Chibi Ochita: I am sorry for not updating sooner very muchly so. I've been a bit busy. I will now insert a disclaimer.
I own no one of the Ruroni Kenshin cast very muchly so.
Enter Shin
Everything that is in darkness is in light.
Everything that is in whispers is in screams.
Air becomes solid and rock becomes nothingness.
Physical pain is something that can not be felt.
Blades become feathers that caress my skin.
Family becomes foe as the sun rises and moon sets.
I feel nothing, nothing at all.
Save the burning scars down my cheeks and the scares on my soul.
Save the scare on my neck that burns with its symbol.
Unwanted.
"KAORU-SAN!" The green eyed omnitsu hugged her friend tightly as she stepped off the platform of the train.
"MISAO-CHAN!" Kaoru laughed.
They ended their joyful embrace and looked at one another. Both friends were so happy to see each other. Sanosuke, Yahiko and Kenshin were all stepping off the platform…well…the clumsy ruroni fell off of it due to the fact that he was carrying all the luggage. Megumi smirked as she came off of it gracefully. Then she frowned and turned to the ex-street fighter.
"Tori-atama! Help Ken-san with the luggage!" She scowled.
"Hai, Kitsune-hime." He mocked her as he grabbed some of the bags from the swirly eyed ruroni.
Kenshin got up only to be glomped by an overly energetic ninja shouting, "Himura!"
"Oro?" Kenshin exclaimed as he was floored once more.
Misao popped to her feet and gave an award winning weasel grin, "I can't wait for the festival."
As always, she'd probably concocted some crazy plan to get Aoshi out of the temple and to the fest. The icy eyed man with the cold demeanor, although the opposite of Misao, was who she'd picked to love. Why? Hell if Kaoru knew. She barely new the man. He was just always…there. Never polite, and never rude, always indifferent to everything. At least they had a week to figure out a way to get him to go to the festival.
That'll take some brain work.
Misao bounced around happily chatting with Kaoru, seemingly telling the older girl everything that had happened sense the last time they saw each other. They walked out of the busy train station and into the equally busy street of Kyoto. Kaoru sighed a little and watched Kenshin walk ahead of everyone. His walk was his normal half off balanced way. All of a sudden he stopped and the bags in his arms fell to the ground with a thud. Kaoru ran up to him and looked at him. His eyes had a strange glint in them that she'd seen a little too often for comfort. The only thing that had surprised her was the fact that they were wide open and staring in seeming disbelief at…a little black haired girl with gray eyes who was currently daydreaming..? All of a sudden the girl snapped back to reality as a woman who was obviously the little girls mother came by and grabbed her by the arm so she wouldn't get lost. The little girl smiled brightly at her mother. Kenshin shook his head and exhaled a breath he'd been holding.
"Kenshin, diajobu?" Kaoru asked concerned.
Kenshin gave his famous ruroni smile to Kaoru and said, "Hai Kaoru-dono."
He leaned down and picked up the bag but Kaoru saw that he was shaking. She became worried and offered to help but he rejected her offer. He just walked on a little faster then usual. When they reached the Aoi-ya, to everyone's surprise, Aoshi was out side waiting for them. Not to anyone's surprise, he had on his stoic, calm, emotionless face as always. Sano, of who, was caring an impossible amount of luggage, as was Kenshin, because Kaoru had gone through all her kimono's to pick out the ones that would fit Misao, which seemed to be all of them, shouted, "Oi, ice-cube, a little help over here!"
Aoshi dismissed the insult in his usually icy way. He fixed his eyes on Kenshin and walked forward to take the luggage from him. He stopped before Kenshin and bent down to take the luggage. The red head let him and he led all of them inside, leaving poor Sano to stumble in after them. As Aoshi carried the bags up to their rooms, he saw his friend beside him staring at the ground in a strange way. It wasn't like the ruroni to not start a conversation with the ninja thus leading Aoshi to the conclusion that something was wrong.
"Something wrong, Battosai?" He asked.
"Iie. Nothing is wrong de gozaru." Kenshin smiled at the taller man.
Aoshi looked at his friend's face and saw that there was defiantly something different. There was something wrong with him. The smile seemed to be so strained it almost looked painful. Aoshi not knowing how to say it in his own words cleared his throat, "Then, in Sagara's words, 'What's with the face'?"
Kenshin was very caught off guard with that, oro'd, and face vaulted. Aoshi stopped and looked even further down at the red haired man. Kenshin sighed a mushroom cloud, picked himself up as well as the bags, and muttered about crossing something off his 'never-thought-I'd-live-to-see-the-day' list. Aoshi stared at the older man with what looked to be expectance.
"Nothing is wrong de gozaru." Kenshin sighed.
"Then you wouldn't mind telling me what's on your mind?" Aoshi stated more than asked.
Kenshin knew that nothing could get by the stoic man, even if his happy façade could get by his other friends. He looked at Aoshi and sighed again saying, "Nothing really." What was he supposed to tell him? That memories and the present had started to collide within his mind? That his wishful thinking was starting to make him hallucinate?
Nothing? I'll believe that the day Okina stops being a letch and Misao willingly wears a kimono.
Aoshi decided not to press the matter any further. They dropped everything off in the right rooms and proceeded downstairs.
"Oh Misao-chan I just don't understand it." Kaoru whimpered as she hugged her friend.
"It's okay Kaoru-san, Himura has always been a bit distant." Misao tried to comfort her worried friend.
"But the way he looks…like something his torturing him from the inside…it makes me want to cry. His eyes get that strange glint and it's been happening more than usual. I thought after the Shishio incident it would never again appear on his face but now I see it and it's like I'm worried that he'll…I don't even know what to call it really…like…revert back into Battousia or something." Kaoru sobbed.
"Don't worry Kaoru-san, maybe it will go away. I'm sure Himura is fine." Misao gave her a weak smile.
