Disclaimer: I still don't own Rurouni Kenshin.
Chapter 6
The following morning at dawn, Kenshin and Aoshi were seated in a somewhat secluded room just off the main entrance hall of the Aoiya. Kenshin had just placed the breakfast dishes on the table and was now sitting poring through the enormous, worn book Aoshi had lent him the night before.
Kenshin had not yet had the chance to inspect the book, as it was the Kenshin-gumi's first visit to Kyoto in a fairly long time, and the members of the Oniwaban-shuu, had insisted on a very loud and rambunctious party, that lasted well into the night to celebrate their arrival.
Now though he was closely examining the page that held the diagram Aoshi had discovered. It was undeniably very similar to the one that had been scrawled on the wall in the restaurant in Tokyo, Kenshin did not move a muscle as Saitoh sauntered calmly into the room, picking up a bowl from the tray in the centre of the room as he passed, and seated himself imperiously at the head of the table.
Kenshin watched him from the corner of his eye for a few moments as his old enemy absentmindedly stirred his Miso soup with a pair of black lacquered chopsticks, seemingly much more interested in Aoshi, as the solemn young man filled the policeman in on all the information he had managed to gather.
Kenshin turned his attention back to the large green book in his hands. There's nothing in here that Aoshi didn't see. He thought to himself as he closed his amber eyes in resignation, although I shouldn't have expected anything else, that I most certainly should not have. He took a deep breath as he slowly closed the book, only to have his golden eyes snap open once again as his nose caught a strange smell. He sniffed again, It smells almost… almost… His eyes widened as his brain finally registered the smell. METALLIC. The ex-assassin quickly glanced around the room, taking in the current status of his two allies. Saitoh was lifting the miso absently to his lips, his usually sharp eyes, clouded over in thought and Aoshi was pouring green tea into three cups from a steaming kettle.
Kenshin lunged first at the Wolf of Mibu, knocking the miso from his hands and onto the tatami matting. Then using his speed born from using the Hiten Mitsurugi Style, sliced the three cups that the ninja had been filling into tiny splinters.
Saitoh raised one eyebrow and Aoshi calmly placed the teapot back onto the table. The hitokiri looked at each of them in turn, his golden eyes glittering strangely. 'Don't eat anything,' He instructed in the cold tones, he had rarely used since the Bakumatsu. 'Someone has laced it with Methylcrass.'
Both Aoshi and Saitoh tensed before Saitoh gently picked up a bowl of rice from the centre of the table; he lifted it to his nose and sniffed experimentally. He allowed his eyes to slowly pan across to Aoshi, who was watching him carefully, flicking them once in Kenshin's direction.
'He's right,' The wolf confirmed. 'It's a small amount, but still enough.' He turned to face Kenshin. 'I wonder though,' he said a small grin appearing on his face, his composure returning enough to allow a sneering comment. 'How did Methylcrass manage to get onto the breakfast dishes of Hitokiri Battousai, and the former Okashira of the Oniwaban, and all without one of them noticing?'
'That's a very good question.' Kenshin said slowly, choosing to ignore the implications. 'Especially as I myself made breakfast today, I was accompanying the dishes at all times, up until I carried them in here.'
Saitoh raised one sneering eyebrow, 'Losing your touch already are we, Battousai?'
Kenshin turned to look the Wolf full in the face, that small evil grin back in place, and causing Saitoh's sneer to slip a fraction. 'At least I wasn't about to eat it.' He reminded him maliciously.
The taller man snorted and stood up, blushing very, very slightly, while Aoshi watched the exchange with an almost dead pan expression on his face, the only sign of humour, his blue eyes which were shining slightly.
Saitoh resisted the urge to put one hand on his hip in a commanding manner. 'Let's go.' He stated, a small hint of annoyance once again in his voice. 'Because of Battousai's current inability to handle even the simplest of tasks, we are already late.
Kenshin stood up as well, still grinning slightly maliciously at Saitoh, who was now ignoring him, and focusing on Aoshi.
'Coming?' He asked, reaching into his shirt pocket for a cigarette. Aoshi didn't move, 'As helpful as my presence would undoubtedly be, I feel that under the circumstances it would be wiser for me to remain here to ensure that a similar scene does not occur.'
