The Tragic Circumstances of Lost Souls conjoined:

Chapter one: Qui tacet consentiret (Silence gives consent)

"Herein lies the tragedy of the age: not that men are poor…not that men are wicked…but that men know so little of men."

W.E.B. Du Bois.

Despair was once something the Romanticist author Edgar Alan Poe named necessary to understand the human heart and if this was the case Megumi was on her way to understanding all four chambers of her broken heart. She felt, in the youth and blossom of her life, betrayed entirely by its circumstances. The Goose with the golden eggs hidden so cleverly in her medicinal yukata, she scarcely even knew her own reflection when she peered into the fine glass mirror of the cherry-colored vanity. Takeda Kanryuu, however, knew her face; he could read it with frighteningly inhuman ease.

"My dear Megumi, you look sad," he said with false compassion while standing behind the forlorn doctor. It was true, Megumi's dark eyes were somber and cold as the poison she created in the laboratory. Kanryuu drew an effeminate hand through Megumi's black hair. It flowed flawlessly, like a dark silken veil.

"If there is anything that I can do to ease your suffering, you know I would have it done," Kanryuu attempted to console her, the comfort was mocking her instead of cheering her dreary soul. Quickly, Megumi rebuffed his dainty hand as she turned her head, letting her hair whip Kanryuu while turning her head. Her eyes were now as hard and cold as the steel of a sword.

"Never touch me again. There is nothing you can do to ease my suffering, for it is caused by your vile greed!" Megumi stated proudly, showing her bushido, or samurai honor. Kanryuu continued to mock the fallen doctor,

"Why, my pet, you are so hostile. I have treated you with all the kindness in my heart, but you continue to insult me. I should punish you, but my love for you is too great." Megumi narrowed her eyes and rose from her vanity seat.

"You swine! How dare you insult me in such a manner! It was you who reduced me to this!" She retorted, and walked away from Kanryuu, who was smiling grimly.

"Megumi, I never wished to resort to this, but it appears that I must enforce my rules with less tact than usual." Megumi glanced back to Kanryuu warily, and noted the wild look in his eyes. However, she remained firm and headed towards the double doors. This was halted when Kanryuu clicked his tongue and a dark haired man appeared in the door.

"This is Shinomori Aoshi, and he is charged with making you a more efficient and willing worker." Kanryuu stated gleefully, his eyes glittering with perverted lust. Megumi did not notice Kanryuu's glee, but was struck with familiarity at the sight of Aoshi.

'Why does he look so familiar?' Megumi asked herself, looking up and down Aoshi's lean form. Finally, when Megumi's gaze settled on Aoshi's face, she peered deep into his chilling blue eyes and implored them. While looking directly at Megumi, Aoshi asked Kanryuu,

" The housekeeper has given me a room, but my men remain without such accommodations. I will not assist you without their arrangements made." Kanryuu sighed audibly and walked toward Aoshi,

"Yes, yes, you'll have those accommodations ready. Is there any other matter you wish to bring up before I formally introduce you to Megumi?" Aoshi shook his head, all other matters having been discussed with the head of Kanryuu's vast bank account. Therefore, Kanryuu continued with the introductions.

"Shinomori Aoshi, this woman before you is Takani Megumi of the Takani Family in Aizu." Megumi lowered her eyes at the mention of her family, for it reminded her how far she had fallen. Aoshi noticed this immediately and Kanryuu monopolized on this current humiliation.

"She is my Golden Goose, I assure you that if you protect her safety and keep her feisty temper in line you will be well rewarded." Aoshi only replied with his usual, 'Aa' and observed the mortification form on her cheeks in a red stain. Megumi glared back to Kanryuu, but the coldness in her eyes was replaced by fire unquenchable.

" I am no man's property, least of all yours!" She barked and stalked out of the elegant room.

"I find her temper quite alluring. Don't you, Aoshi?" However, Aoshi did not reply and let Kanryuu construe what he willed from the silence. Without a word, Aoshi left the room, but his mind had a faint memory of a woman somewhat similar to Megumi in his youth. This thought was dismissed because Aoshi was not being paid to place a name with face.

Despite Megumi's strength, she could not help but weep at her deplorable station.