Just then the shouji opened and Sanosuke walked in with a fish bone sticking out of his mouth. He frowned and asked, "What's going on Jou-chan?"
Sano regarded Kaoru as a younger sister therefore couldn't stand to see her cry, hell, he couldn't stand to see any woman cry, it was like some sort of weird weakness of his or something. He sat down next to them and stared at her, waiting for her to reply.
"Kenshin…he seems so-"
"Out of it? Yeah I know. Don't worry, whatever it is he'll get over it." Sano snorted then continued, "What I don't get is why he was staring at that little girl. Looked like he'd seen a ghost or something."
Kaoru cried, "I know. What's wrong with him?"
"Don't worry about it really, I'm sure Himura'll be fine." Misao smiled and hugged her friend closer.
But Misao had noticed the way the ruroni had stared at that little girl, disbelief mixed with yearning. She wasn't really sure her read headed friend was okay.
Ochita sat there playing that strange pipe of hers, long spindly, crooked, bent fingers dancing over the holes carved out of the obsidian tube. I stared at her wishing she would take of the hat. Why did she treasure it so much? We'd stopped to take a rest, the beginning of winter was setting in and traveling in the cold weather wasn't really such a great idea but I didn't complain. It really didn't bother me but I was concerned for Kai and Kasoku's health. I knew Ochita would be fine, she seemed to travel everywhere she pleased and didn't wish to come in contact with any towns. I wondered if it was because she didn't like being around so many people. I didn't understand why she didn't like that but I supposed it was because she found them annoying. I wasn't sure though.
We sat in the grassy meadow and I just listened to the beautiful notes of a somewhat sorrowful song she played. It flowed about touching and caressing me, making the urge to cry almost overpowering but still I sat there with a smile on my face. I remembered Kai asking me if it was because my face had gotten stuck in that position from smiling too much when I was little. He said his mother used to tell him that when he frowned, that it would get stuck on his face. I suppose that is what happened but not truly the essence of why I still let the smile display on my mouth. I didn't wish to bare my emotions to the world, to be totally vulnerable to criticism. If I let my smile fall I was afraid anyone would look into my eyes and find out that I was once a killer, the horrible things I had done. I wanted to hide my past from the world so I did…I hid it behind an emotionless smile that meant nothing to anyone but everything to me.
Ochita stopped playing and stood up, she walked towards me and sat behind me for some reason. I heard a small shredding sound and jumped when I felt her long fingers in my hair. It didn't feel as creepy as I thought it would, to have her slender digits rake through my hair. It almost felt kind of…nice. She stopped and tied my hair back. It had gotten pretty long, down to my shoulders, my bangs were sort of hanging down to my nose so she got in front of me, took out a tantou and cut some of them away. It almost felt natural for a moment and then to my horror I realized something. She had saved my life and taken care of me for the past two and a half months and I hadn't said thank you once to her. Hell! I didn't even call her Ochita-'san'. Then again that does sound kind of weird if you think about it. 'honorable fallen' someone that is fallen isn't honorable so I suppose I had subconsciously left off the honorific title. But still I had never ever been that rude in my life…well…anou…shit that didn't make sense. I mean I'd never been that rude to someone who had done something good for me. I quickly caught her hand and she tilted her head to the side in a quizzical way.
"Domo Ochita"
"Reh?" She asked, not really understanding where that even came from.
"Arigato…for everything." I murmured.
"Doitashimashite Seta-san." She spoke dazedly back.
We sat there in a sort of silence, I holding onto her wrist, letting it slide through my fingers and looking down at the grass, the smile still present on my face. I knew well that Ochita knew of my dealings with Shishio. How? I have absolutely no idea but I knew she did. How else would she know me? I knew for a fact that I'd never laid eyes upon her before…but something kept nagging me in the back of my mind. Her facial structure reminded me so much of someone but I couldn't place it and it frustrated me beyond reason. Still the fact that the girl knew of all the horrible things I'd done made me feel sick, but some how, that, in no way, made me self conscious around her. What was it about her that made me feel so at ease? Maybe it was the fact that she knew of my bloody past but that she accepted me despite it that made me feel this way. I stared at her emotionless moonstone eyes. At first I had found them creepy, I had found everything about her creepy but in an interesting way that borderlined twisted. Now when I looked at them I found them beautiful…strange but still beautiful. Her hair seemed to be a constant reminder of the color of blood, something that I had spilt many times. It at one point disgusted me yet fascinated me at the same time. Now I just wanted to take all of those knotted braids out and run my fingers through it just to see how it felt.
But the expressionless façade. I wished to wipe it off her face more than anything. I so desperately wanted to see her smile. It made me feel stupid, this obsession to find out anything I could about her, this want to see what it looked like when she was happy, this overwhelming curiosity that plagued me when ever I looked upon her sharp face. And her surname, I needed to know it. Why? Why did I want it though? Why was I doing this? Why was I following her around? Was it just out of my inquisitiveness and lack of better things to do or was it something more than that? I knew she had a reason for not telling me her patronymic. That only increased my interest in who Ochita really was. So many strange quirks about the girl, like the little metal piece on her ear, how on earth had she gotten a piece of the top of her ear cut out so that she had to now conceal it with that small metal bit? Why…why did the expression in her eyes reflect that of a soulless person but something about her face made you think she was sad?
Then I saw them.
Two very thin scars that ran down from her eyes in a pattern of which made it look like she was forever crying. They were faint but I could still see them easily and wondered why I hadn't before. How did she get them? Another mystery in the enigma that was Ochita. All of these questions tormented me. I had almost forgotten my reason for being a ruroni, to find the truth. But…. Then the thought slammed me in the back of the head like a brass hammer.
I wasn't a ruroni.
A wanderer has no destination in mind and I did. My destination was Ochita. Where she went I went. There was no wandering for me, it wasn't my decision to wander, I just followed her.
WHY???!!!!
