A/N: Yeah, so I finally updated this fic. .;; Don't worry, I don't plan on discontinuing any of my Sou/Misao fics..I'm just...well...I'm getting tired of writing about JUST ONE pairing..so I've been exploring writing other stuffs. Not to mention..writer's block is a pain in the bum. *sighs* If you like InuYasha, perhaps you might be interested in some of my other fics. Feel free to check 'em out.
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor will I ever. And I'm perfectly fine with it. Why? Because I can mess with the character's and get away with it if I don't own them! AHAHAHA!
----------
Mezamete-yuku Tamashii :: Awakening Spirits
Chapter 6 :: Intruderous Demands
----------
Soujiro slipped his arm around Misao and gently laid her down on the mat, head on one of the many pillows surrounding the fire. She smiled in her sleep, adjusting her body to a more comfortable position. Misao, half asleep, patted the spot beside her. "Stay."
Soujiro obliged, laying down beside her and resting his head on a neighbouring pillow. He watched the flames dance and make Misao's face red and rosy, just as she had watched him when he laid unconscious in Kakuzo and Naoko's home. But instead of curiosity, he felt contentment. Soujiro sighed happily and let the effects of sleep take over him.
And by the warmth of the fire, they slept.
----------
As the first rays of light peeked over the horizon, long eyelashes fluttered open as Soujiro greeted the dawn with dazed sapphire eyes. It took a moment to register he wasn't in his room. And another moment to realize someone was snuggled beside him.
Now wide-eyed, he looked down to see Misao's petite form curled beside him, Her head resting on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her. He gulped, blushing slightly. 'How did this happen?'
Now, take in mind, Soujiro was NOT a heavy sleeper. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for him to jump wide awake at the slight sound of the floor settling or the trees brushing against the windows of his room. So not only was he surprised to find this..interesting position, but he was also shocked that he had slept through it all without a stir.
As he contemplated on how to remove his arm from under her form, he felt a small jab in his side. He blinked and continued to think. Then, again he felt the poke.
Poke. Poke, poke.
Soujiro scrunched his face up and looked to his ribs, seeing Misao's finger pressing into his yukata. Mischievous green eyes sparkled up at him and on Misao's lips was a small grin. "Ticklish, Sou-kun?"
Soujiro squirmed a bit in reply, still somewhat pinned by Misao's back on his arm. Misao doubled her antics.
Poke, poke. Poke, poke, poke. POKE!
Soujiro burst into a fit of giggles, as Misao's grin grew wider. She finally withdrew her poking finger and sat up, yawning. "Ne, so when's breakfast? I'm starved."
Soujiro panted and stared at the ceiling. 'Knew I shouldn't have gave her today off...'
----------
Misao set down her bowl of miso. "Mm, this stuff gets better and better. Where did you learn to cook?"
Soujiro laughed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
"Anji-san taught me."
"Whoa, the monk guy?"
Soujiro gave a nod as he gathered the bowls. "Un. Anji taught me a few years ago. He said that I needed a hobby and offered to teach me to cook some basic meals. It turned out to be quite useful since not many of the JupponGatana could cook."
"Kaoru-san would have fit just nicely with them..." Misao muttered under her breath. Gathering herself together, she walked upstairs for a clean yukata, as Soujiro went to go heat up the bathhouse. And that's about how morning started out.
It was some time later, after both Misao and Soujiro had showered, that Misao was writing in her journal. She sat back to back with Soujiro, who was just content with staring at the afternoon sky. They both sat under a tree, whose leaves were just starting to turn. Misao breathed in the cool air, which was slowly turning towards the Autumn crispness she was so familiar with. She smiled and went back to her diary.
