The Tragic Circumstances of Lost Souls Conjoined:
Chapter Six: Revolutions are not made with rose water
"She floats, she hesitates; in a word, she's a woman."
Jean Racine
As a creature new to the idea of conspiracy, Aoshi tread cautiously about the recent scheme that would give Megumi her deserved freedom. And in that time of severe contemplation, life often went on as it had in the past, little of the revelation Megumi and Aoshi had experienced was even spoken or expressed. That small moment under the stars did not need to be repeated loudly, for it could very easily be conveyed by the nod of a head or a out of place smile darting across a face like a brief ray of light.
For all Aoshi's inexperience, Kanryuu expected nothing he only suspected a usurpation gathering around him, as if he heard the silent whispers of thought tracing a mind. Yet, Kanryuu dismissed such thoughts as paranoia and set about making his golden goose more fertile.
He found Megumi contemplatively staring out of a large window, allowing an eerily blowing branch to entrance her mind from depressing, coherent thought.
"Takani-san," Kanryuu stated, surprising Megumi with the understanding tone in his voice and the properness of the title.
"What do you want Kanryuu?" Megumi stated defensively, eyeing Kanryuu warily as he walked towards her.
"Only your explicit cooperation, my dear." Kanryuu stated, glaring at her in ways that made Megumi feel as if she were being stripped bare and examined like a race horse.
"Only my explicit cooperation…" She repeated, the words flowing harshly off Megumi's tongue. Kanryuu only grinned, and drawled with a contemptuous sneer,
"Yes, my great beauty, I have a friend who has grown impatient as of late." Megumi, with defiance returning to her as the fears dissipated, chuckled,
"Is this friend impatient for a monetary value only this dishonored goose can create?" Kanryuu's silence gave him consent to Megumi's statement and she smiled harshly, somewhat mocking Kanryuu's own sneer,
"I find no reason to help this friend, and nor will I do it for your sake and affection." Yet, in the few moments it took Megumi to play with Kanryuu's twisted passion, she had ignited a great rampage.
"You will," Kanryuu stated, "this tedious defiance will stop here. I can always release you from this place and have you sent to a jail for creating opium! These are not threats, for I will act upon them!" Kanryuu stated with great viciousness, though an equally substantial control. She swallowed any remaining saliva in her mouth and bit her lower lip; this action was quite miniscule but Kanryuu noticed it and smiled. Kanryuu left the room without saying anything more to Megumi, and let her absorb the entanglements that bound her life to him.
The next morning, the sun had failed to shine and gave way to a torrent of rain falling from a gray, lifeless sky. The same eerie sadness that had befallen the sky also inhabited the Kanryuu Estate. Resigning herself to the dank laboratory, Megumi let her mind wander to better landscapes and brighter fortunes while her hands worked with a frightening expertise to grind the poppy.
The laboratory was on the lower level of the mansion, yet still remained in the west wing. Compared to the rest of the home it was base in decorations, symbolic of its cold and cruel nature. Aoshi dared to venture in this portion, although his best instincts told him to avoid the lair of a reluctant conspirator.
Megumi would not betray his presence, despite how acutely she could sense the vibrations of Aoshi's boots tap against the concrete flooring. In truth, she had no desire to partake of his strength and comfort; Megumi thought she was doomed to pass life by Kanryuu's side and would not risk the removal of her heart, which she kept so closely guarded in her chest.
Yet, the vibrations of Aoshi's stride only grew closer, and Megumi grew more nervous of his approaching figure. Within a few moments, Aoshi had entered the small laboratory and noticed Megumi attempting to ignore his presence.
He yearned to speak with Megumi, or, in any event, have her speak coherent thoughts. A deep, reflective breaths or her wandering eyes did not satiate this urge within Aoshi, which only increased his desire.
Megumi could not help but meet Aoshi's eyes when he implored her own, even blushing at his knowing glances. This quiet moment surrounding them in a hazy sheet, helped them understand more the memories could not be restrained or forgotten, they were only intensified by the transfixing spell.
Aoshi opened his mouth for a moment, as if he would speak to Megumi. This caused Megumi's heart to leap in anticipation despite her own conscious effort to stop it. Focusing harder to grind the dried opium, Megumi feebly tried to further ignore Aoshi, but there was a bond that had been created only nights before and could not be removed.
This inspired Megumi to speak into the awkward air, and in hopes that Aoshi would respond in his brief half-thoughts,
"What brings you to this fallen woman's laboratory?" Megumi asked him, degrading what remained of her betrayed body from the fallout. Aoshi, looking into Megumi's soul through her cinnamon eyes, he lied,
"I was sent by Kanryuu."
"Is that so," she replied and rebuffed any betrayal she felt at Aoshi's scathing words. The coldness of Megumi's tone stung Aoshi, for as she ground the poppy, he did not only sense her anger. The silence was now totally unbearable; Megumi attempted to ignore Aoshi standing before her and focus on her work even though she knew that Aoshi's excuse was an outright lie.
The intensity of ceramic scraping against ceramic Aoshi was ever more keen too, it tried to dull his awareness with its grotesque melody. This went on for several, undeterminable minutes until Aoshi grabbed Megumi's hand, which ground the poppy and stilled it.
Aoshi's touch was gentle on Megumi's skin; it caused a telling shiver to creep up her arm and through her blood stream. Megumi looked to Aoshi in confusion, her eyes shining with unwavering light as he then removed the small bowl she had been grinding the poppy in. He did not release her hand.
