Chapter Seven: The Angelic Wolf's Enchantment

A/N: After a grueling day of Kenshin trying to learn household chores (a.k.a woman's work), the men came home, followed shortly by Kenjii and Aleena. When Kenjii and Aleena came into the dining area, Takiko and Kina nearly fell backwards at the sight. Kenjii was filthy! He was covered head to toe in mud, dirt, and straw was tangled in strands of his hair. Aleena was even worse! She was covered in so much dirt, grime, and filth; she seemed almost black in color. Her hair was knotted up and her hands were terrible! There was dry blood stuck to them, they were covered in blisters, cuts, and of course, dirt. Not to mention Kenjii and Aleena were both drenched with sweat.

Takiko: What did you two do!

Aleena: We were 'plowing'.

Kenshin: Aleena, what happened to your hands!

Kenjii: She wasn't using a plow...

Kenshin: She was using her bare hands!

Aleena: Yes.

All: ...

Kina: You've never gotten this dirty before, Kenjii!

Kenjii: I'm sorry...

Aleena: To Kenjii Why?

Kenjii: Because we're dirty!

Aleena: So?

Kenjii: Now we have to get clean!

Aleena: Oh! Is that all?

Kenjii: Huh?

A/N: Aleena gets on all fours and starts to roll on the floor. After a minute or so she shakes herself and stands up. She wasn't any cleaner, but the strange thing was that she actually looked like a wolf when she did that!

Aleena: Okay! I'm clean!

All: ...

Aleena: (sniffs the air) Oh boy! Food!

A/N: Aleena runs to the table and begins to gobble up all of the food. She finishes everything in less than a minute.

Aleena: (belches) That was good!

Kenshin: (smacks Aleena in the back of her head with a wooden spoon) Aleena! It took me all day to cook that!

Aleena: Owww... (rubs head)

Lynn: (giggles)

Kenshin: What's so funny?

Kenjii: (laughs) You're starting to sound like Mrs. Takiko!

Lynn: Well, that and you're wearing an apron!

Kenshin: (blushes) What's wrong with a guy doing household chores!

Takiko: Nothing at all Kenshin!

Kina: Don't listen to them! And that apron looks rather slimming on you!

A/N: Everyone starts to laugh. Well, everyone but Kenshin. And also Aleena who has no idea what they're talking about.

Futa: (laughing hard) Really Takiko? I can think of about 200 reasons why guys don't do women's work!

Takiko: Hopefully none that you'll say in front of children.

Heike: Of course not! We'll just say 'fruitcake'!

Kenshin: HEY!

A/N: They begin to laugh again.

Kina: I'm going to give Aleena a bath. Kenjii, you take one after her, okay?

Kenjii: Yes, Mom.

Kina: Come on Aleena.

Aleena: (follows)

A/N: The others wait for Takiko to cook a new dinner. After fifteen minutes Kina and Aleena came out. The others are stunned at what they see. Aleena was totally different than before. Her hair was shiny and no longer had so many knots. Her skin was so white it was almost as if she was glowing. She wasn't wearing her tattered cloths anymore either, she was now wearing a white silk kimono. It was only after her face was cleaned up that you could see a straight scar on her right cheek.

All: (staring)

Kina: She cleans up pretty good, right?

Heike: You can actually tell she's Japanese now!

Takiko: (stops cooking) THAT'S the same girl who was rolling on the ground!

Aleena: (playing with her long sleeves)

Futa: (whining) Takiko! Is dinner ready yet?

Takiko: It's ready when I say it's ready!

Lynn: (sniffs the air) Is something burning?

Takiko: Oops! (runs into kitchen)

A/N: Takiko comes back in with some partially burnt food.

Takiko: (coughs) It's ready!

Futa: (sweat drop)

Aleena: Can I go outside?

Kina: Oh, I guess...

Kenshin: (stands up) I'll go with you.

Heike: Kenshin, don't you want to eat?

Kenshin: It's alright, I'm fine.