Kenshin paled as he realised that more food could be tainted, and that the person who had managed to slip the deadly substance into their food in the first place was still unaccounted for. They would have left the others completely exposed and unprepared, he would have left Kaoru unprepared.
'Thank you.' He told the ninja, conveying all he needed in those simple words.
Aoshi nodded once in acknowledgement and settled himself back on the tatami to meditate until the others awoke.
Saitoh turned and marched out of the room, but Kenshin hesitated, casting one final glance over his shoulder at the ninja before silently leaving the room in order to reach the second crime scene.
10 Minutes later
The pair had arrived at the scene of the crime to find the area completely deserted, mainly because of the early hour, so Kenshin and Saitoh had the area to themselves for a few hours with absolutely no chance of being disturbed. The tall policeman walked up to the door first, pushing aside the sign warning not to enter because the building was under police investigation. He fitted a key into the large, slightly rusted padlock that was guarding as an extra precaution and pushed the front door to the establishment open.
He then walked back to where Kenshin was standing to allow the smell of death and decaying blood to diffuse into the clear morning air. While Saitoh pulled a slightly bent cigarette from his pocket, and began a fruitless struggle to manipulate it back into its original state. Kenshin looked around the general area, noting as he walked a short distance away, that the site had a lot in common with its Tokyo counterpart, he jogged for a couple of seconds until he could see the main streets of Kyoto. He found that even though the building was only a short distance away from the prosperous Aoiya, it obviously enjoyed none of its success. The street in which it was situated was dark and secluded, with a small forest to one side and a shrine backing it.
He walked once around the building checking for anything that appeared out of the ordinary, he stopped once when he found a strange, spiky looking, largish bush that had pink flowers on it, it was strangely gnarled and twisted for its beautiful flowers and Kenshin found himself mesmerised by it. He had never seen a tree like it before, he was just reaching one hand towards it, wanting to touch the velvety pink flowers when he was snapped out of his trancelike state by the sound of heavy boots walking towards him.
Without quite knowing why, Kenshin ran from the bush so Saitoh would not notice its presence. 'Ready to go yet, Battousai?' Satioh called impatiently as he rounded the far corner of the building. Kenshin turned, mentally steeling himself before striding forwards around the corner past Saitoh and through the front door, into the restaurant while making a very strong point of not breathing though his nose, as the smell of death was still overpowering.
The smallish room was covered in a thick, rusty brown substance that was still wet in some places, even despite the three days it had had to dry. Being a relatively old crime scene, the larger body parts had all been taken away for identification and the gruesome task of cleaning the remaining blood had begun, it was mainly because of this lack of gore that Kenshin found this crime scene much more bearable than the one in Tokyo.
Saitoh cast an appraising eye over the room, before consulting the piece of paper that had the report written on it, then gathering his bearings, strode purposefully into the kitchen, Kenshin heard the sound of a window being opened and saw the light flood in from outside, then he heard a small, almost inaudible gasp. He walked quickly into the kitchen and allowed his own amber eyes to follow the line of vision the Wolf's was making.
He couldn't quite swallow a gasp of his own as his eyes took in the sight. There, sticking out of the floor like a lightning rod was the same gnarled piece of hardwood the man in Kenshin's visions had used for a staff.
Saitoh stood towards one corner, seemingly not wanting to go near it, but Kenshin was drawn to it, the short, redhead walked up to it carefully, half expecting a reaction similar to the green crystal to take place, instead when he gingerly placed one hand on the smooth, strangely cool wood, felt a strange jolt of familiarity, almost like déjà vu. He looked up at Saitoh, who was watching him from across the room, and voiced what he saw as the obvious question. 'Why doesn't it affect me like the stone?'
Saitoh simply removed the cigarette that had been resting in between his lips and breathed the smoke out in a slow sigh, all the while looking at Kenshin with a very strange expression on his face. As though he thought the younger man wa missing the main very important point.
