WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!
WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight
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Chapter 9: Respite
"Tell those two outlaws," Kenji deadpanned his best impersonation
of Saitou, "that they're not needed around here anymore. So they should
get the hell out of here as soon as possible, if they value their freedom. Oh,"
the boy brandished the package Saitou had tossed at him, "that was after
he struck me in the head with this thing here."
Enishi eyed the package suspiciously. He then reached over, slowly, to take hold of the thing from Kenji.
It was a simple package; brown, ordinary, indescript and squarish in volume. Obviously simple paper wrapped over a box of sorts. Kenji's curiousity began to grow when Enishi took his time in unwrapping the thing. The boy was confounded at how a person like Enishi could take such great care in a menial task like unwrapping a box. When the paper slowly came off, however, he began to see why.
There were words written on the underside of the wrapper.
Setting the message aside for now, Enishi looked into what the box held. Some maps, some envelopes, some pointless pieces of blank paper. And - surprise surprise - several rolls of new bandages and medical salve.
Enishi blinked, and Kenji just stared blankly.
"Bugger," the older person spoke in a grumbling tone, "this means his next assignment for us is not going to be pretty."
"Next assignment?" Kenji quirked an eyebrow. "Wasn't he going to let you both go?"
The man gave the boy the most ridiculous stare he could muster. As if the mere IDEA of Saitou discharging them from service was unthinkable. Kenji was tempted to ask how long exactly Saitou had been lording over the duo, but thought the better of it. He had a feeling he did not want to know. A sudden spark of inspiration hit him, however, and he leaned forward slightly. "Why did he call you," he pitched his tone to sound as casual as possible, "outlaws?"
Enishi's hand jerked to a stop above a roll of bandages. His glance flickered to Kenji, and the boy could see traces of something intense hidden within those icy blue depths. He looked like he was debating whether to give a snide or serious reply. Eventually he looked away and snorted noncommittedly.
"If you really want to know, you can ask the Tenken when he wakes up later," the white-haired man nodded in Soujirou's direction. Pausing slightly, Enishi frowned at the boy, "Tell me you didn't walk into the police station with that bloody hakama, my sword, and that ridiculous cross-scar on your left cheek."
Kenji gave him a blank stare. "What are you talking about?" He said slowly. "Of course I did. And, before you say anything," he held a hand out, "yes, everybody fled from me. I don't blame them, though. That reminds me." The boy wiped at his left cheek furiously with his shoulder, trying to scrub the ink off. "If Soujirou is not dead yet, he's gonna die later for doing this."
Still fixed with an incredulous expression on his countenance, Enishi asked, "Did the crabhead say anything?"
"Nothing to inspire that ridiculous look on your face," the young Himura shrugged. Quickly averting his eyes, he leaned against the same wall Enishi had been leaning against previously and sighed lightly, the recollections of the police station coming back in full force. Any attempts to interrogate Saitou of what he knew about him, or his father, had ended up in terrible failure. Kenji eventually left the station in a slight fit, and with slightly more insight about why Soujirou and Enishi was quite unable to slip out of the evil wolf's grasp.
When that man wanted you to do something - it was do or die. And when he wanted to hide something - it was worst than squeezing blood from stone.
"You know," Kenji almost jumped out of his skin when he heard Soujirou's voice, "the rain's almost stopped. Should we get out of here soon? I don't think I can withstand Saitou-san's wrath when he gets here..."
Enishi had already begun to stand up. "You're right," the sigh was almost audible through his words. "We need to get somewhere else and redo those bandages."
By this time, Kenji was by the prostrate Soujirou's side. "You're awake!" He exclaimed, not bothering to hide his joy. Of course, he completely forgot about the death threat he had just uttered moments ago as well. The Tenken gave him a weak smile.
"Thanks for your concern, Himura-san," the boyish wanderer nodded, "I'm just a bit numb on my left side at the moment. Nothing some rest won't solve. The bleeding's stopped too, so it's nothing that serious for now - just a small risk of infection." He paused to cough twice, then laugh. "Trust me, Himura-san, I've been hurt far worse than this before."
"You talk entirely too much for being half-dead," Enishi interrupted sullenly. He had the wrapper with the message in his hands, and Kenji could sense the drop in his mood. "Since you're so full of energy, I assume you can walk now?"
Soujirou immediately pushed himself into a sitting position, with the floor as support. The pain he had to bear with became visible on his face, and through his gritted teeth. "I haven't been hurt this bad in years," he grinned moronically, ignoring Enishi's glares. "Himura-san, could you help me stand?"
Kenji very spontaneously did.
Slowly, they crept down the stairs and observed the temple surroundings for a while before sneaking out to enlist the help of the trees for camouflague. While they kept themselves concealed behind the shrubbery, distant voices could be heard, coming closer with every breath. The trio listened intently, until the voices were no longer incoherent garble, but discernable words.
"Of all the days, it had to happen TODAY?"
The light of a few fire torches passed over the bushes they were hiding under.
"I bet they're still inside. I managed to give one of 'em a nasty wound. Come on!" It was the man who had slashed Soujirou.
Enishi's eyes narrowed and his grip on his sword tightened with a taut 'clink'. As his two other companions watched on, one with concern and the other with curious interest, the man's expression flickered and changed. He blinked, and appeared staring at something straight ahead. Quickly following his glance, Kenji and Soujirou found what had evoked the switch in Enishi's mood.
The silver fox sat regally before them, its stark, almost luminous fur making it stand out from among the dark undergrowth. Its ethereal grin never once left its face.
When it was sure it had the trio's undivided attention, it turned and bounded off into the woods, a mysterious, fading laughter accompanying it.