The clouds passed by overhead, casting a shadow across the field. Misao held her hand up as a gust of wind circled around both her and her partner, her hair ruffled and swirling around her in a wave of silk. She had left it down, much to Soujiro's silent delight and now as the winds settled a bit, the locks of rich ebony fell back down to rest on both teens' shoulders. Soujiro tilted his head to the side, eyeing the hair that boldly cascaded down his shoulder. Smiling softly, he took a lock into his hand, pulling it to his face and inhaling. The air-dried hair smelled as fresh as the world around them. Misao didn't use any heavy perfumes, just something light to give her a clean scent. Soujiro endulged in it.
Misao could feel him holding her hair and she restrained from giggling. 'Must make a note to wear my hair down more often.'
Finishing up her writing, Misao shut the journal and tied the strings together, securing. She knew Soujiro wouldn't bother trying to read it, he was very respectful of her privacy. Mainly she tied it because she enjoyed making a little bow with the twine.
"Ne, Sou-kun?"
Soujiro, so entranced, jumped at Misao's voice, letting go of her hair with a shake of his hand. His eyes shrank back to their normal size as he rubbed his forehead. "Hm?"
"How long do you think it will be before my training is complete with you?"
Soujiro blinked and thought for a moment. "Ano..if we continue at this rate, you should be ready by Spring thaw. Why do you ask, Misao-san?"
When he didn't get a reply, he sat up and turned around, his back to the tree. Misao lost her balance at the loss of her backrest and toppled back, her upper back and head landing in his lap. When she glared at him, he just laughed. "Gomen, gomen! I forgot!"
"Uh huh..." Misao folded her arms and stared up through the leaves at the sky. "I asked, because..well..when you're done training me, you're going to want to travel again, right? And well, I was thinking maybe then I'd be strong enough to travel with you, that way you wouldn't be by yourself and I wouldn't get in the way of finding your answers but I'd be with you and stuff and because you're my friend and I don't want to lo--" Misao caught Soujiro's arched brow and smiled sheepishly. "I'm rambling again, aren't I?"
Soujiro nodded. "Ne, Misao-san...you don't have to leave me once your training is complete...demo..." Soujiro sighed, going against what his heart yearned for. "Demo, your home is in Kyoto at the Aoiya. It's not on the road with me."
Misao sat up and turned to Soujiro, her emerald eyes blazing. "So what if it is? I don't want to leave you, you're my best friend, Sou! I'm not going to let you wander off by yourself without me beside you! ...It...it can get lonely."
Soujiro sighed and rested his head against the tree trunk. "That it can. But let's not worry about that right now, Misao-san."
He heard a small "hai" and closed his eyes. 'Your place is not with me. Not with this lowly bastard child.'
----------
Time passed by like mere days. By the middle of November, Misao's strength and speed had increased ten-fold. She was not quite as strong as Soujiro, nor would she ever be as fast, but Soujiro said she was fast enough. Her light weight and petite form gave her the agility and ability to maneuver complicated turns and execute difficult attacks.
Already, she had adapted to the sword, it was like like throwing kunai. She couldn't even feel the weight. And to add to that, she had mastered what most skilled samurai had to train years to acheive.
She could mask her fighting ki.
Soujiro knew, however, that if she were pushed too hard, and something emotional happened, that mask would break quite easily. But against the average foe, she was guaranteed to win and never show her true potential.
Misao released a growl as Soujiro charged at her, drawing his nihonto back and striking forward in a horizontal arc. Misao parried the blade with her own before throwing it off and sending a thrust forward at Soujiro's heart. Soujiro side-stepped the attack, bringing his own sword down on top of Misao's.
Pinning her sword to the ground he grinned at her. Misao was ready with kick to his open ribs. The forcing knocking him back, she freed her own weapon and spun around, creating a looping arc preparing to crush it down onto the back of Soujiro's skull. Soujiro whirled around as well, their swords clashing together.
Both tested each other's strength before jumping back. Misao took a moment before throwing a two point thrust at him that he successfully parried.
Misao grinned then lashed out a handful of kunai, dead on target. Soujiro blinked and then disappeared. Appearing behind Misao as her kunai embedded into a tree, he raised his sword to bring down on her head.
