Chapter 7- Run Around Rhapsody

By: Ochako107

Standard Disclaimers Apply

On to chapter 7!!

"You know, you don't look half bad in a suit, Ken-san." Megumi said straightening his tie. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were made to wear these clothes at one time."

"Oro. . . thanks Megumi-dono."

"Anytime handsome." She winked. They turned around to see Kaoru cough loudly. "Oh Kaoru, I was just telling Ken-san how great he looks, don't you agree?"

She smiled shyly. "He does. . ."

"Come out and show Ken-san what you look like when you're not a sweaty tomboy."

"Megumi!"

Megumi laughed and pulled Kaoru through the door. She wore a long dark plum colored gown that had a short train behind her and slanted up in the front. It had silky straps that wove behind here like ribbon all the way down her small back. Her hair was up in its traditional ponytail with a black ribbon and matching black heals. "Um . . . well what do you think, Kenshin?"

"Ken-san, you jaw is dropping, ohoho!"

He snapped it back up and grinned warmly at her. "You look beautiful. . . Kaoru." She silently thanked him for leaving the horrific off her name. A knock came to the door and Sano entered wearing a sports coat over a white dress shirt with a black button. The button held the collar together in the middle.

"I feel stupid and stiff. I can't move."

"No, no it looks sexy, Sano." He stiffened at Megumi's comment.

"Oi, kitsune, what's with all the swayed comments? Hmm. . . ." He looked her up and down. "You're not looking too shabby either. It's just missing something."

Megumi spun around in her red strapless gown. It hugged her curves in the middle, but flared out as she spun giving a sparkling effect at the bottom. She had clear heals that had red straps and a matching headband. She wore her long ebony hair down.

"Oh really, tori-atama, and what's that?" Sano pulled out from behind him a white carnation and slipped it into her hair.

Megumi touched the soft flower by her ear carefully and smiled at him. "Thank you." She pecked him lightly on the cheek before grabbing her handbag. "Okay, I've got microphones for all of us. It's hooked together so we'll be able to hear everything from each other." She placed the small chips in her friend's hands. "Now where is the 'engaged' couple?"

"Aoshi told Sano and me to wait outside for them that he did." Kenshin offered Kaoru his arm. "Shall we go out now?" The group left the office building while people in the office gave whistles or simply stared at them.

"It's like we're going to prom all over again." Megumi commented.

Kaoru sighed thinking of her past. "I hated high school . . ."

"What the hell are you talking about? It was SO fun--" Sano started.

"Ano . . . that was because you cut class sometimes, Sano, de goza . . ."

"WELL GO TELL THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD, WHY DON'T YA!?"

Sorjirou popped his head into the hallway. "Good luck guys! Be safe!"

"We will Sorjirou, don't worry your little head about it." Megumi waved a hand to him.

"Ah, I won't, Megumi-san. You can count on me to fill Hiko with details later! Good luck!" And like he was never even standing in the hallway to begin with he disappeared into his cubical.

Finally meeting outside, they waited at the curb. "Well, where the hell is ice man and weasel anyway?" Sano said to no one in particular, feeling uneasy how people outside were staring at them. "Can't we wait inside?"

Kaoru stepped next to Sano. "No baka, they said to meet them out here." As if on cue a limo came up to the office building, and out stepped Misao followed by Aoshi. She blushed and clasped her hands in front of her. On her left ring finger a small gold band glittered in the afternoon sunset.

"Wow, don't you look cute?" Kaoru smiled at Misao. She had on a sea green gown that was a halter at the top. A deep blue sash wrapped around her tiny frame and the bow trailed on the floor behind her. She had her hair in its customary braid held by a small gold clip and black thong sandals with the straps wrapping around her petite legs.

Aoshi on the other hand was wearing khaki slacks, a black trench coat and a black collared shirt under it with three buttons left undone. Though they fought the day before, Aoshi and Misao remembered they were spies. They had to be masters of disguise. That included their feelings towards each other. They decided to pretend it didn't happen and not let their feelings get in the way of the mission. Their feelings would not be open, at least not today.

"Thanks, Kaoru. All of you look really good too." Misao replied. The group piled into the car and made their drive to the Shishio estate.