Megumi attempted to ask Aoshi's motives but her breath fell short when she saw the unfamiliar gleam in his eyes. His fingers shifted against an invisible coating of poppy dust, and Aoshi grimaced for a moment. Megumi, seeming to know what the grimace was about, blushed in embarrassment. Without releasing her hands, Aoshi dipped a cloth in a bowl of water and cleaned Megumi's hands of that fine, but telling dust.
Megumi said thank you, but it was nearly inaudible. Aoshi, who heard the polite phrase nodded back with no smile tracing his lips. A somewhat wide laboratory table, with the souls breeching the distance, separated their bodies. They were hit by the memory of the night underneath a starry sky. A confided hope of release rang in the distance, as an apex of that momentous encounter. Aoshi felt, in the equal pangs of that great organ in their chests, this woman was his to protect and perhaps love in the end.
As Megumi read those thoughts in Aoshi's eyes, she trembled and shook her head.
'I am not worth this…' She thought, and diverted her eyes from Aoshi's knowing stare. He did not ask her a question, Aoshi only glared softly, noting worry frame Megumi's lovely face.
"I do not know, " Megumi tentatively began, her heart faltering as she bravely sough Aoshi's eyes again, "why you risk the safety of your men to save me!" She finished, Megumi's voice rising in confused frustration.
Aoshi's expressionless face bore some alteration for a mere moment, and it could not be read because of the short time it lasted.
"The Oniwabanshuu are going to help you escape." Aoshi announced. Megumi's cinnamon eyes grew wide, and she protested,
" What about your men? Kanryuu will surely kill them and you!" Megumi was suddenly vocal, and the passion she had tried to subdue erupted from within her.
"They are aware of consequences." Aoshi stated simply, as if it were a trivial side note.
"And they do not rebel?" Megumi asked Aoshi, but grew afraid as
Aoshi's glare turned cold.
" As I am Oshikara it is their duty to obey me." Megumi's nose crinkled at this stiff reply, and at the same time his reasoning held an older, more sophisticated appeal.
"Duty, I haven't heard that one in awhile." Megumi murmured aloud. Aoshi detected the thought-spoken out loud, and the small laugh she held after it. She received a censuring glare that was followed by an uncommonly compassionate expression.
"You have not heard it enough it seems," Aoshi said in a surprisingly gentle and kind voice, rendering Megumi off guard and open to his words.
" I don't want you judging me." Megumi stated with defiance and confusion wracking her voice, " I do what I must to survive in this world…"
" I do not censure your actions, as I have told you before, far worse sins have been committed than the ones that were forced upon you." Megumi looked up at Aoshi questionably after he stated this.
"You do not know what sins I have committed or how many lost souls have died to an auspicious poison that I with my own to hands make. Yet you would deem me innocent and remove the guilt that I bear. Why am I lucky to be so favored?" She said mockingly, and almost lightly though all notions of good humor had long abandoned them.
The far off light of redemption had been vanquished, and Megumi's spirit seemingly crushed in the wake of an unspoken ruled left Aoshi bewitched, bothered and bewildered. It was in this moment of uncanny circumstances Aoshi did something completely unexpected; his hand had released hers as he drew away a falling tear from Megumi's cheek. Her eyes fluttered shut in response, with Aoshi admiring this for a moment before he grasped her chin and pulled her face close to his own.
"Megumi-san," Aoshi said, his voice both stern and compassionate at the same time and his eyes blazing with a brave new passion. These things left Megumi disabled to reply as they were noticed, and she felt rapture within her very soul.
"Do not berate your survival in this world of betrayed circumstances. Men that claimed to made of much sterner stuff would have fallen and failed in ways you have conquered." Aoshi stated to Megumi in discreet whispers that caused an emotion that she would rather have rebuffed.
She asked herself silently why as Aoshi implored and captured her eyes with certain authority. No effort could break their locked gaze, and Megumi let herself relax. Aoshi felt her pulse resume a steady thump, and raised his head to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.
As his head rose to Megumi's forehead, she shivered in the reverence and empathy Aoshi showed her in that action and her hand clenched around an invisible, intangible thing. Though Megumi still had her doubts, the strength Aoshi conveyed was a comfort that would ease such fears as existed.
Aoshi saw in Megumi's eyes a willingness to escape that propelled him only further and did not hinder any thoughts of revolt.
"I will visit you in your room this night, retire early and all shall be set I motion." Aoshi said, and Megumi nodded solemnly, her heart still weary.
End Chapter Six
Rissi's Retort:
I'm sorry for the inability to write, I had to force this one out with little tact. I only hope its good, because I'm not entirely sure of that…
Zero27: I'm sorry if this meager section fails to wow thee…but it was like C-Section..Hah! That was a bad joke…sorry. Thanks for the compliment and review.
KKC: Now we all hate Kanryuu, so don't get all bent out of shape. Thanks, and enjoy this next chapter..
Thief Rikku: I forgive you and Your reviews are fine, and I appreciate the positive feedback! Thanks and enjoy.
SurferSea: So sorry this took so long! Egad! Enjoy and review!
Yvonne: Don't kill me! I took to long! Thanks for the review!
Lelia Winters: I must apologize for taking too long this time around. You know that at times the muse isn't so cooperative! The change of voice I noticed too, and I hope the writing is less indifferent.
Cya!
