Forever Love

By : Sissi

Chapter V

Aoshi sat quietly on the floor, his hands lying neatly on his crossed legs. His eyes were closed, though he was aware of his surroundings. He waited until the person outside the door would enter. From the shy breathing and attempted silence, he presumed it was Misao.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Enter."

He had been indeed correct. The young girl stepped inside, her small feet careful not to make any sound. She placed a tray with a cup of tea and some wheat biscuits on the floor beside him. He still had his eyes closed.

"I thought you'd like to eat something," she explained whilst cleaning her hands on her clothes. "It is getting late and you haven't had dinner," she pressed.

"Arigatou, Misao. You can go now. It is late and you should be asleep." She nodded feebly and left the place, not before closing the shoji door. As he heard the thin wall being put back to its place, he snapped his eyes open. The room had not sounded so silent until her arrival. He looked down and saw the tray, some wild flowers placed near the food. He grabbed some and stared at them. They were of pure white, contrasting with the darkness of the room at night.

He ate some biscuits, the smooth texture pleasing his senses. Standing up, he opened the thin paper door and left the dark room, inhaling the cold and fresh night air. The sky was moonless tonight, he noticed. Only stars decorated that huge black velvet called sky.

He started walking on the battered path, his sandals hitting some stones once in a while. As he neared the house where his grandfather and Misao were, he could not help but remember the fact that there was a small lake near there. He paused and thought for a moment. With a slight shake of his head, he changed his previous direction and strolled leisurely down the path to the lake.

Fireflies flew near the surface of the water, the light emanated from their body twinkling passionately. They did not have a determined way to fly; some flew higher, others, lower. Some flew quickly around the plants that grew near the lake; others preferred the stillness of the water which easily reflected themselves like a gigantic natural mirror.

Who was he? He was just a small firefly who was too confused to know where he should go. His life had always been so easy, he had always known what to do or feel. Yet, lately, it had been a huge mess, literally. His life ought to have come back to normal after he had returned from the war, where he had fought along with his comrades, fighting for their lives.

No, fighting for their shougun for he was the one who held their lives within his hands. He had promised him his loyalty and so it should be. Did it matter that he felt confused? No. His life was not his.

He sat on the edge of the lake and slipping off his sandals, he let the water touch his hot skin. The cold liquid sent shivers down his spine, but he could notice his reaction. He watched his surroundings, so quite and still. The animals seemed to notice his morose mood. Everything was falling apart; his father was dying, his friends were dead and Megumi...she was still a geisha, still able to please other man that was not him.

Catching a small pebble near him, he thew it onto the water surface, watching as it hit the surface once, twice and then sink into its depths.

He stood up and after wearing his sandals again, he left the place. He needed some sleep, for his mind was already too full to think properly. Maybe tomorrow, he might find the answers to all his problems, starting with his father.



* * * * * * * * *



"What are you doing here?" the small girl asked the boy who was hidden in the corner of the living room, trying to hide himself from the others. She watched him for some minuted, when she sat down, crossed her legs and waited for an answer.

The boy lifted his face, and when Megumi saw his eyes full of tears which threatened to fall down, she smiled and put her hands over his. "Are you Shinomori-san's son?"

He nodded, and after some moments of wondering what to do, he calmed himself and did not try to take away his hands from her grasp. Megumi seemed to notice this, and after smiling once again, she looked around to see of anyone was there. Assured that they were alone, she told him a secret.

"My daddy's the best doctor in the world. Don't worry, your father will be cured, you'll see." She closed her eyes and nodded, satisfied with her words. The boy, called Aoshi, stared at her, eyes wide, as if in awe, and hastily stood up, taking the girl with him. "Are you serious?" He asked eagerly. Megumi nodded emphatically and he relaxed.

"I think I'll go see my dad."

"That would be nice. Would you like me to go with you?"

"...yes..."

"Okay! Let's go!"

She took his hand and ran in the direction of a closed door. Aoshi, who rarely smiled, did it for the first time since his father had fallen ill. Unfortunately, Megumi did not see this, for she was looking at door that separated this boy from his father.



Megumi woke up to find herself locked inside a luxurious room, the beige walls confining her lithe form. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands and tried to focus on her whereabouts. It was not the time to wonder what her dream was about. She looked at place and, certainly, this was a nobleman's place. Could it be a samurai's? Impossible; not even them could afford so much money.

She was lying on a beautiful Chinese bed made of the finest wood with small animal forms decorating it. Dragons, tigers and phoenixes fought against themselves, none winning for their strength matched. The fine bed cloth and the pillows were so soft that she could hardly believe they were real. She touched one pillow with her index finger, tracing a small path from the top to the end, relishing the sensation.

The shoji screen slid open and Megumi gasped. She had been certain that she was locked inside that room. It seems that she had been wrong, how amusing.

"Ohayo," the figure of a thin and fragile woman appeared. She was clad in a beautiful silk kimono, the dark colour accenting her pale features. Her red eyes watched the young woman carefully. "How are you feeling?"

Megumi thought for a second. "Terrible." The other girl only nodded, placing some tea on the low table near one of the corners of the room. She lifted the cup and offered it to Megumi, startling her. Yet, she did not back down. She accepted it but did not drink its content.