All of these questions, all of these mysteries, all of this twisted way of living, everything just frustrated me more than not being able to find the truth. It made me want to scream and tear my hair out, beat my head against the ground…but I just smiled a dead pan smile and endured this torture of the mind.
I turned and watched Kai and Kasoku spar, both using around 17 down from real shukuchi, just little blurs zipping around. I smiled softly remembering teaching each of them about a month back to sense ki. Ochita and I couldn't really do a good demonstration seeing as we both didn't have ki but I knew how to show them otherwise. I blind folded each of them, set them apart, and told them to find each other. They were too far away to hear each other but about after a week they found each other in one of the little trial runs. They'd gotten better at it and could sense people a very far off distance. Ochita, to my surprised, knew how to use shurikin throwing stars and had taught Kai how to through them two months ago. She was a little too cautious to give something sharp and pointy to Kasoku. The giggling child could put someone's eye out or something if that happened. I had seen Kai throw them and noticed that he had copied Ochita. He wasn't as good at it as she herself was but never the less he always hit his target which happened to be a tree or some poor unsuspecting bandit.
All of a sudden both Ochita and I went tense. We heard footsteps, many of them coming in our direction, boots snapping leaves and twigs as they crunched through the forest behind us. We both stood up, Ochita slipping on her hat, we grabbed the hilts of our swords, and spun around. I called for Kai and Kasoku to stop sparring and to get behind me. They did as told and…
No.
"Shi no Tenshi, Tenken, you are under arrest for assassination." The cop announced.
I saw the unit of rifle men behind him and then I heard gun shots. I turned to Ochita and saw her block a bullet with her…wrist? Then I saw what was on her wrist. It was a shackle. I quickly jumped in front of Kai and grabbed him taking off knowing Ochita would follow with Kasoku soon after. We both disappeared but I soon saw her running beside me. I was too stunned to do anything at all besides run. She grabbed my hand and jerked me in some direction. We both darted through the forest going at an impossible speed, I working my hardest just to keep up with her. I heard a distant sound and then we came out of the forest. Ochita, still holding my hand, leapt into the air, I flying behind her. I heard the sound and all of a sudden I realized that a train was coming by and just as we were landing it came under us. We both landed on the roof of the train and held on tight to the boys. I looked at Ochita and too my horror I saw that the bullet had gone through the manacle on her wrist hitting…an artery. I saw a bullet wound through her shoulder and one through her side. I shifted to get closer to her but I felt pain and looked down. A bullet had blown through my side as well. Thankfully I had picked Kai up one handed and carried him on my other side or else it would have surely hit him. Even in my pain I still got closer to Ochita of who did not wince in the slightest at the pain she was enduring by holding Kasoku close in her lap. She got into her bag and took out a marble, jammed it into her wrist, took out a bandage and stick, and made a tourniquet. I remember her telling me that she couldn't really feel anything and slightly wondered if that also meant she had the inability to feel pain.
"Ochita?" I whispered and her head snapped in my direction immediately.
"Aa." She whispered back.
I didn't really know what to say. I was scared. I'd failed. I thought I could protect the people I cared about but I couldn't. I couldn't protect them from my past.
"I couldn't out run my past." I whispered to her.
A small curve came to her lips and she spoke quietly and as dreamily as ever, "No Seta-san, you can out run your past easily. We just weren't trying to do that at the present time. There is only one thing you can not out run."
It slightly surprised me so I asked, "What?"
"Your shadow." And with that Ochita passed out.
I caught her and tears streamed down my face, blowing away into the wind as I held her limp form. I saw something else in her hand, a note. I picked it from her closed fist and, brushing the hair out of my face that was fly-away in the wind, I read what was written.
Once in Kyoto, find Shin-san.
Shin-san?
Shinomori Aoshi was walking back from the temple where he spent wonderful hours of peace and tranquility. Unfortunately a certain genki omnitsu had forgotten to bring him his precious tea. And Aoshi really needed his tea fix today. Then he heard it.
"SHIN-SAN!!! SHIN-SAN"
that voice. He'd heard that voice before. Never with that sort of desperation but still he'd heard it. Aoshi quickened his pace until he came to an intersection in the main road of Kyoto. Blue eyes wide with fear, dark almost black chestnut-brown hair, but his smile was gone.
Tenken no Soujiro.
"SHIN-SAN!" He screamed again.
Aoshi looked at what the boy held. What ever it was it was bloody and so was he. He saw to younger boys standing near the Tenken also shouting out for 'Shin-san'. Aoshi always knew Soujiro called him 'Shinomori san' but slightly wondering if the youth were referring to the ex-Okashira as 'Shin-san'.
Why else would he be in Kyoto if not looking for you? He's got a…bullet wound?
Aoshi's eyes widened at that. The Tenken was still yelling for 'Shin-san' but no one answered. Many people were staring wide eyed and terrified at the once assassin. Not because of who he used to be but because he was bleeding profusely and so was the person in his arms of who was wearing a gray battered rice hat. Aoshi watched as the Tenken's eyes went blank and he passed out on the ground.
"Otou!" The child screamed and went to hug him.
Otou? Isn't the Tenken a little young to have a child…then again he might have 'fooled around' as Sagara puts it. Why do I find my self quoting him so much as of late?
The pink eyed boy clapped his hands to his head and shouted, "Kami-sama! Soujiro-kun and Koumori-san are gonna die!"
Tears were streaming down the children's faces, the little one was kneeling down between the two lip figures and crying for his 'otou' and 'oka'. Aoshi decided that this public display was neither in the best interest of the citizen's of Kyoto, nor himself seeing as he had, had dealings with Shishio and Tenken no Soujiro.
Striding through the crowed with his white and yellow trench coat fluttering behind him he made his way over to the center of all the commotion. He bent down, and with a slight grunt picked up both the Tenken and who he assumed to be his wife, judging by the way the mint eyed child was acting towards the two.
