Certe Auxillium:
Certian Help
Megumi resented calling Aoshi, the mysterious Ninja shared so much of her past even the vauge suggestion of the man perturbed her. Yet he was all she had at this moment, she could turn to no one else. Megumi had no desire to trouble Kenshin or her dear friend Kaoru, and Misao was so young, she did not need to deal with the immense shock firsthand.
Aoshi was suprised when Megumi's message had arrived from Aizu. Suprised to the extent that he spilled the tea on the temple rice mat when Misao gave him the letter.
Shinimori-San,
I do not wish to bother you with my concerns, but I need your presence in Aizu. Move in haste, the sooner that you can help me take care of this problem the better I shall feel. Again, I did not wish to disturb your peace, but you were the only one iknew that I could turn to.
Arigatou: Takani-San
"What is it Aoshi-Sama?" Misao chirped, suprised that Aoshi had spilled his tea so clumsily. Aoshi, with his voice and eyes both devoid of any emotion, said,
"It is a letter from Takani-San, she has requested my help?" Misao looked confused for a brief moment and responded carelessly,
"Why would Megumi," Aoshi glared at Misao, silently punishing her for the lack of respect she showed a respected elder and Misao blush," I mean Takani-san want to see you so urgently?" Aoshi nodded and rose from his meditation position on the floor, he said after bowing to the small altar,
"She did not say." While Aoshi left the temple, Misao scrambled after him, forgetting the tea seat in the small temple.
Megumi, the next few days, treated patient after patient, her heart mourning quietly inside. Yet, in all the darkness of the occasion her chambers smelled clearly of flowers that had been sent for her grieving.
"Takani-San, will you be alright?" A patron asked her when dusk began to fall on Aizu and the clinic closed for business. Megumi gave the eldery patron a strained smile and responded,
"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me and pay attention to that cold you are developing." The patron nodded in reply and left Megumi alone. It was then Megumi broke down, before she visited the small chamber where she had laid the body a day ago, and after drying her eyes, she moved to embalm the body with all the care and tact that was in her. Such things were not in her profesion, but it was an understood concept to most doctors of Megumi's time.
Aoshi arrived in Aizu and chose to walk the rest of his journey to Megumi's clinic.
'It has been ten years,' he thought, and continued walking. Dusk had disapeered into a deep blue sky tinted with shots of purple spontaneously place, stars dotted the sky above. Aoshi found Aizu was a beautiful city, not cluttered with needless western diplomats or vendors. It was just clean, like Japan in the days of old. He liked the feelings the ancient city walls and buildings brought up on his guilt-trodden soul. He continued to think, about the past, about his muted feelings for a perverted mans so called goose, and why she called upon him in such a reverant, but desperate manner.
Finally arriving at Megumi's clinic, Aoshi saw her quickly exit a small shed, and enter her home. Unaware of his presence, Megumi was caught by utter suprise when Aoshi entered the front door rather rudely.
"Takani-San." He said, startling her. Megumi nearly lost her balance and turned to face Aoshi.
"Good evening, Shinimori-san."
"I came with great urgency upon reading your letter."
"For that I thank you."
"What exactly do you need my help for, Takani-san?" Megumi paused and looked toward the small shed, bitting her lip nervously she looked Aoshi in the eyes and said,
"I need you to help me prepare Sano for his final journey."
"Is Sagara-San dead?" Aoshi responded, moving closer to Megumi, who looked so frail in this faint light.
"He passed the night I sent you the letter." Megumi said, and looked away from Aoshi, "His body is in the shed."
The end!
Don't check your page twice, this is the acutal end.
with love: Rissi