A calm settled over.
"Well, that was..." Soujirou whispered, in fear of being overheard by the people who had just passed by, "... strange."
While Kenji shrugged, Enishi had his glare trained on the shrine entrance, where the entourage had just entered into. Judging from his murderous expression, he looked like he had half a good mind to go in after them and slaughter everybody on sight.
"What's the next best thing to do now?" The youngest of the group queried in a tired voice. "We can't keep crouching here forever."
"We can either go back out in the open or crawl our way through the woods," Enishi offered, eyes still on the entrance.
"Going back out in the open is not a good idea," Soujirou's smile was nervous, to say the least, "we'll be in a clear line of sight from whatever reinforcements the two escaped guards have brought."
"That would be very convenient," Enishi began to smile very smugly, "they won't live to see another day."
His partner's smile began to twitch. "That was what I was afraid of." He sighed, feeling the cold, night air seep into his being. "What do you think, Himura-san..." The wanderer blinked at the empty space beside him, where Kenji had been. "... Himura-san?" He quickly scanned the dark surroundings. Not a trace of the boy could be seen.
"See? Even the redhead agrees," Enishi grinned maliciously, "I bet he went back to the temple already."
"He MAY have gone back," Soujirou held a hand over his partner to stop him from standing up, "but YOU'RE staying here! Really, Yukishiro-san! You-"
"Ladies," the clear, mocking voice of Kenji interrupted the duo from their mini squabble, "if you're done bantering loudly now, would you two please step over here?"
The said duo turned their heads at the same time to see the boy peer out at them from a large trunk, which, if Soujirou remembered correctly, had been the same trunk the silver fox had disappeared behind. Kenji then quickly vanished, leaving the two confused wanderers to stare bewilderedly at each other.
Wordlessly, Enishi carefully helped Soujirou to stand and together, they took the turn around the trunk.
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"Wow..." Soujirou's eyes were bright with awe. "... how did you
find this place, Himura-san?"
Kenji shrugged from his place beside a steady wooden wall. "Followed the fox." He briefly explained.
When the duo had previously rounded the trunk and walked a little further, they found a most welcoming sight awaiting them. There, tucked behind thick foliage and virtually sheltered from any worldly observance, was a small shack of a comfortable size, glowing slightly in the moonlight. Upon entering the hut, the trio were surprised to see that the room was rather well furnished for occupation. There were several ritualistic items hoarded at a dark corner beside a wooden desk and stool, making them come to the conclusion that this must be a seclusion hut for the priests and priestesses of the temple which had been abandoned like it had. Dusty as it was, it made for a rather snug spot after a bit of cleaning.
Soujirou was promptly assigned (or rather, dumped on) the futon which Kenji unrolled on the unyielding wooden floor. While Enishi contemplated the bandages, Kenji propped a wooden window open and stared out into the dark forest. The crickets had resumed their chirping after the slight shower just now, and it was strangely comforting to listen to them.
"Read the note, boy," Enishi's terse command eventually pulled Kenji out from nature-gazing. Slightly annoyed, Kenji walked over to the table where they had left their things and picked the brown wrapper up, turning it to the side where Saitou had left his mark. As his eyes scanned the message, he all but summarized it up in two words.
Kyoto. Now.
"So now it's Kyoto?" The boy mused openly, not noticing upturned lips suddenly snapping into a straight line on Soujirou's face. "I knew he couldn't have let you off without wanting something /else/ in return."
"W-We have to go to Kyoto?" Soujirou's voice was tiny. His smile had completely vanished. Enishi's stoic silence only confirmed his fears.
"What is he expecting you to do there?" Kenji was as curious as a fourteen year old could be.
The ex-mafia boss glanced curtly at him. "'We,' stupid boy. The question is what is he expecting us to do when /we/ get there. And to answer that question - we'll only know when we get there."
The night quickly descended into silence and tranquility, wherein Kenji was too shocked at being regarded as a comrade to ask any more questions.
They rested. For they had a long journey ahead.
... to be continued
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18/8/03
xd@tougenkyou.net
A/N
This chapter is so brain-dead. More action to come, I think... d'oh. Of course!
Kyoto is the hotbed of action for anything RK. ^_~x
I drew a little something for everybody reading the fic! I put it on my page
(which you can access from my profile), or, here's the direct link:
tougenkyou . net / xd / concept / three_s.jpg
(remember to remove spaces!)
I also realized that... with some choice lengthening of hair, Soujirou... CAN PASS OFF AS A DEAD RINGER FOR TOMOE (he'll also need some anti-smile medicine, though)!!! Enishi! Is /that/ the reason why you're travelling around with Soujirou?
Sou: Yukishiro-san! @_@ Is that true??!
Eni: ...
... Just kidding. XD
Re: Tanuki-dono
Enishi and Soujirou "play off of each other so nicely"... ? XD you
scared me for a while there, Tanuki-dono. XD i'm glad you liked the imagery
though! *_*x i thought lightning would be a bit overused at first. XD
Re: Brittany67
*bows* thank you so much! *_*x
Re: April-san
orooo! i thought you liked soujirou?? please don't bonk him! it hurts to bonk,
like you tried on yourself. XD XD XD i think it was a combination of the ink
scar, the blood on kenji's pants and his very scary sword that scared the general
populace away, though. XD
Re: Silver Nightingale
don't worry! XD saitou won't ever let them go if his life depended on it, muahahhahaha.
after all, where else could he get labourers who worked for half the wages but
with twice the efficiency? XD
Re: Shahrezad1
the pink, frilly ribbons are really grabbing everybody's attention, isn't it?
XD