"What are you doing?! Put em' down now! What do you think your doing with them?!" The pink eyed boy snarled, whipping out a shinai.
Aoshi cleared his throat and spoke calmly to the over stressed kid, "I am an acquaintance of the former Tenken and have no intentions of hurting him. As you can see, you have created quite an up-stir within the vicinity so I'll ask you to kindly come with me back to the Aoi-ya where these two will be treated."
Damn I hate talking.
"Tenken? Who the hell is the Tenken?" The boy shouted at Aoshi.
"Seta Soujiro." The ex-Okashira replied calmly.
"Oh…I guess that does make sense…I mean he is a good fighter and all." The boy seemed to be reasoning with himself but then shouted, "Hey wait a minute!" Aoshi was walking away, the toddler scuttling behind him.
"Why should I trust you? The people that tried to kill us called him that and her the…something 'r other I don't know. How do I know you don't just want to go back to where ever we're going and kill 'em both?"
Aoshi inwardly sighed. He really needed his tea at the moment and carrying two bloody bodies through the streets of Kyoto with his criminal record wasn't really a bright idea. He decided to try to change the subject, "Who are you? You are the one wandering around with the Tenken, and judging by the fact that you're holding a shinai you're probably his apprentice there fore you might be dangerous. How can I trust you?"
That ought to shut the kid up for a little while…just until I get my beloved tea. Then I can handle anything but at the moment…
Aoshi's thoughts were cut off by the boy, "I'm Shitoku Kai apprentice to Koumori-san and Smiley Face there! If you think that I could possibly be dangerous by being his apprentice than you must think he's dangerous there fore you intend to hurt him so set them down before I wipe this road with your ass!"
So close. Aoshi thought realizing he had almost made it to the Aoi-ya without having the kid blow up at him. He had to admit the boy had a pretty logical mind and was extremely intelligent to have possibly picked up on those details in his sentence.
He cleared his throat and said, hoping to intimidate the boy into shutting up, "I am Aoshi Shinomori, ex-Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu. I am well acquainted with the Tenken and as I told you earlier I have no intention of hurting him. All I am trying to say is that if you did not know me nor recognize me on sight that you might jump to conclusions and assume the worst, thusly you could do something rash and hurt someone."
Aoshi walked straight into the Aoi-ya leaving a dumbfounded Kai in his wake. Kai put on a frown and stomped in after the tall icy man.
"Now just hold on a minute you damn Popsicle!" Kai shouted as he stormed up the steps after Aoshi of who ignored him.
"Former leader of the Oniwabanshuu my ass! You don't expect me to believe that kind of bullshit do you? Next thing I know you'll be telling me that Hitokiri Battosai lives across the street or something!" The angry boy shouted.
Kenshin popped his head out around the corner of the door frame and asked, "Oro?"
Aoshi was really not in the mood and grumbled out, "Battosai, show Kai-san to a room and please inform Takani-sensei that I have two patients up here that are in dire need of treatment."
The ex-hitokiri's eyes widened and he stared at who his ninja friend was holding.
"Is that Soujiro-san?"
"Aa."
"Oka!"
"And his wife."
"Mou!"
"And their son."
"Nani!" Kai had shouted after being shot back to reality for a second, more so questioning the fact that the tall ninja referred to the red head across from him as Battosai.
"And his apprentice."
"What has happened to him?"
"Apparently he and his wife have been shot." Aoshi replied stoically.
The information caused Kenshin's eyes to widen. He turned down to Kai and asked, "Is this true?"
The boy stared at Kenshin with deep pink sapphire eyes, before asking, "What the hell do you want with them?"
"Oro?" Kenshin asked surprised by the boy's language.
"If you're really Battosai or whatever, and ice man over there is actually king of the ninjas then how in the seven hells do you know smiley boy and why? Why does everyone keep calling him Kenten or Tenken or whatever? What the hell is going on?!" Kai shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Boyo(kid)-san you should just-"
"Don't talk to me with that settle down crap! Don't speak to me in that damned condescending way! I'm 14 dammit! (A/N: Ochita was taking a guess when she said he was twelve. If you read earlier she also tells you age isn't something that can be determined by the eye. It say's he is twelve in the last chapter but keep in mind no one has been told otherwise, so it is what everyone that comes by Kai thinks.) I may look like some short ass kid but NEWSFLASH! I'M NOT! I couldn't care less if you were one of the Kami-sama themselves but your going to tell me what the fuck is going on!" Kai was panting after yelling so hard and his voice had gotten a little bit horse.
Kenshin was very startled and realized by the look in the boy's eyes that he was speaking to an adult masquerading as a child. This was in no way the same as Yahiko's predicament with the incessant want to be treated as an adult even though he was a kid and acted like one. This kid had lived his first three years during the revolution and as a child had probably seen some unsavory things after that. Aoshi had stopped and stared at the boy in front of him. Kenshin sighed and started forward but quicker then lightning the boy had spun around, grabbed Soujiro's nihontou, unsheathed it and was pointing it at the ex-hitokiri.
"I'm not going to play dumb and take chances. If you are Battosai, and judging by your ki you very well could be, you can explain everything from a nice safe distance." He hissed at Kenshin waggling the sword back and forth with a cynical smile on his lips.
Aoshi quickly retreated into a side room and laid both Soujiro and his 'wife' down. He came up behind Kai with every intention of knocking the kid out with the sheath of his twin kodochi when his reflexes took into effect and he dodged something sharp and heading his way at a blinding speed.
A shurikin throwing star was imbedded within the wall of the Aoi-ya exactly where Aoshi's right hand had been not a moment before.
"Watch it ninja boy." Kai growled.
Kenshin cleared his throat and said, "Your right. I apologize de gozaru yo. Do not be so distrusting though. I will tell you everything but you'll have to wait a while, I have to get your teachers a doctor and it just so happens that there is one downstairs. If you will be so patient as to let me go down and get her I will explain any of your questions de gozaru yo."