A/N: Kenshin and Aleena go out into the backyard. There's a clear sky and the full moon along with the stars illuminates all of Japan. The wind caused the trees to make a light rustling sound. The crickets chirp their moonlight serenade. It was a beautiful night.

Kenshin: Aleena?

Aleena: Yes?

Kenshin: How did you get that scar on your cheek?

Aleena: What, this? I think I got it when you threw that (points to Kenshin's katana at his belt) at me.

Kenshin: I hit you!

Aleena: I should be thanking you! (laughs) Now I have a battle scar!

Kenshin: You surprise me sometimes...

A/N: They both remain silent. Both of them starring into the night's sky. Kenshin snuck a quick glance at Aleena. She looked too beautiful to bare in that kimono! The wind made the loose fabric press against her curves as though she was teasing him. He blushed and quickly looked away. Not daring to look any longer.

Aleena: It feels so good to be outside again. I miss my home so much...

Kenshin: You do? Why haven't you tried to run off, then?

Aleena: If I run off, Papa could come here, thinking I'm still here. I know he's out there looking for me, but why hasn't he come yet? I love him so much, but it's like he's completely forgotten about me...

Kenshin: A-Aleena, sometimes bad things happen, and you can't do anything to make them go away-

Aleena: Has something bad happened to Papa!

Kenshin: Look, I-I didn't mean to-

Aleena: (growls) What did you do to him!

Kenshin: I-I hurt him... v-very badly...

Aleena: (looks him over carefully) Is that what you feel so guilty about?

A/N: Kenshin wanted to tell the truth so badly, yet he still found himself lying to her.

Kenshin: Yes, (smiles) it's rather foolish I suppose, right?

Aleena: Yeah, but don't you worry about it! (smiles with pride) My papa can handle a few wounds!

A/N: Kenshin finally begins to drift off to sleep after mentally scolding himself, when he feels something lean up against him. His eyes snap open and he turns around to see... Aleena... again...

Kenshin: There's no way you've had another nightmare.

Aleena: I can't help it. That big room is so lonely at night.

Kenshin: It's a small room! Every room in this house is a small room!

Aleena: In my pack, we all sleep together, side-by-side!

Kenshin: But this isn't your pack!

Aleena: Fine; I'll go! But y'know, Kenshin... it's safer to sleep together...

Kenshin: Hm?

Aleena: ... if you sleep alone... in a big dark room like this...

Kenshin: I told you! It's a SMALL room!

Aleena: ... bad stuff could happen to you... (leaves room)

A/N: That my friends is called foreshadowing!

Kenshin: Bad stuff?

A/N: Kenshin ignores Aleena's odd remark and drifts of to sleep. He's only been asleep for 10 minutes, but he already feels a bright light hit his face.

Kenshin: (moans) The Sun can't be out already... (opens one eye)

A/N: The first thing Kenshin sees is a giant silver-black wolf with huge angelic wings on its back. Startled, he quickly sits up, noting that he is no longer in the room he fell asleep in. Instead, he is in what appears to be a grand throne room and sitting on the throne was the giant wolf (the throne much greater in size). The wolf was gigantic! It was larger than most houses! Kenshin barely stood up to the wolf's fore-paw!

Kenshin: W-who are you!

The Wolf: (female voice) My name is Ajirou.

Kenshin: This is one strange dream...

Ajirou: I assure you, this is no dream.

Kenshin: W-why have you brought me here?

Ajirou: (sighs) I'm afraid you'll have to speak up. It's difficult to hear someone that's so small in my comparison...

Kenshin: WHY HAVE YOU BROUGHT ME HERE!

Ajirou: This isn't working... I suppose I'll have to shrink down into a more suitable height.

A/N: Ajirou folds her wings up and shrinks down to about Akira's height, which is around twelve feet.

Ajirou: There, that's better!

Kenshin: Where am I?

Ajirou: In my palace. I watch over the forests of all wolves in the world from right here.

Kenshin: How's that?

Ajirou: We're well above a few thousand feet in the air.

Kenshin: Wha? But how?

Ajirou: Sorry! It's a secret.

A/N: Kenshin stares at her in bewilderment. This whole thing is making no sense to him. He couldn't help but feel uneasy about carrying a conversation with a wolf creature such as this.