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As they were pulling up to the driveway, Kaoru and Kenshin were giving directions in the rightful leadership way.

Kaoru cleared her throat, "Okay, so remember we can all hear each other in the microphones. Find Shishio but don't scare the other people attending this party. If you need help, well I'm sure we can figure it out."

"If you meet any of the Juppangatana, don't look too suspicious and don't draw too much attention that you shouldn't. Take them out as quickly as possible and move on. No weapons inside the building so rely on your physical abilities that you should. Misao-dono, turn your purse out please."

She looked side to side at Sano who turned away and Aoshi who closed his eyes. "Himura! Why am I the first suspect? Why not Kaoru? She could be hiding something!"

Kenshin just stared at Misao.

Misao made a big sigh blowing her bangs out of her face. "Luck was never really on my side. I don't have any kunai with me, look." She turned her purse upside down, a few regular things falling out: lipstick, a compact mirror, money, a comb, a ball point pen and bits of wadded up gum in paper. "Ehehe, forgot to throw that away." They all checked their microphones and began to get out of the limbo.

"Ow, Sano you stepped on my toe!" Megumi hit him over the head with her purse.

"Sorry! God why are women so damn violent all the time?" (Whack!) "OW!"

"Ah welcome guests! Name please?" A man suddenly asked grinning like a Chester cat. Sano rubbed his sore head while Megumi gave the attendant their invitations. After proceeding through the gates, they entered an enormous ballroom with two floors filled with many different people. Not to mention a long table of food, champagne and in the corner a small orchestra played some soft melodic symphony.

"Wow, this guys loaded!" Misao whispered to Aoshi. The group made their way to the birthday girl.

"Ah! Misao, Megumi, Kaoru! As you see I wasn't so drunk at my get-together to forget!" Yumi said. Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Aoshi's eyes almost fell out. She wore a very low cut dress that showed as much cleavage as possible, coming down to her navel. It was an off white color with slits on the dress that came up to her upper thigh. The 'dress' practically had no back, swooping all the way to her tailbone. To complete the look, a pair of black stiletto heals.

Kaoru flashed her teeth while smiling, wanting to smack Kenshin upside his head for staring at the obviously curvier woman before them. "It's nice to see you again, Yumi. I hope you are having a happy birthday. This is Kenshin, my boyfriend, Sanosuke who is with Megumi and Aoshi whose Misao's fiancé."

Yumi looked them up and down swirling her champagne glass around in her hand. "Why, what handsome men you are, if you weren't attached to these stunning girls I would eat you up." She gave them a sultry glance before direction her attention to Aoshi.

"So you are this mystery man hum? Congrats darling, take care of Misao. Now, I must be going. I have many guests to attend to." With that, she winked at them and ever so slowly swayed her hips as she walked from the livid women and trying-not-to-look men.

Misao rolled her eyes. "My God, why doesn't she just come naked, it isn't like we could tell anyway. It looks like a lion ripped her so called clothes." They began wandering around as pairs making small talk with so and so people.

"Oh, Meg, look! FOOD . . ." He began pulling her towards the lavish buffet table filled with many cocktail items and alcoholic beverages.

"Not now, Sano!" She hissed using her own strength to pull him in the opposite direction. Surprisingly she was stronger than a hungry Sano.

At around nine in the evening, a voice called everyone's attention towards the second floor. "Hello ladies and gentlemen welcome to my dear Yumi's birthday bash." Shishio spoke. "I hope everyone is having a good time. I'd like everyone to sing her Happy Birthday now." The guests clapped politely as Yumi stepped beside her lover and everyone began singing.

Megumi and Sano spoke into their microphones. "There he is, Makato Shishio."

Misao's eyes widened in horror. "Oh yuck he is so revolting! He looks like he was fried, strung from a wire, then made a wad of toilet paper that came back from the-"

"We get your point, itachi that we do." Kenshin said back politely.

"Battousai, he's moving." Aoshi said. "Follow in, come on itachi." Aoshi and Misao made their way towards the staircase Shishio was coming down. He had a smile, but it wasn't really amicable. The smile was more like an 'I will kill you stupid ants' kind of smile. They hid in the crowd and saw him go down a hallway.