Kai stared at him, then reluctantly sheathed the blade, and, falling back, he slid down the wall until he was sitting with his elbows on his knees and his eyes in his palms. He sighed out, "Somebody just make Koumori-san and Soujiro-kun better…I really can't have them die on me." His voice cracked at the end of his sentence and his shoulders began to shake in fear.
Aoshi looked at Kenshin. He still had every intention of knock the young teen out and he stepped forward only to feel something sharp on his calf. He looked down and saw the child holding four shurikin throwing stars in between each finger, lightly holding them against his leg.
"Take one more step towards my brother and I will slit your jugular vein."
Now that startled everyone. Kenshin looked down at the boy who looked up at him with mint green eyes and said, "Don't get the wrong impression oji-san(uncle). I just really am not in the mood to see anyone else in my family unconscious."
Kai looked at his 'little brother'. He didn't know Kasoku could talk and said, "Oh hell hath descended upon me now."
The boy spoke with a voice that was not his usually happy gleeful one. It was lower and had a sort of airy quality, like the sound of wind rushing through the leaves of a willow tree.
"Gomen for not informing you of my little secret, this little game I play with everyone. I believe in two things- 'ignorance is bliss' and 'silence is always and forever shall be the best answer'. Apparently those aren't necessarily true today. I find I must talk to keep onii-sama (He is referring to Aoshi.) here from knocking you out cold and I'm not really too happy about that. Excuse my rudeness, I am Takiyama Kusaki but most just call me 'Kasoku'. I tell you I prefer the latter."
Everyone was quiet until Kai squawked, "How old are you?"
"Eight, but most believe me to be somewhere around the age of three due to my short stature and the fact that I don't say anything besides three words for the most part." He spun around at Kenshin and gave him a sweet smile, "Dear oji-san, get the good doctor will you onegai shimasu?"
Kenshin just smiled back and nodded. He walked downstairs and got Megumi of whom was helping Okon and Omasu with the business despite the fact that the two omnitsu ladies had told her no. They didn't want a guest working but the fox doctor had insisted. Kenshin informed Megumi of what had happened and with out hesitation, even at the name Tenken no Soujiro, she ran upstairs to her room, dragged her medicine chest out, and ran back into the room that Aoshi had set both injured persons in. She shut the door behind her with a look that clearly said, 'come in here while I'm working and die'.
The ex-hitokiri walked over to Kai and smiled down at him saying, "Perhaps you should take a bath."
Kai peered up at Kenshin, grabbed the red headed man by his magenta gi, and brought him down to his face, "I have a bone to pick with you."
Kenshin laughed nervously until Kai kicked his feet out from beneath the former manslayer and Kenshin slammed into the ground with an, "ORO!"
The ex-hitokiri rolled over and looked up at the peeved adolescent.
"Che. Battosai? Tell me you weren't named that at birth."
Kenshin: -.-;
"Iie. My name is Himura Kenshin de gozaru yo."
"Good, we're getting somewhere. Now tell me 'Himura-san' how on earth, do you know Smiley Face in there." Kai jerked his head in the direction of the door way both his mentor's had been set down in.
Kenshin sighed, "It is a rather long story."
"Good, I'll be looking for a way to pass the time until night otherwise I'd fall asleep and my schedule would be thrown off."
Again: -.-;
This kid really isn't like Yahiko.
Kenshin rolled the possibility of lying around in his head but realized he'd get caught in his words somehow. The boy, although with his pink eyes and feminine features, still more so boyish then female, was neither innocent nor stupid. He was far too observant to fool.
I hope Soujiro-san doesn't kill me for this. Had I been in his position I would.
Kenshin put on a grave expression and retold the story to Kai, of who listened to every word. The ex-manslayer himself realized that with the fact that he knew close to nothing about Soujiro's past up until that point made his story rather hard to follow. The 14 year old really didn't seem to mind. The former hitokiri could practically see the wheels turning in his head. He had seen that calculating gaze somewhere, that strange hidden intelligence, but where? The name entered his head and Kenshin didn't know whether to smile bitterly or frown in distaste.
Enishi.
Kenshin shook that thought free of his head. He didn't really want to contemplate what the ex-triad leader was up too but he hoped it wasn't something illegal. Then again if he walked out in the streets of Kyoto, for him, it would be considered illegal. He looked at the teen youth and saw him staring at his calloused hands. So many thoughts and emotions darted across his pink eyes.
"I suppose somewhere in my head I suspected something but this is…ridiculous." He finished.
"What has Soujiro-san been up to?" Kenshin asked Kai, the curiosity was killing him at the moment.
"I don't really know, he's always lost in his thoughts, the other day he walked into a tree while he was thinking. I always thought 'how could this guy be such a good swordsman but an idiot when it comes to everything else?' I mean really, I threw a rock at him the other day to put around the campfire and it beaned him in the head. He follows Koumori around to, not even the Kami-sama know where, following her dumb broken compass, he's clumsier than the kid, and he lit his sleeve on fire last time we asked him to start one. He's not exactly the sharpest knife in the kitchen. I don't know whether you'd find this offensive or not but you two strike me more as plain old bums, not assassins."
.; Kenshin didn't really know if he should find that offensive or not. Being a bum was certainly better than being an assassin.
"Anou…domo?"
"Yeah whatever, you're right, I need a bath." Kai grunted getting up, his clothes were bloodstained badly.
"I will make it for you."
Kai looked startled and Kenshin smiled at that. The boy then put on a sheepish grin, "Suppose I've been bathing in lakes and rivers a little too often."
Kenshin's smile got wider and he murmured, "I know exactly what you mean."
Kai began to laugh. He then stretched his back and yawned, looking around lazily for Kasoku. He had to talk with that kid. All of a sudden Misao zipped in and pointed accusingly at Kai, "You tried to kill Himura!"
"Uhh…"
"Kansatsu Tobikunai!" Shouted the omnitsu.