"It is not poisoned, you know," the other replied, watching Megumi intently. Megumi glared, not used to hearing this type of comment directed towards her, but as she saw her genuine amusement, she sighed and sipped the tea. Very good, she thought. Almost perfect.

"Who are you?" Megumi asked, forgetting her etiquette at that moment.

"My name is Tomoe. You are in my brother's home." Megumi waited but nothing else came. This made her a little frustrated, for she learned nothing useful from this woman called Tomoe. Who was this brother of hers? The man who had kidnapped her? No, not very plausible, she reckoned. She sighed once again. It seemed that she was sighing a lot lately, as if she had resigned herself, which was partly true.

"Tired?"

"A little, but if I could take a bath..." she trailed off, nervous as to what she would receive as an answer. After all, she was being kept captive there, a prisoner, not a family's guest.

Not only did Tomoe surprise her by saying yes, but she stood up and opened the shoji screen for her, waiting Megumi to follow her to the bathing house. Everything was so strange, she thought miserably. She could not understand what was happening!

"Take your time. A servant will be waiting for you outside the the room."

"Arigatou."

Tomoe nodded and left her alone. Megumi turned around and started walking to the hot waters that were inviting her in. She smiled.

As she neared the waters, she took off her kimono, which was a little damp from the other day. Or was it yesterday? She frowned. She could not remember how long she had been unconscious, but if the storm was already far from Japan, then it probably had pasted at least one day. Maybe two days? She was not certain.

Placing the discarded cloth on a grey stone, she stepped inside the hot water, letting out a sigh of pleasure. She lifted her long hair up and let if fall like black ink dissolving in the transparent liquid. She cupped her hands and gathering some water, she splashed it on her face, cleaning her. It felt terribly good.

The place was extremely calm and beautiful, with small birds chirping on the trees. The bathing house was outside the main house, in a garden with many flowers and trees. She felt like mother Nature was taking care of her, soothing her battered soul. She closed her eyes and listened to the songs the birds sang, so lively and enthusiastic...

She wished she were a bird and be able to fly away whenever she felt like it. She wanted to be free, to hold no responsibility other than to carry on her species by having children. She wanted to have no plans, no hopes, for they can be easily broken. Promises? Also easily broken.

Live your life everyday. Wasn't it what animals did for living? Well, if that was the case, then she would gladly lose her reason and turn into a carefree creature. It would all be so easy...

But it would not sound like Megumi Takani, the fiery woman known by everyone. The woman who would fight till the end, who would risk everything for her beloved ones. No, this was certainly not Megumi Takani. And with this in mind, she opened her eyes, a strange light inside her hazel orbs.

She would fight till the end.

All right, she still had no idea of what mess she was in, but she would not be defeated. She would not accept her fate like she had done some time before. She would not run like a scared child, she would raise her chin and stare defiantly at her enemy.

"I am Megumi Takani."



* * * * * * * * *



"I am Megumi Takani."

Enishi watched, near the bathing house, the woman with amused eyes. So, she still has her spirit after all, huh? Very interesting, if not to say, very good. He was tired of the dull path his life had been following lately, and by acquiring this geisha, he was sure everything would turn differently.

But, he mused, not only will she be able to attend to his domestic needs, she will also be very useful to his political affairs. Yes, very useful indeed.

He turned his back and retreated to his office. He sat on his chair and opened the letter he had just received. The blurred kanjis showed him that the writer was nervous and probably, he did not have much time. In some places, he could notice a small trembling, as if the writer was very scared. Of what? Oh yes, he must be afraid of me, he thought, whilst a small grin started to spread on his lips.

So, Aoshi has left Kyoto, what a pity. He still had no idea that his koi was in his possession, indicating that his plan would take some time to be effective. Yes, only with his presence would he be able to attack the shougun with a plausible excuse. Until then...he could enjoy her companionship. After all, she is a geisha, right? A woman whose job is to please her clients, and now, he was her master. He grinned.

He was startled when he heard someone knocking on his door. Putting the letter inside his clothes, he replied, "enter."

"Brother? Lunch is ready."

He watched fondly his dear sister, so beautiful and caring that sometimes, he could not believe she was real. Yet, there she was, standing in front of him, her calm eyes staring back at him. He nodded and smiled, only to her. She seemed to notice this, for her eyes gained a new colour, a secret emotion swirling inside of them. She smiled back, which made him want to hug her and never let go.

"Very well. Is Megumi ready?"

"I don't think so. She's just entered the bathing quarters.."

"You're right. Very well, shall we go?"

She nodded and took his arm. Both, sister and brother, left his office, not before she casted a last glance behind her. That office held too many secrets, and she was determined to find out, just so she could protect her brother.

She loved him and would protect him from any harm.

She clung to his arm with more force.

TBC...

I'd like to thank Laurie Paris for her lovely review ^^. Thank you so much! You made my day so much better when I read your review! And, it wasn't me, I have never said I wanted to become a romance novelist, but thanks again.

By the way, I just want to say why it took forever for this chaoter to be posted. Well, first of all, I was having a hard time figuring out a good and coherent plot. Secondly, I'd lost my interest in writing fics in English. I know, it might sound strange, but English is not my first language, it is Portuguese, and they are quite different. So, that's why there are some spelling/grammar mistakes in this story, and I want to apology for this. Anyway, I think I'm back in the market! ^^ j/k j/k 

Okay, I guess I'm done ^^. See you all in the next chapter!

Sissi