"Okashira, where is he headed?" Sano asked into the microphone.

"He is moving down a hallway in the east wing. We'll stand guard and you guys follow in."

Sano took Megumi's hand gently. "Excuse me," he said an octave lower than usual to the ladies Megumi was chatting to, "come now, Megumi. My friend is waiting for us over there." He said pointing in a random direction. The girls began swooning over Sano feeling weak in their knees.

"Yes, dear." Megumi fluttered her eyes while following him. Once they were out of the women's range, she dug her nails into his palm making him bite his lip in pain. Then she whispered quite harsh, "Where are Misao and Aoshi?"

"Those two are standing guard. Come on we have to move fast and stop digging your nails into my hand!" They began walking a bit faster and made their way towards the hallway.

"We see you, Zanza, go ahead. Battousai . . ." Aoshi started to say.

"Ah, Kaoru and I are watching out for the Juppongatana." Kenshin spoke quietly. Aoshi and Misao stood by the dance floor and watched their comrades, Megumi and Sano, follow in after Shishio. Misao closed her eyes swaying to the light waltz playing now.

"It's beautiful . . ." She said to herself. Aoshi watched her rock slightly. Why . . . why did he have to be so stupid? He knew she was right, he did block everyone away from him and it was just who he was. He could not believe this girl before him actually made him snap. He felt a rush of emotions, love, annoyance, and anger. He did not know how to handle it.

That night, when he left, he took a long walk, just thinking and trying to calm himself down. He felt as if he was walking in circles, the gusts of wind blowing a chill over his hardened face. It suits him, the icy man he was deserved nothing but the cold wind and the empty feeling. He found himself looking up into Misao's window. He could see her silhouette bent over her vanity brushing her hair. Such a person shouldn't be with him. But he needed her happiness, her spontaneous life. It was a contrast to him and he liked this feeling.

He snapped back to her Misao's angelic voice. He owed her a dance, he knew. Maybe it would be one lame attempt to fix what he messed up. "It sounds . . ." She didn't finish as Aoshi slowly pulled her to the dance floor.

"If it is one thing I do, I do slow dance." Misao sighed and leaned into his chest still keeping a close eye on the hallway their friends went into. She didn't want to have anything with him. He was a cruel man with no heart. So she tried to convince herself. A few of the orchestra members began whispering as they watched the couple on the far corner of the dance floor.

"Oh give me a break, Okashira." Sano said into the microphone. "Where the hell did you pick that line up?"

"Leave them alone, you baka and concentrate on Shishio." Megumi scolded. Sano was dragged into a dark corner as they watched Shishio stand by a door. One man walked over to him and began whispering into his ear.

"Shishio-sama, I may be blind but I sense two people behind that wall to the left; a male and a female. Shall I take them out, sir?"

Shishio grinned. "No, just get the girl. Those people from PCW I am expecting. Yumi said she had a meeting with three girls she met in Florida and invited to this party. Stupid girl†we never even went to Florida." He looked over his shoulder at the wall where Sano and Megumi were hiding, still speaking low to one of the Juppongatana. "I know for a fact since I saw those people at Zone yesterday, there seems to be a thing between their counterparts. Good thing we did our research on one Makamachi, Takani, and Kamiya." Shishio entered the doors leaving the blind man to the two people behind the wall.

"You know, Kitsune." Sano dropped his voice an octave again. "It's kind of nice being this close to you in a dark corner."

She lifted an eyebrow. "What are you, still in middle school? Don't get any funny ideas, hentai."

"That's right, no funny ideas" A voice spoke behind them. Megumi gasped and they both turned around. "Black out." He punched Sano in the face, and then slammed him into the wall knocking him unconscious.

Megumi gave a shrill scream before pulling a bomb from her purse. He pulled her away from the corner pushing her body into his. "Oh get off you pervert!"

"What's this?" He yanked her wrist hard releasing the bomb from her hand. He examined it carefully then smirked. "I may be blind, but I know a bomb when I feel one. Shishio-sama will love to meet you." With that, Megumi's world was rendered unconscious as he carried her towards the room Shishio was in.