'How do you suppose I would know something like that, Battousai? At present I am far more concerned about how it got to be here, what its significance actually is and,' He paused staring pointedly at the floor near the base of the staff. 'What that circular pattern surrounding the staff is there for…'
Kenshin's eyes followed his gaze, slightly puzzled when he saw nothing. 'What circular pattern are you talking about, Saitoh?' he asked, thoughts of the Wolf's deceit once again flicking through his mind.
Saitoh removed the cigarette from his mouth and held it as though he wasn't really certain what to do with it, he turned his head very slowly to look the red-haired ex-assassin in his amber eyes, and Kenshin felt a strange jolt pass though his body at the intensity of the Policeman's gaze. 'That pattern, Battousai,' He said gesturing with one gloved hand. 'The pattern you studiously avoided stepping on, on your way towards the staff. The large, intricate, circular pattern that starts a foot from where you are currently standing and finishes underneath the staffs point.'
Kenshin looked down again. 'I see nothing, Saitoh.' He told the man who was standing over him, pointing at a spot near his feet.
'Look.' Saitoh insisted. Saitoh is acting strangely again. He thought. Where did his usual cool indifference go? He has never in my presence insisted on something so strongly. Kenshin gave him a long searching stare, before crouching down near the floor, even going so far as to brush his hand over the ground to remove any dust that may be obstructing his view. He looked back up at the Policeman shaking his head he told the other man, as he slowly stood up.
'I still see nothing, but I have learnt from recent experiences that not seeing something, does most certainly not mean that it is not there.' He walked over to the ex-Shinsengumi, handing him a pad and ink brush.
'Perhaps if you draw it, then we can return to the Aoiya and figure this out, that we can.'
Saitoh slowly reached out one hand to grasp the offered pad and brush from the other man, turning back to the circular design before him without saying a word, and then he began to draw, as though in a trance. Although years of necessity and practice meant that he still kept a small, self-confident sneer on his face.
Kenshin watched for a few moments before deciding to investigate more thoroughly while Saitoh was occupied, only having had the chance to examine the staff in any detail.
He was wandering around vaguely, pondering the mystery of why he couldn't see the circular pattern. He lifted one slightly shaky hand to brush at the hair that had fallen into his eyes, the smell of blood was gradually wearing him down, making him feel increasingly nauseous the longer he stayed in the room. He had just turned, intending to wait outside for the older man when he caught sight of a passage that appeared to have been carved into the wall. Unthinkingly he read it allowed, slightly surprised to find it to have been written in English.
Red as blood,
Beware the anger that bonded under battle,
May he RIP,
Flow as blessed courage,
A kinship that transcends the ages,
While minds divided, leave strength unknown and mysteries remaining.
'What on earth are you babbling, Battousai?' Saitoh asked curiously peering over Kenshin's shoulder to peer at the wall, apparently finished with his sketch.
Kenshin gestured at the wall. 'I was reading this passage I just found, do you have any idea what it means, de gozaru ka?'
Saitoh narrowed his eyes and leaned forwards in an attempt to focus better on the wall. He leant back slowly with a slightly frustrated sigh. He put the pad into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it, and inhaling deeply before answering. 'Are you talking about the passage written on the wall?' He asked finally, gesturing in its general direction with one gloved hand. When Kenshin nodded he continued. 'Because I can neither see a passage written on this wall, nor understand the language you were just spouting, Battousai.'
Kenshin gazed at him wearily a small part of him for some reason unsurprised by this revelation. 'Let's go back to the Aoiya.' He suggested suddenly. 'There is something very wrong going on in here, that there most certainly is.' He stopped looking around, as he was unable to suppress a small shudder.
Saitoh nodded calmly, the only sign of his unease a flicker on confusion in his Wolf like eyes and a small tilt to his usually confident sneer.
'First though,' Kenshin said, suddenly turning back. 'We should bring this with us.' He placed one hand on the knotted staff and lifted it easily from the restaurants compacted dirt floor, and then walked towards Saitoh he had almost reached him when a jolt of green light snaked its way out of the staff like lightning, hurtling towards the Wolf of Mibu and slamming both men into opposite walls, the green light still joining them as one, as in pinned them down.
