Why Aoshi Doesn't Drink Sake

By: The Silly Koneko, not in possession of Rurouni Kenshin.

And a special thanks to Deadly Diva, whose review made me think over this chapter. (Now it's a slight bit more interesting…) But now I'm afraid she's going to be disappointed!! Wah!!

And as per request, I posted soon…and I haven't checked it yet, either...

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Misao tried to kick, she tried to shove, but Aoshi was too heavy, too strong. In his drunken state, even, she was no match for him – her senses, too, had been dulled by that vile drink. She tried to reach for the sake bottle, something to hit him with, but it was out of her grasp. An inch would save her, it was so close! Her forearm was too short – if only Aoshi didn't have a grip on her upper arms!

She squeezed her eyes shut as he came down, his breathing heavy. Terror rose within her, one liken unto nothing she had ever experienced. Closer and closer, she could feel him against her, pressing – and then –

He paused.

Aoshi, in his drunkenness, stared at the girl below him - whose arms he had pinned to the floor, whose delicate body had already been spread too far – and a lucid thought reached his brain.

'Why am I doing this?'

As soon as the thought came to him, Aoshi knew that if he didn't hold on to it, he would do the unthinkable. Minutes passed, and he struggled.

"Why am I doing this?"

"Why am I – "

" – doing – "

"I will lose – "

" –everything –"

" –lose – "

Misao looked up at him as he murmured to himself, shaking his head back and forth erratically.

"Lord Aoshi?"

He jerked his head toward her – a sound – what was he thinking? What had he been thinking? His mind wavered, and lost. Instinct took over, consumed him, his body forcing its' way over logic.

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Much later that night, around 8 'o clock.

Aoshi opened his eyes, his head pounding.

Where was he?

His vision wavered, and god, he felt nauseated, sicker than he'd felt in a long time...Why? What had he been doing? Aoshi tried to collect his thoughts, trying to remember what he had been –

That sake - why did he even have sake?

Aoshi moved, and someone cried out. Misao! That was Misao, that was her cry – no! It all rushed back to him, no! - he attacked Misao, defiled her, he couldn't control himself - he raped that poor thing, that girl that adored him...

Looking up, he saw that he had a grip on something - Misao's arm. Looking at her as his vision returned to normal, he saw bruises all over her body, deep purple bruises. Her hip was bent at a strange angle - God, what did he do to her?

"What have I done?" he cried out, his voice husky and cracking. The shields he put up around himself, hiding emotions, feelings, shattered into the night.

Aoshi Shinomori cried for the first time in over ten years, and the tears fell and disappeared as though they contained his dignity. Every drop took something out of him, drained him of the shreds of humanity that he barely clung to in the first place. He was worthless, he was scum, he was nothing.

Misao looked up, her eyes and face red from crying; Aoshi caught her gaze and saw in her eyes something that he had never seen before - hatred.

Pure, burning, hatred.

He'd taken everything from her, her virginity, her love, dignity, even her childhood! She trusted him...oh, how she had trusted him and now he - he had -

He let go of Misao's arm, the skin beneath his touch nearly black with bruises left from the force he had used. Shaking, he got up, backed away; he found his clothes and awkwardly tried to pull them on.

"Misao...I am sorry. I -"

"I hate you! You –you monster! "

Words that stung, words he deserved.

Unable to cope with the magnitude of what happened, Aoshi left - he needed time to think. He couldn't bring himself to touch her, help her get up, get dressed, he was nothing but a coward, running away from responsibility...what would he do now?

He would no longer be welcome here...

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"Oh, look! It's Seijuro Hiko!"

Omasu and Okina were out grocery shopping. Hiko turned, and recognized the two.

"Do you know where Misao is?"

"Why, Misao? She should be in the Aoiya - what do you want her for?"

"She took a jug of my sake!"

"A jug of your sake? I wonder why Misao would do such a thing." Okina said.

"Oh, don't you remember, Okina? When Lord Aoshi mentioned that he was very intolerant of sake, and Misao started to bug him about it?"