Instead, his jaw was cracked upwards as Misao stood on her hands and delivered both of her feet to his face. She was careful not to kick too hard, but she knew he would feel the pain for a few days. Flipping over back to her feet into a crouching position, Misao brought her sword up and around in a slow, but powerful strike.
She met air.
Growling again as she heard Soujiro chuckle from behind her, she darted forward, jumping up and landing horizontally on the tree, and pushed herself off towards Soujiro before gravity could pull her down. She completed her propelling attack by twisting as she launched off the trunk, spiraling forward with her blade pointed at Soujiro.
If he wasn't as fast as he was, he would be pulling a very long piece of metal out of his chest. However, being that he was the Tenken, things just weren't going to turn out like that.
At the last possible second, Soujiro jumped into the air as Misao sailed past him. In a quick motion, he sheathed his sword as he came back down, wrapping his arms around Misao's waist as his added weight sent her spiral off center and both collided to the ground, rolling a good few feet before their momentum stopped. Soujiro laid on his side, his arms tightly around Misao's waist, who was bristling as she released her sword. "That was so NOT fair!!"
"That I'm fast or that I didn't let you finish your attack?"
"BOTH!"
Soujiro laughed outloud as he sat up, pulling Misao up to a sitting position as well. "Don't worry, I'm sure you would have completed it with perfection."
"No, perfection would be my blade sticking out of your scrawny chest," Misao huffed, folding her arms across her breasts and glaring at him.
Soujiro feigned hurt. "I am not scrawny!"
"Yeah, right. You just recently succeeded Himura in height."
Soujiro sweatdropped. "So I'm not Sagara-san's height, I'm still not scrawny! You're the scrawny one! I thought you were a child when Himura and I first battled."
Misao's mouth dropped as she gaped at Soujiro. She sputtered and tried to make a sentence as Soujiro fell backwards laughing. The look on her face was priceless. "Maa, Maaa...I was joking! Honto ni!"
Misao scowled. "Yeah, I'll bet."
Soujiro propped himself up on his elbow and grinned a very cheshire cat-like grin. Misao leaned back, staring at him. "What?"
"You don't have a child's body. Obviously, I know. Especially when you exit the bathhouse with a white yukata hanging to your wet skin."
Misao's mouth dropped open as her hand connected with Soujiro's face. "HENTAI!" she shrieked.
Soujiro, even while defending himself, was laughing his head off. "I can't help it Misao-san!! It's kinda OBVIOUS!"
"WHY YOU! MOU!!" Misao launched herself at him, determined to wrap her fingers around his 'scrawny' neck. Finally straddling him, she pulled his arms from his face he was protecting. "C'mon, let up. I'm not going to hit you. Yet..."
Soujiro, still shaking from laughter peeked through his barrier of arms. "Uh huh. Yet. That's the key word, Misao."
He felt Misao's grip on him drop completely and he blinked, moving his arms out of the way. She was staring at him with a slightly surprised look on her face. "Eh? Nani yo?"
"That's the first time You've ever said my name without the formal..."
Soujiro shrugged. "It...slipped?"
"NO!" Misao yelled, causing Soujiro to pull his arms to his face again. "I've been WANTING you to drop that damned formality!"
"Oh..." Soujiro replied, dropping his arms to his sides. "So you don't mind being just 'Misao'?"
"Of course not! You using -san all the time makes me feel like we're not best friends!!"
"Well then, I won't use it anymore. For now on it's just Misao....san."
"OOoouuu!!"
Finally, Misao just sighed and looked down at him. "I'm hungry. What's for dinner?"
"What does Misao want?"
"Food."
Soujiro sweatdropped as Misao smirked. Reaching over him, she grabbed her discarded weapon and sheathed it. "Ne, I guess my training is coming along pretty well, huh?"