As Kenshin fought the blackness that was coming to claim him he tried to release his grip on the staff only to find it fused to the palm of his right hand. Kenshin had time to see Satioh's head slump forward into unconsciousness before the prickling numbness he felt intensified, and the black edges around his vision grew to finally overcome him.
Saitoh woke to find himself in a large, soft, futon. He groaned very softly and the pounding in his head increased when he attempted to sit up slowly, in order to properly survey his surroundings. He blinked as he noticed from the angle of the sunlight shining gently into the room, through the open window that it was very early in the morning. How can this be. He thought. It was almost mid morning when we were in that restaurant, how long was I out? And he thought looking around, as a more important thought occurred to him. Where am I?
He sat up further staring around the room, with slightly shocked amber eyes. Everything in the room looked almost brand new, but the style of decoration was undoubtedly from a time hundreds of years before Saitoh would have been born.
He looked down and saw that he had been dressed in a yukata that most certainly did not belong in the Meiji era. He turned his head sharply a fraction to the left, when he sensed a movement. He then shot out of bed with a speed born from many years of intense training, as he saw a pretty young woman he did not recognise laying beside him, sleeping soundly.
She lifted her eyelids to reveal reddish, brown eyes that were still smudged with fatigue. 'What's wrong?' she asked drowzily, one slender arm snaking from underneath the covers to reach for the started man before her.
Saitoh turned as he heard the paper screen door behind him open, instantly assuming a defensive stance, noticing as he did that his sword was nowhere in sight.
'Anata? What's the matter?' The woman asked, her voice sounding shrill with worry. 'It's just the boys, it's nothing to worry about.' She continued to look at him worriedly, her red, brown eyes intense and alert.
Saitoh chose to ignore the fact that the strange woman had called him darling, and focussed his attention instead on the two young boys who were standing in the doorway. His mouth opened in a silent 'o' of astonishment. The first boy was about 12 years old, with black hair and appeared to be quite muscular and tall for his age, but Saitoh looked straight past this boy, only giving him the briefest glance possible as the other boy caught his eye.
He stood there staring at the young boy, not willing to believe what his eyes were telling him, there in front of him, stood a short boy of about eight years. Saitoh knew this person, had known him for so many years that his face was almost as familiar to him as his own reflection, but the astonishing thing was not the flaming red hair, or even the amethyst eyes, it was what was reflected in those eyes. Saitoh was staring directly into the eyes of an eight-year-old Kenshin, a Kenshin with no regrets. The Shinsengumi looked at the boys eyes, stared at them noting the way they appeared to glow in the early morning sunlight, until they appeared to blur. Still the wolf stared, he was unable to look away.
Saitoh took a small step backwards as the image of the young Kenshin's smiling face burned itself into his memory. He felt the ground tip as though attempting to through himself off its very surface, and then felt his mind rush back to meet his body, which he could see, still pinned against the wall, colliding with so much force that it made him tumble to the floor of the blood splattered establishment.
The tall policeman stayed where he had fallen, trying to put his turbulent thoughts into some semblance of control. He was jolted out of his reverie by a strange chanting that was in a rhythmic language that he couldn't understand but sounded familiar, he twisted his head around desperately, trying to pinpoint the location of the speaker.
Kenshin awoke with his mind foggy and his head light, to the sound of chanting. He tried to regain his senses for a few moments enough to pinpoint the location of the chanter, it took him a few more seconds of concentration to realise the chanting was coming from his own mouth. He gasped slightly and shut his mouth tightly as though attempting to swallow the strange words he had been speaking.
He finally lifted his head to find Saitoh leaning against the opposite wall regarding him shrewdly. A pale, almost shocked expression on the taller mans face as his composure, which Kenshin had tried to break for years during the revolution, appeared to finally have reached its breaking point. The two feared warriors stared at each other, amber meeting amber, neither one believing what they had just experienced.
A/N: Thank you once again to all the people who have reviewed so far, keep 'em coming guys x.
Sorry this chappie took so long, but I wrote 3 drafts before this one before deciding I couldn't be bothered anymore and thought I should post this before someone perforated me with a toasting fork. OOx.