The Tragic Circumstances of Lost Souls Conjoined:

Chapter Two: Say it's only a Paper Moon

"The most hateful torment for men is to have knowledge of everything but power over nothing."

Herodotus
In the real word, there are few star-crossed lovers; yet, if Megumi's mind had been open to the world around her she would have found a mate for her soul. However, Megumi closed her mind to all but the swaying of the trees and the pleasing sound it made in the autumn season. In her decent sized laboratory Megumi plotted with kings and princes; that she may create a less potent poison to swell in the blood of men. In recent days, Kanryuu had been more perceptive to this insidious twisting of deadly ingredients and Megumi's presence was demanded.

"You vile little snake! The market value of the opium you made recently has decreased significantly. What tricks have you pulled yet!" Kanryuu stated, enraged at Megumi's continual defiance.

" Even golden geese can produce lead eggs." Megumi harshly retorted, her voice screaming of insolent pride.

" Why you tricky, little thief! Your games have robbed me from a decent profit! I will not stand for it." Kanryuu yelled, rising from his cushioned desk chair. He then shouted, "You will be punished for your actions. I will strike at you in any way that I can!" Megumi smirked at his statement and goaded,

"Will you kill me, or will you stretch me on the rack? How will you break me? Which cowardly hand will hold the dagger as you slice open my throat?"

Aoshi lingered outside the door, using his onmitsu skills to impede Megumi's privacy for his own amusement as Kanryuu failed to answer Megumi's challenge, and ordered her to leave his presence that he may 'find a more deserving punishment.' As expected, Megumi was fleeing the lavish office, her hands curled into tight fists before she accidentally grazed Aoshi's shoulder.

For a brief moment, she glared at Aoshi, her eyes blazing with an angry, impassioned fire. Aoshi returned Megumi's gaze with a small smirk and frosty blue eyes boring into her soul. With Megumi further retreating, Kanryuu called Aoshi into his office.

"She's a fiery spirit, you know Aoshi. I've often thought of breaking her, of having such a strong and brave woman underneath my power has warmed my loins more than once." Aoshi did not respond, but internally he was disgusted by Kanryuu's unguarded comment.

"If you really think on it, I should have broken her by now. She has been under my charge for many years, but has remained defiant. You are to watch my fiery golden goose more closely than before. She is more volatile. You should be wary, Megumi has many tricks up her sleeve." Kanryuu commented with a dry laugh. Aoshi, being very formal and traditional wondered if Kanryuu had been in the company of too many western gaijin as of late. As he began to walk away, Aoshi was stopped, and Kanryuu demanded of him,

"You are an unusually silent men. I find such men dangerous."

"I find no need to speak superfluously." Aoshi explained and held Kanryuu's gaze, warning him silently to speak no more of the issue. Kanryuu gulped nervously before dismissing the warrior.

No solace would be found for Megumi in her room, the all to familiar aroma of poppies would feed her guilt while her stomach rumbled to be fed.

"A plague upon this house!" Megumi abruptly cursed, and put a death grip around the ornate bedpost adorning a western four-poster bed. Her body continued to tremble as the moon cast an uneasy and revealing shadow on Megumi. While Megumi continued to grip the bedpost she sunk into the mattress. Leaning her delicate face against the post, Megumi shook away repulsive and angry tears, ever more determined to escape from this life.

Hanya had disobeyed Aoshi's orders, for he had grown increasingly wary of what Megumi was capable of and found good cause to observe her. Concealed amid the vast gardens his keen eyes caught sight of Megumi's trembling figure through her uncovered window.

'This woman's heart is so betrayed; much like the Okashira she has kept a strong façade despite her broken heart.' Out of this arose a much more primal fear from Hanya, would this woman steal Aoshi's heart? Would Aoshi abandon his men for a woman as low as this opium woman?

"Hanya," Aoshi called, having found the bizarre fighter, "You were told to observe Kanryuu, not spy on a fallen woman."