Soujiro nodded and replied, "Very. Misao, you have more potential than I ever thought to begin with. I'm impressed. You are making a fine fighter."
Misao smiled widely from her position above him. "And I have you to thank for that Sou-kun. Without you, I would still be the heartbroken mess I was when we met. You have no idea how much I am debt to you."
Quickly as she could, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to Soujiro's cheek. The latter turned four shades redder and stuttered a reply. "You-you're welcome, Misao..."
"Ne, so when's that dinner?"
Soujiro was about to reply when both he and Misao sensed a strong ki right before Soujiro pushed Misao off of him and unsheathed his sword. "Behind me, Misao!"
"Damnit, Sou! I can fight, too!"
"Not for this, I won't let you."
"Why not?" Misao spat, angrily. She then realized the aura was familiar. Faintly.
A figure at the end of the clearing drew her attention. The rapidly setting sun did nothing to help her see who stood there, but upon seeing the long staff, arched blade protruding from the end, in the shadow's hand, she knew who it was before they stepped out of the shadows.
"The scythe-weilder..." Misao hissed.
"...Kamatari." Soujiro finished.
The girlish man smiled and raised his huge scythe into the air, walking up to the two until he was a few yards away. As the sun vanished behind the hills, the crossdresser spoke.
"Makimachi Misao. Shinomori Aoshi has demanded your return to the Oniwabanshuu. I am here to collect you. And you, Sou, will not get in my way."
Soujiro's smile was not present as he glared at his former comrade. "We'll see about that, Kamatari."
But only Soujiro knew that Kamatari might beat him. Misao had injured him during their spar. Kamatari had the advantage.
Knowing he was not going to let Misao fight, he charged anyway, the Tenken's smile gracing his lips before he let loose a battle cry and attacked.
Tsuzukeru...
----------
A/N: Dum dum dum!! So now we know who Aoshi hired! Hey, at least I updated. Put the pitchforks down. NOW! Anywho, as I listen to my collection of Gundam Wing music, feel free to leave a review, reach my other RK fics or even read my other anime fics and continue on with life in a jolly way. ^^;;
**Ignore the grammar, I do**
Phoe-chan. ^_~
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor will I ever. And I'm perfectly fine with it. Why? Because I can mess with the character's and get away with it if I don't own them! AHAHAHA!
----------
Mezamete-yuku Tamashii :: Awakening Spirits
Chapter 6 :: Intruderous Demands
----------
Soujiro slipped his arm around Misao and gently laid her down on the mat, head on one of the many pillows surrounding the fire. She smiled in her sleep, adjusting her body to a more comfortable position. Misao, half asleep, patted the spot beside her. "Stay."
Soujiro obliged, laying down beside her and resting his head on a neighbouring pillow. He watched the flames dance and make Misao's face red and rosy, just as she had watched him when he laid unconscious in Kakuzo and Naoko's home. But instead of curiosity, he felt contentment. Soujiro sighed happily and let the effects of sleep take over him.
And by the warmth of the fire, they slept.
----------
As the first rays of light peeked over the horizon, long eyelashes fluttered open as Soujiro greeted the dawn with dazed sapphire eyes. It took a moment to register he wasn't in his room. And another moment to realize someone was snuggled beside him.
Now wide-eyed, he looked down to see Misao's petite form curled beside him, Her head resting on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her. He gulped, blushing slightly. 'How did this happen?'
Now, take in mind, Soujiro was NOT a heavy sleeper. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for him to jump wide awake at the slight sound of the floor settling or the trees brushing against the windows of his room. So not only was he surprised to find this..interesting position, but he was also shocked that he had slept through it all without a stir.
As he contemplated on how to remove his arm from under her form, he felt a small jab in his side. He blinked and continued to think. Then, again he felt the poke.
Poke. Poke, poke.
Soujiro scrunched his face up and looked to his ribs, seeing Misao's finger pressing into his yukata. Mischievous green eyes sparkled up at him and on Misao's lips was a small grin. "Ticklish, Sou-kun?"