As the mysterious blind man walked away smirking, Megumi groaned out an incoherent mumble. What was it? Was it a feeling of insecurity or of the in eventful that was forming in her gut? She swayed her head slightly as a single white carnation fluttered down falling onto the floor lightly, like a feather of a snow owl onto a still, eerie frozen pond.

Moments later, Sano finally got up. "Oh my head . . . hey Megumi are you okay? Kenshin, Kaoru, Misao, Aoshi, are you there?" He looked around for the young vixen. "Hey, there's no time to play games hua, kitsune?" Startled he felt his foot crush something soft. Lifting it he found the crushed white carnation he'd given Megumi, now smoothed out and torn in places. He picked it up and noticed it had turned brown from lack of care. He pounded his fist into the wall, eyes in a death glare. Sano squeezed the wilted flower in his tight fist and threw it down as he took his legs back to the ballroom as fast as his legs would allow. "Damnit, I let them take her! You guys, come in! Come in, KENSHIN!"

There was no answer.

A/N: I feel kind of stupid doing this, but they have code names and stats. As listed this is what they are. I mean, in cause you didn't know and I feel bad for leaving you out! You may skip it all if you really don't care. (When I say 'you really don't care' I do not mean it in a rude way because I'm sure you care! Just if you don't feel like you need to know any of this, or are in a rush, I'm not forcing you to read all this stuff you probably already know , but I really cannot force you anyway because this is through a screen and--)

Okay shutting up now

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Himura Kenshin Battousai (manslayer) - leader of male team and uses a sakabatou (reversed blade)

Sagara Sanosuke Zanza (fighter for hire) - second in command for Kenshin and uses his fists

Shinomori Aoshi Okashira (leader) - third in command for Kenshin uses his kodachis (it's a medium length sword) and kempo, also an omitsu (spy/ninja)

Kamiya Kaoru Tanuki (raccoon) - leader of female team and uses a bokutou (wooden sword I believeâ€) and expert in poisons (but that's just a joke)

Makamachi Misao Itachi (weasel) – second in command for Kaoru uses kunai (like throwing knives) and kempo, also the kunoichi (female spy/ninja) of the female group, she collects research by disguising herself

Tankani Megumi Kitsune (fox) – third in command for Kaoru also a doctor in training, researcher and expert in bombs

Everyone is in there early/ late twenties and early thirties. Their age is in order like the manga/ anime. So Kenshin is the oldest (not old, just the most mature!) then comes Aoshi, Megumi, Sano, Kaoru and Misao. Funnily enough, Aoshi's name is 'leader', but he isn't the leader; Kenshin is.

By the way, the Juppongatana members I know are big huge guys with names and backgrounds on each of them, but for the sake of the story, I won't mention them all. Just the few I think will work for this story. Sorry all! I believe the ones I'll use you know. (Assuming isn't always good, but it'll work here.)

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Thanks to everyone who reviewed or read my work!

Jahiro19- Thanks a lot, Jahiro! I'm glad you like my story and don't worry. It's okay that you don't know much about RK, I won't shoot you. Or will I? (Inside joke people, I'm not really crazy)

Kimi.the.water.spirit. – Who said Misao was hiding anything? Tehehe, you will have to wait to see what happened to Misao. I've revised her scenario over and over and well . . . ah I can't give anything away! Not yet at least, but don't worry. Though this story is only 17 chapters long I'm thinking of a sequel. It's still coming along so don't expect it to come out any time soon! Gomen.

Anounymus T – That's so funny you didn't like that song in the previous chapter! It's not a favorite of mine either really, I like more country music, but I wrote this during the past summer when I thought the song was pretty okay. Then it was over played on the radio and I sort of got sick of it. Ah, I just didn't really want to change everything so I left that song there. Sorry you seem to hate that particular song and thank you for your suggestion of putting in Japanese lyrics instead!!

Keruri1222 – Wow, you always write such long reviews! Thanks a lot for commenting about how it, as you say, was exactly me. And it seems everyone is thinking there's something Misao's hiding, but you'll have to wait! Hope it throws you a spin. And yes, I did read Paradise, and reviewed! Need I say more?

Review Please!!!!!!!!!!!!