"Forgive me Okashira, I should have never gone against your orders." Hanya stated, bowing before Aoshi.

" Do not make that same mistake." Aoshi simply barked and Hanya scattered from the area. However, Aoshi continued to monitor Megumi through the window, finding himself more entranced by the woman.

Megumi had drifted into an uneasy though deep slumber and Kanryuu entered Megumi's 'medicinal' and living quarters in the west wing of his ostentatious mansion. Setting the small brass lantern upon the neo-classical side table, Kanryuu marveled that even in Megumi's sleep he haunted her dreams. A combination of the moonlight from above and dim candlelight revealed pale streaks, much like tears, adorning the opium woman's cheeks.

Kanryuu's delicate and effeminate fingers graced the tearstains upon her cheeks in a gentle but lecherous manner, as if he sought to elicit a somewhat foreign sensation to the impassioned, yet reserved Megumi. Surprisingly, she leaned into his touch; perhaps in her dreams Kanryuu embodied a father's warmth or something far more erotic.

This was all more fascinating to the impious and craven businessman, that in her dreams Megumi, his golden goose had lost the inhibitions of a prouder era and fell vulnerable to overpowering, yet inarticulate seduction.

'This could work to my advantage. I could break this proud woman, if I could only bring public her need for companionship.' Kanryuu thought, than his quick and shifting eyes discerned his opium woman was about to wake. In a swift moment, just as Megumi woke, Kanryuu disappeared from the room unnoticed.

Megumi felt the warmth of a refined blush dust her high cheekbones, but she could not recall any specific event to provoke such coloring. Was the hand that brushed her face only a dream? Did the subtle strokes upon her cheek really occur in this world as well?

As Takeda Kanryuu deceived Megumi most ingeniously, Aoshi watched the ordeal play out, his immortal soul despising every minute of the drawn out scene. The Okashira's ice cold warrior aura seemed to radiate from the red leaved maple trees as Kanryuu left Megumi to conjure an image she wished at the illusory touch upon her cheek.

Aoshi did not further watch Megumi as she rose from her high-western bed, and allowed the opium woman justifiable privacy, even if she was unaware of the intrusion he brought. Yet, more selfishly, Aoshi feared the growing attachment to Megumi, as if a string had attached his breast to that of hers. It is hard to be a leader of men; duty can coexist or contradict the feelings of the heart and lead the conscience astray for the sake of it.

In truth, Aoshi saw a mirror image of himself within Megumi. The same struggles appeared in sleep-deprived lines underneath their eyes, yet his heart would deny this for the intent to keep his men safe from rejection and harm.

"I am the Okashira. This honor was passed down to me from the Okashira before me. I will not betray it." Aoshi reaffirmed aloud, his enormous sense of tradition and ancient values winning over the feeble impulses of the heart. Therefore, he would not tell Megumi of the spell which had been just cast upon her by the greedy Takeda Kanryuu.

'The Opium Woman is a strong sort of woman, she will not allow an event brought upon by sleep to reciprocate in this world.' Aoshi then thought, justifying his complete inaction toward the scandalous subject.

Megumi, now that she had woken from her tempestuous sleep, washed the stains of tears and a dainty blush from her normally pale cheeks. Caught up within the feeling of the icy cold water cleansing her skin, she did not notice Kanryuu entering her room and was thoroughly surprised when a flawless strand of dark amethyst colored pearls was set against the pale skin of her neck.

Seeing that Kanryuu was the man who gave the lavish gift Megumi retorted fearlessly,

"You would strangle me with a set of pearls, how feminine." Kanryuu bore the insult well, and with a sly grin stated,

"My dear, you mistake me. There is a banquet to be held in my honor tomorrow evening. I require an escort. You would do anything to serve me better, would you not?" Megumi noted not the beauteous color the pearls, or how perfect they looked against her skin, she just noticed how similar to a chain they appeared when clasped around her neck.