"Aoshi? Drink sake? I doubt it, he's a...very bad drunk."

"Ahem," Hiko cleared his throat, "I want it back."

"Well, let's go then, and I'll give Misao good talking to when we get back!"

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Misao, after seeing Aoshi leave, tried to get to her room.

No such luck - her hip had been dislocated, and the effort tired her out. Numb with shock at what just happened, and unable to yet comprehend the magnitude of the events, she grabbed what remained of her clothing. Exhausted, she fell asleep.

As they headed toward the Aoiya, Omasu asked, "How do you know that Aoshi is bad at drinking? Have you seen him drunk?" It was very hard to imagine the stoic man tipsy.

"Well...he told me why one day. When he was 16, he tried to drink sake. It made him very sick, and as he put it, 'gave him shameful thoughts and emotions.'"

"You mean drinking makes him horny?"

Omasu and Okina sweat-dropped.

"Well, essentially, but...he put it in a more tactful manner."

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They arrived at the Aoiya.

"Misao! Get down here immediately!"

No answer.

"Maybe she's gone."

"Let's take a look around, first."

Hiko stood at the door, waiting, and Okina searched downstairs while Omasu looked up.

After a few minutes –

A piercing scream let loose throughout the entire building, nay, the entire neighbourhood -

"Oh my god! Misao!"

Omasu's scream brought the two other men in seconds, and even they couldn't find words to describe what they felt.

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"So, you came back here to look for Misao, and you found her here?"

"Yes, Officer Fujita. We don't know who did this to Misao, or even who was capable of doing it- she hasn't woken up yet."

Hajime Saitoh had been ready to go home and enjoy dinner when Omasu had come running into the police station. Being as it was serious when the Oniwaban-shu needed help, he was obliged to come.

Soon, everybody was back at the Aoiya - all except Aoshi.

"So, if any normal man can't overpower the weasel girl, and almost all of the Oniwaban-shu are accounted for - either we have a new villain on the loose, or there's the only Oniwaban member who hasn't shown up yet -

"I'M SO STUPID!!!"

Saitoh was interrupted by a loud scream.

"She's awake, then."

Saitoh walked into the room at a brisk pace, and without knocking he asked, "Who did this to you?"

No reply.

He looked at the quivering, crying girl, curled up into a ball and bandaged all over, and decided to change his tact. A little more softly (as soft as his voice would allow, which wasn't much) he said,

"What happened?"

"I – I was -"

A pause.

"I won't tell you!"

Saitoh pulled out a cigarette. "Why not?"

"Be – cause I - …I don't want to!

"Fine then. I'll put out a warrant for Aoshi Shinomori's arrest."

His statement brought the ire of everybody in the room.

"She didn't say it was him!"

"How can you automatically blame Aoshi for such a low act? He has more dignity than that!"

Puffing casually on his cigarette, he replied, "Who else would she try to protect by being silent?"

Misao let her head fall as everybody else looked back at her, waiting for her to disprove what Saitoh said. Eyes looked expectantly at her, disdainfully at Saitoh, and then she spoke.

"He...he's right."

The Aoiya was immediately in an uproar. Aoshi Shinomori – self-controlled, dignified Aoshi Shinomori - raped a young girl, of all people Misao?

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"How will we find Aoshi? If he doesn't want to be found, it isn't possible."

"If Shinomori doesn't show up in a few days, I have a few people in mind who could be of assistance. I believe that they'll be coming in a few days, anyway, upon hearing Makimachi's predicament."

"Ah, true. In fact, I think Omasu has already sent a telegraph to Kamiya Kaoru, and the rest are sure to follow."

"The tanuki girl?"

"She and Misao are good friends, and Misao needs all the help she can get…"

Saitoh puffed his cigarette as he contemplated the events of the day, and Okina left.

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Dammit, and I wanted to write a funny story.

I guess not...next chapter will be Misao and Aoshi's feelings toward the event, and their reactions.

This is turning into quite a long series, actually. The way the plot is going and all…