"Whoa!" Kai shouted ducking.
"Oro!" Kenshin shouted as the small throwing knives imbedded into the wall behind him, framing his upper body, one almost hitting his head until he ducked.
o.0
"Gomen Himura!" Misao shouted at the ruroni then turned to Kai, "Why you little!"
Kai dodged many punches and a few kicks.
"Kecho Giri!"
"Yikes!" He shouted as he ducked and the omnitsu flew over him.
"Com'on! Fight me like a man!" Misao shouted at the young teen.
"Look lady, you got it all wrong." Kai laughed at Misao.
"Wha-"
"Misao-dono, Kai-san did not trust me, his threat was based solely on the will to protect his friends from me."
"That's stupid! Why would you hurt them?" Misao shouted.
"Oi, lady, Mr. Sunshine said he was Battosai ok? Not that I really care now. He could be a purple spotted toad and I wouldn't give a shit. (there goes the overactive imagination) I just got a little worried at first. From what I've heard, him and Smiley didn't exactly see eye to eye for a little while so, even still, I had a right to be apprehensive."
"Huh?" Misao asked not believing that someone could threaten Kenshin knowing he was a hitokiri and then befriend him the next moment. No one did that.
"What do you mean 'huh?'" Kai snorted.
"Soooo…you don't hold a grudge or anything?"
"Can't really hold what isn't there can I?" Kai snapped back cattily.
"Oi, what does that mean!"
The young teen put his face in his hands and said, "Means that it doesn't matter to me what his last job was, as long as he hasn't killed someone within the last week I don't feel anything for it."
"Oh." Misao said quite embarrassed that she'd attacked an innocent civilian.
Kenshin smiled softly and his voice contained a lot of amusement when he spoke, "You're certainly quick to forgive, aren't you Kai-san?"
"What's there to forgive? You never did anything wrong."
Kenshin seemed disturbed and startled at that, "You don't find killing wrong?"
"I know why you killed those people. You killed them because, if not an official then everyone else. You're intentions were good even if what you were doing was morally incorrect. My mom always said if you're truly sorry then you're forgiven and by the sound of it you're sorry."
Misao smiled at him as the boy turned away. He stared at the door for a few seconds as if he were waiting for something.
"Domo." Kenshin murmured. He'd never heard someone forgive him when he hadn't physically expressed his unhappiness towards his past actions. It was strange to think that even though Kai knew who he was, he just, within his mind, erased all of the ex-assassin's past sins and treated him as if he were just a normal person.
Kai turned to him and quirked an eyebrow, "For what? Did I give you some sort of new knowledge or insight or something? Or is it that you just thank anyone who states basic facts? Che. I can't decide whether you're weird or just plain stupid."
The former manslayer frowned at that.
Does he have to be so rude?
"You're thinking is so much like Koumori-san that it's starting to get a little eerie. I'd swear you resemble her too."
"Oro?"
Kai just slid open the door to the court yard and walked away. He wanted to explore some.
Megumi couldn't get the hat off the strange girl she'd been healing.
The tourniquet, that was surprising. Who ever she is she's extremely clever.
The fox doctor had tended to Soujiro's wounds as well as the girl's at the same time. Soujiro's were minimal; the bullet had passed through without hitting anything vital. The same could be said for the girl save the pierced artery. Megumi had fixed that first but she'd had to slide down the shackle, a shackle that had an interesting title.
Who on earth is the Shi no Tenshi? That's a rather gruesome name for a little girl.
Megumi was up the whole night tending to the two and wouldn't let anyone in. Soujiro awoke in the middle of the night and was completely frantic…which the fox didn't understand considering the strained smile on his face.
"Ochita." He kept searching around and once he saw her he tried to get over to her had not Megumi stopped him.
"I'm sorry Soujiro-san but your much too injured to be moved as is your wife."
She saw the young man's face turn cherry red and he made an unintelligible sound that sounded, to Megumi, something similar to, "Ara?"
The smile fell off his face almost immediately and he asked, "Will she be alright?"
Megumi didn't know what to say but said the only thing she could say, "I'm not sure."
Immediately she regretted that when she saw tears form in Soujiro's sky blue eyes. The doctor looked down sympathetically, "I'm sorry that I don't have an answer, I've done all I can for her."
She saw him replace his smile, a dead smile with no emotion, obviously trying to cover up the pain and fear he was feeling.
I thought Tori-atama and Ken-san said he didn't feel emotions.
"Domo Arigato gosaimasu…"
"Takani Megumi."
"Takani-sensei."
There was a silence for a while before Soujiro asked, "Anou…where are we?"
"At the Aoi-ya. Aoshi-san found you in the square with your wife, son, and apprentice."
Another, "Ara?"
The fox doctor ignored that, "Soujiro-san I think it would be best if you tried to get some sleep, you lost a lot of blood."
"Hai." Soujiro said in a small voice.
Megumi saw the young man's eyelids flutter shut, a smile stretched across his face. Even as he slept he smiled.
Sano was right, I already want to tear that damn thing off his face. How on earth can someone so innocent looking and young be an ex-killer. I mean, Ken-san sure, ok, its borderline believable but this kid? And what was he saying earlier. Ochita was it? Is that his wife's name…isn't he a little young for a wife? I guess if he has a son though…And who names there child 'fallen'. Maybe its some sort of weird nickname…Shi no Tenshi is kind of a weird nickname though so I think that position is already taken.
The shouji slid open and Sanosuke poked his head inside, "Dinners ready, Megitsune."
"I'm coming Tori-atama."
"Oi, how's the kid?"
"Soujiro-san was awake not a few moments ago, but now he's asleep and I want no one to come in this room under any circumstances." Megumi snorted, striding out the door and sliding it shut afterwards.
"Whatever you say kitsune-hime." Sanosuke retorted.