Soujiro squirmed a bit in reply, still somewhat pinned by Misao's back on his arm. Misao doubled her antics.
Poke, poke. Poke, poke, poke. POKE!
Soujiro burst into a fit of giggles, as Misao's grin grew wider. She finally withdrew her poking finger and sat up, yawning. "Ne, so when's breakfast? I'm starved."
Soujiro panted and stared at the ceiling. 'Knew I shouldn't have gave her today off...'
----------
Misao set down her bowl of miso. "Mm, this stuff gets better and better. Where did you learn to cook?"
Soujiro laughed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
"Anji-san taught me."
"Whoa, the monk guy?"
Soujiro gave a nod as he gathered the bowls. "Un. Anji taught me a few years ago. He said that I needed a hobby and offered to teach me to cook some basic meals. It turned out to be quite useful since not many of the JupponGatana could cook."
"Kaoru-san would have fit just nicely with them..." Misao muttered under her breath. Gathering herself together, she walked upstairs for a clean yukata, as Soujiro went to go heat up the bathhouse. And that's about how morning started out.
It was some time later, after both Misao and Soujiro had showered, that Misao was writing in her journal. She sat back to back with Soujiro, who was just content with staring at the afternoon sky. They both sat under a tree, whose leaves were just starting to turn. Misao breathed in the cool air, which was slowly turning towards the Autumn crispness she was so familiar with. She smiled and went back to her diary.
The clouds passed by overhead, casting a shadow across the field. Misao held her hand up as a gust of wind circled around both her and her partner, her hair ruffled and swirling around her in a wave of silk. She had left it down, much to Soujiro's silent delight and now as the winds settled a bit, the locks of rich ebony fell back down to rest on both teens' shoulders. Soujiro tilted his head to the side, eyeing the hair that boldly cascaded down his shoulder. Smiling softly, he took a lock into his hand, pulling it to his face and inhaling. The air-dried hair smelled as fresh as the world around them. Misao didn't use any heavy perfumes, just something light to give her a clean scent. Soujiro endulged in it.
Misao could feel him holding her hair and she restrained from giggling. 'Must make a note to wear my hair down more often.'
Finishing up her writing, Misao shut the journal and tied the strings together, securing. She knew Soujiro wouldn't bother trying to read it, he was very respectful of her privacy. Mainly she tied it because she enjoyed making a little bow with the twine.
"Ne, Sou-kun?"
Soujiro, so entranced, jumped at Misao's voice, letting go of her hair with a shake of his hand. His eyes shrank back to their normal size as he rubbed his forehead. "Hm?"
"How long do you think it will be before my training is complete with you?"
Soujiro blinked and thought for a moment. "Ano..if we continue at this rate, you should be ready by Spring thaw. Why do you ask, Misao-san?"
When he didn't get a reply, he sat up and turned around, his back to the tree. Misao lost her balance at the loss of her backrest and toppled back, her upper back and head landing in his lap. When she glared at him, he just laughed. "Gomen, gomen! I forgot!"
"Uh huh..." Misao folded her arms and stared up through the leaves at the sky. "I asked, because..well..when you're done training me, you're going to want to travel again, right? And well, I was thinking maybe then I'd be strong enough to travel with you, that way you wouldn't be by yourself and I wouldn't get in the way of finding your answers but I'd be with you and stuff and because you're my friend and I don't want to lo--" Misao caught Soujiro's arched brow and smiled sheepishly. "I'm rambling again, aren't I?"
Soujiro nodded. "Ne, Misao-san...you don't have to leave me once your training is complete...demo..." Soujiro sighed, going against what his heart yearned for. "Demo, your home is in Kyoto at the Aoiya. It's not on the road with me."