"Though it was kind of you to offer, I do not wish to attend." Kanryuu withdrew from Megumi, his fingers rubbing against the smooth and perfect pearl necklace.

"You do not have a choice I am afraid. You will be attending this banquet." He jeered, triumphant, he thought, over Megumi's spirit.

"You cannot force me. Death is something I wish for, not fear, " Megumi stated, and stood proudly erect, refusing to face Kanryuu.

" You can be bought." He baited.

"What? With fine jewels, silks, or gaijin novelties. I am a better woman than that." At this Kanryuu smirked and began pacing the floor, a deliriously happy look in his eyes.

"Yes, you are a better woman than that. As it is such I offer you what I know you really desire," He paused and looked into Megumi's eyes, piercing them with his gaze, "You desire to be free above all else. You loathe creating the Opium. What if I were to offer you this freedom you desire, within a reasonable limit of time? You could return to the Aizu, the past eternally forgotten, and be a doctor no longer of death." Megumi grew nervous, this man had prodded and prodded, finally finding her weak spot.

"How am I to trust you?" Kanryuu knew at that moment he had struck gold, and furthering this offer, he gently took Megumi's hand within his own, massaging it gently; marveling at how subdued she had become.

"There are things, Megumi, that transcend the trivial matters of creating a profit." Megumi's eyes wandered and her heart quaked, the offer sounded too good to be true. Freedom…the word rang in her ears, begging her to submit.

Within the next moment, the spell had broken and Megumi tore her hand from Kanryuu's, saying bitterly,

"I do not need you to free me. If I did not relent to your initial seduction how can you expect me fall at an offer so suspicious!" Megumi then saw a dark rage within Kanryuu's eye.

"Assuming you escape, a feat most unlikely, I will hunt you down. If you find family in Aizu, Tokyo, Kyoto, or Yokohama I would kill them, just to get to you." Storming out of Megumi's room, Kanryuu placed the strand of pearls on table beside her bed.

Megumi glared at the pearls and their luminescent quality as the light from the moon and the oil lamp on the bed stand dancing across its smooth surface. For a moment her gaze softened, as Megumi extended her hand toward the luxurious necklace. She withdrew the hand, again glaring at the jewelry.

"I will not relent!" Megumi stated, falling onto her knees. She placed her hands on the bed, setting her own head upon them. Megumi had been tempted; she had let Kanryuu show her warmth and not rebuffed it upon sight. Giving way was an uneasy subject for the doctor of death. Megumi's eyes were filled with fresh tears, as she settled upon the truth of the matter.

Aoshi strolled about the gardens, his hair still in the silent night, and a thought churning in the back of his mind. Kharma, or the Japanese belief in fate, had not yet haunted Aoshi in his sinful state. Perhaps the presence of Megumi was the presence of Kharma.

End Chapter Two

Rissi's Notes:

Hey! I am so glad the response for this fiction has been so positive! It's really encouraging to write again! Well, that's all I have to say in general, so onto the reviews…

Zero27: Danke! I hope to see you writing again soon! I'm disappointed I've had a total lack of decent fluff as of late, and as the fluff master I blame you! (points accusatory finger)

Lelia Winters: 1) Yeah, the philosophy thing was definently inspired from above. 2) Meg is a total bisnitch and I luv it! 3) Childhood loves? I dunno;I'm working on the smaller details. 4) "I am no man's property" is definitely a Queen Elizabeth line.good quote sense;and it is a great movie! 5) Don't jump to conclusions, let the story play out. Thanks!

Brooke: Fishing has been my favorite thing to do for writing… a good hook is like the best thing you can do! Thankee much!

Yvonne: I'll add as much as I can without betraying the characters original storyline. Enjoy and Thanks!

Mji: LOL! Ever seen the movie Garden State with Natalie Portman? That's my influence. You should watch it. Enjoy the show! Thankyouverymuch!

Kowatashi: Again, you've exceeded review-writing expectations! You do that well. Thanks for all those words and considerations.

Alvedersain