They both walked to the dining room and saw everyone gathered around the table. Megumi sat down in between Kaoru and Misao. Kaoru was sitting next to a small mint green eyed child and Misao was sitting next to a pink eyed boy of who seemed to be extremely tired. Both boys only wore white yukata's. Yahiko was sitting across from him and glared at him menacingly but the boy acted as if he couldn't care less. Everyone ate as mindless conversation circulated around the table. Aoshi sat there, quiet as ever, sipping tea, Kai mimicking him and Kasoku, after a while, got full and crawled into Kaoru's lap muttering, "Oba-san"
Misao chattered happily and as always, Megumi and Sanosuke started bickering.
"Oi, stop staring at me." Kai cracked an eye open and fixed it on Yahiko.
Yahiko feigned ignorance and asked innocently, "Who me?"
"Noooooo, your ba-chan." Kai sneered.
"Maa, maa, calm down." Kenshin smiled.
"But Kenshin-" Yahiko started.
"Oh, stop it Yahiko-CHAN! If you hadn't been glaring at him he wouldn't have been rude to you!" Kaoru reprimanded
"Don't call me 'chan' BUSU!" Yahiko shouted.
"Don't call me 'busu' Yahiko-CHAN!"
"Don't call me CHAN!"
"Maa, maa, calm down." Kenshin tried once again but to no avail.
The sound of pummeling could be heard throughout the Aoi-ya. Kenshin saw the tired look in Kai's eyes and also noticed that Kasoku was sleeping now on Misao's lap. He got up and picked the little child from the omnitsu's lap. He then walked over to Kai and motioned him to come. The young teen did as suggested and came towards the ruroni who led him upstairs and into a spare bedroom.
"Domo Himura-san" Kai yawned and lay down, "Ayasumi."
"Ayasumi nasai." Kenshin whispered once he finished tucking Kasoku beneath the sheets of the little boy's futon.
Silvery mist swirled about the buildings eerily. The night had a cold bite in it and it seemed to chill one to the bone. The tall western mansions shown in stark contrast against the purple midnight sky. All lights had been turned off leaving an unnatural quiet surrounding the rich area of Kyoto. Two figures stood atop a building, both possessing identical smiles gracing identical pale features save the dark black hair and darker black eyes. There was no sound made by either just as no sound had escaped their victim. Someone would find the politician later, perhaps even by a few days considering his family was back in Tokyo where he would've been had he not been called down by Mibu's wolf. The two assassins grinned at the irony of it all. Call a man down to tell him about mysterious assassinations only to have him fall victim to it himself. Strange wasn't it. How easily life could be taken away.
Kaoru and Misao were out shopping the next day and had managed to drag Yahiko along. Why did they do that?
"Why do I have to come BUSU!?" He shouted at his kendo instructor.
"Because, Yahiko-CHAN, Kai-san doesn't have any cloths and you're relatively the same size as him…a little smaller though."
"Stop calling me CHAN!"
"Then stop behaving like it!"
"Oi, why do I have to come? I hate shopping!" Misao snapped.
"Because you…grew a little more than I expected." Kaoru giggled.
Misao's face went bright red. Yes, her bust size had improved but what did she need to go shopping for. So her cloths were getting a bit tight around said area, it didn't bother her that much.
"We need to get you a kimono for the festival."
"What's the point?! Its not like Aoshi-sama wants to go with a stupid little girl like me!" Misao burst out into comical tears.
"You got that right." Yahiko laughed.
"Oooooo you! Shut up! Tobikunai!!" Misao flung her ammo at the boy managing to prick him a couple of time eliciting yelps from his general direction.
They walked through the town looking about at the stalls and found one that sold Kimono's. Kaoru and Misao looked around a bit but couldn't seem to find one they liked so they decided to drag Yahiko into a cloths shop. First they got a dark green hakama and a light green gi estimating the size for Kasoku who also didn't have any clothing.
"Once that girl wakes up I'm going to have a talk with her. She shouldn't have allowed the boys to walk around in one outfit as well as outfits that are that threadbare in the winter! It's too cold for that!"
"Yeah well 1000 yen says Megumi-san bites her head off about it first." Misao snorted.
Kaoru wasn't about to take up that bet knowing full well that the fox doctor would most likely yell at the girl for that. Who ever she was she was going to get it when she woke up.
"Now Yahiko put this on." Kaoru gave him some cloths.
"Iie!"
"NOW!!!" both girls shouted, flames erupting around them.
Yahiko darted into the dressing room quickly and then came back out dressed in a navy gi and black hakama. He looked really good in it so Kaoru and Misao offered to buy it for him as well as Kai but he refused. They bought a size bigger for the teen and went to pay. Yahiko on the other hand had different plans. He darted to the side, grabbed another gi and switched it with the one that Kaoru and Misao had bought, snickering evilly.
When they got back they walked to the back and saw Kenshin doing the laundry while watching Kai throw shuriken throwing stars at a few small circles he'd drawn on the tree.
THWACK
THWACK
THWACK
THWACK
They all landed in their own separate targets. Yahiko watched in close to amazement as Kai did this and then walked over to the tree and dug them out lazily. He didn't even seem to really care what he was doing, acting as if the training were just something to do rather then nothing.
"You're very good at that de gozaru. How long have you been training with those."
Kai shrugged and answered, "Two and a half months or something like that."
"Oro? Only two and a half months." Kenshin spoke wide eyed.
"When you're with Koumori-san it isn't 'only two and a half months' it's the two and a half months that you've managed to survive under her training."
"Oro? What does she have you do?"
"Walk upstream in rivers, track her or the kid, we scaled a cliff once because we got lost but that was actually kind of fun save when Soujiro-kun kind of slipped of one of the ledges and the bat had to catch him, of course her diving off that one cliff wasn't cool though. We learn that run thing from Soujiro-kun, calls it Shukuchi or something. I practice with these," He said holding up the star shaped knives, "And I try to hit targets with them but when we're on the move I try to hit Koumori-san. I didn't know the kid did it." He shrugged and sauntered back to the line he'd been throwing the stars from.