Misao sat up and turned to Soujiro, her emerald eyes blazing. "So what if it is? I don't want to leave you, you're my best friend, Sou! I'm not going to let you wander off by yourself without me beside you! ...It...it can get lonely."
Soujiro sighed and rested his head against the tree trunk. "That it can. But let's not worry about that right now, Misao-san."
He heard a small "hai" and closed his eyes. 'Your place is not with me. Not with this lowly bastard child.'
----------
Time passed by like mere days. By the middle of November, Misao's strength and speed had increased ten-fold. She was not quite as strong as Soujiro, nor would she ever be as fast, but Soujiro said she was fast enough. Her light weight and petite form gave her the agility and ability to maneuver complicated turns and execute difficult attacks.
Already, she had adapted to the sword, it was like like throwing kunai. She couldn't even feel the weight. And to add to that, she had mastered what most skilled samurai had to train years to acheive.
She could mask her fighting ki.
Soujiro knew, however, that if she were pushed too hard, and something emotional happened, that mask would break quite easily. But against the average foe, she was guaranteed to win and never show her true potential.
Misao released a growl as Soujiro charged at her, drawing his nihonto back and striking forward in a horizontal arc. Misao parried the blade with her own before throwing it off and sending a thrust forward at Soujiro's heart. Soujiro side-stepped the attack, bringing his own sword down on top of Misao's.
Pinning her sword to the ground he grinned at her. Misao was ready with kick to his open ribs. The forcing knocking him back, she freed her own weapon and spun around, creating a looping arc preparing to crush it down onto the back of Soujiro's skull. Soujiro whirled around as well, their swords clashing together.
Both tested each other's strength before jumping back. Misao took a moment before throwing a two point thrust at him that he successfully parried.
Misao grinned then lashed out a handful of kunai, dead on target. Soujiro blinked and then disappeared. Appearing behind Misao as her kunai embedded into a tree, he raised his sword to bring down on her head.
Instead, his jaw was cracked upwards as Misao stood on her hands and delivered both of her feet to his face. She was careful not to kick too hard, but she knew he would feel the pain for a few days. Flipping over back to her feet into a crouching position, Misao brought her sword up and around in a slow, but powerful strike.
She met air.
Growling again as she heard Soujiro chuckle from behind her, she darted forward, jumping up and landing horizontally on the tree, and pushed herself off towards Soujiro before gravity could pull her down. She completed her propelling attack by twisting as she launched off the trunk, spiraling forward with her blade pointed at Soujiro.
If he wasn't as fast as he was, he would be pulling a very long piece of metal out of his chest. However, being that he was the Tenken, things just weren't going to turn out like that.
At the last possible second, Soujiro jumped into the air as Misao sailed past him. In a quick motion, he sheathed his sword as he came back down, wrapping his arms around Misao's waist as his added weight sent her spiral off center and both collided to the ground, rolling a good few feet before their momentum stopped. Soujiro laid on his side, his arms tightly around Misao's waist, who was bristling as she released her sword. "That was so NOT fair!!"
"That I'm fast or that I didn't let you finish your attack?"
"BOTH!"
Soujiro laughed outloud as he sat up, pulling Misao up to a sitting position as well. "Don't worry, I'm sure you would have completed it with perfection."
"No, perfection would be my blade sticking out of your scrawny chest," Misao huffed, folding her arms across her breasts and glaring at him.
Soujiro feigned hurt. "I am not scrawny!"
"Yeah, right. You just recently succeeded Himura in height."
Soujiro sweatdropped. "So I'm not Sagara-san's height, I'm still not scrawny! You're the scrawny one! I thought you were a child when Himura and I first battled."
Misao's mouth dropped as she gaped at Soujiro. She sputtered and tried to make a sentence as Soujiro fell backwards laughing. The look on her face was priceless. "Maa, Maaa...I was joking! Honto ni!"
Misao scowled. "Yeah, I'll bet."
Soujiro propped himself up on his elbow and grinned a very cheshire cat-like grin. Misao leaned back, staring at him. "What?"