Ajirou: You seem apprehensive. Does this form not suit to your liking?

Kenshin: No, it's just... I mean... well...

Ajirou: I see.

A/N: Ajirou folds up her wings once more and this time she turns into a beautiful woman. She had long silver-white hair and wore a pure white dress. Her skin, clean and white as snow. She still had wolf ears atop her head, sharp nails that resembled claws, fangs, and a wolf tail. She had a crown of olive leaves on her head as well. Her face seemed exactly like Aleena's, the same blue eyes and profile. She even had the same body shape as Aleena, only a bit more mature and developed.

Ajirou: Is this better?

Kenshin: You look a lot like someone I know.

Ajirou: You're talking of Aleena, correct?

Kenshin: You know about her?

Ajirou: Kenshin, all the wolves know of her. She's the human that by all means should be dead.

Kenshin: Why's that?

Ajirou: Aleena was born of a human family, but they all died, except for a brother that may have survived. She was adopted into a wolf family, not just a wolf family, but Akira's family. As you already know, he loathes humans. He should've killed her as an infant, but he kept her alive. In the end, she became his most treasured and favored offspring. Akira was a good wolf.

Kenshin: (thinking) Does she know I killed him?

Ajirou: My kingdom is shrinking day by day. At the same time, more and more humans move in. I can make a prognosis, that by the early 20th century, there will be no more wolves left in Japan. I can tell, because the strongest wolf left has been killed by you, Kenshin.

Kenshin: What is it you want with me?

Ajirou: Is that all you can say?

Kenshin: Look, I'm sorry.

Ajirou: You don't mean it.

Kenshin: It isn't my fault! Akira, he-

Ajirou: So you're saying that you accidentally killed him? That's difficult to comprehend.

Kenshin: Akira went wild and turned himself into a demon! What did you expect me to do! Just stand there and let him kill me!

Ajirou: You have nothing to be guilty of. So why do you feel it?

Kenshin: What did you say?

A/N: Without warning, Ajirou transforms into the 12 foot tall wolf with angel wings again. The wings were folded and Kenshin noticed something stirring from within them.

Kenshin: Forgive me if I am not justified by what I ask, (looking intently at Ajirou's wings) but I see something strange coming from your wings.

Ajirou: Look here.

A/N: From the foldings of its wings came two children. They were wretched, dismal, frightful, hideous, and miserable. They knelt down at Ajirou's paws, and clung upon the outside of her wings.

Ajirou: Human, look here!

A/N: They were a boy and a girl. Yellow, meager, ragged, scowling, wolfish; but exhausted, too, in there humbleness. Where graceful youth should have filled there features out, and touched them with its innocence, a stale and shriveled hand, like one of an old, ugly, elder, had pinched, and twisted them, and pulled their skin to shreds. Where angles might have sat, demons lurked, and glared out menacing. No change, no withdrawal, no protection of humanity, in any grade, through all the mysteries of wonderful creation, has monsters been half so horrible and dreaded. Kenshin stared back, aghast at what he saw. Having them shown to him in this way, he tried to say they were fine children, but the words blocked themselves, instead of participating in a lie of this enormous size.

Kenshin: Ajirou, are they yours? (Kenshin could say no more)

Ajirou: They are Man's looking down upon them and they cling to me. This boy is Ignorance. The girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of there extent, but most of all beware this boy, for on his forehead, I see the word DOOM carved into his flesh, unless the writing is erased. Avoid it! stretches out her wing towards Japan

A/N: The two children suddenly deteriorate into shadows. The darkness spreads around the room, all corners, now everywhere but the throne itself. Kenshin was being swallowed up by it. He couldn't breathe, his senses were nullified.

Kenshin: A-Ajirou! Help me!

Ajirou: You have to help yourself.

A/N: For the first time in Kenshin's life he was afraid. He had seen many paintings and artworks depicting Hell as a place with fire and searing heat, but Kenshin figured that if Hell really did exist, it would be eternal darkness. Kenshin was swallowed up.