His white yukata clung to him loosely having been one of Aoshi's very old ones but still extremely large on the young teen. Watching him in this, Kaoru and Misao remembered why they had come outside.
"Kai-san! We got you some clothing." Kaoru called to him.
He turned to her and fixed her with a stare. She shifted uncomfortably beneath his pink gaze. Why did his eyes have to look so girlish but look so cold all at once? He walked over to her he furrowed his brows and asked, "Why'd you do that?"
"Well…you need cloths." Misao said sort of at a loss for words.
Kai reached in the bag Kaoru held out and pulled out…a bright pink gi.
"Gee, ya shouldn't have." Kai said with a cynical smile on his face.
"Wha? How?" both girls looked surprised.
Yahiko was laughing so hard he'd fallen on his back holding his stomach. Kai sighed and just shrugged, "Whatever, I don't really care what I wear as long as I've got something on."
Yahiko got to his feet and cackled mischievously, "Haha! What'er you going to do now?!" He stuck his tongue out at the teen.
"Well, I'm going to wear it, what else do you do with cloths?" Kai asked quirking an eyebrow.
"You're going to wear that?" Kaoru and Misao shouted simultaneously.
"Yeah, why not?"
"Well, for one it's pink." Misao stated.
"Thank you Captain Obvious, but if you'll take a look at exhibit A over there," He turned and pointed at Kenshin, "You'll see a man wearing purple." Then he turned back, "You see, you could've done worse." He smiled brightly at them.
"Oro?"
"Don't you want us to go back and change it?" Kaoru asked.
"Iie, I didn't ask you to buy me cloths and now that you've done it I'm not goin' to go ask for you to do 'better', 'sides which it doesn't really matter to me." With that said he turned around and walked off to go get changed.
Kasoku came bumbling over, giggling out shouting "Oba-san!"
Kaoru and Misao both gave him the cloths and he ran away giggling.
"Strange kid." Kenshin murmured as he saw the child leave.
Everything was dark. I put my hands out in the darkness trying to feel my way around but I couldn't. I could see my arms but everything else was dark. Then I saw Rei-san. I ran forward as fast as I could as he sauntered away, I called out to him but no matter how fast I ran or how loud I cried out he wouldn't stop and I couldn't catch up.
"Rei-san matte! Matte onegai!" I shouted.
I felt tears spring to my eyes and fall down my face. I touched it and I saw that the tears were not of water but of blood, blood from the two cuts at the side of my face. I stumbled backwards and bumped into someone. Spinning around I saw it was Shin-san. The tears began to flow freely down my face, I didn't try to stop them. How long it had been since I truly cried, since I actually recognized the feelings inside me, since I actually felt them.
"Shin-san, help!" I yelled at him but he just stared back at me coldly.
I looked at him, he reached out and caught me by the back of my gi, dragging me in the opposite direction as Rei-san.
"Iie!" I screamed at him but he wouldn't listen.
I saw Rei's tall form being cut down by a blade, his blood pouring through his gi, falling down with his eyes shut and a small smile on his face, his long black hair fluttering down after him. I turned back to the teenager dragging me away.
"Rei!" I screamed but he just lay there fading away.
"Iie!" I shouted, turned around and drew my sword crazed with pain and hatred.
I stabbed at Shin but instead of dodging he caught my sword but didn't try to stray it away from its target. I impaled him. My craze fell away from me and I realized what I'd done. No. this couldn't be happening. I saw Shin's amber eyes glint and he smiled softly at me, he then fell backwards blood flowing from his mouth. I backed away and felt someone grab me. Who ever it was it was the wrong move…and there last one. I turned around and slashed striking the figure down the chest. I saw Seta-san fall back smiling in his usual way, his hair flying about his face as he fell backwards.
"Iie!" I screamed and sobbed.
"SHIN-SAN! REI-SAN! SETA-SAN" I cried out.
I wanted to die. But I wasn't. I couldn't. Someone kill me, please, please, kill me.
Kenshin sat there staring at the water and suds his hands were soaked in. Something wasn't right, his stomach had just preformed an unsettling back flip and he'd sneezed not seconds before. Why did he feel so uneasy, Then he heard it. Heard what he'd been longing to hear for ten years even if he'd forgotten the sound.
"SHIN-SAN! REI-SAN! SETA-SAN!"
He ran becoming less than a blur, past Okon and Omasu who shrieked. Almost crashed into Kai and Kasoku. He ran up the stairs past Sanosuke almost bowling him over. He sprinted past Aoshi, who'd come back to get his tea because a certain omnitsu had been becoming a bit more forgetful lately. He rushed past Kaoru's room none to quietly. He pretty much startled the whole Aoi-ya. He slammed through the doorway much to Megumi's objections. He sprinted forward and slid to his knees and picked up the girl holding her to his chest. She was struggling and whimpering against him but still he held her closely and whispered, "Stop it."
Soujiro sat up wide eyed, he'd been trying to scoot closer to the shouting girl. The girl ceased struggling just as everyone gather around the door wondering what was wrong with Kenshin. Everyone froze when they saw his eyes flickering from amber to amethyst. He pulled back a little and then tore off the girl's hat. Everyone sucked in their breath sharply.
"Han Imoto-chan."
Sitting there was a girl who looked just like Kenshin.
Okay I'd say nows a good time to stop. A few definitions:
Omnitsu- a kind of ninja
Busu- Ugly
Matte- Wait
Onegai (shimasu)- please
Kusaki-plant
Kitsune-hime—fox princess
Koumori-san—Miss bat
Ayasumi (nasai)- good night
Aoi-ya—old blue
Han imoto-chan—little half sister
Review onegai!!!! I'd appreciate it very muchly so! (Chibi Ochita jumping up and down) bet you didn't see that one coming hee hee. I'll explain everything next chappie!