'I am no better than a common street whore, I am subject to the same immoral humiliations.' She thought and looked out from the wide observatory window onto the morphing city of Tokyo. Suddenly, Megumi felt a longing in her heart for Aizu, her childhood home. In this moment of sadness, she did not observe Aoshi standing behind her, enjoying the same view. Yet, Aoshi kept his presence silent, the sight of Megumi, even in her mourning state was drawing out a side of him he had long repressed. Aoshi somewhat resented this empathetic tie that Megumi held with him, both of them being in essence lost and fallen souls trapped in a world they abhorred. And without a word Aoshi disappeared from the glass-encased observatory. Yet, the door was not so silent as it made a small impact with the frame and a small echo was sent about the room. Megumi, startled by this looked around the room feverishly but found nothing. Her mind, having drifted from her own despair, was beginning to compel Megumi towards curiosity.

Megumi was cautious to enter her bedroom, her slightly over-embellished fears that coincided with the sickening grins on Kanryuu's face.

'There is definitely something wrong with that man, he needs to hire a professional whore,' She thought in decent humor, avoiding her fears with simple sarcasm. A flash of worry sparked in her face when she heard the cheerful voice of her chambermaid, Hitomi, ask,

"Miss, are you well?" Megumi shot her a worried look.

"Yes, I am fine. You may leave for the evening." Hitomi thanked Megumi with a polite bow and exited the room. In a reverie from years past, the neo-classical room seemed to fade back to the days of a simpler era, when this room was but a blank canvas in an ornate mansion.


" Takani-san, please forgive the lack of decorations but Takeda-Sama has yet to furnish this wing." An elder servant said to Megumi as she peered into the abandoned suite of rooms, dusted with mildew and decay.

"It shall do fine." Megumi stated with a small smile and ran her hand cautiously through long black locks of hair as she noticed a spider dangling from the doorframe. "Where is Takeda-san?" Megumi asked, peering hesitantly into the room. The servant answered curtly,

"He wishes to meet you in person, but today he is unable as he is held over with business affairs." Megumi nodded in reply, "But he bid me to show you the laboratory where you shall work." Megumi followed the elderly man into the abandoned wing, waylaid with opened cans of paint and canvassed furniture. Throughout the abandoned portion of the mansion something stuck out to Megumi. Passing a locked door, she jiggled the handle unconsciously.

" Excuse me, but this door is locked? What lies behind it?" She asked. The servant blushed awkwardly at a question so bold and replied,

"Takani-san, it is perhaps the most splendid view of Tokyo one can ever see." Nodding introspectively, Megumi timidly asked,

"May I please see it?"

"Of course, Takani-san. I was told by Takeda-sama to refuse you nothing." The elderly gentlemen replied and pulled a set of large western-style keys out. As he sifted through the metal objects Megumi's eyes traced the intricate crown moldings, observing their foreign flavor. After the key was found, Megumi entered the small room, and found herself left breathless; the man had not lied to her.

"This is magnificent." She sighed. The city of Tokyo, formerly called Edo, flourished in the autumn skies.

"Takani-san," The elderly man asked cautiously, "I was told not to show you this, for it was to be a present from Takeda-sama, he will have me punished for disobeying." Megumi was slightly surprised at this remark.

" Takeda-san would punish you for something that was clearly my fault? I was under the impression this man was kind."

"Takeda-sama is quite generous, he pays very well and expects obedience…from all his servants." Megumi didn't quite understand the implications that the elderly servant had made but thought nothing of it.


Now, years later, Megumi understood what the servant meant by 'he expects obedience', as his perpetual slave it had been difficult to adjust. In the beginning, when she began to make the opium more regularly, Megumi had been starved, locked in her suite for days at a time without rations until she made her quota. Life had not treated her well.


"Takani-san," Takeda Kanryuu greeted as Megumi turned from the panoramic view of the Tokyo, "This was not to be shown to you, it was my present for you. I do hope you'll forgive me." Megumi smiled warmly,

"I do not take offense, the view is so gorgeous as to make up for the error." Takeda grinned, and for some reason Megumi was wary of the happy smile.

" You are a kind woman, Takani-san. How do you suggest my disobedient servant is to be punished this day?" Kanryuu inquired, quite captivated by Megumi's natural vivacity and passion. Megumi was quite appalled at this notion of punishment, and quickly countered Kanryuu.

"He should not be punished! The servant did no harm; we are no longer in feudal times. He is your hired help, and it is unjust for you to impose any punishment." Kanryuu's eyes lost their unnatural kindness and glowered for a moment at Megumi's answer. However, this was quickly covered, and Kanryuu lied,

"Yes, I was merely testing you. It would be unjust for me to punish hired help." Kanryuu's sickening grin returned again, and he led Megumi away from the observatory.


