I'm called 'Chi' most of the time, you see? I won't deny that I enjoy having people telling me that they like to read what I write- I love it for a fact. But, as you seem to have overlooked, I said I would post either when my counter reaches 100 reviews or Monday 22nd of December. I would not call that 'f****ing blackmail'- it's an option. You as a reader chose to support my posting sooner than Monday- for that I thank you. However, liberal use of the exclamation mark neither improves readability nor does it make me write that much faster. Now, I suggest you either refrain from reading my story since it obviously is so torturous for you to do so or you criticize me in a more civil way. I am not above criticism- I crave it and bask in it, even if it is as sharp and often devastating as that of my former beta and cousin. Just please choose your words a little more appropriate the next time- I am fifteen after all, and I wouldn't want you to have to face charges for exposing a minor to X-rated material. Thanks!!!

ceara: They will know on New Year's Eve… thanks for reading and enjoying my story!!!

Jensa: I won't leave, don't worry. I gave a promise that I would finish these, and I will. Be glad that you didn't skip any grades- it's rather… uncomfortable if you've got to act older than you are all the time. You want to be an artist? WOW and good luck! My artistic talents are rather nonexistent, but I admire all those who have the talent and want to use it. So BEST OF LUCK!!!

Eps: A mailing list? I don't have one of those, yet, I never thought that so many people would read what I write, but maybe I'll start one soon, especially since my updating might become more irregular in the New Year when my final Finals are approaching. THANKS!!!

ChiisaiLammy: I have a wonderfully thought-out plot? WOW, thank you! I hope you've enjoyed the latest twist as well, even though it takes the story into yet another direction once again… THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! *Chi jumps up and down and hugs Chiisai*

All readers: Uh… wow! I didn't ever expect to become one of these authors who get more than ten reviews per chapter since I don't fancy myself one of those extremely talented people who have the dream to become authors later. And then so many of you offered to help me! I feel so… wonderful now. All tired and exhausted and spent and ready to drop dead now that it's the weekend and with it the holidays but just simply wonderful at the same time. Thank you all ever so much- you make me happy, proud and strong, and even my family comments on how I have started to glow. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Special thanks to: Bengali and Slight Imperfections *grins* I write twice as fast if someone adds me to their favorites list, so thank you a lot!

One last thing before I sign off for today- I have found a little situation I simply have to work into one of my stories some day…

"Are you blushing?" She studied him intently, her sharp gaze resting pointedly on his flushed cheeks.

"No! I'm not! I have… temporary sunburn, that's all."

Any ideas as to where this could come in??? Thanks and Cya!!!

Chi