"You don't have a child's body. Obviously, I know. Especially when you exit the bathhouse with a white yukata hanging to your wet skin."
Misao's mouth dropped open as her hand connected with Soujiro's face. "HENTAI!" she shrieked.
Soujiro, even while defending himself, was laughing his head off. "I can't help it Misao-san!! It's kinda OBVIOUS!"
"WHY YOU! MOU!!" Misao launched herself at him, determined to wrap her fingers around his 'scrawny' neck. Finally straddling him, she pulled his arms from his face he was protecting. "C'mon, let up. I'm not going to hit you. Yet..."
Soujiro, still shaking from laughter peeked through his barrier of arms. "Uh huh. Yet. That's the key word, Misao."
He felt Misao's grip on him drop completely and he blinked, moving his arms out of the way. She was staring at him with a slightly surprised look on her face. "Eh? Nani yo?"
"That's the first time You've ever said my name without the formal..."
Soujiro shrugged. "It...slipped?"
"NO!" Misao yelled, causing Soujiro to pull his arms to his face again. "I've been WANTING you to drop that damned formality!"
"Oh..." Soujiro replied, dropping his arms to his sides. "So you don't mind being just 'Misao'?"
"Of course not! You using -san all the time makes me feel like we're not best friends!!"
"Well then, I won't use it anymore. For now on it's just Misao....san."
"OOoouuu!!"
Finally, Misao just sighed and looked down at him. "I'm hungry. What's for dinner?"
"What does Misao want?"
"Food."
Soujiro sweatdropped as Misao smirked. Reaching over him, she grabbed her discarded weapon and sheathed it. "Ne, I guess my training is coming along pretty well, huh?"
Soujiro nodded and replied, "Very. Misao, you have more potential than I ever thought to begin with. I'm impressed. You are making a fine fighter."
Misao smiled widely from her position above him. "And I have you to thank for that Sou-kun. Without you, I would still be the heartbroken mess I was when we met. You have no idea how much I am debt to you."
Quickly as she could, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to Soujiro's cheek. The latter turned four shades redder and stuttered a reply. "You-you're welcome, Misao..."
"Ne, so when's that dinner?"
Soujiro was about to reply when both he and Misao sensed a strong ki right before Soujiro pushed Misao off of him and unsheathed his sword. "Behind me, Misao!"
"Damnit, Sou! I can fight, too!"
"Not for this, I won't let you."
"Why not?" Misao spat, angrily. She then realized the aura was familiar. Faintly.
A figure at the end of the clearing drew her attention. The rapidly setting sun did nothing to help her see who stood there, but upon seeing the long staff, arched blade protruding from the end, in the shadow's hand, she knew who it was before they stepped out of the shadows.
"The scythe-weilder..." Misao hissed.
"...Kamatari." Soujiro finished.
The girlish man smiled and raised his huge scythe into the air, walking up to the two until he was a few yards away. As the sun vanished behind the hills, the crossdresser spoke.
"Makimachi Misao. Shinomori Aoshi has demanded your return to the Oniwabanshuu. I am here to collect you. And you, Sou, will not get in my way."
Soujiro's smile was not present as he glared at his former comrade. "We'll see about that, Kamatari."
But only Soujiro knew that Kamatari might beat him. Misao had injured him during their spar. Kamatari had the advantage.
Knowing he was not going to let Misao fight, he charged anyway, the Tenken's smile gracing his lips before he let loose a battle cry and attacked.
Tsuzukeru...
----------
A/N: Dum dum dum!! So now we know who Aoshi hired! Hey, at least I updated. Put the pitchforks down. NOW! Anywho, as I listen to my collection of Gundam Wing music, feel free to leave a review, reach my other RK fics or even read my other anime fics and continue on with life in a jolly way. ^^;;
**Ignore the grammar, I do**
Phoe-chan. ^_~