Megumi had been deceived, and though her heart told her otherwise, she trusted Kanryuu. Despite the grin that was far too friendly, and the kindness that did not look so well with his face. Megumi looked to her needs, and saw the need of a home, no matter how fake. Maybe Kanryuu could provide at least an image of warmth to her old soul, and she always had the observatory if the world led trouble to her door. In accepting such false pretenses, Megumi had let herself be locked in a life not of her ordinary choosing.

There was little she could do about that now, as many years later, she had long relented, but never accepted her servitude to a dark art. Yet, Megumi could always remember the days before she let herself be deceived. Aizu was no longer a tangible place to her, but Megumi could recall the image and it was a hallucination of home on the translucent walls of her glass cage.

Aoshi had bigger fish, and bigger memories to fry. His mind was deranged with repetitive, unspoken questions. To call him sane was a great falsehood, ever since the Oniwabanshuu was forced to guard crooked businessmen instead of protecting the honor their own portion. Yet, Aoshi felt justified. These men had no other homes, and would suit no other way of life. Aoshi rightfully knew that if he were to abandon his men and settle down a great inequality would be served.

'This Takeda Kanryuu is rich,' he thought, while taking long strides through the alien gardens of a western style, 'with his money they can finally be free of this degradation, and I can move on…to a normal life.' The breeze stifled Aoshi's black hair, and he turned his face toward the opulent moon above.

"Hanya…" he said, and the covert warrior revealed himself.

"Yes, Oshikara."

"Observe Kanryuu. There is a woman I am concerned with." Aoshi ordered coldly. Though you could not discern emotion from Hanya's masked face, his voice was rank with doubts.

"A woman? Oshikara, it is not my place to doubt you, but women bring trouble." Aoshi glared at Hanya and only replied,

"Yes, it is not your place to doubt me." Hanya bowed his head, ashamed of his boldness, and disappeared into the night. Aoshi, left in his solitude, knowing what Hanya meant. His memory was dusted with regrets of a relationship allowed to kindle in a girl with so much more potential and so much more worth than he could ever provide.


"Aoshi-Sama!" Misao cried, feeling bereft of his presence though he had not yet left her side. Aoshi looked down to the Misao, just a young girl at the time, and consoled,

"Be strong Misao, you are Oniwabanshuu." This however was no consolation to the young girl, who adored the Oshikara with all her soul.

"But why do you have to go?" She asked naively. Looking into Misao's pure eyes, Aoshi could not muster the words to answer, she would not understand. Okina, sensing conflict within Aoshi's aura, gently chided Misao,

"Misao-chan, do not bother the Oshikara." Misao glared back at Okina and retorted,

"But Grandpa! Aoshi-Sama can't leave without telling me where he's going." Okina showed a rare moment of anger and stated with a growl beneath his words,

"Misao-chan, the dishes are dirty!" The young Misao rose obediently, but as she ran into the Aoiya she could be heard undermining her elders. Then, Okina approached a then younger Aoshi, and said,

"Aoshi, never forget you're training when you are out there, all aspects of it. You know as well as I there are more than just forms in the Oniwabanshuu code." Aoshi, his face cold as it would appear in later years, replied,

"Yes, Okina-sama. You have a good apprentice who will not forget your training." Okina smiled, and the mood was somewhat elevated from its previous status.

"Get going!" Okina yelled enthusiastically and all that remained of the Oniwabanshuu departed from the inn and restaurant.


Guilt. Yes, it permeated Aoshi's very soul. He felt its stain upon the depths of his being. He had left a girl to hope for what did not exist and betrayed his former tutor in ways that were utterly disgraceful. These elements formed a guilty pang in his chest, one that persisted into the long hours of the night, keeping Aoshi awake at most insane hours.

In the beginning, the Oniwabanshuu pretended to be a force of good, but reality had to be faced. In its darkest moments, human nature can betray the very fiber of reason. This innate human nature to survive at all costs forsook all Aoshi's moral restraints as he and his men were forced to accept the fact the only men who needed protection were those too poor or notorious to afford the police. Aoshi did not pretend otherwise, his aim was to survive and go beyond his current existence.

Both Aoshi and Megumi were not aware; though their souls were so similar the linking quality yearned to be discovered. Time would yet reveal this, if both parties allowed it.

End Chapter One.

Rissi's Writings: Sorry, I am sorta at a transitional period for my writing. Not entirely sure what to do about it, this fiction has some promise….please review!