Disclaimer: I do not own RK or PMK.
Oh dear, my Muse is getting fed up... better give the prima donna some slack...
Sorry if the story's getting too slow...
Chapter 11: Bad News
"Two former Shinsengumi wolves in Aoiya?" Okina coughed as he tried to laugh. He is a little better today. Still, both Aoshi and Misao hovered nearby. Tetsu and Kenshin stared at each other. They both had red hair and were similar in height and built. It turned out they had much more in common than they cared to admit.
"Did you really think you can defeat Battousai with a basin?" Saitou asked with a smirk.
"No, he's yours, Saitou…" Tetsu blushed. Trying to brain a hitokiri with a washbasin was something the younger Tetsu would have done, and promptly get killed for by the Battousai of then. Saitou shook his head. That Battousai was gone.
They were eating their midday meal in Aoiya. Kenshin, Saitou, Tetsu and the Oniwabanshu. Kenshin had helped with the cooking, to Tetsu's surprise. Battousai also did laundry and babysat, if Shinomori were to be believed.
Saitou moved into Aoiya after Chou's death. He abandoned his slum hideout when he returned to find a former colleague waiting outside. Chou had left a message with the police telling them of Saitou's whereabouts. This was personal. Saitou did not want the imbeciles in the police force getting onto Ichiro. They'll just be prey for his sword.
"Saitou-san, Midori is still not speaking. Saitou-san, are you listening?" Saitou was so distant. His eyes were focused on his hardly touched meal. Tetsu changed the topic. "Saitou-san, I saw him… Izumi Ichiro…"
"Where?" Saitou stood up and almost knocked over his meal tray. "Sakuraya's, but don't bother… He's long gone. He looks a lot like his uncle. But whereas Okita's a nice guy, Ichiro's a devil. He's more a demon than any of us Miburou ever was." Tetsu shrugged. "Give it up, it's too risky…"
"Sometimes, Ichimura, you cannot choose your battles. It's me he's after," Saitou strode out of the room. "It's about Okita-san's death, isn't it?" Tetsu spoke quietly without looking at him. If the rumors were true… No! Ten years ago, Tetsu had refused to believe them. Such treachery was not possible for a Miburou. Now?
He was running, running through the streets more than a decade ago. Running towards the goal. He stumbled and saw the pathetic bundle of bloodied rags. He barely recognized the bruised and swollen face. Okita! The young man was barely breathing. His eyes were unfocused and he was bleeding heavily from a head wound.
Okita was a stubborn one but what the Butcher did to him made interrogations by the Shinsengumi's Demon Hijitaka look like a stroll in the park. They had broken his body and spirit.
He remained in a state of delirium in the hospital, often thrashing about and crying out unintelligibly. Finally, on the second night, he was lucid. Saitou was glad to see Okita alert. Okita coughed weakly and reached out for him. Saitou took Okita's hand gently, afraid of hurting the broken bones.
"Promise me…find Ichiro…" Then the eyes dimmed and the hand went limp. Okita had drawn his last breath.
Asking about, Saitou learnt that young Ichiro had been last seen heading for the goal. He had not been seen by his playmates at the orphanage since. Miyagi must have taken him! The Butcher must have used the boy to break Okita's will. With murder on his mind, Saitou took his sword and ran towards the goal and Miyagi. The fire alarm sounded. The goal was burning. Saitou was too late.
"Ichiro was a good boy, polite, gentle, warm-hearted… he was so like Okita-san, I thought they were brothers," Tetsu was speaking with Kenshin and the others. Ichiro helped out at the orphanage then. He helped Tokio with the housework while he took kendo instruction from both his uncle and Saitou.
"I can't believe he'll change so much…"
"Tetsu-kun, ten years is a long time. Look, do I look like a hitokiri to you now? Are you the same loudmouth page to Hijitaka? From what you told us, Saitou has changed too." Kenshin declined another bowl of rice offered to him.
"Kenshin! I need to see Himura Kenshin!" Someone was yelling outside the inn. Misao returned with…
"Katsu-san?" Kenshin stared. The man was panting. Katsu had run from the train station. He had heard of Megumi's new clinic from Gensai and called on Megumi. Megumi directed him to Aoiya. Now he bent over and tried to catch his breath. "Kaoru… They got Kaoru-san!" Misao spilled the soup she was serving Aoshi.
"Who's got Kaoru? Yahiko…" A stricken look appeared on Kenshin's face.
"Yahiko's been shot and has a couple of broken bones. He's at Gensai-sensei's. He should recover. He's tough like Sano,"
Katsu gasped. "Himura, it's his doing…" Katsu jumped at the sound of that voice.
"What's he doing here?" Katsu stared at Saitou. The man had suddenly reappeared in the room behind him. Tetsu grinned. So Saitou still has the knack of sneaking up on others. "I forgot my cigarettes," Saitou went to his meal tray, reached under it and pulled out his cigarette packet.
"He couldn't!" Misao interjected. "Chou's killing… there's no way he can get to Tokyo and back…"
"Good thinking, weasel." Misao glowered at Saitou. "It's unlikely Ichiro actually kidnapped tanuki-san, but he must have others working for him…"
"Policeman. Yahiko mentioned the carriage driver was wearing a policeman's uniform." Katsu accepted a drink from Misao. The girl's becoming a good hostess… Aoshi smiled. "Thank you, Miss Weasel…Ow!" Misao slammed the tea tray on Katsu's head. "Name's Misao, not Weasel!" Aoshi sweatdropped.
Megumi's clinic. Soujirou is reading the newspapers. The nutcase of a sword-collector's dead. Wonder who he left his collection to? The boy mused idly. He never really liked Chou. He never really got along well with the others of the Juppon Gatana aside from Shishio and Yumi. Come to think of it, Megumi-san resembled Yumi a bit.
"Time to change the bandages," Megumi called out as she entered. Soujirou obediently allowed his wounds to be cleaned and dressed. "Have they found that demon yet?" Megumi shook her head. "Tell Himura-san and Saitou-san to be careful, the guy's bad news." Soujrou touched his stump.
"Water?" Rei held out the cup to Kaoru. Kaoru accepted. She has been meek for the journey, bidding her time. She dare not ask about her student, and Rei gave no answers. But Yahiko's a tough one. She can always hope. They were a day from Kyoto now and Rei's guard was dropping. And Kaoru's sure she can make her escape.
"You love this Ran guy, right?" Rei nodded. She had untied Kaoru after Kaoru promised not to run off. Still, she kept her pistol ready. "He saved me. Ran saved me when I fell off a cliff after I ran away… He's my life…"
"You want to be with him as his wife?" Kaoru checked their surroundings. Rei held the horses. There's a track leading off the main highway… Rei laughed bitterly. "A wife? Ran doesn't need a wife… Hey!" Kaoru was running off into the undergrowth. Rei fired. Kaoru fell.
Rei stood over the bleeding Kaoru with her pistol smoking. She was shaking. Ran, I need you. I need you to hold me. In truth, Sagara Rei hated the sight of blood. She hated the way it flowed, staining the fabric and marring the skin… No! She has a mission. For Ran's sake, she has to be strong. She shut off her unpleasant memories.
Author's notes:
A glimpse at the idealistic young Tetsu from the past. Does he suspect Saitou-san of selling Okita-san out? Weasel girl strikes again. I kinda like the AoshiMisao pairing. More of that later...